The San Francisco call., 1896-02-08

Continuing his letter commenced in
yesterdays CALL on the subject of ssThe
Primacy of st. Peter" Rev. Father Yorke
says:
Cyprian, in the same century, writes:
"Peter, on whom the church had been built
by the Lord, speaking one for all and answer
ing in the name of the church, says: Lord, to
whom shall we goT "
In order not to extend this letter indefinitely
will give Hergenroether's answer to Janus
assertion:
"That the prerogatfyes bestowed on Peter
were transmitted to his successors, and that
those successors are the Roman Pontiffs, is q
truth so clearly proclaimed by tradition that
even the Gallicans have never called it in ques-
ton. When, in the Interpretation of these
texts, the fathers inquire into the primaey of
Peter, they characterize 1t as permanent in
stitution. Further, when they speak of the
Roman Bishop, for the time being, they say of
him that he occupies the See OF Peter HE
sits in the chair of Peter Peter lives and
works in him, ,.:sIn him he feedeth all the Lords
sheep Have they not, then, herein given
sufficient evidence OF their conviction?
"As Christ said to his disciples, HE that
heareth you heareth me- SO the fathers ex-
claim, Whose heareth the Bishop of Rome
heareth Peter Bishop Possessor writes to
Pope Hormisdas as follows: From whom Is
the strengthening of vacillating faith more to
be looked for than from the Bishops of that
See whose hrst occupant heard from Christ
those words, Thou art Peter, and upon this
rock will build my church,? Leo the Great
says: The 6rmness of that faith which was
raised in the Prince of Apostles is always en-
during; and in the same way what Peter
believed IN Christ, TO w.t. His divinity lasts
forever; so that which Christ ordained in
Peter, 10 wit, his primaey and its invincible
power, lasts forever. Thus the ordinance of
truth ever abides; Peter perseyeres in the
rock-like strength conferred on him, and al
ways holds the helm OF the church intrusted
TO his care. This, says Leo, further, 'is even at
present the case aud even in an unworthy heir
this dignity has not ceased to exist So even
now the flock according to John xxi: II, 1S)
is still led by Peter, who confrmeth his sue
cessor and prayeth for him.
't t'What Peter has received SAYS Leo's pre-
decessor, Sixtus III, that he has transmitted to
his successors In the same way Gelasius de-
rlyes the pre-eminence of the Roman church
directly from the words of Christ addressed to
Peter. Theodore the Studite calls the Roman
See the See of the Coryphaeus, the See in which
Christ has deposited the keys of faith. And
already before him, Sergius the Metropolitan of
Cyprus, addressed Pope Theodore, o Holy
Head. Christ our God hath destined thine
Apostolic See to be an immovable foundation
and pillar of the faith. For thou art, as the
divine word truly saith, Peter, and on thee as q
foundation stone have the pillars of the church
been fixed
'fThe writings of the fathers, whenever they
speak of the Pope, are full of echoes and alln-
sions to those Scripture words. and what is said
OF Peter. the Popes claim decidedly for them
selves. The church, as well as the Peter or
rock on which 1t was founded. passes for inyin-
clble. II some fathers call faith the foundation
OF the church. they take that faith, not in the
abstract sense, but concretely, understanding
1t to be living faith of Peter, which was the rea.
son why he was chosen to be the foundation
stone o. the church. Hence, theologians say the
faith OF Peter is the cause why his person is FORM
ally the basis of the church. Not on his confes-
sion, says Doellinger but on account of his con-
iession must the church be founded on
OF character; for the church, as it
consists OF persons, of living beings,
needed then as 1t needs now living personal
foundation. AS the edifce of the church is one
destined TO endure for all time, SO this pre-
eminence of Peter, which with him as the
foundation necessarily holds the church to-
gether, necessarily passes 10 others after him
by way OF transmission. The power OF binding
and OF loosing was indeed impaired TO all the
apostles (Matthew xriil:18l, but only after
Peter ana on the presupposition of his primacy
Next. 1t was bestowed upon them altogether
but first of all granted to Peter alone The
keys OF the Kingdom OF heaven, too, were given
10 him only. Janus, indeed, asserts in contra
Giction to Doellinger that it is against ali
Patristic Interpretation and the evangelical
tradition OF the church TO explain the power of
the keys as something differing from that of
binding and loosing. But independently of
the fact that this exegetical tradition is by no
means constant and universal, one prerogatiye
ofPeter above the other apostles lies in the
extent OF his power and in its degrees The
keys OF the kingdom OF heaven denote the high
est spiritual authority.
Such, Mr.. Editor, is the answer to Dr.
Wendte's two new objections. Like the old
ones, they will not hold water. 1t is true he
tells story about q certain Father Finnegan
who landed the bark of Peter on rock and
left her there. / don't know that there is any
thing more incongruous in that performance
than in Noahs casting anchorage on Mount
Ararat. Anyhow, Dr. Wendte only introduces
the story TO enliven the discussion, and / am
greatly afraid that Father Finnegan belongs
10 the same category as DR.. Wendtes theological
tailor and his mythical cook.
The argument from the rock still stands
Nothing that Dr. Wendte has brought against
1t has weakened its cogency. For 1900 years
no other Interpretation was known TO Chris