Policy of Romanism by J. H. W.

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Oct 7, 1875

Policy of Romanism.

By J. H. W.

Many papers in the United States scout the idea that there can be any danger to our civil liberties in the increase of the power and influence of the Catholic church in this country. Prominent among these is the Christian Union, edited by H. W. Beecher. Mr. Beecher reports that some of the warmest tokens of respect come to him from the Catholic church. Why the dignitaries of that body should congratulate him is not easy to conceive, unless they believe that his latitudinarian course indirectly helps their cause by tending to break down the landmarks and safeguards of Protestantism. That his ministry has this tendency has been noticed with regret by many for years past. Certainly Catholics cannot favorably regard him as a religious teacher; for the present pope, in harmony with his predecessors, has denounced as error the opinion that “Protestantism is nothing more than another form of the same true Christian religion in which it is possible to be equally pleasing to God as in the Catholic church.”

It cannot be said that this is but the opinion of a church in regard to its own superiority to others, even as each Protestant church may consider its own faith purer and better than that of its neighbors; for this opinion is set forth as emanating from one who is infallible, and who has unlimited authority, both spiritual and civil. Whatever changes may take place in the teachings and actions of the Roman church, she never changes in her feelings and policy toward those who dare to worship God outside of her communion. To show that her present peaceful attitude toward Protestants is one of policy and not of principle, we quote from the “Syllabus of Errors,” promulgated by Pius IX. in 1864.

“ERROR 77. In the present day it is no longer expedient that the Catholic religion shall be held as the only religion of the State, to the exclusion of all other modes of worship.

“ERROR 78. Whence it has been wisely provided by law, in some countries called Catholic, that persons coming to reside therein shall enjoy the public exercise of their own worship.”

It is an error to say that it is expedient to tolerate any worship but that of the Catholic church, and an error to say that others beside Catholics shall enjoy the public exercise of their own worship. This reminds us strongly of the inquisition and the fires of the auto de fe. This is a direct confession that the present pacific course of the pope and the Catholic church is one of necessity, not of choice. Of course her action must be changed when opportunity permits.

Another error is the following:—

“ERROR 54. Kings and princes are not only exempt from the jurisdiction of the church, but are superior to the church in litigated questions of jurisdiction.”

In questions of jurisdiction the State must yield to the church. This ought to be a warning, but the American people love blindness, and they will not be warned. Many great men of the Protestants seem to be almost as much bewildered by the gaudy trappings of the Roman-American Cardinal as are the Romanists themselves. High officers of the government do him honor, while they know that it is as impossible for him to be an American citizen and a Catholic Cardinal. His allegiance is to a power higher, in his estimation, than the government of the United States. Not an ecclesiastical power merely, confining its decisions to matters of religion, but a power holding jurisdiction over the government.

Whatever may be said of the manner in which Prussia has met the aggressions of the papal power, it must be conceded that her course is founded upon just views of the relation of the church to the State, and the danger to the State of permitting the claims of the Catholic church to be pressed on the people without a check. In our own land the prospects of success for the papal power are brighter than in any other country, England not excepted, though the tendency of the established English church is decidedly toward Romanism.—J. H. W., in Signs.