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Southland Times, Issue 1207, 8 February 1870, Page 3

REPLY OP THE POPE TO DX aQMXVX'&J — « (To the Editor of the Times), t ~ " Sin, — By the desire of the Archbishop I forward to you the enclosed translation of a letter addressed to him by his Holiness Pope Pius IX, in reply to the letter of the Eev. Dr. Cumming. Believing that it may be interesting to some or your readers, the Archbishop places it at your disposal for publication. I remain, Sir, your obedient servant, "W. A. JoHNsoir, Secretary. 8, York-place, W., September 20. " Popes Pnra IX. "To our Veweba-ble Bbotk rhHeitry EdWAKD, ABCHBISHOP O* "WESUtDT TEB» " Venerable Brother,— Health and the Apostolic bessing, " We have, seen from the newspapers, that Dr Cumming, of Scotland, has in* quired of you whether leave will be given at the approaching Councit to those who dissent from the Catholic Church to pufe forward the arguments which they think can be advanced in support of their own opinions ; and that, on your replying that this a matter to be determined by the Holy See, he has written to us upon the subject. " Now, if the inquirer knows what is the belief of Catholics with respect to the teaching authority which has been given by our Divine Saviour to His Church, and therefore with respect to its infaliibillity in deciding questions which belong to dogma or to morals, he must know that the Church cannot permit errors which it has carefully considered, judged, and condemned to be again brought under discussion. 1 his, too, is what has already been made known by our letters ;* for when we said 'it cannot be denied of doubted that' Jesus Christ Himself, in order that He might apply to all generations of men the fruits of His redemption, built here on earth upon Peter Sis onhf Ohurck ; that is, the one holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, and gave to hint all power that was necessary for preserving whole and inviolate the deposit of faith, and for delivering the same faith to all peoples, and tribes, and nations, we thereby signified that the primacy, both of honour and of jurisdiction, which was conferred upon Peter and his successors by the Founder of the Church, is placed beyond the hazard of disputation. This, indeed, is the hinge upon which the whole question between Catholics and all who dissent from them turns ; and from this dissent, as from a fountain, all the errors of non-Catholics flow. 'For, inasmuch as such bodies of men are destitute of that living and divinely establithed authority, which teaches mankind especially the things of faith and the rule of morals, and which also directs and governs them in whatever , relates to eternal salvation, so these same bodies of men have ever varied in their teaching, and their change and instability never cease.' If, therefore, your inquirer will consider either the opinion which is held by the Church as to the infallibility of its judgment in defining whatever belongs to faith or morals, or what we ourselves have Written respecting the primacy and teaching authority of Peter, he will at once perceive that no room can be given at the Council for the defence of errors which have already been condemned ; and that we could not have invited nonCatholics to a discussion, but have only urged them *to avail themselves., of the opportunity afforded by this Council, in. which the Catholic Church, to which their forefathers belonged, gives a newproof of its close unity and invincible vitality, and to satisfy the Wants of their souls by withdrawing them from a state in which they cannot be sure of then* salvation.' If, by the inspiration of Divine grace, they shall perceive their own danger, and shall seek G-od with their whole heart, they will easily cast away all preconceived and adverse opinions ; and, laying aside all desire of disputation, they will return to the Father from whom they- have long unhappily gone astray. "We, on our part, will joyfully run to meet them ; and, embracing them with a father's charity, we shall rejoice, and the Church will rejoice with us, that our children who were dead have come to life again, and that they who were lost have been found. This, indeed, do we earnestly ask of Q-odj and do you, venerable brother, join your prayers to ours. "In the meanwhile, as a token of the Divine favor, and of our own especial benevolence, we most lovingly give to you and to your diocese our Apostolic blessing. " Given at &t. Peter's in Home, this 4th day of September, 1869, in the 24th, year of our Pontificate. "Pope Pros EL" i ■ ■ - — — — .

)• The Letters Apostolic of September 13, 1868, addressed "to all Protettantji and other non-Catholics/