Year: 1874

from the T,erachy of the Roman Communion, that
Catholic Emancipation was at that time obtained.
But


Since that time all these propositions have been re-
versed. The Pope's infallibiy. when he speaks CT
catedra on faith and morals has been declared, with
the assent Of the Bishops OF the Roman Church. to be
AN article of faith binding the conscience Of every
Christian his claim to the obedience OF his spiritual
subjects has been declared in like manner without any
practical limit or reserves and his supremacy, without
any reserve of civil rights has been similarly anrmeo
TO include everything which relates TO the discipline
and government Of the Church throughout the woffd
And these doctrines, we now know on the hiSaeSt
authority 1t is OF necessity for salvation to believe
TIE DEGREES TO WHICH CATHOLICS ARE NOW


ASKED TO SUBMIT


So complete is the degradation of the Episcopal
order in the Latin Church that the claims 20 hich
Catholics now submit are not even stI1ctly DEGREES
of a Council, but DEGREES promulgat5d in Council,
Plus X legislating and decreeig. What he DEGREES
is. first, his own infallibility 1t is said this is
claimed only when he speaks ercaedrd, but that is


phrase of which thereis no established definition.
But there is still one person, and one only, VINO
can unquestionably declare er cstbedra what IS er
cathe1ra and VII. Is ot and who can cS". IL
when and as he pleases. That person IS the rope
himself The provision is, that no document he





mains under his own sole lock and key"


1t is urged again that the Papal claim does not 20
beyond matter of faith and morals but what do not
morals include OF where is the line to be drawn
which shall exclude any important part OF human
action from that domanf Rome draws nOne


Such distinction would be the unworthy device or
shallow policy vainly used to hide the daring OF that
wild ambition which at Rome-not from the throne but
from behind the throneprompts the movements OF the
Vatican not to ask If there be dregs OF taters oil
human e such as can escape from the description and
boundary Of morals. submit that duty Is power
which rises with us the morning and goes rest with
us at night 1t is coextensve with the action OF our In
teligence. 1t is the shadow which ceayes to us 30
where we WILL and which only leaves us when we leave
the light of life So then 1t is the supreme direction OF
US in respect all duty which the Ponf declares to
belong to him sdcro dpprobane concit0; and this de-
claration be makes not as otiose opinion Of the
schools but c,cs fdeiibus credendaps a IslShda. -


TIE CLAIM TO ABSOLUTE AND ENTIRE OBEDIENCE.


Nor is even the claim of Papal Infallibillty the
most dangerous Of recent usurpations There is
something wider still, and that is the claim to an
absolute and entire Obedience. The Third Chapter
of the Vatican Constitution has had less attention
than the Fourth. but is at least thinks Mr.. Glad
stone Of equal moment. Quoting the text Of it, he
says: -" $50


Eyeu therefore where the judgments OF the Pope do
not present tie credentials of nfalliby, they are
unappealable and irreversiblc, no person may pass
Judgment upon them, and all men, clerical and lay,
dispersedly or in the aggregate are bound truly TO
obey them and from this rule Of Catholic truth no man
can depart save at peril Of his salvation Surely,
it is allowable to say that this Third Chapter on
universal obedience is formidable rival to the Fourth
Chapter on Infability. Indeed. to observer from
without 1t seems to leave tho dignity to the other
Du to reserve the strngency and efficiency to ITSELF
fhn
fourth is the CarolinGlan Mayor OF the Palace. The
third has an overawing spendor; the fourth an iron
grippe. Little does it matter 10 me whether my superior
claims infability, so long as he entitled TO demand
and exact conformity. This, it will be observed, he
demands in not covered by his ipfalblity
cases. therefore, in which he admits 1t to be possible
that he may be wrong bnt finds it nolerabe TO be told
so As he must be obeyed In all his judgments though
not er cathedra. 1t pity he could not likewise
give the comforting that they oil certain
TO be right.


Why this ostensible reduplication3 Why. when
faith and morals cover everything worth having in
the individual put forth this other doctrine OF Obe-
dencei In this lies the very root and kernel of the
matter Individual servitude, however abject,
will not satisfy the party now dominant in the
Latin Church: the State must also be slave"


The danger herein lurking energetically dragged
from its concealmcnt. The claim to absolute obe
dience in all things which the discipline and
government of the Church sweeps into the Papal
net whole mutitudes of facts, whole systems of
governments And the warning reaches across the
Atlantic. Even in the United States, where the
severance between Church and State is supposed to
be complete, a long catalogue might be drawn OF
subjects belonging to the domain and competency
of the State, but also undenably affecting the gov
ernment of the Church; such as, by way of exam
pie, marriage, burial education, prison discipline.
basphemy poor relief, Incorporation, mortman re-
ligious endowments VOWS of celibacy, and obedience
In Europe the circle is far wider, the points of con-
tact and of interlacing almost innunerabe. But on
all matters, respecting which any Pope may think
proper to declare that they either faith,
morals, or the Government, or discipline of the
Church, he claims, with tho approval of Council
undoubtedly Gcumenical in the Roman sense, the
absolute obedience, at the peril of salvation. of
every member of his Communion.


To such claims as these-the claims Of the Sylla
bus and the Encycical-it seems not to have been
thought wise as yet to pledge the Council. That is
probably TO come -.-r--~t~.ssE -.


In the mean time it is well to remember that this claim
In respect all things affecting the discipline and gov
ernmen of the Church, as well as faith and conduct is
lodged open day by and In the reign of Ponti who
has condemned free speech free writing free press
liberation OF ormy, liberty OF conscience the
study OF civil and philosophical matters In lndepend-
ence OF the ecclesiastical authority, marriage unless
sacrdmentalg contracted. and the definition by the
State Of the civil rights 0ura) Of the Church; who has
demanded for the Church, therefore, the title to define
its own civil rights together with divine right to civil
immunues. aud right physical force; and who
has also proudly asserted that the Popes of the Middle
Ages with their Councils did not invade the rights OF
princess as for example, Gregory VII OF the Emperor
Henry w.; Innocent III. Of Raymond Of Toulouse;
Paul Ill In deposng Henry Will; or Plus " In per-
forming the like paternal Office for Elizabeth.


WHAT TIE CATHOLICS SHOULD DO.


With this spirited passage, Mr.. Gladstone ap-
of Iicn1 Iird