Widnes Examiner. — 1898-09-23 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

TIIV EX A MINER. FRIDAY. SEPTEMBER 23 148  Church of Rome believes that. S. C. is puzzled by the differences of opinion and of interpretation in the ranks of the free churches. He is I under the delusion that unity of spirit, spells uni• formity of methol, and thht our L,rd prayed for nal- ' formity net unity. I would commend him to read 1 Cor. au i and especially verses 4-7, "Now there are I diversities of gifcs, but the Fame spirit. And Vivre aro differences of a ministrations, but the same Lord, and there are diversities of operations but it is the same God which worketh all in all." Although there are in the free churches differences of adminis'ration and aiversities of operations, there is but one spirit. I hold that there is more reel, spiritual and genuine union between the free churches, than there pesidv.ily can be in the Romisb church ; for the union that exists there is the union of surrendered minds, suppressed thought, of force, and of fuperstitious threats, arid is es far removed from that for which our Lord prayed as anything possibly could he. It is simply a pretenc3 of Unity. That, any one can prove, by observing the movements and reading the history of the limnish Church. The Rev. H. P. Hughes, President of th 3 Wesleyan Conference, Bey" that when visiting the continent he saw villages, where there were three and even four Roman Catho'ic Churches, belonging to different parties in the Church, standing apart from each other, and icing as bitter against each other, as it was possible for any sectaries to be. Bishop Hall says in his book on " The Peace of Rome " that there are no less than 300 differences of opinion maintained in the Church of Rome. To exaggerrate the divisions of Protestants, and to claim absolute freedom from disunion among Papists, is what S.C. delights to do. But I cannot think he is blind to the existence of sects and parties in his church nor yet to the awful dig ,nion history reveals in her ranks Has be ever heard of the Arian disputes,which disturb,d his church for over 50 years ? or of Pope Vigilius, who came into conflict with the fifth General Council, and was ea-._oatmunicated ? Does he know anything of Pope Honorius I. who was I condemned for heresy, on the question of Monotheliem ? I Was Vs( re absolute unity in 1870 when the Pope WAS declared ? Did not 100 French and German big. Mops retire from the vatic in, rather than tike part in the promulgation of the Dogma? Was there not a schism once in the West in 1378, when the French cardinals elected Clement VI. in opposition to Urban VI., and for 50 years Elva division lasted, the astonished WIT ICI seeing sometimes as many as three Popes claiming the office ? Has not the Papal chair been vacant four times s nce 1268—each time for over two years, because the church was so divided that they could not agree on a successor? In the face of these facts of history how can S. C. claim infallibility for either Pope, Church, or Priest. S.C. believes in the figment of Apostolic succession. There is nothing in the Bible to warrant such a belief and Church history is fatal to the dogma. IS it not a proverb that some of the Roman Pontiffs were men of seandalous life. Pope Alexandria Borgia was one,s man whose infamous progeny were the shame of Christendom. " Fronde" in his Council of Trent says "he died of accidentally drinking a cup of poison which lie had mixed for anether."Jesult uriti re hire La hbe and Cement describe SOMA of the Popes as " monsters, heretics.murderers, robbers, tyrants,adultererrhand apost itei." John