The national Republican., 1869-06-21
THE PAPACY
REV. DIR. WHITES DISCOURSE
REPLY TO REV. DIR. NEWMAN
AN ELOQUENT sERM N

unusual interest was manifested, as II was
understood that the eloquent pastor Of tho
church, Rev. Charles |. White, d. D., would
discourse upon the Papaoy, and that his
sermon would meet and controvort the
views advanced by Rev. DR.. Newman, Of tho
Metropolitan VI. Z. church, q few sabbaths
ago. The discourse was listened 10 with
profound attention, and In Wow Of tho In
tcrcst excited upon this question by DR..
Ncwman's sermon we give our readers this
morning that delivered yesterday by DR..
White, reported In full specially for the Re-
PUBLICAN.
The fact, too, that to-day Ia the twenty
third anniversary Of the Pontlacato Of Plus
TX lends an additional interest 10 the ser
mon at this time.
The discourse was founded upon the First
Epistle OF 81. Petor, Sd chapter, and sth to
18th verses, inclusive, as follows;
"And finally, be 70 all Of ono mind, hav'
Ing compassion ono Of another, loving
brotherhood, merclful, modest, humblcI
Not rendering evil for evil nor railing for
railing, but on tho contrary, blcsslngi for
unto this are you callod, that by inheritance
you may possess blessing.
For he that will love life and see good days
let him refrain his tongue from evil and his
lips that thoy speak no qullcI
Let him decline from evil, and do good /;
let him seek peace and pursuSlti
Because the eyes of the Lord arc upon the
lust, and his ears unto their prayers; but
the countenancc OF the Lord against them
that do evil things. And who Ia he that can
hurt you II you DO Jealous Of goodi
But il also you suffer anything for Justice
sake, blessed arc yc. And bc not afraid Of
their terror, aud be not troubled.
But sgnc!lfy the Lord Christ In your hOart,
being always ready to satisfy every one that
asketh you, reason of that hope which /,
in you"
THE SERMON.
Tomorrow will be the twcnty.thlrd ami
versary of the Inauguration or coronation o
Plus TX as Bishop Of Rome and supreme pas
tor of the Church OF Christ on earth. Thl
circumstance, together with the unusual In
terest that has bcen excited throughout the
civilized world by recent acts of the Sover
eign Pontiff, especially In reference to thi
approaching Ecuminlcal Council, naturall,
leads us to consideration of the high pre-
negatives which are claimed for him, ant
which entitlc him 10 our veneratlon and ODE
dience. That in the discharge Of his exaltet
office, to watch over the interests Of thu
Universal Church, to proclaim the truth an,
to anathematize error, he should create
considerable stir among men, and even be
come an object of assault, Is by no means
matter of surprise for those who belong I,
the Catholic Church. They know we'll, am
II is subject of congratulation, that tn
bark of Peter, having outliyed the storms o
nearly nineteen hundred years, can well al
ford TO brave the tempests of the future
that the opposition OF unbelcvers and secta
tarians, how violent soeyer, will always b
productive of good, by calling more earnes
attention to the solid grounds on whic
Catholicism rests, and which challenge I'll
strictest investigation of honest minds. \
one can question the truth OF this remar
who considers tho lnnumerable conversion
to the Catholic faith that have taken place
and arc still heralded In the Old and Ne
Worlds, among all classes Of society, and ei
pecially among those who have been moi
distinguished for their learning and socii
position. One Of the most powerful motive
Of credibility, that lead mon from the rank
of sectaranlsm into the bosom of old moth,
Church, Is the very fact that she Ia bod
consisting of u head and Its members; thi
protesting TO be the Church OF Christ, 81
recognizes a supreme authority, which Is
once a centre of unity and the source
spiritual Jurisdiction; that this headship
Church is based upon the strongest test
monies Of Holy Writ, and cnnarmod by u
most indlsputable evidence OF tradition.
These arc the points my brethren TO whi'
/ respectfully invite your attention, whit
involve the doctrine OF the papal supremac
and the preliminary questions from which
Is deduced. What is the papal supremat
rs understood In the Catholic Church,
signifies that "the Pope or Bishop Of Ron
thorlty and Jurisdiction In things spiritu
over the entire Church, SO as to constitu
its visible head, and the viccregent Of Chri
on earth" This supremacy implies tn
the Holy Sec Is the centre OF unity in q
Chnrch, and that all the faithful are boul
to be In communion with II through their
spective pastors; otherwise they becon
guilty Of schism. 1t also Implies that q
Pope is the source Of authority, and that q
the subordinate rulers In the Church are su
Jcct to him, and derive, either directly or !
directly, their Jurisdiction from him." Th
doctrine Is tenet Of Catholic faith. But
Is not an article of faith that the Pope ls |
fallible. Although il is the common sem
ment among Catholics that the Pope pc
sesses this prcrogatlvc, whenever he spea
cz-cdthedrd, that Is whenever he acts as past
of the universal Church, this point b
never been defined, and consequently
person is bound under pain Of heresy
admit II. II must also be- observed that {
supremacy Of the Poo is Of II purely sp
itual character, and does not suppose the c
joyment r.. any temporal power. u
heads .p over the Church was not the IL
before he acquired his present dominion
and should he ever loso them he will st
remain the chief pastor Of Christendom.
Having promised these remarks the fl
question that suggests itself Is this: J.
Christ, in the Institution Of his Church, gi
to 1t that organization which requires a ch
executive power as implied in the Catho
doctrine ofthe pNpal supremacy The yario
sccts, outside Of the Catholic commune
deny that the Christian Church received q
such constitution. In fact they virtually
ject all idea of Church Organization,
though they constitute different societit
which have their respective government
they hold as fundamental principle that
is the privilege Of each individual to fral
his own religion from the Bible, whence
follows that each individual is u church
himself, and that the different societies &C
tain within themselves the principles, not
unity, but of dissolution. When every In
yidual is the supreme Judge, where every O
Is Pope there can be no dependence OF o
upon another, and consequently there c
he no authority for any minister TO obtru
his fancies upon his hearers, or In otl
words there can be no legitimate preachl
or ministry, and no society properly
called. If sectarians have public mectiI
houses and listen 10 u preacher, the mt
charitable way Of accounting for II is th
there is an instructive disposition In t
human mind to follow the order establish
by the Almighty irom the very beginning
the world, which Is to learn the truth frC
an authoritative teacher. Without this ca
Que, depending upon himself, Is liable TO
betrayed iuto the most eXtrayagant errC
whence the idea Of q religious society or
ganlzatlon becomes On impossibillty,
The very opposite Of this Is the Catho!
idea of the Church. We believe that Chr
provided salvation for all men by glviOgthC
the means OF coming TO the knowledge Of
truth and Of being cloansed from their sir
that lie established his Church as an agcn
for the perpetuatlon Of this supcrnatul
work, viz! to teach His doctrines and d
pense His graccs that the Church the
fore Is a body which Is lndefectablc and l
Il L. ii. 4.