New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-07-29
ROME OR REASON.

II is more than three hundred years since, in
the Council of Trent, Benedictinc monk offered
to prove impious and scandalOus the doctrine
that the POpe's tribunal was tho same as Jesus
Chrsts. II is two hundred and eight years
since Brother Borri uttered the strange and
"unlIcard of hercsics and enthusiastical doc
trnes"-iirst, that the Blessed Virgin was
really a goddess, because the mother of the
Word Eternal which was God; second, that
the Blessed Virgin was tho Holy Ghost in
carnatc in the womb of her mother st. Anne.
Yet in Ammo Domni 1869 the See Of Rome
threatens, through his Syllabus and Allocutions,
an invasion of the temporal powers of the
earth by the doctrine OF absolute infaibility,
and, il rumors to that effect are to
bc credited is willing that the assumption of
mortality by the Blessed Virgin shall be declared
a dogma of tho Catholic faith. In that
same famous Council of Trent though the gen.
crafty of voices would not 90 so far rs to
lceaize tho marriage of monks,i yet it was
agreed 10y q plurality that i'll some cases
priest might be granted dispensation to
marry The Bishop of Metz was so happy at
length as to find n rcconc;ling form of words
for kindred subject of earnest debate, to wit :
that though the Church hath ever forbidden
and detcstcd clandestuc marriages, yet whose
ever denies clandcstinc marriage to be sac
rament, let him be dndthcmd. Nevertheless
tho modern Bishop of Linz seeks lodg
ment in Jail by preaching that the institution of
civil marriage, as lcgalzed by the Austrian
State is no better than cOncubinage.
In the year 1851 the Ga!lican clergy declared
TO Pope Innocent TX. that a power is given by
God to st. Peter and his Successors, who are
" the Wears of Christ" to order all spiritual
matters, but not to intermcddle in civil or
temporal affairs, according to that saying of
Christ, "Thy kingdom is not of this world"
and again, Render unto Caesar tho things
i" that are Caesars" The position of the Gal
lican Church is essentially the same to-day as
it was then, and its ablest prcatc. Bishop
DupanlOup, while with affectiOnate reverence
pleading for the unity and harmony of the
Church, does not foregO prayer that its COM
ing Council will be more concerned with the
things OF the spirit than with tenn
poralities. Count Montalambcrt, sim
cere Catholic, has also been a dis
tnguished advocate Of divorce bcween Church
and State. us against that exceeding zeal of
spiritual pride which would dogmatze every
ecclesiastical bargain, hold all priestly owner
ship to be spiritual, and make the things of
Caesar the things of God. The German ultra
montanists, under lead of the Bishops of Rats
bon and Linz, and with the shrewd aid of the
Jesuits, would carry these matters to the most
earnest test, and to this fact the excitement of
the Tyrol and other parts of Austria is due.
On the other hand, all the States of Europe
are anxious that the Church shall wisely for
bear every aggressive enuncatiOn of doctrine.
In 1885 one of the teachers of his race wrote
from Paris: "Thc monks at ROye are fat and
"cOrpulent. OEe-ff of the whole possessions
"Of the kingdom is in tho hands of the clergy.
eff this condition lasts long the ruin of tho
Empire will be speedy History fearfully
bore out his prediction; and Likewise has it
happened to Italy, Spain, Mexico and every
country with swarmng and pensoned
monkhood, irresponsible to the State ut all
times for Of1enses against the State. and main
tanned in Incidence and supplied with temptation
by the fact of SO much possession and i'm
munty. 1t is not to be maintained that the
monkhoOd are worse than any other endowed and
irresponsible body-perhaps they have proved in
instances and at times better Certainly they
have given saints and martyrs, not less to the
Church than to the race, and armies of some
OF the most earnest men tho world has ever
seen to the cause Of unassuming and suffering
Christianity. But there must havo been some
provOcation for tho saying of Pope Plus III.
that "a wandering monk is the devils bond
slave and there must be some truth in tho
worlds experience that n priesthood supported
by the State, vexcd with possession. and not
purely dependent on God and the Faithful,
are apt TO confuse and demoralize- their true
Office, and the understandings of those COM
mitted to their pastoral care.
For all reasons, we imagine that in bringing
the subject of its consistency 10 M issue IA
the matter Of spiritual Us agaiust temporal sOY-