Page:PracticalCommentaryOnHolyScripture.djvu/779

 The universal  dominion  of  Jesus  Christ.  All  power  in  heaven  and earth is  given  to  our  Lord,  not  only  as  the  only-begotten  Son  of  God, but as  Man,  for  He  merited  this  dominion  by  His  Passion  and  Death. As God  made  Man,  he  is  the  supreme  King  and  Ruler  of  this  world. He governs  it  invisibly  from  heaven,  and  on  the  Last  Day  will  return visibly, and in  glory,  to  judge  the  just  and  the  wicked.

The Divinity  of  Jesus  Christ  is  shown  forth  by  the  fact  of  His ascending into  heaven  by  His  own  power,  as  all  the  apostles  could testify; and  is,  moreover,  proved  1. by Jesus  Himself  in  His  discourse prior to  His  Ascension; for  how  could  He  have  promised  the  Holy  Ghost, and His  own  protection  to  the  apostles  even  to  the  end  of  the  world; how could  He  have  said:  “All  power  is  given  to  Me  in  heaven  and earth”, unless  He  had  been  God? 2. It  is  proved  by  the  adoration paid to  Him  by  the  apostles. They would  not  have  worshipped  Jesus, had they  not  been  convinced  of  His  Divinity. 3. It  is  proved,  especially, by the  holy  Evangelist  St.  John,  who  writes  in  so  many  words  that “Jesus is  the  Son  of  God”.

The threefold  office  of  the  apostles  and  their  successors. When  He left  this  world,  our  Lord  handed  over  to  His  apostles  His  threefold  office. 1. The  office,  or  the  right  and  duty  of  teaching  the  Christian  faith  (“Go ye  and  teach  all  nations”). 2. The  priestly  office,  or  the  right  and  duty of sanctifying  the  souls  of  men  by  the  Christian  Sacraments  (“baptizing them  in  the  Name  of  the  Father  and  of  the  Son  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost”). 3. The  pastoral  office,  or  the  right  and  duty  of  guiding  and  maintaining the faithful  in  the  observance  of  the  commandments  (“Teach  them  to observe  all  things  whatsoever  I have  commanded  you”). Our Lord  did not commit  this  threefold  office  to  the  apostles  only,  but  also  to  their successors, as  is  to  be  plainly  inferred  from  the  words:  “Go  and  teach all nations”,  and: “ I am  with  you  all  days  even  unto  the  end  of  the world.” The  eleven  apostles  could  not  themselves  have  taught  all nations, nor  were  they  to  live  till  the  end  of  the  world; but  their  office was to  continue  after  their  death,  in  their  successors,  the  Bishops  of the  Catholic  Church. Hence the  prophetical, priestly  and  royal  offices of Christ  must  continue  in  the  Church  till  the  end  of  time. This ruling power  given  to  the  Church  is  divine  and  not  subject  to  any civil or  earthly  power. Within her  own  sphere  the  Church  is  supreme and independent.

''The Church  of  Christ  must  necessarily  be  Catholic  or  universal. '' Our Lord  said  that  “all  nations”  were  to  be  received  into  the  Church by Baptism,  and  instructed  in  the  Christian  life  by  her. The Church of Christ  must  therefore  be,  firstly,  universal  in  place:  she  must  be not  a national  Church,  but  a universal  Church. Secondly, seeing  that she was  to  be  protected  by  her  Divine  Founder,  for  “all  days  even to the  end  of  the  world”,  she  must  be  equally  Catholic  as  to  duration. Being upheld  by  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  in  all  ages,  there  is  no  time when she  could  fall  away  or  decay,  for,  if  she  did,  our  Lord  would