Danger in the Dark - ZseZse

DANGER IN THE DARK. 245
compelled to be. They well understand, that if outwardlyand
openly, they were as reckless and abandoned
in this country, as priests are in Mexico, Spain
or Italy, they would receive the scorn and utter contempt
of the people. Yet the Catholic clergy of this
country do not presume to censure the conduct of
priests in Mexico, Italy or elsewhere. Were they to
do so, they would thereby virtually deny the infallibility
of the Church - which with Romanists, is an
essential article of faith."
"Now with regard to that doctrine of church infallibility
which papists hold, they have one argument
which looks plausible - it is this: 'the Church of
Rome has never suffered division, nor schism, but
stood firmly united, unmarred and unshaken, amid all
the mutations that have been going on around itamid
revolutions, the rise and fall of kingdoms and
empires' "
" I am aware that is the boast of papists-but can
you believe it 1"
"I dare not dispute it."
" Surely you have overlooked some important historical
events. You have failed to acquaint yourself
with the great schism, which divided the Greek and
Latin churches into two bodies, between which, to thia
day, there is no fellowship. And again, there too,
Was the great Western schism, in the fourteenth century,
when there were at the same time three or four
rival popes, each sustained by his party, and each fulminating
excomml,lnicationEland anathema at the