PAPAL AIMS AND PAPAL CL.A Mfg.
[To THE EDITOR OP THE " SPECTATOR :] SIR,—In the Literary Supplement to the Spectator for November 15th (p. 736), the reviewer of a book called "Papal Aims and Papal Claims" puts a question which I have no difficulty in answering. After enumerating certain alleged claims of the Roman Church " ' to be divinely exempted from errors and dissensions '; that the Pope claims to be 'adored as a God' ; that he is Jesus Christ Himself hidden under the veil of the flesh' ; that he can, ' with infallible certainty, proscribe and condemn doctrines, logical, scientific, physical, metaphysical, or political of any kind'; that he speaks ' with the voice of God, independent of Holy Scripture, traditions, Fathers, or Councils '; that he has 'the right of deposing Kings," your reviewer goes on to " wonder if these claims are actually put forward by the Church of Rome; and if so, whether they are admitted as rightful claims by the great body of the Roman Church." I answer that if the author of the book or your reviewer should declare himself convinced of the truth of these claims, and should seek on that ground to be reconciled to the unity of the Catholic Church, he would undoubtedly from any priest receive a reply to the effect that any one capable of believing anything so blasphemous and so senseless would appear to be better fitted for admission to an institution of another kind. I trust this will relieve your reviewer's mind.—I am, Sir, &c., JOHN CHAPMAN, Priest of the Order of St. Benedict. S. Thomas' Abbey, Erdington, Birmingham.
[The statements which our reviewer not unnaturally queried were made, not on his own authority, but on that of the author of the book in question. If Mr. Garnet Man—the author— wishes to meet Mr. Chapman's allegations by giving authority for his statements, we will afford him reasonable space to do so, but we cannot enter upon a long discussion of the matter. —ED. Spectator.]
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