position to heretics, which the bishops undertake, are to be understood as referring to their solicitude and efforts in convincing heretics of their errors, and procuring their reconciliation with the Catholic Church: his Holiness has graciously condescended to substitute, in place of the ancient form of oath, that one which was publicly repeated by the archbishop of Mohilow, to the great satisfaction of all the court of Petersburgh, in presence of the empress, and which we transmit to you in this letter."

I have not thought it necessary to enter into any theological disquisition as to the extent of the Papal prerogatives. The practical exercise of them chiefly concerns us, and we know them only by the security which they afford to faith, and the mitigation of discipline granted by the indulgence of the Pontiff in consideration of our local circumstances. The dogmas of Catholic faith do not depend on the whim or good pleasure of any individual,-the laws of the Catholic Church are not fluctuating, or unknown. The idea of absolute power capriciously exercised, by an Italian bishop, over the citizens of a free republic, separated from him by thousands of miles, is absurd. He can only address our conscience: he does not and cannot lord it over our faith, although his authoritative teaching, in unison with the whole Catholic episcopate, receives our assent: his governing power is employed in sanctioning and confirming the acts of the American prelates in council, and in aiding them in the maintenance of order, and promotion of piety. The election of bishops is made by them, after the manner of a recommendation, and his interposition serves to give to our proceedings the advantage of more mature deliberation, free from local bias. He sends no mandates to individuals, unless when he employs his authority to prevail over the humility of some one who flees from the honors of the episcopate, or when he enforces the duties of the priesthood. Our rights and liberties as free citizens are entirely beyond the reach of his power, had he even the will, which he certainly has not, to interfere with them. I will not suffer myself to utter any indecorous protestations of the part the Catholic citizens of these States would act in contingencies which are absurdly imagined. It is sufficient to say, that in every circumstance they have proved their attachment to the national institutions, and have combined patriotism with religion.

The obedience which we owe to the Pope, regards the things of salvation, and is totally distinct from allegiance, which is due to the civil government. As to the peculiar forms of society, St. Augustin has well observed, that the Church is indifferent to the varieties of human polity, and approves and sanctions in each one all that is not in oppo

sition with the Divine Law. "This heavenly society," he says, "does not hesitate to obey the laws of the earthly state which regulate the things appertaining to our mortal life.-Whilst sojourning on earth, she calls together her citizens from all nations, and forms her pilgrim band of every tongue-not caring for the diversity of laws and usages directed to the attainment or preservation of peace, not annulling or destroying any of them, but rather adopting and observing them; which different institutions of various nations are directed to one and the same object, the maintenance of public tranquillity, if they do not clash with religion, which teaches us to worship the one supreme and true God."* Ranke acknowledges that: "This religious system has no inherent or necessary affinity to one form of government, more than to another." The admission of the Primacy of the Roman Bishop is not attended with the remotest danger to our republican institutions, which it would rather serve to strengthen and perpetuate, moderating the enjoyment of civil liberty by moral restraints, and thus preventing the evils of licentiousness and anarchy.

The Papal authority is necessarily conservative and pacific-it is the guardian of order, the upholder of right-and it consequently strengthens all legitimate power, and promotes public tranquillity, as well as individual happiness. Its adaptation to every form of society, as well as its intrinsic vitality, is manifest from its continuance during so many ages, amidst the many changes which society has undergone. The jealousies of the civil power led from time to time to violent attacks on it, but "no weapon formed against it has prospered." Rival thrones have been raised, or rivals have installed themselves on the ancient Sees, and impeached the integrity and purity of the Apostolic teaching. The successors of Peter "condemned the tongues that resisted them in judgment;" and the barbarian and the infidel were charged by Divine Providence to sweep from the earth the chairs which heresy had polluted. Ephesus, Jerusalem, Antioch, Alexandria, have lost the faith, and with it their ancient glory, as Churches wherein apostles, or their immediate disciples, once presided. The crescent shines over the proud seat of empire, whose bishop sought to rise to an eminence like that of ancient Rome. By a moral miracle, which is among the most splendid proofs of the Divine origin of Christianity, Peter still lives and teaches in his successor, and the voice of truth, coming forth from the chair of unity, reaches to the extremities of the world, and is re-echoed by countless millions. Empires and repub

De Civ. Dei l. xix. c. xvii.

History of the Popes vol. i. 1. vi. § i. p. 407.

lics have passed away, dynasties have succeeded each other, and society has undergone numberless revolutions all things have changed around but the See of Peter still remains as an impregnable fortress, which no power can overthrow, a rock of strength against which winds and waves beat in vain.

477

CATALOGUE OF THE POPES.

FIRST CENTURY.

1. ST. PETER from the East, where he is believed to have founded the See of Antioch, passed to Rome about the year 45, returned to the East in 51, when the Jews were expelled by Claudius, returned to Rome in 56, and died a martyr with St. Paul on 29th June, 65.* 2. ST. LINUS M.†

* Some say 66; some 67, some 69. The testimony of the ancient writers is unanimous as to the establishment of the Church of Rome by Peter and Paul, and as to their martyrdom at Rome. It is not easy, however, to determine the precise year of the first visit of Peter to Rome, or of the martyrdom of both apostles.

Tertullian (1. de præscript.) says that the Roman Church proves the succession of her bishops by pointing to Clement ordained by Peter: but this does not necessarily imply that he was the immediate successor of the apostle. Irenæus, who was prior to Tertullian, states distinctly that Linus received from Peter the administration of the Church, and immediately succeeded him.

Cletus and Anacletus are found in ancient catalogues, and the learned are not agreed as to their identity. St. Irenæus makes no mention of Cletus, and styles Sixtus the sixth from the apostles, which excludes Cletus.

§ Clement is put before Anacletus in the list of St. Augustin (Ep. liii. alias clv.) The authority of Irenæus seems preferable. From the doubts concerning the order in which they succeeded, and the want of specifications in the lists, it seems impossible to fix the chronology of this very early period, as Petau and Fleury have acknowledged.

10. ST. PIUS I.*

11. ST. ANICETUS M. In his pontificate Polycarp came to Rome in

158. Anicetus died in 161.

12. ST. SOTER M. sat until 170.

13. ST. ELEUTHERIUS M. sat from 170 until 185.†

14. ST. VICTOR I. M. sat from 185 until 197.

15.

ST. ZEPHYRINUS M. sat from 197 until 217.

THIRD CENTURY.

16. ST. CALLISTUS I. M. sat from 217 until 222.

17. ST. URBAN I. M. sat from 222 until 230.

18. ST. PONTIAN M. sat from 230 until 235.

19. ST. ANTEROS M. sat from 21st November, 235, until 3d January, 236.

20. ST. FABIAN M. elected 11th January, 236, sat until 20th January, 250.

21. ST. CORNELIUS M. elected in June, 251, died in banishment on 14th September, 252.

22. ST. LUCIUS M. died on 4th March, 253.

23. ST. STEPHEN M. elected on 13th May, 253, sat until 2d August,

257.

24. ST. XYSTUS II. M. died on 6th August, 258.

25. ST. DENYS M. sat until 26th December, 269.

26. ST. FELIX I. M. elected on 28th September, 269, died on 22d December, 274.

27. ST. EUTYCHIAN elected on 5th January, 275, died on 7th December, 283.

28. ST. CAJUS M. elected on 15th December, 283, died on 21st April, 296.

29. ST. MARCELLINUS M. elected on 3d May, 296, died on 26th April, 304.

FOURTH CENTURY.

30. ST. MARCELLINUS I. M. sat one year and eight months, and died in 309.

31. ST. EUSEBIUS M. elected in April, 310, sat until 26th September.

*The Papal chronology in the second century is likewise imperfect from the want of specifications in the authentic lists.

The list of St. Irenæus closes with Eleutherius. Hegesippus, a convert from Judaism, composed a list at the same time.