The San Francisco call., 1896-01-12

action and holy prayer brings US into immediate
and Intimate relations with our Father in Heaven
promotes our present felicity and opens the king
dom of Heaven to all believers.
This is another of these beautiful and mys-
terious passages in which DR.. Wendte delights
As matter of fact, there is absolutely nothing
mysterious about it. The expression "to bind
and TO loose" was one quite familiar 70 the
Jews and possessed well-defned meaning IL
is a metaphor, certainly, but metaphor easy to
be understood. 1t means the power of making
and abrogating laws, that legislative authority
which is function of the supreme govern
ment OF any society.
When, therefore our Lord said to st. Peter,
"WhatSoever thou shalt bind upon earth shall
be bound also in heaven" he gives him in
plain terms the supreme legislative power in
his church. DR.. Wendte, however, objects that
this power is given to all the other apostles as
well. In order TO see the strength of his argu-
ment let US read the whole text. Christ is
speaking 10 the disciples:
If thy brother sin against thee, go, shew him
his fault between thee and him alone; if he hear
thee thou hast gained thy brother. But if he hear
thee take with thee one ortwo more that at the
mouth of two witnesses or three every word may
be established. And if he refuse to hear then tell
II unto the church, and If he refuse to hear the
church also let him be unto thee as the GENTLE
things soever We shall bind on earth shall be bound
on earth shall be looseo in heaven.
1t is evident here that Christ is dealing with
particular circumstance; namely, excom-
munication. When the church expels man
Christ promises to ratify the expulsion. Hence
the object OF the legislative power is restraint
to this particular case.
II. however, it be urged-and most Catholics
agree-that the words, "What things soever,"
are universal, and that the object on which
the power is exercised does not restrict the
power itself, we should then grant that by this
text the legislative power was given to
the church. DR.. Wendte's claim that
the power is given to each individual
disciple is as absurd as to claim
that each individual member of Congress
possesses the legislative power. Christ is
speaking not to each, but he is speaking To
some kind OF society, call it church or
congregation or what you Will. He has made
a complete distinction between the brother,
the two witnesses and the society. To the so
ciety he gives the binding and the loosing
power TO each disciple.
However, the privilege given to Peter was
absolutely personal. To him and to him by
name was given the same power which is con-
ferred upon the whole church. When the
whole church meets in council W tn Pope at
its head, ii mas undoubtedly supreme legisla-
tive power. That very same supreme legisla-
tive power was given by Christ TO st. Peter in
dividually, and was not given individually to
any other of the apostles
Hence we see, Mr.. Editor, that all the obiec-
tions brought against my argument by Dr.
Wendte do not touch the case at all. He has
not succeeded in explaining away these plain
and unequiyoCal texts of Scripture which
demonstrate the primacy of st. Peter Let US
now see If he can from the whole of the New
Testament, produce single fact or saying
which will initiate against the Catholic teach
Ing tnaL christ constituted Peter the head OF
the church.
B. OBJECTIONS AGAINST THE FACT.
To disprove the fact that Peter was given
supremacy over the apostles, DR.. Wendte
produces three arguments: l. Our Lord pro-
Vlded against @ prlmacy; 2. The ancient or
ganiZation of the church left no room for a
primacy, and, 3. The Apostolic history shows
no traces OF primacy. L will consider each
OF these arguments i'll order.
l. CHRIST PROVIDED AGAINST A PRIVACY.
fsODcp mora SAWS DR. WeDd ta fs1rhi1a Teeue
may have intended to make Peter prominent
in the apostolic circle, IL entirely without
any idea OF his supremacy or rule over them.
This is shown by the striking incident, mar
rated by the synoptics, that on one occasion
when the disciples were disputing on this very
poinu-who should be the greatest in the king
OF solemnly putting forward Peter, as he would
naturally have done if he had destined him
for the primacy, Jesus rebukes their selfish
contention by placing ii child in their midst
ana telling them OF such is the kingdom of
heaven. Christ himself recognized no su-
premacy. II e said: The princes OF the gen.
tiles have dominion and great authority over
them. But it shall not be so among you; but
whosoeyer shall be chief among you let him
be your servant" And Jesus, TO give them an
example of this humble service, performs the
menial Office OF washing their feet.
l have already touched on an incident SINH
lar 10 this related by st. Luke, and which took
place at the last supper. Dr. Wendte evidently
has confounded both. l will copy out the
text in full, for there is nothing more mislead-
ing than scraps OF Scripture torn from their
context:
Then came to him the mother Of the sons OF
Zebe3ee, with her SONS, worshiping HIM and ask
ing certain thing OF him. And he said unto her,
What wouldst thou? She saith unto him, Com
mand that these my two sons may sit, on tiny
right hand and one onthy left hand. in thy king
dom. But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not
what ye ask. Are We able to drink the cup that |
am about 10 drink? They say unto him, We are
able. He saith unto them, Ny cup indeed ye shall
drink but to sit on my right hand and on NV left
whom 1t has been prepared of my Father. And
when the ten heard il they were moved with in
dignation concerning the brethren. But
Jesus called them unto him and said,
Ye know that the rulers OF the gentiles
lord IL over them, and their great ones exercise
thorlty over them. Not shall it be among you
but whosoever would become great among you
first among you shall be your servant. Even so
the Son OF Man came not to be Mustered unto, but
to minister, and to give his life ransom for
many.
There is also another similar incident re-
lated in the eighteenth st. Matthew:
In that hour came the disciples unto Jesus, say
ing, & who a, then zen is & gTae5est in the kingdom OF
and set him in the midst of them, and said
Verify say unto you, except ye turn and become
little children We shall in no wise enter into the
kingdom OF heaven. Whosoever therefore shall
humble himself this little child the same is the
greatest in the kingdom OF heaven.
From these texts it will be seen that DR..
Wendte has mixed up three distinct and sepa-
rate events TO make an argument against St.
Peter. | am surprised that he manifests such q
confused acquaintance with the words OF the
Holy Bible.
1t will be seen from an unbiased reading OF
all these texts that Christ tacitly acknowledges
the existence of places of honor in his church.
He knows too well, however, how prone the
heart OF man is to pride and how the hottest
Office OF religion may be prostituted to per-
sonal glory. AS long men, not angels, are
ministers of the gospel this must be. Christ
tries to guard against it as much as possible.
he does not cure the sin by killing the sinner;
he does not prevent pride by abolishing places.
Rather he lays down the maxim that they
who are to hold the offices are TO be the
humblest of all. He admits that there are
offices in his kingdom, but they are not OBJ
tanned by intrigue or by influence. Rather
should they be sought by humility and be-
coming as little children.
DR.. Wendte's argument against the existence
OF offices in Christs church, as / have said
above, proves too much Christ was certainly,
as a matter OF fact, the head of his church
He was a teacher, a rabbi a prophet q king
This the apostles believed. Was he not as
N uch a king in their eyes when he washed
their feet as when he scourged the Pharisees
with his woes? Was he not more a king? Did
not the act receive its significance from the
fact that ne was the Master, and do not his ex-
hortations receive their force from the fact
that he was addressing those who were to be
set by the Holy Ghost to rule the church OF
God?
DR.. Wendte says that Christ should naturally
have set forth Peter the head of the church
When these contentious I ?,