Donahoes Magazine, Volume 15, No. 1, January 1886 | Page 8

master of himself that in no way does he come under the authority of
another; that it is for him freely to think on whatever subject he likes, to
act as he pleases; that no one else has a right of ruling over others. In a
society founded upon these principles, government is only the will of
the people, which as it is under the power of itself alone, so is alone its
own proper sovereign. Moreover, it chooses to whom it may entrust
itself, but in such a way that it transfers, not so much the right, as the
function of the government which is to be exercised in its name. God is
passed over in silence, as if either there were no God, or as if He cared
nothing for human society, or as if men, whether as individuals or in
society, owed nothing to God, or as if there could be any government
of which the whole cause and power and authority did not reside in
God Himself. In which way, as is seen, a State is nothing else but a
multitude, as the mistress and governor of itself. And since the people
is said to contain in itself the fountain of all rights and of all power, it
will follow that the State deems itself bound by no kind of duty towards
God; that no religion should be publicly professed; nor ought there to
be any inquiry which of many is alone true; nor ought one to be
preferred to the rest; nor ought one to be specially favored, but to each
alike equal rights ought to be assigned, with the sole end that the social
order incurs no injury from them. It is a part of this theory that all
questions concerning religion are to be referred to private judgment;
that to every one it is allowed to follow which he prefers, or none at all,
if he approves of none. Hence these consequences naturally arise; the
judgment of each conscience is without regard to law; opinions as free
as possible are expressed concerning worshipping or not worshipping
God; and there is unbounded license of thinking and publishing.
These foundations of the State being admitted, which at the time are in
such general favor, it easily appears into how unfavorable a position the
Church is driven. For when the conduct of affairs is in accordance with
the doctrines of this kind, to the Catholic name is assigned an equal
position with, or even an inferior position to that of alien societies in
the State; no regard is paid to ecclesiastical laws; and the Church,

which, by the command and mandate of Jesus Christ, ought to teach all
nations, finds itself forbidden in any way to interfere in the instruction
of the people. Concerning those things which are of mixed jurisdiction,
the rulers of the civil power lay down the law at their own pleasure, and
in this manner haughtily set aside the most sacred laws of the Church.
Wherefore they bring under their own jurisdiction the marriages of
Christians, deciding even concerning the marriage bond, concerning the
unity, and the stability of marriage. They take possession of the goods
of the clergy because they deny that the Church can hold property.
Finally, they so act with regard to the Church that both the nature and
the rights of a perfect society being removed, they clearly hold it to be
like the other associations which the State contains, and on that account,
if she possesses any legitimate means of acting, she is said to possess
that by the concession and gift of the rulers of the State. But if in any
State the Church retains her own right, with the approval of the civil
laws, and any agreement is publicly made between the two powers, in
the beginning they cry out that the interests of the Church must be
severed from those of the State, and they do this with the intent that it
may be possible to act against their pledged faith with impunity, and to
have the final decision over everything, all obstacles having been
removed. But when the Church cannot bear that patiently, nor indeed is
able to desert its greatest and most sacred duties, and, above all,
requires that faith be wholly and entirely observed with it, contests
often arise between the sacred and the civil power, of which the result
is commonly that the one who is the weaker yields to the stronger in
human resources. So it is the custom and the wish in this state of public
affairs, which is now affected by many, either to expel the Church
altogether, or to keep it bound and restricted as to its rule. Public acts in
a great measure are framed with