New-York tribune., 1870-01-11

For three centuries past has been exposed YET the
principles II hliodueed ana Drougnt iSo n,pS md hayo
grown into her fc that the exposure OF ne rauu nae
produced no result in shaking the dominant system.
About hundred pretended decrees OF tho caI.css
Popes. together with certain spurious wlllhEs VI Z o,
Church dgntarcs and acts OF SyDods, were then tapr
Gated an the west Of Gau and eagerly seized upon
by Pope Nicholas l. at Rome. TO be used as Eenn,ndd
documents in support OF the new claims pnt oIWhg,
by himself and his successors The immediate Object
OF the compiler this forgery TO protect olshos
against their metrOpoltans and other authorizes, W
20 secure absolute impunity and the excursion Oh a
influence Of the secular power Ihs ehd was 20 9
through such immense extension OF te lsPa E PUNS
that as these principles graaOdy ,v she
necessarily assumed the form OF an absolute m9ntenS
subjected TO The arbitrary power OF sng,e aiua ,hi
already ladhrst by the principle that the DEGREES
Of every Council require Papal contrmauon seeondy'
tiers of faith resides in the Pope alone, who is bishop OF
the universal Church while the other bishops are DIE
servants.
Janus does not imply that either Pope Nicholas OF
his successors who made of these forgeries had
any suspicion of their fraudulent origin on the con-
trary he believes that the change at the outset was
made in perfect good faith 1t not however until
two hundred years later that the seed planted by
the Isidorian decretals bore much fruit When what
may be called the Hildebrandine era of the Papacy
was inaugurated by LeoIX u0lSl the temporal power
of the Church had greatly increased and many Vlr-
tuOus and influential persons and corporations were
ready TO enhance the spiritual authority OF the Pom
tiff order to the reformation of tho lower
clergy The Isidorian fOrgeres were now appealed
to as authority for the proposed changes in Church
constitution. Gregory VII, who had been one
of Leo's principal advisers, carried matters
further than any of his predecessors,
and caused his nephew, Anselm of Lucca,
to elaborate his system by compiling new code of
church law. This Anselm did, first, by extracting
and putting into convenient working shape every
thing in tho Isdorap forgeries seryceable for the
Papal absolutsm; next, by altering the law of the
Church through tissue of fresh inventions and in
teTpOlatiOns in accordance with the requirements of
his party and the standpoint of Gregory" Janus
goes on to enumeTate a terrible catalogue OF subse
quent forgeries, interpretations, and corruptions of
texts by which, piece by piece he contends that the
present structure of Papal absolutsm has been built
up and the rights of the bishops and independence
of churches have been invaded. We have no
space to follow out this elaborate historical
study 1t is a marvel Of research, Of compact
statement, and of cogent reasoning. The frequent
citation of authorities indicates that the author has
no wish to rely upon his literary accomplishments or
pOlemiCal ingenuity but invites thorough scholar
ly discussion The remark made by several of his
English reviewers that all his points are justified by
citation of approved authorities is exaggeratiOn;
such elaborate proving that could not be expected
in a single small volume. But the references are
ample for the guidance Of any who may feel disposed
to pursue the inquiry further. Tho advocates of
personal nfalbty must meet the issue squarely,
or confess an Overwhelming defeat. Ii is no answer
to such a work to place it on the Index. 1t must be
combatted chapter by chapter, and page by page.
Janus traces at the close Of bis work the mis-
chievous effect of the doctrine OF p6fs0hal 4laE-
bly upon the character of the Popes, and hints at
what may be the result if discussion at the present
Council is not free. That it will not be free he un
hesiiatingly assumes and the book ends with these
significant words: "Theologians and canOnists de-
clare that without complete freedom the decisions of
a Council are not binding, and the assembly is only
a apseudo-Synod. It's decrees may have to he cor
reCted"