The New Orleans crescent., 1868-10-09

away nom thealhs rails, sxtsnding to q remote
poi1t Of the churdh sat the elsr@y Of the diocese
clad In cassock md all. Before TIE business
proper Of the syno3 coumenced, fursoer suppiics
tons we're offered. The snthem Erdads navinS
been read, the sixty eighth psalm Sdtoum fac
Domino was ehanted and the anthem repestsd
After the recitation Of the prayers Adsunaus
Donatne. and Omnipotens SeapsteTne Deus. the
chanting Of the litsny OF the saints aud other
prayers, the Veni CredforSpirifus was sung Few
sre acquainted with the thrilling beauty Of this
hymn Who have not heard it rendered by such a
choir as il formed from large gathering OF
clergymen il tJlerable voices. Whether 1t Is IN
the beautiful Grseorian melody; or in the equally
there il charm In It that We do not undertake to
describe After its last verse had died sway, the
arcbbisbop read in clear and distinct tones the
solemn address which the pontiacai prescribss for
The object Of this synod, a. stated some time
since in the World. is twofold-the publication Of
the DEGREES of the second Plenary Council of Bal.
timore, and the regeneration OF various diocesan
mstters. The DEGREES of the Council Of Baltimore.
1t s true, have In one sense been Published al
ready. For some time psst they have been
known to us. but In the canonical sense Of publ
cation, a. laws they had not been promulgated
previous to the commencement Of the synod.
After to day they will possess, for Roman Catho'
and In the church. They are not contained In
large volume Published under the supervision OF
the apostolic delegate, and are divided into four.
teen divisions or titles. These are sub-divided
into chapters and treat with great fulness Of the
various matters or which the plenary council leg
islated. They were written In rather better Latin
than Is usual In legal documents. and in q style
sometimes rising to eloquence, throughout which
strong scrptoral vein, never degenerating to
cant, is observable. The book Acts ct Decreta"
ID on the whole carefully prepared, II we except
--.. .s:t-.e-ai.asy liberties with the Latin syntax
pp2 pintefs OF proof readers 6sSe taken. The mat
ters of the decreesSere two-fold, dogmatic and
disciplnal. Some Of the chapters are highly in
teresting. In them we find indifferentism de-
nouDced, unitarianism. characterization, unver-
salitm, and psntheism reprobated, "the abuse
of magnetism, the halucinations and dangers of
spirituslism" pointed out. We find instructions
regarding the administration Of the sacraments.
and directions 10 accomplish uniformity in the
ciplinal point that may cause difficulty to the
cleric, or on which uniformity is desirable, clear
and distinct instructions are given.
With reference to the local ecclesiastical legsla
ton Of the synod, in view of the facts that the
deliberations have been conducted with closed
doors. and that probably a pastoral letter from
Archbishop McCoskey will explain the result
reached, it will be sufficient now to indicate some
of the points occupying the attention Of the
clergy. The establishment Of psrochial indus
trial and reformatory schools will be discussed,
confraternities and new missions are 10 be insti-
tuted societies for the dissemination Of books are
to be countenanced. The immediate completion
of the new cathedral will probably be matter
of consultation. and also the appointment of GER
tain diocesan officials, such ss srchdescons Wears
torane. and rural DEANS as recommended by the
council of Baltimore. About year since Il wss
proposed to raise the salaries of the pastors from
their present amount, $780, and those OF the assist
ant pastors, now fixed at $400. This matter is also
likely to engage the attention of the council.
Yesterday there we're two sessions Of the synod,
and to-day II is expected that its lsbors will ter
minate.-[N. Y. World. Sept 80.