Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-08-27
LAY READER VS.. LAYMAN.
Continuation of Discussion Particularly
Appropriate for Sabbath Day Reading

To the Editor Of the Sunday Globe:
SIR-Having, from Layman's own
words, pretty clearly shown your readers,
as l think they will admit, the conclu-
sivenesS of Bishop Ireland's position,
that the Catholic church is alone infalli-
able and therefore the only true church,
l shall now address myself to Layman's
second communication, after making one
remark on one other statement in. his
first. 1t is this: 81 then called the
learned prelate's attention to the obvious
fact that the pivotal question upon the
solution of which hinges the determine
ton Of the claim of the Roman Catholic
church to be the only true successor of
the apostolic church, and consequently
the only true church, is the question of
papal supremacy---that is the validity of
the claim of the bishop of Rome to be
the supreme teacher and ruler of the
the whole church of Christi
Now l hold with all Catholics, and
with all on-Catholics, too, who only
carry out Layman's admissions to their
logical conclusions, that, in the ultimate
| analysis, in the full truth of the case, the
question is pivotal, and that the fact
that it is so is obvious. But my friend
Layman proves for me that it Is not a
fact at all that there is place for any
| such question, much less an 'sobvious"
fact and a ''pivotal" question, and my
reasoning is with Layman. For he main
tains that there is now and, since the as
censlon of Christ, always has been an in
falllble corporate teaching body, institut-
ed by Christ and preserved infallible by
him. He also maintains that there was
no one member of the apostolic college
constituted Its supreme visible head, and
consequently there can be no supreme
visible head claimed for that body cor
porate which is the present legitimate
successor of the apostolic corporate body.
1t is superfiuous, therefore, for me, while
arguing with Layman to prove the su-
premacy OF the pope, or indeed of Peter
He will needs have a headless body. l
grant it to him. But | have proved
that his infallible body, headlcss if he will,
is and can be no other than the Catholic
church. How then can papal suprem-
acy be ''pivotal question: or any
is only for those who hold there can be
no body, corporate or otherwise, physical
or moral, without one ruling and, super
intending head, that this is pivotal
question. For body denotes unity, and
there is no unity possible without subor-
dination of all the members to one head
There must be one ruler, and there can
be but one, in every body corporate con-
shutting kingdom. So must there be
in the kingdom of God on earth-his
church. But of this anon
Now come we to Layman's second
communication. He. says: eff this cor
poration established and organized by
our Lord was the supreme ruler and
teacher, an individual member of this
corporation was clearly not such ruler and
teacher" Certainly not. Ii all were
supreme one could hardly be equal to all.
But were they all "the supreme ruler and
teacherH' That IS the question. Ger
tainly "an individual member was clear
ly not such ruler and teacher" unless the
same Lord who had given them all their
commission to teach, had thought fit SO
to constitute them a body corporate as
that one of their number should be by
our Lords own appointment their &C
knowledged supreme visible head, with
commission and power from him to
maintain his brother apostles in the cor
porate unity of Christ's indivisible spir-
itual body--the Church. But that our
Lord did so is proved from the same New
Testament from which Layman proves
the commission of the eleven "to teach
all nations" He cites what he Justly
styles "that celebrated passage from the
gospel by St. Matthew which for ages
past has been summoned to do duty IN
behalf of Petrine supremacy" that he
may scatter it's strength to the four winds
by the power of his pathological acumen.
Yes, and for ages to come it will be all
sufficient, though not the only one. to
establish beyond the possibility of cavil
or doubt to all reasonable minds the same
supremacy. That celebrated passage
runs thus: "Jesus saith to them: But
whom do you say that am? Simon Peter
answering, said: Thou are Christ, the
son of the living God. And Jesus an
swering, said to him: Blessed art thou.
Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood
have not revealed it to thee, but nv
father who IS in heaven And | say to
thee: That thou art Peter, and upon this
rock | will build my church; and the
gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
And Will give to thee the KEYS of the
kingdom of heaven; and whatsoever thou
shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound
also in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt
loose upon earth, it shall be loosed also in
heaven
He that has the keys of house, is mas
ter of the house; and he may open and
shut it at will. Peter has the KEYS of the
kingdom of heaven, the church of God
and therefore has he the plentitude of
spiritual power, and is the vicegerent of
Christ on earth, who promises to ratifv
all the Official acts Of his minister pleni-
potentiary.
Another celebrated passage is found in
the gospel by St. Luke, where our Lord
on the eye of his passion and death saws
to his apostles: "But you are they who
have continued with me in nv teinpta-
tions; and l appoint to you, as my father
hath appointed to me, kingdom; that
you may eat and drink with me in nv
kingdom, and may sit upon thrones iudg-
ing the twelve tribes of Israel. And the
Lord said: Simon, Simon, behold Satan
hath desired to have you, that he NAV
sift you as wheat; but have prayed for
thee, that thy faith fail not; and thou be-
Ing once converted, confirm thy breth-
rem"
Our Lords spiritual kingdom must
have visible head because made IN of