The national Republican., 1869-06-21

regions OF tho North or 10 the sunny. cllmes
OF the South survey the terrestrial globe
America do you aot see gigantic society
embracing 80 ;nilllon souls, that %, two
thirds Of the Christian world, all united In
one faith and IN one communion under the
headshlp OF the bishop OF Rome, the sue
cessor OF Peter, tnc apostle Did this Church
spring up a few years agof Can Il trace Its
existence ouiy 70 tho fourteenth or hfteenth
century, Ia Il not dchnntly registered upon
the page Of history as having come down
with Its unbrokcn line Of supreme pontiffs
aud bishops and people from the age OF the
apostles TO our own tlme How can we ac-
count for this fact except In the supposltion
that tho Church was 90 organised from the
origin Of the Christian rciigiont
But the aivorsarics Of catholicism under
take 10 show tat this lden Of the Christian
church Is not sanctioned by the Scriptures OF
the New Testament. We might at once cut
short this discussion by asserting that the
fact to which We have Just alluded Is the
most conclusive evidence In regard to the
meaning Of the Scriptures. Which IL the
more reasonable, which the more logical,
which the more In accordance with biblical
criticism, to understand Scripture as II 10
! explained by modern lnnovators or 10 adopt
tho view which has boon held by the Church
from tho very sgc In which tho Scriptures
! were writ ten But before entering upon the
| scriptural argument In vindlcation Of the
Catholic Wow II may not bo amiss 10 show
that our adversarios have no right to argue
from the Scriptures.
We base this assertion upon the follow
Ing reasons
ist. Because the Church as a visible body
was organized and In full operation, by the
teaching OF revealed truth and the admins
tration Of the aacraments, bsfore any portion
OF the New Testament was written; whence
| II follows that II belongs Ia the Church 10
decide not only what Is TO be admitted as
the inspired word Of God, but also the sense
In which II Is to be rNP'eincd.
I'd. The Scriptures aru the property Of the
Church. II was the Church that first re-
ceived them, 1t was the Church that deter
mined the canon Of Inspired Scripture, and
that has transmitted % nfom tho earliest
ages to the present tlmo. Whence did Luther
and Calvin, and other modern rcformors
come into possession Of the New Testament
Was 1t not upon the testimony Of the Catho-
lie Church that they considered tho book
called the New Testament q portion Of the
written word OF Godi II tho authority Of
the Church was sufficient TO establish the
authenticity and inspiration OF this volume,
was II not also competent to attest the
meaning which had always been given to iti
3D. In the third place no controversy about
the meaning Of the Holy Scriptures can be
settled with certainty without the interposi-
tion Of living tribunal. The Scripture Is a
dead letter, IL does not speak for itself, and
there Is no possible mode Of asccrtaining Its
true meaning IN controycrted matters except
from the tradition Of the Church. And hence
did ST. Augustine, perhaps the most learned
among the doctors OF the primitive church,
declare that he would not believe In the Cos.
pei II the authority Of the Catholic Church
did not impel him to do SO.
How Is the written law Of tho State inter
pretedl Is every individual allowed to cx
plain Il for himself and to regulate his action
according to this private interpretation II
he not required TO abide by the decisions o
tho civil tribunalsi The adyersaries Of tn
Catholic Church have therefore no right t.
appeal to the Scriptures, and they are boun'
at the risk Of being grossly Inconsistent, T.
{ accept her exposition Of the sacred text, tn
: more so as II contains the plalnest ant
S strongest confirmation Of her doctrines.
: Let us then consider for moment wha
, idea of the Christian Church Is conveyed to
us by the inspired writers. Do they intimate
that the church is visible body under onC
headi Our Divine Savior In alluding to Hi
: church on earth, often designates II as
| kingdom. 81 appear unto you Kingdom
= as my Father appeared unto mo-" II was
! kingdom therefore that Christ committed l.
c the government Of his apostles. But, cal
1 there be q kingdom without q chief Office
4 as its head and ruleri Or can w
: call two or more governments, that
A are totally independent Of each other,
0 kingdom Would Il not be folly TO assor
d that Spain and England and France are on
e kingdom If the Church, then, Is klng
{ dom 1t must consist Of those who are unite
+ under one head, and not OF individuals @
J; societies that are opposed to or distinct fror
i each other in laith and government. Agar
C our blessed Lord speaks Of his followers a
It constituting Cock or. fold; "Othcr sheep
h have who are not of this fold; them also
!c must bringi and there shall be one fold und'
10 one shepherd II the Church Is one sheel
X fold there must bc one shepherd watchin
Is over the whole. But how can there be OF
E, shepherd II tho Church consists Of differer
W nocks, the pastors OF which are hostile I
s. each other, some repudiating as deadly poiso
1t what others dispense as a source OF hcayen
Il life. We learn also from Paul, the apostle
Is that the followers of Christ form one body
IS "By one spirit are we all baptized into on
Or body."-l Cor; xii. Now II the humn
y frame be fit emblem of the Church
At Christ It must necessarily have visib
le head; for although the members OF u
at human body have each Its own function
Of they are all united aud controlled by OF
In head, without which there could be no uni
IT, of action, or rather no action at all. Ho
he do the opponents Of Catholicism reply
these declarations OF the holy Scripture
ch They tell us that the Church is indeed
Ia kingdom, but Christ Is the only king; tn
y, the Church Is one sheep-fod, but Christ
II the one shepherd; that the Church Is bod
~ bat Christ Is the only head. Now, we adm
1t according to the doctrine Of the Cathol
lc Church, that Christ is the king, the she
u herd and the head OF the spiritual socie
al which he has established on earthj but do
te he appear in person to perform the functio
st Of king, or OF ashepherd, or OF a head
at No person will contend that he does; and
he the Church established by him Is a visit
nd society, composed Of men who are to be
&C. structed In the truths OF revelation and
nc generated and sanctiaed by the dlspensat
be OF his heavenly gifts, to the end Of time,
III follows that he must have appointed SOL
b. visible agency through which he acts for &
u government OF his &iDgdom, for the feed,
lis Of his flock, and for the sustenapce Of !
II mystical body, which Is the ChLIch.
n This doctrine we see fully developed
IT, the declarations of :iIe holy Scripture. o
's- Divine Saviour mas not only intimated to
ks that his Church was society united und
or ono mead, but he has clearly indicated W
nc was the head appointed by him to goye
to ferred upon Peter, one OF the twelve who
he he chose TO be the first heralds Of the 81
ir- tidings Of salvation.
N Without insisting upon the argument tn
lis might be derived from the circumstance
,ss Peters being mentioned always in the I'll
IS, place, and which has led even Protesta
Ill commentators TO admit that he must
allowed q primacy Of order, will pass
rst the consideration Of scriptural testimoniC
Did which are far more decisive. II Is very
We makaGle that the moment simon was intr
ief duced to our Divine Saviour, he received
lie promise that some distinction would be co
'us ierred upon him. "Thou art Simon, the 81
III, Of iona; thou shalt be called Cephas, Will
ny is interpreted Peter" or rock. Why
re- our Lord announce TO him this change Of i
for namel We shall see the solution Of Il
cs, question in the subsequent narration OF /
Is, Gospel.
1t We read iu the sixteenth chapter of
me Matthew that when Jesus came into t
II courts Of Ccsarea Phlllppi, he asked his d
In ciples, saying, "Who do men say that |, t