Page:SermonsFromTheLatins.djvu/591

 seventy times  has  the  State  wrung  from  the  .Church her little  temporal  dominion  necessary  for  the  right exercise of  her  spiritual  authority. Forty-five Popes have been  either  driven  out  or  kept  out  of  Rome. Hildebrand and  the  three  Popes,  Pius  VI.,  VII.,  and IX., languished  for  years  in  exile;  -and  behold  our own Leo  of  to-day  robbed  of  his  states  and  city,  a prisoner  in  his  last  and  only  possession,  his  house;  his priests and  churches  despoiled,  his  monasteries thrown down  and  their  inmates  cast  out  into  the world, nay,  his  very  life  in  danger — and  all  this  from a beggarly  government  that  has  beggared  itself  in paying  its  minions  for  crying  "Down  with  Catholicity! Death  to  the  Pope!  "  There  is  the  past  record of Church  and  State — the  Church,  the  highest  power on earth;  the  State,  which  is  but  her  lowly  auxiliary. The Church,  next  to  God,  mankind's  greatest friend; the  State  a  perpetual  dog  in  the  manger, frustrating duties  it  was  itself  incapable  of. The State claiming  all  for  Caesar;  but  the  Church  mildly but firmly  proclaiming  the  law  of  equity:  "Thou shalt  render  to  Caesar  the  things  that  are  Caesar's  and to  God  and  God's  Church  the  things  that  are  God's."

Brethren, the  question  comes  home  very  close  to us. If a  member  of  the  A.P.A.,  or  one  of  our  music-hall  brethren,  were  asked  America's  greatest enemy to-day,  he  would  answer:  "The  Catholic Church." And you  know,  if  a  fool  only  repeats  his folly long  enough  and  loud  enough,  wiseacres  will  begin to  believe  him. Well, then,  where  did  the  Catholic Church  ever  teach  to  give  to  God  the  things  that