they who claim infallibility for the Church of Rome, claim it erroneously from these passages.

We proceed now to the New Testament, from which a number of texts have been selected, in order to prove the claim of infallibility. I shall not mention them all here, but direct you, as before, to the Table of References,' under the head Church Guides, and their authority. Out of these, there are four principal passages, on which the advocates for infallibility specially rest their claim. Cardinal Bellarmine has rested upon them. Bossuet has rested upon them, in his Exposition of the Catholic Faith. To the examination of these we now come. I shall first call your attention to the last passage: 1 Tim. iii. 15. At verse 14, Paul says to Timothy : "These things I write to thee, hoping that I shall come to thee shortly." Verse 15, "But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth." The note on this verse is to the following effect: Verse 15. The pillar and ground of the truth.-Therefore the Church of the living God can never uphold error, nor bring in corruption, superstition, or idolatry.' Let us consider this statement. St. Paul wrote this epistle to Timothy, who presided over the church at Ephesus. The apostle purposed going to him, but foreseeing that difficulties would lie in his way, he wrote to him word, how he should "behave" himself in the church at Ephesus. church, then, according to the inspired opinion of St. Paul, was "the pillar and ground of the truth"? Must it not be the church at Ephesus? For there Timothy presided. Paul did not inform him how he should "behave" him

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self in the church at Rome, for he had no authority there. So that if the passage prove infallibility, it proves it for the church at Ephesus, not for the Church of Rome.

We pass on to St. Matthew xxviii. 20. There is a note on this, pointing out how much the passage avails for the Church of Rome. The words contain our Lord's last address to his apostles. I shall read from verse 18: "All power is given to me in heaven and in earth. Going therefore, teach ye all nations: baptising 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." The following note is given: CHAP. Xxviii. ver. 18, &c. All power, &c.-See here the warrant and commission of the apostles and their successors, the bishops and pastors of Christ's Church. He received from his Father all power in heaven and in earth; and in virtue of this power, he sends them (even as his Father sent him, St. John xx. 21,) to teach and disciple, Matheteuein, not one, but all nations; and instruct them in all truths: and that he may assist them effectually in the execution of this commission, he promises to be with them, not for three or four hundred years only, but all days, even to the consummation of the world. How, then, could the Catholic Church ever go astray; having always with her pastors, as is here promised, Christ himself, who is the way, the truth, and the life? St. John xiv.' Now, I would ask any one to bring his common sense to the passage before us, and what will he find? He will learn that it is not merely a temporary advantage, but that it should descend

to those who should succeed the apostles. Christ spoke to the eleven apostles, (for the traitor had gone to his own place,) if the promise were not made to Peter alone, it avails nothing for the Church of Rome. I do not mean to say, that even if it had been made to Peter alone, it would prove infallibility. No, it proves the presence and blessing of God, which is promised to all Christian Churches. How can we for a moment believe that Christ would say to his apostles: "Going ye, teach all nations and, behold, I am with Simon Peter: let the rest of you make disciples the best way you can: I am with Simon Peter all days, even to the consummation of the world." If this be not the conclusion, it must be, that Christ gave the same desirable blessing of clearing up doubts, and of freedom from error, to all the successors of the apostles, and to all Christian Churches, Therefore, if this passage prove infallibility, it will prove too much for if it were said to all the apostles and their successors, it will prove the infallibility of the whole Christian Church.

We come next to Matt. xviii. 17. I shall read from verse 15: "But if thy brother shall offend against thee, go and rebuke him between thee and him alone. If he shall hear thee, thou shalt gain thy brother. And if he will not hear thee, take with thee one or two more: that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may stand. And if he will not hear them, tell the church. And if he will not hear the church, let him be to thee as the heathen and publican. Amen I say to you, whatsoever you shall bind upon earth, shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever you shall loose upon earth, shall be loosed also in heaven." The advocates of infallibility make the word

"church" to signify themselves: under what circumstances? May it not refer to the mother of all churches, the Church of Jerusalem? But it cannot possibly refer to the Church of Rome, because that church was not then in existence. It was a direction of our Lord to his disciples, not about religion, not about matters of faith, but concerning a misunderstanding between man and man. It has nothing to do with the Church of Rome. "If thy brother shall offend against thee," &c. "tell the church." What church? What other could it be than the Church of Jerusalem? If then, the passage prove infallibility, it proves it for the Church of Jerusalem, not for the Church of Rome.

We now come to consider the fourth and last passage: Matt. xvi. 18. I shall read from the 13th verse: "Whom do men say that the Son of man is? but they," the apostles, "said: some John the Baptist, and other some Elias, and others Jeremias, or one of the prophets. Jesus saith to them: but whom do you say that I am? Simon Peter answered, and said:"-Here we find Peter, as usual, the spokesman of the apostles. He was, as the ancient fathers inform us, the eldest amongst the apostles: hence in the gospel we find him always their spokesman. He was forward, earnest, and ardent, and wished to speak his sentiments, as in ver. 16: "Simon Peter answered and said: Thou art Christ, the Son of the Living God." This great truth was not Peter's faith alone; for all the other apostles were taught exactly the same truth, and from the same source.-vs. 18, 19. "And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; 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." There is rather a lengthy note here: CHAP. xvi. ver. 18. Thou art Peter, &c.-As St. Peter, by divine revelation, here made a solemn profession of his faith of the divinity of Christ; So, in recompense of this faith and profession, our Lord here declares to him the dignity to which he is pleased to raise him; viz. that he, to whom he had already given the name of Peter, signifying a rock, St. John i. 42. should be a rock indeed, of invincible strength, for the support of the building of the church; in which building he should be, next to Christ himself, the chief foundation-stone, in quality of chief pastor, ruler, and governor; and should have accordingly all fulness of ecclesiastical power, signified by the keys of the kingdom of heaven.-Upon this rock, &c. The words of Christ to Peter, spoken in the vulgar language of the Jews, which our Lord made use of, were the same as if he had said in English, Thou art a Rock, and upon this rock I will build my church. So that, by the plain course of the words, Peter is here declared to be the rock upon which the church was to be built; Christ himself being both the principal foundation and founder of the same. Where also note, that Christ, by building his house, that is, his church, upon a rock, has thereby secured it against all storms and floods, like the wise builder, St. Matthew vii. 24, 25.—The gates of hell, &c. That is, the powers of darkness, and whatever satan can do, either by himself or his agents. For as the church is here likened to a house, or fortress, built on a rock;