The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-01-07

was to smite with the thunderbolt of heaven.
which fell at his word the prevaricators who died
TO the Holy Ghos," because they lied TO him. this
does not prove that God was his accomplish in the
discharge OF office TO the support of which the
dreadful might of God so promptly lent
(y) Lastly If $50 Roman pontiffs surviv-
ing by a perpetual miracle all human dynas-
ties and every vicissitude to which human things
inevitably subject, battling all the assaults OF
men and 1.-The gates OF hell,' have claimed during
nineteen centuries TO succeed him in his office and
Christians have always believed that they did so by
most evident warrant of Holy Writ; this only
proves, on the one hand, that the long line of
pontffs for the most part of singular virtue, pro-
fanely usurpec an authority which God never in
tended TO confer upon them; and on the other.
that all the friends OF God-saints, doctors, pre-
lates, martyrs, virgins and confessors-baSely con-
nived without any Imaginable motive, at the
audacious usurpation, misconceived every lumi-
nous text OF scripture on which it was confidently
but ignorantly founded and meanly bowed down
before selfele cted ruler, generally feeble and
helpless Old man, who had no power whatever 10
coerce their submission except what their own
free convictions gave him.
YI-THE PRIVACY OF THE POPE.
!. The society which Christ established to
teach his doctrines must last forever. He is
with it even to the end of the world.
2. This society rests upon the rock and be-
cause it rests upon the rock it is victorious
over the gates of hell; hence the rock must en-
dure as long as the church, tor no building can
stand without foundation.
). Peter, therefore, must ever remain in the
church as its perpetual defense, as its ruler, as
the shepherd of the lambs and sheep.
a. But Peter lived only for few years.
Therefore, unless he has a successor the plans
OF Christ came to naught almost as soon as
they were put into operation. No one can
predicate this OF him who is infinite wisdom
and Infinite power
>. Now unless the Bishop of Rome is the sue
cessor OF st. Peter, he has no successor. The
reason is simple that no one else has ever
claimed the title.
6. That ST. Peter was at Rome is admitted by
all learned Protestants. (al Dr. Case says that
"Peter was at Rome and for some time resided
there we lntrepid1y affirm with the whole null
utude OF the ancients." (b) DR.. Nathaniel
Lardner says, at is the general, uncon ira
dieted, disinterested testimony of ancient
writers in the several parts of the world-Greeks,
Latins, Syrians-none denied the Bishop ofRome
to have what they called the chair of Peter.
1t is not to our honor nor our interest, either
as Christians or Protestants, to deny the truth
OF events aScertained by early and well-attested
tradition" (c) Winston, the translator of the
works JosephuS, wrote in 1850, 'Mr. Baratier
proves most thoroughly, as Bishop Pearson
( had done before him, that st. Peter was at
Rome. This is so clear in Christian antiquity
that 1t Is q shame for any Protestant TO con-
TESS that any Protestant ever denied it.
(d}The Great Speakers Commentary, DR.. Farrar,
! Grouus, Whitby Mcknight, Hales, Thiersch,
EWald, Renan, Hilgenfeld, and dozen other
non-Catholics of note look upon 1t as a truism
that st. Peter wrote his first epistle from Rome
z. That ST. Peter was Bishop OF Rome stands
on the unanimous testimony of the writers of
the first five centuries In 451 the Council of
Chalcedon acknowledged it, in AL the Council
Sardica spoke OF il, in 314 the Council of Aries
calls Rome the place where the Apostles Peter
and Paul continually sit in judgment. In 80
Eusebus states that Peter had been TWENTY-FIVE
years Bishop of Rome. In $50 st. Cyprian
calls that city the chair of Peter. In
225 Hippolytus counts Peter as first
Bishop of Rome. In 100 Hegeseppus refers to
the same fact, and thus we are brought nearer
TO the Prince of the Apostles than we are to
Washington, and even this slight gulf is
bridged over by the testimonies of Ignatius
and Clement. In a word there is mr.
better testimony for the episcopate OF st. Peter
al Rome than there is for the canonicity or
authenticity OF many OF the books OF the New
Testament.
The Bishop OF Rome. therefore as the sue
cessor of St. Peter, is the head OF the church. l
have thought it better TO go at length into the
reasons for his hesdship in this letter because
these reasons will render it easier to explain
what his powers and privileges are in connec-
ton with civil allegiance. Yours truly,
2. C. YoRKE.
PoSTeCRIPTUM.
The, good citizenship meeting in Metropoli-
tan Temple strikingly resembles Chinese
funeral. The heather in his blindness assidu-
ously bangs the brazen cymbal in the belief
that the noise will brighten off the devil. The
Patriots, with similar assiduity, clash their
jaws of brass, and hope that the reverberations
of the same will scare away the Pope Of Rome
Mr., NJ. L. Brewer, who has not yet produced
his affidavits denying the authenticity of the
A. 2. A. oath, declares that ''of $1,000 600 900
expended by the Government of the United
States 70 per cent went to the benefit OF the
Catholic one-twelfth of the population and
only % per cent to the Protes tant 80 per cent
OF the population" This assertion | brand as
a felsehood, and l demand NJ. T. Brewers
proofs.
Mr. W. r. Goodwin, whose lack of good
manners is only equaled by his lack OF com
nonsense, states that Mexico was settled by
the best blood of Spain. Does Mr.. w. R. Good
win know what is the percentage of pure white
blood, pure Indian blood and mixed blood in
the Mexican population OF to-day? p. C. Y.