Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1869-12-10
Tho EcumcnicAl Council and Its
Worth.

Ae&s
Thomas X. Beecher has small faith in
the Ecumenical Council as a method Of set
Ting the faith of Christendom. Here is his
latest eifusion in the Elmira Adrertissr:
Suppose that with six hundred Bishops
present in Council and voting, decree is
carried by majority of two. Can such a
result carry conviction with it? Can we
yield to majority of two in a Council, q
weight which we would not give to any
other two men il the world, out Of the Coun.
ell?
On the supposition that the Council is
guided of God and yet settles questions BY
majorities, is it fair to infer that God is saw
ing of inspiration, and issues it in meaured
quantity, to enliven o majority only :?
Would an inspiration producing unanimity
be an unnecessary waste of divine energy
On the suppositon that the French and
American Bishops are outvoted by the
Bishops of Spain, Italy and Austria,
would it follow that the Holy Spirit guides
victorious Bishops, but leaves French and
American Bishops to their own blind de-
vices? Is the gift of the Holy Spirit like
rain in this, that some hands are perpetu-
ally dry? =
in case decision is reached by a very
small majority, and it should aflerward ap-
pear that several Bishops we're heavily paid
by some Emperor or other rich man to vote
as the, f1id, would the discovery vi.iate the
decree? Or: w
Suppose, after the Council had dissolved,
that fifteen Bishops taking further thought
should change their minds and send word to
the Pope that they had been mistaken and
regretted the votes BY which certain decree
had been eracted, would the Pope allow a
reconsideration aud a reversal of the decree?
And if the decree we're reversed, which vote
ought the faithful to stand by, the original
or the reconsidered? But if the Bishops
never change their minds after reflection,
and so never need to reconsider, what is the
need of any Council at all, if it don't change
any Bishops mind? IL it does change his
mind, what will keep it changed? :?
This whole matter Of settling adogma by
voting assembly leads to a perfect tangle Of
absurdites. 1t matters not whether the
council be preachers meeting in Elmira
an "annual conference" q general assem-
bly," provincial council" or great
universal Roman council, greater than any
other church can call, they all Will seem to
us selicontradictory and absurd.
Go back to the first council OF Nice, and
imagine scene:
Presiden,-Holy Fathers, ore you ready
for the question, ready!
Eoices-Ques,ion, question Ready,
question. ready!
President (rising)-As many of you as
same essence with God the Father will say
aye!
Voccs-AYE! (Shouted.)
President-Y ou Of the contrary mind will
say no.
Voices No! (Shouted also.)
President--The Chair cannot decide.
The yeas and nays are demanded. The
Scribe will call the roll, and the Reverend
fathers will keep order.
We do not mean to say that precisely this
dialogue transpired rcrbatim. But we do
mean that in some way this Council voted,
and by majority settled whether the Son
is or is not one substance with the Father.
Aud such transactions will always seem
very funny to us.
Ifan assembly of reverend Bishops Of
approved parts and piety begin their delib-
erations by solemn invocation, Veni Crea-
tor and afterward it appear that the Bish-
ops cannot agree upon given decree, we
must infer one of two things, either (d) that
the Spirit of God did not come to inspire all
the Council, or (b) that, having so come,
He intends 70 decision, and therefore gives
none. If the Council, as whole, is guided
of God, then the majority must not override
the minority. If only q majority is guided
Of God, then the minority ought to be cut of
as uninspired atheist.
I'VE can at one hours notice gather
together five women and five men, or fewer
who in their lives plainly show the "fruits
of the Spirit" By converse with these we
can easily get all the counsel that we seem
to need as to conduct and administration,
while we live on earth and among men.
And when that hour comes, silent and SOL
emn, when we must 60 forth alone from this
our tabernacle of flesh, we know Of no way
to take with us councils great or small or
their decretals. II our bodies have been
temples Of God we quit them divnely COM
panied. If they have not been temples Of
God, we know rot that councils can mend
the matter.
"Cease ye from man whose breath is in
bis aos.rils,' says the prophet, and councils
are usually composed Of that class Of men.