CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. The World and the Council. External history of the Council, 2; The alleged indifference to the Council, 13; Internal history, 24; Protest of the Cardinal Presidents, 33; Definition by acclamation, 36; Definitions binding on all the faithful, 39. CHAPTER II. The Two Constitutions. Analysis of the Constitution De Fide Catholica, 43; Preparation. for the definition of the Infallibility of the Roman Pontiff, 51; Analysis of the First Constitution on the Church of Christ, 54; Six points of the definition of Infallibility, 57. I. Meaning of the phrase loqui ex cathedrâ, 58. II. Faith and morals the object of Infallibility, 59; Five points of the Charter of the Church: 1. The perpetuity and universality of the mission of the Church as a Teacher of mankind. 2. The deposit of the Divine Faith and Law entrusted to the Church. 3. The Church the sole interpreter of the Faith and of the Law. 4. The Church the sole Divine Judge over the reason and will of man. 5. The Perpetual Presence of our Lord with the Church, 59. The doctrinal authority of the Church not confined to matters of revelation, 67; Truths of Science, 67; Truths of History, 68; Dogmatic Facts, 68, 69; Minor censures, 73. III. The efficient cause of Infallibility, 79; Witness of St. Ambrose, A.D. 397, 79; Witness of St. John Chrysostom, A.D. 407, 80; Witness of St. Augustine, A.D. 430, 80; Witness of St. Cyril, A.D. 444, 80; Witness of St. Leo, A.D. 460, 81; Witness of St. Gelasius, A.D. 496, 81; Witness of Pelagius II., A.D. 590, 81; Witness of St. Gregory the Great, A.D. 604, 82; Witness of Stephanus Dorensis, A.D. 649, 82; Witness of St. Vitalian, A.D. 669, 83. IV. The Acts to which the divine assistance is attached, 86. V. The extension of the Infallible authority to the limits of the doctrinal office of the Church, 90. VI. The dogmatic value of Pontificial acts ex cathedrâ, 91. CHAPTER III. The Terminology of the Doctrine of Infallibility. CHAPTER IV. Scientific History and the Catholic Rule of Faith. Evidence of history, and the Infallibility of the Roman Pontiff, 114; Cumulus of evidence for the Infallibility of the Roman Pontiff undiminished by historical doubts, 116; Difficulties of human history, 119; The German Bishops at Fulda, 120; Heretical assumptions of 'scientific history,' 126; History improperly called a science, 131; Definition of science, 131; Theology only improprie a science, 133; Modern Gnosticism, 135. CHAPTER V. Result of the Definition. Bishops witnesses of the objective faith of the Church, 139; Tradition of England, 140; Sir Thomas More, 141; Cardinal Fisher, 142; Cardinal Pole, 142; Harding, 143; Campian, 144; Nicholas Sanders, 145; Kellison, 145; Southwell, 147; Alban Butler, 148; Charles Plowden, 149; Bishop Hay, 151; Bishop Milner, 151; Predicted disasters from the Definition, 152. APPENDIX I. The Latin Postulatum of the Bishops for the Definition of the Infallibility, 163; English Translation of the same, 167. II. Letter of H. E. Cardinal Antonelli to Count Daru, 173. III. Protest of the Cardinal Presidents, 181. IV. Constitutio De Fide Catholica, 182; Translation of the same, 192; Constitutio Dogmatica Prima de Ecclesia Christi, 204; Translation of the same, 211. V. Rules laid down by Theologians for Doctrinal Definitions, 220. VI. The Case of Honorius; Note of the Archbishop of Baltimore on the question of Honorius, 223. VII. Letter of the German Bishops on the Council, 225. THE VATICAN COUNCIL AND ITS DEFINITIONS. CHAPTER I. THE WORLD AND THE COUNCIL. REVEREND AND DEAR BRETHREN, From the opening of the Council until the close of the Fourth Public Session, when leave was given to the Bishops to return for a time to their flocks, I thought it my duty to keep silent. It was not indeed easy to refrain from contradicting the manifold errors and falsehoods by which the Council has been assailed. But it seemed for many reasons to be a higher duty, to wait until the work in which we were engaged should be accomplished. That time is now happily come: and the obligation which would have hitherto forbidden the utterance of much that I might have desired to say has been by supreme authority removed. To you therefore, Reverend and dear Brethren, I at once proceed to make known in mere outline the chief events of this first period of the Council of the Vatican. |