concern itself about the nature and motions of the
planets. Nor does it regard purely political questions, such as the form
of government a nation ought to adopt, or for what candidates we ought to
vote.

The Pope's Infallibility, therefore, does not in any way trespass on civil
authority; for the Pope's jurisdiction belongs to spiritual matters, while
the duty of the State is to provide for the temporal welfare of its
subjects.

What, then, is the real doctrine of Infallibility? It simply means that
the Pope, as successor of St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles, by virtue of
the promises of Jesus Christ, is preserved from error of judgment when he
promulgates to the Church a decision on faith or morals.

The Pope, therefore, be it known, is not the maker of the Divine law; he
is only its expounder. He is not the author of revelation, but only its
interpreter. All revelation came from God alone through His inspired
ministers, and it was complete in the beginning of the Church. The Holy
Father has no more authority than you or I to break one iota of the
Scripture, and he is equally with us the servant of the Divine law.

In a word, the Sovereign Pontiff is to the Church, though in a more
eminent degree, what the Supreme Court is to the United States. We have an
instrument called the Constitution of the United States, which is the
charter of our civil rights and liberties. If a controversy arise
regarding a constitutional clause, the question is referred in the last
resort, to the Supreme Court at Washington. The Chief Justice, with his
associate judges, examines into the case and then pronounces judgment upon
it; and this decision is final, irrevocable and practically infallible.

If there were no such court to settle constitutional questions, the
Constitution itself would soon become a dead letter. Every litigant would
conscientiously decide the dispute in his own favor and anarchy,
separation and civil war would soon follow. But by means of this Supreme
Court disputes are ended, and the political union of the States is
perpetuated. There would have been no civil war in 1861 had our domestic
quarrel been submitted to the legitimate action of our highest court of
judicature, instead of being left to the arbitrament of the sword.

The revealed Word of God is the constitution of the Church. This is the
_Magna Charta_ of our Christian liberties. The Pope is the official
guardian of our religious constitution, as the Chief