CIVIC DUTIES.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXIX, Issue 8, 21 February 1901, Page 29

CIVIC DUTIES.

♦ SERMON BY THE BISHOP OF AUCKLAND.

The Right Rev. Dr. Lenihan preached recently in St. Patrick's Cathedral, Auckland, taking for his text the words, 'Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's.' In the course of his sermon his Lordship said that in 1836 in the House of Lords on the motion of the Duke of Newcastle a report was made of Catholic chapels in England and Wales, and he Btated that Popery was alarmingly on the increase in Great Britain, there being 510 chapels in England. According to the returns of 1899 there are now in Great Britain 1886, not including private chapels. In 1836 the Archbishops and Bishops of Ireland in council assembled made the following declaration : — ' At a time when the spirit of calm inquiry is abroad, and men seem anxious to resign those prejudices through which they view the doctrines of others, the archbishops and bishops avail themselves with pleasure of this dispassionate tone of the public mind to exhibit a simple and correct view of those tenets that are moat frequently misrepresented. If it pleaee the Almighty that the Catholics of Ireland should be doomed to continue in the humble and degraded condition in which they are now placed, they will submit with resignation to the Divine Will. The prelates, however, conceive it a duty, which they owe to themselves as well as to their Protestant fellowsubjects, whose good opinion they value, to endeavor once more to remove the false imputations that have been frequently cast upon the faith and discipline of that Church which is entrusted to their care, that all may be enabled to know with accuracy the genuine principles of those men who are prescribed by law from any participation in the honors, dignities, and emoluments of the State. Established for promoting the happiness of mankind, to which order is essential, the Catholic religion far from interfering with the Constituted Authorities of any 6tate, is reconcilable with every regular form which human governments may assume. Republics as well as monarchies have thriven where it has been professed ; and under its protecting influence any combination of those forms may be secure. Catholics hold that in order to attain salvation it is necessary to belong to the true Church, and that heresy, as a wilful and obstinate opposition to revealed truth, as taught in the Church of Christ, excludes from the kingdom of God. They are not, however, obliged to believe, that all those are wilfully and obstinately attached to error who, having been seduced into it by others, and who have imbibed it from their parents, seek the truth with a cautious solicitude, disposed to embrace it when sufficiently proposed to them, but leaving such persons to the righteous judgment of a merciful God, they feel themselves bound to disoharge towards them as well as towards all mankind, the duties of charity and of Bocial life. The Catholics of Ireland swear that they will be faithful and bear true allegiance to our moat gracious Sovereign ; that they will maintain, support, and defend to the utmost of their power the succession of the Crown in his Majesty's family against any person or persons whatsoever, utterly renouncing and abjuring any obedience or allegiance to any

other person claiming or pretending a right to the Crown of these realms ; that they do not believe that the Pope of Rome or any other foreign potentate, prince, prelate, or state hath or ought to have any temporal or civil jurisdiction, power, superiority, or preeminence directly or indirectly within this realm. They further solemnly, by the presence of God, profess, testify, and declare that they make this declaration and every part thereof in the plain and ordinary sense of the words of the oath — without any evasion, equivocation, or mental reservation whatever, and without any dispensation naewl) tfiuiitod. uj the Pupc, or uiijt authority from the See of Rome, and without thinking that they are, or can be acquitted before God oi mttii, or absolved of this declaration or any part thereof. After this full, explicit, and sworn declaration we are utterly at a loss to conceive on what possible ground we could be justly charged with bearing towards our most gracious Sovereign only a divided allegiance.' In the British Museum A Document is deposited, signed in 1836 by 10 bishops, 10 Catholic peers, nine Catholic baronets, and nearly 100 Catholic gentlemen of great respectability. This is a solemn record of the real principles of the Catholic Faith so frequently misunderstood and misrepresented by the opponents of our Faith. There we can find what it is we do or do not b»lieve. Amongst other points it points out the misconception arising in the minds of non-Catholics of any dividing of our allegiance (or of holding the view of exclusive salvation). The allegiance which Catholics hold to be due and are bound to pay to their Sovereign and to the civil authority of the State is perfect and undivided. They acknowledge in the Sovereign and in constituted authority a supreme civil and temporal authority, totally independent of the spiritual authority of the Pope. They hold themselves bound in conscience to obey the civil government of the realm in all things of a temporal or civil nature, notwithstanding any dispensation or order to the contrary had or to be had from the Pope. Hence we declare that by rendering obedience in spiritual matters to the Pope, Catholics do not withhold their allegiance to the King, and that their allegiance is entire and undivided — the civil power of the State and the spiritual authority of the Catholic Church being absolutely distinct, and being never intended by their Divine Author to interfere or clash with each other. ' Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's ' (Matthew xxii , 21). Yet with what calumnies was He assailed at time of death. He Who came not to abolish the law but fulfil it Respect, obedience, and subjection to those constituted in authority. ' Fear God and honor the King,' says St. Peter. The Right Rev. preacher then proceeded to deal with (1) The rights of a king over us, and (2) What we owe to our king. lv Paralipomenon 1. xxix. 12, said he, we read : Thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and Thou art above all princes, in Thy band is power and might, in Thy hand greatness and the empire of all things, absolute King as Creator and Sovereign Lord. Having found man to His image and likeness He gave him command over all thirgs. Solomon has taid • You, O Lord, have chosen me amongst the sons of my father for king over the people and judge of the children. He calls himself King in as much as he has supreme temporal power given by God to rule his people with equity and justice. The Sacred Scripture in giving Kings honored titles corrpels our respect and veneration. David calls them Gods, for they are bis vicars and images of his power and sovereignly. The first Book of Kings called them Christs or anointed. St. Paul calls them sublime and supreme powers, fourth Book of Kings calls them Fathers. Their rights are legislative power to govern his subjects (ttook of Proverbs). A people without a governor will soon be lost. By his laws the king maintains the balance of justice. 'By Me Kings reign,' says the Scripture, ' and legislators decree just things.' Obey his law?, says St. Peter, to Romans, xiii., not by fear of anger but by obligation of conscience. He who resists authority resists God, These laws are of obligation, immediately they are promulgated and although we, as vassals, have perfect liberty to represent the harshness and injustice of regulations in the meanwhile the decision must be observed. The Duties we owe the sovereign were then briefly dealt with : honor, love obedience, fidelity. The Church (said the Right Rev. preacher) condemns the proposition : It is lawful to kill a tyrant. ' Pray to God for the life of the King Nabuchadonosor, wrote the captive Israelites, that hia days may be as the days of heaven on earth and for ourselves that serving him we may live under his protection and find favor in his eyes.' St. Paul said to Timothy : ' I desire therefore first of all that supplication, prayers, intercessions and thanksgivings be made for all men, for Kings and for all who are in high station that we may lead a quiet and peaceful life in all piety and chastity. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour who will have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.' These are the principal obligations of a subject to his King. To exhort you to comply with this is needless. We are, however, dutiful British subjects recognising the law, patiently, quietly, and loyally (without exuberance), doing our work as good Christian citizens, determined to defend oar rights as free citizens and to uphold the sacred trust of our holy faith and proclaiming fealty to our King Edward VII., whom God long protect.

The gigantic expansion of output is not due merely to the everlasting raising of the M'Cormick standard of excellence higher, higher, and still higher, but to the quick intelligence of the host of farmer buyers who discern that the only profitable machine, the only reliable-at-harvest-time machine is the M'Cormick. — * m *

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