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

JANUARY %, 1896.
To the Editor Of the San Francisco CaJl-DEAR
SIR: In my last letter l explained the Catholic
teaching on civil allegiance and the relations
OF allegiance 10 conscience and on freedom OF
conscience. l viii now consider the question
"Do the powers claimed by the Pope interfere
with the rights and dignity of the state or
the natural allegiance of the eitizen?' To
discuss this question lntellgently 1t Is neceS-
sary to state what are the powers claimed by
the Pope and what is his position in the Cath
Ollie church. In order To make myself per
fectly clear must begin at the beginning.
THE FACT OF REVELATION.
1. All Christians believe that Christianity is
a revealed religion. This BELIEF implies that
the Christian religion was not invented by
men, that it is not mere philosophical specu-
lation, not guess what is behind the veil, but
rending OF the veil and message from God
himself.
,. All Christians believe that the messenger
who brought this message from God 10 man is
Jesus Christ.
1.-THE NATURE OF REVELATION.
l. Revelation is message from God to man
therefore it must be a true message Whatever
God tells US is the truth pure and simple
=. Hence revelation is not a matter OF opin-
ion, or probable surInlse. but it is the truth
just as much as an axiom in gemoetry or a
conclusion in arithmetic is the truth.
). Hence revelation must be the same for
all. The words in which it is clothed, the
methods by which it is taught, may be differ
emf, but the truth itself, the thing taught, must
be the same. savage can only understand
that five and five are ten by the use OF his fin
gers and thumbs; a child is taught the same by
kindergarten blocks; Chinaman works it out
by the abacus, the mathematician demon
strates 1t by sbstrsct symbols, but the truth is
still the same, Tor savage and ChinRman, child
and philosopher five and five are ten, and are
neither more nor less than ten.
i. Hence revelation cannot change. It must
be the same to-day as ii was 1000 years ago.
The relation or revealed truths one to another
may be made clearer; their bearing on other
truths may be better understood; but the
truths themselves are Interchangeable. The
HE nj TFanrN
Khefu built his pyramid as they were when
Napier invented logarithms.
,. Hence revelation must be consistent
Truth cannot contradict truth The truth
taught by Gods messenger must not only be in
harmony with the truths taught by reason
but they must also agree one with the another.
II an alleged truth OF revelation contradicts
another alleged truth OF revelation, both may
be false, but both cannot be true. The asser-
tons, Baptism ought TO be administered to
young children" may be both unreVealed but
they cannot be both revealed. If one is a
truth OF revelation the other assuredly is not.
.. Hence from the very nature OF truth itself
message from God TO man should be consistent
should be interchangeable, should be the same
Tor all time.
1.-THE METHOD OF REVELATION.
l. Gods messenger 10 man was Jesus Christ
He came as a teacher. Every teacher must
have something to teach. Christs teaching
was revelation or Gods message to man.
? Christ, however, remained on earth but a
short time. He never went beyond the limits
of a narrow strip of country. Therefore it was
not his intention TO deal directly with all men
or TO teach them personally face to face. AS
God has sent him so would he send others.
3. Hence during his life he selected certain
men 10 be his pupils or disciples. He kept
them close TO himself. He spoke long and
often with them. He taught them the truths
which God wished TO have taught. He made
them acquainted with Gods message, and he
IL 10 men.
4. At last the time came when he was to
leave the earth. He was no longer TO speak to
men. HIS message was now to be delivered
into The hands OF the teachers he had chosen
In his parting words he gives them world
wide commission: "All power is given unto me
in heaven and on earth, therefore, go We and
make disciples of all the nations and teach
them 10 observe all things whatsoever COM
mauded you; and behold I am with you all
days even unto the end of the world" (Mat.
XXviii)
>. To the eleven disciples therefore was
given the commission TO teach all the things
that Christ ordered taught. They were to be
no longer disciples or learners, but teachers
and apostles.
8. Their commission extended to all men to
all times and to all Gods message They were
to make disciples of all nations by teaching all
Christ had taught even unto the end of time
Iv-THE CUSTODY OF REVELATION.
l. The eleven disciples lived only a short time
and were unable to reach all nations; hence, it
follows that Christs words were not addressed
TO them as separate individuals but as united
in society or corporation. The individual
DIES, DOt the society lasts forever.
2 This society. therefore, was given the COM
mission to teach all Christs revelation to all
men and for all time
8. Hence, this society must be found in every
age and must have power to make disciples of
every nation.
4. Hence, this society, when it teaches
Chrlsts revelation, must teach it with author
1ty. the authority of the society is the aU-
thority OF the apostles, the authority of the
apostles is the authority of Christ and the au-
thority of Christ is the authority of God.
h &c afsarrr
as Gods revelation, because such error would
God.
q. Hence, when the society declares that anv
doctrine has been revealed by Jesus Christ
such declaration must be true, otherwise the
very instrument which Christ chose to teach
his revelation would defeat its own object.
Thence, this society is infallible in teaching
Christian doctrine because Christ promised to
remain with the teachers in their corporate
capacity all davs even TO the end of the world
and because he has sent the spirit of truth TO
abide with these teachers and to teach them
all truth and to bring to their minds all things
whatsoever he said unto them. (Johu xtv-xvi)
V-THE PRIVILEGE OF ST. PETER
l. Every human society or corporation must
have head. Jesus Christ was the head of the
society which he established to teach his reve-
lation.
.. When Christ left this earth he still re-
manned The invisible head of his society.
3. Before leaving, however, he provided for
visible head, whose office it should be TO
govern in his room and to keep the society
true to its end of teaching Gods message
TO men.
4. Christ was accustomed to designate this
society, which he formed for the teaching of
his revelation, together with the disci pies
whom these teachers might make, as his
church, as the Kingdom OF heaven, as a city or
a building and as sheepfold.
3. During his life on a certain occasion he
asked his disciples, Whom do We say that am ?
One OF them, whose name was Simon an
sweTed: Thou art the Christ the son OF the
living God" And Jesus answered and said
unto him: ''Blessed art thou, Simon Bar
iona, because flesh and blood hath not re-
vealed it unto thee but my Father who is in
heaven. And l say unto thee that thou art a
rock, and upon this rock will l build my
church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail
against it," Matt. XVII
g. Here we are dealing with what is called
metaphor. BY metaphor we apply word
which naturally oesignates one object to desig-
nate another object. We say man is fox, a
lion, flint. The reason of the application is
that certain dominant characteristics of the
one resemble certain dominant characteristics
OF the other. The dominant characteristic of
the fox IS cunning. When we say man is q
fox We mean that he is very GINNING. The
dominant characteristic of lion is bravery.
When we say a man is a lion we mean that he
is very brave. What then is meant by saying
that Simon is a rock on which the church is
built?
z. In the parable at the close Of the sermon