The-papacy-its-history-dogmas-genius-and-prospects-wylie

;284 OF OJBIGINAL SIN.the kingdom of Spain was so violently convulsed by thisquestion, that embassies were sent to Home to implore thePope to put an end to the war, and restore peace to thekingdom, by a public bull. The conduct of the Pope on thisoccasion illustrates the species of juggling by which he hascontrived to keep up the idea of his infallibility. He issuedno bull, because he judged it imprudent in the circumstancesbut he declared that the opinion of the Franciscans had ahigh degree of probability in it, and must not be opposedpublicly by the Dominicans as erroneous; while, on theother hand, the Franciscans were forbidden to treat thedoctrine of the Dominicans as erroneous.*The Council ofTrent, though they debated the question, would come to nodecision, but left the matter undetermined. To this day thequestion remains undetermined, proving a fertile source offierce polemical wars, which break out every now and then,and rage with great violence. The revolution at Romehaving set free the Pope from the cares of government,he employed his leisure at Gaeta in attempts to settle thisgreat question, which so many renowned popes and so manylearned councils had left undecided. He took the regularcourse to obtain the prayers of the Church and the suffragesof the bishops, in order to promulgate his bull. The Popewas engrossed by these deep theological inquiries when thesuccess of Oudinot before the walls of Rome recalled himfrom the study of the fathers to the not less grateful workof issuing incarcerations and signing death-warrants.Shoulda second period of exile intervene, which is not improbable,the pontiff may even yet gather up the broken thread of histhoughts, and elaborate the bull which is to crown the blasphemiesand idolatry of Rome, by decreeing that the VirginMary was as wonderfully conceived as was the Saviour, andthat her humanity was as free from sin, as holy and undefilcd,as is the humanity of our Lord. " Neither repentedthey of their idolatries."Moshcim, cent. xvii. sect. ii. part i. chap. i. s. 48.