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Page 12
If the unity, promised by God-incarnate, is to be secured, the present
circumstances of the case, as well as the actual experience of many
centuries, prove three conditions to be absolutely necessary, _viz._:
a teacher who is _firstly_ ever living and accessible; _secondly_, who
can and will speak clearly and without ambiguity; and _thirdly_, and
most essential of all, whose decisions are authoritative and
decisive. One, in a word, who can pass sentence and close a
controversy, and whose verdict will be honoured and accepted _as
final_ by all Catholics without hesitation. These three requisites are
found in the person of the infallible Head of the Catholic Church, but
nowhere else.
Experience shows that where, in religion, there is nothing but mere
human learning to guide, however great such learning may be, there
will always be room left for some differences of opinion. In such
controversies even the learned and the well read will not all arrange
themselves on one side; but will espouse, some one view, and some
another. We find this to be the case everywhere. And, since the Church
of England offers us as striking and as ready an example as any other,
we cannot do better than invoke it as both a warning and a witness.
Though her adherents are but a small fraction, compared with
ourselves, and though they are socially and politically far more
homogeneous than we Catholics, who are gathered from all the nations
of the earth, yet even they, in the absence of any universally
recognised and infallible head, are split up into a hundred fragments.
So that, even on the most essential points of doctrine, there is
absolutely no true unanimity. This is so undeniable that Anglican
Bishops themselves are found lamenting and wringing their hands over
their "unhappy divisions". Still, we wish to be perfectly just, so, in
illustration of our contention, we will select, not one of those
innumerable minor points which it would be easy to bring forward, but
some really crucial point of doctrine, the importance of which no man
in his senses will have the hardihood to deny. Let us say, for
instance, the doctrine of the Holy Eucharist. Can we conceive anything
that a devout Christian would be more anxious to ascertain than
whether Our Divine Lord and Saviour be really and personally and
substantially present under the appearance of bread, or no! Picture to
yourselves, then, a fervent worshipper entering an Anglican church,
where they are said "to reserve," and kneeling before the Tabernacle.
Just watch the poor unfortunate man utterly and hopelessly unable to
decide whether he is prostrating and pouring out his soul before a
mere memorial, a simple piece of common bread, or before the Infinite
Creator of the Universe, the dread King of kings, and Lord of lords,
in Whose presence the very angels veil their faces, and the strong
pillars of heaven tremble! Imagine a Church where such a state of
things is possible! Yet, we have it on the authority of an Anglican
Bishop--and I know not where we shall find a higher authority--that
this is indeed the case; as may be gathered from the following words,
taken from a "charge" by the late Bishop Ryle, which are surely clear
enough: "One section of our (_i.e._, Anglican) clergy," says the
Bishop, "maintains that the Lord's Supper is a sacrifice, and another
maintains with equal firmness that it is not.... One section maintains
that there is a real objective presence of Christ's Body and Blood
under the forms of the consecrated bread and wine. The other maintains
that there is no real presence whatsoever, except in the hearts of the
believing communicant."[5] Was such a state of pitiable helplessness
ever seen or heard or dreamed of anywhere! And yet this church, please
to observe, is supposed to be a body sent by God to teach. Heaven
preserve us from such a teacher. As a further illustration of the
utter incompetency of the Establishment to perform this primary duty,
we may call to mind the strikingly instructive correspondence that was
published some years ago between his Grace Archbishop Sumner and Mr.
Maskell, who very naturally and very rightly sought direction from his
Ordinary concerning certain points of doctrine, of which he was in
doubt.
"You ask me," writes the Archbishop to Mr. Maskell, "whether you are
to conclude that you ought not to teach, and have not the authority of
the [Anglican] Church to teach any of the doctrines spoken of in your
five former questions, in the dogmatical terms there stated."
Here, then, we have a perfectly fair and straightforward question,
deserving an equally clear and straightforward answer: and such as
would be given at once if addressed by any Catholic enquirer to _his_
Bishop. But how does the Anglican Archbishop proceed to calm and
comfort this helpless, agitated soul, groping painfully in the dark?
What is his Grace's reply? He cannot refer the matter to a Sovereign
Pontiff, for no Pontiff in the Anglican Church is possessed of any
sovereignty whatsoever. In fact the Archbishop himself has to "verily
testify and declare that His Majesty the King is the only supreme
Governor in _spiritual_ and _ecclesiastical_ things as well as
temporal," etc.[6] Nor dare he solve these troublesome doubts himself:
for he is no more infallible than his questioner. Then what does he
do? Practically nothing. He throws the whole burden back upon poor
Mr. Maskell, and leaves him to struggle with his doubts as best he
may. Thus; though the Church _of God_ was established to "teach all
nations," and _must_ still be teaching all nations if she exist at
all; the Church _of England_ seems unable to teach one nation, or even
one man.
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