New-York tribune., 1869-06-05
oil of whom il may be regarded as certain, VIII Oh
tbis occasion mite with the church.
thio "NN'.o s.,C~r no Tuu OpIENTAI BISHOPS.

IN ths stb Of September, 1867, the Pope issued
neca letter to the Bishops of the Oriental CHURCHES
inyitipg them to attend the Council lheSe
cburcbes-the Greek. the Armenian the HISTORIAN,
the Jacobte, the COptic, the Abysslnian-Iepresen
the prevailing form of Christianity m Eastern EI
rome. IN Western Asia and Eastern Africa. Though
separated for fully 1000 years from eccleslaSucal
communion with the See of Rome, the causes Oi sep
araton are few and on the whole, TRIVIAL Inc ropes
and tbe Councils of former ages have been unreni-
ting in their efforts to obtain from them recoBii
tiOn of the supremacy of the Pope, WHICH, III Iact -
the only serious obstacle 10 consolidation ano they
have succeeded in anneXng fragments OF eacn OF
these churches which, preserving many pecull9iles
Of their own rite such rs heuse OF cuIch
language and the marriage Of priests, constitute as
United Greeks United Amenians, and so t0rth, com
ponent parts of the Roman CATHOLIC Church. but the
majority of the Eastern Churches have maintained
their opposition to union and of them the Greek
Church has of late even been enabled, by the ara
OF despotic Russia. TO make considerable inrOads
npon the territory of the Roman Catholic Church.
Plus TX. has from the beginning OF his pontlhcate,
devoted to the work of reunion special sohcitude'
addressed the Pariarchs and Bishops of the Eastern
churches the subject, and subsequently he esta9
lished i'm Rome q special Congregation of Cardinals
and theOlogians for systematic prosecution OF th th
efforts to promote union. The cOnyOcatl0h oi ~" t
Council gave to the Pope welcome opportunity ~
renew his personal invitations. -, 4bis in
Together, the churches to whose bishops inS NOR m
vitatIOn is extended. constitute consldeIaaiD ai Con
ton of the Christian world. The poP9la9y1En ID Edo 00
nected with them is estimated at a9ouI IfLvrcL
over "a 10000 of whom belong to Iho of
which. with the natural increase oh f"d%oncing
huSSa, MncIG Siio Us 20 tGan apv particular section OF
fbc Roman Catholic Church. The total M number IN & Oh
bishous of these Churches Is neally 0VV' Vi "noi'
about 24O belong to the Greek ChuIch' ,,o,s
INV ANSWER OF THE EASTERN BISHOPS. ~,
AS was 10 Ue have declined the invitation OF
tie bishops of Russia and Greece none woulu DO pS
10 20 even if they wished IT, as the OoNeIllenI VI
those two States would refuse the required peIihls
ioT But some hope for a time enteItaneu
with regard to the bishops of Turkey Inc sultan
n was thought could not only not impede any o the
fr,rn would
could in order to widen the separation between te
Greek Church of his domnlons ana the Cr, Czar,
Rpports from some OF the Eastern cllleS
fostered this hope, and one Of the papers
OF Rome was so sangulne as 70 ahl0uico
the probable attendance of about 100 bishops Oh o
did not sustain this expectations especaily aIer to
decided refusal of the Patriarch OF G0nstahllnoplo
70 acc f1e & 10 eSa y0 head Of the Greek Church. but he
still occupies among the Greek BISHOPS uhe noS'
aired positon 1t may be supposed, therefore, that
the account of the interview between tue .Iapal
Commissioners who formally presented tne lnNilaI
tion and the Patriarch, which the latter puDllsneu
I'm his official organ, not only made Pr0louh9 iIu
,ression mon tbe entire Greek Church, but deter
mined most of the Bishops who before may nave
been wavering Nothing has since been heard 9l the
readiness of any Of the Greek bishops 10 atleh4 to
CounciI A few received the Papal letter with re-
sDect Thus the Bishop of TreblzOLd, a man OF ven,
erale age is said to have raised it to his forehead
and pressed it to his bosom, eXclaming at the same
time with emotion, " O Rome! Rome! y IT. Peter.
O St Peterp The Bishop OF Adrlanople returned
letter, 1
decide for myself In no instance, as lar as we
Know has any promise been gwen OF attendance
Nothing, or next to nothing, Is therefore now eA-
ascribe 20 the Patriarch of Constantnople and the
Emperor of Russia design to convoke an OEcu-
menical SYNOD of the Greek Church.
The other Eastern Churches-the Armenian, Nes-
torion Jacobite and COptic-are still supposed not
to be equally unanimous in their opposition. Inc
Armenian Patriarch of COnstantlnOple did not reply
NV a direct refusal but promised to refer the subject
to the Catholics of Etchmiadsin the first bishop OF
the Church, Personally he appeared @ to favor =. me
very account, to resign his position The Copuc
Patriarch, also of Alexandria, received the Encyc-
cal with great respect and many expressions OF cour
tesy toward the prelate who was the bearer OF 1t.
The hope derived from these individual expressions
is strengthened by the fact that all these small
churches have long been on the road to dissoution
and their Bishops generally have lost confidence
in their further continuance as independent COM
muniOns.
INVITATION TO THE PROTESTANT CHURCHES.
The last Geumenical Council, that of Trent, was
held soon after the rise of Protestantism The
Protestant princes, in accordance with inv
invitation addressed to them, sent some theO
theological views of the Old Church and the Re
formers was toe great to allow of reconciliation
Professionalism became and has since then remalned
the third great division of the Christian world.
During the three centuries of its existence it has con-
siderably expanded England. most Of the German
States, the Scandinavian Kingdoms, Holland, swift
zerland still, they were three hundred years
ago Protestant countries. To them have since been
added the whole Of the North American Continent
Australia and other dependencies of Protestant
lions, and the population which is to-day under
the influence of Protestantsm is estimated
at 1OOOOOOOO While the Eastern Churches have
maintained a great theological and ecclesiastical
similarity with the Roman Catholic Church, Protest
antsm was from the beginning separated from the
old church by deep gull, and IN the course OF cen
turies the breach has widened. lndividuasm has
had full sway within its territory In every Protest
ant country the new form of religious belief has
had distinct development; and from the original
stems of the Reformation Of the Sixteenth Century
numerous branches have grown, and to-day more
than a hundred churches all Independent of each
other, but all claiming "a Protestant character,
constitute the Protestant world
To the whole of the Protestant world the Pope, on
the 18th of September addressed likewise letter of
invitation 1--WE cannot fOrbear" he says, on the
occasion Of the meeting of the next Council ad-
dressing our apostolic and paterna word to all those
who while recognizing the same Jesus Christ as our
Savior aud rejoicing in the name OF Christians, yet
do not profess the true faith of Christ or follow the
Communion of the Catholic fath' After referring
to the oneness of the true Church Of Christ and the
multitude of the divisions of Professionalism the Pa
Every one can easily comprehend that this state Of
things altogether opposed 70 the Church established
by Christ our Iorda Church in which the truth must
aways rest unaltered without being the subject OF anv
change as a charge ntrustcd that Church, in
order that sho may preserve IL in all ITS integrity
charge for the OF which the presence OF the Holy
Ghost and its ard has been granted forever 70 this
Church No ignore the factthat these differences
Of doctrine and opinion give rise TO tho social schlsn
and that therefrom spring those innumerabe and
COnmuiions which daily increasing, TO the denment
of Christian and civil society.
Whoever in fact recognizes religion as the foundation
OF human society cannot refuse TO admit and the
ions and dsagreements Of principles Of that nature and
siso with what pogeT fhe Denial Of authority esfabsbed
by God 70 regulate the convictions Of the human ntel
geucc and 10 direct the actions Of men, both their
csl aud private life has excited has developed and has
fOmented those most unfortunate troubles those events
aud those disturbances which agtate and affect almost
all nations In most depOrable manner.
Therefore, In order That all those who arc not nsled
Church Should seize the occasion offered To- them by ts
heir