Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-04-14
THE SACRED PRIVACY.
An Interesting Review OF
Bishop Kain's Sermon by a
Wheeling Minister.
Editor Of the Register.

day. All the sermons preached by him
are remarkable productions, not 50
much from their logical power, as from
their rhetoric. There is an under cur
rent of medievalism running through
them. Of course speaking sr cathsdra,
he magnifies his office, for is he not
Bishop by the grace Of God and the
favor Of the Pope?" The Bishop in my
estimation has made the best argument
that could be made on his side of the
question. Ii any of the Prelates in
America, of the Roman Catholic Church,
can make the worse appear the better
argument, it is Bishop Kahn. We all
expect that a pOlemic OF the Roman
Catholic Church will produce the best
arguments he can in his favor from an
tiQuity, and hence We find him posted
i'm the Fathers, or at least, those state
ments of the Fathers, which support
his arguments. But as 10 the scrip
tural arguments he advances to sustain
his position, they cannot do so by any
fair principle OF Interpretation. Sup
posing we grant for the sake of aEgu-
ment, that Peter and not Christ was the
rock on which the Church OF Christ
should be built. Does it help him any?
Not one iota. Where Is the connection
between Peter and the Bishop Of Rome?
Where is the inspired utteranCe OF this
succession in the Scriptures? AIuatter
Of 80 much Importance would not he
left to inference, nor TO the uncertainty
of tradition. The late Pope Plus de
clareS, "Pius, Bishop, Servant of the Ser
wants of God we Judge il TO be necessary
for the protection, the safety and the
increase of the Catholic flock, the Sacred
Council Vatican approving, tOset forth
the doctrine concerning the institution,
the perpetuity and the nature OF the
Sacred Apostolic primary in which the
strength and solidity of the whole
Church consists" Now, if this doc
trine il So essential may we not expect
To find it everywhere in the teachings OF
the New Testament, hut il is not there.
Let US look at the proofs presented.
Thou art Peter and upon this rock
will build my Church" therefore the
Bishop Of Rome has supremacy over the
Christian Church; most lame and i'm
potent conclusion.
"Lo am with you always, unto the
end of the world" Therefore the Bishop
of Rome is the successor Of Peter, and
the iniallble teacher of the Christian
churches when he speaks ex-cathedra.
81 have prayed for thee that thy faith
fail not, and when thou art converted
strengthen thy brethren" Therefore the
Bishop of Rome is the successor of Peter
in the supremacy and the intallible
teacher, who may and does sin, but whose
faith cannot fail.
"Feed my sheep; feed my lambs. "
Therefore the Pope of Rome has charge
of the entire flock of Christ, and is their
iniallible teacher.
Now, can the premises support the
conclusions? Is there any connection
between them?
But the argument from the silence OF
the Scriptures on this doctrine is very
powerful, Notwithstanding the Bishops
rather cOntemptuOus allusiOn 10 1t.
There is no reference to his supremacy
by Peter, nor any reference to 1t by Paul.
Could there have been any dispute
amongst the Apostles OF Our Saviour
had lie given the Primary to Peter?
For they were all present when the
questions OF the Saviour were asked and
answered. Matt XVII Ii is true the
RishOp from the statement OF the
Saviour i'm Luke xxi 24-26, draws the
conclusion, that some were greater than
the Others. Let us look at the text.
s'There was a strife among the Apostles
which of them should be- accounted the
greatest" Our Lord checked strife not
by saving that lie had appointed a SUPER
Tor hut that He did not intend there
should be any. That he would tolerate
the exercise of no such monarchy but
that they should humbly serve each
other. In Matthews Gospel we read,
Be not we called Rabbi, for one is your
master even Christ and all We are breth-
rem. And call no man your father up
an earth. for one is your father which Is
i'm Heaven. Neither be We called mas
tiers. for one is your master even Christ.
But he that il greatest among you
shall be- YOUR servant. And whoever
shall exalt himself shall be abased
ami ne that humbleth himself shall be
exalted. Matt. xxi. S-l2. From these
passagps we are taught: j. That splrlt-
ual loriship and rule are an abomlna-
tion i'm the sight of God. ,. That no
one is bound To receive implicitly the
doctrines or decisions OF another in the
matters Of religion. The spirit and
wnrd of God are the only intallihle
,eacbers. 3. That these words of Christ
are opposed to the Supremacy OF the
Roman POntitf a. wella to the spiritual
dominion OF the Papal Clergy. The
mower ascribed to Peter by the Bishop
exceeds any domination ever eNerc!Sed
by the most absolute mOnarchs, anu ne
luther afiirms that this power when
he ascribes Ia Peter is the same he now
demands for the Pope by virtue oi MS
succession Ia Peters chair. Is 1t any
wonder that men enlightened by the
teachings of Gods word and the Holy
shirt should recoil from such doctrines,
esDecially when we read in one oil the
canons of the church of Rome the iol-
Lowing declaration. Let a Pope be SO
bal as by his negligence and mai
administration To carry with INN IN,
Vulnerable people 20 hell, yet no mortar
man whatever must presume here 10
ran,oye his faults, because the Pope be
inc 10 Judge all men, is himself TO DE
indved Of none, except he be found
swerying from the faith" A point
which the Bishop says is impossible, be-
cause ne (the Pope is infalible IN faith.
Fsrrsn's i'm his Bi6iiothecd ProhPtd
which il a standard Of Roman Catholic
DIVINITY gives the following outlines OF
Pspal power under the word Pop; The
Pope 4 OF such dignity and hlghness
that he is not simply man, but as It were,
co.. and the vicar Of God. Hence the
Pope is Of such supreme and sovereign .,