The New York herald., 1870-09-01


the Church and ltsciergy more especially the voice
Of Christ summoniDg mo: humble IA am, in COM
mon with all the other prelates OF the world 10 the
| Genernl Council OF the vatican. l needed not your
| assurances that your prayers accompanied me.
Your eyes and your hearts instincuvely almost IT.
| ressubly 10 that Holy Ciy whittier so mary
| were journeyng, aud every day your prayers ana
suppNcatons were offered up 10 heaven ior inc sue
| cess VI tnat great work which was being underta-
| ken. General Council beloved brethren,
| YOU know ID no new thing IN the church;
| pus Ia that Churchs esenaui history there
~ no one Thing no one event or circumstance, that
mas marked It 80 strongly. ha, shone forth more
conspcuously or more resplcndenuy through
tle ages, has been more powerful In the work oil
preserving the integrity Of DIyne revelation, OF the
/. deposit OF taith ns II was irst committed to the
Aposues, OF arresting the progress OF heresy, oil
| healing schisms OF promoting morality, OF con-
ducing 10 the advancement OF civilization OF giving
true peace ana happiness TO society and providing
tor the advancement OF the truth aud the salvation
oi souls. Nothing say Ike tnls Ia the history OF
| done and effected by Its Genera! Councils. have
only to mention Nice, Consantnopie. Eplesus. flo
renee Trent and SO many Others with which you
to-day are all sofaIliiar Their saving ana salutay
Influences were not only for the day and generation
In which they were held. but they have reached 10
course through successive centuries, anl now az
has been SO eioquently remarked at the foot Of
this altar, land now their glorious and their
sacred echoes re-echO in the Council OF TIE Hati-
| can' And among these general oounclls-nineteen
now In number-I thmk may with safety say
there has not been one OF greater importance and
which, we trust, Will be more productive OF benen
cia than that whose sessions are now in pro-
gress--niportant ny reason OF tho number OF pre-
lates who are assembled therein. important Ivy
reason of That glorious and divineiy projected Pom
thcate unner which II Is called, important by
reason OF the magnitude OF the questions which
have been considered already ana defined. There
assembled bishops from every portion of the gloDe.
III tlle Garner councils OF The East there few
present other than bishops from the East. The
the holy Father whom he invested with hts
annanry antmorty ana IN his name. In the great
bishops predomnated aud prevailed, and
In common with them were to DO seen Others,
bsh0ps OF Asia, some iIom Africa, ana Of Europe.
Ainerlca nad no place therein. Australia had no
place therein They had no place IN tnose councils
| Christian world Three hundred years nave elapsed
since The Council or Trent and since that period tho
american church has been planted and has grown
up and. taken Iii north and SOUTH las presented
within the walls or that Vatican Il body OF pre- ates
as numerous and even numerous than any
other nation OF Christians. There were there
bishops from China. bishops from japan. bishops
iron from Aoyssinia, from tue north ana from
scattered throughout the ocean. There were
there venerable patrarchs representing churches oi
tie earliest days OF Christianity. There were there
prelates renowned for tneir learning ana for their
eloquenoe for their piety, for their devotion o. the.
cause Christ Toefe were there doctors ana comics
sors, men who had suffered ana bearing upon their
persons scars and wounds which had been inflicted
upon them. might mention one instance III the
case or the BshOp OF China VINO came u Rome lie
had barely escaped from his resiuence, which for
weeks had been besleged by the military. wait
ated according TO the ediot or the Emperor 10 put
him to death. But he escaped from their hands and
gathered there from all parts children ana broth
ers, all performing one anu the same unani-
altar In various turgtes IN various costumes; but
the same sacrhce the same conservation the same
alteration and the same communion. 1t was spec
tacle inspired, spectacle sublime aud beautiful
beyond description, and such as Rome. with all Its
traditions OF glories never perhaps, had seen be-
Tore and IL may be destined never to again. So
that II may be truly said there never was a council
more truly deserving the name OF general, the name
| of Ecumenicai Council OF the Vatican. I have
alluded to the magnitude OF the questions which 0c
cupied Its attention. would fain dwell upon that.
| patience. But there II point when
| the name OF the Vatican - mentioned
has up a. once 90 y0ar minds o1s
because or that which intrii5cay belongs TO II but
because OF the external attention which nas been
drawn TO II throughout The world, aud lhat "a the
doctrine OF inialbDiity ot The Pope great deal Of
INSTRUMENTATION. and in consequence, a great
and the nature and the intent 0f the inialliby Of
the Pope. It is said by many. and 1t is believed by
| many that the Church and the Vatican Council has
been creating a new doctrine. has been imposing
upon its Christian people pelief which they never
held before; has heen conrerrng upon the Holy
Father. or has allowed the assumption by the Holy
FathN>of prerogatiye and of an authority which
That It was, therefore, an oppression of the
consciences OF the people, that II was disturbance
or the peace aad tranquility of the Church, thai C
was an interference with political aad civil society,
and that IL wonld make the Pope "a sort OF demigod,
| authorizing him to teach ana divine and declare
Whatever he pleased, and that tile motto would be
"Al right; the Pope can do no harD--the Pope can
| do no wrong" Now, beloved brethren. let me say
that the vatican Council has made no new doctrine.
IL has given 10 the Pope authority prerogative
| which mad not existed IN him before; that it has
not oppressed the ca,mest conscienccs; that 1t has
not nerered in either Cvil political society; but
| II properly understood and received, would con-
tribute to the good order. 10 the strength OF BOTH
and TO the peace ana welfare the people aud tnat
tue Pope, although inlaliibe. Is man sub
sSSdi snd 10 a, eISF Wear e cnrs qfass @ maS p1pe
as private bishop, IL you wi-he
is subject TO error-subject are, except by
| N ia shftrts
cannot creaie any new doctrine. declares and 1t
divines what is he truth that 1t has received, what
Is the truth that has been revealed by GOd and
is contained In that depository OF the revelations or
! which II IL the divIney appointed guardian. That
| which was believed before anu OWNED might
not always be- although doctrine TO be believed.
That which we call dogma OF Catholic iaith we are
bound 10 believe under pam OF sii aud It would be
cOntumacy Itself in not believing, under pain OF
heresy. such mas been the doctrIle OF nallipiliiy
OF the Pope which has been believed by tho Christian
world since tue days Oi the Apostles until now.
The Church has always believed that the PopeS
OF Rome are the SUCCESSORS OF ST. Peter, ana as sue.
cess0rs or 81. Peter are The inberitOrS OF the pro-
misses which Christ made TO hin, and are also the
lnlnritors OF hls prerogatlves and OF his supreme
apostolic authority Chrisl said to Peter, ..Thou
art the rock, and upon this rock | VIII build my
Church, and the gates OF hell VIII never prevail
against you.n The Church wss to endure forever
and how forever II the rock dio not endure forever
And how would the rock endure forever II the gates
OF hell were TO prevail against II And il the gates
could not prevail against It then Peter who ~ the
rock, and nt5 successors who inherit the promises
! which say are likewise the rock, must pc right
successors OF Peter will the gates of hell ever be
able 10 prevail II in the discharge OF their Office
Wears OF Cnrist as thel head OF His Church. thus
dviney appointed TO rule and govern the universal
hOck Cey can teach error: II Ihey give place
Of nourisning food the poisoned food OF error; II
they teach doctrines as revelations which had
never been revealed. and thereby impose as du.
lies in morality duties which were never con-
tanned IN the Gospel, never in the apostolic teach
ings or traditions oi the Church. then the promises
would have failed ana the gates OF he'll wonld have
prevailed. Feed my sheep and feed my mock, and
teach the bishops Of the Church well the faith
fu people This The text Of the vicar OF Christ.
When say he IL nialliblc we mean
that when in the exercise OF that ONCE
when in the exercise or It's duties an
Vicar of Christ, as head OF the Church, as the
organ OF that Church. the pastor and the teacher
OF that Church, he divines as dogma Of faith and
he is, In virtue OF his promises which have been
made 10 Peter, and to him through Peter, protected
frnfI in haa I1,r