Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1870-08-02
TERMs---s2.oo PER YEAR
.ssss1EEs.--VOL. q, NO. 8.
INFALLIBILITY.
What II Does end Does not Mean

FROM inc NeW lOIh IIlDulios July w.
The adoption Of the dogma Of in
fallibility does not impose a new
faith upon Roman Catholics. With
the theological aspects of the case we
have nothing to do and the varying
opinions of Roman Catholic theolo-
gians we do not now consider; but
we state as an undcniablc fact that
the Roman Catholic iaity firmly be-
lieve in the infallibility of the Pope i;
that they believed in il before the
council voted, and even before the
council was called that in fact this
body has only now enacted into q
dogma what has long been the simple,
unquestioning faith of Roman Catho-
lies in general throughout both Eu-
rope and America. Many may have
doubted the wisdom Of proclaiming
the faith but practically all have
held it.
Neither does the adoption Of this
dogma threaten any schism in a
church which, by reason of its age,
its vast extent, and its powerful hold
upon the minds of so large proper
ton of the civilized world, must long
remain an object of profound interest
alike 10 friends and foes, to states
men as we'll as to theologians. The
Armenians and others who, like
them, have hung loosely on the skirt
of Roman Cath olicism, may secede !;
but neither in Europe nor America,
will there be any serious, open dis
turbance of the harmony Of the
faith. We have not been allowed to
print the debates, and only vague
details of the actual proceedings in
the council have reached the public
eye but whatever disputes there
may have been among the theolo-
gians, there are likely TO be none be-
fore the people.
What the proclamation Of this
dogma does is to sharpen the antag-
onism between Roman Catholics and
the outside world, and to dwarf the
powers and influence of their own hi
erarchy, outside of Rome, 1t is q
movement of separation and OF CEN
tralization it builds Chinese wall
between the world of modern pro-
gressive thought and the Roman
Catholic Church, and it gathers the
powers of that church more and
moro within the limits Of the city of
Rome.
Between Roman Catholics and the
rest of the world there is henceforth
on outward and visible sign of sop
aration that is immutable. Roman
Catholics do believe the Pope infalli-
BILE. No other human being can pos
sibly believe it. The distinction is
inevitable it's influence upon systems
Of faith, modes of thought, develop
ments Of ideas, tendencies Of prog
ress, must be incradieablo, and the
formal adoption of the dogma sharp
ems and intensifies ii.
The real secret of the long strug-
gle in the council aside from the
view of the influence of the dogma
upon the relations of church to the
world was undoubtedly the HOSTILE
ty OF the outside hierarchy TO what
may be called the church-politics of
the movement, In proportion as it
centralizes power in Rome, it with
draws it from the other bishoprics.
1t exalts the successor Of ST. Peter,
but dwarfs the Bishops of remote re-
gions; tends TO gather patronage in
Rome at the cost of Dublin and st.
Louis; and more and more gives
over the control of the affairs Of the
church to the management of the
Italian Bishops and the Bishops in
partibus by whom the majority in the
council in its favor has been made
up. And it may safely be accepted
as an end of Ecumenical Councils.
There is no farther need of such con-
vocations to declare the faith Of the
church, when the church has formal
ly proclaimed its belief that such a
declaration by the Pope alone would
be infallibly correct.
RsSy@Ihe Rev HenrvWard Reecher