Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-03-31

] ION OAlC 1lANkAALNN NAsl bC AltCN III
the whole history Of the
+ church Of one Pope attempting 10 re-
verse any dOgmatical decree OF his pre-
I deceSsors. The efforts which the OppO-
nentS Of Papal infallibility have made
tO prove the contrary, have been tri-
/ umphantly rciuted. Some OF the ex-
I amples adduced by the enemies Of the
/ PapaCy have about as much reference TO
/ dOctrinal utterances as they have to the
| Zulu war
3. The right Of tine Pope to universal
I jurisdiction in the church and to the
| obedience OF all the faithful in matters
' pertaining 10 religion, is founded on his
! legitimate succession 10 the Episcopal
/ See OF 1t. Peter, 20 whom Christ gave
/ the office OF universal shepherd. They
/ are reckless Of their reputation as his
/ torical students, who boldly deny that
I - Peter established his See in Rome.
/ CALVIN blushed 10 question the fact.
I Inst. lib. w. Cave, with no liking for
I Rome, says: I'VE intrepidly affirm that
| Peter was ut Rome, and for some time
resided there
Palmer, a Protestant also, in his treatise
on the Church Vol. III, p. 472l, writes:
1 nc uIlNtENAl lEItllllpl VI tic NlluEGll
ascribes the foundation or first govern
ment Of the Roman Church to the ApOs-
ties, Peter ami Paul, who were the
greatest of all the Apostles" Among
the testimonies establishing this fact,
and regarded as unqucstiOnably authen-
tie by all learned critics both Protestant
ami Catholic. The Bishop cited the fol-
lowing: First century, that Is previously
tO \. ID. l35-first letter OF Clement,
Bishop Of Rome, % the Corinthians
Nos. and 81; statement Of Papias,
Bishop OF lIieiapOlis, a contemporary OF
the Apostle It. John, that It. Mark re-
lated in his Gospel what he heard from
II. Peter at Rome (Apud. Euseb. LTD.
n, chap. XIV, Hist. OF Church,; and OF
-. Ircnaeus, Bishop Of Lyons, lib. iii,
chap iii. Second century: DrOnysius
OF Corinth and Caius, a Priest Of
Rome. Third century: Origen and 1t.
Cyprian. But rs all Christians writers
admit the fact, there is no need
10 dwell at length upon this
point what is asserted without proof,
may be denied without proof. They
are indeed at loss for an argument,
who rest their case i'm the negative testi-
mony. deduced from the silence OF IT.
Paul in writing TO the Romans. All
know the weight OF mere negative,
when put i'm the scale with position
testimony. There were Bishops, too, at
Corinth and Ephesus Acts XXX, 2S,l vet
in his letters to the Christians Ot those
cities, the Apostle does not mention
them. The early Christians were IN the
habit Of calling Pagan Rome, Babylon,
on account of its wickedness, hence ~.
Peter writing, certainly not from Babyl-
ON of the East, but from Rome, says;
The Church that il in Babylon,
Salu,eth yOu;" n Pet. Y, l3l. -. Paul
had not been i'm Rome when he wrote To
Tire Romans, mot thereby Judging that he
was building on anOthcr'S iOundauon)i
who then first preached the faith IN
Elmr-"a faith already spoken of ove.
the whole world?" To no one else has
that honor been accorded except To the
Prince Of the Apostles. We do not
DENY that he remained for some years
al Antioch. Among the feasts OF the
Church Is one known as, "St. Peters
Chair az Antioch" and another, "St.
Peters Chair at Rome Meagre aS Is
our information of the first propagation
oi the Gospel, yet these facts has tradi-
ton faithfully treasured up, that the
APOSTLE It. Peter planted the faith IN
the Eternal City and was there Cruclhed
under the Emperor Nero.
d. But the main question still remains
10 be- examined-Did Our Divine Lori
confer on ST. Peter, a. the chief OF lilS
apostles, this supreme and lnialllble
authority in His Church? II unity was
tu be preserved and stability secured
to the Church, by the appointment
Of a chief pastor. then has the
history Of the Catholic church con-
sistantly developed that principle.
Is the principle true. Is Il
supreme Head ul Christ ; visible church
Am essential element OF her constitution?
Remember Christ Himself IL no longer
visible. hut Ills church is. Has this
visible church "A visible head Reason
inc bv analogy from all Gods works.
we are prepared to expect IN atirma-
tive answer. Let being be head
loss or uany-hcadcd, and we hold
IL Justly tn be- monster. The visible
church is ChriSt's body; surely wewlll
not lr So irrcycrut ~ t. pronounce
I .lt "hndv ui Christ" mUDStIo>lty,
either a hcJdirS> or many healed some
tniu., But II there were vlSl,ae head
appointed hy Christ, all are disposed to
rIur,,lc that ON -. Peter was
that high honor conferred. let
some. hOaStiug loudly ot their
srrrpturr-knoWlc,lgc, can see no
such privilege bestowed on him. We
ro.ut out the fact that, aS the ApoStatc
Judas i always placed last on the list ot
flr APOSTLES. who will dare say with
m, sprrial design So Is the blessed
Peter invariably first. II Matthe"
slv~. The first, Peter &c.' lie does
not add. however, "the second. An
drew. Sc over and over agaln >umun
alone l. mentioned, rs Peter and the
eleven" Peter and the rest, NC.
About thirty times iS TINS market pre-
euinrnce giyen 10 ~. Peter. How do
olr adversaries reply BY quoting 4
,inrle passage where his brother An
dr,v i named first. John |, though II
+ that time neither Andrew nor Peter had
been called 10 the Apostleship. This
method of argument l. very common
I with Protestants. We produce con-
/ Si,tpnt plan Of exposition, supported
/ la text after text; and, IN reply,
I they hinge their rcfutation ON some
solitary phrase. Thus We quote
MASSAGE after passage OF plainest Script-
. ur, To show the rial presenceot Chrl>t
T boIy and blood in the eucharist and
we hear. in reply, some little phrase ad'
| duced. which is perfectly reconc'lab!e
with the Catholic Interpretation. -,
too. in this case. Nothingis clearer than
II. Peters prominence upon the PAGES
/ Of Holy Writ. But let Us see the decla-
tions of Christ, expressly deiegatlng I"
| him the special prerOgatives, which We
maintain hervceived The firSt OF these
\ solemn declarations We have hal ocCls-
\ ion 10 examine before. Thou art Pc
ter IA rock; and ON this rock | ~iii
build NV church, and the gates OF hei!
shall not prevail against il. And | VII
give 10 thee the KEYS OF the kingdom OF
heaven, and Whatsoever thou shalt bind
upon earth shall he bound also IN heaven,
ana whatsoever thou shalt loose upon
earth il shall be loosed also IN heaven.