It is then clear, from the holy scripture, as well as from the testimony of antiquity, that in the Church of God there was always a visible and living authority, to which submission was due. Before the Son of God appeared amongst us by his incarnation, that authority was in the synagogue. When the synagogue was on the eve of falling, Jesus Christ himself, who is the eternal wisdom, appeared amongst us. When that divine

being withdrew, he left a body of pastors and doctors in the persons of his apostles, and their lawful successors in the ministry, until the end of the world, and with them his Holy Spirit.

This authority, with which the apostles and their lawful successors are invested, interferes not in the least degree with Christ's authority over his Church, because it proceeds from him, and tends to his glory. "All obedience to man," says Jeremy Taylor, who is considered by Protestants as one of the brightest ornaments of the English Church, "is for God's sake; for God, imprinting his authority upon the sons of men, like the sun reflecting upon a cloud, produces a parhelion, or a representation of his own glory.....It is the divine authority, though chartered upon a piece of clay, and imprinted upon a weak and imperfect man." Hence St. Paul says: Obey them that have the rule over you, and subject yourselves to them. For they watch as being to render an account of your souls." (Hebr. xiii. 17.) "Let every soul be subject to higher powers: for there is no power but from God: and those that are, are ordained of God. Therefore he that resisteth the power, resisteth_the ordinance of God. And they that resist, purchase to themselves damnation." (Rom. xiii. 1-2.)

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If, then, any one ask how he is to learn with absolute certainty what are the doctrines of faith which Christ revealed, and which he commanded all to believe-what are the precepts of super

natural morality which Christ delivered, and which he commanded all to observe-what are the sacred rites and ordinances, which Christ instituted as the means of imparting the grace of justification to men-what are the dispositions and conditions which Christ prescribed for attaining eternal salvation through him-it is clear and certain that, by the ordinance of Christ himself, all these things are to be learnt with absolute certainty from the testimony of the pastors of his Church, whom he has appointed to teach these important truths of religion to all mankind, and whom he has promised to direct and assist at all times, in the discharge of their duties.

PROTESTANT.-With respect to the apostles, I readily admit that there was a strict obligation of adhering to and following their doctrines. But how prove you that there is the same obligation towards their successors in the ministry? It appears to me that very forcible reasons may be adduced to prove the contrary. The apostles, having received the doctrine of truth immediately from God, were to be heard and obeyed in all things relative to faith equally with God himself. Since, however, the doctrine of truth was written under divine inspiration, the pastors of the Church are to be heard and obeyed only as much as they teach and command in conformity with the holy scripture. Hence Protestants so often and so justly complain of the unfairness of Catholics in confounding the apostles with the subsequent ministers of the gospel.

CATHOLIC.-As the doctrines of Christ change not their nature on account of their being written, but are always the same, so not less unchangeable is that authority which Christ established in his Church for propagating such doctrines, and pre

serving them from all corruption whatsoever until the consummation of ages.

"The apostles had no power, but such as they received from Christ; no security against error, but such as they derived from his guidance and protection. Now, the same power, the same guidance and protection, were promised to the successors of the apostles, as were promised to the apostles themselves. Christ did not send to the apostles the spirit of truth to teach them all truth' (John xvi. 13) only for a limited time, but 'for ever.' (John xiv. 16.) He did not promise to be himself with the apostles merely during their short lives, but 'all days even to the consummation of the world.' (Matth. xxviii. 20.) Therefore, the same submission is due to the lawful successors of the apostles in the first, the second, and the nineteenth century of christianity, as was due to the apostles themselves. Where does scripture teach that the doctrines of the apostles should be received, and those of their successors rejected? Where does it teach that, after the death of the apostles, the commission to teach mankind should be translated from the living pastors of the Church to the dead letter of the Bible? Where does it recall the solemn denunciation pronounced against those 'who refuse to hear the Church'? (Matth. xviii. 17.) Where does it retract the promised guidance of the spirit, and the pledged protection of Christ ?" (Dr. Baines' Sermon on Faith, Hope and Charity.)

The supposition that any thing can ever be taught by the pastors of the Church in opposition to the holy scripture, is most absurd and injurious to Christ, who, in the clearest terms, promised to them his assistance and the light of his Holy Spirit until the end of the world. Moreover, under such supposition, every individual would be entitled, not only to examine the doctrine of his

pastors as to its conformity, or non-conformity with the holy scripture, but authorized also to reject it as false and erroneous on its appearing to him opposed to holy writ: and thus the authority, which Christ conferred on his Church to judge her children, and pronounce a sentence of condemnation against them in case of disobedience in following her direction, would be vested in every individual against the Church: the charge which Christ gave to the pastors of his Church, to confirm the faithful in truth, lest they should be carried to and fro with every wind of doctrine by the wickedness of men, instead of being intrusted exclusively to them, would be transferred to the faithful against their pastors which consequences are certainly manifest and glaring absurdities.

No. The spirit of the Church of Christ is not a spirit of confusion and falsehood, but of unity and truth-to secure which to her, until the consummation of ages, Christ established that visible teaching authority, which the documents of the holy scripture, as well as those of christian antiquity, point out in her pastors. The apostles were commissioned by Christ himself to undertake the office of teaching his doctrine to the people, and of preserving it from every species of corruption. According to the commission received from Christ, the apostles, as we read in their Acts, appointed men over different churches, with apostolical authority to preside during their absence, and succeed them after their decease: which their successors have done until this period, and will continue to do uninterruptedly and unchangeably until the consummation of ages. They who adhere to this authority are by the very fact secured, and founded in the unity of truth: whereas they who shake off its yoke are unavoidably plunged into the gulph of error and confusion.

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SECOND DIALOGUE.

PROTESTANT.-By admitting a similar authority to that of Catholics, I should apprehend the danger of preferring man to God, and of believing in the doctrine of man instead of adhering to that of God.

CATHOLIC.-There is no foundation whatever for this apprehension, because the authority, with which the pastors of the Church of Christ are invested, is supernatural and divine, proceeding from God, and tending to his glory. The act, it should be observed, by which we adhere to such authority, is an act of faith in the veracity of God, and of subjection to his authority communicated to men. It is also an act of great security for believing the true doctrine of God, because Christ, having appointed such authority to disseminate his doctrine amongst the people, and to preserve it pure and undefiled until the consummation of ages, and having promised her his assistance, and the light of his Holy Spirit until the end of the world, all those who adhere to her are secure from every danger of error.

But that you may the better understand what is the Catholic doctrine on this subject, I will call your attention to what follows:

1. The object of our faith is whatever is contained in the revelation of God; for whatever has

been revealed by God, is to be looked upon as the divine word, and, consequently, as the object of our faith.

2. The foundation of our faith is the authority

C