Franz Hettinger

The Supremacy of the Apostolic See in the church Franz Hettinger

The subject has been treated by many writers; yet there seems to be room left for a popular exposition which addresses itself to the general public and deals with the most recent phases of the question and the position created by the definition of the Vatican Council. Professor Hettinger insists much on three fundamental ideas of Christ's kingdom, viz.: the idea of a Church, the idea of the unity of the Church, and the idea of Church government. Holy Scripture describes. the Church in magnificent language. She is 'the city of our God, ' 'the city of the great King, ' 'the city of the Lord of Hosts, ' 'God hath founded it for ever, ' (Ps. 47). She is the mountain of God, 'a mountain in which God is pleased to dwell; for there the Lord shall dwell unto the end, ' (Ps. 67); 'the mountain of the house of the Lord, prepared on the top of the mountains, exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow unto it, ' (Isaias 1,1). She is the city of truth, 'Jerusalem shall be called the city of Truth and the mountain of the Lord of Hosts, the sanctified Mountain, ' (Zach. S, 3.) With Jeremias she is 'the chosen vineyard, ' (1,11), 'the throne of God, ' (3,17). In the Canticle ofCantic1es 'she is all fair and there is not a spot in her, ' (4,7). The earth and its inhabitants shall belong to her; ask of me and I will give thee the gentiles for thy inheritance and the utmost part; of the earth for. Thy possession, ' (Ps. 2, 8); and she' shall rule from sea to f: ca, and from the river unto the ends of the earth, ' (Ps. ii, 8); Terrible as an army set in array (Canticles 6, 3), she is invincible, often have they fought against me from my youth; but they could not prevail over me, ' (Ps. 128, 2.) For God set her up a Kingdom that shall never be destroyed, that shall stand for ever