The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1874-12-16
Gladstone's Pamphlet.

Sixteen thousand copies of Mr.. Gladstones
pamphlet were sold within week after its publ
cation. This gives some indication of the stir that
it has made in England. The Catholics have taken
the discussion pretty much into their own bands,
Lords Acton and Camoys being supported by sew
eral other Liberal and protesting Catholics who
endorse what Mr.. Gladstone has said while on
the other side by the Ultramontanes the statements
of the Liberals are holly contested. Quite pretty
little quarrel has thus arisen in the Catholic Church
itaelf over this question of civil allegiance; and
The Spectator expresses the opinion that if Bis
Darck had stood aloof and let Catholics in Ger
many tight their own battles as they are doing now
in England. the Old Catholic party would have
gained much more rapidly on the Continent than
it has done. The cor lecture is plausible. First
among the disputants is the Catholic Uuion OF
England, presided over by Lord Petre This body
issues a manifesto repudiating the positions taken
by Lords Acton and Camoys and Mr.. Henry Petre,
and declaring that these gentlemen do not repre-
sent the Catholic laity of England. In reply to
this, "a Lay Catholic writes TO the Times asking
how much right the Catholic Union has to repre-
sent the aity OF the Church and pointing out that
the impression made by the letters of the Catholic
peers was due not to the fact that anybody had
chosen them to speak, but to the fact that what
they said was true. Mr.. John TowDley afirms
that intallibility has always been taught and oe-
lieved in the Church. whereupon Mr.. Martin Arch
er Shee quotes from pamphlet. published and
widely circulated by Catholics before Emancipa-
ton, the following statement:
Il. 1t is no matter of faith to believe that the
Pope is in himself infallible, separated from the
Church. even in expounding the faith. By conse-
quence, Papal definitions Of Decree in whatever
form pronounced, taken exclusively from general
council or universal acceptance of the Church,
oblge none, under pain OF heresy, to an interior
assent.
Sir George Bowyer, who may be fairly called the
ready and universal Catholic letter writer, puts in
his epistle, 10 which be demurs to Monsignor Ca
pels doctrine that the Church alone has the right
TO define its own and the State Jurisdiction. Sir
George thinks that the realms of the two powers
are wholly distinct and that there cannot be con
hict OF authority between them without fault on
one side or the other. The statement of the Catho-
lie journals that Mr.. Gladstones pamphlet was
writ en- under the advice of DR.. D0llinger is au.
thortatively denied in The Telegraph, which as
serts that DR.. D0.linger was not aware of Mr..
Gladstones purpose to issue such manifesto
The Berlin papers, OF course, appauded the ex-
premier to the echo, and there is much subdued
growing among the organs of the Vatican at
Rome. As for the Pope, he does not hesitate to
say that MIR. Gladstone is "a viper assailiDg the
bark of St. Peter. Exactly what he means by
this unless il be to nsinuate that this viper bark
is worse than his bite, we confess that we don't
know. 1t would appear that rhetoric must be
among the things condemned in the Syllabus.
The report of the organization of an Old Catholic
church In London is contradicted, though where
the Liberal Catholics are going, now that they
have definitely repudiated the Vatican dogma, is
not yet nade -Iadependent