Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-02-24

are contained in the words of God,
written or handed down, and which the
chuEh, either by a solemn Judgment
or by her ordinary and universal mag
isterium, proposes for. belief as having
been divinely revealed. "-Const de
Eide, chapter iii.
Let it be far from any ones mind
to suppress for any reason any doctrine
that has been handed down. Such a
policy would tend rather to separate
Catholics from the church than to
bring in those who differ. There is
nothing closer to our heart than to
have these who are separated from the
fold of Christ return to it, but in no
other way than the way pointed out by
Christ.
The rule of life laid down for Cath
olics is not of such a nature that it can
not accommodate itself to the exigen-
cies of various times and places. The
churches, guided by her Divine Master,
a kind and merciful spirit, for which
reason from the very beginning she has
been what St. Paul said of himself:
Il became all things to all men that I
might save ALL"
HISTORY PROVES CLEARLY
that the apostolic see to which has
been intrusted the mission not only of
teaching. but of governing the whole
church, has continued lin one and the
same doctrine, one and the same sense
and one and the same judgment -
Const de Eide, Chapter ".
But in regard to ways of living she
has been accustomed to so yield that
the divine principle of morals being
kept intact, she has never neglected to
accommodate herself to the character
and genius of the nations which she
embraces.
Who can doubt that she will act in
this same spirit again if the salvation
of souls requires it? In this matter
the church must be the Judge, not pri-
vate men who are often deceived by the
appearance of right. In this, all who
wish to escape the blame of our pre-
decessOr Plus the Sixth must concur
He condemned as injurious to the
church and the spirit of God who
guides her the doctrine contained in
proposition LXXVIII of the Synod of
Pistoia, that the discipline made and
approved by the church should be sub
mitted to examination, as if the church
could frame a code of laws useless or
heavier than human liberty can bear"
But beloved son, in this present mat
ter of which we are speaking there is
even a greater danger and a more man
ifest opposition to Catholic doctrine
and discipline in that opinion of the
lovers of novelty according 10 which
they hold such liberty should be al
lowed in the church, that her supervis-
ion and watchfulness being in some
sense lessened, allowance be
GRANTED THE FAITHFUL,
each one to follow out more freely the
leading of his own mind and the trend
of his own proper activity They are
opinion that such liberty has its coun-
terpart in the newly given civil free
dom which is now the right and the
foundation Of almost every secular
state.
In the apostolic letters concerning
the constitution of States addressed
by US to the bishops of the whole
church, we discussed this point at
length; and there set forth the diff
ference existing between the church
which is a divine society, and ali oJhcr
social human organizations which de-
pend simply on the free will and
church of men.
1t is we'll, then, to particularly d.
rect attention to the opinion which
serves as the argument in behalf Of
this greater liberty sought for ana rec
commended to Catholics.
1t is alleged that, now the Vatican
decree concerning the infallible teach
ing authority of the Roman pontiff
having been proclaimed that nothing
further on that score can give any So
licitude, and accordingly, since that
has been safeguarded and put beyond
question, a wider and freer field both
for thought and action lies open TO
each one. But such reasoning is evil
IDENTIFY faulty, since, if we are to come
to any conclusion from the infallibie
teaching authority Of the church, it
should rather be that no one should
wish to depart from it, and moreover
that the minds Of all being leayeLed
and directed thereby. greater security
FROM PRIVATE ERROR
would be enjoyed by all. And further~
those who will avail themselves Of such
a way of reasoning seem to depart
seriously from the overruling wisdom
of the most high-which wisdom.
since it was pleased to set forth ~
most solemn decision the authority and
supreme teaching rights Of this apos-
tLar Isc{cfop