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Page 14
As surely as infallibility is the essential prerogative of a divinely
constituted Teaching Church, so surely can it exist only in that
institution which alone has always claimed it, both as her gift by
promise and the sole explanation of her triumphs and her perpetuity.
It would be the idlest of dreams to search for it in a fractional part
of a modern community, like the Church of England, which had always
disowned and scoffed at it, and which could account for its own
existence ONLY on the plea that the Promises of God had
signally failed, and that _it_ alone was able to correct the failure.
Men ask for some sign, by which they may recognise the true Church of
God and discriminate it readily from all spurious imitations. God, in
His mercy, offers them a sign--namely UNITY. Yet they hesitate and
hold back, and refuse to guide their tempest-tossed barques by its
unerring light into the one Haven of Salvation.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 5: See Charge, etc., dated November, 1893.]
[Footnote 6: _Ang. Ministry_, by Hutton, p. 504.]
CHAPTER V.
THE POPE'S INFALLIBLE AUTHORITY.
1. The Church of God can be but one; because God is truth: and, truth
can be but one. The world may, and (as a matter of fact) does abound
in false Churches, just as it abounds in false deities; but, this is
rendered possible only _because they are false_. Two or more true
Churches involve a contradiction in terms. Such a condition of things
is as intrinsically absurd, and as unthinkable, as two or more true
Gods--as well talk of two or more multiplication tables! No! There can
be but "One Lord, one Faith, one Baptism". If several Churches all
teach the true doctrine of Christ, unmixed with error, they must all
agree, and, consequently, be virtually one and the self same. There is
no help for it; and sound reason will not tolerate any other
conclusion. The "Branch Theory" stands self-condemned, if truth be of
any importance: because it is inconsistent with truth. For, if one
Church contradicts the other on any single point of doctrine, then one
or the other must be false, that is, it must be either asserting what
Christ denied; or else denying what Christ asserted. They cannot,
under any circumstances, be described as _true_ Churches. This is not
sophistry or subtilty. It is common-sense. Christ promised unity in
promising truth; since truth is one. Is Christ divided? asks St. Paul.
No! Then neither is His Church.
2. How was His truth to be maintained and securely developed, century
after century, pure and untainted, and free from all admixture of
error? _Humanly_ speaking, the thing was impossible. Then what
_superhuman_ guarantee did He offer? What was to be our security?
Nothing less than the abiding presence of the Holy Ghost Himself.
Surely, then, we need not be anxious after that! Listen, and remember
it is to God you are listening. "The Spirit of Truth shall abide with
you for ever" (John xiv. 17). Non-Catholics do not seem in the least
to realise what those words mean, or that it is God Himself who
promises. But, to continue; what is the purpose of this extraordinary
and enduring presence? Why is it given? What is it for? Well, for the
express purpose of hindering divisions and sects. In order to lead,
not to mislead us. How do we know? Because God said so: "He shall
guide you into all truth" (John xvi. 13). And this truth, thus
permanently secured, was to draw all together into one body. In fact,
we have it on Divine authority, that the Church of Christ was to be as
truly a single organic whole, in which every part is subject to one
head, as is a living human body. The similitude is not of man's
choosing, but is inspired by the Holy Spirit Himself. "As the
(natural) body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of
that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.... Now,
ye are the (mystical) Body[7] of Christ" (1 Cor. xii.).
What can be clearer, what more explicit? Now, if the Spirit of Truth,
that is to say, the Holy Ghost, _is really_ with the Church (as God
promised He always would be), and if He is always present for the
_express purpose of "guiding her into all truth"_ (as God promised
would be the case), surely this guidance must be a great reality, and
not the mere sham that it is everywhere found to be, outside the
Catholic Church.
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