The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-06-30

ton that the Councils OF Laodicea and CONSTANT
nopie rejected the apocryphal books AZ uncanoni-
cal, and that the Council OF Trent contradicted
these two inialble councils by declaring them to
thority with the inspired Word. This ne also de-
MES, adding that all councils are not infable but
only such as are ecumenlcal; and he also wants 20
know 70 which Of the Consbantlnople councils
have reference 1t affords me pleasure to inform
him that 1t was the sixth, and an ecumenica one
at that As to all councils not being inialllble but
only such 4" sanctioned by the Chair or
Truth" u. e., the Pope, know OF at least one
council not sanctioned by the Char OF Truth VINO
another into the chair-namely, the Council OF Con-
stance But he adds 1.-THE Church Of God holds that
version ofthe Scriptures which was prepared by the
great Dr. ST. Jerome, and which Pope Gelasius
solemny affirmed in council held at Rome In 4s4.
Unfortunate assertion The learned father reject
ed the Apochrypha uncanoncal But this Is only
another instance of the stupidity and Ignorance OF
-. I. NJ Jr,n In matters OF ecclesiastical history
connected with his own church. In his preface 10
the Book Of Kings volume 3, book 4, Jerome says
"Whats0everis without these Is to be placed among
the Apochrypha. Therefore the Book OF wisdom,
which Ia commonly called the Wisdom OF solomon,
and the Book of Jesus, the son OF Srach, and Ju-
ditii and TObit and the Shepherd, are not In the
canon" Even Pope Gregory the Great rejected
the Book or Maccabees; so that when the Council
OF Trent mathematical all those who rejected the
books which she declared 10 be can0nlcal, she
anathematized not only the two Councils above
named, but also the learned Jerome, whom -. /.
NJ. Jr," declares prepared her Scriptures, and his
inlaiible Holiness Pope Gregory the dreat ~
Yours GEORGE LEE.
Derivation or the Word .sRcligion.''
To tue EDITOR THE HERALD
NY attention has been cAled to a communica-
ton In the HERALD OF june concerning the
derivation OF the word religion" The cause OF
Christianity gains nothing by erroneous deriva
tions; it rather loses, for unbelievers sag, with
show or Justice in such cases. that Christian
men are afraid OF the truth that may initiate
7 ltink hat
moments thought Win convince any one that the
derivation of the latin word '.reytgto" from relt-
care, is not at all consistent with any heather
conceptions OF their gods or OF divine nature.
Accordingly we find Cicero in the ESSAY De Ma
tura Deorum,"i j., 2S deriving the word from 'ree-
gere,r TO peruse over and again; with which we
may compare the German .'dnddcht,r devoutness
strictly bordering over and gottesleh,e" theology
literally God-lore-studying about Cod The deri-
walton from reiiyofe was an idea the early Chris
tians, and TO apply IT they were compelled to in
vent new meaning for the verb, namely, to bind
anew implying separation from God, TO whom we
are reconciled by Christ; whereas the primary
meaning OF religdre was 10 tie 1.-THE hands, back ;
that is behind the captive 6c. and the secondary
or applied meaning was to fasten securely. Cicero,
TuscalanB l., ~; SuetOnius, Vita Vitel II !;
Caesar Bellum Cvite IL. and M Is; Virgil 4Eneid
vii, 1906 &c.) IL also meant, though rarely to I'M
bind. Servius, Lactantius and Augustine may be
pardOned for doing what they could to enforce the
new Christian idea-new In their days-even by In
correct, but taking IDEAS besides that Ii is per-
fectly possible that they may have believed them
selves correct. But as the word was classical and
Formed In classical times, we must take 1t as formed
nom the Ideas prevalent In those times Again,
the word was as Often II not oftener, used for
merely ritualistc ceremonies learned by the priests
OF the various gods through constant study eJ r9le
gerdO, as for the internal feeling have yet to
meet with the man who mas carefully examined
this point In oil It's bearings who does not give the
derivation from TelegtY'e, Christians freely
grant this derivation fact in the history Of Ian
guage, and yet cling to their belief which Is not
strengthened, but weakened, by. ignoring truth.
In this case the strengthening Is from the correct
derivation, as 1t shows that Christianity raised and
elevated the beauty and power OF the Word In the
hearts OF men. The only phrase that Lactantius
gives that at all seems to favor his theory Is pal
pably false Interpretation OF conception from Lu-
cretus IL, e31; w.. I, rellgfonuna dnf1nOs nOdis
erolre'e pe,yol, where the poet, as the context
anime their own hearts and to break loose from
the bonds OF religious ceremonials," looking to
the spirit.
The strongest argument for the derivation from
relgdre Is that legdre, which, In composition with
prefxes, usually changes to tcOlt1ere deligeye,
eltgee, &c.), does not 30 change In felege7e. But
the present partcipe eii0ens used especially
OF one reverencing the gods, as peculiar word,
that as the word rettgiO has the g long, while
relegere has the OF the prefix short In accordance
with the general rule for re- invariable except In
this instance, 1t IS more likely that we must look
elsewhere for the derivation OF the first syllable Of
religiO. As l cannot pursue this point further
without going into pathological discussion, shall
merely allude briefly to another error that your
correspondent seems TO have made.
The word Trinity has no connection with any
such nOndescript and unintelligibe word as ''rri-
une" (Which means nothing, not even three in
one-trta tuncta =, uao;'l but Trinity Is derived
by threes, OF which distributives the Latin had full
forms; stry,l, in single e binf, by twos, te't or
trfnf, by threes; QMtTnt by tours qutnt, by hves,
- SCRUTAToR.