For the Church is compared to a column as to something
that, by stability and firmness, preserves the truth sincere and pure and
secures all the faithful in the truth against all oppressors of it whatever.
But if the Church could err, how, I ask, could the faith of believers or the
truth of things to be believed, depend on it? But that this is the opinion and
sense of Paul seems so clear from the words that it scarce needs any exposition
or persuasion, but only the reading of an unperturbed mind. Hence all authors
as well as ancient as more recent declare that the Church is said to be the
pilar of truth on account of it being immoveable in the truth. But it is called
the ground, either because it has the truth made firm my prodigies and virtues
which could be done by no other than by God himself, as Ambrose expounds, or
because by it all believers are made firm in the truth, as is rightly taught by
St. Thomas, and as is indicated by Chrysostom when he says: “The pillar of the
world is the Church, which contains the faith to be preached; indeed, the truth
of the Church is the pillar and ground.”
And more clearly Theodoret says: “HE called the Church
the assembly of believers, whom he said were the pillar and ground of the
truth, because as founded on Peter, they remain fixed and immoveable; and they
preach the truth of the dogmas by the very realities.” And Jerome also adds on
the same place: “The Church is called the pillar, on which now alone holds up
the building.” Next Augustine, con.1 on Psalm 110, treating of the
words, “He has founded the earth on its firmness,” interpreting by ‘earth’ the
Church, he expounds: “It will not be caused to fall for ages of ages, because
it is predestined to be the column and ground of the truth.” Therefore, because
it cannot decline from the truth in those things that it believes firmly and
holds to be revealed by God, it is for that reason the pillar and ground.”
(Francisco Suarez, Defense of the Catholic and Apostolic Faither Against the
Errors of Anglicanism, 2 vols. [trans. Peter L. P. Simpson; New York:
Lucairos Occasio Press, 2013], 1:61-62 [Book 1, Chapter 4])
[W]e showed that the first words are understood of a
visible Church wherein someone can behave; but the word ‘which’ refers to the
same Church; therefore the visible Church is pillar and ground of the truth,
and hence it is perpetual, because, as I showed above, this property can never
be separated from the Church. Add that this property can never agree with the
Church is the Church is at tome time to be invisible; for it is the pillar and
ground of the truth by always and without fail teaching the truth and
correcting errors; but it could not do this with authority and efficaciously if
it was invisible, for there could always be doubt whether it was the true
Church speaking. (Ibid., 1:90 [Book 1, Chapter 7])
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