The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-01-23
BISHOP RESTARICK
TO FATHER BEISSEL

- INCONSISTENCIES sSsSIS-
thus what the Lord said: Thou art
Peter, and upon this rock I will build
My church, that should be understood
as upon Him whom Peter had con-
fessed, saying Thou art the Christ
the Son of the living God for it was
not said unto him, thou art the rock,
but thou art Peter. For Christ was
the Rock whom Simon confessing. as
the whole church confesses Him, was
called Peter (Retract. l, 81.
The above will be understood better
if it is known that our Lord used two
words in speaking to ST. Peter. Thou
art Peter (Petros, i. e.. piece of rock,
stone), and on this rock, petra /. e. a
ledge of rock), / will build my church.
I refer you to the Greek New Testa-
ment for this.
But ST. Augustine did not confine
himself to abstract opinions. When the
Bishop of Rome tried to interfere in
Africa, st. Augustine called a synod
of bishops and firmly told the Pope not
to interfere again as it was no concern
of his. On another occasion he called
a synod of bishops which censured the
Pope for his action in the case of Pela-
gius and the Pope was forced to re-
of those / might give.
st. Jerome (34O-420). This learned
man recognized no supremacy in the
Roman Bishop as is plain from the fol-
lowing: IF you look for authority the
whole world is greater than the city
(of Romeo. Whether a bishop Is at
Rome or at Gubbio, at Constantinople
or at Reggie, Alexandria or at Tanis,
he is of the same dignity and the same
priesthood-all are the successors OF the
Apostles" (To Evangelus).
st. Gregory the Great (504-604).
will not again quote the same sem
fences given in former letter. will
give his opinion of any one claiming
that which Popes now claim: This
title universal is profane, superstiti-
Gus, naughty and invented by the first
Apostate." Again. ST confidently affirm
that who calls himself or wishes to
call himself universal priest is in his
pride the forerunner of Antichrist."
(Epist. v. and VIII
I stand, my dear Father Beissel, with
the four great doctors of the Latin
Church. I am quite aware that you
can explain these passage to your own
satisfaction, but you cannot explain
them to the satisfaction of unbiased
seekers after truth and for these I
write.
AS to the matter OF the keys, you
are aware our Lord gave the very
same powers of binding and Ioosing
to all the apostles and not to st. Peter
alone. Matt. xviii. 49,
In regard to Feed my sheep" to
construe a gentle rebuke of our Lord
for having thrice denied Him, into the
giving of such powers as the Popes
claim does not require the serious at
tention of intelligent people.
If as have shown In my letters that
no supremacy was given to St. Peter;
If as I have shown St. Peter never
claimed or exercised any such supre-
macy; if the great doctors even of the
Latin Church deny that the words
Thou art Peter, etc. confer any
power upon ST. Peter; If as / have
shown that the bishops of Rome never
for centuries at the first exercised any
such powers and supremacy as now
claimed; if as 1 have shown that when
the bishops of Rome began to claim
any such powers they We're resisted oy
bishops and synods: if as late as the
sixth century a Bishop of Rome de-
ncunced as Antichrist any one who
should assume to have such universal
powers: if as any reader may ascer-
tain there is not a shred of evidence OF
the existence of any such supremacy
for century after century in the prinl1-
tive church; then by inevitable con-
clusion the papal claims as set forth
in later days must be set down by the
logical mind as an innovation, as con-
trary to true Catholic doctrines and
use. The only escape is that which
Newman took when pressed in this
way and that is his saying. "The ap-
peal to history is treason to the
church" If history is appealed to your
foundation goes and all that is built
upon 1t falls into ruins.
/ could trace step by step the growth
of the papal claims, originating as they
did in the commanding position of the
city of Rome and the consequent inn
portance of it's bishop. I could trace
each step with the growth of papai
power and the beginning Of the use OF
texts to support that power. could