Speech of James O. Putnam, of Buffalo, on the Bill, Providing for the Vesting of the Title of Church Property in Lay Trustees, Delivered in the Senate of New York, January 30, 1855 ... |
Common terms and phrases
absolute Potentate adopted allegiance altar ambition of weak antagonism Baltimore ordinance bigotry and ambition bill blind submission Buffalo Catholic Church Catholic citizens Catholic clergy Catholic Hierarchy Catholic priesthood century Church economies church of St church property Church temporalities civil power congregation consecrated property Constitution conveyance corporation Cromwell cure of souls declaration diocese dissent divest the clergy doctrine dogmas ecclesiastical escheat Establishment evils excommunication exist faith freedom Genius gregation harmless heresy independence individual influence institutions lands liberty Louis ment millions of property mortmain Nuncio organized Papal political Pope popular power over Church priesthood principle privilege most dear Protestantism religion religionist religious Republican REVOLT against abuses Revolution rights of conscience Roman Pontiff schism secured sentiment sphere as spiritual spiri spiritual guides spiritual oppression spiritual teachers statute supre surrender system of rule temporal power theory tion tolerate versy violation wicked priests worship
Popular passages
Page 1 - For who knows not that Truth is strong, next to the Almighty ; she needs no policies, nor stratagems, nor licensings to make her victorious, those are the shifts and the defences that Error uses against her power.
Page 3 - And whereas, the ministers of the gospel are, by their profession, dedicated to the service of GOD, and the cure of souls, and ought not to be diverted from the great duties of their functions...
Page 3 - AND WHEREAS we are required by the benevolent principles of rational liberty, not only to expel civil tyranny, but also to guard against that spiritual oppression and intolerance wherewith the bigotry and ambition of weak and wicked priests and princes have scourged mankind...
Page 11 - Any real estate of the description named in section second of this act, and which has been heretofore granted, devised or demised, to any person or persons in any ecclesiastical office, or orders, by the designation of such office or orders, or otherwise, shall be deemed to be held in trust for the benefit of the congregation or society using the same, and shall...
Page 4 - Whereas lay trustees have frequently abused the right granted to them by the civil authority, to the great detriment of religion and scandal of the faithful, we most earnestly desire that in future no church be erected or consecrated, unless it be assigned by a written instrument to the Bishop in whose diocese it may be erected for the Divine worship and use of the faithful, wherever this can be done.
Page 5 - ... burial have been denied. The marriage sacrament is refused. The Priest is forbidden to minister at our altars. In sickness, and at the hour of death, the holy consolations of religion are withheld. To the Catholic churchman it is scarcely possible to exaggerate the magnitude of such deprivations. We yield to none...
Page 11 - ... altered the law, except in case of superstitious uses. But since those statutes it is necessary, in order to enable a corporation to retain lands which it has purchased, to have a license for that purpose ; otherwise, in England, the next lord of the fee may enter within a year after the alienation, and if he do not, then the next immediate lord, from time to time, has half a year to enter, and for default of all the mesne lords, the king takes the land so aliened forever.
Page 5 - For simply refusing," say they, in their petition to the legislature, " to violate the trust law of our State, we have been subjected to the pains of excommunication, and our names held up to infamy and reproach. For this cause, too, have the entire congregation been placed under ban. To our members the holy rites of baptism and of burial have been denied. The marriage sacrament has been refused.
Page 4 - ... partial in the performance of his parochial services. By a speech delivered last winter in the legislature of New York, it appears that the provincial council of Catholic bishops in the United States, held at Baltimore in 1849, ordained " that all churches, and all other ecclesiastical property, which have been acquired by donations, or the offerings of the faithful, for religious or charitable use, belong to the bishop of the diocese ; unless it shall be made to appear, and be confirmed by writings,...
Page 11 - The great end to be attained by this bill, as I have argued at length, is to divest the clergy of the power of control over Church temporalities. The only modification of this bill I have heard suggested, authorizes the Bishop of the Diocese to appoint three trustees, should the congregation decline to avail themselves of their legal privileges of incorporation. This would, in my judgment, leave the evil almost untouched. The result would be, that that discipline which has...