The Church and the Faith; A Philosophical History of the Catholic Church Containing a Theory of the Church, an Account of Its Establishment, Essays on the Six General Councils and Important Comtroversies, an Exposition and Defense of the Due and Proper Claims (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER II. THEORY OF THE OHUKCH. Two theories are widely held respecting the nature and seat of authority within the church, which theories, antagonistic as they may seem, let it be our task to reconcile with each other, so far at least as to show that they are not mutually destructive; nor let us be dismayed though the discussion should be found to involve an examination of the most intricate problems of political science. Of these the one searches for all authority in those who occupy the seats of the Apostles as being divinely commissioned, empowered, and guided ambassadors on earth of the King of kings, the only ones who ought to have any voice in legislation, any share in witnessing, or power in administration; while the other seeks this authority in the collective body of believers, maintaining that the Church of Christ is a society in which reigns perfect equality of rights and from which emanates all prerogative of ministerial function. And thus the tocsin sounds, warning Monarchist and Republican to range themselves in hostile fronts and unsheathe the weapons of religious warfare. Without entering into the arena of politics farther than the necessity of the case seems to compel, it is impossible to avoid altogether the dust and unpleasant odor of that much-trodden floo-. The attempt to institute a model government has not yet attained conspicuous success. As most flattering to human pride the theory of popular rule has now the most numerous following in many enlightened countries, and daily counts its proselytes with much exultation. Just one century since, a republic was introduced upon the stage of the New World amid the throes of a gigantic struggle in which the infant matched its thews and sinews with the practiced muscles of earth's mightiest kingdom. The ...