The Prussian Chamber of Deputies have passed the Bill for
such an alteration of Articles 15 and 18 of the Constitution as will enable the State to persecute all forms of religion it dislikes, by a majority of 245 to 110 votes. The German Catholic Bishops have presented a memorial against the proposed measures to the Prussian Govern- ment, in which they say everything that they might be expected to say of their general loyalty, of their inability to disobey the Church when the State bids them, of the spiritual character of the discipline of the Church and its close relations with the Pope, of the injustice of violating rights so long guaranteed, and of the certainty that the priests will never avail themselves of the right of appeal to the State offered by the new measure, but will "sooner endure the loving chastisement of the Church" than the patronage of the secular power. Of course, this was what the Catholic Bishops were sure to say. However, the State is in earnest and the measure will pass, and then the fidelity of the Catholics will be tested. It may be the State will succeed, as Henry VIII. succeeded, in establishing a State Catholicism,—not resembling Catholicism of any kind for any long period,—at the expense of Rome. But this is hardly an age in which States can rule ideas. If there is much defection, it will be in all probability as much due to Rationalism as to the State. Those who continue to hold sincerely to the Roman Catholic-Creed will hardly desert the Roman Catholic organisation. The -strategy of the Roman Catholics will probably be its old -strategy in all anti-Romanist States,—Apostolic Vicariates instead of bishoprks, and secrecy of worship.
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