Gregory XIII. rejoiced over the slaughter of the Huguenots, and ordered a Te Deum to be sung, with illuminations for the people, and, for the benefit of posterity, a medal in brass commemorative of the glorious event! Here it is, in our own day, where the Pope, in a studied allocution, congratulates Christendom because Spain relapses into the intolerance of bygone centuries. When New Grenada, not a year ago, by decrees established a free press, free education, and tolerance in religion, from Rome comes another allocution, condemning such fearful approaches to "hated liberty," which are denounced as horrible and sacrilegious war against the Romish Church ;" and her citizens are stimulated to open rebellion against their rulers by the Pope's annunciation, that he "declares utterly null and void all the aforesaid decrees, which have been enacted by the civil power." The Pope knows, "That wherever religious liberty exists, it will, first or last, bring in an established political party; wherever it is suppressed, the Church Establishment will, first or last, become the engine of despotism, and overthrow, unless it be itself overthrown, every vestige of political liberty."*

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The cause of this intolerance is fundamental with the Roman Church; it cannot alter its character without losing its individuality. Styling itself "Infallible," its claims cannot be set aside. Its intolerance, its ministers say, arises from authority; it is therefore legitimate, and to yield would be sacrificing to licentiousness. Nor do the advocates of Romanism claim the virtues of liberality so much admired by the true-hearted American. They are willing to enjoy the advantages of liberty, and shelter their institutions under the broad folds of our tolerant flag. The Jesuits themselves, a proscribed class of political priests even among most of the countries devoted to Romanism, find here a foothold, and, from the unsuspicious character of our people, scarcely call forth an observation to their ulterior designs, of sapping our liberties and changing the character of our institutions. Yet all this toleration on our part meets with no response

*Justice Story.

from the Romanist hierarchy or people. The hierarchy hate and fear it; the lay members, if they cherish any admiration, dare not express it. Hence we find that no minister at Washington representing a Romanist country acknowledges the superior Christian liberality of our government, nor has it ever been officially reciprocated or commended. The Romanist journals published in America never advocate religious toleration; on the contrary, they threaten, if their cherished doctrines gain the ascendency, that toleration will cease; and special care is taken by the priests, who are with few exceptions foreigners, to cultivate and encourage among our immigrant Romanist population, the same bitter hostility to the "heretic" that characterized their chief education in their native land. The American, in consideration of these facts, finds no difficulty in distinguishing between the abuse of the name of religion, and religion itself. He strips the matter of its complications, and, giving to the conscience full liberty, opposes political tendencies and practices calculated to destroy our Republican institutions; he opposes a political system despotic in its organization, anti-republican in its tendencies, and at utter war with the simplicity of our whole government.

It is only as a hierarchy, as a religio-political institution, having vast political projects, and organized for political action, and because its principles, purposes, and operations are utterly inimical to popular and American constitutional liberty, to all civil and religious freedom, that the true American stands up in opposition to it. Until American Romanists call their general councils, and purge their system of its interior and harsh ecclesiastical despotism; until they join together as a body, and demand the same toleration for American Protestants abroad, that Romanists everywhere receive in America; until they announce to the Pope and the world that his supremacy is only spiritual, and out of his Papal dominions in Italy, he, nor his priests, have right to interfere in politics or temporal affairs; that they owe him or his hierarchy no duty or obedience incompatible with their full and perfect allegiance to the United States, or any the States, or that is hostile to any of the principles of their govern

of

ments; that they are opposed to, and will ever resist the union of Church and State, and any mixing of their affairs; until they bid, and will compel their priesthood to cease their meddling with the government and politics of the country, with a view to shape its laws and policy for their ulterior purposes, and to desist from their efforts to control the entire Romanist vote of America;-Until these things are done, no native American, no true friend of liberty, wherever born or whatever be his religion, can conscientiously cease his opposition to this great religio-political institution; for the very spirit of self-preservation requires, that war be waged as much upon an aggressive religious power, as upon an aggressive civil power, for both are equally hostile to our Republican institutions.

Religion is a question between man's conscience and his God. No government can interfere with it, except to guarantee perfect freedom to all, in the exercise of that faith which each has seen fit to embrace; or to prevent a persecuting system of proselytism, which history shows us has been the characteristic of every religious sect in all ages. A government guaranteeing toleration to every Church, has the right to compel them to tolerate each other.

Religion is perfectly distinct from, and cannot possibly be any part of, political government. The former regards not the present world, but looks to a future state. The latter regulates the affairs of time, but leaves untouched those of eternity. There is an impassable gulf between them-one that mankind can never bridge. When the attempt has been made, it has invariably met with a calamitous issue.

"In Europe, Christianity has been intimately united to the powers of the earth. Those powers are now in decay, and it is, as it were, buried under their ruins. The living body of religion has been bound down to the dead corpse of superannuated polity. Cut the bonds which restrain it, and that which is alive will rise once more.'

Shall such be the result in our country? This is the question which Americans have to answer, and to answer ere it be too late. Let them arise and tell the priestly hierarchies that when they

* De Tocqueville.

attempt to subjugate the temporal to the spiritual power, and, by means of uncontrolled influence over the minds of their followers, peril the peace of the community, hinder the operation of the laws, and, by their acts, proclaim the Constitution a dead letter, toleration becomes impossible; for toleration would then be treason to the country.

9***