Civil and Political Liberty [pp. 721-735]

THE
CATHOLIC WORLD.
No. 60.-MARCH, 1870.
CIVIL AND POLITICAL LIBERTV.~
THAT evangelical romancer, M. even with many Catholics, the ~res
Merle d'Aubigne', not long since pub- tige of being free nations; and all Calished a discourse having for title, tholic nations are set down as despo~an Calvin, un des Fondateurs des tic, and, owing to the influence of
I~~erte's Alodernes, or "John Calvin, the church~ as deadly hostile to every
one of the Founders of Modern Li- kind of liberty, religious, political,
berty." The discourse, as the Abbe' civil, and individual. Protestantism
Martin says, is of no importance; but and liberty, or Catholicity and desthe title is significant. It claims for potism, is adopted as the formula of
the Genevan reformer the merit of be- the convictions of this enlightened age.
ing one of the founders of liberty in This alleged connection of Protesmodern sod~ty. Mr. Bancroft in his tantism and liberty, and of Catholicity
Thstory of the United Stales does the and despotism, the Abbe' Martin mainsame. A Lutheran might with equal tains, is what gives to Protestant mistruth claim as much for Luther, a sions in old Catholic nations the prinScottish Presbyterian as much for cipal part of their success in unmaking
John Knox, and an Anglican as much Catholics. The Protestant missionafor Henry VIII. and the Virgin Queen ries, seconded by all the liberal jourElizabeth. Nearly all Protestant and nals, proclaim their Protestantism as
anti-Catholic writers assume, as an the liberator of nations, as that which
indisputable maxim, that liberty was emancipates the people from political
born of the Reformation. All your despotism, and the mind from spiriProtestant and liberal journals assert tual thraldom. The great argument
it, and the ignorant multitude believe used in this country against the church
it. ~Vhoever contradicts it is denounc- is her alleged hostility to liberty, and
ed as an ultramontanist, a tool of the the certainty, if she once gained the
clergy, or a Jesuit, and, of course, is ascendency here, she would destroysilenced. Protestant nations enjoy, our free institutions, and reduce the nation to political and spiritual slave * De ~A venir du Protestanlisme et du CatAoii- ry. Such is the allegation; such the:
cisme. Par M. I'Abh~ F. Martin. Paris: Tobra et argument.
lIaton. 1869. 8vo, pp. 6o&
voL. x.-46 - - -