Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1867-02-06


versally celebrated, have at all times been
much frequented by both sexes of every
class, who mount the steps on their knees.
To engage more particularly Christians
to accomplish this act of devotion, so pre-.
cious and useful to the soul of the aevout,
S. Leo the lV towards the yesr $50, and
Pascal the ii by his Bull of the 9th Au.
gust, 100 first year of his election (the
Original Bull is conserved in the Archieve
of the Basilic of S. John of I.ateran)
granted 9 years of Indulgence for each Of
% steps of the foresaid Holy Stairs, once
of the Pretor's house of Pontius Pilats
when it will be mounted on the knee, with
contrite heart, praying or meditating or
the Passion of Our Lord Jeaus Christ.
Plus VII by Decree of the Holy Con
gregation of Indulgence, but perpetually
ant declared that it may be applied alsc
to the souls iu purgatory.
ROMA, l866-with aror0bation,'
Penitents are allowed to ascend only or
their knees, and yet so many have ascend
ed that the marble slabs, centuries ago,
were nearly worn away, and to save them
oak plank were placed above the marble.
Let US stand at the bottom and be spec.
tators Of these acts of devotion. A peas.
ant enters, falls upon his knees, touches
his brow to the first step, kisses it takes a
string Of beads from his pocket, counts
them one by one, crawls upon the second
step, repeats the process, ascends the third
and SO on to the top. Following him are
four boys in their teens, who have no
beeds but who kiss the steps and touch
them with their foreheads. Instead Of
saying a prayer, the boy belSind gives the
one in front punch in the ribs to have
him go faster. and then all look round
with broad grin on their faces to sec
what we think of that part of the per.
formance. We are to remember that this
devotional exercise is approved by the
church in the year of our Lord. 1866. =.
have not taken you to these steps from
any motive Of idle curiosity, nor that
am credulous concerning the tradition o
the church but because midway up thos'
stairs is one of the greatest standpoints o
history. About $50 years ago, the exac
date cannot recall, monk, anxious 70
the salvation of his soul made pilgrim
age from Germany to Rome to asccnt
these stairs. He was poor, young mai
penitent and humble, anxious to avil him
self of the benefits accorded to all such b,
Pope Leo " and Pascal II. We see tn
yonng friar, Martin Luther, going slowl,
up, praying not mere form of words, bu
with the heart. Suddenly he stops.
voice has spoken to him-a voice no
heard by his fellow Pilgrims still
small voice saying, "the just shall live b,
faith" He read those words months be
fore in a book which was chained to
pillar in the Convent of Erfurt, in Ger
many, but now. for the first time, he com
prehends their meaning. Ae springs t
his feet, turns around, and with him turn
the world He descends the steps an,
departs from Rome. Then comes the Rel
ormation. Midway those steps is tn
turning poing of modern history. Their
you may lay the foundation stone of tn
Temple of Liberty, or freedom of thought
of action. of the body, of the soul. From
that spot VIC may trace all the lines 0
human progress for three hundred an,
fifty years-the rise of nations the ad
yancement of civilization, the progress 0
Christianity. Here began the decadenc
Of Papal authority. lnfallability and Ec
clesiastical rule over the hearts, con
siences, bodies and souls of men. The de
cadence has gone on rotting, pillar an,
prop, one by one, till the whole system
seems ready to crumble to pieces.
you want to have an uplifting of tn
soul otand by those steps-not becaus
Tradition says they came from Jerusalem
but because here those six words wer
whispered BY the One Unseen to the hear
Of poor monk. who under that unsee
power reversed the poles of the mora
realm and set the world spinning in th
direction of Liberty, Civilization an
Christianity. CARLETON.
Who CoNMlTTED THAT Mupnpp 90