The faith of our fathers - Carmel Apologetics

PEIMACY OF PETER. 119From this passage, it is evident that in the HebrewChurch the High Priest had the highest jurisdictionin religious matters. By this means, unity of faithand worship was preserved among the people of God.Now the Jewish synagogue, asSt. Paul testifies,was the type and figure of the Christian Church ;for, "all things happened to them (the Jews) in1Wefigure." must, therefore, find in the Churchof Christ a spiritual judge, exercising the samesupreme authority as the High Priest wielded in theOld Law. For, if a supreme Pontiff was necessary,in the Mosaic dispensation, to maintain purity anduniformity of worship, the same dignitary is equallynecessary now to preserve unity of faith.Every well-regulated civil government has an acknowledged Head. The President is the Head ofthe United States Government. Queen Victoria isthe Ruler of Great Britain. The Sultan sways theTurkish Empire. If these nations had no authorized leader to govern them, they would be reducedto the condition of a mere mob, and anarchy andconfusion and civil war would inevitably follow, asrecently happened to France after the fall of Napoleon III.Even in every well-ordered family, domestic peacerequires that some one preside.Now, the Church of Christ is a visible society,that is, a society composed of human beings. Shehas, it is true, a spiritual end in view ;but havingto1 1. Cor. x. 11