The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-01-22

return from Rome, where he has been engaged,
n conjunction with the cardinals in determi-
ming whether or no the aciy Virgin was cen
ceived in original sin. The world ia already
acquainted with the result of the prelates la
bors. Catholics are hereafter required to be-
lieve that Mary, the mother Of God, was
conceived immaculate, or free from that
stain which ell men have Inherited from the
fall of Adam; and that being, sinless, she,
alone OF her species, required no atoaement
This dogma was unknown to many if1ot most
Of the fathers as will be seen on resarence to
the letter from DR.. Cumming which is publish
ed elsewhere But this apparent violation of
the law of papal infsllibility can be readily ex-
planned to practical minds. At the time ORR
gen and Saint Augustin wrete, the vast import
ance of the female element in the new Chris
tan mythology was but imperfectly under
stood. The great men who undertook to ex-
pound Christianity to the heather world, and
to strengthen the neophytes in their new creed,
embraced no more of their subject tina seemed
to them needful for their purpose They ex-
planned certain obscure doctrines, and placed
in bold relief many points in which the supe-
riority Of Christianity over pagaAism was OBJ
vious but they did not themselves realize the
transcendent efficacy Of the Virgin as type;
or even feel tempted to commit the mistake
of laying stress upon an argument which could
not have been appreciated by the rude masses
of that day. Woman, in the earlier ages of
Christianity, was only slowly emerging from
her former degraded position; centuries passed
before men saw how much the world was in
debted to the beautiful ideal of female purity
presented in the Christian Virgin. Hence the
silence and seeming contradiction of the fathers
on the subject Of the immaculate conception;
state of things which it was most polite to ter
inmate as soon as the service rendered to hu-
manity by the Virgin could be discerned by
mankind, and whenever the church needed ex-
traneous help. These two conditions concur at
the present time. Learning is SO common that
almost every one can compare for himself the
Pagan females with those of our day; and at
the same time, the decline of the Papal church
is no longer disguised by any but it's most
fanatic and injudicious adherents. This, then, is
the time to unfold to the Christian world the
typical doctrine of the immaculate conception;
and true to its Evolutionary sagacity, the
Church of Rome unfolds it accordingly.
1t were perhaps presuming too far on the
progress of federation to call upon Protes-
tants to admire or rejoice at the act. Yet
they would do we'll to remember that the Protes-
tant Church owes full much as that of Rome
to the influence of the Virgin, pure and unde-
filed; and that Martin Luther himself might
have argued and preached till doomsday with
| out making o convert had the Papal hierarchy
and their subordinates never played false to
the standard Of simplicity and purity of which
will concur in regarding the Papal decree as
an event of no ordinary magnitude. Under
the circumstances, it would not seem amiss that
they should testify in some public manner their
sense of appreciation Of the judcious efforts
which the Pontiff has just made to stay the
ruin of the Church. They could do 80 appro-
priately on the occasion Of Archbishop Hughes
return, either by inviting him to some public
festival, or by offering him public reception,
on scale commensurate with the Importance
OF the business on which he has been engaged.
| A demonstration of the kind would afford a
fitting opportunity for some agitation Of
another subject Of scarcely less import than
the conception Of the Virgin. We allude to the
tenure of the church property in this State.
Except at Buffalo, all the property--churches,
burial grounds, parsonages, &C., &c.-belonging
to the Roman Catholic Church in this archiepis
copal diocese, is vested in John Hughes, and held
in his name, as simply and naturally as house
which he might buy for himself or his nephew.
Not less than twenty five millions worth of
real estate has thus been handed over by the
Trustees to the Archbishop within the last few
| years. To secure the rights Of the church, the
Archbishop has made three wills, which are
deposited in different places, bequeatSing this
vast estate to his successor These three bits of
paper are the only security which the Catholics
of New York have for their twenty-five millions
worth of property If the three wills were de-
stroy ed-and such thing however unlikely
is quite possble-the personal heirs Of John
Hughes might give the churches good deal
Of trouble, even If they did not establish
claim to the real estate. II John Hughes chose
to make fourth and last viii devisng the pro-
pcrty to some one else, we should fancy a
shrewd lawyer might make something of it in
the shape of litigation. If the present Arch
bishop were succeeded by a man of less per-
sonal integrity scoundrels bavc been bishops be-
| fore this--what confusion might be not create
In short, this plan, whereby the property OF the
church is vested in the Archbishop, is one of
those arrangements which require the fortunate
issue of every fortuitous circumstance to en-
sure its success. If the Archbishop is an ho-
nest MIN who keeps his wits to the last, aud
has no rogues about him and ii the places
where the Wills are deposited are not burnt or