[9] The Council of Florence declares that: "To
him, in Blessed Peter, was delivered by Our Lord Jesus Christ the full
power of ruling and governing the Universal Church". Now this "full
power" accorded by Christ cannot be limited except by the authority of
Christ. Though the Pope is not the Sovereign of all the faithful in
the _temporal_ order, he is the Sovereign of all Christians in the
_spiritual_ order. If then--and this is admitted by all--we are bound
in conscience to obey our temporal sovereign and magistrates and
masters, and must submit to the laws of the country, so long as they
do not conflict with higher and superior laws, such as the Natural Law
and the Revealed Law, with still greater reason are we bound to obey
our spiritual Sovereign and the laws and regulations of the Church.
3. To object that the Pope may possibly make a mistake when not
speaking _ex cathedra_ though true, is nothing to the point. For civil
governments are far more liable to fail in this respect, and as a
matter of fact, do frequently abuse their power and pass unjust laws,
and sometimes command what is sinful,[10] yet that fact does not
militate against the soundness of the _general_ proposition that
lawful superiors are to be obeyed.
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