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LITERARY NOTICES.

I. THEOLOGY AND PHILOSOPHY.

Catholicism and the Vatican. With a Narrative of the Old Catholic Congress at Munich. By J. Lowry Whittle, A.M., Trinity College, Dublin. London: Henry S. King and Co.

1872.

In our last number we drew attention to the "Old Catholic" movement from a French point of view, taking for our guidance the work of the Abbé Michaud. Of the other countries of Europe each will have its own point of observation and its own grounds of accord with the Vatican decrees and assumptions, or of dissent from them. Austria, Italy, Spain, and Germany, not to omit England and even Ireland, are each differently affected by the position assumed by the Roman Bishop. In each country are adherents to Romanism; but in each, on special grounds, are adherents also to Catholicism and opponents to Curialistic pretensions. The relation of Catholics to Ultramontanism differs according to national institutions, to the training and character of the priesthood, and to the general culture of the laity. The jealousy with which the Italian hierarchy and their predominance in the Cardinalate are viewed by the priesthood and laity in other countries, is not inoperative in widening the breach between the Jesuits and their opponents. A clear view of the attitude of the Irish and German Churches in relation to this subject is presented in the volume before us.

That the condition of that portion of the Catholic communities which does not sympathise with Ultramontanism has been very seriously affected of late, needs no demonstration. The labours of the Ultramontanes during the past few years are now beginning to bear their fruit. The fatal Syllabus, written in the blind expectation of gaining an unwarrantable supremacy over the culture of modern society, brought into prominence the opposition of German theolo

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gians, and tended to strengthen and intensify that opposition. Let it be admitted that it was honestly written in the supposed interests of truth and virtue. But in how grievous a misapprehension of those interests! It demanded for its complement the doctrine of the infallibility; for by no other means could the assumptions of the Curia be maintained. A few keen-sighted Catholics watched with anxiety the growing power and pretensions of Ultramontanism, but the many were either indifferent, or held themselves to be fatally committed to them. And it was only when the Vatican Council was projected, and its purpose fairly avowed, that, as from a long continued stupor, they were aroused to an acknowledgment of the danger that was imminent. It was no longer possible to misinterpret either the spirit or the aim of the party; nor was it possible to conceal the danger to Catholic truth. This is plainly avowed in the book before us. "Eminent Catholics, whilst repudiating Ultramontane opinions for themselves, affected to consider them as only the idiosyncrasies of individual ecclesiastics, or of some amateur theologians. Their ancient origin in the Italian Church, the consistency with which they had been pursued, and the vigour with which they have been pressed for the last half-century all over the Catholic world-these signs of danger to Catholic truth were continually overlooked or disregarded. An eminent Irish member delighted his Catholic supporters some time since by bidding men who talked about Ultramontanism talk about Mesopotamia, one term was as much to the purpose as the other, the fluent orator contended. This sort of language only echoed the general sentiment of Catholic society." Now, as Mr. Whittle truly says, interpreting the convictions of many of his brethren in faith, "it is no longer possible for Catholics to shut their eyes to the existence or to the designs of the Ultramontane party." And again, "it is very plain that, for those who care about Catholic truth, Ultramontanism is a very pressing matter." For many sufficient reasons, interest centres in the struggle of the German Churches. A cultured clergy, many of whom are distinguished by special literary attainments, by bold and fearless character, by piety, and by liberality of sentiment; and an educated people, who, while attached to their Church institutions, are lacking neither in loyalty nor love of liberty, fit them to be leaders in the sacred strife. The Roman Court has assumed a position from which it cannot retire. It must abide by all the responsibilities and consequences of the acts of July 1870. Equally has the "Old Catholic" party assumed a position directly antagonistic to the former, from which it cannot without dishonour and contradiction retreat. It must abide by the declarations of September 1871. The Roman Catholic Church is the arena of a strife which has not been equalled in solemn importance since the days of the Reformation. It is a strife for the highest pretensions. What at first was only a faint murmur has now grown to be a clear and strong voice of dissent. If anything were needed to show this, it is furnished in these pages; in the clear view given of the rising sentiment in

Germany previous to the Council; of the excitement created by the fatal Decrees; and of the growing opposition, onward from its first expression at the Nuremberg meeting, when "the universal jurisdiction and infallibility of the Pope" were rejected as "novelties, and therefore as no doctrines of the Church; as destructive of the rights of the episcopate; as dangerous to society; since all those pretensions made by Popes from time to time to exercise authority over the State, and to interfere with toleration, become matters of doctrine;" and when, in consequence, an appeal was made "to the bishops of the opposition to assemble a Council on this side of the Alps."

The precise position assigned to the Pope by the Council is stated in the concluding paragraphs of the third and fourth chapters of the Vatican Decree, the Bull Pastor Eternus; the one declaring him to be Universal Bishop, the other declaring him to be the infallible teacher.

It is not easy at once to trace the operation of these dogmas, especially the former, from which attention has been drawn by the overshadowing importance of the latter. It is an entire subversion of the episcopacy. It places the Pope in direct relation, and that the relation of supremacy, with every priest and every layman. It gives him full and supreme, ordinary and immediate power, alike in matters of faith and morals, of discipline and government, over all and every Church, over all and every pastor and believer, in every region of the earth. Mr. Whittle judges, rightly as we think, the practical effect of this dogma to be greater than that of its more celebrated companion. He says:-"The sweeping away with the consent of the episcopacy of the whole constitution of the Latin Church, is one of the most remarkable facts the modern historian could record. All the rights and privileges of separate orders in the Church are abolished. All the customs of local or national Churches, the relations of the parish priest to his flock, to his bishop, of the bishops to each other, of the various national Churches to the Papacy; the whole canon law which elaborately regulated all these relations; all these institutions of the Church have only a significance so far as the Pope may permit in each particular case."

The error of the pretended infallibility is stated in no measured terms; e.g., "The second dogma has naturally attracted more immediate attention amongst the laity, for its operation affects at once every member of the Church. It proposes to the acceptance of every Catholic one of the most wonderful miracles that has ever been presented to the human mind. According to this decree, ever since the time of St. Peter we have had in the world an actual living oracle of God. This inspired man has no guarantee for his virtue or his knowledge, but, being elected to the chair of St. Peter, he cannot make a declaration of faith to the whole Church that is wrong. It is admitted that his own opinion in theology may be totally wrong; only on this supposition could the supporters of infallibility get over the instances of erroneous opinions held by former Popes. The declarations of

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Honorius on Monothelitism were wrong, it is admitted; for they were solemnly condemned by subsequent Popes. As to the condemnation, there is no question that it was ex Cathedrá, but the original declarations were not, it is said, ex Cathedra; they were only the private opinions of each Pope as to the doctrines in question." Again: "Once this power is recognised, it is plainly impossible to set any limits to it. Let the reader conceive layman, priest, or bishop being asked to examine critically whether an utterance of the same voice that was often the voice of God, was really uttered by the voice of God on this particular occasion. What a marvellously finely-balanced mind the listener must have, who, knowing that the voice he hears is probably the voice of his Creator, hesitates to obey it until he has determined whether it bears the proper notes of an ex Cathedrá declaration. And the bishop knows that in any case this is the voice of one who has appointed him to his office in the Church, and absolutely controls his discharge of that office."

The interest of the book culminates in the account of the Old Catholic Congress, held in Munich, in September of last year. The assembly numbered about four hundred, comprising men of every class, most of them advanced in life :-" Men of rank (like Barons Von Stauffenberg and Von Wulffen), peasants, proprietors, country shopkeepers, priests, university professors, members of the chambers and professional men. Many from Bavaria were the burgomasters of the country towns, and it was remarkable that of those men, collected from almost every class in Germany, nearly every one had given some time to study at one of the German universities, so generally is university education diffused in that country. This difference of academic culture gives a greater importance to a movement in which university men take the leading position. Besides the delegates from the Old Catholic clubs in Germany, there came delegates from societies in other countries, as Herr Keller of Aarau, from Switzerland, others from Austria and Hungary. There were three priests from Holland, as a deputation from the Church of Utrecht; and Professor Ossinin, Professor of Theology in the Greek Church at St. Petersburg. From France, Spain, and America, came some invited guests, distinguished amongst whom was Father Hyacinthe."

A general confession of faith was adopted, the draft declaration of which had been prepared by a committee appointed at Heidelberg. It is too long to transfer entire into these brief notes. It affirms the fidelity of the members to the Old Catholic creed and worship; repudiates the dogmas of infallibility and supreme episcopal and immediate jurisdiction; aims at reforms in the Church in harmony with canon law and national necessities; declares the Church at Utrecht free from the charge of Jansenism; expresses the desire for a re-union with the Greco-Oriental and Russian Churches, also the hope that "whilst pursuing desired reforms in the path of science and a progressive Christian culture, gradually to bring about a good understanding with the Protestant and Episcopal Churches; it

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declares scientific study to be necessary for the training of the clergy; promises to support the national constitutions and to stand by the Governments in their struggle with "that Ultramontanism which assumes the form of dogma in the Syllabus ;" and, as manifestly the present miserable confusion in the Church has been occasioned by the Society called that of Jesus," it declares the conviction" that peace and prosperity, unity in the Church, and just relations between her and civil society, will only be possible when the pernicious activity of this order is put an end to;" and, finally, it lays claim to the legal rights and property of the Church.

The report of the Congress is very interesting. In addition to the terms of the declaration, but growing out of them, were two questions of the highest moment. One was the attitude of the Church at Utrecht, so long the fearless antagonist of Jesuitism, which is able to render such signal aid to the movement in the very grave difficulty of episcopal succession. The other related to the course of action to be taken in the future. Some difference of opinion on this point was known to exist. Ultimately the following was agreed upon the establishment of an organised directory and of local societies on the basis of the declaration; also the formation of separate congregations and a regular cure of souls, where a necessity existed and priests could be obtained; and, when the right moment came, the establishment of a regular episcopal jurisdiction.

Von Schulte, of Prague, vacated the chair in order to lead the debate on these questions. Döllinger, desiring to avoid schism, strenuously opposed a special organisation being proclaimed by the Congress; though the necessity for it was strongly stated, though for three hours earnest appeals were made to him to withdraw his objections, and though "delegate after delegate arose, and declared that without some distinct pledge of future action, his constituents would consider the whole meeting waste of time-would lose all heart in the possibility of the work they were engaged in." The resolutions of Von Schulte were finally adopted by a large majority.

We must refer our readers to the luminous pages of Mr. Whittle's little book for a statement of the attitude of the Irish Churches towards Ultramontanism, and for some far-seeing remarks on many topics relating to the future of this movement. They will find many sentences suggestive of careful and profound thought on the grave questions involved in it: a movement entirely and purely Catholic, but a movement in that direction which we think most hopeful for the Catholic Churches, and which we trust will, under the guidance of the Divine Spirit, prove beneficial to all the Churches of Christendom. Romanism has weighted herself with a glory which even her strong pillars cannot upbear. An old book says, "Pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall." There is a Catholic unity for which we hope, and pray, and wait, and work.

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