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Secession Of Catholics

Secession Of Catholics image
Parent Issue
Day
9
Month
January
Year
1847
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

A meeting of German Catholics was held in New York Dec. 13, lo organize on the plan of Rongein Germany. The movement c.xcited considerable altention. The public meeting was very fully atended. A new congregation has been organized, consisting of forty-five persorfc. They have put forth a confession of Faith, and a Declaration of sentiment", oí which the following is nn exract : " We therefore declare ourselves free from the Pope and the hierarchy, from all Romish compulsión in matters of faith, and the unchristinn conduct eonnecled ■ herewith ; and we ncknowledge as the )asis of Christian failh only and alone the Holy Scriptures, the understnnding and interpretaron of which is freely given to reason, penetraled and awakened by Christinn conternplation. Werejectthe following: 1. The doctrine that the Pope is the visible head of the Church standing in the place of Jesus Chris!, and we repel in advance all concessions which may possibly be mnde by the hierarchy to subject the Free Church again to her yoke. 2. We rejectthe doctrine that by ordination theie is conferred upon the priests any special elevated dignity above the laity, and thnf, by virtue of the same, authority is given them over faith and doctrine, over consciences and the opinions of men. 3. We reject the constrained celibacy of the clergy, as an ordinance not founded upon the Holy Scriptures., but rather n contrivance devised by the Popes for their domineering purposes. 4. We reject auricular conTession. 5. We renounce the invocation of Sainis, the worship of relies and images. 6. We reject indulgences, fusts, pilgrimnges, and all such hitherto appointed church regulalions, which can only lead to on empty self-righteousness. 7. We reject the doctrine of Pureatory."