Part 2 (2/2)
Says Prof. Olmsted, ”We cannot approve of his employing artifice in the promulgation of truth; and we are compelled to lament that his lofty spirit bowed in the final conflict. How far, therefore, he sinks below the dignity of a Christian martyr!”
Says Dr. Brewster, ”At the age of seventy, on his bended knees, and with his right hand resting on the Holy Evangelists, did this patriarch of science avow his present and past belief in the Romish Church; abandon as false and heretical the doctrine of the earth's motion, and of the sun's immobility, and pledge himself to denounce to the Inquisition, any other person who was even suspected of like heresy. He abjured, cursed, and detested, those eternal and immutable truths which the Almighty had permitted him to be the first to establish. Had Galileo but added the courage of a martyr, to the wisdom of the sage; had he carried the glance of his indignant eye round the circle of his Judges; had he lifted his hands to heaven, and called the living G.o.d to witness the truth and immutability of his opinions; the bigotry of his enemies would have been disarmed, and science would have enjoyed a memorable triumph.”
THE ROMISH CHURCH.
It is impossible for the mind to contemplate the scene presented to the world, by the history of that trial and unjust condemnation, without a shudder, if not a premonition of what may yet be in the future.
Religious bigotry is more intolerant than any other power of dominion, and where the mind and conscience is trammelled, and brought under the subjection of superior intellect, the ma.s.ses become almost as menials, ready to do their masters' bidding. We hold to a system of religion, one which leaves the mind untrammelled, and permits free intercourse with the spirit of G.o.d; that which casts aside all that might obstruct or intervene, and which enables the soul to commune with its Maker and Redeemer; that which enables each ”to know for himself and not another.” This is the Protestant faith and doctrine, contra-distinguished from the Roman Catholic faith, whose Popes, Bishops, and Priests, become, as it were, the arbiters of the minds and consciences of their adherents; stand between them and their Maker, and trifle with the souls of men, as implements and matters of commerce. It is time that the days of superst.i.tion were ended.
It is fast losing ground in the old world, where, for long centuries past, it has held the ma.s.ses in ignorance. But, of late years, it has been rapidly gaining ground on our own continent, and its progress of late has been fearful, and may well alarm the Protestants of our own country. We hold that Catholicism is little else than a complete system of superst.i.tion. The minds of the ma.s.ses of its votaries are trained and educated to it from childhood. Hence, there is no possibility of ever eradicating it from the minds of those thus educated. The priests, cardinals, and Pope, can, at any moment, trammel free thought by their own edicts, and bring their subjects to their own terms. Their subjects are taught to believe them to possess superior power; to be able to stand between them and heaven, or h.e.l.l, to lock, or unlock at pleasure; and so ingenious is their system of religion taught, that it ensnares the mind and holds it ever subservient.
We have seen with what submission that mighty man of learning and towering intellect, Galileo, bowed to this imperial power. By arduous study, labor and experiments, he had gained a knowledge of his Creators wonderful works, far transcending all that was known of it by the ruling powers of Rome. He knew this knowledge was truth, as immutable as G.o.d himself, yet, if _cursed_ by the Pope of Rome, he, doubtless, believed this curse would place him in perdition, and no one would pray his soul out of purgatory. Therefore, he perjured himself (for when he had sworn it false, he still believed it true) in order to reconcile the rulers, and secure their intercession. This is only an isolated case out of, doubtless, thousands of others, where mind and conscience is brought fully under their subjection.
Rome to-day, and the Romish Church, is the same in spirit and ambition of universal sway, as in the days of Galileo. Give her but the power, and rather than lose it again, she would bind humanity in chains of perpetual ignorance as to the source and lights of eternal truth, save that which she alone might graciously promulgate; and this to a favored few, whose trainings were such that their consciences were securely chained to her car, more ponderous and destructive, than that of Juggernaut.
Some, perhaps, are ready to say we have borne down too severely upon the Roman Catholics, that they, too, are now more enlightened, and more liberal in their views than formerly, that they have founded schools and inst.i.tutions of learning, equal--perhaps superior, to those of any other denomination in our country. Grant all this; but why, and for what purpose? _Answer._ The force of circ.u.mstances; the enlightenment of the age has compelled them to move forward. They are ever wily and on the alert; the philosophy of science was marching onward; the millions could no longer be held in the old beaten track of ignorance to pander to the few, and Rome, comprehending all this, foresees her impending downfall, unless she, too, steps forward with her _gilded robe_. She therefore, takes a new tack, with her ponderous s.h.i.+p, upon the sea of mind. She has in store her mines of wealth, gathered daily from the poor sons and daughters of toil, some of whom almost starve themselves in order to pay penance to the Priests for sins laid to their charge, committed--if sins they be, in ignorance.
These priests--some of whom are besotted--still stand forth as the arbiters of the consciences of their deluded followers; pretend to bar the gates of heaven; admitting none, save for the _s.h.i.+llings_ or the _pounds_, showing plainly that the continued organization of this church, in this enlightened age, is but the force of early education.
Yes, they have erected their school and college edifices, and also their _convents_ and _monasteries_. They have ample material for efficient teachers: but mark you, these have all been well trained from infancy in the ”_lap of the Church_.” They are obedient, efficient and orderly, and, at proper times, are ready to make advantageous displays. They take charge of all the youth of _their_ flock, and, alas, by their seductive insinuations, are now making rapid progress against Protestantism in our own country. They are educating tens of thousands of Protestant youth.
Do they ever exhibit to, or instruct them in your Protestant Bible?
No, never! but on the other hand; are they not constantly trying to instruct, charm, and fascinate them with their own system of religious wors.h.i.+p? They are partial to your children--especially to your _daughters_, who will, in time, be among the mothers of the succeeding generation, and who, of course, will train up their offspring in the same faith. Just let them secure a majority of mothers as firm believers in the Romish faith, and they will bid defiance to all opposing influences. How long since one of their Archbishops said, in a public address, in one of our leading cities: _Let us once control the children, the youth of the land, and we can soon control the nation_; or words of this import? See their indefatigable exertions; their complete system of organization; their primary schools, their Seminaries, Academies, Colleges, Convents, and Monasteries, already established, and to which they are adding, annually, many more, while Protestants seem to be slumbering over the kindling fires of a volcano, which may in time break forth in all its destructive fury, as it oft-times has during past centuries.
Is it not high time that Protestants of our own country, were waking up in regard to their present, and eternal interests? Let a preponderance of power be centered in any one man, and you may then bid a final adieu to a republican form of government, and must, perhaps, bow to infamous and oppressive ”decrees” emanating from an iron will.
In our own country, this cannot yet be, unless the usurper is backed by a soldiery, who are hired, and paid, out of a controlled treasury.
This could not long maintain, in this, or any country, where there is freedom of mind and thought, and where conscience remains untrammelled. But let the ma.s.ses be thus controlled by one superior intellect, and feel that their ETERNAL interests are subject to his will, and they will be ever ready to do his bidding.
The Popes of Rome have--successively--held this power over a portion of Europe, even as the history of the dark days of the ”Inquisitions”
and martyrdoms attest. Thus it has been, and thus we believe it ever will be, where Roman Catholics gain universal sway: for we believe there is scarcely a member of that organization living to-day, who would not--at the Pope's command--make every desired sacrifice; not only of worldly goods and interests, but even of life itself--if required.
We do not condemn--collectively, nor individually, the ma.s.ses, and members of that faith. Far be this from us. We believe that a very large majority of them are honest, and truly devotional. No other cla.s.s of people on the globe have been more self-sacrificing than many of them, in performing acts of kindness, charity and mercy, and these offices have been performed in a true spirit of Christian benevolence.
Would that all other professed Christian organizations would equal them in this respect. All should render relief, when within their power, to suffering humanity. We believe that all such efforts upon the part of any one, will merit, and obtain, individual reward. What we condemn is the spirit of the ruling powers of the Romish Church; its bigotry, and intolerance; and because they--by educating into their system of religion--trammel the mind, and control the conscience, rendering them subservient to the dictation and will of the rulers. The Pope, bishops, and priests, claim to be the mediums through which their adherents are saved, as, also we believe mediums, whose ”curses” p.r.o.nounced against any, will consign the soul to perdition, while they chain the mind to superst.i.tion.
The Bible teaches that Christ is our only mediator, that all may come to G.o.d through faith in His Son; every soul is held alike responsible, and is alike accountable to its Creator. That life and salvation are freely offered alike to all, the requirement being, to forsake the ways of sin, and through faith in Jesus Christ, ”return unto the Lord who will have mercy, and to our G.o.d who will abundantly pardon.”
It will be perceived that our princ.i.p.al objections to that sect are their superst.i.tions, bigotry, arrogance and intolerance; the chaining down the mind, and controlling the conscience, and using all for temporal sway. The antecedents of this power are sufficient to warn all Protestants against its encroachments, and stimulate them to say, ”Thus far shalt thou go and no farther,” and in order to this, let every Protestant denomination see to the educating of their own children.
”But,” say some of our Protestant mothers, ”they have the best schools, and I want my daughters to be well educated, and accomplished; and I do not fear their making Catholics of them.” So, likewise, have said thousands of others, and yet, trying the experiment, they have been mistaken. Their daughters have returned home fascinated with show and tinsel, and firm adherents to that doctrine, which, when educated into the mind, can never thence be eradicated.
Few are aware of the rapid advance the Catholics are making against Protestantism, at the present time. It is safe to say, that not less than from fifteen to twenty thousand daughters, belonging to Protestant families, are baptized into that church annually, in the United States. On the other hand, few, if any, Catholics ever become Protestants; and nine out of every ten who do, will--if sick and fearing the approach of death, send for Catholic Priests; make confession, and implore their intercession, to rescue their souls from purgatory, where they feel sure of going for this great sin of apostasy.
Now we ask, how long will it take, with so large and ever increasing accessions of our Protestant daughters, for that organization to gain the ascendancy in our country? Their motto is _eternal vigilance_, while they wage eternal warfare _against the Protestant faith, and Christian religion_. The time was, when they held almost universal sway throughout a large portion of Europe. The edicts of the Pope, and Roman Catholic rulers, must be obeyed by _all_. Curses, torture, imprisonment, and _death_--where they had the power--was the portion of all who disregarded their mandates. And then, as now, their hatred and persecutions were against those whom they termed ”_heretical Protestants_;” against your ancestors, and your religion. Kings, and Emperors, trembled on their thrones, and lent willing obedience, lest a ”Bull” should be issued against them from the ”Vatican” by the ruling Pope. Those were dark days for poor Protestants; they had to wors.h.i.+p G.o.d in _secret_, or in dens and caves. Even only a few centuries ago, terror and darkness reigned; multiplied thousands were slaughtered, or dragged to the ”stake” and consumed by fiery f.a.ggots; grey hairs, age or decrepitude, were no s.h.i.+elds against their bigoted fury. The priests then, as now, controlled and directed the consciences of their followers. No compa.s.sion, could be shown--even to purity and innocence of defenceless females, or helpless children.
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