Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-04-08

or heresy. On Protestant theories, there wonld
be practically no sects nor schisns, and whole
pages OF the new testament become meaning
less.
In all politics and corporations, there is
necessarily form of government, which com
trols the several elements and unites them into
one body. Without this centre of unity, there
can be no society. A kingdom has its sover-
eign; fold its shepherd; SO must the church
have chieftancy of some kind. We know
we'll that Christ Himself remains the high
priest, and first head Of His church, over
which from the skies He watches with tenderest
love. But, since He formed the church to be a
poity upon EARTH since He marked as dis
tlnctlve feature of this polity, visible oneness,
SO must He have appointed for her centre OF
unity upon earth, visible government. Her
mission for good, is to be pursued among men,
and without leadership, that would combine
into one army all her forces, her power for the
spreading of truth, and the defense of virtue
would be reduced to nought. A church with
out one centr.l government would not only be
a monstrosity among politics, but morever
would be struck from the beginning of her
career with sterility for all good works.
=, We are led to inquire what centre Of unity
quiry will have the further effect Of establish
ing the perfect unity Of this church. and of
giving us a sure and easy token by which at
all times we can distinguish her from sects and
schisms.
Professionals generally profess that Christ gave
no government whatsoever to His church. He
made it on principle of social commun ism.
Episcopalians are in favor of halfway measures,
and are more inconsistent and less logical
than other Protestants. According to them
Christ institutes priests and bishops-but
nothing more. Wherever there is diocese,
within it's limits there is some unity, as all are
subject to the bishop, but the bishop himself
has over him no superior authority. So many
bishops-so many churches, SO many kingdoms
OF Christ. They object to the doctrine of one
visible head, because, say they, Christ is the
head; but while refusing one head upon earth,
they give to themselves as many hundred or
Thousand heads, as they can find bishops.
Various forms of supreme government would
have been conceivable in the church; we are
interested only in the one which lie .tacto Christ
instituted. The controversy turns only on one
form; if this form is not of divine origin, no
disputant has ever made mention of another,
and the conclusion follows that Christ gave to
His church no centre of unity.
The sole form of supreme government for
the church of which history speaks I
tell it? is that to which Catholics to-day, as
during past centuries, bow in reverence
the supremacy of the Roman pontiH. 1t proves
itself at once. Christ's church is social unit
"a complete polity. Outside of the Catholic
church there is but endless divisions, headless
aggregations, with no existing, and no possible
unity. But one existing body corresponds to
the ideal of the gospel; she then, alone, is
Christ's society. With her there is oneness:
the Saviour's prayer produces its effect.
Catholic bishops are scattered over the globe;
no one language do they speak; to no one race
l<>k 49, A 4
as the immediate shepherd, disciples entwine
themselves in love and obedience. They, in
their turn, from the four winds, watt their
homages Of submission to the pontiff of the
vatican, beneath the dome of whose cathedral
repose the ashes of Simon Peter of Galilee. This
pontiff is the centre, towards which all lines
converge, from whatever point of the circum-
ference they are drawn, and the church,
Catholic in her members, becomes supremely
one in her head.
The social organization of the Catholic church
assuredly, is not unworthy of a Divine hand.
The human race, in all its numberless ele-
ments, is brought together into one family,
under one father upon earth, as there is but
one father in heaven. What power for the
triumph Of truth over error, of virtue over
vice! The forces are vast-men of all nations
and the one hand puts them instantly in mo-
ton! Nothing like it has ever existed. His
tory tells of potent monarchs, the feats of
whose conquering legions read as tabled stories
but their was always a limit to their empire-a
desert, river, chain of mountains had ar
rested their onward course. Leo XIII. has q
universal empire-Catholics in name and in
fact; he speaks, and hearts thrill from pole to
pole. Those monarchs needed armies to enforce
obedience to their commands. Leo has but the
moral power Of his voice. Their empires were
always of short duration-the lifetime of a
monarch. How long the spiritual empire of
Rome has lasted, her enemies dare not to say.
The supremacy of the Bishop of Rome was in
full possession, before the name of Protestant
ism was heard in the world. Clement VII was
the sovereign of the universal church, when
Henry VIII. of England, petitioned in vain from
Rome leave to make Anne de Boleyn
his wife, and Luther in his
quarrel with rival monks appealed to Leo x.
to decide in his favor as the supreme doctor of
christendom. During MEDIEVAL ages the names
Innocent III, Gregory VII, Alexander III, con-
jure up before us facts that do not allow us to
doubt of the exercise, frequent and unques-
D. 1858, Fotius, of Constantinople, laid the
foundation of the Greek schism, by usurping
the see of the legitimate patriarch Ignatius,
Pope Nicholas, of Rome, mathematical him,
and obliged him to relinquish his claim. At
an earlier date Gregory the Great, as UNIVERSAL
father Of nations, sends Augustine to convert
the Saxons, and Celestine bestows Patrick to
first centuries, during which Anglicans them
selves proclaim that the church was most pure
in doctrine, are most loud in their assertion of
Rome's spiritual supremacy. Ireneus, of Ly-
ons, only two steps removed from St.. John,
says: ''To it, this church Of Rome, on account
of its princedom, it is necessary that every
church should agree, i. e. the faithful on every
side" Tertullian calls the Bishop of Rome
the sovereign pontiff, the bishop of bishops -
st. Cyprian asserts: 1T is from the chair of
Peter, the unity Of the priesthood has issued
THY communion he says to Cornelius of
Rome, sis the unity and the charity of the
Catholic church. st. Ambrose exclaims
Where Peter is. there is the church, St.
Jerome: whatsoever gathereth not with thee,
scattereth;" ST.. Optatus: HE is a
schismatic and a sinner who
against that singular chair sets
up another st. Augustine speaking Of the
duty of all Christians to Rome: ''Come, breth-
rem, live in the root, be grated into the vine
this is the rock which the gates Of hell prevail
not against" Pope Celestine thus instruct7
the legates whom he is sending to the general
council of Ephesus: Eve charge you to take
care that the authority of the apostolic See be
maintained. If a discussion ensues among the
bishops, you are to judge of their sentences,
not to enter into contest And the legatee
address the council: You are not ignorant
that the blessed Peter is the head Of the whole
faith, and of the apostles likewise The Dish.
ops of Chalcedon, hearing Pope Leo's letter
declare: Peter has spoken through Leo" and
the acts of this council they send to the same