The morning times., 1896-06-30

tanning the salvation purchased by Christ.
The dispen nsatiQn OF the divine mysteries
was not granted by God iBtiiscriminately
to all Christians but to the apostles and
their SUCCESSORS, and In this way, acnOrCiDg
To Gods pfoviNy, duly constituted society
was formed bht of the divided multi
tudes OF people, one in faith, one in end, ,
one IN the Participation OF the means adopt
ed to the attainment OF the end and one
subject to- one and the Same auttority."
AS no true and perfect human society
can be conceived which Is not governed by
some supreine authority" SO Christ OF ne
cessty gave to His church supreme au-
thority 10 which all Christians must be
For the preservation of unity there must
he unity uf government lure divine and men
may be placed outside the one fold by
scl,ism as well as by hercsy.
THE nature OF this supreme authority
can be asoertained from the positive and
evident will OF Christ on the matter AS
He wiiled that His Kingdom should be
vice-regent ON earth in the person OF st.
Peter. He also determined that the au-
thority given to him for the salvation of
mankind In perpetuity should be inherited
by st. Peters Successors.
u 1t cannot be doubted from the words OF
Holy Writ that the church by the Will of
God rests on st. Peter as a building on
I'll this duty .'withilt the power OF conf
manding, forbidding, Judging which Is prop
eriy called lurisdiction," is by the
co,nmonwealtas are held together.
A primacy of honor and the shadowy
right or giving advice and adnonition,
wnich is calico direction, could never be
unity or strength to any society or men.
INDEPENDENT POWER.
The meta phorical expressions of the keys
and of binding ana ioosing' Indicate the
power OF making VS., oil Judging and or
pGnislIing "a power which our Lord de-
ciares 70 be OF such amplitude and force
r.lft 10 "A.
creed by it, Thus the power OF St. Peter
Is supreme and absolutely independent.
so thai having no otner power upon earth
as its superior, II embraces tie whole
church and All things coamitteu to the
church,
AS the governing authority belongs to
the constitution anN formation N OF the church
as the very principle OF unity and stability,
1t was clearly intended To pass To st.
Peters successors from one TO another.
Consequently the ponti:rs WHO succeed hin
in the Roman episcopate receive the su-
prene power in the church '.Jure divino'
ana this is declared full y.by general councils
anC is acknowledged by the consent or
antiquity.
but though tie authority of St Peter and
his successors is peDary and supreme, it
is not TO lie regarued as the oaly authority.
The bishops who are the SUCCESSORS OF the
apostles, inherit their ortinary power" and
''the Episcopal orticr necessarily belongs TO
the esseDtiai constitution OF tne church.
They are consequently not 10 he regarded
as mere yicars OF the Roman pontiffs, since
they exercise Il power which is really their
own. and are Most truly called the ordinary
pastors OF the people over whom they rule.
For the preservaliun of unity In the CHRIST
ian church. IL Is above all things necessary
that there should be union between the
Roman pontiff, the one successor OF st.
peter and the bishops, tire many SUCCESSORS
of the apostolic college.
1t is necessary to hear In mind that no
prcrogatiye was conferred Oh the aptIstiesin
which ST Peter did not participate, hut that
bestowed uDEn 81 Peter uplFt
frointheapostles. Healone wasdesi na:edby
Christ as tie foundation OF His church To
him He gayetnc power of foreiviBg and re-
taninE, and TO MN alone was given the au-
thority to feed. : -t.
From this I follows that bishops re
deprived OF .t.s.. right and power or ruling
if they deliberately secede from Peter and
his successoEs. because by this secession
they are sePi' ra ted from the foundation on
which the whole ediitce rests"
BE OF ONE FAITH
AS the divine founder Of the church de-
creed that us church should he oncin faith
chose Peter and bis successors as The prin-
Ciple- ami Us IT were the center at this
unity. The Episcopal order Is rightly
Judged to be in q CiInuuitn with Peter as
Christ comma nded. If it IS subject TO aud
obcys Peter: Otherwise II LcCessariiy be-
comes a Iawless and disorderiy crowd
For the due pIescryation OF unity OF the
faith IL is rot Sufficient THAT the head
shcuiIi hsye been charged merely with the
Office OF superintendent or shoul Id have been
invested solely with the power Of direction:
but it is absolutely necessary that he
should have received real ana sovereign
authority which the whole Community is
bound 10 obey"
II is opposed TO the truth and is In eyi.
dent contradiction with the divine consti-
tuition OF the Church to hold that while
each bishop Is individually bound 10 obey
the authority of the Roman pontiffs the
bishops taken collectively are not so bound
For il is he natu and essence o T a founda-
tion to support the unity of tie whole edi-
flee and TO give stability to 1t rather than
thSt of each component part.
II was through the strength and sodity
or the foundation that Christ promised
that the gates OF hell should not prevail
against his Church. n promise to be under
stood ofthe Church as II whole and not OF any
portions oft. Moreover, he who is set over
the flock must have authority not only
over the sheep dispersed throughout the
Church. but also when they are assembled
together.
DO ali the sheep gathered together rule
and ra gIidG i hs .he nostn oseaa Do me
constitute the foundation on which the
successor OF st. Peter rests In order to
derive therefroIn strength and stability?
The popes have ever unquestionably exer-
csed the office of ratifying. or rejoicing
the DEGREES of councils LEO, the Great
rescinded the acts OF the Conciiia bulum Of
Rimini. and Adrian I those of CONSTANT
nople. The twenty eighth canon of the
Council of Chalcedon, by the very fact that
1t lacks the assent and approval OF the
Apostolic See, Is admitted by all to be
worthless
Holy writ attests that the keys OF the
of heaven were given to Peter
alone. and that the promise of binding and
loOsing was granted 10 the apostles and to
Peter. but there Is nothing to show that
the apostles received supreme power with
out Peter or against Peter.
Such power, they certainly did not re-
ceive from Jesus Christ. Wherefore in the
decree of the Vatican council as to the
nature and authority OF the primscy ofthe
Roman pontin no newly conceived opin-
ion is set FORTH hut the venerable and con-
slant belief OF all ages.