The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-11-26
ENGLAND.


such Acknowledgements ssFirst Council Of ths
vatican.'
LONDON. Nov. 10. 1889.
In my first letter upon the history OF the former
Councils Of the Catholic Church gave q summary
Of the eight Councils that were held In the East from
the first Council OF Nce A. ID. 325. TO the fourth
Council of Constantinople, A. D. 500. In my second
letter-the one previous to this-I gave q shor,
OF the next four Councils, that L. the four
Councils OF the Lateran. held from A. D. 1925 to A.
d. 1915. In this. my third and last letter upon the
same subject l shall endeavor to give concise
view OF what was done by the remain
ing six Councils. namely, from the nrst Coun.
Gil OF Lyons commenced A. d. l245 to that OF Trent
commenced A. d. l545. This last group comprises
the Ecumenical Councils OF Lyons (the first held
therel commenced A. ID. 1245; the second OF Lyons,
commenced A. D. 1874; the Council OF Vienna, com.
menced A. D. 1911: the Council OF Florence, COM
menced In A. d. 1885, the fifth Council OF the La.
teran. commenced A. D. 1914 and that OF Trent, the
eighteenth aud lasr Council, commenced A. d. l545.
And here let me observe that by some writer's there
have been occasionally added the Councils OF Bale
and OF Constance, but the great majority-indeed
may say all-Cathoc authors Of any standing reject
these TWO Councils as wanting In most OF the essen
tial re usites OF the Ecumenica Councils II s true
that some Of the decisions Of the Council OF Con-
stance were formally approved by Rome but this, OF
ITSELF would not constitute the assembly to be one of
the whole Catholic Church. and therefore leave it
out and pass on to those regarding which there can
be no dispute
From the year 1245 to 1912 the Church called to-
gether no less than eight general COUNCILS OF which,
as said BEFORE two failures. The rst Of these
was the first Council of Lyons, assembled In l2a5
and OF which the chief intention to defend the
liberty OF the Church. threatened BY the Emperor
Frederick Ii. Like every other powerful monarch
VINO had extended his socalled protection over the
Church, Frederick became in time the tyrant and
wished to be the dictator OF the Pontin He invaded
the Papal dominons, was the cause Of Pope Gregory
TX. dying of grief, and then, advancing against
Rome, he tried to make a prisoner OF Pope Innocent
Nv. This PontiH ned, first to Genoa and then to
Lyons. WHERE fugitive from the greatest and most
powerful ruler OF the day. his voice was strong
enough to call together the prelates who composed
this the thirteenth Ecumenical Council, which, al
though composed OF less THAI two hundred bishops,
had the power, Us 1t had the Will, to
make its decentralization OF the Emperor heard,
and 10 declare what Is called the Patrimony OF st.
Peter-that Is, the country for u certain distance
around Rome to be sacred from the invasion OF any
secular Power whatever. Here again l perceive
that underlined but yet earnest struggle or the
Church to Tree Itself from the trammeis Of union
with the state.
The second Council of Lyons, tho fourteenth Ecu.
menical Council OF the Church, commenced its
sittln2S A. ID. 1914 and was chiefly occupied with
attempting to reunite the Eastern with the Western
Church. In this 1t no doubt failed, and failed
sgnally. The determined oDstlnacy or the Greek
clergy was proof against anything like peace or
the Church was now split. Various matters OF dis
cipline also occupied the time OF this Council, more
particularly rs regarded the enormous abuses that
mad crept into the Church with respect the money
and estates OF the clergy regular well as secular.
Here and there, TOO, more particularly IN Germany
and Northern Europe certain small sects Of heretics
crDnueH no vi air
basis OF practice, II not OF faith the most determined
Ignoring OF morals, as between the sexes.
The Council OF Vienna, which commenced Its SIT
tings A. ID. 1911. may be looked upon as almost
continuance OF the second Council OF Lyons,
although its work was chiefly thar Of subduIng or
placing IN some measure under order, the Knights
Iempiars. who then owned no less 5000 houses or
converts In Europe. or the morals OF these men
need not speak. Upon the worst vices OF Europe
they had engrafted the worst OF the East anu
lived lives TO which need not DO more than alluae.
To attack body OF men not only extremely wealthy
lies throughout the West, needed no small amount
OF courage even on the part OF clergy like that OF
oftmIdlty. Again my limits forbid me going into de-
tails. which must be, moreover, well known to all
readers OF history But there can be little doubt but
that the first eective blow struck at the influential
order OF the Yemplars was at this the fifteenth Ecu
men1cal Council OF the Church.
Next IN order to this General Council Of Vienna
comes that OF Florence. This Council commenced
It's slttnos A. ID. 1882 The principal objects that
had in view were, first. to Try once to effect
define more clearly the authority OF the Pope and
thirdly, TO define also the procession OF the Third
Person OF the holy Trinity from the Father
aud the Son, or that which was 80 long
and Ais yet termed the Alioque controversy. Many
OF the Eastern prelates joined this assembly,
the Eastern Churches may retain their own ritual
and their own discipline and yet be united with the
See OF Rome. And thus 1t Ia that in the East very
who acknowledge the supremacy Of the Pope aud
are in communion with the Western Church.
me seventeenth Ecumenical Council was the NTH
Council OF the Lateran. which, as said above com.
menced Its sittings A. D. 1912, and was almost
entirely occupied with matters and questions OF dis
clpllne. BY this time, even the most earnest and
Jealous OF Catholics allow, the scandals within the
Church were great and very numerous. From with
out 1t was attacked by some OF the clevcrest men
living, aud within an almost universal corruption OF
morals was TO be found among every class OF the
day. England, the North OF Germany Denmark
sweden Norway and switzerland had either become
or were fast turning Protestant. The Church was
far TOO wealthy to be pure church, great reform
was wanting, and-as Catholics look at the subject
TINS reform was at last brought about by the elgh-
teenth and last Ecumenical Council that of Trent
that commenced Its sittlngs A. ID. 1915 and which
all impartial readers Of history must admit was
most decided triumph in every way for the
Catholic Church. Never the history OF the world
dld any Church or people or nation present so many
signs of fallng to pieces az did tue whole Catholic
Church at TINS time. In dogmas multitude of den
nltlons mad arisen among the clergy and unity OF
teaching on MANY essential matters was almost
LOST. Inc people, as rule, were on bad terms with
the clergy the clergy mstrusted their bishops: the
latter were ar enmity with the Pope Faith was
almost lost In Europe, and morals had long been
snipwrecked.
But the change that was worked by the Council OF
Trent was really marvellous. New orders sprung
up hred with zeal for purity OF life and an earn
estness IN preaching OF faith which commanded the
respect even OF those who differed most from the
Church Of Rome Since the Council OF Trent,
never was any Church more united against
Its enemies both within ana without the
snip mad to be taken to pieces rebuilt and
again noated. The timbers were the same, but
the pieces had all to be cleared OF the
rottenness that had grown upon them. It was the
study or what the Catholic Church had been before
this council and what it became afterwards that
Caused the late Mr. Macaulay that celebrated
passage, which has given offence to so many super.
hcial observers and readers, who cannot see, and
indeed, do not care to see, below the surfaoS
Never was any man more determined enepyM ali
Catholic doctrines than that great historian = nd
essayst and yet, he wrote Of thar [bHlas k,&SSs
following Words ~''e' 4 ~ .sssa' Al zee
10, o. sm any ~, rn,,. ,,.,,.,.. a., -. :,
msnt Of ~ approaching She saw tho commence