The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-02-21
ds the afternoon OF presbyters and peo
of New York and Brooklyn.
LEIBNITZ ON THE POPE.
He EDITOR OF THE HERALD:-
will doubtless interest such OF your M

1t will doubtless interest such or your numerous
readers as know Of Lelbnitz and the positiO n
almost unparalleled, which he holds among In
tellectual stars OF the first magnitude, to learn
what were the opinions Of that most consummate
jurDt, mathematician. philosopher and theologian
on Tue question OF Papal authority. ! need not
here do more than alude to the union Of the
churches" which LeibnttZ str0ve to bring about.
will merely add that, ike the celebrated states.
man, Edmund Burke, he had projected that union
on q purely Catholic basis. The pursuit OF this
matter led him to thorough examination of the
Catholic doctrine. the result OF which he en-
bodies in his "Systema Theologicum." This work,
although written by champion OF Professionalism
(uide Leibnltz's dispute with B0ssuet, 1891 to
1884, the famous Cardinal Archbishop OF
Meaux), is, nevertheless, an epitome OF
sound Catholic theology. 1t is from the latter and
the "De Jure Suprematus," as also his correspond
ence (Kortholr), that the subjoined facts are
taken. In his treatise, 'De Jure Suprematus,' y
Leibnitz represents the primacy OF the Pope as
dating ''lrom the earliest times" and reco9 nizes
IT. as '.of divine right and origin" In the thirty
first chapter OF the same work he calls the Pope
1.-THE vicar OF God," and adds ''that he has full
power from God to work the salvation OF souls. -
In the tnirty-tbird chapter Leibnitz eXclams in
dignantly, "What a thing to boast o!-roDbing
the Pope Of Rome Of his ireedom-he VINO is the
originator OF public liberty" He writes TO the
Landgrave or Hesseh- Rheinfelds in 1858 tnat ''tne
hierarchy is a matter OF common Jurisprudence.
because q director OIL the bishops and priests Is
necessary" On the Goth OF Sc ptem0er, 1851, Leib
nltz writes to Bos Sa lwho, by the way
longs to HIS Holiness o TO acknowledge ana
quoting long array OF testimony In support OF
what ne advances -"Ronanum cGterorum pr5n-
ctpem mertto aSnoscimuS," 1--WE recognize the
Roman (oisnop) as being deservedly the CHIEF OF
the rest" He adds:-'ItGQue S1Ltenl iU,td certuns
esSe debet in omnibus que moran c0Rcil1 uni
UerSdliS non Jtte'urt GUt cOncfiiuDs uDiUerSale
non nerentatr, interim e1dem edndens p esse
eDdScoporUnt prdncipts size pontlncis ntarin.i po
CeStdtems Qisd tOtinS eccelstB." (Eu. Malnz, 1925
page 1851 Anglice:-"lIence this at least must DE
accepted as certain that III all that cannot be de-
q universal council, the first OF the bishops
or the supreme Pontin, has, meanwhile the same
power as the whole Church." In the eighth letter
(Peina) the following passage, "CHc1 Jus Rolldnt
Ell corpus uriuS eccleSip CGthOiicg ct 0pOsticg
regint,le, HterarchldQue uaaUeys1h conttnendun
jurs dtutnt SIT conSeQateas est, III ejusdenl SIT jurts
s,tpren,ts IN eS spt''tnaltS ntGJlsratuS" "Slnce
God IS God Of order and since the body OF the
one Churcn-Cathoic or Apostolic-wnich must
be held together 0v one regulation and universal
hierarchy, s OF divine right, 1t follows that there
is IN 1t, OF the same right, a supreme spiritual
magistrate"
From these extracts 1t would appear that Leib-
ntz who was unquestionaoly the greatest genius
and sOundest thinker Germany ever prod
and VINO was. besides. an dpOloglst or Protestant
ism, held views as strongly ultramOntane on this
great papal question as II he were Catholic
living in 1874, rather than Protestant writing In
the latter part OF the seventeenth century,
SUB NIVE.
sTor still more startling details touching
of Papal authority Lebnitzs "Codex diplonaticu .
urs gentum" and his letters collected by korlhoik