The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1900-01-20

pray, but for those also who, through
their word, Shall believe in Me-" This
passage shows plainly that He did not
provide the means OF maintaining pure
the belief for the Apostles alone, pul
for these who were to learn the truth
from them. St Paul defines the Churcn
of Jesus Christ in the most dls0iiic'
forms possible when he called 1t the
pillar and ground of truth. 1t, there-
fore, cannot err, cannot fall No Chris
tian, then, can deny that there Is
Church established by Jesus Christ d
Church that cannot fall, a Church thdI
cannot err. This Church, consequent
ly, musk be the guide of those who WISH
to find. the truth. we need NO longer
be afraid of misunderstanding uhe
Scriptures. We have a safe, that u.s. an
infallible interpreter To follow such
a guide is both our interest ana oul
duty. 1t is our interest, because Wlth-
out ct we can never be sure OF belng
right in our belief, and could not help
being constantly perplexed and doubt
full. 1t is our duty, because we are
commanded to hear the Church Tor our
| Lord said to his Apostles: He VINO
heareth you, heareth Me, and he who
! despiseth you, despiseth Me. Ihose
who do not hear the Church are consld-
cred at heathens IF thy brother e.
will not hear the Church, let him be to
thee as the heather and the publican
The Church of Christ is directed by
the Holy GhCet. The Apostles have in
formed us that this was their belief, as
having come together to determine GER
tain regulations for the conduct of the
faithful, they made the following de-
cIaration: 1T has seemed good to the
Holy Ghost and to US to lay no further
burden upon you than these necessary
things" Acts XII, g.
In fact, if the Church could err. We
would not be obliged to hear it, as there
would be danger of being led astray.
Reason, therefore, as we'll as the Scrip
lures, teaches us that the power of
interpreting the sense of Holy Writ
rests with the Church, which is the
pillar and the ground of truth. Our
duty, further, to submit our opinions to
her Judgment is a natural consequence
of her authority.
Professionals have seen the necessity of
acknowledging the uthority of the
Church, and they make it an article of
their profession Of faith. THE Church
has power to decree rites and ceremon-
ie1, and authority in controversies in
faith" They allow to the Church the
authority of determining the contro-
versies of faith, and still, by a singular
Inconsistency, they do not concede that
it has the privilege of infallibility. They
assert that it may err. General coun-
ellis, when they be gathered together
(for as much as they are an assemblage
of men whereof all be not governed
With the Spirit and Word Of Cod may
those things pertaining unto God This
doctrine has something singular in it.
What can they mean when they ac-
knowledge that the Church has author
ity in controversies of faith? To have
authority to interpret and no power to
interpret always rightly, is a privilege
OF no great value If the Apostles had
told US that they had authority to cure
the sick, and no power to do it effect
ually what would we have thought of
them? The authority of the Church to
determine controversies can be taken in
two senses only, viz: power to under
stand the Scriptures rightly, or d power
to oblige her members to subscribe to
her decisions. If it be taken in the first
sense, it must be acknowledged that
tine Church cannot err; if in the second,
it must be confessed that it is strange
preterJion, that of obHging people to
submit their opinion to an authority
subject to error
Let us conclude. Jesus Christ did
actually establish Church, of which
st. Peter was the head. Our Savior has
assured US of this by His own word
This Church can neither err nor lapse.
We fcave the authority of it in the
words of cur Lord Himself, and of st.
Paul. This Church is to be our guide
in establishing our belief, and in regu-
lating our conduct. This principle is
the logical consequence of our acknowl-
edgment of her authority in infaltibil-
ity. 1t is, moreover, what we are by
express words, commanded to do.