The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1871-07-13
COMMUNICATIONS.
SMICKsBURg, PA, June, 1871.

corruption. 1t furnishes the genuine Christian
with an interesting and delightful subject for
contemplation, and at the same time presents
to him II cause for sincere and unfeiGned graft
tude to the great and only Head.of the Church,
The short history OF the Reformation which 1
/. The necessity of the Reformation IL The
means by which the Reformation was
the Reformation. @ W fhe Obligations arising
out OF the Reformation.
1. THE NECESSITY OF THE REFORMATION.
The necessity of the Reformation will appear
very evident from the corruption in doctrine,
in Worship and in morals, that prevailed i'll the
upon the people as articles of faith which had
not the least foundation i'm the Holy Scriptures,
in reason, or III primitive antiquity, and which
are utterly opposed to common sense and the
experience of mankind, as will briefly show
by referring to the most important of them.
First, l will notice the doctrine of the Infalli-
bflity of the Bishop of Rome. This doctrine
Reformation, almost universally maintained.
Bellarmine a disting uished interpreter of the
Romish faith, teaches that the Pope when he
instructs the whole Church concerning faith,
cannot err. We can believe nothing" says
faith that the Pope is the successor of St Peter,
and tIgaui:Hc." 1T drPends upon the Pope"
alter them when ratified" ''The Pope" says
Belarmine, ''is absolutely above the Catholic
Church, and above General Council so that
he has no Judge above him on earth" Corne-
Illus Mussres sayss The Pope cannot err. He
(the Pope has even, by some Roman Catholic
writers. been designated as God upon earth"
Bat 1t is presumed that no Roman Catholic will
deny the doctrine of fthcInfalIibility of tbePupe,
has decided that the doctrine of the Infallibii-
ity of the Pope is held, maintained and taught
by the Roman Catholic Church. / reply to this
assumption, that it is blasPhemous and utterly
unfOunded in the Scriptures. This doctrine
was never acknowledged in the ancient Church,
and was only introduced in an age Of universal
corruption. From history we learn that Popes
have contradicted themselves and each other
General Councils decided in avowcd opposition
70 each other. Pope Gregory, in the latter end
of the sixth century said that lcIlosocre claims
the universal epiScOpdte * the fOrei1uer of 11It
christ; and yet the claim has been made by
numerous PontiTs: so that if the decision Of
Gregory il to be received as nfallihle truth his
successors in the Pontificate are the rOrerun-
ners of Antichrist; while, on the other hand. if
they are not the forerunners of Antichrist, his
decision is not true, and therefore he was Hot
infaiIib The Divine RedeeTner said, Matt,
XXIII., 500: BE not We called Rabbi; for
one is your Master even Christ ntid all We are
brethren, and call no man your Father upon
earth, for one is your Father, who is in heaven.
Neither be We Masters, for one is four Master
even Christ The monstrous abshrdity of the
1nfalliblIity OF the Pope was one of the errO-
neOus doctrines which made d reformation
necessary. will for the present not say any
thing about the POpe's temporal sovereignty.
In 4 future communication l may discuss it.
Secondly, will now call your attention to
By the Roman Catholic Church at the time of
the Reformation, and which she still holds. The
bread and wine in the sacrament of the Lords
supper are actually so rTGusInuted in the essen
tial qualities as 70 cease being any longer bread
and vine, and henceforth become the strictly
literal and proper, and substantial, and mate
rial flesh and blood OF Jesus Christ-yea. even
Jesus Christ himself, with his humanity. and
Divinity. The Council of Trent says ''ff any
man shall deny, tina: in the most holy sacra-
ment of the Eucharist there are contained truly
and really and substantially the body and blood;
together with the soul and divinity OF our Lord
Jesus Christ, and therefore the whole Christ,
he is accurSed." In the year 4 D. I2l5,
when the twelfth General Council was held Mt
this doctrine was introduced into the Church of
Rome. From this doctrine arose the worship
OF the host or wafer, as natural result. How
soon and how readllywes the idOiatrous ractiCe
grated on the POpish innovation of transub-
sanitation. From the Roman canon law we
learn that Pope HouOrius who succeeded limo
cent Ill. shortly after the Council ordered the
priests at a certain part of the mass service to
time the people should prostrate themselves
the IS in the Year sI5er neiar
bratea festival. still observed with much pomp
Feast of Corpus Christi, or body Of Christ was
instituted. In this feast the CGf Idol is carried
of merriment. rejoicing aud illumination. and
upon IT'S approach all fall down upon their
knees and worship it till it has passed by This
practice is idolatrOus and wicked, and is ex-
ceedngly injurious TO precious and immortal
souls; Did not this absurd doctrine. and the
sinful and superstitiouS practice arising from
it. call loudly for reformation?
Thirdly, will consider the celibacy Of the
clergy. and of the nuns, and of various orders
of monks. Eave not in the doctrines of
celihacy one OF the most evident marks of the
great apOstasy predicted by st. Paul in his first
Epistle to Timothy, w, 1-2-3 where forbidding
to marry is expressly mentioned as one Of the
How clearly the doene of E the SS SchaeT of
the clergy opposed to the divine instructions of
priests do not wish the Bible to be read in the
common schools. The Apostle Paul, in desert
is a true saying, il man desire the office of n
bishop, he desireth a good work" A Bishop,
wife; given to hospitality; one that ruleth well
his own house. having his children in subsection
rule his own house, how shall he take care Of
the Church Of God?" In instrncting Titus con-
the Isle of Crete, he says: 'If any he blameless,
the husband of one wife. having faithful chill
must he bameess as steward of God" The
recital OF the enormous wickeduess which fol-
would be too horrible to be embodied in a com
mutiication written for the perusal of the pub
JIG Did not this absurdity call loudly for Re-
Fourthly, The doctrine of seven sacraments
ia erroneous and unscriptural. The Church had
only two sacraments until I14i, when it was first
taught by Hugo de st. Nictoire and Peter Lom=
fully determined that it should he taught as the
doctrine of the Church that there were seven
ton Of the Holy Scriptures. On this subject
evidently a Reformation was necessary
teaching of the roman Catholic Church of the
distinction of sins into venial and mortal-those
which incurred censure or the penalty OF death.
The catechism reduced the deadly or capital
sins to seven, as follows: Pride. covetousncss,
all others. were ,venial. Hence are not sur
PRICED to hear the Council of Mentz plainly pro
Tess that they cannon understand now Hod
could be Just if he punished any for venial sins
without eternal plinishment. Andradires and
Bonaventura assert fhat for venial sins do
not so much as need repentance. Now, when
we consider that sin in every form and degree
is the object of divine abhOrTeflce. that the
wrath of heaven is revealed against all uuright-
eOusness without. exception, apd that sin ia the
alienation of the heart Of man from God, wIich
constitutes the guilt of sin, what must we think
of this impious distinction of sins? 1t certain
" opens the door to all RIGHTEOUSNESS, and this
has been the Legitimate fruit of it in the Church
of Rome.
The necessity of the Reformation appears
very evident from the corruptions in doctrine,
in worship and in morals that prevailed in the
Church of Rome. Some of the doctrines | have
already mentioned, and will now proceed to
direct your attention to others. 1 here then
will first refer to the doctrine of merit, which is
universally taught in the Roman Catholic
Church. The Council of Trent expressly de-
clares 'tthat the good works of justified persons
! are really meritoriouS; deserving not only an
increase of grace, but eternal life and an in
crease of glory; and it has anathcmatiZed all
who deny this doctrines" All this is directly