If the Apostles themselves thus command obedience to the State, even to a pagan Government, such as the Roman was at the time they wrote, it will scarcely be denied by any Christian that obedience is due to the Church, and to the ecclesiastical government, altogether apart from any question of infallibility.  In fact, though both the civil government and the ecclesiastical government are from God, and though each is supreme within its own sphere; yet the authority in the case of the Church is directly and immediately from God, whereas in the case of the State, it is from God only mediately.  This is why the form of government, in the case of the State, may vary.  It may be at one time monarchical, and at another republican, and then oligarchic, and so forth, whereas the Church must ever be ruled by one Supreme Pontiff, and be monarchical in its form.  Further, it is generally held that even when not speaking ex cathedra, “the Vicar of Christ is largely assisted by God in the fulfilment of his sublime office; that he receives great light and strength to do well the great work entrusted to him and imposed upon him, and that he is continually guided from above in the government of the Catholic Church.” [Words of Father O’Reilly, S.J., quoted with approval by Cardinal Newman, p. 140.] And that supplies us with a special and an additional motive for prompt obedience.

“Two powers govern the world,” wrote Pope Gelasius, to the Greek Emperor Anastasius, more than fourteen hundred years ago, “the spiritual authority of the Roman Pontiff, and the temporal power of kings”.  These two powers have for their end, one the spiritual happiness of man, here and hereafter, the other the temporal prosperity of society in the present world.  So that, we may say, speaking generally, the Roman Pontiff has, in spiritual and ecclesiastical matters, the same authority that secular sovereigns and their Parliaments have in worldly and political matters.  They command and issue laws not only as regards what is necessary for the welfare of their subjects, but also as regards whatever is lawful and expedient.  It is not contended that they never make a mistake.  It is not asserted that their ruling is necessarily, and in every particular, always wise and discreet, but even inexpedient orders, if not unjust, may be valid and binding, even though they might have been better non-issued.  The principle to guide us is of practical simplicity.  As regards both the Church and the State—­each in its own order—­the rule is that obedience is to be yielded.  And, in doubtful cases the presumption is in favour of authority.  If anything were ordered, which is clearly seen to be contrary to, or incompatible with the Law of God, whether natural or revealed, then, of course, it would possess no binding force, for the Apostle warns us that—­“We must obey God, rather than man”—­but, so long as we remain in a state of uncertainty, we are bound to give a properly constituted authority the benefit of the doubt—­and submit.