you choose; with this I have no
concern." But as soon as they trench on matters of faith she cries out:
"Hitherto thou shalt come, and shalt go no farther; and here thou shalt
break thy swelling waves"(27) of discord. The temple of faith is the
asylum of peace, concord and unity.
How sublime and consoling is the thought that whithersoever a Catholic
goes over the broad world, whether he enters his Church in Pekin or in
Melbourne, in London, or Dublin, or Paris, or Rome, or New York, or San
Francisco, he is sure to hear the self-same doctrine preached, to assist
at the same sacrifice, and to partake of the same sacraments.
This is not all. Her Creed is now identical with what it was in past ages.
The same Gospel of peace that Jesus Christ preached on the Mount; the same
doctrine that St. Peter preached at Antioch and Rome; St. Paul at Ephesus;
St. John Chrysostom at Constantinople; St. Augustine in Hippo; St. Ambrose
in Milan; St. Remigius in France; St. Boniface in Germany; St. Athanasius
in Alexandria; the same doctrine that St. Patrick introduced into Ireland;
that St. Augustine brought into England, and St. Pelagius into Scotland,
and that Columbus brought to this American Continent, and this is the
doctrine that is ever preached in the Catholic Church throughout the
globe, from January till December--"Jesus Christ yesterday, and today, and
the same forever."(28)
The same admirable unity that exists in matters of faith is also
established in the government of the Church. All the members of the vast
body of Catholic Christians are as intimately united to one visible Chief
as the members of the human body are joined to the head. The faithful of
each Parish are subject to their immediate Pastor. Each Pastor is
subordinate to his Bishop, and each Bishop of Christendom acknowledges the
jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome, the successor of St. Peter, and Head
of the Catholic Church.
But it may be asked, is not this unity of faith impaired by those
doctrinal definitions which the Church has promulgated from time to time?
We answer: No new dogma, unknown to the Apostles, not contained in the
primitive Christian revelation, can be admitted. (John xiv. 26; xv. 15;
xvi. 13.) For the Apostles received the whole deposit of God's word,
according to the promise of our Lord: "When He shall come, the Spirit of
truth, He shall teach you all truth." And so the Church proposes the
doctrines of faith, such as came from the lips of
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