Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 8.djvu/108

 INTERNATIONAL

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INTRODUCTION

vaguest terms; and wherever it was feasible, the form and the concept approached the Protestant view of those subjects. In matters of ecclesiastical disci- pline two important concessions were made to the Protestants, viz. the marriage of the clergy, and Communion under both kinds. In addition, an imperial ordinance enjoined on the Catholic clergy the execution of reforms in the choice and ordination of ecclesiastics, the administration of the sacraments, and other similar matters.

III. The Interim of Zella. — The Interim of Augs- burg was meant principally for the Protestants, whose return to the Catholic Faith was looked for; but nearly everywhere they very strongly opposed it. In order to make it less objectionable, a modification was introduced by Melanchtlion and other Protestant divines, commissioned thereto by Elector Maurice of Saxony (1521-53). In a meeting held at Alt- Zclla in November, 1548, they explained in a Prot- estant sense what they considered essential points of doctrine, c. g. justification and others; they accepted the non-essentials or adiaphora, such as confirmation. Mass, the use of candles, vestments, holy days, etc. The document then draviTi up became known as the Interim of Zella, or the Small Interim. In the diet held at Leipzig in December, 1548, it was adopted by the estates of the Electorate of Saxony, and was then called the Interim of Leipzig, or the Great Interim.

Pastor, Die kirchlichen Reunionsbestrebungen wahrend der B,Y,i,r„,„, KarU V. (Freiburg im Br., 1879); Idem, Gesch. der /■." '., \ I r. ilmrg im Br., 1909); Janssen-Pastoh, Geschichte ./' I hK-cs, hi (Freiburg im Br., 1899); Kaclen in

h I .1 iburg im Br., 1889), s. V. /?i(ertm; IssLElB in

RLulLjLi.^L.j...r prut. Theot. (Leipzig, 1901), s. v. Interim.

Francis J. Schaefer. International Arbitration. See Papal Abbitra-

TION.

Internuncio (Lat. inter, between; nuntius, mes- senger), the name given in the Roman Curia to a dip- lomatic agent who, thovigh not belonging to the five highest classes of the papal diplomatic service {legatus a latere, nuncio with full powers of a legatus a latere, legate, nuncio of the first class, and nuncio of the second class), is, nevertheless, chief of a legation (chefde mission). He may have several subordinates, and, on the other hand, his household may consist only of a private secretary. The nomination of inter- nuncios follows no fixed rule; they have been, and still are, accredited indiscriminately to countries dif- fering widely in ecclesiastical importance, e. g. Luxemburg, Chile, Holland, Brazil. Formerly the powers of an mternuncio were necessarily extensive, owing to the lack of telegraph service and the slow- postal deliveries; they are now almost entirely con- fined to routine work. In exceptional cases, extraor- dinary powers are given to the internuncio, when important affairs are in question. As conditions in the various countries to which internuncios are ordi- narily sentdifferconsiderably, their general powersare regulated accordingly; in consequence, no general statement of the duties of an internuncio is possible.

Nor can the ecclesiastical dignity or position at court of the internuncio be determined with more exactitude. It is safe to s;iy that they are always domestic prelates or titular arclibishops. The simple prelature has always been the rule for the internun- cios of Holland and Luxemburg, the last of whom was Mgr. Tamassi. The internuncios accredited to South .\merica in the last century were mostly titular archbishops. At present (simimer of 1909), the only internuncios are those in .Argentina and Chile, and both are titular archbishops. The earlier arrange- ment, that internuncios should bear the title of Apos- tolic delegate and envoy extraordinary, no longer obtains. The last case of the kind occurred in Portu- gal about the middle of the nineteenth century.

Internuncios, when jjromoted, are appointed nuncios; in rare instances they become Apostolic delegates. Too much confidence must not be placed in earlier works on papal diplomacy, apropos of this office; according to the requirements of the moment, the Curia increases or diminishes both its scope and its powers.

Paul Makia Badmgaeten.

Interpretation of Holy Scripture. See Exegesis. Intolerance. See Toleration.

Introduction, Biblical, a technical name which is usually applied to two distinct, but intimately con- nected, thmgs. First, it designates the part of Scriptural science which is concerned with topics preliminary to the detailed study and correct expo- sition of Holy Writ. Next, it is given to a work in which these various topics are actually treated.

I. Scope and Divisions. — As is commonly ad- mitted at the present day, the general object of Biblical introduction is to supply the student of the sacred books of the Old and New Testaments with the knowledge which is necessary, or at least very desir- able, for the right interpretation of their contents. Thus understood, the scope of an introduction to the inspired writings which make up the Bible is substan- tially that of an introduction to other writings of antiquity. An introduction helps materially the student of the te.xt of these writings to know before- hand and in a precise manner the personal history and actual surroundings of the author to whom each writing is ascribed, to become acciuainted with the date of composition and the general form and purpose of the works before him, to acquire familiarity with the leading features of the ancient languages in which the various books were originally written, to realize distinctly the peculiar literary methods employed in their composition, to know something of the various fortunes (alterations, translations, etc.) which have befallen the text in the course of ages, etc. An intro- duction, too, whether the work for which it is de- signed be profane or sacred, has usually a limited scope. It is not supposed to treat of each and every topic the knowledge of which might be useful for tlie right understanding of the books in question. It is justly regarded as sufficient for all practical purposes, when, by the information which it actuallj^ imparts, it enables the reader of the works of antiquity to start intelligently on the detailed study of their text. Owing, however, to the fact that the books of the Bible are not simply ancient, but also inspired, wri- tings, the scope of Biblical introduction embraces the various questions which are connected with their in- spired character, and which, of course, have no place in an introduction to merely human productions. For this same reason, too, certain topics — such as the questions of integrity and veracity — which naturally belong to treatises preliminary to the study of any ancient writing, assume a very special importance in Biblical introduction.

Biblical introduction is irequently, and indeed aptly, divided into two parts, general and special, the former embracing the preliminary questions which concern the Bible as a whole, the latter being restricted to those which refer to the separate books of Holy Writ. The field of general introduction has long been, and is still, surveyed from different stand- points by Biblical scholars.' It no longer embraces a detailed description of the Oriental languages and of the Hellenistic Greek, but is uni\ersally limited, in regard to those languages, to a brief exposition of their leading characteristics. With regard to the questions which pertain to the antiquities, geography, and chronology of the Bible, some scholars are still of the opinion that they should be dealt with in a general introduction to the study of the Holy Scrip-