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Page 15
3. Consciously or unconsciously, Anglicans and other non-Catholics
have for centuries denied the truth of Our Lord's words and have
contradicted His clearest statements. In fact, the Church of England,
in her Book of Homilies, declares that "clergy and laity, learned and
unlearned, all ages, sects, and degrees of men, women, and children,
of whole Christendom, were altogether drowned in damnable idolatry by
the space of 800 years and more"! (Hom. on Peril of Idol., part iii.).
This is a specimen of the way in which God's promises are set aside,
and the Bible misinterpreted by outsiders while professing to make it
the foundation of their creed. Nor was this the teaching of a few
irresponsible persons. It was enforced by the whole Anglican Church.
"All parsons, vicars, curates, and all others having spiritual cure,"
were "straitly enjoined" to read these Homilies Sunday after Sunday
throughout the year in every church and chapel of the kingdom. And the
25th Article declares the second book of Homilies to contain "a godly
and wholesome doctrine and necessary for these times"! Probably this
"godly and wholesome doctrine" is no longer obliged to be read and
taught by Anglicans; probably they no longer consider it either
"godly" or "wholesome," but quite the reverse. This we are quite ready
to admit. But, in the name of common prudence, who, in his senses,
would trust the salvation of his immortal soul to a Church that
teaches a thing is white in one century and black in the next, and
never knows its own mind?
Here then let us put two very pertinent questions, for our
non-Catholic friends to ponder over, and to answer, if they can.
First: How is it possible for the Church to go astray, if God the Holy
Ghost is really guiding? Second: How is it possible for the Church to
wander away into _error_, if this same Spirit be leading her into _all
truth_? Will some one kindly explain that, without at the same time
denying the veracity of God?
4. However, granting the absolute truth of Christ's promises, we may
now proceed to inquire in what way this divine and (because divine)
infallible guidance into all truth is brought about? Is it by the Holy
Spirit whispering to each individual priest or to each individual
Bishop? Emphatically not. Why not? Because, if that theory were well
founded, then every priest and Bishop would believe and teach
precisely the same set of doctrines, without any need of an
infallible Pope to guide him. For, clearly, the Spirit of _Truth_
could not whisper "yea" to one, and "nay" to another, nor could He
declare a thing to be "black" to one person and "white" to his
neighbour. In fine, we have but two alternatives to choose from. We
must confess either that the promises themselves, so solemnly made,
are lies (which were blasphemy to affirm), or else, that God directs
His Church, and safeguards its truth, through its head, or chief
Pastor; just as we regulate and control the members of the physical
body through the brain. We must either renounce all belief in Christ
and His promises, or else admit that His words are actually carried
out, and that the prayer has been heard which He made for Peter, and
for those who should, in turn, exercise Peter's office and functions,
and should speak in his name. Harken to the narrative, as given by St.
Luke: "The Lord said: Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have
you [_observe, the plural number_] that he may sift you as wheat; but
I have prayed [_not for all, but_] for _thee_, that _thy_ faith fail
not: and _thou_, being once converted, confirm thy brethren" (Luke
xxii. 32) [_observe the singular number_, "thee," "thy" and "thou"].
Peter still lives, in the person of Pope Pius X., and _in virtue of
that prayer_, and through the omnipotent power of God, Peter still
"confirms his brethren," and will continue to confirm them in the true
and pure doctrine of Christ, until the final crack of doom. As the
venerable Bishop W.B. Ullathorne wrote to Lady Chatterton, soon after
the Vatican Council, _i.e._, 19th November, 1875: "There is but one
Church of Christ, with one truth, taught by one authority, received by
all, believed by all within its pale; or there is no security for
faith. If we examine Our Lord's words and acts, such a Church there
is. If we follow the inclinations of our fallen nature, ever averse to
the control of authority, we there find the reason why so many who
love this world, receive not the authority that He planted, to endure
like His primal creation, to the end."
"It is pleasant to human pride and independence to be a little god,
having but oneself for an authority, and a light, and a law to
oneself. But does this or does it not contradict the fact that we are
dependent beings, and that the Lord, He is God? This spirit of
independence, with self-sufficiency for its basis, and rebellion for
its act, is _just what_ Sacred Scripture ascribes to Satan" (p. 230).
True. And it is just the reverse of the disposition that Christ
demands from all who wish to enter into His One Fold: for He declares
with startling clearness that "unless we become as little children"
(_i.e._, docile, submissive, trustful, etc.) "we shall not enter into
the Kingdom of heaven," which is His Church.
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