The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1912-05-04

salem, which settled the points OF
Jewish observance to be imposed up
on Gentle converts, and the points
to be omitted. And the only reason
why this decree was officially made
was because of much confusion which
had arisen on the subject. The So
called Apostles Creed is the first for
ulated code of belief we know. 1t was
popularity attributed to the Apostles,
and was said to have been drawn up
by them before they scattered into
various lands, so that they might have
some uniform and systematic expla-
nation of the main points of their mes
sage. 1t is quite possible, and even
likely, that they did draw up such a
creed; but, at the same time. we can
not prove it. The Apostles Creed
first energies in written history as
the baptismal creed of the Roman
Church in the second century, and
quite possibly this may have been it's
origin. If the whole of the faithful had
gone on believing the simple doctrine
of the Church without getting involved
in difficult speculations and disputes
and heresies, no further formulation
would have been necessary. But the
spread of Arianism made fresh and
fuller definition necessary on points
under dispute. Hence arose what is
popularity called the Nicene Greed.
There were many things believed and
practiced in the Church as belonging
to faith and morals besides those con-
tanned in such creeds; but there was
no necessity to define them because
they were taken for granted. But as
ages passed one point after another
came to be disputed, and the Church
had to step in and affirm the right
doctrine in the form of an official de-
cree or definition. By this means
nearly the whole body of revealed
truth has come to be defined; the
last points being the Immaculate Con-
ception and the infallibility of the
Pope. These definitions were not a
creation of new doctrines, but the
formulation of old ones. They had
already been believed, without def
milton; and the definition made no
difference except to put close on all
dispute or doubt
Practical Customs and Usages.
The same is true of practical GUS
toms and usages. The Church never
formulated a law as to how the Mass
should be said. The essential parts
were inherited from the Apostles, and
other parts were added at discretion.
This gave rise to great variety of
local usages, each of which came to
be obligatory in certain place, merely
on the ground of ancient custom or
tradition. When intercourse became
wider, and local variations were found
inconvenient, an authorized standard
form was drawn up called the Roman
Missal, which was gradually made
obligatory all over the western world,
with few interesting exceptions.
The same is true of the celibacy of
the clergy. Nobody doubts that a
priest is cut off from marriage by an
implicit VOW; and yet no one can
point to any official decree which
gave rise to this obligation, or which
stands as the ground for it. The
whole rests on the informal but ef-
fectual ground of administration rather
than lava usage gradually induced
and enforced by the authorities. If
there should ever arise a revolt against
clerical celibacy the Church might
find it necessary to issue an official de-
cree; but till this happens, priests
will go on accepting the obligation
on the strength Of practical tradition
and administrative enforcement alone.
The Duty Of Fasting.
The same is true of the duty of fast
ing before Communion. Christ Himself
instituted the Holy Eucharist in the
evening, at the end of feast dinner.
The early Christians used to celebrate
regularly in the evening, and there
fore, of course, without fasting. At
some obscure point in history the
Mass came to be transferred to the
early morning, and this became the in
variable custom. Out of this rose
the fact of receiving the Eucharist
fasting from midnight, and this fact
gradually came to be regarded as an
obligation. Hence it got formulated
into a law in theological textbooks
and instructions, on the strength of
traditional usage, rather than any Of
fetal decree. The custom is strictly
obligatory all the same; and only If
there ever should arise party call
ing it into question, would the Church
find it necessary to issue an official
definition of the law in order to put
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