Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1869-12-17

Every magnet has it two poles, and not
even the Catholic Church can fly away from
her own antipode. Reason and faith, reve-
lation and inspiration, authority and indie
pendence, consolidated hierarchy and I'M
limited local freedom, are the represen-
tatiye rallying cries of the two extreme
sects-sects whose warfare s a. old as reli-
gion itself From Arius who only denied
the divine substance Of Christ, 70 Theodore Par
ker who subjected even the Bible itself to
| the criticism Of the reason, there was a reg
ular and natural progress. But to-day there
are sects of " free relgionists &c who de
nounce even Parker himself as a super
stitious bigot. No less striking have been the
changes in the Catholic Church. Century
by century, year by year, the process of cen
tralization has been going on at Rome. To-
day the whole world is anxiousy waiting
to see issue forth from St. Peters the dogma
Of papal infallibility. The noticeable fea-
ture of these changes which have been and
are going on in the religious world, Is that
though the movements are in opposite direc-
tions their paths are parallel. The mole
tightly the Church of Rome turns the screws
Of ecclesiastical authority, the holder Is the
revolt of the free thinkers. The two ex-
tremes are daily flying farther apart, but
their connection is as marked as ever. The
retrogression Of the one is as rapid as the
progression ofthe other. Which sect OF sys-
ten Is making the progression no man can
say. Nor is it within our province to in
quire. The fact, however, that between
these two extreme parties struggle has
ever been going on in the Christian world,
concerns the secular as well as the religious
press. the statesman as well as the theologian.
Yesterday the Ecumenical Council met in
the city Of Rome. 1t is called by the au-
thority of the Holy See. 1t is consecrated by
the prayers and anxious wishes Of two hun
bred million Catholic believers. 1t numbers
among its members the ablest and
boldest spirits in the Church. 1t en-
bodies the dignity and is supported by
the wealth Of the most powerful hierarchy Of
the world. But the ancient enemy of the
Church is promptly in the field. The Sth of
December witnessed the meeting at Naples /
of an assembly very different from this coun-
ell Of Plus IN. 1t is Congress Of the Lib !
eral Thinkers of the world. 1t is the orpo-
site extreme in the Christian series, the other |
pole ofthe religious magnet This council |
meets one hundred and eighteen miles from
the Eternal City. The day of its meeting was
selecteo-as its orisinators say-with special |
reference to the Ecumenical Council which |
assembled at the same time. But though
these two councils meet on the same dav. |
and so near together, their characters and
objects are widely different. That at Rome
represents a belief which unites millions OF
persons, and a church organization whose
protecting arms are extended into every coun-
try of the globe. That at Naples speaks by
the authority of disconnected bands holding
in general the same belief, but bound to-
gether into no compact association. The
one meets at the summons of the Pope; the
other is as voluntary as the faith which it
teaches. Equally different are the objects of
these two gatherings. The published call
for the first summons it's members to the
battle against modern civilization. The ad-
dress of the leadars of the second proposes to