An indefinite number of bishops,

Archdeacons,

Deans,

Priests,

Deacons and sub-deacons, &c.

Those who live in monasteries, and are subject to monastic rules, are called regular clergy; and others, secular.

CHAPTER II.

THE POPE.

THE word Pope is derived from the Greek лaлas, father. It was originally applied to all bishops; and, before the time of Sabianus, a. D. 604, the bishops of Rome were styled bishops, in common with other bishops. So the title Pope or Father was applied to all bishops until the time of Hildebrand, near the close of the eleventh century, when it was restricted by authority to the bishops of Rome.

The Pope has the double character of a temporal and spiritual sovereign, and wears a triple crown. The first presented to Bishop Symmachus, A. D. 498; the second, added by Boniface, in 1294; and the third, by John XXII., a. D. 1316.

The Papal states embrace a central district in Italy, lying on both sides of the Tiber, and extending from the Mediterranean Sea to the Gulf of Venice, with Naples on the south, and Tuscany on the north. It contains seventeen thousand four hundred and ninety-four square miles, and two million eight hundred and ninety-eight thousand seven hundred and fifty-five inhabitants; not half as large as the state of New York by a difference of eleven thousand square miles, but it is a little more than twice as large, as the state of Massachusetts. Its principal city is Rome, the "Niobe of nations," illustrious as the seat of the

ancient empire of the Romans, through every possible change in the form of their government; and, now that the Roman empire has long since passed away, the metropolis of a spiritual sovereignty, the oldest, strongest and mightiest, that the world has ever seen, in comparison with which the empire of the Cæsars was insignificant. It is distinguished, also, for the magnificence of its churches, among which is St. Peter's, the most costly fabric of the kind in the world; probably the most costly one that has ever existed; the decaying monuments of its ancient glories, its paintings, statues, and other curious works; but not distinguished for the piety, enterprise, or philanthropy, of its people.

St. Peter's church occupied one hundred and eleven years in being built, and cost an amount equal to one hundred and sixty million dollars. The Vatican, one of the Pope's palaces, is a vast collection of edifices, supposed to contain ten thousand rooms. The population of Rome is one hundred and eighty thousand, embracing not less than thirty-five bishops, one thousand four hundred priests, and three thousand four hundred monks and nuns. As a temporal sovereign, the Pope's power is absolute. He is one of the earth's despots, and lends all the influence of his example to encourage despotism, and to keep it in credit.

He has enjoyed this sovereignty from the time of Pepin, king of the Franks, from whom he is said to have received it, a. D. 754.

.

Our Lord did not desire a temporal sovereignty; and, when the people were disposed to press it upon him, he refused it. The Popes of Rome have not thought proper to imitate his example. The apostles did not aspire to temporal sovereignties. In accepting and holding such a sovereignty, the Pope of Rome is departing widely from the example both of the divine Master whom he professes to represent, and of the apostles to whose office and authority he claims to have succeeded.

How poorly this temporal sovereignty is administered, appears from the fact that railroads, telegraphs, daily and weekly news

papers, and monthly and quarterly periodicals, do not flourish. there; that beggars are numerous, and that a large portion of the people are in the lowest state of poverty and wretchedness. The spiritual sovereignty of the Pope is as absolute as his temporal sovereignty.

He is the absolute spiritual sovereign of the entire Roman Catholic church throughout the whole world, and administers its government. He decides controversies respecting matters of faith; makes laws as he judges occasions to require; executes them, and the other laws of the Papacy; calls general councils, and moderates them; rectifies or annuls their decrees; sends legates and nuncios to distant provinces; corrects abuses; annuls grants of episcopal dignities; exercises a censorship of the press; regulates the liturgy; canonizes saints; appoints and abolishes festivals; establishes and suppresses religious orders; confirms and deposes bishops; dispenses with laws, and releases subjects from the obligations of vows, &c.

How entirely foreign is such a despotism from the ministry of the New Testament!

CHAPTER III

THE CARDINALS.

THE Cardinals are seventy in number, and constitute the Pope's electoral college. This court had its origin in the eleventh century. Previous to Nicalaus II., who ascended the Papal throne 1058, the Popes were elected by the whole Roman clergy, assisted by eminent military gentlemen and nobles. This often led to great disorders. Nicalaus II. ordered that the cardinal bishops and cardinal presbyters should elect, yet without infringing on any of the established rights of the Roman emperors in

the business. He then required the assent of the other legal voters, but did not give them any participation in the primary

vote.

Altercations still arising from the regulation requiring the assent of the people to the vote for a Pope, Alexander III., A. D. 1179, in a council at Rome, called the third Lateran council, ordained that the right of voting for a new Pope should belong exclusively to the cardinals, and that the person who had a two-thirds vote should be considered elected. By this means, the people and clergy of Rome were excluded from their immemorial right of voting for their bishop.

In the same council, he, first of all the Popes, sanctioned a crusade against heretics, took from the bishops and councils the right of proposing saints for canonization, and assumed the power of creating kings.

The primitive cardinals were the seven bishops of Ostia, Porto Albano, St. Rufina, Frascati, Palestrina, and La Sabina, places in and about the city of Rome. These long before bore the title of Cardinal Bishops. The cardinal presbyters were the ministers who had charge of the twenty-eight parishes, or principal churches, of the city of Rome. All the remaining clergy Nicalaus excluded from the office of electors, and left them merely the right of approving or disapproving of the elections.

Alexander III., to put an end to the disgraceful tumults that were liable to arise on the occasion of an election of the Pope in this method, enlarged the electoral college by adding to it certain priests of high rank and influence, with other distinguished citizens. By this artifice the disfranchised party were vanquished. This is the history of the organization of the electoral college for the choice of Popes.

The college being once constituted, it was left to the Pope to appoint all future cardinals. It is not necessary, however, that the number should be always complete. In modern times, more or less vacancies have been allowed among the cardinal priests and deacons.

The cardinals dress is a surplice, with a short purple mantle, and a small cap, over which they wear a hat, with silk strings and tassels. The color is either red or violet.

The cardinals form the Pope's standing council, both in the church and state, and are divided into different committees for the more convenient despatch of business. Some of them have the principal offices in the papal court, as secretary of state, chancellor, &c.

They are required to meet for the election of a new Pope ten days after the death of the previous one, and are not allowed to adjourn till a choice is made. They choose the Pope from themselves, none but a cardinal being eligible to that office. Where are the cardinals of the New Testament?

Nowhere.

CHAPTER IV.

PROVINCIAL, DIOCESAN AND PAROCHIAL CLERGY.

Archbishops.

ARCHBISHOPS are metropolitan prelates, having bishops under them. They are elected by archepiscopal chapters, and confirmed by the Pope. This order had its origin in 341, when the council of Antioch elevated a portion of its bishops to this office, and gave them the supervision of several dioceses, under the title of provinces.

The archbishops have jurisdiction over their bishops in cases not of a criminal nature; appellate jurisdiction from the bishops' courts; the right of convoking a provincial synod, which they are required to call once in three years; the right of presiding in the same; the charge of enforcing the rules of the church, remedying abuses, distributing indulgences, having the cross carried before them, if the Pope or a legate is not present, and of wearing the archepiscopal pallium.