Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-04-17
THE BISHOPS REJONDER
To the Rev. Samuel Steele's
Communication Of Last Mons
day y
,rrespondence of the Register.

TER on Monday last, the Rev. Mr'
Steele asserted that Popes Zephyrinus
and Callistus had approved the errors
of the hereto Noetus, and he gave as
his authority the historian, Hippolytus.
Having examined the works OF this his
torian and failed to find any allusiOn to
such a statement about either Zephyri-
nus or Callistus, l asked my honorable
adversary to be so good as
to tell me just where 1
could find this assertion in the writings
OF HippOlytus. believe that | have
in my library all the works now extant
of that historian, and wish to verify
the quotation and the correctness OF the
| translation. Mr.. Steele now refers me
not to his own chosen author
ity, Hippolytus, but to Shafts Church
History. have not that work at hand,
so again request Mr. Steele to tell me
to which of the works of Hippolytus
the historian Schatf refers for contirma-
| ton of this statement? ! have spent
| three or four hours ina vain endeavor to
! find It; now / shall endeavor to adhere
| 10 my former declaration, that Mr..
| Steele has been misled, unless he comes
| out manfully-hOnestly-and gives the
| information which demand. do not
accuse him of being versed in technical
tiles of the law iii that be matter for ac-
cusation), but presume he knows this
much, at least, that when 4
LAWYER or a minister cites
an authority, the opposing party has the
right to such information as will enable
him to verify the correctness OF such
citation. II Schaf quotes the work of
Ilippolytus, from which he processes to
draw his proofs, all | ask of the Rev.
Mr.. Steele is, to let me know in which of
the many works of Hippolytus tits to be
found. II Mr.. Steele declines To give
me direct answer to this plain ques-
ton, then the intelligent readers OF the
REGISTER will conclude that either he
has himself deliberately falsified history,
or he has been gulled by some one else,
who, to cover up his dishonesty,
purposely failed to give any refer
ence to his supposed author
ity, Hippolytus. ! am confident that in
face of this twice-repeated public chal-
lenge, Rev. Mr.. Steele will come out and
tell (if he knows-whiCh he don't) in
which OF his many works, Hippolytus
accused POpes Callistus and Zephyrinus
OF hereSy.
The Rev. Mr.. Steele charges me with
ignorance of church history. Now, |
may not be versed in logic as he cour-
teously charged in his former cOmmu-
nicatiOn, Though / emphatically deny
his competency to criticize either the
logic or rhetoric of anybody, if his writ
ten productions be fair specimens of his
argumentative ability but have some
pretentiOn to acquaintance with the his
tory of the church, having myself COM
piled an ecclesiastical history. Let us see
how competent the Rev. Steele has
shown himself to publicly accuse me of
ignorance in this matter quote from
his letter in Mondays REGISTER The
public will please remember that in my
first letter passed unnOticed this eyre
gious blundcr OF Rev. s., and that il J
now parade it, | do so simply in SELF
defense).
These are his words: "Again Pope
Formosus S9l-S9G, was succeeded 10y
Stephen VI, S96-S07, who, &c" To use
a rather inelegant phrase, the Rev. Mr..
;. has put the cart before the horse.
Pope Formosus was not sue
ceeded by Stephen VI; but ric,
rerSd. Stephen VI was succeeded by
Formosus; and therefore Stephen VI
did not-being long before dead--eX-
hume the body of FormOsus. Formosus
was succeeded by BOniface VI, and
Boniface VI by Stephen VII, to whom
is attributed the eXhuming referred TO,
which had about as much connection
with the infallible teaching authority OF
his office, as it had with the war now
going on in Iululand. Before the Rev.
Mr.. Steele takes on himself 10 set others
right in Church history, it would be
well for him 10 be quite sure that his
own chronological data are cor
rect. Moreover, merely stated that
"I was not satisfied that Noctus
had begun TO dOgmatize as early as
the Pontificate OF Pope Zephyrinus;"
and gave my authority
for my hesitation, and quoted, giving
work, chapter and number, st. Epiphan-
ius, who wrote about the year so.
Though the quotation was in Latin, the
meaning was sufficiently implied in the
explanation which followed. But for
the personal benfit of my learned oppo-
nent, | here furnish him a vcrbdtin
translation OF the passage: "Noetus,
springing up in Asia nearly one hun
dred and thirty years ago" that Is,
about the year 2i5, at which time both
the accused Popes were dead.
Mr.. Steele, instead OF furnishing the
required reference 10 substantiate his
previous allegation against Zcphyrinus
and Callistus, adduces a similar charge
against Pope HonOrius, and quite kindly
puts into my mouth reply to the same.
Thanks, sir. III guarantee that when
student twenty years ago, knew more
from authentic documents about Pope
Honorius, than the Rev. Mr.. Steele has
vet learned from such partiZan, anOny-
nous productions as "ldnus' In my
lecture on the infallibility Of the Pope, !
treated this objection quite fully, as they
will testify who were present ! am
pleased that a suitable occasion has been
given me by my courteous friend To give
the public a brief history OF the ease.
Among the many admirable treatises on
the subject, is Latin work OF la pages,
published duringthe Vatican council 10y
the Most Rev. ID. Carioni, Archbishop Of
Edessd. HonOrius was Pope from May
Ia, A. ID. 626, 10 October II, 63S. Some
centuries before, Nestorius had taught
that there were in Christ trO PsrSOIls;
Eretyches, in endeavoring TO reiute this
heresy, fell into the opposite error, and
maintained that there was in Christ, not
only one Person but one nature. From
this heresy sprang others, as shoots from
a common stem, and among these was
Monothelitism, or the doctrine that in
Christ there is butln wli; the orthodox
belief being that there are two distinct
wills and operations in Christ-the Di-
vine and the human. This heresy, when
first broached, was supported by
/ Sergius, Patriarch OF ConstSntinople;
Cyrus, of Alexandra, Pyrrlius, &c Ser
gius wrote TO the Pope, representing
that the discussions going on were all
mere war Of words, and entreating the