since the Apostles. It is the assemblage of these proofs that brings conviction to the soul; they must all be seen united and compared, and this is undoubtedly a laborious study. "The Catholics believe that their Church is in possession of the doctrine taught by Christ, and listen to it as they would to Him. Judge from this how strong and lively must be the faith of a Catholic, how firm and immovable, since the voice of their Church is the voice of their Saviour, and the interval of eighteen hundred years disappears as they every day hear the voice of Jesus. There cannot be any division in this Church. It being an historical fact that the same doctrine has been taught from the beginning by the {182} infallible mouth of Jesus Christ and His Apostles, it follows that _all_ must yield to that authority, and that the rash individual who would dispute, disputes as it were with Jesus Christ, and consequently ought to be driven from the flock. .... "The Catholics say:--_without the Scriptures we should not hear the Saviour speak, but without tradition we should not know what He says_. .... "Why are not _our_ eyes opened--having every day proof that private interpretation is at fault?--let us try. Take your Bible, and read whatever passage you please; I also will read it. Let us both, then, invoke the assistance of God, and do you candidly think our inspirations would agree as to the sense of the passage? I think not. However, should we differ, who is to decide which is in error? .... "I see by your letters you have not always had the same opinion on all points that you have at this time. ... What warrant have you that you are better inspired now than before? Inspiration does not cause change of opinion. .... "We have in our country written laws of ancient date. Suppose some persons, even of great learning, were to give them a different interpretation to that hitherto received, would not they be confounded by showing them, by means of history or tradition, that the King himself who made these laws, his ministers and successors, have always understood and executed them in a different sense. That is the way Catholics avoid all difficulty. .... "You are in error as to the Pope if you suppose that formerly, or now, Catholics give him their faith, as Calvinists do to Calvin, &c. I thought the same. The Pope is simply the chief administrator; the doctrines he has the stewardship of do not come from him or any other Pope, as that of Calvinism from Calvin; it comes from Jesus Christ, from His Apostles, and from their churches throughout the world. An administrator is not the master of the doctrines with which he is entrusted. The Pope and Bishops are charged to preserve the doctrine, to propagate it and {183} defend it against all attacks of the enemies of Jesus Christ. ....