The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1870-05-29

had been spread against them was publi
lie. was their chaplain for only tw
months, but must say that it hah ueye
before been my lot to experience such con
was subject of admiration and ediacatio
to me. And now, since they are gone,
| seems almost to us Catholics az If orr zoo,
guardian angels had left US.
Yours, in Christ,
| T. N. BNsFELD, s. NJ.
DoG1AT1c DECREE ON CATHOLIC PATH.
Confirmed and Promulgated the Third Public sessio
OF the Vatican Council. held in St. Peters Rome
on Low Sunday. April "a, 1870.
Pius, Bishop, servant of the sA-y.nts IF God
with the appreciation of the Holy Council, To-
perpetual remembrance hereof
Our Lord Jesus Christ, tho Son of God ani
the Redeemer of mankind, when about to "a
wond % ms h Father promised that b,
eartn, all days even to the contamination O
the world. Wherefore, he has never at any
sime failed to be with his beloved spouse, t.
labors, to aid her in danger And this his
saving providence, INCREASINGLY displayed in
countless other blessings, is most clearly made
ha anesa oy those very abundant fruits which
menlcal councils, and especially from that of
Trent, although it was held in evil DAYS. For
merely the holy doctrines of religion were
more distinctly defined and more fnllv sef
forth Q rors were condemned and restrained :.
thereby ecclesiastical discipline was restored
and more firmly established: zeal for lenrninr
a aud aoIsees promoted among the clergy
young men Tor the sacred ministry and. final
~, the practice of Christian morality was ra-
stored among the people by more careful in
ments. Hence arose, likewise, a closer nn;on
of the members with the visible head. and re-
newed strength to the entire mystical BODY of
s,;a,,s n memoe !ne increased number of reli-
Gions communities, and of other institutions of,
Christian piety; hence, also, that unceasiny
zeal, constant even to martyrdom tn snraoSS
the kingdom OF Christ throughout the World
Nevertheless, while with becomine q grat;tnJa
We call to mind these and the MANY usher re
markable benefits which the goodness of Cos
ma mas bestowed on the church chiefly through
press our bitter SORROW for the erievons sv;Pps
which have chiefly sprung from many havin%
despised the authority of the aforesaid sacred
Council, OF having neglected to observe it's
For it is known to all that the heresies which
the fathers Of Trent condemned, and which re-
lectsd the divine authority of the Church to
teach, and instead, subjected all things beIon O..
ing to religion to the Judgment of each indivi
dual, were in course of time broken up into many
sects, and that, as these differed and dlspntei
With each other, 1t came to pass, at length, that
all belief In Christ was overthrow in the minds
OF not few. And 80, the sacred Scriptures
themselves, which they had at first held nm as
the only source and judge of Christian doc
tr1ne, were no longer held as divine but IN
the contrary, began to be counted among
myths and fables
Then arose and spread too widely throupb
Inc world that doctrine of rationalism
every point as being supernatural institution
labors with all it's might to exclude Christ
who is our only Lord and Saviour, from the
minds of men and from the life and the morals
of nations; and 80 to establish, instead. the
reign of mere reason, as they call it, or Of na-
ture. And thus having forsaken and cast
the true God and his Christ the minds of many
have at last fallen into the abyss of pantbeism
materialism and atheism, SO that now renndi
ating the reasoning nature of man, and every
rule of right and wrong, they are laboring to
overthrow the very foundations of human
society.
Moreover, US this impous doctrine is spread
ing every where, it has unfortunately come to
pass that not few even of the children of the
Catholic Church have wandered from the wnv
OF true piety; and as the truth gradually de-
cayed in their minds, the Catholic sentiment
grew fainter in them. For, being led away by
various and strange doctrines, and wron civ
nature and grace, human science
and divine faith, they have perverted the true
the Church holds and teaches, and have en-
dan gered the integrity and purity of faith
Now, looking at all these things how can |
the Church fail to be moved in her innermost
hearth For inasmuch God wills all men to |
be saved and to come to the knowledge'of the
ruth, inasmuch as Christ came to save that
which was lost, and to gather together in ono
The children of God that were dispersed so |
The Church, established by God as the mother |
md mistress of nations, feels that she is debtor
INTO ALL and is ever ready and earnest to raise
Up the fallen to strengthen the weak, to take
20 her bosom those that return, and to confirm |
,he good, and carry them on to better things |
at no time can she abstain from
bearing witness to and preaching the all-heal- |
ng truth of God; knowing that it has been
aid to her, My spirit that is in thee, and my
words that have put sn thy mouth, shall not |
lepart ont of thy mouth, from henceforth and |
or ever" lisa, ix., 21.)
Wherefore, following in the footsteps of mr.
and in fulflment of our sunreme
postolic duty, We have never omitted to teach
nd to protect the Catholic truth, and to re-
rove perverse teachings. And now the bish
ps of the whole world being gathered together
n this Gcumenical Council by our authority,
nd in the Holy Ghost, and sitting therein and
Judging with us, we, guided by the word of
od, both written and handed down by tradi-
ion, as we have received it, sacredly preserved
nd truly set forth by the Catholic Church,
lis chair of Peter, and in the sight of ALL the
wing doctrine of Christ; and in the mower
wen to us from God to prescribe and con-
ann the opposing errors.
CHAPTER l.
OF God the Creator of All Things
The holy, Catholic, Apostolic Roman Church
,lieves and confesses that there is one true
I'd living God, Creator and Lord of Heaven !
I'd earth, almighty, eternal, immense, incom-
ehensible, infinite in understanding and will {
I'D in all perfection; who,- being a spiritual
distance, one, single, absolutely simple and {
must be held to be, in reality {
i'd in eRsenca. diatinrt frnTn the world In Ia