The faith of our fathers - Carmel Apologetics

SUPREMACY OF THE POPES. 133His Church as we deal with a tender sapling.When we first plant it, we water it, and soften theclay about its roots. But when it takes deep root,we leave it to the care of Nature s laws. lu likemanner, when Christ first planted His Church, Henourished its infancy by miraculous agency; butwhen itgrew to be a tree of fair proportions, Heleft it to be governed by the general laws of HisProvidence.From what I have said, you can easily infer thatthe arguments in favor of Peter s Primacy haveequal weight in demonstrating the supremacy of thePopes.As the present question, however, is a subject ofvast importance, I shall endeavor to show, from incontestable historical evidence, that the Popes havealways, from the days of the Apostles, continued toexercise supreme jurisdiction,not only in theWestern church, till the Reformation, but alsothroughout the Eastern church, till the greatschism of the ninth century.1. Take the question of appeals.An appealisnever made from a superior to an inferior court, noteven from one court to another of co-ordinate jurisdiction. We do not appeal from Washington toRichmond, but from Richmond to WashingtonNow, if we find the See of Rome, from the foundation of Christianity, entertaining and deciding casesof appeal from the Oriental churches ;if we findthat her decision was final and irrevocable, we must12