The Herald of Wales. — 1888-07-21 (Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales)

DAVID JOHN LUCE.  THE ROMAN PRIES IMOOD AND THE TO TEE EDITOR.  Sir,—ln a long letter " Catholicity " haa sought answer "Protestant " and myself, but, like all Roman Catholic dealings with argument, it was but an evasion of all the essential points we. raised or answered.  I should never have troubled you in the matter had I been sure that it is ever the policy of the Romish power (I deny that it is a church it is a political power, and political power is all it really wants) to force mankind co accept its errors by any means, and persecution is its much-loved instrument, and I contend that the extracts I gave from Its own periodicals fully prove that what it has done in the past it is prepared to do again, directly it has the power it is so insiduously working to obtain in England by every conceivable means.  The persecution of secular powers have nothing to do with the present discussion, and the divisions of Protestant Nonconformity are equally foreign to it, though it is quite easy to see why "thitholicity " leans somewhat to the Church of England, when we remember that at the present time over 3,000 of its bishops and clergy are doing all they can to introduce Romish practices into its services, and that only recently an idolatrous reredos Ace been erected in our great national building —Westminster abbey. The point I wish to emphasize is, that while in any persecutions the Protestants have been guilty of, they have gone in direct opposition to their creed, the Papacy distinctly teaches that its doctrines may, and should be, if necessary, enforced in the cruelest mrinner. There are two class-books in use at Maynooth College, which every student is bound to procure : the commentaries of Menoohius and Maldonatus.  Here are some of their notes en Matt. :Hi., 29  (From the former) " Christ does not forbid heretics to be taken away and put to death." From the latter There are some who abuse this place by trying to show that heretics are not to be punished or put to death."'" They who deny that heretics are to be put to death ought much rather to deny that thieves and murderers are to be put to death; for heretim are so much the more pernicious than thieves and murderers, as it is a greater crime to steal and kill the souls of men than their bodies."  It is well-known that Innocent 111 and other, ropes have issued persecuting bulls, and it is well to also know that there were made law by the fourth Lateran Council (121,5), and that Gregory IX had these laws embodied in the Canon Law; and In Devoti, Jut Canoniewn Rome 1837, Vol. 1, it is distinctly stated that everything in Gregory's decretals is law. . . .  ld—any noir; e;idence be needed this will suffice: Every Romanish bishop is compelled to swear, "All heretics, schismatics, and rebels against our lord, or aforesaid successors, I will persecute and attack to the utmost of my power. This, sir, I think, gives us a very good insight into what we might expect if this fiendish power ever has the ascendancy again in England, and I cannot but feel that, with our eyes shut, we are sitting quietly down and letting it steal it. serpent-like march upon us. Yours truly,  A