The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1872-09-29

Old Catholics are holding congress at
Cologne. The occasion is critical one,
and the future of the new movement
depends very largely upon what it de-
cides to do. DR.. Dollinger is learned,
wise and brave man, aud has respeota-
BILE following. The under-ourrent of
German sympathy is nnquestionably
with him, and lnrge body of Italian
Catholics would probably join an organi.
zation that is at once Catholic and free.
But just hero is the difficulty. DR.. Dol.
linger blames Luther for quitting tho
church, and thus breaking the historic
continuity of its traditions. He eyi-
IDENTITY intends to net the part of q Pro-
testant and reformer within the old
ecclesiasticism. But bis very act of re-
bellion against the Papal authority cx.
communicates him. He is, to all intents
and purposes, as much Of an outsider to-
day as Luther was when he nailed his
thesis to the church door. The fact that
he still holds to great deal of the old
Catholic doctrine mukes no difference, so
long as he denies the central authority
and refuses obedience thereto. The
difficulty of the new movement is en-
hanced by the fact that those most inte-
rested In it are not sufficiently detached
from Roman dogmas and traditions to
comprehend the entire situation, and
sQuarely meet the issues aud satisfy the
demand of the new times. If they have
the courage to act, they lack the light to
see what to do. If they organize, it will
be as new sect outside of the old fold
And if they turn their backs from Rome,
they must turn their faces toward rea.
sou. Bnt how they can keep all the old
md get oil the new, have q personal
Pope and obey only the Individual con-
science, follow the traditions Of the
church and the decisions of the councils,
and yet be true to the revelations OF
truth made through science and history
and art and experience tc day, are ques-
tlons which they find it very hard to an
swer to their own satisfaction, much less
that of anybody se.-Gololen Age.
The New REFORM PLAN OF THE OLD
CATHOLICS. The congress of Old Catho-
lies in Cologne adopted resolutions, lust
previous to the adjournment, favoring
compulsory civil marriage. the payment
of the clergy by tue State, and the
restoration of churches to tho old Catho
lie priesthood. This is pretty compre-
hensive programme. The session was
attended by number of ladies. The
question of compulsory civil marriage
by the State being up for debate, this is
not to be wondered at, particularly after
the success of Madame Hyacinthe in OBJ
tanning q husband in London. The
words, compulsory civil marriage by the
State. possessed an attraction, no doubt;
for the fair ones may have taken them
to mean that every woman shall be pro.
vided with helpmate by the govern
ments. or that they themselves should
be married then and there, in Cologne,
to some German officer, after the fashion
observed by Frederick the Great, who
compelled good-looking, adventurous
women to marry his soldiers nolens
goiens, with the view of sustaining the
physical efficiences of his armies. Then
the restoration of churches to the Old
Catholic priesthood this smells of the
"feshpots. A satirical, perhaps irreli-
gious, writer in England said that the
wealth and church property of the Ro.
man Catholic episcopacy tended vastly
to the Protestant reformation. The
reason of the dispute, said he, was "the
old woman had money and had none. u
Ne,O York Herald.