, 1874-01-11
THE OLD CATHOLICS.

Bishop Reinkcns' Pastoral to the
i.u,ty and Clergy OF tic German EN-
pre-.
The following are extracts from the author
izcd edition OF Bishop Reinkens' pastoral, as
published at Bonn:
"JosapL IIabeft Reinkens, Catholic Bishop, to
the clergy and 1aity OF the German Empire
ton in the Lorlt
s'Mo1e than sc, 900 German Catholics, to whom
truth 1s still Of Incompatible and imperishablo
value hare, through their delegates and in con-
true to their filth. elected me, in an unwcntad
manner, to be their Bishop; but thi. apparently
new mode is but tho primitive one, suppressed.
but still the apoetolica truly ecclesiastical
While seeming to introduce innovations. beloved
in the Lord weare returning to the original legiti
mate form. For 1000 yeas and more-indeel.
so late as the twelfth century, IS the letters OF
St. Bernard Of Clail vaux proTe-tEe election Of
a Bishop was, even in the Western Church, fr-m
Ill ecclesiastical point Of view. only then cou-
B.Jered as legitimate GEat is to soy, as according
to the practice which the Apostles, commissioned
b7 Jesus Christ, had adolteO when carried out
by clergy and laity. But eren before that time
ins apostolic practice had been broken through
aad violated. When the episcopal Office became
moie and more surrounded by outward pomp, by
wealth and princeIy splendor when the younger
Sons Of mobiles began to cfler price for it, tho
temporal Pflnces, IN whose ranks tho Pope Of
homo now ltood, began 10 make merchandise OF
the Office. It was iLen they robbed the Church,
tho faithful laity, AID clergy of the ght of cleo
t on, and gradually usurped this right uudes W.
rlous ptetexts-.he Pops Of Rome. on his part,
by laying ciuim to bo solo vicar OF God; whera.
az, for many centuries before, the whole b,5J OF
Bishops had been styled Wears OF God, ea;A 0ne
cs:lng himself and all the others SO. After many
Luudlcd ycals OF conflict, IN waich the temporal
welfare Of tho people. no less than reEi.1on ;1
SELF, deeply suffered, the result in the Western
Ch1u ch is the utter destruction Of &ha FREQ elec
ton OF Bishops and consequently Of the apos-
toiical legitimacy Of the Bishops. Catholic
Princes nominate the new Bishop, and the Pope
appoints him. Under nou-C Catholic governments
certain ecclesiastics. called canons, are, by mu-
tuaI agreement between Princes end Pope (Which
without the consent OF the Church), invested
with the r,gh. OF election but even in these
cases the Pope really dominates. In heather
countries or where Church aud State arc more
ply from Rome. This power, obtained aud &C.
cured by usurpatou and violence, IL now styled
the existing law; bnt this lay, created solely By
human ordinance has nothing in common with
the apostolic canon for the election Of Bishops.
II. therefore, tue g1eat 1g, Bishop OF the pElml-
Augustine, or tho Popes Leo l., Innocent l.,
Gregory I.-wore to appear amongst US they
would not acknowledge az legitimate the cleo
tion OF any one Bishop of the Roman Catholic
Cuufcl. now lt10b. uut Oi4t tI tuE6o EltLkA0u6
having been conducted according TO the unal-
tered custom of the Fathers. Never. in their
time. would they have admitted Bishop as
Catholic Bishop into thelc body who had not
been elected BY the clergy and laity,---ths form
OF election being looked upon as divlnely ap-
pointed aud therefore honored as the Churchs
inalenable right,-altAougb. by reason OF his
ordination. they might ia other respects hare
reya;ded him us tue B.ehop.'
Bishop Reinkins then proceeds to argue at
gsea. length the position assumed BY the Old
Catholics, and concludes:
..Thus Of so mauy rami6cahone, but from one
root, beloved in The Lord, is the Office which
have undertaken.
Two powerful enemies stand opposed to the
fuifll1ac;it of my taga, ecclesiastical material
ism and iud,ffercntisn1, both engendered and
reared by the pernicious Romanism Ut the Hest-
ern Church.
.Eceles,astic materiaiism reduces religion into
excitement Of the senses: aud mechuulcal gov
ernment of the Church and ritual; It ties dosn
what is tlisno to places and accidental persons,
whom it MAKES objects Of worship; nourlshes
itself Er the ccascless craving for miracles which
superstition has created In people deslEnedly
separated from the Holy Scriptures and tradl-
tion. Tho spirit has fled, and there il no longer
q religious lite. And when we preach to the
faithful, who are infected by this mateTialism,
Ch1ist's words" It is the spirit that quicken
eth, the feah profteth nothing, tue words that
speak uuto you, they arc spirit and they arc
F1s$
"Dnt the number Of those who. IN the turmoil
of this busy, bustling world have become lndlf- |
feteut AMI deaf to tho heavenly 1ecltal OF the
glory OF God and to the sweet harmonles OF eter-
nal pcacc and the Kingdom of love revealed to
uB in tha Gospel, is legion; they are d mass for
our opposers TO work upon, who Iec1on them |
AMONG their number.
.Besdes these Ns arc iupeded on the right |
and left OF our path by the half-hearted, OF
whom some saY, You 50 too far for Us, and |
tl,.% tot1 RI 71f t14
these answer-we will 10 Us fer as the Spirit OF
Jesus will lead us and no further; ii yoa oelleTe
yourselves more filled and urged by thus Spirit, |
good then come aud help Us or lead us but to |
stand all the day IDLE when there is WORK to 40 !
ir the Lords vineyard aud loud call for more |
1aborers-ttlat Is, at all events, sin.
'Nevertheless we acknowledge with thankful |
ness to God that many, to whom religion bad
hcen made ropulsive by muteraiistic Romaaism,
have returned with Joy TO Church fellowship, |
since it is now offered to them in an appropriate
and truly religious maaner.
But we, beloved 10 the Lord, who through |
Gods grace have attained to cleorer anowl- |
edge. We, abcyo all, should strive to bring our
of truth and righteouspess- kingdom of
God ii us-t.s., tho life Of the Spirit becoming |
Iuanifess. re NAV bring about q true 1cslvaI OF
Christianity il its primitive brightness aud
winning beauty. exhibiting it before the eyes Of
the nations. Then the eunobling hopo Animal
ing us, that at 1eagIh all the eTils viii be
remedied which tie establishment Of sriHtua!
supremacy has caused in The Cnnrch, Will grow |
stronger from day to day.
.'Tne ech,snl between the Eastern and West /
ern Churches and their internal divisions are
great evil. NOT unity bus disuclon has been |
Wrough. By the Romish Supremacy, because it /
deposed lovo aud enthroned volence in its !
stead. We a1e striving to restore unity, but in
conflict. aud on our banner Is written on one
side, .Other foundation can no man lay than
that ia laid, which is Jesus Christ and on the