The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1900-05-05


mispronounced "shibboleth" that deliv
cred the cacophonie Ephraimites int
the hands of their pursuers. (se
Judges. xii. 4-6)
For instance: George Eliot was one o
the most careful amateurs who evei
tried to take all knowledge for theii
province with the object of making
eventual parade of that knowledge. But
when. in Felix Holt" she used the
words heirs of his body" instead OF
simply heirs" and thus created an
entail where she had intended fee
simple. she stood at once confessed
as an amateur.
Second instance: Last year the Rev.
Minot ]. Savage talked a good deal
Minot j. Savage talked a good deal of
apparent good sense about what he
called the immaculate conception, .
imagining that this purely theological
term referred to the virginia. concep-
ton of Christ. and not. as it really does,
to the stainless conception of the Virgin
Mother. e. without the Adamite
brand of original sin. This mistake
showed conclusively that he was no
theologian. however excellent phi
losopher.
And now comes the third instance,
which is more Immediately germane to
the matter in hand. Mr.. Alfred Wesley
WishaTt, an intelligent and well mean
ing gentleman. sometimes fellow in
church history in the University of
Chicago $50 the titular rubric informs
u.s.. has just published a book entitled
"A Short History of Monks and Mon
asteries." (Albert Brandt, Trenton,
y. j..
The crucial chapter in the book is
that devoted to the Society of Jesus.
Now. speaking strictly and by the card.
the Jesuits are not monks They do
not live in 'monasteries." but in col
leges. This, however, I acknowledge
is hypercritieism. BY slightly forced
extension the term monks may be APP
piled to the Jesufts. because they do
take the three monastic VOWS of pow
erty, chastity and obedience.
So at last get to the real point. Mr.
Wishart claims that he is justified in
speaking evil of this society because
Rome, through Pope Clement XIV. de- |
livered AN eX cathedra opinion" con-
demning ii. True enough that IAN ex
cathedra opinion" is final, irrevocable /
and damnatery if it condemns. The /
trouble is M Wishart does not under /
stand the meaning Of the theological I
phrase ''eX cathedra." He contents him /
self with the slouchy definition in the
Century and other dictionaries. "au
lhoritative," with authority" etc.
Now. no man is qualified to write ON
Catholic subjects who is not familiar
with the Technology of Catholicism.
and the phrase EEK cathedra'' is of ee-
sential, Of vital Importance. On its pre-
Use understanding depends an under
standing of the entire Catholic creed as
/ stands today
or the Pope IS infallible only when
lie speaks lex cathedra," and the Vat
can Council has explained that this
means only when exercising his office
is the pastor and teacher of all Chris
ians, he defines a doctrine
faith and morals" Being an
nfallible decision. no Pope can renege Il
lis own ruling, nor that of any of his
ubject in logical succinct and vigor-
Ieeply regretted his purely ''discipli-
lary' order concerning the Jesuits. and
pope Plus VII. re-established the So ;
iety- Mr.. Wishart, by the way. men :
ions the last fact, but omits the first.
And now, is all this mere clubbing ;
bout words? 1 trow not Suppose a I
nan wrote a book on astronomy, and ]
onfounded "occultation" with the de- l
ressing word, "auscultation, or the :
word .'osculation,' would you I
OF say at once that he was disqualified
rom writing about astronomical mat {
ars? r
Then you must agree with me that /
lr. 'Wishart is disqualified from writ f
lg on Catholic subjects. In Dundreary K
hrase, there are some things that h
How (even if he has been some t
me fellow of church history in Chi p
ago Cniversity'D does not know. q