The Portland daily press., 1869-12-10
Precedents for Pho Mono and His Gen.
eraI Council. ...1


Presidents for Pho Mono and His Gen.
eraI Council. . t.e .
The old lady who is reported to have re-
garded the Romish conclave now in session
at Rome as an economical council" fell into
a graver error than often results from mis-
taken verbal identity. The general councils
of The Catholic church, ever since that first
meeting OF lChristians who had not lost tbe
simplicity, sincerity and purity of the primi-
tive faith, at Nica in S25, have been the
scene OF intrigue, duplicty, violence and
CRIME OF which even the deliberations" OF a
new York Common Council can convey to
the modern imagination but faint idea
The sachems of Tammany, even, would stand
ashast at the enormities committed by the
mitred prelates who have taken part in &C.
clesiastical assemblies like that now convened
at the Vatican.
The very next council after that Of Nicoo
was called at Constantinople to determine
who was patriarch of that city and we are
assured by Gregory Nazianzer who was dis
honestly ousted from that position, that the
council was composed of all the "gluttons,
villains and false-swearers in the Roman en-
pirt." The same authority declared that he
would never again attend such meeting of
geese and cranes" When the third council
assembled at Ephesus in 43l the Catholic
church had utterly departed from the Apos-
ties. The streets ofEphesus were filled with
riots and bloodshed, caused by the dissen-
sions of Nestorious, the proud, arrogant and
unscrupulous Bishop of Constantinople, and
Cyril Bishop of Alexandria, who added to
the accomplishments Of his adversary those of
murderer, and had on his hands the blood
OF Hypatia, the celebrated woman Platonic
philosopher. This Cyril, having brought with
MIN retinue of wild Egyptian priests and
fanatics, prevailed against Nestorius, half bv
fraud. During this council of holy men sol
diers OF the imperial guard were employed 10
preserve peace between the contending fac.
tions.
The triumph of Cyril over Nestorius was
also that Of the Virgin Mary who was denied
by the latter to be the "Mother of God,"-
Since that time Mariolatry has been one of
tne distinguished characteristics of the Cath
olic religion. There was riot and bloodshed
again In the next council at Chalcedon in 451.
"nere the secular arm of military power had
once more to be interposed to prevent these
servants of God from tearing each other in
pieces 1t was here that Lee, bishop of Rome,
upon the suggestion that the see of Constan-
tinople should be raised to an equality with
Rome, first distinctly maintained the doc
trlne OF the supremacy of St. Peter and of the
bishop ofRome as his successor. A murderer
and licentfous pI ofigate named Vigilius gave
the sanction as Pope to tbs next council. in
o53, though the Emperor Justinian was the
dominant spirit in the conclave. The fifth
general council at Constantinople in 553 pro-
nounced the Pope, Honorius, hereto, pro-
ceeding which is widely at varience with the
doctrine ofthe Pope's infallibility which Plus
Ninth seeks to have established in the pres-
ent council. Another of these jovial assem-.
bes was held at Clermont in 1905. Urban
IL preached the Crusades to this council, and
10 successfully that millions on millions of de-
iuded human beings sacrificed their lives in
tne attempt to rescue the Holy sepulcher
and its surroundings from the pagan Saracep.
who was after all, more civilized and more
Christianized than his nominally Christian
assailants.
Ii possible the three last councils were
more Infamous than any that preceded. That
begun at Constance in 1414 was ushered in
with the usual prelude of riot and bloodshed.
IL was convened for the purpose of deciding
upon the antagonistic claims of three Popes
VINO Tor nifty years had divided the allegiance
OF the Catholic world. John XIII: sum-
moned the council, but it ignored his claims
and those Of his rivals Gregory and Bene-
dict, raising one Martin to the papal throne.
Inls council distinguished itself by entrap-
ping Huss, the Bohemian reformer and burn
ing at the stake, afterwards "persuadinpv Je-
rome, an associate of Huss, of his error in
tne same way. Huss went to the council pro-
tected as he supposed, by the safe conduct of
tne emperor Sigismund, and by the oath of
rope lohn to protect him from harm. But
mo faith with heretics" was dogma added
Dy this council to the canons of the church.
so Sigismund, who had given the safe con.
DUCT and John, who had sworn to protect the
foolish hereto, calmly consented to his execu-
ZION. Ihe same council declared itself supe-
rior TO the Pope, but this decision was re-
versed at the council of Basil in 1431.
Three hundred years ago the last general |
council was held at Trent. 1t continued
eighteen years, and was productive of incom-
parably more injury to the human race than
any other meeting that ever assembled. The
execution Of its DEGREES crushed the nascent
Protestantism Of Southern Europe. and in
consequence the Latin races have suffered
from three centuries of moral, intellectual
ana industrial decay. 1t stirred up persecu-
ton and sowed the seed of numerous and /
sanguiIary religious wars. 1t sanctioned
most OF those superstitious dogmas and oh
servances of the Rnmish Church which st;u
aAe II obnoxious to the intelligent and to-
tally at variance with the civilization of the |
ase-the worship of images, the denial of the
fisht OF private judgment, the prescription of |
the press, the worship Of elements, iuduleen.
ciss. a.
The Council Of Trent, though strongly
leaning toward the doctrine of the infallibilitv
u tns Pope, left that question undecided, and
lne present Pontiff, kept on his throne by for.
'lsn bayonets and lacking that Difference which
was wont to be paid to his predecessors, wish
Is II to be submitted to another assembly of
Oatnolc prelates. Whether the new Council
Wll present more quiet and edifyiug spec
'acle than there are any precedents for we
'hal soon be able to Judge. |