The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1903-10-31
Our Club Conversations
By Orestcs A. Brownson.
CONVERSATION XIII (continued).

That is all very true interposed Father John
II we take care to distinguish properly between
natural society and the Church The Church rec
ognizes two societies, but the distinction between
them Is not precisely the distinction between the
spiritual and the secular. The original order as
was seen IN our last conversations was the patri-
archa which vested all authority i'm the father of
the family, who at once priest and king. This
ofuef was propagated or perpetuated by natural
generation and therefore is called natural society
ana Its law the law of nature. The Jewish priest
mood, type OF the Christian. was restricted to an
elect people indeed, but as it was perpetuated bv
natural generation did not lift even that people
out OF the order of natural society The Christian
priesthood is catholic, instituted for all men and
nations, bot the society 1t POUNDS is propagated by
grace, not by natural generation and therefore Is
called supernatural society. The patriarchal So
clety included the whole human race and was com
menSurate with natural society: the Jewish in
Guided only a single nation, but was com
mensurate with natural society within the limits
OF that nation. The supernatural or Christian So
clety as perpetuated by grace, included only those
who are born Of grace BY baptism. and is com
nensuratc only with the baptized or regenerated
humanity The supernatural does not destroy.
abrldgc or annul, the natural The Church there
fore leaves natural society standing in full pos
session of all its original rights under the patri
arch. All authority comes from God through the
spiritual, but not necessarily through the Church
or supernatural society Princes may hold from
God under the law Of natural society, and though
they would not hold from the Church, they would
still hold from the spirtual'
But though the supernatural" objected DEF
enbach, docs not abrogate the natural, it includes
It, The law of the patriarchal or natural society
included not merely the dictates of natural, but
also the primitive revelation containing in sub
stance the whole Christian revelation: it is there
fore substantially the law of the supernatural So
cety, and not radically or really distingushable
from it. The Church succeeds to the patriarchs,
and has authority in both societies. and therefore
the same authority over princes holding from God
through natural society those holding from
him through supernatural society.
According to the law under which the prince
holds, and in relation to princes who belong to
both societies conceded" replied Father John in
natural society. in the supernatural, the domin-
ion belongs to the spiritual however the spiritual
may be constituted, By whomsover it may be
represented The Christian society, the society
that is perpetuated by the election of grace does
not create or found natural society, but presup-
poses 1t, ard fully recognizes It's existence and
rights. Natural society holds its rights and powers
from God, but not through the medium of super
natural society. which only recognizes and
firms them. The prince. then, who, by the con-
stitution of the state, holds from God only through
natural society, holds only under the law of that
society, and is officially bound by it alone The
Church, then, even though he is in her communion,
can judge him in his principality only by that
law, and, if not in her communion, cannot Judge
him at all, or exert any authority over him.
The Church since tfe coming of Lord"
said Winsow represents earth the ideal, the
divine, and therefore the divine government or au-
thority in all human life, public and private As
the legal successor of the synagogue and the patr
archs she has all the authority of the Jewish high
priest and of the father of a family prior to the
separation of the priesty and kngly functions;
for that separation made by violence, and
without the divine approval. The Church is
and indivisble, and therefore must have the same
authority in both societies. and in all orders. True
the supernatural does not destroy or annu the |
natural but since the Church succeeds to all the
authority of natural society, she must have full |