New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-03-04
AUTHORITY or THE CHURCH COUNCILS

AUTHORITY or THE CHURCH COT NILS
Az EXAMINATIoN or THE CLAlM OF INfAL'I-
ruIrY FOR THOSE or TIE FIFTH CENrtR'
To the Editor ~ TIE Tribune.
Sir one 81 tho most remarkable uttcrances OF
;ho recent pastoral letter. /, appears to me.
have not seen discussed | refer 10 the nXei, I'M
altcrAblc and unquc~tlonable character assumed
for the decrccs ~ the four general councils OF the
church in the nfh century IN" un'lV'den
Church as # IL termed The interest taken III inns
subject throughout the country makes II P'"p'i
to inquire into tho reasons for claiming nfalliby
FOR these great councils " IN" ChGrrh t'f0na'eN'
ali histories covering the period abound IN resources
for obtaining llrht Gbbon says Of the llf@t coGn-
ell OF Erncsus in 81. The fleet which had trans
ported cyril from Alexandria was laden win inc
riches Of Egypt: and he disemDarkeh numerous
body Of mariners. saves and fanatics, enlisted WIN
blind obedience under the banner OF ~. Mark ana
the Mother Of God The fathers ana even the
,unrdq of tho council were awed by this martial
array" on the nth day an open conflict between
the rival sod.ory occurred IN the S'icr''' anu
"Ephcsus the city Of the Virgin vas de"I'i WIN
rage and clam0r. with scdition ana ploou' "o
bon says Of the second council In w. Inc "'SPo'
ism Of the Alexandran patriarch again suppressed
IN. Freedom ~ d.bat. The same spiritual ana car
nal wclpons were again drawn from the arSehais
OF Egypt. The Aslatic veterans. baAd OF "''"''''
served under the orders Of Dscorus' ana '"e ',o,'
formidable monks. whose minds were l'a'''S'e
to rtl son or mercy bcStEeu INV "'"'' W
draL" Al this council charge preferred "Ba''S'
on. OF the bishops of unchhstity was dismissed pE
the presiding bishop, according 10 ~ "'.'
SchaT with the remark. III you have any a'o"
sation to make against his orthodoxy we VIII ~
ccive 1t. but We have not come tos''"e' '" '"'
judgment concerning unchastIty.
1t was at this council. according To 'he paS.o,'
OF the bishops that the divine nature OF 'hr'S'
was unaltcrably dccreed. Dr. Schah AGAIN say
Together with abundant talents. dtthlt''hc"'' az"
virtue there were gathered also al tne co"i''
ignorance. intrigue and partisan paaslohs' "'"N
had already been excited on ali sides 10y iors co
trovcrsies preceding and now mel anu arr! 9"
themselves as hostile armies for open coinoa AZ!
III would seem" says Gregory Of NazlanHen a.
though herald had convoked to nc aSSe,r rors
all the gluttons villains lars anu n , Alfred "
OF the empire" Says the Rev; III i hltie" ~ w,
Nemcric: THE councils are SAID 10 nave ~ -,
under the guidance OF the Holy GhoSt' anu s., ~
is we'll known-i Ii related IN e''ty tto 800 ,uorn
sef-oplnionated as quarrc'soihc al Spva
bic a SET OF men as ever sat IN concia" oaSS
the great historian OF the Church, Dean Miriuh'
The degeneracy IL rapid from the couhcli OF ,,oea
TO that OF Ephesus where each party came deleT-
mined to use every means OF haste. manoeuVre.
court influence bribery. to crush ms auFs,sa's
appeal to- the violence Of the popuiacc. TO ahuci,
pni the DEGREES OF the council; where eacn mao
his own tumultuous foreign rabb!e 10 back MS
quarrel and neither would scruple al any means
To- obtain the ratification OF their anathemas
through persecution by the civil government
In all seriousness. do these high church ohciaIS
ask intelligent men 10 accept ihe uetiees vi 'V n
orIans as infallibie? 1t Is said the mythoogies OF
today are the theo!ogies OF yesterday Inc lesson
OF the pastoral letter must be read Dctween, INC
fact that the dogmas OF the past have lost their
hold upon the intellectual forces OF the age and