CATHOLICISM AND RELIGIOUS LIBERTY.
By E. E. Franke
"ETERNAL vigilance is the price of liberty, but when indifference takes the place of vigilance, the death of liberty is sure to follow." The above was taken from an article in the Converted Catholic some time ago. And if we notice the history of religion and State in the past, we will at once recognize them as words of truth and soberness. The Roman Catholic Church is always the same, and her assertions that "the Roman Catholic Church never has erred, and never can err," coupled with the claim of infallibility put forth from time to time, prove that she is the same. In view of these things, how important that every lover of civil and religious liberty should be very vigilant in watching the movements of the Roman Catholic Church in this country. She has always favored the enforcement of her doctrines and dogmas by the civil powers. The following from a Catholic paper, the Shepherd of the Valley, is self-explanatory: "We are not the advocates of religious freedom, and we repeat, We are not." Bishop O'Connor, of Pittsburg, said: "Religious liberty is merely endured until the opposite can be carried into execution without peril to the Catholic world." And so you see they would do away with our liberty, that God-given right which we enjoy under this free government. It has always been the policy of Rome to instruct her communicants to vote in such a way as to bring about a state of politics favoring her church and dignitaries. An instance of this came under the notice of the writer some time ago, while in Pittsburg. A majority of the voters in a ward being Catholics, they elected a Catholic school board, who in turn elected a Roman Catholic priest as principal of the school, and were about to elect nuns as teachers, and teach the Catholic catechism, etc., when a protest went up from the city press, and he resigned. We might give other instances. The way in which Bismarck humbled himself before Rome is doubtless still fresh in the mind of the reader, as is also the way the pope has been feeling out after England and other countries. But the question with us is, Does Rome seek to engraft her doctrines and dogmas in this so-called Protestant land? We answer most emphatically, She does! Notice, if you please, the encyclical of Pope Leo XIII., in 1885, where he says: "We exhort all Catholics who would devote careful attention to public matters, to take an active part in all municipal affairs, and elections, and to further the principles of the church in all public services, meetings, and gatherings. All Catholics must make themselves felt as active elements in daily political life in countries where they live. They must penetrate, wherever possible, in the administration of civil affairs; must constantly exert the utmost vigilance and energy to prevent the usage of liberty from going beyond the limit fixed by God's law. All Catholics should do all in their power to cause the constitutions of States and legislation to be modeled to the principles of the true church." This shows what Rome is aiming at. And yet, in the face of all this, we find our so-called Protestant ministers of the American Sunday Union, and the National Reform Association, reaching out their hands to Rome for the purpose of uniting religion and politics; and if they succeed in their object to unite religion and State, we ask, What will the national religion be? We will let Father Hecker, a Catholic priest, answer. He said: "There is, erelong, to be a State religion in this country, and that State religion is to be Roman Catholic." Bishop Kenrick declared that "Catholicity will one day rule in America, and then religious freedom will be at an end!" Thus you can see what Romanists themselves expect.708They know, just as well as we do, that they cannot accomplish this all at once, so they are willing to accept a little at a time, as it shall be offered to them, and we believe that the demand for a national Sunday law is only the first step toward Rome in this country. History is repeating itself; it was in just this way religion was brought into the State in the fourth century, which developed into Roman Catholicism; and, as like causes produce like effects, if this Sunday law should be enacted, we can look for the speedy formation of a likeness to, or an image of, the Papacy. Notice, if you please, how prompt Cardinal Gibbons was in indorsing the Sunday-Rest bill. And why was this?—Because they claim Sunday as an institution of their church. Cardinal Gibbons has himself admitted that the Sunday is an institution of their church, as the following letter to the writer will show:— CARDINAL'S RESIDENCE,
408 N. Charles St.,
Baltimore, Md., October 3, 1889.
DEAR MR. FRANKE: At the request of His Eminence the Cardinal, I write to assure you that you are correct in your assertion that Protestants in observing the Sunday are following, not the Bible, which they take as their only rule of action, but the tradition of the church. I defy them to point out to me the word Sunday in the Bible; if it is not to be found there, and it cannot be, then it is not the Bible which they follow in this particular instance, but tradition, and in this they flatly contradict themselves. The Catholic Church changed the day of rest from the last to the first day of the week, because the most memorable of Christ's works were accomplished on Sunday. It is needless for me to enter into any elaborate proof of the matter. They cannot prove their point from Scripture; therefore, if sincere, they must acknowledge that they draw their observance of the Sunday from tradition, and are therefore weekly contradicting themselves. Yours very sincerely, M. A. REARDON. After seeing the above, the reader must acknowledge that the Cardinal, in indorsing the Sunday-Rest bill, acted perfectly consistent with the pope's instructions in his encyclical before quoted, and thus is Rome seeking to gain a foot-hold in this land of liberty. Reader, are you watching the Roman machine in its movements here? In an interview, June 23, 1889, Dr. McGlynn said: "The people may know what I can tell them on the highest authority: The Roman machine is today most anxious to have a minister of the pope accredited to, and received by, the government at Washington." Let us be vigilant, and read the signs of the times as they pass before us. E. E. FRANKE.
Williamsport, Pa., October 13, 1889.