| Show THE ECUMENICAL COUNCIL YESTERDAY the esth of december was the day appointed for the opening of the ecumenical or gre counell council of the authorities of the church of rome an assemblage of the principal dignitaries of that hurch church cardinals bishops abbots ac from all parts parta of the world with the sovereign pontiff at their head since the dawn of the christian era history records the holding of nineteen ecumenical Councils the first of which was called by the apostles at jerusalem fifty years after the birth of christ the following is the order of the remainder ma inder the first council of nice in the year one at constantinople in one oab at ephesus in another twenty years afterwards at chalce don the next at constantinople in again in the same game city in at nice in the fourth of constantinople in the four councils of the held at rome borne in 1132 1139 1179 and 1215 the first and second of lyons in 1145 and 1274 one at vienne in dafphene Dau phene in 1311 at constance in 1417 at basle in in 1431 and at trent in 1545 the principal of these councils were those of nice in te of ephesus in the secona second of nice 0 in that of basle in 1431 and the last the council of trent in 1545 the first council referred to above that of nice was held oa on account of the heresy of arim aru of alexandria who maintained that the father and the son bon were not one in substance the council declared to the contrary and condemned the arlan theory as a blasphemy ordered the writings of arius to be burne dand munica ted and banished their author The Council of ephesus was convened to dispose of the heterodox notions of Nest Ne orlus orius bishop of constantinople who taught that there was a great distinction between christ aa as the son of god and christ as the son sort of man that the actions and sensations of Saviour the in his hla human character were to be carefully separated from those of the supreme being and that the virgin mar mary Y could nt not be called the mother of god but only the mother of christ he reasone reasoned that it could only be the human nature of christ that was bo born rn of other her since god being eternal could neither be born nor die the coune council it summon to appear before it to answer for his heresy but falling failing to do so he was deprived of his bishopric and condemned to perpetual banishment the second council of nice was assembled by pope adrian in the ye year ar to consider the use of pictures and images in the places of worship of the christians against which many complaints had been made by the jews and aud who asserted that such a practice was a revival of paganism the council decided and published a decree to the effect that the cross the image of christ the virgin the angels and the saints Ints were entitled to reveren reverend bial devotion but not to todi divine vine worship the council of baglein Ba 1431 was convened for the purpose of effecting a union between the roman and greek churches but it failed to accomplish the object desired the council of trent held in 1545 is regarded as the most important in history it was called by pope paul II 11 ill lit I 1 the object being to effect a reformation inthe in the church at this council the sil all subjects b under consideration were very numerous and embraced almost the entire field of religious religions belief new dogmas were promulgated and old articles of faith re adopted among others the NI cene creed tradition as a rule of faith was pronounced equally w with ith th the e bible a reliable guide and the apocryphal books of the old testament admitted the vulgate was proclaimed the only authentic version of the bible and the church the only true interpreter the catholic doctrine of original sin justification and the sacraments was defined and anathemas ana themas pronoun pronounced cea eeb against all opponents the doctrine doctrines of the eucharist of confession and extreme unction were also promulgated reforms were demanded which the assembled prelates pr elates refused france and germany asked the concession of the cup to the laity and the abolition of fasts and celibacy but these requests were denied but irom from that day to the present owing to the efforts of the reformers and other causes continually working the power and influence of the komish church and its hierarchy have stead steadily lIv declined in most of the countries of europe but of late years in this country and in great britain they have been on the advance such sueh is a very brief outline of the ob ejects had io in view by the principal ecumenical councils called in past ages the calling of the present council has been deemed necessary by the rapid advance of free thought on religious matters a the e increase nerease 0 of seep scepticism c as to the power ower owen an and aut authority arit of t the e priest priesthood an and the t a necessia necessity essit of making n g a great effort to induce the sects ejects of christendom to return to their ancient fait falt faith falth in the catholic church the infallibility I 1 of the pope is one of the dogmas that the council will probably be called to pronounce upon also to take action on what is called the syllabus which is to be adopted or rejected as a rule of faith in the church this syllabus has been before the world for the past five years having been issued with the encyclical ency cical letter of the reigning pontiff in 1864 this document it itis is said pronounces against the freedom of f the press bible societies liberal clerical associations the independence se ze of church an and state the civil contract of marriage as opposed to the governmental view education outside of the con tholof troi of the roman catholic church t the a objects and functions of legisla legislation tio the relations of clergy and laity the mod ode ern idea of sound government a and the relations of the governed to the govern ing the views held by nearly all educated men as to the functions and limits of human reason and the objects powers and results of scientific investigation all of which are pronounced as damnable and sinful and contrary to the faith this is the work or a portion of the work that will come before the ecumenical council now holding its itsie deliberations deliberation libe ilbe liberations liberationist rations St or the exercises preliminary there thereto tos tog in the city of rome the assembled prelates pr elates will probably endorse the views of their spiritual head and pronounce as damnable and heretical the truths of reason science and natural religion and they will doubtless bring all the power and might of the catholic organization throughout the world to enforce their views upon the people generally and carry them back to the darkest ages of and intolerance a nce nee but their ef forts if made can call not but prove abor tive the human mind can no longer be enslaved by edicts from the vatican and the efforts made by the so called successor of bt st peter and his under lings langa to accomplish to them so desirable an end cannot but eventuate in precipitating the final conflict between truth and error light and darkness and hastening the complete emancipation of the human mind from that serfdom slavery superstition and ignorance of which the church of rome the mother of harlots and its priesthood and emissaries have for ages been the foundation and vanguard vang nard |
