though we or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you, than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. And to the Corinthians he says, "For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth." And St. Augustine says, Nor is it our duty to obey those bishops who have been duly elected, if they err, or teach or command any thing contrary to the word of God.-The power of the clergy to solemnize marriage, they derive from the civil government. us. Conclusion. The foregoing are the principal subjects of dispute between It were indeed easy to enumerate many other abuses and errors, but for the sake of brevity we have omitted them. Much complaint, for example, has existed concerning indulgences, pilgrimages, and the abuse of excommunication. The clergy have also had endless disputes with the monks about confession and numberless other subjects. These things we have omitted in order that those of more importance may be the more carefully weighed. Signed, JOHN, the Elector of Saxony. GEORGE, Earl of Brandenburg. ERNEST, Duke of Luneburg. 1 Gal. 1: 8. PHILIP, Landgrave of Hesse. JOHN FREDERICK, Duke of Saxony. FRANCIS, Duke of Luneberg. WOLFGANG, Prince of Anhalt. THE SENATE AND MAGISTRACY of Nuremberg. 45 2 2 Cor. 13: 8. The Romish Church since the Reformation. The theory, to which Romanists refer, as well for authority as for vindication of the flagrant usurpations of civil power by the popes, is ingeniously set forth by one of their ablest and most authentic writers, Cardinal Bellarmine, in a series of Lectures on the Papal power, delivered in Rome itself, by appointment of Pope Gregory, fourteen years after the council of Trent. "It is asserted, that the Pope has not directly, and immediately, any temporal power; but that, by reason of his spiritual power, he may possess, at least indirectly, supreme power in directing the temporal affairs of all Christians, in order to the bestowment of spiritual good." This assertion is illustrated by the following analogy :—as man is compounded of flesh and spirit, which though separate, are closely connected; and the latter rules the former, so that if the end proposed by the spirit is hindered by the flesh, the flesh must be punished by fasts and other methods, and if necessary the tongue be prevented from speaking, the eyes from seeing &c. In like manner, society is subject to political and to spiritual power, the end of the one being temporal peace, of the other eternal salvation. They constitute one body, and the inferior must be subject and subordinate to the superior. The spiritual power does not intermeddle with temporal matters, if the spiritual design be not hindered. But if any thing of that kind take place, the SPIRITUAL POWER MAY AND OUGHT TO COERCE THE TEMPORAL POWER, in every suitable and necessary manner. “The Pope cannot," says Bellarmine, "as Pope, ordinarily depose temporal princes, although just reason exists, in the same man 3 See Cramp's Text book of Popery, p. 311. ner in which he deposes bishops, that is, as an ordinary judge; yet he may change kingdoms, and take away from one, and bestow upon another, as supreme spiritual prince, if the same should be necessary to the salvation of souls." Again, "the Pope cannot as Pope, ordinarily enact or confirm civil laws, or annul the laws of princes, because he is not political head of the church; yet he may do all this, if any civil law is necessary to the salvation of souls, and kings will not enact it, or if any civil law is injurious to the salvation of souls, and kings will not abrogate it." Further," the Pope cannot as Pope, ordinarily judge in temporal matters; nevertheless in any case in which the safety of souls is concerned, the Pope may assume even temporal judgment; when for instance, there is no judge, as when two independent monarchs are at variance, or when those who may and ought to judge refuse to give sentence." Once more." The Pope may and ought to compel all Christians to serve God in that manner which their station requires of them. But kings are bound to serve God by defending the church and punishing heretics and schismatics. Therefore the POPE MAY AND OUGHT TO ENJOIN kings to do this, and if they neglect, TO COMPEL THEM BY EXCOMMUNICATION AND OTHER SUITABLE MEASURES."1 We need not inform the reader that the above ingenious but sophistical theory, presents to the holy father full license to interfere with the liberties of any and every country whenever he pleases and finds it expedient. That the Romish church has renounced none of her pretensions, might be inferred from her general policy in past ages. Retraction and Reform are words unknown in her vocabulary, and hostile to her theory of papal infallibility. But it is demonstrated by the fact that during the last year (1833) the Pope actually undertook to pronounce null and void the laws of the Portuguese government at 1 See Bellarmine de Roman. Pontif. lib. 1. cap. 1–16. &c. Lisbon, and absolved the inhabitants of that country from obligation to obey them!!!! A lucid commentary this, on the reiterated declarations of the Papal leaders in this country, that the Pope has nothing to do with civil governments!! That the Pope has for some time past been casting a wishful eye upon these happy shores, we cannot doubt, when we reflect that immense sums of money have recently been sent into this country for the extension of Papacy among us! A single Society in Austria, which enjoys the express sanction of the present Pope, remitted 160,000 florins to the Romish bishops in Kentucky and Ohio, within the last three years. How deep the interest of the holy father in this society is, and how reasonably we may calculate on its rapid extension, may be inferred from the fact, that the Pope promised to all contributing members of this association gratuitous remission of sins several times a year! The great numbers of Jesuits who are flocking into our country and commencing operations in every part of it, add not a little to the plausibility of this opinion. Whether the extensive immigration of catholics from different parts of Europe, is encouraged by their priests at home, and with what motive, is of course not known among us. But the prominent advocates of Romanism in this country unhesitatingly repeat the declaration, that their church cannot alter, but maintains the same principles heretofore avowed. We may therefore reasonably expect a persevering and desperate effort to gain the ascendency among us in due season; whilst at the same time we cannot doubt, that by due vigilance in the citizens of our happy country, those efforts, by the blessing of God, will meet a signal defeat. 1 Protestant Magazine, New-York, Vol. I. p. 117–121. APPENDIX NO. I. CONFESSIO AUGUSTANA. 1. De Deo. ECCLESIAE magno consensu apud nos docent, Decretum Nicenae Synodi, de unitate essentiae divinae, et de tribus personis, verum et sine ulla dubitatione credendum esse. Videlicet, quòd sit una essentia divina, quae et appellatur et est Deus, aeternus, incorporeus, impartibilis, immensa potentia, sapientia, bonitate, creator et conservator omnium rerum visibilium et invisibilium, et tamen tres sint personae, ejusdem essentiae et potentiae, et coaeternae, Pater, Filius, et Spiritus Sanctus. Et nomine personae utuntur ea significatione, qua usi sunt in hac causa Scriptores Ecclesiastici, ut significet non partem aut qualitatem in alio, sed quod propriè subsistit. Damnat omnes haereses, contra hunc articulum exortas, ut Manichaeos, qui duo principia ponebant Bonum et Malum. Item Valentinianos, Arianos, Eunomianos, Mahometistas, et omnes horum similes. Damnant et Samosatenos, veteres et neotericos, qui, cùm tantùm unam personam esse contendant, de Verbo et de Spiritu sancto astutè et impiè rhetoricantur, quòd non sint personae distinctae, sed quod Verbum significet verbum vocale et spiritus motum in rebus creatum. |