American Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1855-1860, 1855-06-14


the laws thereof, and it was originally in
situted to preserve the purity OF the
church; butambtious ecclesiastics pervert-
ed it by degrees into an engine for increas
ing their own power, aud inflicted it on
the most frivolous pretences. In the an
c:ent church the power of excommunica-
ton was lodged with the clergy, and the
Romish Pont6cal has three kinds: l. The
Minor, incurred by those having any cor
respoudence with an communicated per-
son { 2. The Major, which falls upon
those who disobey the commands of the
Holy See, or refuse 10 submit to certain
points Of discipline, in consequence of
(which they are excluded from the church,
and delivered over 10 the Devil. 8.
Anathena, which, is properly that pro-
nounced by the Pope against hcretical
princes and nations. In former ages, these
Papal fulminations were most terrible
things; but now. we see, as in the case of
the Church of ST, Louis of Buffalo, they
amount 10 mere empty brayado!
In the English Church the causes ofcx.
communicalioniare! contempt Of tho Bish-
ops court, heresy, neglect of public wor-
ship and the sacramenls, &C., &c; but il
the ju'ige OF amy spiritual court-excommu-
nicaie. person, for cause of which he
has moi legal cognizance, the party may
have an action against him at common law,
aud he is also liable 10 be indicted at the
suit Of the King, a.e .ea..
Recommendation in tho Church ol
Scotland consists only of exclusion of pro-
fame aud immoral, persons, and those who
neglect the sacraments, but it is seldom
publicly denounced, and is attended will
no civil incapacity whatever. The ex
{ clusiOn of person from any Christian
5 Church, unlike that exclusion from tn
: Papal Church, in Europe, 10 the Older
It time and perhapsnow, does not AFFECT bi
# temporal estate and civil affairs; it doe
not subject him to fines or Imprisonment;
r. interferes not with The jurisdiction of tn
5 civil magistrate; it makes no change in tb
;. natural and civil relations between hus
a bands and wives, parents and children
,e masters and servants. nor does it depriv
j. man of liberty to attend divine worship
Between States, both ancient and modern
10 there have been treaties with the Pontilf,
m which are called Concordats, or agree
lie ments, which modify for purposes of pol
,e cy, bu; do not absolutely annul tho ger
h. cral discipline of tho Papal Church. Thel
q. is an existing Concordat between the P'
n pacy and Germany, and also France; b
al which more freedom is enjoyed by CathC
ms lies in those countries, than church men
nc beTs elsewhere are allowed, and this az
s- counts for the difference of character b
Id tween German, and Irish Catholics;
,e great in fact, is this difference in Franc
IT, that the church in that country is cale'
t. not the Roman, but the Gallican Churc
in Hence the independent relations of II
n. German and French Catholics to the
ls clergy, in the matter of Iemporalities.
d. The liberties Of the French Church we
h. first established by the Pragmatic SAM
he lions Of St. Louis, A. d. 1868, An
Charles VII, A. D. 1439 In A.
he 1916, concordat between Francis I. an
as Pope Leo X. divided the privileges Of Il
.al church between them, Francis assumir
b. the nomination of the bishops; tho f
he tales Of Orleans, however. restored the
he election 10 the Chapters in A. D. l5t
by The Pragmalc sapciions were still co
m. sidcred the basis of ecclesiastical law
nd France, down to the Revolution.
he In 1909. Pope Plus VII and Bonapal
rec negotiated u concordat, on which occasic
III lhe Ponilf recognised the new division
ice France into sees, the payment of the cl'
gy from the national revenues. and the q
lif. poiutment of tho bishops by tho ciuH {
the lhority. The German Catholics in
is United States lean, in their discipline,
I'D. the Gallican Church, while the IT
en- Church ia ulriamontane, or Italian
r. is most stringent known TO the papal eccl'
,t asticsl organization.
be The victory fthe Church Of St. Lo
soil at Buffalo, and the passage Of tho "Chul
EN-. Tenure bill" by the Legislature Of N
the York. will, il is to be hoped, produce
met most salutary influence throughout
fed Union; nevertheless it need not be expt
eri. ed that tho papal hierarchy will cease ii
hu- efforts to accumulate temporal wealth
ar. power in their hands. Americans sho
rs Of never forget. that Eternal vigilance ia
alh- price of freedom. - Gin Times.