CATHOLIC.-True it is, we have the holy scriptrue, which is the word of God, a word holy and adorable; but it is a word that may be fashioned and expounded according to fancy and caprice; a word, moreover, which is perpetually silent under every possibly conceived interpretation. When, therefore, difficulties and doubts arise, we require indubitably some external guide.

"It is asked," says St. Vincent of Lerins, who flourished in the fifth century, "as the scripture is perfect, what necessity is there for authority in the Church? The reason is, because the scripture, being so profoundly deep, is not understood by all persons in the same sense, but different persons explain it different ways; so that the variety of interpretations nearly equals the number of its readers. Novatian interprets it in one sense, Photinus in another, Arius in a third, &c. Therefore, it is absolutly requisite that the true way of expounding the prophets and apostles be marked out, in conformity with the tradition of the Catholic Church. It never was, nor is, nor ever will be, lawful for christians to teach any doctrine except that which they have received; and it ever was, and is, and ever will be, their duty to condemn those who do otherwise. Do heretics, then, appeal to the scriptures? certainly; and this with the utmost confidence. You will see them running hastily through the different books of holy writ, those of Moses, Kings, the Psalms, the Gospels, &c. At home and abroad, in their discourses and in their writings, they hardly produce a sentence which is not larded with the words of scripture; but they are so much the more to be dreaded, as they conceal themselves under the covert of the divine laws. Let us, however, remember that satan transformed himself into an angel of light. If he could turn the scriptures against the Lord of Majesty, what use may he not make of them against us poor

mortals! But if satan and his disciples, the heretics, are capable of thus perverting the holy scripture, how are Catholics, the children of the Church, to make use of them so as to discern truth from falsehood? They must carefully observe the rule laid down at the beginning of this treatise by the holy and learned men I referred to: THEY ARE to

INTERPRET THE DIVINE TEXT ACCORDING TO THE

TRADITION OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH." (Commonit. adv. Hæres.)

If the established laws of the country, particularly those regarding property, were left to individual interpretation, what would be the inevitable consequence? Would not the whole frame of civil society be forthwith convulsed, and its total subversion be the certain result of such a measure? Has, then, the infinite wisdom of the Son of God, in order to give stability to his Church for ever, adopted a system which is calculated to fix an indelible mark of disgrace even on human legislation? Impossible; such an inference is repugnant to reason and common sense :-God has not so ordained. The Almighty, in his infinite wisdom, has appointed in his Church a visible and perpetual authority for teaching and explaining his heavenly doctrine to the faithful; and this is a fact, which is incontestably evident, both from the holy scripture and the doctrine of the ancient Church, as will from the following statement:appear

1. The church of the old testament was a figure of the new alliance, for the old law, as the apostle Paul tells us, "had but a shadow of the good things to come, not the very image of the things." (Heb. x. 1.) Now, it is manifest from scripture, that the high priests of the old law were endued with divine authority to solve difficulties and decide questions of controversy arising amongst

the people, and that from their decision there was no appeal. "If thou perceive," said God to his people, "that there be among you a hard and doubtful matter in judgment between blood and blood, cause and cause, leprosy and leprosy and thou see that the words of the judges within thy gates do vary arise, and go up to the place which the Lord thy God shall choose. And thou shalt come to the priests of the Levitical race, and to the judge, that shall be at that time: and thou shalt ask of them, and they shall show thee the truth of the judgment. And thou shalt do whatsoever they shall say, that preside in the place which the Lord shall choose, and what they shall teach thee, according to his law; and thou shalt follow their sentence: neither shalt thou decline to the right hand nor to the left hand. But he that will be proud, and refuse to obey the commandment of the priest, who ministereth at that time to the Lord thy God, and the decree of the judge, that man shall die, and thou shalt take away the evil from Israel: and all the people hearing it shall fear, that no one aftewards swell with pride." (Deut. xvii. 8-13.) And, speaking through his prophets, the Lord said "They (the priests) shall teach my people the difference between holy and profane.....and when there shall be a controversy, they shall stand in my judgments, and shall judge." (Ezech. xliv. 23-24.)"The lips of the priest shall keep knowledge, and they shall seek the law at his mouth because he is the Angel of the Lord of Hosts." (Mal. ii. 7.) Hence, Jesus Christ in the new testament, speaking to the multitude and to his disciples, said to them: "The scribes and the pharisees have sat on the chair of Moses. All things, therefore, whatsoever they have said to you, observe and do." (Matth. xxiii. 2-3.) If, therefore, in the ancient Church, which was but a

figure of the new Church founded by Jesus Christ, there was an authority established by God for solving difficulties, and deciding subjects of controversy arising amongst the people, to which all the Jews were to be subject, not as being counseled so to do, but as being positively commanded, why not admit of a similar authority in the Church of Christ?

2. Jesus Christ invested the pastors of his Church with illimited power of binding and loosing. "Thou art Peter," he said, addressing that apostle; "and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven." (Matth. xvi. 18-19.) And, speaking to all the apostles, he said to them: "Whatsoever you shall bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven; and whatsoever you shall loose upon earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven." (Matth. xviii. 18.) He, moreover, delivered to the pastors of his Church an ample commission of preaching his gospel to every living creature, assuring them of his assistance until the end of the world. "As the Father hath sent me," said he to his apostles, "I send you." (John xx. 21.) Going therefore teach ye all nations: baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world." (Matth. xxviii. 19-20.) According to these words of our Redeemer, the pastors of his Church have been invested with illimited power, and appointed by him to be the guardians and teachers of his doctrine until the end of the world. But how could they exer¬

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cise such power and comply with this duty, were they not invested with authority to solve difficulties and to decide controversies concerning that sacred deposit which has been intrusted to them? Does not the charge of preserving and teaching the doctrine of Christ include that of explaining it when it is misunderstood, and of obliging the faithful to hear and follow such explanations?

3. The pastors of the Church, from the very nature of their office, contract a special obligation of feeding and ruling the faithful intrusted to their care. "Feed my lambs," said Christ to Peter; "feed my sheep." (John xxi. 15-17.) "Take heed to yourselves," says St. Paul, "and to the whole flock, wherein the Holy Ghost hath placed you bishops, to rule the Church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood." (Acts xx. 28.) Now, what does this charge of feeding and ruling the faithful imply, but that the pastors of the Church of Christ are authorized by him to deliver his doctrine to the faithful, which is indeed a sacred and heavenly food, and to guide them through the path-way of this transient existence to endless felicity?

4. According to Christ's own promise, the pastors of his Church know all truth, and will be assisted by the Holy Ghost until the end of the world. "I will ask the Father," said Christ to his apostles, "and he shall give you another Paraclete, that he may abide with you for ever....The Paraclete, the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring all things to your mind, whatsoever I shall have said to you." (John xiv. 16-26.) "He will teach you all truth." (xvi. 13.) Now, for what purpose are such pastors enlightened and assisted by the