Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1855-01-13

HE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION. The addi-
ton of new dogma to the tenets of the most
numerous of the religious denominations of
Chrstendom is one of the remarkable events
OF the DAY. The Pope has thought fit to col
lect the opinions of the bishops of the Catho-
lie Church on the question Of the immaculate
conception of Mary, the mother of Jesus, and
alarge maj ority Of their voices being in the
affirmative, he has proclaimed, as the doc
trines of the Church, that the blessed Virgin
was conceived without any stain OF original
sin. What was heretofore matter of doubt
and dispute is now to be matter of faith
A dogma which the councils of the Church
hitherto had left open to question; which
was not regarded as settled by the Scriptures,
or the fathers, or tradition, is now inserted in
the Catholic creed, and all who do not accept
1t are to be considered as heretics. OF the
bishops OF the Latin Church thirty-two only
gave their voices against the proceeding as un.
seasonable, and four objected to adopting a
tenet OF religion without holding a General
Council, i'll which 1t could be first discussed.
All Rome is represented as rejoicing that the
list OF incontroyertble points of doctrine las
received this important addition.
Ofcourse, this declaration fthe sinlessness
of the Virgin from the beginning of her exis.
tence is not without regard to its bearing
upon the doctrines and practices of the church
which adopts 1t. To the alteration of the Son it
is not III any manner necessary, or even auxil-
lary. The character ascrbed to him by that
church, as one Of the persons of the Godhead
is too exalted to admit of any addition Of emf
nence OF honor, or purity or sanctitv.
The Latin Church, however, prescribes the
worship OF the Virgin, and any view of her
character by which it is exalted and brought
nearer to the divine, would, of course. in
crease her claims to reverence, and so
far lessen the difficulty which some of the
faithful might feel in Offering prayers to a
human being. This doctrine of her immacu.
late conception places her Qualification far
above that of any of the saints in the calendar.
1t places her in state Of exemption from all
human trailties, from all liability to sin ard
error throughout the course of her life, and
elevates her to a height of sanctity which no
other OF the children OF men ever occupied,
The new dogma is, therefore, auxiliary to the
alteration of the Virgin. Hencelorth it is not
permitted to any member Of the Latin Church
to admit the possibility of her having fallen
into sin by any procliyity or infrmity inher-
tied from her progenitoIs If any man here
alter shall seek to lessen her claims to the
reverence IN which she is held, by speaking
OF her as liable, by original constitution, TO
the defects OF our common nature, he bias.
phemes and renders himself subject to the
censures of the church. In this manner the
new dogma aids and fortihes the practice of
praying to the Virgin.
Among the prelates who objected that the
doctrine OF the immaculate conception should
not be made tenet of the Latin sChurch
without the Intervention of General Coun.
Gil, the Archbishop of Paris is mentioned.-
The Gallician Church has hitherto shown it.
self somewhat intractable in the relations
which II has maintained nth the Pope, and
from letter from our correspondent at Paris,
1t appears that there is some dissatisfaction
with the late proceeding among the French
Catholics. II would be rash, however, to
predict anything but eventual submission to
the Papal authority in regard to this question.
The tendency to liberalism in the Latin Church
has had its day, for the present, at least, and
now the movement of the religious mind is
III the contrary direction. Docility, obedi-
once, and ready belief, have succeeded the
disposition to inquire into the grounds of the
established creed.--Nep Yoyk Eoeaiaq Post,
LONGEVITY. MIR. Conrad bush, Of Pompey,
Onondaga county, N. Y, died on the 2lst ult.,
at tho advanced age OF 1902.