Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-01-22

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT dogma OF tne NaucaIl, III my
present letter would attempt to unfold the conse-
ouences that necessarily result from this decision.
These suspect are far more numerous, and, IN
their effects, more suicidal than Pho Mono or his
advisers appear to be aware OF OF TO anticipate.
This dogma has now ceased to be what II was held
by many to be heretoiore-a mere "plous opinion"
II is now an article OF faith vital and essential, and
as binding on Roman Catholic as the doctrine OF
transubstantiation, Purgatory, or any other ar
ticle in the twenty-four dogmas OF the creed Oh
Plus Nv.
4 do not dwell on the fact that this doctrine con-
tradicts thclainest texts Of Scripture. This might
give the subject direction 1t is not necessary or,
in present circumstances expedient to pursue. I'm
happily, in the DEGREES of the Vatican the sacred
volume is a very unwecome intruder, and when IL
forces attention TO its contents, If not summarily
elected, Il is tolerated by preteriton worse than
insult. What wish to point out is, that by this
decision the second article of the creed of Plus Nv.
soemnly subscribed and sworn to by DIR. Newman,
Archdeacon Manning, and by DIR. Wiseman also,
viz: " / will never take and interpret the Scrip
lures, unless according to the unanimous consent
of the Fathers"-is rendered null and void
Either the Vatican must repeal an article of its
creed enforced and subscribed for 300 years, tout
of which, it adds, none can be saved" or it must
admit that in decreeing the Immaculate Concep-
ton nfallibiity has been outwtted by the Jesuits
and precipitated into fatal blunder. Before
showing the truth of this statement, beg to pre-
face the few corroborative extracts can here adj
duce by the admission of two of the most learned
divines of the Romsh Church, whose testimony
cannot be mpeached Melchior Canus, bishop
of great learning says; Sancti omnes qui in ejus
mentionem incidere uno ore asseverarunt beatam
Virginem in preccato original conceptam." Loci
Com, VII, chap. l, page S4S, edition 1905. ("All
the holy fathers who have alluded to it have de-
clared unanimously that the blessed Virgin was
conceived In original sin.
The Dublin Review in an article supposed to be
cardinatial does not hesitate to state Petavius,
no mean judge assures us that all the Fathers were
ignorant Of, not to say denied this doctrine" But
as we have access to the Fathers ALSO let US adduce
few brief extracts which will not only startle the
Romish Church, by suggesting the imminent inse
curity of one article of faith by the introduction Of
another and new one, but will also prove that
the cage containing the happy united family at
Charing Cross, where external coercion takes the
place Of internal cohesion, is faint type of a
church where unity is an entire stranger and exile
and uniformity is superinduced by ecclesiastical
restraint and domination only.
The Fathers frequently refer to Mary in terms
which show that they did not and could not regard
her as immaculate in her conception, seeing they
describe her as not immaculate in her conduct, for
snless nature must have snless life. Iren@us
says, The Lord repealed her untimely hurrying"
at Cana of Galilee.
Tertullian says, on the text: "Thy mother and
thy brethren stand without desiring to speak with
thee -" Christ with reason, felt indignant that,
while strangers ntently bent on his discourse,
persons so nearly related to him should stand
without seeking to call him away from his solemn
work"
orgen is very decided :" If Mary did not feel
offence at our Lords sufferings, Jesus did not die
for her sins. But if all have come short of the
(snI
ed surely Mary, too, was offended. This is what
Simeon prophecies: Through thy own soul shall
the sword of unbelief pierce, and thou shalt be
struck with the sharp point Of doubt"
Epiphanus writes "The birth of Mary was, in
the ordinary course of nature not in any way diff
ierent from ordinary mortals."
The Benedctines blame Basil the Great because
she not very beautifully thinks that Mary wavcred
at the time of the passion"
The illustrious Chrysostom, commenting on the
marriage feast of Cana, writes:
"What Mary then undertook was the effect of
excessive ambition, for she desired to show TO the
people that she commanded and controlled her
son. See the foolish arrogance both of herself and
them" &c.
st. Augustine speaks of Mary as conceived in
sin, and says
"She was more blessed by receiving the faith Of
Christ than by conceiving the flesh of Christ"
The great St. Bernard, who is numbered with
the Fathers notwithstanding the centuries that sep
arated him from Augustine and Chrysostom aud
Jerome is perhaps the most determined opponent
of the Immaculate Conception that we can appeal
to. The argument in late powerful article in the
Times is substantially that of st. Bernard His
words are 50 pithy, that / venture to quote them
in the original
"But, what IL another for the very same reason
assert that festal honors should be given TO both
her parents? But any one may demand the same
thing for the reason, for her grandfather and
forcfhthers Unless one affirm
that she was conceived of the Holy Spirit and not
of man--but that has hitherto been unheard Of
In fine, assert that the Holy Spirit came into her,
not came with her."
ST. Liguori, Dr. Wiseman's beloved saint and
model, evidently annoyed at the conclusive reason
ing of st. Bernard, very devoutly observes: "Werc
st. Bernard living in our times he would certainly
write otherwise than he has written
/ need not the testimonies OF the learned Sarpi,
or the angelic Thomas, or even Bellarmine, who is
now, suppose, hereto for what looks like his
disbelief of the immaculate conception. He, at
least, asserts that Mary sinned in ADAM
The Dominicans are already up in arms against
the decision which the Pope has now given in favor
Of their ancient enemies and rivals-the Francis
cans; and with great zeal they fling ST. Thomas
Aquinas in the face Of Pic Nono-logcally destruc-
tive, but pontifcally useless. Causd tindta Ell,
Roma tocia0. Inc ArchDshop oil Florence has
also his hands full, in defending the Pope, and dis
ciplinng his refractory monks, who have no faith
in the new dogma.
This novelty decreed by Pho Mono as an essen
tal article of faith reject which alone is heresy
has fallen like bombshel among fathers and doc
tors, and has finally and infbly cut off the church
Of Rome from the church Of the Apostles, and Of
the first five centuries Of the Christian era. II has
also proved triumphantly that article Of faith
there is no unity in his communou-that what was
heresy In the days Of Barnard is orthodoxy in the
pontfcate Of Plus TX, and that IL this doctrine be
vital article OF the Christian faith the sleepy
headed church Of Rome has been nearly 800 years
in discovering n. This last dogmatic conclusion
Of the Vatican may, nevertheless, lead TO impor.
tant results. II may at length teach the admirers
of the Papacy that Il has no definite creed that its
doctrines accumulate with its years, that it is
either inspired or insane, that IL may one day in
its progressive developments arrive at the concu-
sion that " God is great, and Mabomet is his Pro-
phet.n
When Father Ignatius did me the honor to call
upon me in order 70 give me his kind advice and