THE ILLUMINATOR. MANCHESTER, SATURDAY, JUNE 15, 1850. THE CATHOLIC CHURCH. Last week we drew the attention of our readers to the Catholic Church, and to the spirit which has always animated her. We resume the subject this week and intend to close for the present, our remarks upon this all important topic. The Catholic Church is always animated with a Spirit of Justice. She has always made it a duty, in imitation of her Divine Master, to render unto Cæsar the things that are Caesar's; and for this reason St. Paul recommends to all the faithful to reverence all powers, declaring that all of them spring from God; all power is of God. Omnis potestas a Deo. She pays tribute to whom it is due; and if she sometimes opposed princes, with a firmness that might be mistaken for disobedience; it was only when they attempted to corrupt the principles of morality, or the Faith. The zeal which she testifies for the preservation of her immunities is prudent and reasonable, because enjoying only the usufruct of the possessions bestowed on her, she is obliged to maintain herself in the full possession of it, that the successors may not be left without resource and subsist. ence; but if force be used to deprive her of her domains, in that case she only opposes to it representations and prayers and it then becomes her duty, according to the precept of her Divine Founder, to give, not only her coat, but her cloak also, rather than rebel against authority; remembering that she hath nothing in full property, that she may not contradict what God says to his disciples, carrying with you neither gold nor silver. To these sketches let us add, that the Church is extremely rigid in the doctrine of restitution, and that she never entered into a compromise with any person upon that head, it being her desire that justice should be strictly performed. A Spirit of Disinterestedness. It is a melancholy consideration, that the avidity of some pastors has given room for those who do not trace things to their source, to believe that the church is actuated by a strong spirit of self-interest; she who knows no other treasures than good works and the riches of grace; she who has always been contented to receive, as alms, what men have been pleased to bestow on her; and who has constantly warned her bishops and clergy that they have no right to more of the riches they possess, than what will supply them with bare necessaries, and that the overplus belongs to the poor. We see, in the Acts of the Apostles, that the Christians, who were so inclined, came to lay their possessions at the feet of the Apostles, but they themselves never took the least step to procure them. Such is the spirit of the Catholic Church, she receives when men give, but she makes it a law to require nothing. If, as St. Paul says, a priest must live by the altar, it is just that the faithful furnish him where withal to pabrist, Jnal 13 When, therefore, we read that certain of the clergy both secular and regular (against whom much abuse and many falsehoods have been poured out, by superficial and natrow minded Protestants,) abused the simplicity of the faithful to extort from them wills in their own favour, and shewed a rapacity; which must be abhorred by every man who is acquainted with religion, this was far from being the act of the Church. On such occasions her name was abused, in order, more effectually, to answer the purposes of fraud. If we would see the real spirit of the Church in this matter, let us turn our eyes on the great St. Austin, who, more than once, offered to his congregation to give up to them all his church lands, and he and his clergy to live upon the offerings and contributions, as had been the custom among the Levites under the ancient Mosaic law. We learn from his sermons that he often refused legacies which had been legally bequeathed to him, either from unwillingness to impoverish families, or a knowledge that the ministers of religion ought to be contented with a a little. If it happened that a father, incensed against his children, disinherited them at his death, and bestowed his fortune on the Church, he rejected it with a holy indignation as a fruit of bitterness and wrath, in the full persuasion that it is unlawful to profit by the wrong done to another. We had a few months ago a remarkable instance of disinterestedness in the person of our illustrious Chief Bishop Pius IX., in a case nearly similar, the particulars. of which we shall give next week. Thus also acted Aurelius, Bishop of Carthage. A man having bestowed his possessions on the Church, afterwards had children, contrary to his expectation: immediately that illustrious and worthy prelate restored to him the whole, to which he thought himself obliged by the law of God." If it was necessary to commence a lawsuit, in order to secure a contested succession, St. Austin immediately abandoned it, being unwilling that a community established by him should go to law for perishable riches, "We have neither stores nor strong box," said he, " because, had we anything more than bare necessaries, it would be the property of the poor." It is not to be doubted but the Church then spoke by his mouth; and for the honour of religion, which abhors avidity, it could be wished that all the ministers of religion in the succeeding centuries, down to the time of the falselycalled Reformation, had always acted and thought in the same manner. We ask sincere inquirers how can a society, founded by a Legislator born in a stable, and who, during his mortal life, had not where to lay his head, entertain any attachment for perishable riches? For her children she desires only food and clothing, and this is so true that she asks of God only necessaries for the day-panem quotidianum (daily bread).» ' t.. fane ardour for war and battles, and the employment of arms, which are put into men's hands by a spirit of revolt; but an evangelical firmness, which repulsing error, treats mildly those who go astray, and thunders against the vices while she solicits pardon for the guilty. Accordingly, when it is said that the Church ought sometimes to employ power, it is meant her spiritual power, which is so true, that the first Christians suffered themselves to be butchered rather than rebel against the san guinary edicts of the cruel Roman emperors: and the most holy bishops in all times solicited the pardon of apostates desiring only their conversion. be the greatest injustice to attack The sanctity, and consequently the moderation of the That Spirit of Power, which animates the Church, animated, and protects the persons, without winking at appeared with all its lustre in preaching. Even in the courts of kings she loudly proclaimed, with holy intrepidity, the terrible truths denounced against crime and its perpetrators; and she employed, but always with prudence, the spiritual arms which God had put into her hands whenever she judged those methods necessary, to make rebels against her authority re-enter into themselves; for she was always sensible that indiscreet zeal may do much mischief, and that commonly Silence and Patience are the best remedies. VO A Spirit of Truth. The Church cannot bear with error, though she tolerates those who are infected with it, and this by the example of the Redeemer, who, during his residence on earth, bore with patience being beset by Sadducees, Samaritans, and Publicans, who were the infidels, the schismatics, and the open criminals of those times. There cannot be quoted, in the succession of ages, a single instance where the Church came to a compromise with error. She always opposed a wall of brass to all the heresies invented by the Spirit of Pride; she always preserved herself a pure virgin in the midst of corruption, without dreading threats or torments, The Holy Spirit, by teaching her all truth, gave her power to resist all errors. Nothing can be more admirable than to see all the sects successively fall at her feet, and disappear like those storms which, after threatening universal destruction, are dissipated in a moment. In vain have attacks been made in every age on the great truths of Religion taught by the Church, they will never be demonstrated to be false. Accordingly we see that heretical and impious persons employ only sophisms and ironies when they assail the doctrines and mysteries of religion: this is their whole resource, and to men of sound judgment this is the best proof that they have no solid reasons to urge. Above all, it would be necessary to shew great charity towards them; and out of condescension to their weakness, inconsistent with Morality and the Faith. from a love of peace, allow them every liberty in things not What an acquisition would it be to the Church, did the Protestants again return into her pale! They would mingle most admirable and most efficacions for the overthrow of their lights with ours; and this would form a league the infidelity; but it would be necessary to receive them with an effusion of tenderness capable of demonstrating our sincere affection, and never to hint the least reproach for unhappy men who in the sixteenth century were the what is past. Never to blame them for the vices of these authors of the Great Revolt. This is an event we, Catholics, ought all to desire with the most lively ardour; for nothing is more afflicting than to see a wall of brass between Christians, who believe equally the fundamental points of their common Christianity.de tuat the great mysteries of the Trinity and Redemption, viz., The Church, like a tender mother, who always rememloses sight of this re-union. Were the Protestants well bers the children that have been seduced from her, never acquainted with her good affection, there is no doubt but they would feel her pain, and eagerly hasten to relieve it by a sincere return, as many have lately done; but unhappily they have formed to themselves the most hideous picture of the Church, by supposing her of a persecuting t spirit. Yet they ought to know, that in Rome herself, the Protestants have always been treated with the greatest kindness; and that from the manner in which they have always been received there, they may be persuaded that the Church really disapproves of the persecutions stirred up by fanaticism in those unhappy times when both sides a listened only to the dictates of blind impetuous zeal. Would to Heaven it were granted to us, even at the ext pense of our own blood, to hasten the return of our®¤ brethren, for whom every good Catholic feels all possiblebas Ecclesiastical History shews us the Church in every age, tenderness, Woe to those who would retain the least anistill immaculate in her practice and her faith. The more mosity against them! Charity ought to be the characteristic she abounded with ministers destitute of her spirit, the of the Catholic people: because it is inseparable from unity, more did she appear divine in the eyes of the unprejudiced and he is destitute of that virtue who loveth not all man ud and dispassionate. Had she been a society merely human,kind with sincerity, or who suffers the natural aversion heron she must naturally have suffered herself to be carried away by the torrent of vices and errors; but her incorruptibility, notwithstanding so many offences in open defiance of virtue, proclaims the excellence of her original, and the preroga tives with which she has been invested by the Deity. Though faith be daily decaying, she remains the same now that she was in the days of the Apostles: she always teaches the same truths, and is always ready to suffer martyrdom if an attempt be made to deprive her of them. These are truths easy to be demonstrated, and which it is necessary to set in a conspicuous point of view, when we would labour in the conversion of our erring brethren, Unhappily they have confounded the Church with some of her ministers, so far as to charge her with a thousand iniquities, upon which she looks with horror. As it would ought to have for errors, to inspire him with hatred against PUBLIC DISCUSSION In the Town Hall, Ashton-under-Lyne, on Tuesday evening, April 30th, 1850, between Mr. W. F. Cleary and Mr. Samuel Condell. (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 182.) going here and some there, meeting and separating, confronting each other and then parting, forming little cliques, two in this direction, and five in that, jostling each other in rounding corners, remaining in perpetual motion like the Dutch cork-leg, until (wonderful to tell!) their attention was arrested by the sound of a peculiar noise, and then as if they had but one heart and one soul, the whole party, influenced by a power above their control, form themselves There were two chairmen appointed. Mr. Nathaniel hasten to the place from whence the noise proceeded; and into one body, and with the velocity of lightning they Ridgway, of Manchester, by the Catholics; and Mr. lo! they are met by some of their four-footed brethren, Mason, of Ashton, by the Protestants. Mr. Ridgway, is and these, as soon as the recognition is made, lustily begin not a Catholic, but he was selected on account of his intel-skelter, as fast as they could hie to a place of safety; but to bray !!! Again, the two-legged donkeys fly off helter ligence, his integrity, his impartiality, his love of fair play, for a wonder, without breaking their ranks a second time, and for his gentlemanly demeanor in presiding at several of and having looked about to find if they had secured themthe lectures in St. Patrick's Hall. Mr. Condell vainly selves, and having fully satisfied their minds in that respect, attempted to prove that the Catholic Church had fallen thanks, first for their escape from the Popish asses with four they select, after much debate, one of themselves to return into idolatry: and he quoted a number of texts, several of legs, and he solemnly shouted out Brethren let us bray! which were indeed denunciations against giving to any And having brayed for some time to the great annoyance of created thing that divine worship which is due to God that all this braying indicated that on the next day (which the good wives of the neighbourhood, who began to surmise alone; others had no more reference to the subject than they had to the philosophy of Sir Isaac Newton, as laid they conclude with this short but significant oration" We was their drying day,) there would be an abundance of rain, down in his celebrated "Principia!" He pretended to read beg in an especial manner to be protected from all Popish from the Fathers of the mediavel ages, and from modern above all and before all, we most earnestly entreat that we asses in general, and from Asinus Cleary in particular; but Catholic authors, who have written upon ascetic subjects; may for all time to come be defended, both here and else. and because the equivocal word worship was frequently to where, from our Asinine Ashtonian friends, and from their be met with, he very illogically inferred, that he had uproarious, overgrown, unmanageables kicking, and pet made out a case. Papists paid divine honours to a wafer in particular!" And the rest answered, Amen. But, as the orange coloured, Irish, stage donkey friend, Mr. Condell, to the Virgin Mary,-to the angels,—to real saints,-and night was a calm one, they were heard by the four footed to suppositious saints: also to men who were known to be party which they had but recently encountered, and these wicked and even infamous! That was not enough, they began to bray so loud and so long, that the good folk from were worse than the pagans, they were monsters, for they of the braying had quite died away! But to return Manchester had re-entered their smoky town ere the noise did that which the Pagans would die before they would After Mr. Condell had (putting all his time together,) perform; they (horrible to relate!) even eat their God. occupied more than an hour and a half, in the delivery of They were a senseless set, and he had received a commission lips of any man of sane mind, the whole sum and the most ridiculous and impious stuff that over escaped the d to reform them, to evangelize, to civilize, and humanize substance of the attack may be found in what has been them! They not only adored human beings, but they paid stated above. He seemed to honours to bones and rotten flesh; to old rags, and bits of daubing the walls of have power of be. toe and finger nails, and to things too disgusting to be of materials he was obliged to scrape ousted his majetin, quantity of slime of a faded oraln a very limited colour, so that for aut enumerated. See (said he), what St. Bonaventure, and St. it on again and again, until having the filth and throw Francis de Sales, and St. Alphonsus Liguori say upon the and his energy too, he was subject: and he referred them to that filthy' book the word, he charged, and iterated, and re-iterated his charge to Thus, in a Garden of the Soul,' written by an obscene old man larly unfortunate, for he disgusted his friends, who folk until he became his own greatest enemy. He was singunamed Bishop Chaloner. Now all the time that he pre- disgraced by his advocacy, and he increased the pity which tended to quote from the Bible, from the Fathers and his opponents had always felt for the misfortunes of a fine but Doctors of the Church, from the "Garden of the Soul," fathers had been deprived of the saving influence of fre misguided people, who through the corruptions of their and from ascetic works, he had to act the part of Paganini, religion, and were left to be tossed to and fro and carried for he had but one string to his violin. Catholic books he had about by every wind of doctrine, 59 none, either belonging to the Fathers or Catholic divines; most ignorant and unprincipled impostors. to the dupes of this but he had an infamous lying Vade Mecum, compiled by It would be impossible to give even an outline of th Hi:# Lobanode nde some interested clerical firebrand, some wholesale dealer in of Mr. Condell. The most ingenious reporter (unless he ent ungrammatical, sophistical, and nonsensical ratiocinationsbaa the usual articles of calumny and misrepresentation, and had patience enough to make a speech for the occasion, these were his sole testimonies against the chaste spouse of would fail to give a verbatim et literatim report, Neitheson Christ, his One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. Mr. Cleary's defence. That it produced a will our space permit us to give more the beads goory It was no wonder that his friends were ashamed of their advocate,—it was no wonder that the clerical and other twice essayed to attack Popery," but on the first occasionteds however effect, izzi certain from the fact, that respectable men who went to witness the death of Popery tended, although the Bellman (meet instrument bord s only thirteen persons, the members of bis committee, aba-ads and to hear the funeral oration from the lips of the unsent work,) was specially engaged to aid in the labour of love(BAT lay preacher,” should retire at an early hour, biting their On the second occasion, although the body of the Tower et tongues with pain, when they discovered that their last Hall was free to the public, not more than sixty Bobow state was worse than their first" They left precipitately, could be collected together from the Sunday School da followed by an arch Wago of Grecian," who watched the Otange Lodges. How true is theat incognitor they Nuried through highways and by veritse 90 95 on 46haini red ways, wandering like sheep without a shepherd/pisomes XVII. TO PARSON STOWELL. Sir,-Mr. Lesley concludes with this noble epiphonema: “In short we must trust to it (private judgment) in every thing without exception." Now, joining this with the previous words, his meaning can be no other than that as private judgment is all we have (according to his doctrine) for the belief of God, or of Christ, so it is all we have to trust to in everything without exception: and by conse quence, private judgment is to be our only guide in all matters of religion whatsoever. Which, if it be not effectually establishing the doctrine of free-thinking, we are yet to seek what the word free-thinking means. But who could have imagined that Mr. Lesley, who but a few years before that was as great an enemy to private judgment as any Catholic in the world, should all on a sudden grow so fond of it, as to trust to it without exception in all the nearest concerns of his soul's salvation? Let us hear his own character of it in his book called Christianity Demonstrated, p.p. 181, 182: "The effects" says he "of private judgment are these: multiplicity of sects and opinions, perpetual wranglings, without any umpire or judge of controversy. Whence come inveterate prejudices against each other, animosities, strifes, envyings, and all the wars of religion, which the most of any embroil the peace of the world, and are always the chief pretence of the civil wars of nations within themselves, and most commonly in the wars of kingdoms against kingdoms," &c. What a frightful character is this! What a hideous monster have we here before us! Could any Papist have painted private judgment in blacker colours? And, indeed, the gentleman has only done it justice. Yet by a wonderful metamorphosis, this monster became so charming in his eyes, that he declares we must have an entire confidence in it, and trust to it in everything without excep. tion. This looks indeed something like contradiction. But we must consider that in his Christianity Demonstrated Mr. Lesley wrote against the Deists, and in his Case Stated he wrote against the Papists; and is it reasonable to oblige a man to fight with the same arms against all sorts of enemies? By no means. For we would argue from different principles against an Atheist and an Anglican; but those principles should not be contradictory, nor destroy one another. For surely some care ought to be taken that what is called black against one may not be called white against another; because principles are eternal truths, always the same, and unchangeable in their nature. So that if private judgment in matters of religion was such a hideous monster when Mr. Lesley wrote his book against the Deists, we cannot imagine how it became so useful and necessary when he wrote his Case Stated. We must, however, own that this self-denying way of writing shows plainly the great convenience of having no principles of one's own; because it gives a man a kind of title to all principles whatsoever. Thus when Protestants dispute against the Socinians, private judgment is damned to the lowest pit of hell, and nothing is preached up but authority, and submission to it: but when Popery is to be run down, then private judgment is the only doctrine in the world," and we must trust to it in everything without exception." In this manner our adversaries come doubly armed into the field. They can change their weapons as they find occasion, and in a thrice turn Papists against Socinians, and Socinians or Freethinkers against Papists. Want of space prevents us from proceeding; next week we shall conclude the subject for the present.—We remain, THE EDITOR. in the meantime, yours, &c. &c. Manchester, June 15th, 1850. POETRY. LOOK HOME.-By ROBERT SOUTHWELL. A brief wherein all morals summed lie; The mind a creature is, yet can create, To nature's patterns adding higher skill; Of finest works wit better could the state, If force of wit had equal power of will. Device of man in working hath no end; What thought can think, another thought can mend. Man's soul of endless beauties image is, Drawn by the work of endless skill and might; This skilful might gave many sparks of bliss, And to discern this bliss, a native light; To frame God's image as his worth required, All that he had, his image should present, All that it should present, he could afford; To that he could afford his will was bent, His will was followed with performing word. Let this suffice, by this conceive the restHe should, he could, he would, he did the best. Notices to Readers and Correspondents. A full report of the public Discussion which took place at Stockport on Thursday evening, June 6th, between Mr. Cleary and Mr. Bowes, formerly a minister, now a dissenting preacher, shall appear early in the second volume. The lecture subsequently delivered by Mr. Cleary shall be also fully reported. AGENTS. Manchester-Mr. A. Heywood, Oldham-street. Stalybridge-Mr. Ridle; Mr. Harrop. Printed and Published by EDWARD STAVELEY, 117, Bedford-street, Hulme, in the borough of Manchester, Saturday, June 15th, 1850 TRUTH. SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 1850. ST. CECILIUS, CONFESSOR. (Concluded from our last.) In the structure of this dialogue, the design and order are extremely beautiful and taking, and speak a master builder; for in the very entrance he insensibly steals upon our passions with such bewitching blandishments in the character of his beloved Octavius, then leads us on to the occasion of the conference with such awaking descriptions, and sets off the minutest objects with such surprising embellishments, that he has in a manner got our hearts before he comes to open his cause. excellent and holy person, at his departure out of this He tells us that Octavius an world, had left in him most eager desires and longings for such a friend; for, says Minutius," He always burnt with equal fire, and loved me so passionately in return, that, both in our diversions and business, our minds continually played in concert to one another, insomuch that you would imagine there was but one soul between us both." This author called to mind with gratitude the benefit of his example, and ruminating on his virtues, rekindled his own devotion; whilst, by cherishing his memory in his breast, he studied to go after him in his thoughts, and to wean his heart more and more from the world. He then recapitulates their momentous discourse with Cecilius, whereby that friend was also brought over to the true religion. The occasion by which it was introduced is related as follows: Octavius came to Rome to pay Minutius a visit, forcing his way through the strong endearments of house, wife and amiable little children, which he left at home. autumn, and in vacation time, which gave our orator a It was in relaxation from his business at the bar; and he took the opportunity which that time of leisure afforded him, to go to Ostia to bathe in the salt waters of the sea, which he looked upon as a proper remedy for drying up the humours with which he was afflicted. Octavius and Cecilius would needs bear him company. It happened, that as they were walking together in the town, towards the sea-shore, early in the morning, Cecilius spied a statue of Serapis; at which he put his hand to his mouth and kissed it. This was an act of adoration among the Greeks and Romans. Octavius hereupon said to Minutius, that it was a crime and reproach in them that their friend should still remain involved in the darkness of error, and worship stones, which had indeed received a figure, and been anointed with oil, and crowned by way of consecration, but were still dumb and deaf stones. Cecilius was nettled to hear himself accused of ignorance, and challenged Octavius to hold a dispute upon that subject, telling him sarcastically, he would make him know that he never before had to do with a philosopher. The conference was immediately agreed upon, and down they sat upon a pile of stones thrown up for the shelter of the bath, Minutius was placed in the middle, in quality PRICE ONE PENNY of arbitrator. Cecilius began the dispute by denying providence, triumphing with an air of assurance and self sufficiency, and swaggering with flashes of wit, and overbearing eloquence. He objected the poverty and slavery of the Christians, who were every where subject to the idoreligion that is uppermost, calling the Christians sad poor lators, whose empire was prosperous; he recommended the fellows, who choose obstinately to starve, and who suffer on with pleasure, make a jest of racks and torture, are careless of life and fortune, and every worldly comfort, and have not so much as churches wherein to worship their one God; that they are a most contented, pitiful, ragged tribe, skulk about in holes without a word to say for themselves, and only cant in corners about a resurrection, and the joys of resurrection of the body; which was a great stumbling block another world. He spent a deal of his artillery against the Athenagoras, Tertullian, Origen, and other apologists of to the ancient philosophers, as appears from the writings of our holy faith. But calumnies were the chief strength of this champion of error. system of manners, and advances moral virtue to such noble heights, that it could not but excite esteem and veneration The gospel contains so lovely a in its greatest adversaries. In order to throw a blind over devil had recourse to slanders, with which he stirred up his its amazing beauty, which bespoke its original divine, the instruments to blacken and misrepresent it. thought himself secure behind this false intrenchment, and flattered himself he should thence be able to annoy his adCecilius versary. He seemed impatient to come to this battery; and he loudly objected nocturnal assemblies, solemn fasts, name of religion. "I hear," says he," that they adore inhuman banquets, and crimes perpetrated under the the head of an ass, the knees of their bishop or priest, and a man who was punished for his crimes, and the cursed the Christians should despise present torments for fear of wood of the cross." others that are invisible; that they abstain from lawful He makes it a subject of ridicule that pleasures, from public shows, pomp, banquets, perfumes which they reserve for their dead, &c. In answer to these prejudices, Octavius demonstrates a divine providence superintending all human affairs, from the evident marks of order and design in all the works of nature; an argument so obvious and natural, yet so evident and strong, that no subtilty can foil or obscure it. For so admirable is the beauty and contexture which comes out and meets our eye in every part of the universe, that no one can be blind to its author. house," says our Octavius, with Tully, "and see all the "Should you chance to come into a would make no dispute but such a house is under the care rooms exquisitely furnished, and kept in great order, you and inspection of a master who is preferable to all the furniture. Thus, when you cast your eyes upon heaven and earth, and behold the admirable order and economy of things, can you question whether there is a Lord of the universe, and that he is more glorious than the stars, and more to be admired than all the works of his hands?" From providence he proceeds to prove the unity of God |