Church would, contrary to the promise of Christ, be prevailed against by the spirit of lies, or the powers of hell.
49. What does St. Paul call the Church on account of her Infallibility?
St. Paul calls the Church ' pillar and ground of the truth' (1 Tim. iii. 15).
50. But have there not also been in the Catholic Church some individual Teachers who have fallen into error?
Yes; but this happened only because they taught differently from the whole Teaching Body; for Infallibility is not granted to each one individually, but to the Teachers (Bishops) collectively, when united with the Pope.
If non-Catholics pretend to say that the whole Catholic Church has, in the course of time, departed from the Divine doctrine, and fallen into errors, 1. They manifestly contradict the promises of our Divine Saviour; 2. They condemn all the Holy Fathers of the Church, who taught exactly the same as the Catholic Church teaches; 3. They set themselves at variance with one another, since they have always disagreed among themselves about what properly is Divine doctrine, and what is not; and 4. They must, if the nations had been deceived by the Teaching Church, lay the fault on God, who continually accredited the Catholic Church together with her Teachers, and confirmed her authority by evidently protecting her at all times, by spreading her over the whole world, by illustrating her by innumerable miracles, and blessing her labors with the most glorious success (Short Hist. of Revealed Rel., Conclud. Remarks, 6, 7, 8); whereas, on the other hand, the sectarians never could corroborate their pretended mission by any miracle, but, on the contrary, fell into many manifest contradictions and pernicious errors, by which the world was only more and more corrupted (Short Hist. of Revealed Rel., 42, 47).
51. If, then, differences arise in matters of faith, what are we to do?
We must adhere to the decisions of the Church.
'And He gave some Apostles, . . . and other some Pastors and Doctors, . . . that henceforth we be no more children tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the wickedness of men, by cunning craftiness, by which they lie in wait to deceive' (Eph. iv. 11, 14)
