magnificent thunder-storm,
a distinct voice of Divine anger, condemning the important act of the
assembled Fathers. Had they forgotten Sinai and the Ten Commandments? All
of a sudden, as the last words were uttered, the tempest ceased; and, at
the moment when Pius IX. intoned the _Te Deum_, a sun-ray lighted up his
noble and expressive countenance. The voices of the Sixtine choristers,
who continued chanting the hymn, could not be heard. They were lost in the
united concert of the venerable Fathers and the vast assemblage.

COMPARATIVE IMPORTANCE OF THE VATICAN COUNCIL.

In whatever light we view the Council of the Vatican--the oecumenical of the
nineteenth century--it strikes us as being, in ecclesiastical annals, the
event of the age. It also marks, in a remarkable manner, the character and
progress of the time. The Council of Trent was highly important in its
day; and still, after a lapse of three hundred years, its teachings govern
the Church. Whilst, as regards the wisdom of its decisions, it cannot be
excelled, it was surpassed in many things by the Council of the Vatican.

Trent was attended by comparatively few bishops, who were from Europe, the
Eastern Church and the countries bordering on the Mediterranean. The
Vatican Council consisted of prelates from at least thirty different
nations, from the remotest regions of the habitable globe, from the
numerous churches in India which owed their origin to the apostolic zeal
of St. Francis Xavier, from North and South America, China, Australia, New
Zealand and Oceanica. One-fifth of the churches existed not as yet in the
time of Trent which sent their bishops to represent them at the Vatican
Council. The countries in which many of these churches flourish had no
place, when the Council of Trent was called, on the map of the world. From
those vast regions which now constitute the United States of America,
there was not so much as one bishop at Trent. At the Vatican Council there
were no fewer than sixty. There were never more than three bishops of
Ireland present together at Trent, and four only were members of that
council. Twenty Irish prelates attended the Vatican Council. England sent
only one bishop to Trent. He is mentioned as Godveus Anglus, Episc.
Asaphensis. The Catholics of England were represented by thirteen English
bishops at the Council of the Vatican. Scotland had no representation at
Trent. The Catholics of that country were most worthily represented at