The Continental Congress and Romanism by C. E. Holmes

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Mar 12, 1914

The Continental Congress and Romanism

By C. E. Holmes

THE question of preserving our liberties from the machinations of the Church of Rome is a present problem. But it was also uppermost in the minds of our forefathers. One of the first actions taken by the Continental Congress was regarding the Catholic religion. Sept. 5, 1774, an address to the people of Great Britain was adopted by the delegates of our American colonies. In this appeal we find this resolution:—

“That the late act of Parliament for establishing the Roman Catholic religion in the French laws in that extensive country now called Quebec, is dangerous in an extreme degree to the Protestant religion and to the civil rights and liberties of all America; and therefore as men and Protestant Christians, we are indispensably obliged to take all proper measures for our security.”—“Journals of the Continental Congress,” Vol. I, page 16.

This was followed a few days later by this declaration:—

“Nor can we suppress our astonishment that a British Parliament should ever consent to establish in that country [Canada] a religion that has deluged your island in blood, and dispersed impiety, bigotry, persecution, murder, and rebellion through every part of the world.”—Id., page 44.

The founders of our government were enjoying a large degree of civil and religious liberty. The pit of religious tyranny and intolerance was just behind them. They did not wish again to become ensnared in the net of the Papacy.

The statement is now being made, and has been asserted for many years, that religious liberty in America was first planted in Maryland by a Roman Catholic, Lord Baltimore by name. He is held forth as a representative of Catholic principles regarding religious liberty.

But it is very evident from the foregoing resolutions that our forefathers, who lived not far from Baltimore’s day, saw anything but liberty in the teachings and practices of the Roman Church. They saw danger to their liberties when Rome began to intrench itself even outside of the colonies.

C. E. HOLMES.