The New York herald., 1874-11-17
THE INFALLIBILIrY DOGMA.

from Rev. Mr. OHetllys
BY the courtesy Of Messrs. Appleton we are per-
mitted to print the article from the advance sheets
Of the Encyclopedias" upon the dogma Of Papai
infalllbllty. 1t is from the pen Of the Rev. Ber-
nard O'Key:-
Infallibility Qater Latin inJdluoi,is, not liable TO
be deceived, from tn privative and fdlt. to be de-
ceived, to err), doctrine OF the Roman Catholic
Cnurcn, Whcn attributes to that Church, as the d.
vineiy appointed teacher OF mankinu and to the
Roman Pontir, as pastor OF the whole Church, the
lnalnbllity Is not TO be confounded with impecca-
bllity, which means Immunity from SIN. The spe-
E person rom error in tSe discharge of Certain
office Is grace OF the supernatural order, called
81 Sr ne Ssne 81 tse ne
hood bestowed on good and bad alike,
men @ as as Balaam & and DpCa Casapnas. 1t Is @ tnus
distinguished from graces which are v0uchsafed
John the Baptist and Jeremiah were sanctlhed
before their birth; grace OF this sort-is called
bilty Is also TO De distinguished from Inspiration,
because inspiration In many cases means q new
revelation, whereas both the Church and the pom
tiff are only witnesses, teachers and judges OF the
revelation already made. and are merely pre-.
served from error In guarding, expounding and
matte decree OF the Council OF the Vatican the in.
lalbiliry traditlonally ascrIbed to the Church by
Immediately conferred on St. Peter. and In him
on his successors, the bishops Of Rome. 1. Roman
CaCnOuC JncOlO2IduS BTOuQu Tue lulallDlllCy OF
Xviii XXX T is 3o:Go ye. therefore, and teach teach
M song Il ss q s
ing them to observe an Things whatsoever have
commanded YOU; and, 10 ! am am wit, with you Away,
Go We INFO all the world, and preach the gospel TO
every creature. He that beheveth and ls baptized
damned" THESE words OF Christ. constituting the
great commission or charter OF the Church. as they
M NJ mankind.
Ing the deposit OF the divine faith and law, de-
clared her ONCE to be that Of sole interpreter or
tion existing upon earth in matters Of saliva.
tion over the reason and will OF man, and
she viii have the Lord with her until the end OF
time. Faith in Christ through her teaching, and
are required under pain OF damnation. Now. it Is
held TO be repugnant alike TO the nature of God
% ana to thai az OF man that God Coo should compel the
embraced oy Ills iniallible reaching is the whole
and all that Is so connected with 1t that without
treating Of 1t the Word Of God could not be
the declaring Of the canon au1hentlcity and true
interpretation OF Scripture ana me like. Further,
tine "a oaurca ua claims an m nfaes g%Sancs
opposed to revelation; for, it is argued she could
not discharge her ONCE OF teacher OF mankind
certainty all doctrines aJ variance with the Word
ofGod Hence the direct object of the inlallibillty
Vi Tue CUuECu lS Tile TcV6ldJlOQ OF WOru Oh Goa,
and the indirect object is whatever Is necessary
for It's exposition and defence or contrary to the
aT q s aed n os
ton Pastor GterntIs, July Is. 1870: I'VE teach and
define that II is 9 dogma diyinely revealed that
that Is when, In discharge Of the once OF pastor
and doctor Of all Christians by virtue OF his gu
faith ana morals to be held BY the universal
church, by the divine assistance promised to him
with which RadpQmar wteu
Church should be endowed ior defining doctrines
regarding faith and morals; and that. therefore,
formable OF themselves and not BY the consent Of
the Chnrch'' Tbs definition declares that the
s q pastor 8'nG and teacher the ms eDsifs Des
Sn1''sn ssns "a 0 aaa cS ciSaasnsns as ss
point denned or finally decided must relate to
ciared he is diviney guided by virtue oi Che prom
ises made TO him In the person OF Peter. This
infaibiIty Of the Pontin has the same extension
judgments pronounced IN It's exercise are IN them
selves irreformabie or trreverslble, even before
limits the infallibility and the divine assistance
which secures 1t to the Popes ofcal acts as pastor
and doctor OF all Christians. It thus excludes all
his acts as a private person, doctor, theoogian,
local bishop or ruler. He is exempt from error in
only one capacity, that 49, when as teacher OF the
from the chair OF Peter. the spnrase doctrine of
1alth and morals" signifies the whole revealed
faith. or the whole supernatural order with all
that Is necessary to the salvation OF mankind
iniallibity or immunity from error is declared to
be the divine assistance promised to Peter ana in
Peter TO his successors. This, 1t is asserted by
words OF Christ to Peter, Luke, XIII, 32-T have
prayed for thee that thy faltn fail not, and when
Implicitly in Matthew, XVI, ls-aAnd I say also
unto thee, that thou art Peter and upon
s "a. Sus my aesus, and The n
sistance thus promised and It's effecr are divine
ordinance. 1t is further afirmed that before the
definition OF the Vatican Council the infaltbty or
the Pontif was q doctrine revealed by God, deliv-
cred by the constant tradition OF the Church. re-
the acts OF the Pontin in all ages, taught by ali
the saints, defended by every religious order, and
BY every theological school except the Gallican,
tory, and believed, at least implicitly, by ali
has added nothing TO the intrinsic certainty Of this
doctrine, which is derived from revelation. II has
promulganon. binding the whole Church to believe
the dogma explicitly. The doctrine or pontncal
infallbllity, heologcaly considered, is intimately
connected with the pOntncal supremacy; aud,
considered historically It tis seen that from the
erclse OF the supremacy was gradually evolved
blity. The bishops OF Rome at = very early period
claimed claimed ~ supreme and anai authority IN
claim tney founded on the TACT Of the See Of
Rome being the seat OF Peter's authority ana
OF their being mis- successors with supreme
jurisdiction over the entire Church, On the other
hand, the opposition to the exercise of this SUI
premacy forms parallel and continuous record
In the early Church down to the contamination OF
the Photisn scnism. Thus, in the ante-Ncene
period Pope Victor |. about 1887 claimed TO de-
cioe nnally the controversy about the proper day
for celebrating Easter, ana excOmmunicated the
Asiatic churches which refused to abide by his
decisi0ni and Pope stephen I. (253-257) decided
against st. Cyprian and the churches Of northern
Africa, that baptism performed by heretcs should
not be repeated, and annulled the sentence OF q
Spanish synod against two bishops. But the
bishops; and in like manner the bishops or
Africa and Spain persisted in upholdiag thelr own
local customs and established rights. Earlier still
Tertuian, in his treatise De Pudicitt0 complained
that the Roman pontttr issued peremptory edicts,
as II he were 'bshop OF bishopsn From the time
acy, and the right which IL was founded were
brought into greater prominence by the part taken
by the Christian Emperors In converting counctie
and enforcing their DEGREES, by the conflicts which
occurred between the councils themselves and