The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1869-11-29
Rev. Mr.. Fisher and the Ecumeuicai
Council.
WHEELING, SUNDAY NIGHT,
November 2a, 1869.

'.....- November 2a, 1869.
Editors Of the Register: -.
/ listened to Rev. Mr.. Fisher holding
forth to night on the General Council.
i regret, for his own sake, that he did
not consult some of the prudent and
we'll educated members of his congre-
CATION before attempting to master a
subject so far above his reach. Itamus-
ed me to see him breaking his little
fists by pounding at that old anvil, the
Catholic Church, which has broken SO
many hammers.
On next Sunday two weeks l shall
lecture on the General Council in the
Cathedral. am sorry that our mission
prevents me from doing SO sooner. /
shall then answer fully all the Difficult
ties brought against the Council BY able
and distinguished Protestant ministers.
/ can now merely point out q few of the
mistakes of Rev. Mr.. Fisher. They are
so glaripg that wonder how he could
b ave made them. ! am sincerely sorry
! for his reputation both as to learning
and sincerity. take his mistakes as
they occurred in his sermon.
Mr. Fisher said that the Council of
Trent began in l445 and lasted till 1863.
This is false. The Council opened in
l545 and lasted till 1863. Others besides
me heard and noted this deliberate
blunder. Mr.. Fisher read it from his
notes.
Mr.. Fisher said that the first eight
General Councils were convoGed by the
Emperors and presided over by them.
This is false. Space does not allow ME
TO discuss this point, but promise to
send OF give to any one who wishes the
names of the Popes who convoked these
Councils, the names of the Papal Legdtes
who presided over them and the proofs
that the Emperors had not the smallest
particle of authority in their decisions.
1t is false that the Catholic Church
burned John Huss at the Council Of
Constance. He was burned by order Of
the Emperor Sigismund for exciting
rebellion in the empire and encouraging
all manner of eIcesses. The Canon
Law of the Catholic Church has this
axiom: "TRe Church abhors bloodshed." !"
1t is however a historical fact that
Michael Servetus was burned alive 10
1853 ut Geneva for heresy by the express
order of John Cdlrin, the founder Of Mr.
Fishers sect.
understood Mr.. Fisher to read from
some anonymous author that there
were no Bibles published at Rome in
Hebrew or even in Latin. This is false,
as can personally attest from 3 resi-
dence in Rome of overtwo years. This
blunder of Mr.. Fishers is so shocking
that can hardly credit my ears. >
Why did not Mr.. Fisher study his
subject before undertaking to lecture on
it' He began by asking q number of
questions about the nature Of General
Council and its decisions. He seemed
to want information. We could send
him one of our Catholic boys to en-
tighten him if he wanted TO know the
truth. Mr.. Fisher admitted by his
questions that he did not understand
Catholic teaching regarding General
Councils.
Mr.. Fisher must settle his remark
that the apostles have left no success
sorry with his Episc palian brethren.
Mr.. Fisher blamed the Council Of
Trent for teaching that "concupiscence
is not sin" That's to say, he blamed
the Council for not teaching with the
Presby terians that human nature is
totally deprdred, that free will has been
lost BY the tdll, and that man is incapa.
Bile OF good unless aided by grace. These
were the doctrines of John Calvin, and
arc opposed TO our declaration Of Inde-
pendence, which says that "all men are
created fre,n Galvinism holds that all
are created slaves and totally deprsved.
What horrii system!
MIR. Fisher quoted emphatically the
! Spanish iHfdel CASTELAR, as a Catholic;
go also French iufidel and an apostate
monk as LIBERAL Catholic. They are as
much Catholics as the Rev. Mr.. Fisher
and their authority equally as respect
able. r-.
All Mr.. Fishers eioquence about the
syllabus, civil liberty, "our common
schools and the nineteenth century,
was spread eagleism. His appeal to
politicians against Catholics was dis
grace to the pulpit. He quoted garbled
extracts and read quotations from au-
thors whom he was either afraid or
ashamed TO name.