The morning times., 1896-06-30

on the reunion of all the Christia Churches.
His holiness evidently had In mind the
recent letter of William E. Gladstone. the
English statesman and churchman. and the
letter may be considered reply thereto.
His eminence received the advance sheets
of this very important document on Satur-
day and personally directed its translation.
The letter at the pope's request Will be
given publicity throughout Europe and
America tomorrow morning. The alb
stract follows:
The following is a brief summary of the
encyclical letter upon the unity of the
Christian church addressed by his holiness
Pope Leo XIII to all bishops in com
munion with the holy see.
The holy father, intent upon the work
OF bringing all to the one fold Of Christ.
considers that it would conduce TO That
end were he TO set before the peoples OF
the Christian world the ideal and exemplar
of the church as diviRely constituted; TO
which church all are bound by Gods
command TO belong.
HUMAN AGENTS USED.
In accordance with His usual providence
God makes use OF human instruments To
effect the sanotification and salvation OF
men. To this end not only did he take
upon himself human nature, but in order
10 peri,eiuate ms n,lsslvli .ne son of oou
chose apostles and disciples whom He
had trained that they might faithfully y
hand down His teachings and commanls
to those who desired the blessings Ee had
purchased FOR mankind by His death.
In commanding "the apostles and their
SUCCESSORS 10 the end or time to teach
and rule the nations DE ordered the
nations to accept and obey their au-
thority."
In Scripture the church Is calleda bod and
the body OF Christ. 1t Is visible as being
a living and organized society, and il AM
supernatural life. Those, therefore, who
either deny that Christ's church is yisi-
bic body or refuse To allow that 1t has " the
perennial commun!cation>of the gifts OF
divine grace" are equally I'm a grievous
and pernicious error"
The connection and union of both cies
mcnts is az absolutely necessary to the true
church as the intimate union OF the soul
and body is TO human nature" and as this
is the essential constitution OF the church
according TO Gods VIII, who also deter
mined that 1t was to last to the end OF time,
this II must possess at the present day.
1t is obviously OF the first Importance
to determine what Christ wished His church
to be and what in fact He made it. Ac-
cording TO this criterion it is the unity of
the Christian church which must necessarily
be considered, for IL is certain that He who
founded IL wished it TO be one" The mis-
sion of Christ was to save" mot some Ia
tions or peoples only, but the whole hui
man race without distinction OF time or
place.
Hence as the mission Of his church
was TO hand down through every age the
blessing OF this saliva tiun, by the will of its
founder ii is necessary that this church
should be one in all lands and M all times.
IT WAS FORETOLD.
A church which should embrace a il
men everywhere and at all times was
clearly foretuld by the prophet Isaiah
and was typified Our Lords mystical
body-a body united TO Himself as Head;
a mystical body the members Of which
II separated one from the other 'cupnot
be united with one and the same head"
And so another head like to Christ. is
another Christ must lie invented, il besides
the one church, which is His body men wish
to set up another.
Furthermore, He who made this one
church also gave il unity: that is, He made
it must be united by the closest bnnds
SO as to form one society, one Kingdom
one body And He willed that this
unity amongst his followers should be
so perfect ''that 1T might III some niea sure
shadow forth the union between Himself
and His father As necessary con-
sequence in His divine wisdom He ordained
in his church unity Of faith, virtue
unite men 10 God and whence we receive
the name of the faithful.
The nature of this unity of faith mustand
can he ascertained from the commands and
teachings OF Christ Himself The mere Pos
session OF the Scriptures is notsufficient to
insure unity of belief
Not merely because OF the Dature of the
doctrine itself and the mysteries il in wolves
but also because of the divergent ten dencies
o. the human mind and the disturbing ele-
mcDt of conflicting passions
1t was necessary that there should be
another principle to insure union of minds
in the Christian church, and il is conse-
QueDtly proper To inquire which Of the
many means by which Christ. Our Lord,
could have secured this unity He in fact
adopted.
1t is the duty of all followers of Christ
not merely to accept His doctrine generally,
hut to assent with their entire mind to oil
and every point of IL. since it is unla W full e,
withhold faith from God even in regard to
one single point.
SPIRIT OF TRUTH.
Christ endowed his apostles with au-
thority like to His own, and promised that
the spirit OF truth should direct them and
remain with them forever. and because Of
this commission lit is no more allowable
To repudiate ore iota of the apostles teach
of Christ Himself"
This apostolic mission was intended for
the saliva ton of the whole human race. and
must last 10 the end OF time
The magisterium instituted by Christ in His
church was by Gods will perpetuated in
the successors appointed by the apostles
and in like manner the duty OF accepting
and profe ssing all that is thus taught Is
also perpetual and immutable."
There is nothing which the church found
ed on these principles has been more careful
to guard than the integrity OF the faith. The /
fathers of the church are unanimous In
as outside the Catholic commu-
pon any one who in the least degree de-
viates from even one point of the doctrine
proposed by the authorita tive magiste-
rum of the church.
Wherefore, Christ instituted in the church
a living authoritative and lasting magis-
terium. He wiled and commanded. under
the gravest penalties. that its teachings
Should be received as II they were bis own.
As often. therefore, as it is declared ON
that is contained in the deposit of Divine
revelation. IL must be believed by every
one 8 true"
The very nature of Divine faith makes
1t impossible that we can reject even one
point of direct teaching. as this is practi-
cally rejecting the authority of GOD him.
self.
Christ commanded ..aII men present and
future, to follow Him as their leader and
savior" and thus not merely as individuals
but as forming society, organized and
church all those principles which necos-
sariIy tend to make organized human So
cieties. and through which they attain the
perfection to each.
That is. in the Church founded by
Christ, "all who wished to be tho sons
of God by adoption might attain to the
perfection demanded by their high cali
ing, and might obtain salvation"
IT Is MANS GUIDD.
The Church is 'man's guide to what
ever pertains to heaven. This il the Office
appointed to 1t by God; that it may watch
over and may order all that concerns re-
hgion and may without let or hindrance
charge over Christianity' Where fore
they who pretend that the Church has any
wish to interfere in civil matters or to in
fringe upon the rights Of the state either
know it not or wickedly illuminated it.
Besides being the guardian of the faith
the Church must afford the means Of OBJ