Year: 1874




.,., Tho doctrines OF deposition and persecution. OF
keepns no faith with heretics and OF universal oomn
,or ware obsolete beyond revival; tnat eNeiy "a'
apcc could be given respecting them, cAoep. '..n
reouIre the shame OF formal retracauohi 'o"' '"o'
were IN effect mere burglars, unworthy 10 DO aAen no
account by nation, which prioeu Hs''i ~ ' ~
I'D OF practical men.


pu, q was upoues sionably felt that something more
than the remuneration OF these particular opinions was
necessary In order TO the full concession OF civil
rights TO Roman Catholics. As 10 their individual 10y
aty State disposed to generous or candid nerpreta
ton had no reason be uneasy 1t was only with regard
to reauisitons which might be made on them from an
other quarter that apprehension could exist. II was
reasonable that England should desire to know not only
what the Pope might do for himself, but to what de-
mands, by the constitution OF their Church, they
we're liable; and how far 1t was possible
That such demands could touch their civil
duty. The theory which placed every human being.
in things spiritual, and things temporal, at the
feet Of the Roman Pon had not been an idolun speeus
mere theory Of the chamber Brain-power never sur
passed In the political history Of the world had been
devoted for centuries the single purpose Of working
IL into the practice OF Chrstendom had in the west
achieved for an impossible problem partial success
and had In the East punished the obstinate lndepend
ence Of the Church by that Latin conquest OF Consan
nople which eectualy prepared the way for the down
fall OF the Eastern Empire and the establishment OF the



was not whether the Papa Chair aid claim to this or
but whether it laid claim to some
power that included them all. and whether that claim
had received such sanction from the authorities OF the
Latin Church. that there remained within her borders
absolutely tenable standing-ground from wmch war
against 1t could be maintained Did the Pope then
claim infallibitya Or did he, either without infai-
bity or with 1t and II with It, SO much the "orse)
claim an universal obedience from his fockf And were
these claims either or BOTH affirmed in his Church by
authority which the least Papa OF the members OF
that Church admit to be blndng upon cohscence


The first of these questions were covered by the
third and we'll that they were so covered for
10 them no satisfactory answer could even then DO given
The Popes had kept up with comparatively little inter-
mission for well nigh q thousand years their claim to
doematjc nfallbity and had, at periods within the
same tract of tIne often enough made. and never
tracted that claim which Ia theoretically less but
practically larger their claim to an obedience vrtu
ay universal from the bapz ed members OF the Church
To the third question fortunately more practicable
to prescribe a satisfactory reply. 1t was well known
that in the days OF its glory and intellectual power the
great Gaican Church had not only not admitted but had
denied Papal infability and had declared that the
local laws and usuages the Church could not be set
aside by the will OF the Pontf Nay further was be-
lieved that in main these had been, down to the
close Of the century the prevailing opinions OF the
Cisalpne Churches in communion with Rome. The





the Pope's Judgments and the Pope himsew riabe
by the assembled representa- Of the Christian world
And the Council Trent notwithsta nding the predom
nance in it OF Italian and Roman 6uences II had
not Denied yet had not affirmed either proposition


All that remained was to know what were the senti-
ments entertained these vital points by the leaders
and guides OF Roman Catholic opinion nearest to our own
doors And here testimony was offered. which must
not and cannot be forgotten In part this was the test
mony Of witnesses before the Committee OF the House
of Lords In 1926 need quote two answers only, gwen
by Prelae who more than any other Represented
his Church. influenced the mind OF this country In
favor of concession at the time, namely Bishop Doyle


In whs, and how far does Catholic profess obey the
| lie replied:


The oaS' D & to 0ey the d Pope %asIs Thn S. % s
have already been defined by the competent authorities


Does justify objection that made to Catholics that their


90 not We bound obey the Pope 10
those things that have already mentioned But our ooenfe 10 n
full and perfect undivided they extend all political
nce due Sng allegiance Pope distinct
s % s the A' opnC SS We
presently hear the opinion Of living one. But tie
open and trustfu temper OF this people to induce them
to grant, and the cost OF much popular feeling and
isaS That concession without such declarations. 1T
would to say the least have been far more dncult 10


Now bodies are usually held to be bound by the evil
dence of their selected and typical witnesses But
| in this instance the colleagues OF those witnesses
| thought fit also TO speak collectively.


First let quote from the collective Declaration
in the year 1926. OF the Wears Apostolic who, with
Episcopal authority governed the Roman Catholics OF


The allegiance which Catholics and bound pay,
Sovereign and to the civil authority of the State perfect and


They neither the Pope other Pae eee
ntertere Directly or inrecv in the civil government nor
oppose the Performance Of the civil duties which are
| Not less explicit was the Hierarchy Of the Roman
Communion in It's Pastoral Address to the Clergy and
Laity of the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland, dated
Jan 2 1929 This address contains declaration, from
which extract the following words


whose good opinion .se{ ,a1e & once
upon faith discipline Of that Church which niIuated to their
that all be enabled to know with accuracy their genuine


Il TR. ArSls 5 III !: oath ,b. belief h.. it not o.. . Of til.
Faith neither they thereby reqnrei to believe that tue
| And, after various rectals they set forth


After this full explicit and sworn declaration We are utterly
with bearing toward most gracious Sovereign only divided ale
Thus. besides much else which I will not stop
quote Papal nfalibty was most soleinny declared TO
| be a matter on which each man might think as lie
| pleased; the POpe's power to claim obedience was
strictly and narrowly limited: 1t was expressly denied
that be had any title, direct indirect to interfere in
civil government. or the right Of the Pope define
the limits which divide the civil from the spiritual by
his own authority, not one word is said by the preates
| Of either country.


Since that time, all these propositions have been
cdedra faith and morals. has been declared, with
the bishops OF the Roman Church.
article faith binding the conscience every
his claim TO the obedience OF his spiritual subjects
has been declared in like manner without any practical
limit reserve; and his supremacy, without any re-
serve OF civil rights has been similarly affirmed in
clude everything which relates 10 the discipline and
government Of the Church throughout the world. And
these doctrines know the highest authority,
| IL is OF necessity for salvation to believe.


independently, however OF the Vatican DEGREES them
selves 1t is necessary for all who wish TO understand
what has been the amount OF the wonderful change
consum mated the constitution OF the Latin Church
and what Is the present degradation OF It's Episcopal
ORDER also the change. amounting TO revo
ton OF form III the present, compared with other
concatory decrees Indeed. that spirit OF centraza-
ton the eXcesses of which fatal vigorous life
in the Church In the State, nearly 10 have
reached last and furthest point OF possible advance