Page:The Great Encyclical Letters of Pope Leo XIII.djvu/199



CHIEF DUTIES OF CHRISTIANS AS CITIZENS. 193

revealed, belongs to the teaching Church, to whom God has entrusted the safe-keeping and interpretation of His utterances. But the supreme teacher in the Church is the Roman Pontiff. Union of minds, therefore, requires, together with a perfect accord in the one faith, complete submission and obedience of will to the Church and to the Roman Pontiff, as to God Himself. This obedience should, however, be perfect, because it is enjoined by- faith itself, and has this in common with faith, that it caimot be given in shreds; â€” nay, were it not absolute and perfect in every particular, it might wear the name of obedience, but its essence would disappear. Christian usage attaches such value to this perfection of obedience that it has been, and will ever be, accounted the distin- guishing mark by which we are able to recognize Catholics. Admirably does the following passage from St. Thomas of Aquin set before us the right view: "The formal object of faith is primar}^ truth, as it is sho-wn forth in the Holy Scriptures, and in the teaching of the Church, which proceeds from the fountain-head of truth. It follows, therefore, that he who does not adhere, as to an infallible divine rule, to the teaching of the Church, which proceeds from the primary truth manifested in the Holy Scriptures, possesses not the habit of faith; but matters of faith he holds otherwise than true faith. Now it is e^ddent that he who clings to the doctrines of the Church as to an infallible rule yields his assent to everything the Church teaches; but otherwise, if with reference to what the Church teaches he holds what he likes, but does not hold what he does not Uke, he adheres not to the teaching of the Church as to an infaUible rule, but to his owm will." ^

"The faith of the whole Church should be one, according to the precept (1 Corinthians i.lO): Let all speak the same thing, and let there be no schisms among you; and this cannot be observed save on condition that questions which arise

Â» 2a 2ae. q. v. art. 3.