The weekly standard., 1870-08-03

when there is question of informing our
selves regarding the acts OF an Assembly
like this Council, then should we be doubly
on our guard, that in the abundance Of re-
ports, we receive not the untrue, and leave
unread the only versions that can convey
to us a lust perception of what transpires.
Now, it is difficult to form too high an
idea of the nature of the Assemblage under
consideration, or to over estimate the char
acter of its acts. A Council of this descrip-
tion is never called except when questions
of the very first magnitude are to be dis
cussed. 1t is easy to convince ourselves OF
this. We need but glance at the worlds
history, and set our finger on the theses that
in the past challenged the highest exercises
of intellect, eloquence and learning, that
have ever been called forth. No student of
history so stupid as not to know that the
Councils of the Catholic Church have opc-
rated with gigantic effect throughout the
christian period on the direction OF ideas,
on the formation of opinions, and on the
shaping of our entire history.
Lightly as some may regard the progress
of the Council, there can be no doubt but
its action will have effect when systems
now fourislling will have passed away.
Judging from the analogies Of history, we
can affirm that this Council will be rule, a
power, a living, operating, seficacious prin-
lciple- shaping minds and modelling human
IT., wtssa gdoms and republics Of to day.
will have passed down the stream of time
and lie buried in the ocean that contains
all human history.
This council revives long passed events.
1t is a link uniting times removed by centu-
ries. 1t connects the dark unexplored fu-
ture with the times when the first Reformers
broke off their allegiance to Rome. This is
in word, the first general council which
has been convened for three hundred years.
Not since the outburst of Protestanism has
the Roman Pontiff deemed it fitting to call
around him in solemn Ecumenical consulta-
ton the Prelates of his church from the limits
of the world. And this fact tells us we are
at one of those turning points in time when
the world, as it were, pauses to take a retro
spective look over the Journey it has just
completed. We are at one of those periods
when that church collects all her forces and
vests herself with astounding energy TO
spring into the untrodden paths that lie
before her in the future No eye has ever
penetrated deeper than hers into the mass
of facts and influences that compose the
strata of human history. Nc perception so
keen as hers in detecting the causes that
concur in these formations She has plant
ed her landmarks at the commencement of
every period. The dates of the world are
grayed upon the columns she erected. When
we see her now congregate her bishops. and
offer for their consideration those questions
that rivet the universe by their very enunci
attain, we may we'll think we are entering a
new era, We may legitimately conclude that
some vast and mighty changes are about to
mark their passage upon the composition of
society. Mighty influences are indeed at
work. Ours is period Of transition. Great
good, great evil, thrust themselves for
ward to dispute the possession of minds and
hearts. Only chaos can result from con-
test waged by influences like these, if some
superior force rise not above the tumult of
the hour and command a peace in words
which must be needed. Here we have the
key to the assembling of the council.
The Catholic church has ever asserted
that to her is primarily confded the guild
ance of society. Other powers, both gov
ernmental and religious, have betimes arisen
to deEy the supremacy she claims. But re-
gardess of opposition she pressed into the
foremost of the STRIFE and was found pro-
mitigating her laws to a listening world
when her competitors had submitted to her
dictations, or had vanished from the field
where they struggled to subdue her! Ac-
count as we may for this most singular phe-
nomenon, there stands the TACT: and
it is attested by all the monuments 'na. can
pe poili'eu 20 a. m'nesseo ,'L u, % .ho .ro,nIt
IN gle',; .hraatan,S S'1m hnr OWN destructinn @ %
Oi the liilIs S I,. nui u"H g.. H. 49,
that chulcn pi1Ieu iionsen up t ,t ;" sI I,n suh
anu IohSoaouo nh " "h ho. " o17Sonom,s @ ou the
uueu, snI lh.S .,noi, I oPP Pa snIaotod an'I
GROUNDS they themselves hau seieoteu' . ai.u
When tneir might was eAiiaus'eu' snc mas
iresn as neiOfe, 10 re asse'' amt " ihai"''in
her spirituai SUPREMACY