united in the uniform belief of the same doctrines proposed this question to himself,- Why none of the schools of the ancient philosophers had ever succeeded in bringing the world to the knowledge of such sublime and interesting truths?" He answered the question by saying, that there was not, in the first place, any one of the schools of the philosophers who knew these truths; consequently, that they could not teach them to others; secondly, that if there had been any philosopher so happy as to have obtained the knowledge of these sublime doctrines, yet he would not have had sufficient authority over the judgments of other men to bring them to the belief of what he taught. The method of teaching such doctrines by discussion and scientific demonstration would have been useless, especially with regard to the great bulk of mankind. Nor would he have had any better prospect of success with the learned; for, according to the different views they might take of the same question, they would come to different conclusions upon it; and one learned man would be apt to think his own judgment as good as that of another. In fact, each sect of philosophers has maintained its own peculiar doctrine concerning truth and happiness; but no one sect could ever bring the others or the world to the belief of its own tenets.

"But after philosophy had given proof of its contradictions, of its folly and weakness; behold! a teacher of a different character appears; and, by his method of teaching, soon unites the world in the uniform belief of the same sublime doctrines. Christ appears on earth. He announces that he is sent from God to teach truth and the way of happiness to men. He proclaims that he is the Son of God, full of truth and grace. He proves the divinity of his mission, and his right to the title he claimed, by the most evident miracles, which carry irresistible conviction to the mind.

"With this established character he taught his doctrines; not by discussion, but by authority. The people were in admiration of his doctrine. For he was teaching them, as one having power.' (Matth. vii. 28-29.) He delivered them as the word OF GOD. This was the strongest motive and evidence of truth that could be proposed to the mind of man.

"Christ communicated the whole body of his doctrines to his apostles. He commanded them to teach all nations what they had heard from him. He commanded them to teach his doctrines, not by discussion, but by authority. In order to establish the credit of their authority, he gave them power to work miracles, as convincing proofs that they were instructed and commissioned by him. The apostles taught the doctrines of Christ, not as their own discoveries or inventions, but as the word of God (1 Thess. ii. 13) which they had received from him. The world received them as such. Thus, what the wisdom of philosophy could never do, the foolishness of the gospel has effected. It has brought the world to the unity of truth and to the true way to happiness." (Bp. Poynter's Christianity, part ii. chap. 5.)

14. If we consult the earliest monuments of christian antiquity, we cannot entertain a shadow of doubt concerning such authority. St. Irenæus, who flourished in the second century, emphatically affirms, that "in explaining the scriptures christians are to attend to the pastors of the Church, who, by the ordinance of God, have received the inheritance of truth with the succession of their sees." (Adv. Hæres. lib. iv. c. 43.) In another place he says: "To him that believeth that there is one God, and holds to the head, which is Christ, to this man all things will be plain, if he read

diligently the scripture, with the aid of those who are the priests in the Church, and in whose hands, as we have shown, rests the doctrine of the apostles." (ibid. lib. iv. c. 52.) Origen, one of the most learned men, who lived in the third century of the christian era, writes thus: "To me it is good to adhere to apostolic men as to God and his Christ, and to draw intelligence from the scriptures according to the sense that has been delivered by them. If we follow the mere letter of the scriptures, and take the interpretation of the law as the Jews commonly explain it, I shall blush to confess that the Lord should have given such laws. But if the law of God be understood as the Church teaches, then truly does it transcend all human laws, and is worthy of him who gave it." (Homil. vii in Levit. t. ii.) St. Cyprian, a great ornament of the same century, in his treatise on the unity of the Church, writes as follows: "Men are exposed to error, because they turn not their eyes to the fountain of truth; nor is the head sought for, nor the doctrine of the Heavenly Father upheld. Which things, would any one seriously ponder, no long inquiry would be necessary. The proof is easy. Christ addresses Peter I say to thee, thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against her.' And again, after his resurrection, he said to him: Feed my sheep.....He that does not hold this unity of the Church, can he think that he holds the faith? He that opposes and withstands the Church, can he trust that he is in the Church?" St. Jerome, in the fourth century, thus addresses the Luciferians: "To tell you briefly and plainly the sentiments of my soul, we must live and die in that Church which, having been founded by the apostles, subsists to this day; but if in any place you hear that some are called christians, taking a

name not from our Lord Jesus Christ, but from some other, as Marcionites, Valentinians, Mountaineers, Field-Conventiclers, know that such form not the Church of Christ, but a synagogue of antichrist....Let them not flatter themselves that they quote the scriptures for their tenets, since the devil also quoted scripture; which consists not in the reading, but in the right understanding." The great St. Augustine, who flourished in the beginning of the fifth century, speaks in the same manner. "To attain to the truth of the scriptures," he says, "we must follow the sense of them received by the Church, to which the scriptures themselves bear testimony. True it is the scriptures themselves cannot deceive us; nevertheless, to prevent our being deceived in the question we examine by them, it is necessary we should advise with that Church which these certainly and evidently point out to us." (lib. i. contra Crescon.) "This (the unlawfulness of rebaptizing heretics) is not evidently read either by you or by me; nevertheless, if there were any wise man, to whom Christ has borne testimony, and whom he had appointed to be consulted on the question, we could not fail to do so. Now Christ bears this testimony to his Church. Whoever, therefore, refuses to follow the practice of the Church, resists Christ himself, who by his testimony recommends this Church." (De Util. Credend.)

15. This power of teaching and judging in matters of faith, which was given by Christ to the apostles and their lawful successors, has been exercised by them in every age.

Immediately after having received the Holy Ghost, the apostles, filled with heavenly fire, boldly left their concealment, and in loud accents proclaimed the wondrous things of God.

Peter, the first of their number, standing forth the champion of truth, brought, in two discourses, not less than eight thousand souls to the fold of Christ. Jews and Gentiles, Greeks and barbarians, rich and poor, learned and unlearned, all were obliged to submit to the authority of the apostles for attaining eternal salvation, for the Lord added daily to their society "such as should be saved." (Acts ii. 47.) When forbidden by the priests and rulers to teach any more in the name of Jesus Christ, the apostles appealed to their divine mission, saying: "If it be just in the sight of God to hear you rather than God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard." (Acts iv. 18-20.) When amongst the faithful at Antioch there arose the famous controversy respecting the observance of legal ceremonies, the apostles assembled together at Jerusalem to decide upon it. In this assembly they decided the question by saying: "It hath seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us, to lay no farther burden upon you than these necessary things," &c. (Acts xv. 28.) In the same chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, we read, that the apostle St. Paul went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches, "commanding them to keep the precepts of the apostles and the ancients." (v. 41.)

That the successors of the apostles have exercised this power of teaching and deciding controversies on religious subjects, is a fact confirmed by the history of all ages. Even in the first centuries, which are regarded by Protestants as the golden age of Christianity, several general councils were held, in which the pastors of the Church, assisted the Holy Ghost, declared what was the doctrine of Christ, decided controversies in matters of faith, and obliged the faithful to follow their decisions, under pain of being looked upon as heathens and publicans.