Yesterday, 08:33 AM
XIX. Protestantism and Revolution.
— All Protestantism is of itself revolutionist. I do not say "all Protestants," but "all Protestantism," for I know very well that man is not always so consistent as to make his actions harmonize with his belief. Often he is worth more for what he does than for what he thinks. As we unfortunately meet mad revolutionists among Catholics, so we do meet Protestants who are sincere lovers of order. But here we do not deal with Protestants, but with Protestantism, and I say it again — all Protestantism is revolutionist.
Whilst Catholicity is a submission of heart and mind to the authority of the Church, Protestantism is the negation of all authority in matters of religion.
Now, if we once admit the principle that man should not acknowledge any religious authority, is it not a simple, natural, and logical inference that he is no more bound to acknowledge a political or civil authority?
"Why should not those who have refused obedience to the Church, refuse also obedience to the State? Protestantism — that is, the rebellion against religious authority — contains in its bowels the seed of rebellion against all political authority.
"The history of Protestantism gives a most luminous proof of this truth. Wherever it was proclaimed, its first appeal to Christians to revolt against the Pope was immediately succeeded by an appeal to the nations to rebel against their sovereigns. The very tongues of the leaders of the Reformation, who uttered these atrocious blasphemies against the Head of the Church, belched forth afterward the bloodiest insults against the heads of the State. For such geniuses of disorder, whilst the Sovereign Pontiff was only a tyrant, princes were monsters, and the religious wars, which in those wretched days covered with blood the fields of Germany, England, and France, were not, after all, but wars of revolution.*
"Since then, Protestantism has ever sympathized with rebellions, and every rebellion has given to Protestantism its most unequivocal testimony of sympathy. Protestantism has ever been radically revolutionist, as every rebellion has essentially been Protestant.
"The spirit of rebellion, which, within a few years past, has convulsed certain Catholic countries, was begotten in the bosom of Protestant peoples. It is since the Reformation has failed to upset the altar, that thrones have been shaken to their foundation. The revolution of Catholic France was only a bloody repetition of the revolution of Protestant England. English Protestantism can alone claim the glory — a sad glory — of having introduced into Christian Europe the pagan fashion of assassinating kings juridically."†
Having this common origin, Protestantism and revolution meet together in one mass. Honest Protestants, it is true, repel such an union, which frightens them. Yet it is accomplished by a sort of fatality, such as influenced the principle of the Reformation, and the most outspoken organs of socialism proclaim it most loudly.
Quinet writes: "I address myself to all beliefs, to all religions, who have fought Rome: they all are, whether they will it or not, on our side; for, after all, their existence is as irreconcilable as ours with the rule of Rome."
Louis Blanc says: "Every religious Luther necessarily avers a Luther political."
Mazzini, Garibaldi, and those other adventurers, who some years ago held under an ignoble yoke the capital of the Christian world, found no better means to give root to, and make a social revolution thrive in Italy, than by introducing Protestantism. Thousands of falsified, spurious Bibles were distributed in Rome, and a project was on foot to give to Protestants the Church of the Pantheon, in the very heart of Rome. In 1850 Garibaldi said to the Protestant minister Pozzi, while entrusting the education of his son to him: "The Bible is the cannon that will open Italy to us."
However, the shameless publications of modern revolutionists are open to the inspection of Protestants as they are to us. Let them examine them. With a unanimous voice the revolutionists applaud Protestantism, the religious form of revolution.
It is a fact well worth the study of serious men; it is a fact undeniable and public. Such as are indifferent to the sacred interest of faith should feel some anxiety about the dangers which threaten the domestic hearth.
"Socialism is only a Protestantism against society, as Protestantism is socialism against the Church."‡
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* Letter to "Le National Belge," in November, 1856.
† Sermons preached at the Tuileries, before the Emperor, in 1857, by Fr. Ventura. 4th sermon.
‡ Aug. Nicolas' "Du Protestantisme et de toutes les Hérésies dans leur rapport avec le Socialisme." It is a remarkable work and it cannot be recommended highly enough to those who wish to probe deeply the questions and truths at which we...
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*(Other footnotes from the original page
*
† Whilst we are translating this page, there is laid before us the account of sects existing this year, 1867, in London, and it sums to ninety-five, with an et cetera: among the rest that of "Countess of Huntington's Connection"!
* Our American readers are greatly mistaken, if they believe for one moment that the present wars in Italy are actually waged for the sake of liberty.
— All Protestantism is of itself revolutionist. I do not say "all Protestants," but "all Protestantism," for I know very well that man is not always so consistent as to make his actions harmonize with his belief. Often he is worth more for what he does than for what he thinks. As we unfortunately meet mad revolutionists among Catholics, so we do meet Protestants who are sincere lovers of order. But here we do not deal with Protestants, but with Protestantism, and I say it again — all Protestantism is revolutionist.
Whilst Catholicity is a submission of heart and mind to the authority of the Church, Protestantism is the negation of all authority in matters of religion.
Now, if we once admit the principle that man should not acknowledge any religious authority, is it not a simple, natural, and logical inference that he is no more bound to acknowledge a political or civil authority?
"Why should not those who have refused obedience to the Church, refuse also obedience to the State? Protestantism — that is, the rebellion against religious authority — contains in its bowels the seed of rebellion against all political authority.
"The history of Protestantism gives a most luminous proof of this truth. Wherever it was proclaimed, its first appeal to Christians to revolt against the Pope was immediately succeeded by an appeal to the nations to rebel against their sovereigns. The very tongues of the leaders of the Reformation, who uttered these atrocious blasphemies against the Head of the Church, belched forth afterward the bloodiest insults against the heads of the State. For such geniuses of disorder, whilst the Sovereign Pontiff was only a tyrant, princes were monsters, and the religious wars, which in those wretched days covered with blood the fields of Germany, England, and France, were not, after all, but wars of revolution.*
"Since then, Protestantism has ever sympathized with rebellions, and every rebellion has given to Protestantism its most unequivocal testimony of sympathy. Protestantism has ever been radically revolutionist, as every rebellion has essentially been Protestant.
"The spirit of rebellion, which, within a few years past, has convulsed certain Catholic countries, was begotten in the bosom of Protestant peoples. It is since the Reformation has failed to upset the altar, that thrones have been shaken to their foundation. The revolution of Catholic France was only a bloody repetition of the revolution of Protestant England. English Protestantism can alone claim the glory — a sad glory — of having introduced into Christian Europe the pagan fashion of assassinating kings juridically."†
Having this common origin, Protestantism and revolution meet together in one mass. Honest Protestants, it is true, repel such an union, which frightens them. Yet it is accomplished by a sort of fatality, such as influenced the principle of the Reformation, and the most outspoken organs of socialism proclaim it most loudly.
Quinet writes: "I address myself to all beliefs, to all religions, who have fought Rome: they all are, whether they will it or not, on our side; for, after all, their existence is as irreconcilable as ours with the rule of Rome."
Louis Blanc says: "Every religious Luther necessarily avers a Luther political."
Mazzini, Garibaldi, and those other adventurers, who some years ago held under an ignoble yoke the capital of the Christian world, found no better means to give root to, and make a social revolution thrive in Italy, than by introducing Protestantism. Thousands of falsified, spurious Bibles were distributed in Rome, and a project was on foot to give to Protestants the Church of the Pantheon, in the very heart of Rome. In 1850 Garibaldi said to the Protestant minister Pozzi, while entrusting the education of his son to him: "The Bible is the cannon that will open Italy to us."
However, the shameless publications of modern revolutionists are open to the inspection of Protestants as they are to us. Let them examine them. With a unanimous voice the revolutionists applaud Protestantism, the religious form of revolution.
It is a fact well worth the study of serious men; it is a fact undeniable and public. Such as are indifferent to the sacred interest of faith should feel some anxiety about the dangers which threaten the domestic hearth.
"Socialism is only a Protestantism against society, as Protestantism is socialism against the Church."‡
---
* Letter to "Le National Belge," in November, 1856.
† Sermons preached at the Tuileries, before the Emperor, in 1857, by Fr. Ventura. 4th sermon.
‡ Aug. Nicolas' "Du Protestantisme et de toutes les Hérésies dans leur rapport avec le Socialisme." It is a remarkable work and it cannot be recommended highly enough to those who wish to probe deeply the questions and truths at which we...
---
*(Other footnotes from the original page
*† Whilst we are translating this page, there is laid before us the account of sects existing this year, 1867, in London, and it sums to ninety-five, with an et cetera: among the rest that of "Countess of Huntington's Connection"!
* Our American readers are greatly mistaken, if they believe for one moment that the present wars in Italy are actually waged for the sake of liberty.
"So let us be confident, let us not be unprepared, let us not be outflanked, let us be wise, vigilant, fighting against those who are trying to tear the faith out of our souls and morality out of our hearts, so that we may remain Catholics, remain united to the Blessed Virgin Mary, remain united to the Roman Catholic Church, remain faithful children of the Church."- Abp. Lefebvre