The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1870-08-23
What does Infallibility Import! No. z

stand it. The rcjoicings Of the Catholic
Press would seem to indicate that it was
the most important dogma that was ever
announced to the world. Is there some
mystical sense, some transcendental signi-
fication that attaches to the term, which
the uninitiatcd do not, and cannot per.
ceive? DO all good Catholics understand
its meaning? Is the language of the
fathers on this subject to be understood
in the same way, and to be explained as
other matters are, by the usual laws Of
language? In a word, is it presumed
that intelligent men, in the experience of
their reason can comprehend it, or is it
understood only by the aid of some SUI.
pernatural power? If only such as God
has given divine afllatus can know it,
then we do not comprehend it. But if
men Of common sense, by the right use Of
reason, and the knowledge of the laws of
language can comprehend it, then we
claim to know what it means. We have
carefully studied the arguments of the
Catholic Press. We have read with "a.
thence all that was spoken--and has
been made public by the fathers in coun.
Gil. We have examined carefully the
schemata as it has been announced from
the Pope, or by his authority. We have
cautiously stripped off the conflicting or
meaningless verbiage of the rampant CD.
poser, and the enthusiastic Catholic. For
although with one voice they joyously
shout for infallibility, there is nowhere
more diversity or inconsistency as to its
real significance, than among Catholics
themselves, yet more of them doubt that
they perfectly understand it. If, as some
Of them declare, it is the voice of the
majority of the church announced by the
Pope as its head, it differs in no essential
particular from the authority vested in
the presiding officers in any Baptist
church, what expresses the decisions
of the majority, or even the moderator Of
a boys debating club, from whose wise
decision there is no appeal.
If like the decision of the Supreme
Judge of the United States court, it is an
opinion founded upon law and evidence
and clothed with the authority of law
when judicially expressed then it is like
any other act of parliamentary usage, and
is essentially Democratic in principle
and derives its authority essentially from
the church.
If it is the authority and influence ot
the Holy Spirit, with which all Popes
have been clothed since the days of St
Peter why after the lapse of almost two
thousand years, can it be necessary tc
dignity the office with the pomp of suf
fragc from an Ecumencal Council
Upon this point it is answered substan
TALLY that the vote does not make the
Pope infallible, it only declares him so
1t will not do to let each Bishop preach
the truth as he receives it from the scrip
turc. lie must take his tone of faitl
from the Pope. Hence A. o. Bronson
says in the New York Tablet, for July
lG: "li the Pope could err in matter.
Of faith, we might be required to believ,
a lie." Hence the necessity of the inlal
libiity dogma. Elsewhere, in the same
article, he says: " 1t has frequently beer
my duty to defend the church against hel
enemies, and it may be my duty again
but my greatest embarrassment in de-
Tending her has hitherto been that / ,oa.
not free 10 call gallicanism damuaIle
| have always since my con
version, believed the Pope to be infalliblt
in declaring the faith and condemninl
opinions contrary and hurtful thereto
but while | have always been free to hole
this opinion and defend it, | have MOI
been free to say to any one, You mus
, accept it as Catholic doctrine on pain o
heresy."
The Examiner aud Chronicle, Bap
tist paper in New York city has criticised
somewhat sharply some of the sentiment
of the Catholic World, as follows: 9Th,
leading thought Of the article is this
The Roman Catholic religion is absolute
ly perfect.-The Pope is the infallibl
exponent of that religion" And mucl
more to the same effect To which tn
Tablet, true Catholic paper replies
"The mistakes of the Examiner, is il
supposing that there is religion outsid
of Catholicity, separabe or even disting
uishable from it, and that men may ac
as christians without acting as Catholics.
There are many things in this article
in the Tablet which look as if the edito
had used the term Catholicity and Catho
lie, in its primitive signifcation of uni
versal, and not confning them to tn
Roman church. In my first reading o
it, | thought the Tablet had the better o
the argument But more careful read
ing has satisfied me that the Tablet know
nothing of any piety, or morality, or re
ligion outside Of the Catholic church. o
this, assurance is made doubly sure b.
the following statement, made elsewher
in the same paper "Protestantism origi
mated in falsehood, and has thus far beel
sustained by deception and fraud"
We have long thought that among tn
: Episcopal clergy, there was a strong affi
nifty to Catholicism. Years ago we rea,
the writings of DR.. Pusey, of Oxford, AM
; supposed he was the representative of
large class OF the English clergy. With
in a few months past We listened to som
: Episcopal clergymen, who so warmly en-
= dorsed the Papal dogma of infallibility
! that we have supposed they and the Re
man church were very much in sympa
thy. But from the tone of the Catholi
press, we judge our suspicion was utterl
unfounded. AT least Rome reciprocate
no sympathy for the English clergy. L
| word Romanism, is pure Christianity
all else is "wedded to the world and un
der satanic delusion."
Il Again We should not forget the Jew
ish hierarchy, yet holding to the law, AN
as exclusive as Rome itself, is only kim
Of watered Romanism. How true it ap
pears then that Romanism is tn
, germ and gist of all pure orthodoxy, tn