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PUBLIC DOCUMENTS. 



etiam Ecclesia per se ipsa, ob suam nempe admirabi- 

 lem propagationem. eximiam sanctitatem et inexhaus- 

 tam in omnibus bonis fcecunditatem, ob catholicam 

 unitatem, invictamque stabilitatem, magnum quod- 

 dam et perpetuum est motivum credibilitatis et di- 

 vinae SUJB leg'ationis testimonium irrefragabile. 



Quo fit, ut ipsa veluti signum levatum in nationes,* 

 et ad se invitet qui nondum crediderunt, et filios BUGS 

 certiores faciat, firmissimo niti fundamenta fidem, 

 quam profitentur. Cui quidem testimonio efficax 

 subsidium accedit ex superna virtute. Etenim be- 

 nignissimus Dominus et errantes gratia sua excitat 

 atque adjuvat, ut ad agnitionem ventatis venire pos- 

 sint ; et cos, quos de tenebris transtulit in admirabile 

 lumen suum, in hoc eodem lumine ut perseverent, 

 gratia sua confirmat, non deserens, nisi deseratur. 

 Quo circa rninime par est conditip eprum, qui per 

 coeleste fidei donum cathplicse vcritati adhceserunt, 

 atque eorum qui ducti opinionibus humanis, falsam 

 rehgionem sectantur; illi enim, qui fidem sub Ec- 

 clcsia magisterio susceperunt; nullam unquam ha- 

 bere possunt justam causam mutandi, aut in dubiam 

 fidem eamdem revocandi. Quae cum ita sint, gratias 

 agentes Deo Patri, qui dignos nos fecit in partem 

 sortis sanctonim in lumine, tantam ne negligamus 

 salutem, sed aspicientes in auctorem fidei et con- 

 summatprem Jesum, teneamus spei nostrse confes- 

 sionem indeclinabilem. 



CAPUT IV. 



DE FIDE ET HATIONE. 



Hoc quoquo perpetuus Ecclesise catholic consen- 

 sus tenuit et tenet, duplicem esse ordinem cognitio- 

 nis, non solum principio, sed objecto etiam distinc 

 turn ; principio quidem, quia in altero natural! ratione, 

 in altero fide divina cognoscimus, objecto autem, quia 

 praeter ea, ad qua naturalis ratio pertingere potest, 

 credenda nobis proponuntur mysteria in Deo abscon- 

 dita, qui, nisi revelata divinitus, innotescere non pos- 

 sunt. Quocirca Apostolus, qui a gentibus Deum per 

 ea, qua facta sunt, cognitum esse testatur, disserens 

 tamen de gratia et yeritate, qua? per Jesum Christum 

 facta est f pronuntiat : Loqunnur Dei sapientiam in 

 mysterio, quae abscondita est, quam pnedestinavit 

 Deus ante ssecula in gloriam nostram, quam nemo 

 principum hujus saeculi cognovit : nobis autem reve- 

 lavit Deus per Spiritum suum : Spiritus enim omnia 

 scrutatur, etiam profunda Dei. J Et ipse Unigenitus 

 confitetur Patri, quia abscondit hsec a sapientibus, et 

 prudentibus, et revelavit ea parvulis. 



Ac ratio quidem, fide illustrata, cum sedulo, pie et 

 sobrie quaerit, aliquam, Deo dante, mysteriorum in- 

 telligentiam eamque fructuosissimam assequitur, turn 

 ex eorum, quse naturaliter cognoscit, analogia, turn e 

 mysteriorum ipsorum nexu inter se et cum fine ho- 

 minis ultimo ; nunquam tamen idonea redditur ad ea 

 perspicienda instar veritatem, quae proprium ipsius 

 objeetum constituunt. Divina enim mysteria suapte 

 natura intellectum creatum sic excedunt, ut etiam re- 

 velatione tradita et fide suscepta, ipsius tamen fidei 

 velamine contecta et quadam quasi caligine obvoluta 

 maneant, quamdiu in hac mortali vita peregrinamur 

 a Domino ; per fidem euim ambulamus, et non per 

 speciem. ] 



Verum etsi fides sit supra rationem, nulla tamen 



have been divinely disposed, so many in number 

 and so 'wonderful in character, for the purpose of 

 making evident the credibility of Christian faith; 

 nay more, the very Church herself, in view of her 

 wonderful propagation, her eminent holiness, and her 

 exhaustless fruitfulness in all that is good, her Cath- 

 olic unity, her unshaken stability, offers a great and 

 evident claim to belief, and an undeniable proof of 

 her divine commission. 



Whence it is that she, as a standard set up unto 

 the nations,* at the s^me time calls to herself those 

 who have not yet believed, and shows to her children 

 that the faith which they hold rests on a most solid 

 foundation. And to this, her testimony, effectual 

 aid is supplied by power from above. For the Lord, 

 infinitely merciful, on the one hand, stirs up by His 

 grace and helps those who are in error, that they 

 may be able to come to the knowledge of the truth ; 

 and, on the other hand, those whom He hath trans- 

 ferred from darkness into His marvellous light He 

 confirms by His grace, that they may persevere in 

 that same light, never abandoning them unless He 

 be first by them abandoned. Wherefore, totally un- 

 like is the condition of those who, by the heavenly 

 gift of faith, have embraced the Catholic truth, and 

 of those who, led by human opinions, are following 

 a false religion: for they who have received the faith 

 under the teaching of the Church can never have a 

 just reason to change that faith or call it into doubt. 

 Wherefore, giving thanks to God the Father, who 

 hath made us worthy to be partakers of the lot of the 

 sainta in light, let us not neglect so great salvation, 

 bijt looking on Jesus, the author and finisher of our 

 faith, let us hold fast the confession of our hope 

 without wavering. 



CHAPTER IV. 



OF FAITH AND REASON. 



Moreover, the Catholic Church has ever held, as 

 she now holds, that there exists a twofold order of 

 knowledge^ each of which is distinct from the other 

 both as to its principle and as to its object. As to its 

 principle, because in the one we know by natural 

 reason, in the other by divine faith j as to the object, 

 becausej besides those things to which natural reason 

 can attain, there are proposed to our belief mysteries 

 hidden in God which, unless by Him revealed, can- 

 not come to our knowledge. Wherefore the same 

 apostle, who beareth witness that God was known to 

 tne Gentiles by the things that are made, yet, when 

 speaking of the grace and truth that came by Jesus 

 Christ, f says : " We speak the wisdom of God in a 

 mystery, a wisdom which is hidden ; which God or- 

 dained before the world unto our glory ; which none 

 of the princes of this world knew ; but which God 

 hath revealed to us by His Spirit. For the Spirit 

 searcheth all things, yea the deep things of God." J 

 And the only-begotten Son thanks the Father that 

 He has hid these things from the wise and prudent, 

 and has revealed them to little ones. 



Eeason, indeed, enlightened by faith and seeking 

 with diligence and godly sobriety, may, by God's 

 gift, come to some understanding, limited in degree, 

 but most wholesome in its effects, of mysteries, ooth 

 from the analogy of things which are naturally known, 

 and from the connection of the mysteries themselves 

 with one another and with man's last end. But never 

 can reason be rendered capable of thoroughly under- 

 standing niysteries.as it does those truths which form 

 its proper object. For God's mysteries, of their very 

 nature, so far surpass the reach of created intellect, 

 that even when taught by revelation, and received by 

 faith, they remain covered by faith itself as by a veil, 

 and shrouded as it were in darkness as long as in this 

 mortal life " we are absent from the Lord ; for we 

 walk by faith, and not by sight." [ 



But although faith be above reason, there never 



* Is. xi. 12. 

 t Joan i. 17. 



$ 1 Cor. ii. 7, 9. 

 Matth. xi. 25. 



2 2 Cor. v. 7. 



* Is>. xi. 12. 

 t John i. 17. 



: 1 Cor. ii. 7, 8. 10. 

 I Matt. xi. 25. 



1 2 Cor. v. 7. 



