THE Reverend Earl Benton, pastor of the Methodist Church of Wilford Springs, took an active interest in the Klan. He made several speeches on Americanism and had publicly stated that he was a member of the Klan. One day when he had called at the office of Charles Wilson to get an insurance policy Patrick McBryan was present.
"Reverend Benton, are you acquainted with Mr. McBryan?" Wilson asked as the minister entered.
"Yes, I know Mr. McBryan. How are you?"
"Very well, Reverend. How are you and the Ku Kluxers?" McBryan asked.
"I am all right and the Klan is getting along fine."
"If you have no objections I'd like to ask you a few questions about this organization."
"None whatever, unless you want to know who the members are. I don't object to telling you that I am a member but farther than that I cannot reveal the membership roll."
"I'd like to know if you think that it is American for the Klan to fight other churches?"
"The Klan does not fight any church nor does it persecute anyone for their religious opinions. Quite the contrary. Members of the Klan are obligated to uphold the Constitution of the United States, not part of the Constitution, but every article and clause. As you know, one of the fundamental principles of Americanism is religious toleration. The first amendment to the Constitution provides that Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. The last clause of the sixth article of the Constitution provides that no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States. The members of the Klan are obligated to support the Constitution of the United States and believe in the principle of religious toleration. If any person or any group should interfere with the Catholics of Wilford Springs meeting in their cathedral to worship God as they please the Klan would be the first to protest against such action."
"You have stated that the Constitution provides that no religious test shall be required for office holding, but the Klan is everywhere opposing Catholics who are candidates and doing all it can to keep them out of office, and yet you say that the Klan supports the Constitution."
The minister smiled. He was amused at the absurd statement of the Irish politician.
"I am afraid," he said, "that you wouldn't have made much of a lawyer. The Constitution says that no religious test shall be required for office holding. That certainly does not mean that one may not vote against a man because of a religious opinion if he so desires. If Congress were to pass a law requiring all office holders to be Baptists, that would be a religious test for office holding."
Wilson, who was a Baptist, reached over and slapped the minister on the leg and laughingly said, "That would be fine."
"Why do you not permit Catholics to join the Klan?"
"I might ask you why the Knights of Columbus do not permit Protestants to join that organization."
"If you did, the answer would be easy. I would tell you that the Knights of Columbus is a Catholic organization," declared McBryan.
"I can frankly say that the Ku Klux Klan is a Protestant organization—but to give you a little more definite information, I will inform you that in order to become a member of the Klan the applicant must be able to declare allegiance to the United States, which many good Catholics can do, and disown any allegiance to any foreign government, prince or potentate, civil or ecclesiastical, which no Catholic can do."
"Do you mean to say that Catholics are not patriotic?" shouted McBryan, springing to his feet.
"Sit down, Mac, and take it easy," said Wilson. "You remember you are just having a friendly discussion, and the preacher is only answering your questions." McBryan resumed his seat.
Reverend Benton continued to speak with the greatest self-control. "I do not say anything of the kind. Many of them have demonstrated that they are patriotic and good citizens, but the fact remains that as Roman Catholics they owe allegiance to the Pope of Rome. Isn't that true?"
"Yes, he is the head of the Roman Catholic Church."
"Do you not believe that it would be better to have your church organization complete in this country and have no foreign allegiance?"
"I would think so if the pope were an ordinary man."
"Mr. McBryan, will you please explain to me in what sense the pope is not an ordinary man?"
"The pope is the vicar of Christ, and as such is infallible."
"How did the pope get to be vicar of Christ?"
"He is the lawful successor of St. Peter."
"I deny that St. Peter was a pope. He never claimed to have any authority of an ecclesiastical nature not possessed by the other apostles. The other apostles did not recognize any such authority vested in him. Paul, in referring to a disagreement with him, said, 'I withstood him to his face.' If there were any power vested in him that was not shared by the other apostles the Bible makes no provision for a successor."
"That's the way you Protestants interpret the Bible, but you are fallible and we have an infallible interpreter."
"If we were to grant for the sake of argument that the pope is the successor of Peter, what makes him infallible?"
"Why, I suppose that God makes him infallible just as he made St. Peter infallible."
"Cardinal Gibbons says that the pope, as successor of St. Peter, by virtue of the promises of Jesus Christ, is preserved from error of judgment when he renders decisions on faith and morals," the minister quoted.
"Isn't the cardinal right?"
"On page 117 of 'The Faith of Our Fathers,' Cardinal Gibbons says, 'The infallibility of the popes does not signify that they are inspired. The apostles were endowed with the gift of inspiration, and we accept their writings as the revered Word of God. No Catholic, on the contrary, claims that the pope is inspired or endowed with Divine revelation properly so called.' Now if they are not inspired I would like to know just how they are infallible in judgment. The experience of humanity goes to show that the human mind is fallible and prone to error and that the election to an office, be it political or ecclesiastical, does not change the nature of his judgments."
"I can't explain it but I believe it." McBryan spoke with positiveness.
"All Roman Catholics believe that the pope is infallible, don't they, McBryan?" asked Wilson.
"Sure they do. They wouldn't be Catholics unless they did."
"For my part," said the minister, "I do not see how any fair-minded man can have any faith in the infallibility of the pope or think that he is the lawful successor of Peter when he considers the history of the popes, especially when he considers their morals and decisions. I never could understand how men could believe this doctrine when one infallible pope reverses the decision of a predecessor who was also infallible."
"You spoke of their morals. What did you mean by that?" Wilson asked.
"I meant that when we consider the immoral acts of some of these men who claimed to be the vicar of Christ, that is, His personal representative on earth, any man whose mind was not stultified by prejudice and superstition would rebel against the doctrine of the pope's being the vicar of Christ."
"Just what immorality do you refer to?" McBryan asked.
"Constantine (also known as St. Paul I) was one of the popes. Stephen IV was elected to supplant him. Stephen put out the eyes of Constantine. This pope also amputated the tongue of the Bishop Theodorus. Formosus, who had been excommunicated as a conspirator for the murder of Pope John, was elected pope in 891. Stephen VII had the dead body of Formosus taken from the grave, clothed in papal habiliments, propped up in a chair and tried before a council. The corpse was found guilty, three fingers were cut off and the body cast into the Tiber. In——"
McBryan jumped to his feet, his face livid with anger. "Them's lies," he shouted, "damnable Protestant lies."
"Sit down, McBryan, and keep still until the Reverend is through and then you can have your say. One speaker at a time, you know, and Reverend Benton has the floor." Wilson rapped on the table and spoke with the authoritative voice of a judg............