Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1826-11-03


Apostles, anc their associates, and that in do
ing so, the people received the testimony of
Christ himself. The miracles wrought by those
persons confirmed the belief of this principle,
and they themselves inculcated it as derived
from Christ. 1t is plain fact of history that
when the members of this tribunal gave a doc
trinal decision, they gave it in full accordance
with this principle: for they declared that the
Holy Ghost, the spirit of truth who descended
upon the first teachers, and was communicated
by them to their associates, joined IN their as
sembly, presided over their meeting, and spoke
in their decision 1t is matter of historical evil
dence that all they who refused to receive and
to submit to such decision were considered as
opposed to revealed truth, and disobedient to
the command of the Saviour, because they did
not hear those whom he sent as their teachers
Thus, before the Scriptures were known to the
Christians, they knew the Church, and they
recognized its infallible authority in teach
| ing the doctrine which had been revealed, and
of which it was made the witness and the depo-
sltary. Thus it was not by the Scriptures
the first Christians proved the infallibility of
the Church; but they proved it before the Scrip
tures existed, by the plain fact, that he who
had proved his authority by miracles, had u.s.
|
ing his doctrine, with infalllble certainty Of
correctness, to this tribunal, which he Great
cd for that purpose. 1t is admitted by all
persons, that the teaching Of truth was one
of the principal objects of commissioning the
| apostles and their successors. 1t would be in
deed beneath the wisdom and the power Of
the Godhead to send teachers, evidently COM
mssioned by Heaven, to whom men respecting
that commission ought to listen; and still that
this body commissioned by heaven were equal
| ly liable as any other body to teach error in
stead of uuth!.! Of what value then, would
be their divine commission? If they led men to
error, how we're men to find those who would
bring them back to truth? Even Mr. White
| himself admits the soundness Of this Catholic
principle. Dobiado, p 296, vol .. let V.
| 81 have often heard the question, how could
such men as Bossuet and Fenelon adhere to the
Church Of Rome and re Jet the Protestant faith?
| The answer appears to be obvious: Because &C
cordng TO their undoubted principles on this
matter, they must have been either Catholics
or InfideIs. Laying it down that Christianity
was chiefly intended TO reveal system Of doctrine
necessary for salvation, they NATURALLY AND CON
sIsTENTLy, inferred the existence Of an auhoriz-
| ed Judge upon questions of faith; otherwise the
inevitable doubts arising from private judgment
| aoould defeat the object of revelation. Thus it
is that Boussuet thought he had uiumphanlly
confuted the 2rotestants by merely showing
| that they could not agree in their articles -
Like Bossuet, most Catholic divlnes (Mr.
White might have written alO can see no me-
dunn between denying the infallibe authority
of the Church and rejecting revelation.
ono proposition in Euclid could convey a
H.
in this dilemma. Let me but prove, said to
myself, that there exists single flaw in the
system, and it will all crumble into dust, Sc"
Thus if Mr.. White believed that principal
object of our Saviour was to reveal to the world
a system of doctrine, the belief of which would
be necessary for salvation, NATURALLY AND CON-
sIsTENTLY he must infer from this, the iafaNbihty
of the Church. From Mr.. Whites denial Of this
nfaliblIity, we must naturally and consistently
infer that Mr.. White does not believe, a princi-
pal object Of the Saviour. was 10 make belief
of his doctrines necessary for Salvation. What
says Bishop Kemp now Mr. Whites prlnci-
pies Of Faith? iii be matter of indifference,
so far as regards salvation, what system OF doc
trine man is to believe; why did those good gen
,lemen separate from the Catholic Church,
Whynot come back to US now?-Why use such
pains to correct our"errors of Popery?"-Why
collect so much money 10 convert Heathens?-
Why keep separate churches from each other?
why will not the Bishop, and the Presbyte-
rian, and the Methodist meet together and pro-
claim to their people that ii matters4ot, so far
as concerns salvation, to which flock they are
attached?-Why not proclaim to them that they
might as well be Roman Catholics?-I promise
you, my friends, Mr.. White will turn the tables
upon those who brought him forward to annoy
US.
Then it is plain that the first christians be-
lieyed that principal object of their divine
teacher was to reveal system OF doctrine,
which was so necessary for salvation, that he
commanded them to lay down their lives soon
er than to desert il; and all lis teachers gave
them not only such injunctions, but confirmed
the niunctions by theirexample: they shed their
blood sooner than deny one article Of faith! Mr..
White might have left his Indian story of the
world resting upon the elephant, and the ele-
phant upon the tortoise, for some more appro-
pirate subject because in the first place, it is
exem 2liication of vicious circle, and next,
the first christians believed naturally and con-
sistently from the nature of their doctrine, as
Mr. White sheys that the church was infalIi- |