8 APRIL 1871, Page 3

In Vienna they are talking of a schism, to be

led by Dr. Dollinger, who sticks to his refusal to accept the new dogma of the Pope's infallibility when speaking ex cathedra, and has offered to prove before the German Bishops, who are likely to assemble in Fulda to decide on their course in reference to the dogma, that it is neither Scriptural nor known to the Church of the first thousand years, —that the majority of the Council was misled by garbled quotations,—that in the fifteenth century two General Councils and several Popes decided the matter the other way, and that their decision was promulgated formally by the Councils and confirmed by the Popes (a very serious statement indeed, if Dr. Malinger can substantiate it),--and finally, what is of little importance, that obedience to the new dogma is inconsis- tent with obedience to the laws of States that are both European and Catholic. As a Christian, as a theologian, as a historian, and as a citizen, he rejects the dogma, and denies the freedom of the Council which enacted it. Of course, we quite agree with Dr. Dollinger in his view of the Papal infallibility ; but a good deal of what he says would apply equally to the infallibility of any Church in any form. And how he intends to prove that the Vatican Council was not free without proving that the earlier Councils of the Church were none of them free, we cannot imagine. He and his followers must join one of our Protestant Churches, if they would be true to their own logic.