The Portland daily press., 1880-05-15

Tdlo dCCOunI OF WHaJ he Called Une profound
divisions which already, in the first century
from the foundation of Christianity, sundered
the disciples of Jesus-so profound, he said,
that all the differences which divided ortho-
dox folks, heretics, schismatics, in our own
days were as nothing compared with the dis.
sentions between Peter and Paul. The views
presented were those arrived at by the So
called Tubingen school of ecclesiastical his
tory and theology. The church of Jerusalem
refused communion to all uncircumcised
Christians, however pious. Paul, on the con-
trary, preached that to uphold the old law was
to insult Jesus, as implying the insufficiency
of His merits for the believers justification.
Jerusalem with its Bishop James, with which
church Peter was in close alliance, sent out oD-
position missions to counterwork those OF Paul.
Peter, whose role in the Judaism party was
that of a kind of timid trimmer between the
Ebionite and Pauline extremes, came to Rome
with some such intent, and seemingly not very
long after Paul's arrival there. The question
of ST. Peters connection with the church he
is traditionally said to have founded was
treated at large. At the Reformation the
Protestants made kind of dogma of the de-
NAL that he had ever been there, thus dis
throning the Pope at once, who claimed the
head leadership of Chrisrendom as the lineal
successor of st Peter. For himself and those
like-minded with him, M. Renan said, the point
was simply curious question of history and
nothing more. For the Roman Catholic as
sumption of ST. Peters arrival at Rome in A.
u. 4A ana MS pOntlncaUe Iner6 OF 20 or "a years,
he proved in detail that there was no tangible
evidence; while, to mention nothing else, the
silence of Pauls epistle to the Romans, writ
ten A. d. 5S) and of the closing verses of the
Acts were quite conclusive against it. On the
other hand, he marshalled a powerful array
OF arguments for answering in the affirmative
the question as to Peters having visited Rome
after Paul. Peters martyrdom is attested by
extremely ancient evidence, and the somewhat
later tradition which connects it with the
Neronian persecution at Rome has ali ante
cedent probability in its favor.
M. Renan. after deploring the mystery
which overhangs so many of the facts OF prim-
tive Christianity, addressed himself to pene-
trate, as far as possible the veil which hides
from us the circu instances OF the death of Paul
and Peter. 1t would never, he said, be who'll
ly pierced. The likliest view was that both
perished in the grand massacre OF the Chris
tians ordained by Nero.
He described the tete of Nero's gardens ON
that 1st of August. day which he could only
compare with that of Golgotha in sufficiently
realistic detail The event was one of the
most solemn in the history of Christianity.
After remarking that the solidity of building
is in proportion to the virtue, the Sacrifices the
devotion deposited on the foundation stone, he
added that fanatics alone can found anything.
Judaism lives on still, because of the intense
frenzy of its prophets and annalists; Christian
ity, by means of its witnesses. Neros orgy
was the great baptism of blood, which marked
to play signal part in the history of Chris
tianity, and to be its second holy city. 1t was
the taking possession of tine Vatican hill by a
kind ofltriumphal procession unknown till then.
The hateful and brainless emperor did not see
that he was founding new order OF things,
and was signing for tie future a charter
whose provisions would be matter of claim at
the end of 1900 years.
The third lecture was devoted to showing in
what manner the Jewish Christianity OF Peter
e.r,d oil of au1 xuara tad
and combined. Rome became the center Of
ecclesiastical authority. The following descrip-
tion of Clement and of his work is instructive:
Lost, as it were, in the penumbra OF very re-
mote age, and reminding one of the head Of an
old worn out fresco by Giotto, still recogniza-
BILE by its golden aureole and by some vague
traits of pure and sweet glory, Clement was
one of the grand figures of nascent Christiani-
ty. Everything leads us to believe that Glenn
ent was of Jewish origin. He seems to have
been born at Rome, OF one of those Palestinian
families, which for generation or two had
dwelt in the capital of the world. The extent
of his knowledge in cosmography and history
argues pretty careful education. 1t was gen.
orally admitted that early in life he had been
in personal relations with the apostles, espec-
tally with Peter, although, perhaps, we were
without any very decisive proof as to this.
What could not be doubted was the very high
rank he held in the wholly spiritual hierarchy
of the church at his time, :and the unique
carried the weight of law. All par
ties laid claim to it and were anx-
ious to shelter themselves under his au-
thority. Probably he was one of the most en-
ergetic agents of the great work which was
then on the point of accomplishment-the
posthumous reconciliation of Peter and Paul,
and the fusion. of the two parties without
whose union Christ's work could not but have
come to nothing. He was the first type of
pope presented in Christs history. His lofty
personality, made greater still by legend. was,
next to that of Peter, the hOliest image extant
OF primitive Christian Rome. His venerable
couEtenance was for all following centuries
that of a mild and grave law-giver, a perpetual
sermon of submission and respect. Already
the idea of a certain primacy of this church
was coming to light. The right of warning
other churches and settling their differences
was yielded to it. Like privileges-so at least
it was believed-had been accorded to Peter
among the disciples. But closer and closer
bond of union between Peter and Rome was
forming. Serious dissensions were rending
the Church of Corinth. The Roman Church
was consulted as to these troubles, and an
swefed by an epstle which has been handed
down to us. 1t bears no name, but one OF the
Oldest Christian traditions attributes it to
Clement.
The Roman. church which spoke through
Clement was that of order, of subordination,
of rule. Its fundamental principle was hui
mility, submission worth more than the sub
limest gifts. Clements epistle was the first
manifesto in the Christian church of the prin-
ciple of authority. A great outcry was raised
some years ago about saying of French arch
bishop and senator, "My clergy is my regi-
ment.' Clement had said the same thing
long BEFORE as M. Renan proved by striking
quotation from his epistle. He went on to
show that the history of the ecclesiastical
hierarchy was the history of threefold abb
dication. The faithful at large first handed
over their powers to the presbyters, the pres
bytery afterwards cosecrated them in single
parsonage, who thus became bishop; and at
last the bishops of the Latin church came to
own one of themselves as pope. The top stone
of the papal edifice was laid in our own days.
The creation of the episcopate was the work of
the second century The absorption Of the
churchs powers by the presbytery was accomp-
lished before the close of the first. In
Clements epistle was to be found no episcopa-
to as yet but the dignity and preroga-
tives of the presbyterians were loud
ly proclaimed. Paul had rightly solved
the question between the spiritual gifts of
laymen and clerical authority by enjoining
mutual charity. Clements epistle decided
the question in the later Catholic way by
making apostolical succession everything, aud
reducing to nothing the rights of the people.
Hence it might well be said that Catholicism
originated at Rome, since the Church OF Rome
laid down its most elementary principle.