172 APPENDIX. 



papacy. However important in itself might be the doctrinal de- 

 cision which would promote beyond measure the tendency toward 

 Mariohitry, the fact that it had dared to promulgate a dogma 

 without the sanction of a council, was the most dangerous and 

 insolent of the innovations of ultra montanisin. Never had 

 anything been seen like it. Always in the past there had been 

 reserved to the Church, regularly represented, the important right 

 of the definition of doctrine. But nothing could be more unlike 

 a regular council than the consultation by letter of the principal 

 bishops, and the hasty meeting of a certain number of them at 

 Rome. In another age, less ignorant than ours in a religious 

 point of view, so daring an attempt of the papacy would have 

 set fire to the four corners of the earth ; or rather, the fear of pub- 

 lic opinion would have put any such project out of the question. 

 The Qcsit (the centre of the Jesuit order) at Rome well knew that 

 it need have no fear of making any considerable disturbance in 

 men's minds by an attempt which nevertheless surpassed every- 

 thing of the sort which had ever before been seen. The rejoicing 

 was immense in the camp of the fanatical adherents of the Pope. 

 The party of the Univers climl^cd the Capitoline and intoned the 

 ^' JSinic dimittisy It had, in truth, seen the dawn of the day so 

 glorious for that party, of the absolute subjugation of the Church. 

 The most liberal wing of the ultra montanists had no scruple in 

 receiving the new dogma with acclamations. The Correspomlant 

 joined in chorus with the Univers, and the Abbé Gratry outdid 

 all others in exalting the Immaculate Conception of ]\Lny. It 

 was only the old Gallicanism that felt itself struck to the heart. 

 The men eminent by position whom it counted within its ranks 

 confined themselves to silent lamentations; but we know how 

 l)itter and melancholy were those days to many among them. 

 ^DI. Bordas Demoulin and Iluet uttered an energetic protest.' 

 In a book entitled "An Essay upon Catholic Reformation" {E.ssai 

 «ur la reforme catholique), they showed how ancient tradition 

 had l)ecu trodden under foot l)y the Jesuits of Rome. *' Wliat a 

 crime," cried M. Iluct, " to throw itself across the path of this 

 perpetual succession of truth ! Above all, what a crime ou the 



