The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1870-08-21

his flock into poisonous pastures, or, in
other words, that the Vicar of Christ,
through Divine assistance, is infallible
when teaching es cathedra on faith and
morals, has now been solemnly defined by
the Church assembled in General Council.
This doctrine. as to it's subject and object, is
as old as Christianity, and in principle as
old as the human family for there never
was q time when God left mankind without
an infallible authority in matters of revela-
to the supernatural truths of salvation, to
the uncertain guidance of mere natural
| lights.
The faith of Catholics in the Infallibility
| of the Vicar of Christ is grounded upon
nothing less than the promises and veracities
OF God Himsey 1t was no more difficult
for God to promise Divine assistance to
the Head than to the body of the Church.
1t was not more wonderful than to give
him the keys, or to impart power to men
to dissolve and consecrate, or through
water to cleanse from sin, or through the
Ghost.
The doctrine If Irfaliihility rests upon
the same basis of certainty as that of the
Trinity, the Incarnation, the Resurrection
OF the dead, and life everlasting; it rests
UPON Scripture. Let Pr"testants misrepre-
sent the Catholic i.titli let them scott and
deride: theelOctrine which they mock at is
believed upon the same authority as that
on which they ground their belief in those
fragmentary doctrines of Christianity which
they still retain, viz: upon the Word of
God.
What the Fathers of the Vatican Council
have done has been no more than to ex
anime the grounds for the definition of the
doctrine. They have studied Scripture
and sifted tradition, and they have found
that the doctrine is Enthusiastically contained
in both. They have proceeded to draw it
ont fRsN$ I,<a% ~ Ill l4G~
for three months they have discussed it's
terms, sentence by sentence, word by word.
Above hundred speeches have been de-
livered, and above a hundred treatises have
been printed. Six hundred prelates from
every people and religion of the earth have
wisdom to bear upon it. Finally, they
agreed upon a form of definition, contain
ing the revealed doctrine, such as every
Catholic must hold it under pain of ceasing
to be a Catholic, and of being cut off from
eternal salvation. What the unanimous
Pontif has confirmed. The Definition is
already promulgated and binding on every
Catholic conscience. Catholics of every
school, no matter how separated formerly
by Liberal or Gallican views, are now
united upon two points. They know by
the infallible testimony of the Church that
the Doctrine is a revealed truth, contained
in Scripture and tradition and united in
this knowledge, they now bow down to-
gether in one devOut act of Catholic faith,
based for its certain foundation on the
veracity of God.
Ii we are asked whether the definition
was necessary, we reply without hesitation
that it was. Among other reasons, the fol-
lowing may suffice. 1t had been openly
denied. How urgent was the necessity for
condemnation of the heresy may be
Judged from the number and active influ-
nf those who fOr fha last oiuhf he
have been it's protectors. The Holy Spirit
knows the time and the moments, and
therefore the Definition is wisely made
now rather than at any earlier or later
date.
The faith of the Church, which some had
called in question and clouded with doubt,
stands out clear and defined. No man can
now mistake it. If we, in our humble
sphere, have earnestly prayed for deini
tion, it was because we love the clearness
and precision of truth. 1t in this there be
fault, it is one which we share with all the
men of science and philosophers of our day.
They profess to seek after truth for it's own
sake; we have felt impelled by the same
desire in regard to those truths which alone
are worth living for. But besides the love
of supernatural truth, beautiful and suffi-
cient as it is of itself to captivate the mind
and the heart, and trenchant "as two
edged sword" we have felt all along that
it was impossible to hold the Infallibility |
of the Church if the Infallibility of the |
Head were rejected, and that to deny that |
Peter was the foundation Rock of Truth, |
was to split up and dissolve the basis on |
which the Church is built. We have always |
felt, and have seen no alternative, that if |
the claim of infalli bility in faith, put for
ward by the Popes, and acted upon by the |
Fathers, explicitly taught by the theolo- !
gians of every school, from Albertus Mag
nus and st. Thomas down to the present !
day, and accepted by the Church through
out the world, were not true, then has the |
Church been an imposter from the begin
ming, and the theory of Divine Revelation |
o delusion.
1t has been a sharp and severe contest,
in which the truth of God has been victo-
rious, because it is of God. Arrayed against |
it have been the powers of the world, while |
powers within the Church, and even within
the Sanctuary, seemed for moment to
join their forces with them. 1t was but |
for a moment; there has been no alliance
between them. The former will continue
to assail the truth, but the latter, all over |
the world, have already fallen upon their |
knees to embrace and worship it, and to |
declare themselves it's devout servants.
They contended against it in ignorance,
but now they offer it once more the sub
mission of their intellect, the affections of
their will, and the homage of their whole |
being.
If we have wounded such as these by !
any words of ours, they will now pardon
us. We desire nothing more than to for
get the contests of the past in the charities |
and bond of faith. There have, no doubt,
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