The Southern watchman. (Athens, Ga.) 1854-1882, June 07, 1855, Image 1
1 f'UBLIStlED WEEKLY.
by john h. cSnns'p i ,;'jl^ < fc&g :
, n soir«« a*d rsorerrrox. 1 ngein
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SMITH’S SPEECH.
wnviuwr unaiJiJ Mtcj wiuu-
JWftfc ^4tilf0*|u4towe
hundred years ago. the remains of.which sUU
SPEECH OF MB. SMITH,
(Ocmecratlc Representative from Ala >
Di li erred in the U., S. House of Representa
tives, on the 15fA of January, 1855.
(Concluded.)
Sir, this is a brief sketch of the power of
the General of this order. Was ever any
thing so tyrannical! Was ever despotism so
-complete t You must remember too, that
this General, with all this power over the
■members of the order, had himself taken a
vow of implicit obedience to the Pope—so
that all this despotism centred in the. Pope,
Let us now see how this power was exer
cised. It not only extended to the monks
shut up in the monasteries, but it reached to
■every corner of the Catholic world. By what
ingenuity do you suppose this General ciuld
manage this wide-sprcudsociety I Tlio ojrder
had divided its lnbors by establishing what is
called : 1. Professed Houses; 2. Houses of
Approbation: 3. Residences; 4. Colleges; 5
Boarding Schools; 6. Missions, Seminaries,
and Provincials. It was carefully provided
that the General should bo prefect ly informed
•with respect to the character and ability of
his subjects. The provincials and heads of
ten several house# were obliged to transmit
to the General, regular, frequent, and minute
reports concerning the members under their
'inspection. These reports were digested and
arranged ill registers, hv which the General
might, at a glance, easily survey the state'of
society in every coiner of the earth, observe
the qualifications of its members, and select
the proper instruments for any necessary ser
vice. The General also received IrequentTp-
ports from his comptrollers as to the tiscal
affairs of the society. And all these reports
were so completely made out, that he had
constantly before bis eye full information con
cerning the transactions of nearly every pro
vince and State in the world. This General
had nearly as many ministers as the Presi
dent uf the United States!. He had five min
isters, (heads of departments of Italy, Prance,
Spain, Germany, and Portugal,) to liropnre
matters.belonging to their respective assist*
ancles, and to put them iu methodical and
disposable shape.
Let us pause a moment and contemplate
tliis vast power I How ingenuiously devised !
Blew skillfully exerted l Behoid, in Some
gorgeous chamber—I bay gorgeous, for every
thing Roman Catholic is gorgeous, except the
•tells of its lousy monks, and the dark cloisters
of its lock-shorn uuns—behold, in some gor-
igeous chamber, this General l this almost im
perial master of a society whose amis reach
Iran sea to sea—from continent to continent
Behold him in the midst of the images of
idolatry, clothed as a Cardinal, with hundreds
of clerks at his biddiug l Behold him, with
his ingenious and learned minions, quick to
Mlbsurve, eloquent to teach, and rapid to exe
cute ! Behold him, turniug oyer the paged of
ithcse carefully compiled registers, in whose
•cabalistic leaves are noted the strength of
.every State’s army: the amount of: every
•prince’s fortune; the size and position of eve
ry monarch’s fleet; the secrets of every king’s
•bed chamber; the inclinations and passions
•of every man and woman of power, rank, and
character. Behold him, with the lines of
communication by sea and- land, lying open
before him. Behold him, as if standing upon
a tall cliff, which ovorlooks the universe, with
bis eyes reaching the institutions of evc^y
country, and scrutinizing the policy of every
p rincc. Behold this Richelieu, leaving his
messenger the alternative of success or death
in the rapid and safe execution of a trust.
See all this! and more—if jour imagination
can enlarge itself upon the subject of this vast
■organization—and ask yourself, is not this'll
fearful power I A power everted not for the
free, not for liberty, not to disenthral man;
kind, but to sustain the chums dfhfe'e Pope to
be supreme in temporal and spiritual affairs!
Well! You have seen the. Cardipal in hi?
gorgeous chamber, his council house, sur
rounded by hug waiting emissaries, his willing
messengers! , r oii have seen this great pen
trai power—now, let us-look upon it'as it di
verges upon the thousand channels of commm
■mention, both by seti midland. Who iathat
splendid chevalier, dashing by with the vapid,
ity of lightning, with relays of fleet, b«rscsj
awaiting him at every point j he moves like'a
bearer of despatches; he flics to't lie I Pope 1 j
Behold that dusty traveller winding his stow
way along this purlieus of a city, keeping in
the- backgpuwi, sluggish and lazy to Kll dUt'
ward appoiinmcC' hut with a bright eye, and
a face blazing with a secret! who is lie 1—lie
.too, is going ou « mission to.the priitcijiil of
eopic fur d’stant monastery, with a <
•cation frortt the General of the Jestv
dmld that anxious emigrant creeping from the
bunk of soine lately arrived ship, casting his
glad and mysterious glances along tHtrfrtsh
epasts, aim opening-Li» ears tp tluf^liberty,
•cl uniting hills of America! Behold him with
his greasy sack euterinsr the lanes ntwf are
ones of die unwallcd cities of the free!.
is that emigrant! W no but an cmmissary pf
«hat central power—the potent Cardinal! ■
Sir, the Jesuit comes iu all shqpep, iu
form#; They are spread alt over the United
States. They are men of the highest order hi ‘
intellect, education, and learning. Thipy
educated diplomats, skiltei 3 in all die arts
•contrivances wbidi tend to the couteutraticxi
of power in the Pope, and to the diminution
of pow.er in the people. Thev.hava chafga of
nearly all the Roman ‘ Cafhonc 1 cbHfegfes, nun
neries, seminaries and churches in the United
Ntates. Having sworn obedience to the j*ppe,
they swear no allegiance—except witb mental
/ **ihrrations—to the Constitution oP the Unit
ed States.
'die* Po|b?trMhiy fetwadevsk vtiX?
of thastity'^nd^am'vewy,- >>t&'W'a»<t>/»MttT
\vti<> uunttil^l V’l* 'UifW(>-n^Jwyj|S M *^* v .I K *='
tjmtit t|'nr , A u«t jflAyr again,
tiny arc restored ,lq the bosom o.film church,
enjoying ns Common, the fullest confidence
’of tho Pime. ‘Tliey have rifbtiilt fhV 'ChuVeh.
The oriiori has been-guilty of every-crime
and enormi ty which could'degrade and dis
grace mankind! History proves, the truth oi
these charges. There is ahnqduhf.'evitleucc
to show that the Jesuits, in mahy ports ortho
earth, have carried out the pledge, upon dis
pensation, “ to assume tiny religion hereti
cal," iu order, to propagate the Mother
Clmrch." One of the‘moist remarkable in
stances is recorded in the ciircer of Rrcci, the
Jesuit, who established Romanism in Chino.
“IJe persuaded the, Chinese thut the doc
trines of Confucius and those of the Gospel
were nut essentially ^different; aud that Jesus
Christ had been khown anti worshipped in
their nation many years before. He allowed
tlio Chinese converts to retain their profaue
ciistuuis aud die absurd rites of their l’agnu
ancestors.”
And Pope Alexander VII. after investiga
tion, by solemn bull, -granted the Climes.-
(bis indulgence. .< ; . •. •
This, sir, is lbe secret organization which
strikes,'not only at'our liberty, hut at the
liberty of all free nation*. This is the secret
organization against whom the' American
parly has taken its stand. These atd lbe
■■— — ’"rr ' 1 Mw-wiwuiuiwn'fii me
Uqited States is no oath qt all, when;iit con
IficU with their duty to the Pope or to his
bishops. 1; - ■•’ , *h
Qbe main end proposed by ^hif order, is t,(
gain converts to the Roman Church • with
this view theytH&qmkemmVm in 'every
country and natjoti, - and with amazing jmlus-
try and address, pursue the end of their insti-
tution. No difhculty so great that they can-1 present, it 1ms, o
not ^urnmiut; no dangcr^so imminent that I slightest excepti
divine
absolve
ju l#w.. _
is syuopymous- With sovereignty iu a mou- . .Ip C6&. Wftgn ttic emperor'Constnns went
' v’ttfisttutf pvwciplAfe,” sitys’BedHais-j to'Rmne,fOTPtfjJh’wenloumux mites with
arch. r T
tre, “ that sovereignty comes from-Gp^.” T
mdetihiin, anaattended him,
lord-aud ra^s-
nnd Louis of
leygavO'him
them, «»eof the reins of his briffle, walked
cie to God, angels, and men, and'such as had
never before Jbcen exhibited to the world.”
Aboiirt this period, Wg.in th • ’ serious dis-
UllKini* of J2uglaud;and
; ^#^abirt)ie|d^A^i«iM<<*iCbecoines :t s\e-
cessary couseqiteuce of spmpremacy.” \lbid,
4.) *' He who would have a right to say to
the Pope.that he was wrong, would also; on
the same ground, have a right to disobey
him,’Which w’onld eutifely do away with su
premacy, or infallibility." “ Every divinely
instituted society supposes’ infallibility.”-
(ibid, 1.) This same distinguished* Catholic
writersavs : “ But there is nothmg nete in
the church, iind it will uever believe what it
has no) always believed." . Had be lived a
little longer, this phrase would have sorely
troubled him, since the Pope has lately pro
claimed/ as an article uf faith, (belief,) the
Immaculate Conception of the Vjrgin Mary.
Bcllnrmino says': “The Pope cannot err,
as a Pope ;” “ the decrees of the council are
infallible.”
. Bishop England says: “We believe that
a general council is infallible in doctrinal
decisions;”
priests (many of them) who arc^thc keepers
uf ttic secrets of their congregations ;. whose
ears arc the only speaking trumpets through
which an audience is to bo asked or secured
iu Ileuvcu ! -
So much, then, .Mr. Clinirmnn, iu defence
of tlio secrecy of the American party. The
justification is complute. If I bud 'but five
words to s’peAk to' this party,- I would say.
Preserve your secrecy! Remember the fate of
Samson. ' Let no Delilah, delude you. Suin-
sou was a giant, invincible us long Ok lie kept
his secret. iVlien that was suriemU-retl,
“ The Philistines took him and put out his
eyes, aud bound him with fetters of brass.
THE aU.KGF.D OATH OF THK NEW ORDER.
The American party is charged with tak
ing o.itlis. What if they do? For the sake
of tlic argrfr.ient, let this be admitted. They
are nntive Americans; they arc educated to
ullegiunce. It is nut to be supposed that they
could swear to anything which would ho
inconsisteitt with that allegiance. I know
iii.it we are commanded to “swear not at
all i” bnt ages and sum —♦'•verr- ‘••'Ve
to ducover utay other panrifieator. to all tlic-
Courts of Christ udoin.llio bath is the onlj*
test of veracity. The feebleness of mankind
makes it necessary; the custom of the world
makes it honorable. An' oath, solemnly
taken, is an clement of putity. But this
order finds its,, justification in the practice of
its adversaries' The two most distinguished
adversaries of this. order are the, eloquent
statesman of Virginia, and the learned gen
tleman from Pennsylvania, (Air. Chandler.)
Mr. Wise jiimsclf; after assniliBg the order
for its test caths, utters in bis' letter, this sol
emn sentiment.
: Oh! mycountvj'men.did not that* pledge’
hiud .them and. us, their heirs, forever, .to
faith and hope,in (God and to charity! (ur each
other—to tolerance in' reljgiou, and tp ’ niiir
tnulity’in polirieiil freedom ? Down, down,
with 'any bFgatiization, tlieA. -whfch •de
nounces’ a ‘ separnlion’ between- Prfetesiunt
Virginia and Cafliojic Matyl lnd—between
the children of Cutlioiic Carroll and Protest
ant George Wythe. There the names stand
together among, the ‘ signatures,’ and I will
redeem meir • inninal’ pledges with my 4 file,’
my 4 fortaa^.j and piy ’ *<6rpd honor.’ so fur
us in me lies—so help me Almighty God J”
De Maistre says: “I do not pretend to
raise the least-doubt in regard to tire infalli
bility of. a geueral council,” Further;'“I
firmly believe that God has preserved the
truly cocuraenical council: from all error- con
trary to sound, doctrine.”
I liegmy hearers (and readers) to remem-
■her.these authorities; we shall need*them as
>vc advance in the argumout; aud let me
siiy. once for all; that on this grand subject
I have not relied upon Protestant -writers.
I Lave taken nothing front report, rumor, or
ncws|mpers. I have - consulted the' purest
.sources of information ; and I pledge mV sell
to the country that my facts are taken from
•the mottl authentic writers—most of them
professed and obedieut Roman Catholics.
EARLY Ul'iltUTT OF THE noMAX CATHOLIC BISH-
ors.'
lit the earlier history of the Roman Catho
lic Church, the bishops wetc meek and low
ly men. after tho fashibh-of Peter -and Paul,
the fisherman and tent-makqr. . They pro
fessed to be the servaiil of screauts. For six
or seven centuries they preserve l their char
acter for Christian humility.. I here quote
from Bowers, the author of an elaborate work
—the Lives of the Popes. He was a Catholic
himself when he began (be work,; but. be
came a Protestant in the course of liis inves
tigations. He wait not oiily a Catholic, but
a counsellor of the inquisition at: Nacerata.
He sayr:
■w du iint eniaia duLtlu Pupu design
ed, arfirst, to nth those lengths, or carry the
Papal prerogative to that extravagant height
they afterwards did. The. success that at
tended them in the. pursuit of one claim en-
fiburaged them 1 to set up and pursue another.
Of tl)is no one can doubt who pernscs, with
tbe.least attention, the' records of those ages,
and compares the Popes in the beginning of
the seventh century with the. Popes in the
latter ena of (be eleventh. \Ve shall find
them, iu the first mentioned period of time,
submitting, with all humility, to princes,
claiming no kind of authority or jurisdiction
whatsoever, but m virtue of the canons -of
councils,or. the rescripts qf Emperors; glo
rying, or pretendiug to glory, iu the bumble
title of servants of servants; acknowledg
ing themselves subjects and vassals of the
Emperors, and patiently, waiting the will
Aud pleasure of their leige lords, to take up
on them the Episcopal dignity, or exCfcise
the ’functions of that office. Snch were the
Bishops of Rone in the beginning of the tth
century. How different from those iu the
latter end of tfie eleventh ! They were then
Vested with the plenitude of all power, both
splritaal and temporal above councils, and
tlie'clergr, VhicTi liftd
Thfe oath of life liouorablo gentleman freui: uncontrolled by their canons; the fountain
Pennsylvania is mo less golem u.
Mr CHANULER. Do I uodersiuud the
gentleman from Alabamans ranking me with
the opposers qf (be. Kuow-Nothiug partyi
Mr. SMITH. Certainly. Iheardthcgcii-
tk-ifian’s apoeefei.;: .. ,1
Mr. CHANDLER. I would scam to op
pose a pdrty of which iio gentleman in the
flense has admitted- hiidself a member.—
(.Laughter.] ....
Mr. SillTH. This remark of tho gentle-
man frem PciiAsylvaniu is nut :tnore fail Of
Jesuitism, thnu, is his whole speech. . The
bnly retiiliatidn l Irave to make to tnut vtne-
rahie l ge.nd««» ,a, » * 8 r to condemn him in .read
his own speeclf, so fresh from his lips, aud
tlien for him to «ay again that he would
scorn to oppose Jho Know-Noihiugs," and ti.
inquire of JninseH, against whom did I ntake
thbaOvituperiitiVoiphrasca? ’ -
. But thH
have its Jesi
uieffomi
etulwiion’s interruption shall not
igAed effect; it shall not divert
iding liis: oath.- Here it is.
“ )Vitji my hand upon my. heart, and ■ riiy
i-ye on Ileaven, 1 call'this House, auu (I
speak with reverertbe,) 1 dall my Gad io Wifi
ness the truth of albhe nssvrlion*, made from
mV 1 on‘n ootivferfoniraitfl WmwiilSge)aSd Jay
eiilite cqafideiioq in the credibility, of all the
te'stiiuony winch I liave adduced from oth-
■• ~ : i. •>'■ :i ' : «« '
JJgw. sir,, it is nut,very, coinnma for a nm.n.
uor oi Congress "to sweiir to bis speech; Ijut
1 udnnL'hji: ,has;airiglit:*d<ji *<*.■ GeiieiVil
T--- »■"«• ‘*By tha.Eternal.” Cicero
W. VVIm
Mri
mv
God to
jticksmi swore, 44 By tin
rtta ‘“tfrt ’dfi iftiiiio
swore,. .'.S“ help,Wi Aitaighty God.” ■ j,
ChandlcV swears, "With my hqnd upon
heart, uijd niy eye on Heaven, ! I call Go<
!sow, sir,' of these bafhs. which is the most
sohmaf Hiinuilml, at his father’s knees,
ten honorable geitU#mau frbm : Pen»yW»«m
1 do not ee-nsaro the gentleman far swearine
He has the undoubted right; but I deny that
sue?;
anil improper for tho Know-Nothings to
nuideofaHestatum and nssoverttion under the
Mas. Then, air. awuy with tliis objection.
The native American is tho keeper of his own
cbofsctCiice. He will never surrender it to a
priest—1»« will uever apply for absolution af
jujrjuty. He knows his duty. Ho t will ;iot
T SqaXCe OF THE IlOltAX CATaOUq OflPRCB.
uow approach, Mr. Chairman, tho most
delicate ti nd important subject that has
engrossed the atletition of the American peo
ple. It ts my doty to proclaim to my couu-
trymen the dangerous UMdbuAV of the Roman
Catholic religion. From its first days to the
ou all occasions, wlaiout the
of all pastpral jurisdietiou and authority;
and, by Divine sanction, empowered to enact,
establish,* abrogate, vuspCud, all ecclesiastical
laws and constitutions: they we'e teen be
come lords and masters.—the ; most haughty
and imperious lords, the most severe masters
mankind had ever groaned under. They uo
more begged, but dispensed titles, boasting
a power of setting up Kings, and puUiug
them down At pleasure ^ of calling them to
au account, absolving thefr subjects from
tbeir allegiance, divesting them of their do
minions, and treating; in every respect, as
their slaves aud vassals, those whom. one of
their best predecessors ' fetid acknowledg
ed superior to all men, and thought himself
in duty bound to qbey;. The plenitude of
power, as they style if, was pot acquired at
ouce, but by degrees, some of the Popes be
ing more and some less active, crafty; and as
piring. But what is very remarkable of the
one hundred and fourteen Popes between
Bonifaee III, diio laid the foundation of Pa-
jial graBdeitri and (
\US-M P'V
inch of grouud f.is e
at first been gradual, were now become so ra
pid aud had mounted to such a height that
the contest between the regal aud pontifical,
was really arrived at a crisis in England, and
it became necessary to determine whether
the Kings or the Priests, particularly the
Archbishop *f Canterbury, should be sove
reign of (lie kingdum.”
THE WAR 1 BETWEEN THOS. A SECRET AND HENRY IT.
The memorable history of -jliis . struggle
cannot fail tobe interesting; as well as profit-
tible, in this investigation. Henry liad ap-
(>ointed Bccket Archbishop of Canterbury.
Becket fti'ul made hitnself a'favorite with the
king as well as write the people.
The pomp ofhis retinue, the sumptnons-
hess of his furniture, the luxury of his table,
tbc munificence of his preseuts, exceeded
anything that England liad ever before seen
in any subject.
“ But no soouer was . Becket installed in
this high dignity which rendered him, for
life, the second person in ilia kingdom, witb
sopc pretensions of aspiriug to be the first,
than be totally altered nis demeanor and con.
duct, and endeavored to acquire Umcharacter
of sanctity. He wore sack-cloth next his
skin, which; by his affected care to cbtaceal it,
was necessarily the more .remarked bv all the
world. Hechanged so seldom 'that it was
filled-with dirt aud.vermin. His usnal diet
was bread, his driuk water, He tore his
back with the frequent discipline which he
inflicted on it; he 'daily ,• op bis knees,, wash
ed, in imitation of Christ, the feet of thirteen
beggars, whom lie afterwards dismissed,
with presents; he gaiued the .affections of
the nnmks by 'Iris frequent charities to ‘the
convents and hospitals;’.oad all men of pene
tration plainly saw that he was meditating
some great design, and that the ambition
mid ostentation ofliis character had turned
itself towards a new and more dungcrous ob
ject. ' '*"'''
“Becket waited ntit till ileury should com
mence those projects against the ecclesiasti-
cnl pmver which-he knew had beeu formed
by that priuce. He was himself the aggres,
spr^^anil endeavored to overawe the King by
the Ttitrepiditj* and bpidaesa Of his enter
prises. .. - .
_ “The ecclesiastics, >n that age, had' re-
nounced all immediate Subordination to the
magistrate. They openly pretended to an
Coemption. j n criminal accusations from a
trial before -courts qf jn»iio<> t end wore
gr.idU'ftltyfnrrtdttcingU lHth exemption in
civil causes; spiritual penalties alone could
be inflicted^on their offences; and; as tbc
clergy.had extremely multiplied in England,
iind many of them were, consequently, ol
very-low character; crimes of the deepest
dye, murders, robberies, adulteries, rapes,
were daily committed with impunity, by ec
clesiastics. It hud been found, for iustunce,
on inquiry, that, no less than .a hundred
murders hail.- since the King's accession,
been perpetrated by men of that profession,
who had never been called to account for
these offences ; and - holy orders were be
come a full.protection for all enormities.’'—
Hume.
Such was the condition of things at that
flwjiwltiws A* -• .■;■«; Inn* et
“ A clerk in- .Worcestcfshire bavin" de
bauched a gentleman's, daughter, had, at
this time, proceeded to mnruer tlie_ father;
aud the general indignation against this
crime, moved the Ring to attempt the re
medy of an abuse which was become so
palpable, and to require that the clerk
sli6nld.be'delivered up, and receive con
dign punishment from the magistrate. Bi c-
ket insisted.op the, privileges of the church;
confined the criminal in the 'bishop’s pris
on, lest he soqld be seized by tee King’s
officers; maintained that no greater puu-
ishment could be inflicted on him than de
gradation ; : nnd when the King demanded
that, immediately after he was degraded,
he should be tried by the oivil power, the
prifiucte asserted that it was iniquitous to
try a-tnan twice upon the same accusation,
ami for the same offence." “Henry, laying
hold of so plausible a pretence, resolved to
push the clergy, with regard, to all their
privileges; which they had raised to an en
ormous height,, : and to determine, at f ace,
those controversies, which .daily multiplied,
between the civil and ecclesiastical juris-
diction. He summoned an assembly of all
the pVglates of Ensjand, aud he put to them
this, concise and decisive question,, whether
pr .not they,were willing to submit to the
ancient laws aud customs of the kingdom!
The hushops unanimous'y replied that they
rc willing, saving their own order,”—
itrhe/
church labored. He took it for granted, as ■ “ Four barons swore, along with the King, to
a point Incontestable, that his cause was the ! the obseremee of this ignominious treaty."
causo ol.GoikotewasaMaprittlra ehferactor of! “But the ignomy of the King was not yet
Champion for. the patrimony- of the Divinity; carried to its lull height. Pandolf, the le-
he pretenied to be the spiritual father of the gate, required him, as the first trial of obe-
King, andalF'tee people of England. He dience, to rrsiyn his Kingdom to the Church."
even told Henry tkat, Kiiigb reigticd solely “ John, being under the- agonies of present
by the,authority of. the Church. That pre- terror, made no scrVple of submitting to this
iale.'instigatcd by revenge, and animated by condition’. lie passed a churter, in which he
the:present, glory. t attending his situatio n said, that not co»'tr :ined by fear, but of his
pushed matters to a decision, aud issued a free will, he liad, for theretitusien of his own
«eti> urc, exeondmunicating the ■ King's chief sins, and those of his family, resigned Eng-
mrnistei by name, and comprehending,' in land and Ire! and to God, #. Peter, and at.
general, nil those who'/atwed) air obeyed the Paul, audio Pope Innocent, and hie successors
constitutions of Claretidonj These cousti- in-the Apostolic Chair, lie agreed to hold
tutions he abrogated and annulled.; lie ab- these dominions as feudatory of the Church of
solved all men from'the oaths they had la- Rome; and ho stipulated that if he or his
ken to observe thorn; and he suspended the successors should ever presume to revoke or fn-
spiritual thunder over Henry, only, that the fringe this charter, they should instantly/or-
VrinCe'Tuight nvbid fhC blow by a’timely-YC- , yw; all right to their dominions?' lb coiise-
peutance.”—Hume, i: * i.. :■ ,Yfii‘ . -? .Li
But it is fruitless, and a waste of time, to
give all the details of this quarrel; yet it
crea.od more intense interest, and excite
ment in Europe than had ever, or has ever
been felt in any of those groat wars, in
which armies annihilated each other !—
Finally.pienipotentiaries^n both sides Were
appointed, to negotiate a treaty of pence!
And the King had to surrender his preten
sions, in order to relieve his Miuisters troin
the scnteuce of exoommunication, which
Becket, even in his exile, had thundered
against them! Here is a history of the
terms of the treaty:
“ Becket was not required to give up any
rights of the church, or resign any of those
pretensions, which bad been, the original
ground of the controversy. Becket and. his
adherents were to bo restored to all their
livings, and eveu the possessors of such
benefices, as. had been filled during, the
primate's absendc, should be expelled and
Bccket havo liberty to supply the vacancies.
In return for concessions which entrenched
so deeply oh the honor and dignity of the
Crown, Henry reaped only the advantage
of seeing his ministers absolved frqm the
sentence of ex-communication, and of pre
venting the interdict wl.ich,if these bard
conditions had pot been complied, Vas rea
dy to be laid on all his dominions. So anx
ious was Henry to accommodate all differ
ences, and to reconcile himself fully with
Bccket, that he took the most extraordina
ry steps to flatter his vanity, and even on
one occasion, humiliated himself so fur as to
%
highest, pitch, nqt one evpr lost an
ground f. is predecessor had gained.
A-hd'tfius. by c^hstaritra'keqbSitife'itnfl h'6v-
er parting with wbat^Cbey ddlAirad/: and by
tying thetequds .of theijr «ucocdson .by the
irreverrible entail of Divine
Came tlie sole spiritual lords, and had al-
tiiost made therjisclvcs the greatest tempo
ral ioikts of tbq whole-of the Christian world.”
URADUAL RISE OF tue rojun catholic church.
For seven hundred years, as I have stated,
the bishops were meek and lowly men. I
was in the dark ages, when ignorance an
sUperstMou overshadowed the world, when
the Popes advanced to power And it wit#
not uutil the days of Gregory VII, in the
eleventh century,.that <i Pope had the au-
dacity W say to a monarch. “ You have for
feited yotri kingdom; and your subjects are
absolved from their oath of fealty." In the
case «f Henry IV, the Pope' declared, that
the Y Emperor was.amenable to the Papal
court of judicature.? before .which he was
Summoned. He was next deprived of bis
throne, nnd liis subjects were absolved from
their oath of allegiance l The Pope claimed
the right,jtp] dispose of Henry’s empire,
with absolute authority, as a fief of St. Pe
ter ! This case was referred to and detailed
nnd justified by the honorable gentleman
from Pennsylvania, (Mr. Chandler.) The
same gentlemau admits:-;i: ;iiiq i . irf^n
44 Undoubtedly, the Pope has proceeded to
dethrone Kings, and thus to release subjects.
History declares that more than one monarch
has been made to descend from his throne by
the edict of the Popo. and that allegiance of
bis -objects has been transferred, bv that
edict, to a succeeding monarch.”, ’ ^ -
This is an admission—the argument would
be quite sufficient for onr purpose. But be
fore I proceed to reply to the gentleman
from Pennsylvania, I propose to establish the
historical fact that for 6ix or seven hundred
Henry, e howcvcr?Jiierse(ere(l; until be pro-
tory'over nil ihe Engl
cept the invincible Backet, who refused obe
dieucr jbalicicQu4<Sthti6iis of'tflarendon, un
til, abandoned by all. t-iq world,; be was
Obliged to sobtriit/and to promise “legAUy,
with g<lod £ttith r .«nd without fraud or re-
serve.” But Henry was still- baffled. He
sent his ! ct>nstitut1ons of Clarendon to Pope
Alexander;, “and required that Pontiffs ra
tification of them: bujt Alexander condemn
ed them in the strbti^est terms—abrogated,
anuuUed, anil, rejected them.”
Becket then repented of his consent;
'■ and endeavored to engage all tho other
Bishops in a confederacy to adhere to their
ecclesiastical privileges: Henry,' informed
of Beckct’s present dispositions, applied io
the Pope that he should grant tho commis-
sion of le^ate ih'fels dotninionsi'lnrt Alex
ander, as politic as lie, though ho granted
tlie commission, annexed a clause that it
should not empower the legate to. execute
any act in prejudice to the Archbishop of
Canterbury.”' 1’Ke Kin", however, perse
vered until he triumphed over. Becket, for
the primate was “condemned of a contempt
of the King’s Court, and as wanting in the
fealty which he had sworn to his sovereign ;
all his goods and chattels were confiscated.”
But this war still raged between the
King and Becket. The Primate defied the
King. “He put himself and his See under
the protection of the Supreme Pontiff.”—
About this time Bccket fled from the king
dom, and was received by the Pope with the
greatest marks of distinction. Ho was not
idlo in his banishment. ^ m , ,
“ In order to forward this event, ho fillod
all placcB with exclamation nguinst tlio vio
lence which he h id suffered. lie compared
himself with Christ, who had been condemn
ed by a lay tribunal, and was cruoified anew
hold the'.stirrup of that haughty prelate,
while he mounted."
HeVe you see, sir, in the twelfth century,
a shiuiug instance of the complete triumph
of the power of tho Pope over the haugh
tiest and most powerful monarch in Europe.
And the supreme autocracy of the arch-,
bishops is strikingly illustrated in the'fact
that, no sooner had Bccket returned to his
diocese, than he began thundering his ex?
communications against his 'enemies, so
lately “the King s friends and coadjutors.’’
What is an excommunication? The ex
communication of a king—the interdict of a
kingdom is illustrated in the history of King
John, the son of Henry II. The power and
authority which the Archbishop of Canter*
bury had acquired, by Becket’s triumph
over Henry, snovVs itself in John’s reign,
and teeming Siitf* BteRdoWnffMErflldtitl aiie
placed under interdict, the effect of which
may be seen by the following historical ac
count of it: -
“ The nution was, qf a Aidden, deprived
of all exterior exercise of fts religion ;* the
altars were despoiled of their ornaments;
the crosses, the reliques, the images, the
statues of the saints, were laid on the
ground, nnd. aB if the air was profaned, and
might pollute them by itsconsact, the priests
carefully covered them up, even from their
own approach and veneration. The use of
bells entirely erased in all .the churches;
the bells themselves were removed from
the steeples and laid on the ground, with
the other sacred utensils; mass was celebra
ted with shut doors, and none tut the priests
were admitted to that holy institution. The
laity partook of uo religious rite, except
baptism to newly-born infants, and the com
munion to the dying. The dead were not in
terred in consecrated grouud; they were
thrown into ditcbes,or interred in common
fields; and their obsequies were not attend
ed with prayers, or any hallowed ceremony.
Marriages were celebrated in tho church yard;
and, tliat every action of life might bear the
marks of this dreadful situation, the people
were prohibited the use of meat, as iu lent,
or times of the highest penance; were de
barred from all pleasures and entertain
ments, and even to , salute each other, or so
much as to shave their beards end give any
decent attention to their personal apparel.
Every circumstance carried symptoms of tho
deepest distress, and of the most immediate
nppi chcnsions of divine vengeance and in
dignation
Such is tho force and power of an inter
dict; it can be better imagined than de
scribed;
Let us here add, for the information of our
friends, the form of a pcisonal excommuni
cation : ,
“ In the name of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the Holy Ghost, and of our
blessed and most holy Lady Mary; also, by
the power of the angels, archangels. &c..|wc
separate M. N. from the bosom pf the Holy
Mother Church, niid condemn them with
the anathema of d perpetual malediction.—
And may they be cursed in the city, cursed in
the field, cursed be their bam, and cursed be
their store—chased ate the fruit of theiit
womb, and the fruit of their land—cursed
be their edmifig itt and their going out; Let
them bo cursed in the house, and fugitive 1 *
iu the field; and let all the curses come up
on them which tho Lord, by Moses, threa
tened to bring on.the people who forsook
the divine law; and let them be anathema
marnntha—that is. let them perish at the
second coming of the Lord. Let no Chris
tian say an Ave to them. Let no priest pre
sume to celebrate mass with them, or give
them the holy communion, Let them be bu
ried with tho burial bf an ass, and be dung
upon the face of the earth/,
This is the simple cxcommuuication of an
individual. But much more terrible, indeed,
is the excommunication of a King or .Queen,
as we may readily see from the opening of
an excommuuication of Queen Elizabeth, by
Pius. It opens thus:
“ The damnation and excommunication of
Elizabeth, the pretended Queen of England
and her adherents.”
xceptiou, been adverse to liberty, I years, the Bishops of Rome (the Popes,)havo ' in the present oppression, under which the
quence of this agreement, John did homage
to Pandolf, en the Pope’s legate, with all • the
submissive rites which the feudal liiw requir
ed of vassals before their leige lord. He
came disarmed into the. legate’s presence,
who was seated ou a throne. He flung him
self on his knees before hint; he lifted up his
joined hands, auu put them within those ol
Pandolf; he swore fealty to the Pope.”
Here, sir. in this picture, you see a King of
England on his kuees before the legate of the
Pope! Here you see the legate of tho Pope;
elated by the triumph of sacerdotal power,
exultiag over a cru.-hed King! Here you
see the successors of St. Peter acknowledged
to fie supreme in temporal as well as spiritu
al affairs!—aud that, too, in a countiy the
most enlightened of the age! and by a King
in whose veins was the blood of William the
Conqueror. In fact, sir, from the period of
the death of Thomas a Bccket in England, to
the triumph of the Reformers, the Archbishop
of Canterbury was greater in England thnu
the King himself.
INTERDICT AGAINST LIBERTY.
Not only did tlie papal power presume to
hurl its tlrunders of cxcoiumui.ication against
individuals and Kings—but against assem
blages of people, for whatsoever purposes
met together. It .is interesting to note, in
tbc same reign of John, that after the dis
grace of the King, the Barons met and adop
ted “• Magna Charta” But the Pope (Iuno-
cent) “ considering himself as feudal lord of
the kiugdom,” issued a bull, iu which, from
the plenitude of his Apostolic power, and
from the “authority which God had commit
ted to him, to build and destroy kingdoms,
to plant and overthrow,” he annulled and
abrogated the whole charier, and pronounced
a general excommunication against every one
who shoiild persevere in maintaining such
treasonable and iniquitous pretensions!
These historical facts show, not only the
grasping and aspiring inclinations of the
Pope, but prove the absolute supremacy of
his temporal power as it existed in the thir
teenth century. 6imilar scenes nnd similar
strvggles to those already described in Eng
land, werc ofcoutinual occurrence in all the
countries-in which, at that day, the Roman
Church had foothold! It ueedod but little—a
slight offence was sufficient to cause this arro
gant Pontiff to turn loose bis anathemalic
bull l and the furious animal, blinded with a
thousand curses, rushed madly amid the in
discriminate masses of mankind!
Ic seems strange to us of this ago-*-nay p sir,
we are astounded*—when we look through
the telescope of centuries, and behold afar
off in a dim chamber, a feeble old inan, alone
as it were, bolding bis court amid the desert
ed ruins of an ancient city, without an army,
without a fleet, without a sword, weighing
hi the hollow of his hand the mighty empires
of the world: coivqueriug mankind with no
weapon but arrogance. With no power but the
all-ill vincible superstitions which surrounded
his throne 1
And. to uphold, this arrogance, he had his
faces of brass, and his arms of iron, in every
nation; and to spread this superstition he
bad his cowled emissaries prowling all over
the face of the enrth.
And these cowled emissaries 1 who are
they t History, with, its burning scroll, de
clares them to have been the most degraded
and degrading of mankind, given to all the
sins and iniquities that human flvth, in its
weakness, is given to.
downfall ok the council.
But it is said there is no metre danger of the
encroachment of Popery. The Reformation
redeemed men and kingdoms. The nntions
of the earth are freed from the chains of su
perstition ; and the Pope is now but a sort of
innocent father confessor to the priests. Sir,
be not deceived. When tec lion sleeps, who
so foolish as to approach him in his slumbers I
A mouse has too much sagacity to npproach
a snoring cat, as if in its small cranium could
be crowded the grand idea “ eternal vigilance
is the price of liberty.” The Reformers pre
vailed. Tbe Pope surrendered nothing. He
retired, in sullen silence, to the gloomy re
cesses of the Vatican, to brood over his fallen
fortunes; to frame new forms of curses; to
learn to damn with more immense gusto, and
to mingle the wiue of the Sacraments in the
iuk with which ho wrote his anathemas, in
imitation of one of his infallible predecessors.
No; sir, the Pope was not dead; “ the snake
was scotched, not killed.”
His auathcmaticnl bull was only turned out
to grass:
“ I who was once as great as Caisar,
Am now reduced to Nebuchadnezzar ;
'■ And from as famed a conqucrof
As ever took degree in war,
Or did his exercise in battle,.
Have been turned out to grnzo with cat
tle.”
True it is, sir, that tne ” thunders of the
Vatican” no longer shook tlie corners of the
earth. The Pope sat in his quiet, court, seem
ingly feeble in every respect, as if waiting for
a gentle and immortalizing martyrdom. He
who yesterday had beetv tee builder of king
doras, the maker of monarch#, and the desfrov
er of constitutions, was now the meekest of
mankind. But we find him shaking bis puny
arm over Henry the Eighth, and grinding his
teeth at Queen’Elizabeth.
Impotent old man ! He could find but one
person in England who had the temerity to
circulate his excommunication of Elizabeth.
temporal supremacy fully Proved.
At the risk of being tedious, I have collect
ed these historical facts, aud I will add an
illustrious Roman Catholic authority, from
whom I shall quote a few observations upon
the claims and power ol the Popo to interfere
john resigning his crown to the pope. w j t |j an[ j d e p 0se mouarchs, and to absolve
In the excommunication of a King, all his their subjects. Tlie illustrious DeMaistre, (as
adherents are included. John was excommu- ! jj e ; 8 called by the Roman Catholics,) in bis
Seated; and the sentence proceeded to a&-j tr „iy elaborate and able performance, in a
solve all John's^ subjects from the oath of ji~ ] e g H j treatise upon the various powers of the
delity and allegiance, and to declare every Pope, thus argues in reference to tho above
one e xcommunicated who had any commerce „ ucst ] on 5
with him, either in public or in private l In . ' , , , . . ,
vain did King John attempt to hold out “ As they had at the r command, moreover
against the Pope, and he was finally driven fU*® science of those Umes, tbe very force of
to subscribe to all the conditions which tbe Idnogs gave them an undisputed title to that
Pope was pleased to impose upon him : superiority which at the time was todispeosa
“Thai he would submit himself entirely We. The true principle, that sovereignty
to the judgmont of tho Popo; that lie would comes from God, strengthened besides those
restore all the exiled clergy and laity who ancient ideas, and thore came to be formed an
had been banished; that he would make opinion, almost universal, which attributed
full restitution of their goods, and compensa- to the Popes a certain jurisdiction oyer ques
tion for all damages; and that every one tious in which sovereigns ware concerned
Princes in the exprcue <>f tbeir function#; still
less did they disturb the order of the succes
sion of Sovereigns.su long as things were con
ducted according to the ordinary and Luowti
rule*; it was only when there; was great
abuse, great criminality, or much doubt, that
the Sovereign Pontiff*inter|*osoii."
“ And it matter# little whether the Popo
he'd this primacy by Divine.or human right,
provided it be clear that during several ages he
exercised throughout the West, with univer
sal consent and approbation,;! power assured
ly most extensive.”
“ The theory alone, therefore, would he im
movable. But what can be said agaiust farts,
which are everything in questions of politics
and government I
“None doubted—Sovereigns themselves
did not doubt iteia'pDWsr of tlie* Popes; uuu
Leibnitz observes with' much truth and deli
cacy, as is his custom, that the Emperor Fred
erick, in saying ter Pope Alexander WL, *tu.r
to. you but'to Peter,’ confessed tbe Pontiff
over Kings, aud only contested its abuse.
“ This observation may bo;generalized.—
Princes, struck by the anathema of the JVpe.
disputed only its justice, so that they w ere
constantly ready to make use of it against
their enemies, which they could not do with
out obviously acknowledging the logitinumy of
the power. , '/ :-
4 * Voltaire, after having related, t» Li* own
fashion, the excommuiueatUui of Robert of
France, remarks, ‘thatthe EmperorOtlio III.
was himself present at the couucil in which
the sentence of excommunication was pro
nounced. The Emperor, therefi re. acknowl
edged the authority of the Pope ; and it
very singular thing lluft moderu critics will
not see the manifest contradiction into which
they fall, in observing, as they all do, with
admirable unanimity, ‘that what was nvwt
deplorable in those great judgments, was
the blindness of the princes who disputed nut
their legitimacy, auu who themselves often
begged to have recourse to them.’
-But if tee princes were agreed, the rest «>t
mankind were so likewise, aud there is no lon
ger question but as to abuses, which exi.-t
everywhere.”
This great writer concludes:
Thus the authority of the Pope was con
tested only by those against whom it was
levelled. There was never, therefore, a more
-legitimate power, as there never was a power
so little contested.”—[De Mats tre’* Pope, 18#. ]
But the honorable gentleman from Pennsyl
vania disclaims for lrimself, atid fur certain
colleges and councils, that the Pope claims
any power to depose or interfere with mou-
nrchs. or to absolve their subjects. His per
sonal disclaimer can amount to nothing except
so far as the gentlemau lrimself is concerned.
Tbe disclaiming of tlie colleges and councils
amount to nothing except 60 far as tlie indi
viduals are couesrned who compose the col
leges and couuctls. Besides, being in the
face of the historical acts of the Romish
Church for six or eight centuries, they are
positively contradicted by the legal Catholic
book et De Maistre, which T have above quo
ted. . . .
The Ertglit-h editor of Dc Maistre S proicuud
work claim* “The temporal throne as tbe
patrimony of tee Galilean fisherman.”. (St.
Peter.) ,
The bull which excomniunited Henry IV,
claims the power expressly “ ex parte omnip
otent]* dci.
The bull of excommunication aga'nst King
John, the interdict laid upon England and
Magna Ciiarta, expressly claim, by words, the
power as given by God to St. Peter, “ to build
and pull down kingdoms." (Hume, i9f.)
If the power is given by_ God, what rigkl
has the l’ope to surrender it 1 lie would be
faithless to surrender it. “He is infallible,”
says the Church. Therefore he cannot err.
Therefore be cannot surrender a divine right-.
Therefore ho has not surrendered it. There
fore the proposition of the honorable gentle
man from Massachusetts, [Mr.. Banks,] “ tli.it
the Roman Pontiff has never, in any authori
tative form, disclaimed the right.” remain*
still to be answered, notwithstanding tlie com
placency of the geutlcmau from Pet.n>ylva-
Thc colleges may be allowed to publish
what they please, so long as they stick to the
interest of the Church, for the time belng, and
so long a* they promote tbe interest of the
Church in the particular place where quu-
tioiis may be discussed. The Pope wfll not
call tbctn to accoutit, until the interest of the
Church should make it necessary to doi.ounce
tbeir heresies. When that becomes necessa
ry, the Pope will act and denounce their col
leges, and excommunicate and dan. u ull who
presume to utter such doctrines. This would l c
in accordance with the history of the Romb h
Churcli. The councils of tlie Ryniish Clm.-cb
are in the habit of condemning the doctrines
and decrees of the preceding councils. W kal
can bo considered as stable iii tbstt CkQfciq
sir, which does not struplc to condemn its
own Pope as a heretic tong ufief he is deed!
A general council, which Bishop England, iu
a letter read by the gentleman from Pennsyl
vania, declares to ba “infallible in doctrinal
decrees,” condemned Pope J/onorious as a her
etic !•—and some of his doctrines as bereti -ai!
If they can condemn a dead Pope ns a diet
etic, what may they not do With persons, col
leges, and bishops? Honorious as a Pope,
being infallible, must have gone to heaven
upon his death. The Rotnish Church incul
cates the idea that the Pope is bound to go to
heaven. Bat, sir, in tec <;u.-e of li.«uwius,
the council pronounced him a heretic, ( while
he was in heaven,) and as a heretic cannot
goto heaven, the couucil, of cousr*, pulj.:m
in purgatory, by their decree of comk mnation !
and this counsel, by their decree, virlurd'y
denies the power* of Jesus Christ to k' cp thU
heretical Popo in heaven. S-ir, bow long will
it be before St. Peter shall be condcmTitd ter
his old sin of denyiughis Master ? llc-w long
is St. Peter safe in the bosom ol his 1-umI ?
He will never be safe, sir, so long as the Bu
rnish Church shall presume. I have no doubt
he is alive to serious appreb.-nsiens. I have
no doubt that since the condemnation of iiu-
norius, his immortal spirit is jrerci c>.:y
time the cock crow*.
There are many notable coatradictiors in
tho speech of the honorable gentleman from
Pennsylvania, [Mr. Chandler.] In one part
of his speech he says, in the most po.-ith t- un.l
emphatic terms:
“ The Roman Catholic Church f.tithi r holds
nor inculcates a doctrine of power in its head
to interfere in the affairs Of temporal govern
ments, to disturb the monarch, or release the
subject. It never has held ur.y such doc
trine.”
In another sentence he says; in cn curlier
part of his speech ;
“No Where is the right to such power, as if
divine right, claimed'by the Catholic Church.”
This admits that tee right to such power is
claimed, but vM cis d mrim right, and present <
the above positiva
outlawed or imprisoned for his adherence to
the Pope, should immediately be received
into grace and favor.
This opinion was quite sound, and certainly
, far better than all our sophistry. Tho Popes
I did not at all interfere so as to embarrass wise
palpable contradiction to
denial: . •• -. u..: •
In another part he says:
“ The most disunguisliei
exercise of the Papal
monarch, is that by G
who excommunicated and
ror, Henry IV.”
How could the right be
being claimed ? How
l!l»1 t'lUl