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There is no argument deducible from the statement of Christ regarding this man to favor the sects that are outside the Catholic Church. This man arrogated to himself no apostolic powers; he formed no independent sect. He was a member of Christ's Church, an ally of the Apostles, a man who had believed even to the extent of the working of great miracles. We know from history that the working of miracles was not confined to the Apostles or to their successors. It came to the members of the early Church, to laymen and to priests alike. Only the properly commissioned ones have a right to exercise the functions of the priesthood of the New Law, but the gift of faith is the common gift to all men, and the casting out of demons is the effect of a high degree of faith.

MATT. XVIII. 15-35

15. And if thy brother sin against thee, go, show him his fault between thee and him alone: if he hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.

16. But if he hear thee not, take with thee one or two more, that at the mouth of two witnesses or three every word may be established.

17. And if he refuse to hear them, tell it unto the church: and if he refuse to hear the church also, let him be unto thee as the Gentile and the publican.

18. Verily I say unto you: What things soever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven: and what things soever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven.

19. Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be

15. Ἐὰν δὲ ἁμαρτήσῃ ὁ ἀδελ φός σου, ὕπαγε, ἔλεγξον αὐτὸν μεταξὺ σοῦ καὶ αὐτοῦ μόνου ἐάν σου ἀκούσῃ, ἐκέρδησας τὸν ἀδελ φόν σου.

16. Ἐὰν δὲ μὴ ἀκούσῃ, παράλαβε ἔτι ἕνα ἢ δύο μετὰ σοῦ, ἵνα ἐπὶ στόματος δύο μαρτύρων ἢ τριών σταθῇ πᾶν ρῆμα.

17. Ἐὰν δὲ παρακούσῃ αὐτῶν, εἰπὲ τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ: ἐὰν δὲ καὶ τῆς ἐκκλησίας παρακούσῃ, ἔστω σου ὥσπερ ὁ ἐθνικὸς καὶ ὁ τελώνης.

18. ̓Αμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν: Ότα ἂν δήσητε ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ἔσται δεδε μένα ἐν οὐρανῷ: καὶ ὅσα ἐὰν λύσητε ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ἔσται λελυμένα ἐν οὐρανῷ.

19. Πάλιν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν: Ὅτι ἐὰν δύο συμφωνήσωσιν ἐξ ὑμῶν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς περὶ παντὸς πράγ ματος, οὗ ἐὰν αἰτήσωνται, γενήσεται

done for them of my Father who is in Heaven.

20. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

21. Then came Peter, and said to him: Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? until seven times?

22. Jesus saith unto him: Ι say not unto thee: Until seven times; but: Until seventy times

seven.

23. Therefore is the kingdom of Heaven likened unto a certain king, who would make a reckoning with his servants.

24. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, who owed him ten thousand talents.

25. But forasmuch as he had not wherewith to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment be made.

26. The servant therefore fell

down and worshipped him, saying: Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.

27. And the lord of that servant, being moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.

28. But that servant went out, and found one of his fellow-servants, who owed him a hundred pence: and he laid hold on him, and took him by the

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In the fifteenth verse eis σé is omitted in and B. In the twenty-fourth verse πрoonvexon is the common reading of the codices. Β and D have προσήχθη. In the twenty-fifth verse Balone has ἔχει: the other authorities have εἶχεν. In the twenty-sixth verse Kúpte is added in N and in thirteen other uncial codices. This reading is also followed by many codices of the Vulgate, and by all the other ancient versions. In the twenty-seventh verse ἐκείνου is added after δούλου in N, D, and many other uncial codices and versions. In the

twenty-ninth verse εἰς τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ is added in C. E.

It is also adopted by In the same verse πáνта , C2, L, г, ПI, K, et al.

F, H, K, M, S, U, V, г, ▲, II, et al.
the Peshitto and Armenian versions.
is added at the end of the verse in
This is the reading also of most of the versions.

The omission of eis σé in and B throws a great doubt on the reading. Hence there arises a great uncertainty in regard to the sense. If we omit the phrase, the sense becomes general, and establishes the Scriptural basis for fraternal correction.

Though many grave authorities expunge the phrase, and treat the passage as a universal precept, it seems more probable that the Saviour here deals with the Christian's line of duty in regard to personal offenses. The whole context is aimed to commend Christian brotherhood, and to condemn hatred and strife. The argument of the opposition, that the offended party would be an unfit person to undertake the task of showing the brother his fault is absurd. Many a time peace has been established between offender and offended by a calm, dispassionate Christian conference between the persons. In most cases misunderstanding of each other's motives is a powerful factor in disagreements and contentions. If two persons at variance with each other should meet and confer in the spirit of these words of Christ, peace would be the inevitable result. A truly Christian conference would reveal just what was the actuating motive of the injury, just where the chief point of injury lay, and would open a way to a redress of the grievance. Of course, Christ is not speaking of the way to deal with the crimes of criminals. The way to deal with a man who is a menace to society is to hunt him down, and punish him in a manner that will preserve society, and at the same time be remedial, if possible, to the man. Christ is speaking

of the relations that should exist between brother Christians. The best of men may in some way or other commit an offense against another. The Church militant is not made up of sinIt is composed of toiling combatants, who fall and rise, and labor to put down the old nature that wars against all that is of God.

less perfect men.

Now to hold these in the bond of perfection the Saviour gives a rule that is worthy of the wisdom of the Son of God. If men would obey it, the wild surges of hate of man against man would cease.

We do not deny that the moral obligation of fraternal correction is incumbent on men, but the proofs for its existence must be sought from other sources than from this text.

Another proof that the present text has regard to personal offenses is found in St. Luke. XI. 3-4, where the whole theme treated is identical with the present theme of Matthew. Now in Luke's text, though in all the best codices the eis oé is omitted in the third verse, it is expressed in the fourth verse in all the codices, so that no doubt exists that it is implied in the third verse. Wherefore, even if it were clearly proven that the eis oé were absent from Matthew's original, we would still believe that it must be implied. Thus Palmieri, in his note to paragraph 153 of Ballerini's Opus Theol. Moralis, admits that the present passage treats of a personal injury. Palmieri endorses the opinion of Maldonatus that, though the Lord spoke only of a personal offense, he wished all fraternal correction to be made in accordance with the rules laid down for this particular species of the same.

The present words of Christ are closely bound up with the whole theme which treats of forgiveness of injuries and of brotherly love. The precept of fraternal correction has a sufficient foundation in its deduction from the great universal law of charity. With the limitations under which it binds, it is not a difficult thing to do. It naturally follows from the law of the love of neighbor. But Christ is here speaking of a thing much harder to do. He is speaking of the Christian's obligations, when he is wronged by a brother. The natural impulse is to yield to anger, and straightway by word and deed to seek revenge. The prouder a man is, the more intense will be his anger, and the stronger his desire for revenge. This is the way of the world, and men follow it, even while they profess to be Christians. If remonstrated with, these men will tell you with clenched teeth and lips drawn by anger that other men act in the same manner. If you charge them in the name of the Gospel of Christ to put away the thirst for revenge, they

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