The Sun.
London, England, 1868-07-07 00:00:00

PRICE.... ....... 4d.
STAMPED .51.

Church, to heal the soul 3 of the Lord's flock, and
o repel the assaults and fatal attempts of those

who strive to uproot from their foanda ion, if that
were possible, both the Church and civil society.
And truly, by the help of God, from the commence-

,nent of our Pontificate, we, conscious of our
solemn obligation, have never ceased to raise our
voice in our consistoral albcations and Apostolic
letters, and to defeni constantly by every effort
the cause of Col and his Holy Church, confided
unto us by the Lord Christ, to uphold the rights
of t'lis Apostolic See, and of justice and truth,

and to unmask the insidious devices of _ its

enemies, to condemn errors and false doctrines,

to prescribe impiou3 sects, awl to watch over and
provide for the salvation of all the Lord's flock.
And following the practice of our illustrious
predecessors, we have deeme 1 it opportune to
assemble a general council, which we have already
long desired, of all our venerable brethren, the

bishops of the whole Catholic world, who are
now called to take part in our solicitude. These
our venerable brethren, prompted by the warmest
love for the Catholic Church, and remarkable for

eminent piety and for reverence towards us and
this Apostolic See, and anxious also for the salva-
tion of souls, and excellent in wisdom, in doctrine,
and erudition, and greatly lamenting with us the
grie ions condition of sacred and profane things,
they will hold nothing more precious than to com-

municate to us their judgment, and to confer with
us in order to provide salutary remedies for so many
calamities.

" All these things have to be most carefully
examined and regulated in this (Ecumenical Coun-
cil, more particularly with regard to all that in
these evil times concerns the greater glory of God,
the integrity of the faith, the respect for Divine
worship, and the eternal salvation of men, the
discipline of the orders of the clergy, and their
solid and salutary training, the observance of eccle-
siastical laws, the amelioration of manners, the
education of Christian youth, and the peace and
concord of all. And further, the Council
must seek by anxious study that by the help
of God all ills may be removed from civil

society, that erring wanderers may be led back into
the right way of truth, and that vice and error may
be eliminated, our august religion and her salutary
doctrine may everywhere be quickened by fresh
life, and may still further extend their influence,
and thus piety, honesty, probity, jastice, cha-
rity, and all the Ciiristiau virtues, may gather
strength and flourish to the great benefit of human
society. None can ever deny that the strength of

the Ca Clore Church and her doctrine does not alone
regard the eternal sa'vation of awn, but is essential
also to the temporal welfare of peopl2s, and to their
real prosperity, order, and tranquillity, and even to
the p 'ogress and solidity of human science, as the
annals of sacred and profane -hi,tory clearly prove
by a serLs of splendid facts wad still con.,tautly de-
monstrates.

" And since Christ the Lord so greatly consoles

and comforts us with those words, " For when two
or thr.e are gathered together iu my name there I
am in the midst of them," we cannot doubt that,
in the abundance of His divine mercy, He would

vouchsafe to be present at this council, in which
we shall be able to
.establish those things that in

any way regard the welfare of His Holy Church.
"Therefore, after most fervent prayer offered up
day and night in the humility of our heart to God
the Father of light, we have judged it to be expe-
dient that this council should be assembled. For
this cause, strong in the authority of God the
Father Almighty, the Son, and the 11.)ly Ghost,
and of the Holy Apostles, Peter and Paul, which
authority we represent on earth, we, with the
council and consent of our venerable brethren the
Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church, by these
present letters announce, convoke, and ordain the
sacred Cammenicll and General Courted to be
holden in that our City of Rome in the coming
year, 18G9, in the Vatican Basilica, commencing
upon the Bth of December, sacred to the immaculate
conceptioi of the Virgin Mary, and to be prose-
cuted and conducted to its termination by the help
of God, to his glory, and to the salvation of all
Christian peoples.
"We therefore desire and command that our
venerable brethren, the patriarchs, archbishops,
bishops, as also our beloved sons, the abbots, and
all others who, by right or privilege, are entitled to
sit in general councils and to manifest their opinions
to the same, should from all parts repair to
this (Ecumenical Council, convoked by us
and to this effect we invite, exhort, and admonish
them both in virtue of the oath they have taken to
us and this Holy Sae, and of holy obedience, and
under the penalties by law or custom decreed
against those who fail to appear at the councils.
We rigorously ordain and prescribe that they shall
be bound to attend this sacred council unless with-
held by some just impediment, which, however,
must in all cases be proved to the Synod by the in-
termediary of legitimate proxies.
" We cherish the hope that God, in whose hands
are the hearts of men, showing: himself favourable

to our desire, may grant that, by His ineffable
mercy and grace, all the supreme princes and go-
vernors, more especially Catholic, of all nations,
growing daily more conscious of the immense bene-
fits which human society derives from the Catholic
Church, and knowing that the Church is the most
stable foundation of empires and kingdoms, not only
will not impede our venerable brethren the bishops
and others from attending this council, but will
rather aid and favour this object, and co-operate
zealously, as becomes Catholic princes, in all that
may result to the greater glory of God and the
benefit of this council.
"To the end that these our letters and the
things therein contained may come to the know-
ledge of all whom it may concern, and that
no person may be able to plead ignorance
of the same, and as, possibly, they might not
securely reach all those to whom they may be per.
sonally addressed, we desire and command that the
present letters be read publicly and audibly by the
messengers of our Curia or some public notary in
Lateran, Vatican, and Liberian Basilicas. After
having been read, they shall be affixed to the doors
of the said churches. the gates of the Apostolic
Chancery, in the usual place in the Campo di Fiori,
and in other public places, where they will remain
for some time, for the information of all. When
the originals shall be removed they will be replaced
by copies iu the same places. In view of such lec-
tures, publication, and exhibition, we ordain that,
two months from the date of publication and post-
ing of our letters, all and each of those whom they
may concern will be bound thereby equally as if
they had been read and commueicated to them per-
sonally. We.further order and decree that copies
of these letters, written or signed by a public
notary, and bearing the seal of some ecclesiastical
dignitary, may be accepted as perfectly authentic.
" No man will be at liberty to oppose or rashly
contravene this our indiction, announcement, con-
vocation, statute,, decree, command, precept, and
invitation. And if any shall presume to attempt
this, let him know that he will incur the wrath of
lAlmighty God, and of his blessed Apostles Peter
and Paul.

" Given at Rome, at St. Peter, in the year of
the Incarnation of our Lord, 1868, on the
29th June, in the 23d year of our Ponti-
ficate.
" i Plus, Bishop of the Catholic Church."
L s
(llere follow the signatures of the Cardinals.)

* St. Matthew, chap. xviii. ver. 20.

The newspapers are teeming with references to econo-
my in tea by co-operation. Horni nan and Co. have for 30
years co- operated through Agents to supply tea on more
advantageous terms tha❑ by the ordinary channel; their tea
reaches the consumer in the same pure state as it leaves the
grower: as it is secured in packets.

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