The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-12-23

Reasons for DOuhts ThereIn-Wheu New
DOgmaS Were Introduced.
The ~, Hon. the Earl Of RsdesdaIe, In the London
Nineteenth century.
In q recent number Of this review there
was an article entitled ''Apoloey for Doubt
in the Church Of England" which many
have read with interest. When doubt as
to some OF the doctrines OF any Church
are felt, a calm consideration of them must
be useful, es q conviction Of their errone.
Gus teaching may lead to their abandon.
ment, and through it to more general
Christian unity in that which alone is of
importance-namely, unity OF faith.
In treating such a question, it is desira.
bic to avoid difTuseness. A short article
on such asubiect will be read at~tentiyelv
by lar more persons than a long one. Ii
the points submitted to consideration ON
which doubts are felt are sufficiently
strong 10 support the case, more are not
required for a satisfactory opening of the
question. II the necessity for some change
is admitted, the extent Of it will be after.
wards determined. 1t is proposed. there.
lore, in this paper to establish reasons for
doubt in the Church Of Rome in regard to
the three following points:
First-That she sets up her own teach.
ing N direct opposition to Christ's "
words.
secondly-That she continues to invent
new articles of faith unknown to the
Apostles.
Thirdly-That she heretically refuses to
accept what the Church has decreed; and
that, 80 long as she continues to do so,
Christian unity is impossible.
FIrst-That she sets up her own teach
ing IN direct opposition to Christ's OWL
words. When Christ instituted the HOLY
Eucharist, HE took bread and brake ii,
and gave it to the disciples, and said,
Take, eat; this is My body; and He took
the cup, and gave thanks and gave 1t to
them, saying, Drink We all OF it, for this
is My blood OF the new testament, which
is shed for many for the remission of
sins" Matt. xvii. In like manner as
the bread was given by Him, so was the
cup, and his injunction to take both was
the same, and with both the Holy SaCra.
ment was administered by the Apostles,
and continued to be so in the Church for
ages in the gatherings of the faithful, in
direct obedience to Christ's commands
and institution. By degrees Irregular
ity broke in, in some cases OF necessi.
ty, as, for instance, when communion
could be administered to a Christian
in person through bread only, and it came
to be held by many that it was sufficient
II given in one kind. For some time this
doctrine was condemned as heritical; but
in l4l4, at the Council Of Constance, the
Church Of Rome declared that the sacred
supper was to be from t~heuceforth admin
istered to the laity in bread only, prohib-
iting communion to them in both ele-
ments = thus declaring that Christ's direct
ordinance as recorded in the Gospels, and
which had been taught and observed by
the Apostles and their successors in the
Church for fifteen centuries, was to be no
longer obeYed, and that the DEGREES of
Rome are superior TO Christ's words.
From that time no lay member Of the
Church Of Rome has been allowed to re-
ceive the cup, and every one who Sc
cedes from another Christian church to
that OF Rome is from thenceforth depriv-
ed OF receiving through the cup that re-
mission OF sin through the blood of
Christ and the other promises Christ
made in connection with it, saying:
"Whoso eateth My flesh and drinketh Ny
blood, dwelleth in Ne, and I in him
John, vi, 56). 1t Is, moreover, to be
carefully born in mind that the two sacra-
ments oil Baptism and the Lords Supper
are the only services in the Christian
Church ordained by Christ Himself, and
I that NyhaN0KsaR ~ =. ~ ~ V,aHlaN - 10 .Ir-a
in them cannot be omitted without sinful
disobedience.
l there not, therefore, in the doctrine
so insisted on, reason for doubt in the
Church Of Romeo
Secondly-That the Church Of Rome
continues to invent articles OF faith un-
known TO the Apostles. Without travel
ing over the inventions OF more distant
times, within the last thirty years that
Church has declared the immaculate con-
ception OF the Virgin and papal inlalli.
bility to be articles OF faith.
No one can pretend to assert that either
OF these doctrines were known 10 OF
taught by the Apostles. It savors OF the
ridiculous for the followers OF Rome to
call theirs the old religion, when they
know that some articles OF their faith have
only been made so within their own mem.
ory, and that they may be ordered to.
morrow to accept others perhaps not more
generally acceptable than the last. Tc
preach q new article Of faith is to preach q
new Gospel, and St Paul, in Gal, l., s
says, ''Gt we or an Angel from Heaven
preach any other Gospel to you than tina
we have preached unto you, let him bt
accursed."
Is there not in the doctrine SO insisted
on reason for doubt in the Church G
Rome?
Thirdly-That the Church Of Rome re
fuses to accept what the church has de
creed; and that, 70 long as she continues
TO do so, renders Christian unity impossi
BILE. BY the 18th Canon OF the Fourth
General Council, held at Chalcedon in thu
year 45l, It is declared that the privileges
conferred by the Fathers on the Churcho
Rome were granted on account OF the I'm
. periAl rank OF that city, and that thu
/ Church Of Constantinople, inasmuch a
, that city had become q new Rome, equally
: honored in Its Imperial Government ani
Senate, ought TO have the same privilege
: in ecclesiastical concerns; and the Easter
Bishops were accordingly by that canoi
: placed under that See, and removed irOn
Roman jurisdiction.
The principle enacted In this canon