THE RUE CHURCH THE I >? ( 2 V I RER. ACT FOB CIRCULATION Br) ttt. Uen. 3, £l'c<&iU, f o the Living G< r,f tratl1 - X T ™ RICHMOND: RITCHIE & DUNNAVAXT, PRINTERS. 18G2. TRUE £XI>ICATED O THE INQUIEER. A BRIEF TRACT FOR CIRCULATION. (Second Edition.) 132 lit. Eetf. !.-jHc®ill, BISHOP OF RICHMOND. ho Church of the Living God, the pillar and ground of truth. I TIM. iii. 15. And if he will not hear the Church, let him be to thee as the heathen and the ublicau. Matth. xviii. 15. RICHMOND: RITCHIE & OUNKAVAKT. PRINTERS 1862 Entered, in tie Clerk's Office of the District C< the Confederate States of America f© iem District of Virginia, July 12! . PREFACE. •t has been before publi without a B now given. Its present form is pre!' . and we hope it will do more. Tho if procurinj bat the sul lly and foi Inch, but for the war, could I by such as feel any inter ■nt little tract. by s< fall, would not take pains to procure, and to read, more learned and volumii 'ivening in a d<> fully to in the momentous question of "Tin h," and induce them to seek for " Th< lb spouse <■[ liich he purchased with his blood,*' in order i< i to her affectionate charge, their immortal souls, we shall 1 iu our object. To such solicitous in- quirers, we would beg leave to recommend, among oilier works, ■rusal of the following, viz : Milner's End of Controversy, lier's Comparative View, Bossuet's Variations, The Ami- Discussion, The Faith of Catholics, Dr. Kenrick on the nd Poynter's Evidences of Christianity. An attentive reading of these works will convincfpffem. that there is no certi- tude lor Faith, no (inn anchor \nr Hope, no security for Charity, :ission to that divinely constituted and unerring authority, which Jesus Christ gave to his Church. Richmond, July 18< THE TRUE CHURCH CHAPT! Whatever may belaid in eulogy of the pretended reformation •cur') century, ami however extravagantly the authors thereof mi died, one fact will ever stand forth in bold re- upon the wall, to warn the doubt- ful and in lilty tremble; it is, that by the reformation* / have both suffered ion. mil human rirtus, and lament the evils which it prod: the storm, by which rod salubrious, may perchance have !<■<: cathed -. mid across affrighted cities. But v. it, both in a tornado of human pa - sions, sweeping along upon the lower strata of air, and involving in the vortex of its whirl, everything, however valuable and sa- cml, which lay in its path. In newspaper essays, in the more pretending columns of pom- pous periodicals and reviews, in the declamations of schoolboys, and in the speeches of legislators and statesmen, from whom at wiser things might bo expected, tin ige and the two ding, are extravagantly praised, for the r;n by the mind in its onward march, for the inc- read of intelligence, and a thousand in cial pi :d improvement, so that <■' urred, since the beginnfr^of tho sixteenth century, the opening of a country school to the fabric of a steam en- frravely placed to tho credit of the great religious revolu- tion, which, it lr pretended, removed all trammel from the wings nj^^^HttM^the Bible, to the world at large, as a heritage It ie thing to make pompous boasts and assertions, and iut empty nonsense in elegant phrases, like sparkling gems of paste, set 'to glitter upon gilded pinchbeck. It is easy for ir< n who know little to seem wise, and for men who know diig more, like paid adv< - up a bad ril the worse appear the better reason. But as all men are not ignorant, and as even those who have been deceived, by chance or other have their eyes opened at last, to see that "all that "litters is not gold," and all that is said boldly, and repi often, is not true, so with regard to the stereotyped eulogies of the reformation, we discover on inquiry, that there is but litth ground for them, and that they spring chiefly from a gratuitous liberality on the part of the admirers and dupes, of this mighty falsehood in the history of religion. If we admit that, in all the mere material concerns of human life, in the sciences and arts, and rather in the industrial and me- chanical arts, than in those of a more elegant and ornamental nature, there has been extraordinary progress and advancement since the period of the reformation, we are far from admitting that this result is the legitimate effect of that outrageous revolt against the Kingdom of Christ; and we think that all the im- provements in the condition of mankind in a material point of view, can be sufficiently accounted for, by reference to inventions, and to the operation of causes, absolutely and entirely indepen- dent of Luther's desire for a wife, or the crimes and despotism of Henry VIII. We admit, however, that, if men are material ; if their destiny, like that of the crawling worm, be limited to the present theatre ; if the thinking principle in them perish in the gloom of the grave with their mouldering remains; and if there be no dawning beyond, of another and endless existence, the re- formation was a great and glorious epoch in the history of the world, because its tendency has been to give, to the present ma- terial interests of men, a superiority over their spiritual aud fu- ture interests. And, supposing the soul immortal, and that there is a Heaven, we still admit, that, if men will be gathered there when thev die, no matter what they have believed, or how they have five.fl hern below, the reformation was of great advai inasmuch as ir did away with many restraints and difficult ob- servances, only tolerable, because supposed either necessary or useful to secure our happiness hereafter. But if men, as the made free by the truths revealed through Christ, and can only gain Heaven on conditions expressly stated by the Redeemer, then we maintain that the reformation has a mighty curse to mankind, because it has covered the truths the gospel with darkness and obscurity, and rendered it to many a hard task to discover what are the conditions upon whi offers us a place in his glorious kingdom. /< ^ Men have progressed, if you will, WL in the knowledge of t world; they are wiser grown, in their own generation;" have more THE TRUE CHURCH. s which puffeth up," since the reformation; and r of the reformation, all carnal, worldly, rial men might boa* But as to •» the kirn rioua truth, as to the e which avails for the eternal happiness of men. tin 1 n i out of the Catholic Church, has been r ms knowledge has a1 • unfixed, uncertain. ;d so loaded with disputation and controversy, as to be, to un- All the landmarks of truth have been broken all the prerogatives of spiritual authn d op- d, all the reve- n intrinsically examined by the light of on. and in part or altogether rejected, all of religio a have been devised and preached, all ired and mingled in one common battle field; and we ask in sadness, what one religious truth is now •• by the whole Protestant world? We ask what one truth as to be received by all the divisions of Pro- tisrn, and denied by none.' This confusion, of contradic- pinions an for if uths in disput- there would be an end to ration, inquiry and when and positive knowh <>n the two and I four," whethei than the whether Alexander, Washing- tpoleon 1 ell / and a that dispute is impossible. The truths of r< tion ar be known, and when known then 10 dis- ibout them. The disputes, and controversies of the rel). world, therefore, prove a lamentable want of knowledjNl . that is, a very great ignorance of religious truth. And, as far as Protest- affected the present age, we maintain that it should be Called "the age of religious ignorance," or if you prefer, "the re very wise for this lite, and very igno- pning the next." As sects have continued to multiply since the epoch of the reformation, and d ■■ of the tenets of faith have been involved in . is ignorance continued to spread ranks of the unbeliever, on every side, augmented to fill extent, Persons, of good education, are driven by the disputes of profe ng Christians and by their uncharitable bicker- tJPPTvery abyss of deism. Such a condition is certainly not less lamentable, than that of the thousands of poor creatures, whom bible-loving England keeps toiling in her mines, and whose is so grei Lough grown to man's estate, they S THE TRUE CHURCH. have hoard nothing- of Jesus Christ and nothing of the mi work oi redemption.* Which is worse, a reformation which has produced infidels by the legitimate operation of its principL a reformation which allows the rich to leave the poor in the ranee of the heathen ? Bat it matters not which is worse, l! formation of the sixteenth century will have to rest under the blame of both those sad results. We cannot take up space to manifest, that no other result, should, from the first have been expected from the reformation but an increase of religious ignorance; that the authors of this revolt, were carnal, worldly, unprincipled men, impelled by their passions, and regardless of the^interests.of religion and the glory of God ; that they acted upon false principles lor a mere tempo- rary effect, and, with glaring inconsistency, opposed the very same principles, when others assumed them, to support opinions and views contrary to their teaching: that the princes and poten- tates, who supported and encouraged "these bold bad men," were also actuated by the very worst motives; that the people, who rallied round them, were lured by the liberal privileges and great immunities offered to their passions, and were not, as some have falsely pretended, converted to a holier and purer life; these facts can all be proved — indeed, they have all been substantiated by irrefragable testimony, in works of every size and form, accessi- ble to such as desire information. We design to invite attention to a question, which naturally oc- curs, upon viewing the dissensions and disputes about religious truth, and the continual injury done to the xery essence of Chris- tianity, by the destruction of charity among men; viz. whether the Divine Author of religion did not, in some way, provide for the preservation of religious truth and charity, and establish de- fences against the possibility of the state oi" things now existing among Protestants ? CHAPTER II. The Sects are numerous; hu*»all admit that them is a true Church of Christ — A«BUinptiou8 of Protestants against the Catholic Church. The numberless and endless controversies, waged with bitte ness among those who cull themselves Christians, clearly imply and evidently show, a want of knowledge of the truths of relU * See Dublin Review No. XXVII. Art. & 9 we arc justified in i merit, these hitter di ade provision against ; tly, in his plan, the unity of nd the dominion of siructive pretensions of p Igment. All who claim the name tiaiT admj^ thai hrist ablished a Church, since the lenoniinati luently and warmly about the Church ol rist. The manifest intention of Christ, in founding this (In propagate the principles of his religion; that is. to make then? own over the whole world, and to all men. oven until the end time. e who should r< of his religion were, on conditions, to 1 irch, and \ship with himself, and with the rest of his follow* rought safely through the desert pil of the pre cternai kingdom, of who rid. Christ must 1 uths of his religion odd be taught, belies rch, precisely night them himself, without alteration o Iy he must h;i\ Mould, in :' time, be added to the fellowship of his Church. sh< and "in 'the bonds of < '.-■ lit " eligious truths which Jesus Ch 1 a know' which, by thf establishment of his Church, he v. nd spread over the whole world for the benefit of all it. were well defined and pre< •ral principles, perfectly harmonizing with cacii < ■ir nature incapable of change or improvement. We need not underl idence of their truth in theii f the best contrived and The world was ignorant of tl, of ■In it, and 'verve-.! able to come to a know- • it, only by t' ■ ;■' I of the Church, which was established r^^Turpose of teaching what he revealed. Hence, Kprom ecclesiastical history, that all the nations of the ^prnat have been fortunate enough at any time to pass from i cfavkness of^^anisin into the admirable light of Christian have done so under the guidance of the Church estab- iirist, which, like a faithful spouse, has presented her beloved as the children of her affection. Hence, 1* 10 TI! ( n4tionfl whicli have renouDceiallegiance to this Churcli !!.-»'(] to claim her as mother, have gradually relapsed >(• of Christian Truth, in proportion to the violent** perseverance of their rebellion, until some are becoming, with iv>pect to tlie moral virtues and the Christian mysteries, but little ior to the very heathen. As there are various sedffe in Christendom now exhibiting- claims to be the Church of Christ, we often hear the inquiry, "winch is I iuirch?" — "which is the Church of Christ?" But we marvel how any person, who is at all acquainted with the fa< history, can be the least puzzled to decide this question. Upon the records of the past may be seen the true titles of each of these pretenders, and God, in his mercy, has so disposed events, that to the honest inquirer there is superabundant proof of the superior claims of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. We easily fis the origin of each of the sects at a period far pos- terior to ihe time of Christ, and thereby show, that if Christ estab- lished a Church at all, none of these can, by any possibility, be his Church. We easily prove from the records of history, and from the progress of religious controversy, nay from the very ad- missions of the different sects, that the Catholic Church existed before them all; that these separated from her; that they pro- tested against her; and thereby we show that if any existing Church be the one which Christ established, it must be the Catholic Church. We do more, for we prove the continual existence of the Catholic Church from the very time of Christ and his Apos- tles, and thereby show that she is truly his Church. Yet, it is a general tenet of religious opinion, among Protes- tants, that the Catholic Church is "a false, superstitious, and even idolatrous Church," and that, for the love of God, all true ( tiaus should regard her with hatred and aversion. This tenet of religious opinion, ought to be considered as the only fundamental and clearly ascertained point of the Protei symbol, because it seems to be the only one not in dispute among i us examine, for a moment, the data upon which this assumption against the Catholic Church is made. .ranted that several of the doc: and observances of the Catholic Church are false and supersti- tious. Assuming the doeirines to be false, they denounce the Church which teaches them. But, in response, the Catholic Church proves that these same doctrines have be ; by tl Church, during preceding centuries, from the very tnroM Secondly: Protestants, finding this to be true, assumerRm Church, very soon after the time of Christ, fell into error, s^^H stitiou, and idolatry, in a word, that "it fell into pop(|MML Thirdly: When asked, where was the Church of (In the ages when the Catholic Church was the only visible Chris • THE TRUE CHURCIT. 11 sume that the Church of Christ was, during all that ti Hie. They assume that it became again visible in the n of Luther and his followers, in the sixteenth century, now visible in the heterogem who are disturbing Jtendom, with their clamorous disputations and contradic- i schemes and theor Upon these liberal and perfectly gratuitous assumptions, is based that harmonious and concordant hostility to the Catholic Church, which, as we before remarked, is the only point upon which Protestants present a semhla n't. A proper apprehension of the nature and attributes of the Church, must, at once, prove how false and absurd it is, to assume that the Church of Christ could either become invisible, or fall into error and idolatry. And these assumptions are but the sub- schism and heresy, which have no better plea to shield themselves from censure ami condemnation. CHAPTER III. fined— It is a viable Society — It is a teaching Authority endowed with Infallibility In its teaching. The Church of Christ is his spiritual kingdom on earth, and be defined, to be the society of men united in the profession of one and the same faith, and in communion of the same sacra- ?, under the government of legitimate pastors, and especially of the Roman Pontiff, "who is the Vicar of Jesus Christ." As an organized society of men, with a well ascertained govern- ment, the Church must, of its very nature, be visible, and to as- sume that it could, at any time, become invisible without ceasing ist altogether, is repugnant to the principles of common ociety composed of Pastors and the faithful, united in the exterior profession of the same faith; where the doctrines of Christ, were daily explained : where the ordinances or sacraments of Christ were daily administered ; where the members were con- tinually in the custom of assembling together for the public wor- ^p of God. was essentially a visible society. H5f this great visible society, the prophet, Isaiah, foretold: H^nd it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established on the top of the moun- tains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall 12 THE TRUE CHURCH. flow unto it."* Daniel, also, alludes to its visible propagation: " And the stone that smote the statue became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth. "f hi Micheas, it is said : "But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be i lished on the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills, and the people shall flow unto it:" "And many nations shall come and say : Come let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob, and he will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths, for the law shall go forth from Sion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. "J These prophesies are understood by all, to have referei the reign of Christ, and to describe the extent of his Kingdom. The house of the Lord, thus lifted up, like a mountain upon the top of mountains, was to be seen far and wide, since " the nations of the earth were to flow unto it," to receive the law and li- the word of God. And we find that Christ, who came to be "the light of the world," tells us that his chosen followers and apostles should also "be the light, of the world," and his Church be as " a city seated on a mountain" which " cannot be bid To suppose that the Church became invisible., is to say that the light was obscured, that " the city seated on the top of the moun- tain" was concealed, which Christ declared impossible. Of this visible society, we find mention made in the twentieth chapter*of the Acts of the Apostles: "Take heed to yours and to the whole flock, wherein the Holy Ghost hath placed you Bishops, to rule the Church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood." It would be superfluous here to under! show that risible men, selected by the Holy Ghost, to rule the Church of God, could do little good as governors or rulers of an invisible Church; that their office of shepherds would ' sinecure, if their flocks were invisible. St. Paul exhorts Timothy to preach, the word, and avers that he himself and his co-laborers, are " dispensers <>f the Mysteries of God,'' 1 which functions ne- cessarily imply the existence of a visible society of men. for \ benefit, the word is preached and the mysteries are dispens* We will now proceed to show that Christ, when he instil •his Church, created therein a t melting tribunal, lor the purpose of disseminating the truths which he revealed, and, in order that mankind might learn these truths with ecrtaintyfW%T^t<-d this tribunal with an infallible authority, and made it guide in the affairs of religion. This is the solution of all difficulties upon the momentous c9 -pern of salvation. It is hostile to the pretended claim of privaj judgment, and obviates the danger of sects, schist *Chap. ii. v. 2. tChap. H. v. 35. E^ 13 orifice of truth and charity, by preventing vexa- ii nablc controv< sure guide to the learned, who are willing pride to the will of God, and to the unh qualified to examine tiic real merits of con 1 poken of by the Prophet, in which even fthnot err."' he only provision which Jesus Christ has made "to preserve the unity of the spirit of faith, in the bonds of divine charity," and hence all who have, at any time, by their pride and obstinacy willing to make schisms, to broach he • I. in self defence, to deny. .', n\' Christ, such authorii And none' i; nied il e but thoi ni it as a pretension. Now, let a person seriously reflect, whether tl ce of such an authority is no1 essential to the very nature' of the * Imreh. The Church consists of those who teach and those who I . Christ : consequently it < ons r by the bonds of the same faith. How. then, can u united 1 ids of the liberty to believe what he pleases? A unity of faith is in direct contradiction 10 the liberty of private opinion. The oue her. It' v mbers of a Church, it should be becau er it the Church of Christ. If they consider the Church which they join, to be the Church of Chi believe its that the Chui t can teach%er- Fhey enter the Church of CI s inferiors, they join in fellowship, not to teach the Church, but to be taught by the Church. If there be in the Church . there cannot be in th< titute himself a superior jm! t own plea of the Church implies the existence of a te: absolute, and hence all sects have, in practice, been forced to adopt the principle of authority, which they rejected at first, merely to justify their revolt against the Universal Church. Luther denied the infaltfhle authority of the Church, and against the whole world .-mux] up alone, pretending that the Clmi'ch of the world had fallen into error, while he only, knew, believed, md prmessed the true doctrines of Christ. Protestants applaud ler for this bold stand against the divinely constituted autho- of the Church; but Luther claimed afterwards for himself e authority which he denied to the Church, and each reformer, ho imitated Luther in his rebellion, afterwards imitated him in his pretentions to rule and govern with an authority net to be set 14 TRUE CHURCH. aside, opposed, or disputed — that is, with an authority practically infallible. iiiing is the scene, which Protestants contemplate with -lire, as the glorious origin of their inconsistent s< Here, on one side, is the whole Church of Christ immersed in error and superstition, consequently in subjection to kV The gates of Hell," contrary to the express promise of her Divine Founder; and on the other, stands Doctor Martin Luther, an apostate friar, who declares that he alone is right; that the true doctrines of Christ are known only to him; that consequently, he is himself the true Church of Christ, being the only person possessed of re- ligious truth. How revolting to good sense to suppose such a condition of things! As if the Church, which St. Paul says "Christ purchased with his blood;" and over which he placed bishops to watch and "rule," should have become a faithless, de- graded spouse, no longer bringing forth children unto her beloved, but the leman of the devil, guiding men to eternal destruction, while jit the same time God can find no better, purer, holier per- son than Luther to be the preserver of his doctrines, and to recall men to a knowledge of his forgotten gospel. What a gross, pal- pable absurdity lies here before us when we examine the salient point of that clamorous outcry, raised by Protestants, against the Catholic doctrine of an infallible teaching authority. CHAPTER IV. f'li" Church is a question of fact — Did Christ authorize his Church to tcaeli micnine'ly the truths of Christianity? The Protestant sophism of a '"vicious circle" — The real '"vicious circle" of Protestants — A sacred Hie- rarchy constituted by Christ — The Apostles and. the Primacy of St. Peter. Whether or not the Church of Christ has been invested with the authority to teach positively and unerringly the truths of Christianity, is a question of fact susceptible of proof, and nume- rous and conclusive are the arguments drawn from every source, by Catholic writers, to set this fact in the broadest light of evi- dence. 1. That Christ established a Church is a point conceded u$ 2. That he institute^ in this Church a teaching tribunal is al admitted. 3. That the duty of this tribunal, was "to teach all nations, tc observe all those things, which he commanded," will also be ad- mitted. THE TRUE CHURCH. 16 4. That he could make provisions to protect this teaching- tri- from any danger of disseminating error as his doctrine, will • ■ denied h; divinity. Hint it would have fitly to the advantage of man- kind, to have such infallible guide in matters of religion, few can Bat many boldly maintain that Christ has not instituted this ity in his Church, and has left with men no safer than the scriptures, interpreted by private judgment. It is the aim of these, to extol the scriptures in the mosi gant manner, as if they only have due admiration and reverence n vealed word, whereas they are guilty of the ■ of making much ado about the material while they sacrifice the spiritual. They laud the letter of the law, while they do as they with the spirit or meaning. They profess much reverence nd's word in the abstract, whilst in practice all tie is for their own sense. They care more for their o 1 n views what (rod said, and for their own ingenuity in the art of ion, than they do about what God in reality has said. from their contradic tions, ly advocated. boast of Prot< admit nothing but what the hem on the ground they were, to foil them with the very i which the}- confide for victory, Catholic writers are ; droit the scriptures to be the >w that you cannot prove the divine inspira- e books, i 'i them from our Church, itimony of our Church is to establish the fact re divinely inspired. But inasniu< ill confute you from the very test i hat the Church of Chri ■■ . « om her Divine Founder a promie <; plishing tl ned to perform." •• Take care." c alarm, "you are abot nvoK'ed in '.-'■■ ou will prove tiie Church to be infallible by the scriptures, rove the divine inspiration of the scriptures by the testimony infallible Chnrch." ions sophism may be dissolved by the simple state- nt, th ■' the existence of the Church, its organization, its con- nnd its authoritative and successful operation in fulrill- he work for which it was commissioned by its Divine Founder, >e proved to him who denies the scriptures to he divinely in- . hut who will necessarily admit the historical antiquity aud authenticity of tfiese writings. Like other -facts, it can be by historical evidence that an extraordinary personage. 16 THE TRUE CHUB ■ i-ached Christianity, and founded the Church in v dty has been taught and professed; and that the writings, preserved by this Church, were written at tin by the persons specified, and are truly authentic documents. The fact of their authenticity is distinct from that of their divine in- spiration. It is on these grounds that we meet and convince the infidel. If then this Church, which has existed perpetually the time of its foundation by Christ, teach that the scriptur inspired by God, and are testimonials of her attributes, pre tives and doctrines, and contain the history of the works pei !' by her Divine Founder, as well as of the first events of her own : where is the vicious circle? The rational and li of mankind, who look to the evidences of history, and are not blinded by prejudice, do not hesitate to acknowledge, that upon the character and testimony of the Catholic Church, as upon the foundation stone, reposes the character of the Bible and the true titles of the Christian system. From the Catholic Church, they admit that the scriptures have been received, and if she be | and incredible witness, there can be no religious tude. Hence it was with portentous meaning that th called the Church " the pillar and ground of truth." If the pillar be shattered, or the ground become a treacherous marsh, wh be the fate of truth? And even if there be between the Church and the Scriptures, a mutual testimony, and the one uphold the oilier, does this constitute a vicious circle? When the referred to the scriptures, saying: "These are they which testimony of me," in order that he might confound the unbelieving .tin scriptures while they rejected Christ, was ;:■■■. - . ; ring in a vicious circle? But enough con- cerning this subterfuge of error, which is held up as a blind to conceal the confusi i H We miiiht retoit upon Protestants the charge of using a vi ! to prove the divine inspiration of the scriptures, and they tell u that the scriptures prove then: to be divinely inspired. When this is denied, they endeav make out that the Holy Spirit enlightens men to perceive tin scriptures are of divine inspiration. They prove the illumination of the Holy Spirit by the scriptures, and prove the scriptur the illumination of the Holy Spirit. They know nothing i Holy Spirit except from the scriptures, and hy tin* Holy £ they know the scriptures. That is, they take for granti they are required to prove. Upon this point Protestantis be always at fault. Availing ourselves therefore, of the admission of Protestants that the script-ores are divinely inspired, we have the rijit, to prove to them by the scriptures, the infallible authority of the Church, and when the demonstration is comple 1 THE CHURCH. L? y have no right to evade its force, by asking us, how •w that tlie scriptures are divinely inspired .' The force of ows up out. of the mutual admission of the that /he scrip' led as God's word. In the scriptures, and particularly in the New Testament, we find proofs direct, clear and conclusive, to establish the fact, that hurch of Christ ituted the unerring, infallible guide of mankind in the concerns of salvation. Jesus Christ selected 'lowers twelve men whom he invested with high powers his Apostles. Of these twelve, lie appointed Ler, as the chief of the rest. When the nam o~ e are mentioned, St. Matthew emphatically says of the one appointed as the chief, "The first, Simon, wl d Peter."* And we find, from St. John, that Simon was not called Peter, until he was chosen by Christ to be made an . ;id he then because he was to be " the first," and because upon hira, as upon a rock, Christ declared that he would build his Church. " And Jesus looking upon him, said : thou art Simon on of Jona : thou shalt be called Cephas, which is Peter. "f " Thou art Peter ; and upon this reek I will build my Clmrch."| It was then with great significance, that St. Matthew, in naming the twelve divinely commissioned ministers of Christ, who were the faith and plant the Church, states that Simon, who is called Peter, is the first, for his name was changed from Simon to Peter, by Christ, to indicate his supremacy, and to show the important place which he should occupy in the Church. Consistently with this view, we find the name of Peter, at all times brought forward prominently by the sacred writers, when the other Apostles are merely referred to. being with Peter. Thus we read ''Peter ami and those with him," &c. Also., when the Saviour paid tribute, he did so for himself and Peter. No person, who has examined the scriptures with attention, can deny that the xVpostle Peter was chosen by Christ, in a particular manner, to aid him in the great work of man's salvation. A French wiitei§ has taken the pains to collate the passages wherein the naun#of Peter is introduced into the New Testament, and has found this Apostle named in thirty two passages. Hesajsthat "of these thirty-two passages, there are twenty-seven, where PeterP^Wmed first; three, where he is named last, but where evidently the last rank is the most worthy; and only two in which He is nor brought forward first." Of these two, one is the passage wherein St. John says, that "Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of *Matt. c x, v. 2. t John, c. i, v. 42. tMatt. c. xvi. v. 18. § Thu Bishop of Bayoune in his demonstration of Catholic truth, Ik. 18 E TRUE CHURCH. Andrew and Peter;"* but at this time neither Andrew nor I had bre.n chosen Apostles. The other passage, in which Peter is not first named, is this of St. Paul: "And when they had known the grace that was given to me, James, and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars," f &c. Here we find the name of Cephas second, but, 1st, there is a doubt among- the learned, whether or not the Cephas here men- tioned, was the Apostle Cephas, or Peter. Among others of the ancients, Clement of Alexandria, thought it was not St. Peter. 2dly. It is shown from some ancient manuscripts, that the reading has been altered, and in place of "James, Cephas, and John," we should read " Cephas, James, and John." " Mamachius proves from ancient copies, that in this text, Peter was first named." Sabbathier maintains that he was first named in the ancient Italian version. J And Grotius, though a Protestant, testifies that this is the reading in the version of Alexandria.§ Cardinal Perronius, in his response to the King of England, proves this fact from the Greek edition of Complutus. He and Lieberman also show that St. John Chrysostom, St. Augustine, and St. Jerome, in their comments on thg epistle to the Galla- tians, used the copies referred to by Mamachius, and gave the reading •- Cephas, James, and John.'" Theodoret does the same in his 15th chapter on the epistle to the Romans. The scriptures, therefore, ma,y be said invariably to give to Pete i- the most prominent and important place. Moreover, it is undeniable that the Saviour gave up to Peter the care of his whole spiritual flock. After, three distinct times, exacting from this Apostle, bj r name and in express terms, a pro- fession of love, he says to him, "Feed my sheep, feed my lambs. "|j But if Peter was the first, and was particularly selected to be chief ruler, or shepherd, the rest were commissioned to co-operate with him in the high and holy duties of the pastoral charge. And though Christ professedly "built his Church on Peter," the rest were placed with him in the foundation of the mighty Temple of Holiness, of which "Jesus Christ was himself the chief corner stone. "11 We have now before us, from scripture testimony, the first ele- ments of the constitution of the Church. We behold it founded by Christ, its great invisible head. We see it receive from Christ a visible head or ruler, with a body of Bishops to act in conjuni tion with him. The head, and the Bishops are well acquaints with the powers and prerogatives of their respective ofriee^l^B are well aware of the end for which they have received the All this has been made known to them during the time that the ♦John, c. 1. v. 44. f Gallatians, c 2. v. 9, JThe first Latin version, or old Vulgat. § See Lieberman. Theol. 2 torn. p. 19). I) John xxi. 15, &c. tf Ephes. ii. 20. II. THE TR\ 19 ning to the instructions of their Di • II farther examination, thai subordinate and inferior ministers, to co-operate fulfilment of their mission. St.. Paul writes to Titus: "For this T left thee in Crete, that thou shouldst set in order the things it are wanting, ami shouldst ordain priests in every oily, as 1 appointed thee.' In .'mother part of scripture we find them establishing an order still inferior to that of the Priesthood, viz: the order of Deacons f Yet they acted thus, not of their own authority, hut. undoubtedly, after the express direction of their Divine Master. For it is said that Christ 8, and other some pastors and doctors, for the per- ■•: of the Saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying body of Christ, until we all meet in the unity of faith." &c."J And to the clergy of Ephesus, it. wa Paul, that ! lol\ Ghost had placed them" in tl and appointed them " Bishops to rule the Church of Cod Bishops, Priests, &c. whom the\ I, ordained, and ap- pointed, to be co-operators with them "in the building no of the h, the body of Christ." and in bringing "all to meet in of faith," were represented. "placed in their office by the Holy Ghost." And hen- we behold onstitueilts, of the i . instituted hy Chnst, for the government of his Church. There is a head pastor; and subordinate minimi . different officers of the spiritual government and different grades; but all form one body under one head, and si are designed to combine their energies to establish one faith and <>nt Church, through the whole world, and through all a- CHAPTER V. - mad^ by Jrsn- i hrist to the Hierarchy — Four important truths to be lered— Christ's Prediction ami its fulfillment — The Spirit of Truth given to the Church. We will now turn to contemplate the promises, which Jesus Bpnrist made t<» this Sacred Hierarchy, to insure its success in the HSecoinplisluueut of the important object for which it was insti- F tuted. Peter, the first of the Apostles, on occasion of his direct *Ep. to Titus, i. 5. t Acts vi. 3. tEph. iv. 11, &c. § Acts, xx. 28. 20 THE TRUE CHURCH. profession of faith, that hi* master "was Christ, the son of living God," was call- ied," because this foundation truth . hiid been revealed to him by "the Father who is in Heaven.'' The fact that it was thus revealed, w: to Peter, by Christ himself, in the presence of the i Apostles, and combines, with much other testimony, to superior part assigned to Peter. After this testimony to Peter, Christ proceeds to speak concerning the establishment of his Church': •' And I say to thee: that thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of Hell shall no! Tail against it."* The enemies of the Church, have endeavored to explain away tin.' force of these terms; they have tortured language, and done violence to the most palpable suggestion of common sense, in order to invalidate this most clear and direct testimony of scrip- cure. Although the name Peter was given by Christ to this Apostle, precisely with a view to indicate the important plac should hold in the Church, and although the Saviour, in speaking of the establishment of this Church, addressed Peter by i even mentioned the name of his father. -saying in express terms, that he designed, upon "him to build his Church," as upon a rock, which was signified by his very name; in the face of facts, an attempt is made, by torturing plain language, to prove that the Church was not built upon Peter, the rock, but upon Christ himself, the rock. Will any one, who impartially considers what the words of scripture in this place naturally signify, ever for a moment im- agine that, after giving to this Apostle a name to signify a rock, and alter bearing such a solemn testimony, that the Father had made to him a particular revelation concerning his own divine character, as the eternal Son of the living God, Christ would " thou art Peter, that is, a rock ; and upon this rock, that is, upon , . Church?" If Christ did not intend to build his Church upon the rock, Peter, why would he here make ■v name, and in a manner so pointed ? Surely, we have a right to assume, as self-evident, that if the scriptures, asfis pretended by Protestants, are designed to I us the will of God, and the means which he has prepared for out- salvation, the language is not itself a snare to entrap us, and truth is not designedly buried beneath false and unnatural structions, but rises up to view, according to the plai the words. The violence, therefore, which is done to this textW those who protest against the Pope's supremacy, only proves, t!nr^| the plainest passages of scripture are not sufficiently plain to con- ij found the ingenious subtilty of private interpretation, and have *Matth. xvL v. 18. f THE TRUE CHUKCH. 21 pt from the Church of Christ, t . . r in which they are However p. ■ re with a living spirit and meaning-, yet > in the hands of men, and a ■ robation nor uttering of complaint. Had they •uke the rash specu- hem to give unwil- crnde, in - and even blasphemous under coi iturally refers to Peter in on to the Church- 1. Tl le In ability of the Church of Chris ii!t upon a rock, upon which the rain I, an tiieh the storms and waves will rage in vain. "It v, built upon a roi ion, here tell," thai inst this Church. > rer world with all hi • - Church. *uons promise, that 3 of Hell shall : Church; u The gates of H"' e history of ages, which ; ion and promisi he Saviour, as slated in shows In • rifled The Church has stood p . undation, in defiance of the storms an < ; 1: the children of the Church, flying ■tore the kindled wrath and unsheathed swords of pagan priuces id governors, were driven into the catacombs, into deserts, into places of every sort. They were seized, tortured, and put death by tens, hundreds, and even thousands, in every part of orld : and still the Church stood, prospered, and was ex- nded. Centuries rolled on, and with occasional intermissions, wstornis of persecution continued to rage. Hell groaned to see Irs idols broken ; its oracles silenced : the monuments of its power destroyed, and more fiercely waged its war against the Church, but still in vain. The citadel of faith was impregnable, the armies of Christ, the soldiers of the Cross, were multiplied on everv side# 22 THE TRUE CHURCH. The storms of persecution ceased, and then arose the storms of heresy find schism, which raged with the same fury, and the same want/of success. The rock stood; the Church which had been built upon it stood; and Hell could not, and did not pi against it. The Saviour had foreseen the whole of these trials through which his Church would be destined to pass in the progress of time; he had a clear view of the efforts which Hell would make against his Church; but He promised that it should not only stand, but ''stand as his Church" — and that " the gates of Hell ;" viz. error, superstition, idolatry, wickedness, and whatever else is contrary to God, and to his law, "should not prevail." Keeping in mind this consoling assurance of the Redeemer, concerning the invincible character of the Church in its contests with the enemies of truth and righteousness, let us consider some further promises, exhibiting the means of victory, always with the Church, however terrible may be the assaults and attacks of her adversarie^H " I will ask the Father and he shall give you another Paraclete, that he may abide with you forever/' " The Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receivi In this promise, the Church is assured by her Divine Founder, that "the Spirit of Truth" will come "and abide with her." For what purpose should this Divine Spirit abide with the Church? We learn, in another chapter of the same evangelist, that it was in order to " to leach her all truth.''' 1 "But when he, the Spirit of Truth is come, he shall teach you all truth. "f v This Spirit of Truth, the Paraclete, or Comforter, was pro- mised to abide with the Church of Christ forever, in order to teach :\ --en, will error, falsehood, superstition, and idolatry be able, at any time, to triumph over the Church? How can the Church fall away from Christ, while the Spirit of Truth, from the express promise of her Divine Founder, shall always be with her? If she will always continue to have this supernatural aid, (and who can doubt this after a promise so express?) she will always teach truth, with unerring authority. To say that slit can teach error, is, either to suppose, that she can be deserted b; the Divine Spirit which was promised to her as her animating and directing spirit, or to suppose, that she can teach contrary t( what the Spirit which abides with her will suggest, but neither these hypotheses can, for a moment, be entertained. The Church, then, solidly founded upon the rock, will have! abiding with her the Spirit of Truth, to teach her all truth, in-or- der that she may fulfil the commission which Christ gave her just *St. John, c. xiv. v 16, 17. ; hn c xvl -.™3 Ft.i THE TttUE CHURCH. before his ascent into Heaven, when lie said: "Going, therefore, ye all nations: baptizing them in the name of the Father, ami of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching- them to observe all things, whatsoever I have commanded yon; and behold I am in all days the consummation of the world."* Lei the reader duly weigh these words, and. by the light of i, consider their natural import, and in them he will find of facts to which we have already invited ive that Christ establi.-l Church, a teaching tribunal, and invests it with authority to teach g, therefore, teach ye all nations' all things whatsoever 1 have commanded! you." We further notice that this teaching tribunal will and infallibly teach the doctrines of Christ. I with it while discharging this sacred and duty. "Behold I am with yon all tion of the world." Moreover, we perceive, what Christ expects of those who shall by this tribunal. He expects them to observe those which they are taught. "Teaching them to n er 1 have commanded you." What c w ml express than this? Sup; ad no scripture e, would it not to i- ; . when they rise up against the authority o! the Church which has a divine commission from Christ himself ■ What would have been the utility of instituting a Chair of doc- trine, or of giving a Commission to the Church in teach, if for the >i due attributes, it would be incompetent to attain the great its institution, which assuredly was, the dissemination of the true doctrines of Christ? If fallible, ami liable to teach er- - the true doctrines of Christ, it \\<>i m the very nature of things, inadequate to accomplish id for which it was instituted and commissioned. And pre- cisely to make it competent, as well as to certify to the world that mankind might securely listen to its voice. Christ promised, not only to remain with it himself, all days, even to the end of the world, but also, that the Divine Spirit of Truth, the Paraclete, should abide with it forever. Did these promises of Christ mean nothing? Did they give no to those who carried the sealed commission to preach the gospefflmd plant the Church? Did they not rather furnish a glorious and consoling assurance of what had been said before; nat the Church of Christ would obtain a certain triumph over all the powers of Hell ? Matli Xiviii, v, 19 an" 24 THE TRUE CHURCH. CHAPTER VI. further proofs from Scripture of the unerring authority of the Church — The Apos- tles were to have successors — Christ's Ministry would be always needed, and therefore -would be always perpetuated. But we can still marshal further scripture proof, against those who deny the tenet that the- Church of Christ infallibly leaches the doctrines of Christ. The Saviour has so closely and intimately identified himself with his Church, that he says, "He who hears you hears me; he who despises you despises me."* In another place, where indicating the necessity of recurring to ii.-nty of his Church, he declares, that those who refuse to hear and obey her authoritative decisions, are worthy to be ranked with the outcast and infidel. " If he will not hear the Church, let him be to thee as a heathen and a publican. "f Would the Redeemer of the world have thus subjected man- kind to the authority of his Church, and required their obedience to its decisions under so grievous a penalty, if there were the least danger that her authoritative teaching should lead them into error and "damm-ble idolatry?" Would he leave, in his own place, a guide inadequate to conduct mankind safely and securely, and at. the same time require that her voice should be obeyed? Would lie declare that lie remains with the Church all days, even to the consummation of the world, and that the Divine Spirit of truth alndeth with Iter forever, if she could teach, as his doctrines, false- conceits, human devices, and soul-destroying superstitions? The idea is preposterous in the extreme. It involves absurdities and follies without number, and totally frustrates the grand and noble work of the world's salvation, by means of the purifying and re- generating truths of the gospel of Christ. It places mankind in the absolute necessity of yielding obedience to an authority which may be teaching- doctrines directly repugnant to those doctrines which Christ requires all to believe who would be saved. " With- out faith it is impossible to please God," says the Apostle. And Faith, considered in its object, is certainly a belief of the true doctrines of Christ. "Without obedience to the Church," says Jesus Christ, " shall be as the heathen and publican, and," consequently, an J cast." " But if you obey the Church, it is certain," says the Prd$ testant, "that you may be led to believe falsehood, error, anai damnable idolatry," instead of the true doctrines of Christ, for the Church is an erring and fallible guide. - Lnke, x. 16 Hklatb xviii. 17. THE TRUE CHURCH. 25 a sad condition is this for men to be plneed in, where iont a belief of the true doctrines of Christ they cannot be •imI, and without yielding obedience to a Church, which may bo teaching any and every thing, except the true doctrines of Christ, inuot be saved! Yet in thia sad and hopeless condi- tion do Protestants place mankind, by their pretended reforma- tion of the institutions of Christ. Nor let any one object, that these glorious promises and as- surances were only given to the Apostles, and to the Church of the Apostolic times. The fact of the perpetuation of the Apos- tolic ministry, shows that Christ did not look to the interests only of those who lived in the times of the Apostles. He wished his religion to he preached to all nations of all times, and, certainly, if those who had lived and conversed with him during his mortal life, needed the promise and pledge of his aid, and the assistance of another Paraclete, the Spirit of Truth, to enable them faith- fully and successfully to combat the powers of Hell, and to de- fend and advocate the truth, so did their successors in the work of the ministry. The same object was still to be accomplished, the same difficulties, trials, and perils opposed the progress of Christ's lorn — and the same Divine aid was neco.-sary to insuic sue- Indeed the piomise of assistatue embraced all ayes, even to the consummation of the world. If you rob the Chinch of her claim to these divine assurances, you must also admit that there no Church of Christ, no christian ministry, and that the a of salvation, provided by Christ, concerned those only who lived in the Apostolic times. For all, whose misfortune it has been to come into existence posterior to those times of blessed- there are no divinely commissioned teachers, and, of conse- quence, there exists no obligation to hear and helieve. There are no dispensers of the Mysteries of Uod, as the Apostles were; none to appoiut and ordain priests as the Apostles did ; imne to govern and rule the Church of God as was done by those, whom the Holy Ghost placed over the flock of the great Shepherd of Bouls; iii a word, there is no flock and no salvation. It is the very extreme of absurdity to imagine and say that Christ cared only for the salvation of those who could be benefited by the ministry of his Apostles. His purpose of divine charity if a more generous and sublime character. It contemplated the happiness of all men of every generation. It looked abroad through the length and breadth of the whole earth, and through ^Fthc periods of revolving time, until the close and consumma- tion. It pervaded space and time like the light of his own Dhii.e . Presence, and left neither height nor depth, unwarmed or uiiillr- mined by its gladdening rays. If any soul should perish, it would not perish without the opportunity of redemption, for "Christ died lor all men," and wished that all should know the truth, that 2 26 THE TRUE CHURCH. the truth might make them free. When he made provision to have his saving doctrines taught it was for the benefit of all na- tion* of all ages. "Going, therefore, teach ye all nations." "Preach the Gospel to every creature." "He that believetti and is baptized shall be saved." "Teach all nations; baptiz- ing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." "And behold I am with you all days, even to tin* consummation of the world." Behold here how the purpose of the Saviour's charity, embraces all nations of the earth, till the consummation of time*! Consider the objects to be accomplished: 1st. The doctrines of Christ are to be taught to all nations. Silly. The regeneration by baptism; the Christian birth, by water and the Holy Ghost, whose necessity w;is declared on an- other occasion, is to be conferred upon the individuals of all na- tions, till the consummation of the world. 3illy. Those who are commissioned to "perform this duty of teaching the doctrines of Christ, and of conferring the sacred rite of baptism, are assured that they will have the assistance of Christ, "all days," that is, at all times, while discharging this im- portant dutyjM 4thly. The Apostles, are the persons who first received the com mission here given, with the promise of Christ's co-operation and aid. But will the Apostles be able, in their own persons, to accom- plish the whole purpose of the Redeemer, and preach the Gospel to all nations, and baptize them during all days, till the consum- mation of the world? They assuredly will not, unless their na- tural lives be miraculously prolonged for this great work. Did Christ intend to prolong their days beyond the ordinary term ? Time has shown that he entertained no such intention. Was he ignorant of the fact that they were mortal men, and would, in a few years, depart from life to receive the crowns of glory, and claim the thrones which he promised them? It were impious to imagine this. Who then should pleach the Gospel, and adminis- ter baptism after they were dead ? Who should carry the tidings of salvation, and "the laver of regeneration" to nations, not evan- gelized and baptized by them ? Certainly, as the work for which they were commissioned and sent forth would only be in part per- formed by themselves, and much would still remain to be done, it was necessary that there should be laborers to accomplish it. Nations of future ages would need to be instructed in the cBH triues of Christ, and to receive baptism, that having believed ano| been baptized, they might also be saved. Amkwhen, in their des- titution, these should cry for the bread of life, who would break it to them ? When they should groan in their bondage, and being •• children of wrath," stand in need of a second birth to become CHURCH. 27 the children of God, and heirs of Heaven, who would dispense to them the regenerating mystery? Christ must nocet were still administered. Those who discharged the pastoral office, still needed the assistance of Jesus Christ, and amid persecutions and tribulations of every kind, amid the difficulties and obstacles w Inch they encountered, amid dangers from fal*e broihreu#uid the se- ductions of error, and the assaults of the gate- of Hell, they have sustained their courage by looking ever to thatdhine promise, "Heboid 1 am with you all da\s, till the consummation of the world/' lu conjunction with the scripture proofs, which we have already Considered, we should also refi< ct upon the declaration of the Apostle, that those only had a right to preach who were sent, *• how can they preach unless I hey be sent ?"* and that no person had a right to* exercise the functions of the Apostolic ministry, died to this by God. as Aaron was.''f and invested with PPPacter of minister, or ambassador of God, by kk tbe impo- sition of hands," as was done by the Apostles, when they wished Pfo set aside worthy men for the work id the ministry. J In thus, by solemn ceremonies and sacramental ordination, in- troducing others into the sacred hierarchy, which Christ had es- t "Rom. x. 15. tHeb. v. 4. I Acts, xiii. 3- 28 THE TRUE C IURCH. tablished for " the building up of h s mystic body, the Church," the Apostles, no doubt, were compiling with the commands and injunctions of their Divine Master- And this fact clearly mani- fests, that among the Christian peop e, there was always to exist a body of men invested with a saci?d character, and possessing spiritual prerogatives anil powers delegated by Christ, to which no man could pretend who had not "entered by the door," and been properly ordained. The perpetuation of the ministry, by means of a divinely insti- tuted ceremonial tor conferring 1 the saered character of minister of Christ in its various grades, is call d Apostolical succession, and is justly regarded as one of the marks of the Church of Christ. For if the ministry were really perp 3tuated, and perpetuated by a particular ceremonial, as in fact ppears in the sacred scrip- tores, from the proceedings of the Apostles themselves, when as- sociating others with them, to aid l in feeding the flock and in ruling the Church of God," there mist have been a gradual for- mation of a chain of succession, as time marched onward in its progress, and those who at any given epoch, held the end of this chain, could say, "we are the ministers of Christ, and the law- fully appointed ' dispensers of Ms mysteries,' for behold, we are united with Christ, by this unbrokei chain of succession in the Christian ministry." With this ministry Christ left extraordinary powers, such as never before had been given to men and the possession of which no man had ever before claimed. To Peter, the first of the Apostles and whose name signified a rock, he gave the plenitude of pastoral power: "And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom jf Heaven : and whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall b > bound also in Heaven : and whatsoever thou shalt louse upon earth, it shall be loosed also in Heaven."* These words, in their natural imj >rt, prove that an extraordi- nary power was conferred upon Peter. The term, keys, indicates full power and authority, and it is so explained by Christ himself: " Whatsoever (without any restrietl .n as regards the kingdom of Heaven,) "whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth, shall be bound also in Heaven, and' whatsoever thou shall loose on earth, shall be loosti also in Heaven." The keys are tie symbol of power. In prophet Isaias, we find a passage ii point to explain to us*,/ meaning of the keys. God is YQ\ resented by the prophfj speaking to Sobna, and threatening :o deprive him of power, anlH to substitute Eliacim, who is understood to be a figure of ChristW "I will clothe him with iliy robe, ardl will strengthen him with thy girdle, unci I will give'thy powe.- into his hand: and he shall *Mutth. xvi. J 9. THE T IUE CHURCH. 29 father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Juda." "And T will lay the Jeer/ of the house of David upon his shoul- der: and he shall open and none shall shot: and he shall shut, and none shall open."* The key was to be laid on the shoulder of Christ, to whom nil power belonged of right, 33 second person of ihe mysterious Trinity, but to whom m.nn, "all power was given in Heaven and on earth" by •' thb Father." And hero Christ gives the keys to Peter, a* hi3 first Apostle, and chief representa- tive on earth; as his first ruler in "the kingdom of 11 aven." es- tablished indeed in the work", but not of the world. What Peter bimls. shall he hound: what Peter loose's, shall be loosed: for Christ, has promised this, and Heaven and earth shall piss away, but every "tittle of the wore of Clmst shall be fulfill Nowhere in the scriptures has ('hint recalled the pi made- to the Apostle Peter But the power " te> hi d and to loose" as here, in its iven to Peter b given to the Apostolic associates of St. Peter, as we h'ml ree«»rded by St. Matthew: "Allien, 1 ay to you, whatsoever y- ; upon earth, shall be bound ilso in Heaven : and wh t shall loose upon earth, shall be loosed alsei in Heave And it is not a little worthy of rem* rk, that Christ said this to the Apos- tles, in conjunction with the xpress command confirm his hrcthren," even the very pillars of his sanctu try. lie gave him care of the whole flock, of "the sheep and th< lambs." lie' gave- him the keys of the kingdom of Heaven : he jave him brethren to co-operate with him in the work of the mini *try : and these, with Peter, were to build up the mystic body etf Jhrist, the Church, and to bring "all to meet in the unity ed faith." And thus united, as the teaching and ruling Church e»f Christ they were to have- power to speak and decide' with authority. "He that will not hear the Church, let him he te> thee as the he< r tlicn and the publican." "Amen, I say to you, whatsoever you s udl hind upon earth, shall he bound also in Heaven : and whatso jver you shall loose upon earth, shall be loosed also in Heaven." The associates of him, who held "the keys of the kingdom" and who had been invested with plenary, ^■nrestricted power, were indeed empowered by Christ " to hind ^and loose," but not as against Peter, hut with him, and subject to him. For the plenary power was given to Peter singly, and with- out partition, but with the l est, as being many, it was more re- * Isaias, xxii. 21 and 2 . t Mattb. xviii. 18. 30 THE TRUE CHURCH. stricter!, find of course it was given to them, subject to the un- JiuiitiMJ and specific commission, which had been given by Christ to Peter, to take charge of his whole flock, and to cany the keys of his kingdom. We are forced, by the dictates of correct reason, to admit that Christ gave these powers, not as mere personal honors, to his Apostles, but to them as his ministers, and consequently to the Christian ministry, to be perpetuated for the preservation and propagation of his doctrines, and the due administration of those sacred institutions, called sacraments, designed to convey grace to the souN of believers. The scriptures show us those Apostles exercising the powers which thev have received, and administering the sacraments to the faithfujH They teach and baptize; Thev confirm those who have been baptized, and impart the gift of' the Holy Ghost, by "the imposition of hands;" They discharge the duty of "the ministry of reconciliation," according to the power they have received " to forgive or retain sin ;" They bless the bread and chalice, and distribute the same as "the communion of the body and bipod of the Lord, ' "Showing f < h th his denth," as they had been commanded, and giving to men an opportunity " to eat his flesh and drink his blood" that they may have life ; They are ready "to anoint the sick and infirm with oil," and to say'" the prayer of faith."* They "separate and set apart" holy men for the work of the ministry, and by the imposition of hands ordain them. They take measures and give instructions to secure the purity of the married state, made a sacrament by Christ. They " rule and govern" the Church of God as they were com- manded. And in the performance of all these sacred duties, they always have due regard to the authority of Peter, who carries I of spiritual power; they act in conjunction with him, and labour, not to divide the fold ; not to subvert the authority of others, and enhance their own ; but to consolidate the kingdom of Chri its integrity, preserving its unity while extending its limits. *St. James, v. !4. m THE TRUE CHURCH. 31 CHAPTER VII. sed and th>» F ChrtHt mit"t be taught, and the "t ! mii'i oe laugut, and u • that is Infallibly — This further proved from y unity of the O'huroh- ProtestautH believe 'ha' the authority which Christ p;n : r ; . c authority — Have they lief? — Some parts of to refute them: can they proj*e nothing in t lair own fa- vour from • Do not these facta prove conclusively that Christ intended to estahlish a body of men distinct from the mass of the should embrace Ids doctrines; a body, which through nil time. should continue distinct : the members of which, should he iu- d with a sacred character, ami rtain spiritual pow- ers, derived, not from the followers of Christ, not from the body of believers, but from Christ himself, and therefore not to he frus- trated, despised, or made of no effect, at the caprice or fancy of ople. When lie instituted this ministry, and .investel it with such high spiritual powers, the Saviour expected that, all who should enter his Church, would respect the character and authority, and, with thankfulness, avail themselves of the ministv were duly authorized to dispense the sacred mysteries of faith. The commission to teach and preach implied the obligation to learn and to be taught; and it was also said, "He who hears you, hears me: he who despises you, despises me." The commission to "rule and govern" the Church of God, im- plied an obligation on the members of the Church, to be ruled and governed-; moreover, it was said, "Obey your Prelates, and hject to them. For they watch as being to render an account of your souls."* The institution of nts, or sacred channels of Divine grace, implied the utility or necessity of using them. And, of the first. Baptism, the necessity was even indicated as indispensable. "Unless a man (in the Creek unless any one) be born again of water and the Holv Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom of Men can i\o as they please, as mere />ee agents, willing to abide the ultimate consequences of their acts; as suck- they may claim Bright to refuse the gospel of Christ altogether; but as Christians Key have no right to expect Heaven on any conditions, but those [aid down by the Saviour, and as such they have no right to refuse submission to the authority and powers which he gave to his ministers. He gave these powers to ensure the perpetual preser- * Heb. sin. 17. t John iii. 5. 32 THE TRUE CHURCH. vation and spread of his religion, and the triumph of his Church. He gave these powers to guarantee, unity of faith, unity in the administration of the Sacraments, and unity of spiritual govern- ment, lest his kingdom, by division, should be "brought to deso- lation." And. although these powers be wielded by men, they are not wielded by them as men, but as ministers of Christ. It is not the power of men, but the power of Christ. "All power," said the Redeemer to his Apostles, "All power is given to me in Heaven and on earth."* "As the Father sent me, so also I send you."f "Vim have not chosen me; but 1 have chosen you, and have appointed you. "J The Apostles felt that they were really in possession of these extraordinary powers find used them § When they acted, with p iwer and "as having authority, " the people respected their acts because of the source from which their authority was derived. Jesus Chi i s t was himself the great. Lawgiver ami Ruler, and they were recognized as his lawfully deputed ministers. The fact, that these extraordinary powers were left by Jesus Christ with his ministry, in order to preserve the deposit of his doctrines in iheir integrity and purity, and, with these doctrines and the sacred rites or sacraments which he instituted, to feed his fleck, as with a divine nourishment, and to watch over and govern all believers, keeping them members of one society and one holy communion, proves conclusively, that his promises to send the Spirit of Truth to abide with them, and to be himself with them, ailing and assisting, were intended to enable them to accomplish these solemn and important duties with unfailing success. A preservation of his true doctrines, a due administration of his ordinances, or sacraments, find a correct and beneficial exercise of pastoral authority, could not be insured, unless, with the body of, pastors, unit* d under their visible head, Christ co operated effec- tually. And this effectual co operation, so necessary and indis- pensable, is what the Catholic Church has ever claimed, and now continues to claim, as the bulwark of her authority. The great powers left with the body of p,.stors would be ineffectual, and even dangerous, without this divine co operation. If the flock were subjected, without limit or <|ualifieari.»n, to their authority and guidai c>* as a united body, and required to ol>ey under peni of being reputed with heathens and infidels, and their authority wa< erring- and fallible, ir. would be little better than " the blSB leading the blind," and all might "fall into the ditch together.'^ But if their high and extraordinary powers, aud their authority *Matth xxviii. t John xx. 21. % John Jtv. 16 §See the Council of Jerusalem, Acts xv., and first Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians, chapter v., where the incestuous Corinthian was excommunicated. .•■-■■:•-• -operation •'■'.■■:• tion. I why woul ' . -i ' • ■■- '■ I by yield ■<■ vim should m. as Pro- Chris Han npremacy of the ; of the Ro ; . 9 V >.; ■ ; II •■ of liia >,t : .' ; • < .; ■ > ' • ■ ■ ■ ■ body of wit in real ■■ \ lishinent of the Church, >ifWed true, by lit, that the I extended ^^Be> lory of Christ's kingd< m, have been and revelations of the Saviour, for ^BpWrreetaa.i. V-r. :.-<■. maintained tliat laifh Bffifehed. and the Church came the synagogue of Satan, soon Iner the death of Christ and his Apostl The great powers left with his jninistry, as proved from scrip- tun-, show therefore, that ( lv '• to confer the attribute fallibility, which the ( liurch has always elain • con- sequence of his direct and unqualified promise to bo with her, till the consummation of time. 2* 34 iliii tfttfti CHURCH. Other arguments might be erected on those texts of scripture, which set forth the unity which the Saviour designed to exist among his followers. His fold was to be one,* his kingdom to stand undivided ; his disciples were to love one another, to avoid divisions, distentions, heresies and schisms : for this he prayed to his Father; to this he referred as a characteristic mark, to con- vince the world of His divine mission. Unity in the Church can only be secured by submission to authority. If Christ desired unity, he also desired this submission to authority, for he who wishes the end must also wish the means. The authority would be incompetent, without his divine aid and co-operation to render it a true and safe guide in the concerns of Faith, by the assist- ance of Christ, it is then an unerring infallible authority. Submission to authority thus divinely supported by Christ him- self, will effectually secure the unity which he recommended, and for which he so earnestly prayed. Without this submission there can be no unity of faith, no unity with regard to the sacred rites, ceremonies, and worship of Christians ; no unity of ecclesiastical discipline and government. Heresy, schism, and innovation would march abroad among Christians, introducing division and confu- sion into their ranks. Truth and Charity would both be sacri- ficed. System after system, scheme after scheme, sect after sect, would appear and disappear. And amid the universal confusion of a thousand controversies, the Gospel of Christ would beeonii a mere fable, for the scoff of the infidel, and the contempt of the wicked. If therefore Christianity be a divine and harmonious syst< the plain teaching of scripture be entitled to credit, unity among Christians is indispensably necessary. If unity be neeci Christ must have invested his Church with an unerring, infallible authority. Are we correct in referring to these scripture proofs, as conclu- sive to demonstrate that the Redeemer invested his Church wifcl an unerring authority in the concerns of divine faith ? Prote tants think not. They protest against the doctrine that the Church established by Christ, has an unerring authority in mat ters of faith. They do not believe it. This is one of t! tive articles of their faith. But to assert a negative and s< establish it by a false interpretation of the texts of scriptti which teach the affirmative, will scarcely satisfy a ratiori'a^j impartial inquirer. Let them make this article of their faith positive, and in piacc^l of saying, "I deny that Christ left an unerring authority with his Church," let them affirm this: " I, believe, as au article of *See John x. 16; and xvii. 20. Also Roin. xv. 5: 1 Cor. i. 10; aud Ephea. iv. 3, &c. THE TRUE CHUKCH. 35 faitb, that Christ established a Church and invested it with an erring, fallible authority, to which, however, he enjoined sub- mission. " And, as they only believe what the scriptures plainly teach, let them show one plain text of scripture which sustains this article Of their faith. We defy them to do so. And yei it is an article of their faitb that fallibility is an attribute of the Church of Christ. They shelter the glaring absurdity of their positive doc- trines behind sophisms, and come forth with negations to wrestle against the positive faith of Catholics. Let their negations be made affirmations, and then let them prove them by scripture. Let them prove that Christ intended his Church to lead men into error, superstition and damnable idolatry ; that he established a fallible Church; that he wished heresies and schisms; that he d his kingdom to be divided, his followers to be disunited and in continual controversies; that he was willing that any and every man who chose, might usurp the office of preacher, instruc- tor, guide and minister, without any regard to ordination or mis- sion. And let them show plain scripture in support of these affirmations. They cannot do so : and they never undertake it, notwithstanding all their boasts about believing only what scrip- ture tear! i It is something not a little remarkable, that Protestants can no use whatever of all those plain, strong passages of scrip- ture which are brought forward to prove the controverted points of Catholic doctrine. They can do nothing with all these to show, any of the truths which they profess to discover in the word of God, or airy of the attributes, or prerogatives, of their own sectarian Churches. If they quote them at all, it is that they may, by ingenious, strained and far-sought interpretation, deprive the Catholic Church of the testimony which they furnish her, and if they succeed, by explanation, construction, and false I aside the point of their testimony, they are perfectly satisfied, and seem to take for granted that their own heteroge- nous are consequently confirmed. But why do they not bring forward these same plain texts, to show some positive inc of their own creeds, to set forth some attribute of their Churches ? Why can their Bible-religion make no direct, Hive and affirmative use of these passages of the written word of God ' Can they, from the text, " Thou art Peter : and upon Hfliis rock 1 will build my Church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it," show that some promise is here made to their Church, and what this promise is, and what is the result thereof in the history of their Church I Can they, from the text, "Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven; whose sins you shall retain, they are retained;" and from this other, "Whatsoever you shall bind upon earth, shall be bound also in Heaven; whatsoever 36 THE TRUE CHURCH. you shall loose upon earth shall be loosed also in Heaven," prove that Christ left with their ministry some extraordinary powers 1 Can they, from the text, "If lie will not hear the Church let him he to thee as a heathen and a publican," show the obligation to submit to their ChurcK? And from the text, " This is my body, this is my blood ;" " Do this in commemoration of me," can they show the right to give "the flesh and blood" of Christ to be the life of their members, and say, as the Apostle did, "The Chalice of Benediction which we bless, is it not the communion of the blwod of Christ 1 And the bread which we break, is it not the partaking of the body of the Lord?"* Can they show their compliance with the injunction of St. James "to anoint the sick with oil?" Can they use these and other plain texts of scripture to set forth their own positive doc- m.-oe of trying their ingenuity in controversy against the Cathoho Church? They protest, they deny, they oppose — they face these texts as antagonists ; they regard them as so many witnesses arrayed to condemn them, and like parties to a process, their chief aim and desire is to invalidate the testimony, to find in it some weak point, some flaw, some ground on which to im- peach it ami set it aside. But as far as it, is direct and positive, they can do nothing with it, and really these texts seem to make no part of these scriptures, upon which they profess to ground their faith. Why, like Luther, do they not expunge them, and pronounce them papistical interpolations ? Luther found his novelty, about '-faith alone," condemned by the epis James, and he soon set the testimony aside by expelling this tie from the canon of scripture; pronouncing it "an epi straw." Luther has shown Protestants an easy way to silence the witnesses which come forward to condemn' their principles. They treat the texts which positively condemn them, with silence and neglect in all cases where they are not engaged in protesting against the 'ancient Church, and undermining her authority and doctrines. It is quite an easy matter to protest, or pull down and de- and for this work a strong combination of hostile and discordant forces may be made. Whatever may be the principl parties, and however discordant, it is enough, io insure their unio for the work of destruction, that they all feel •■■ \ isteneo of that which they d- sire to subvert. But after frWJ|^M of ruin is complete, these forces, which for a time were unitSB again dissolve into their original elements, and they cannot to build up again, in any shape or form, the scattered materials of the subverted edifice. The sects can all unite to subvert, the Catholic Church, but they cannot unite to furnish a substitute. *1 Cor. x. ]6. THE 3? is he i would really bi itute, in e;ise the ruin which re in fad I. See their sects, their Jhurcli ch other in open an- and i war of systems and principles: and no combination, no it, as to what are the ioctrines of Christ, or which is the Church of Christ. [APTER VIII. fnrfh. t.i.,. i —The Coun pil8— V) In order to prove still more conclusively that the ■ Inch we hi tablish th< . i ol liferent ages of The conduct of the . : ! Mini cor ' , '-.vntly ; thoritative decisions of these grand, imposing : ™H^| venerable prelates of pas! times, in which the variouW| Christendom were represented by their chief pastors a:;ut an impartial inquirer, not interested to deceive himself, will view things by the light of evidence. To such we say, that having admitted that Christ established a Church and left with it his revelations, certainly not by him writ- ten, and not written before his death, we have a right to look to the public teaching and practical operations of that divinely founded Church, for evidence of the revelations and authority which she received from Christ. The traditionary history of the Church, while propounding the revelations of Christ, and admin- istering the spiritual government instituted for the preservation and propagation of the Christian religion in its purify, uiiw fur- nish the very highest order of evidence to show the faith and principles, with which men became Christians and continued Christians. To appeal to the mere written word of God. without any standard to settle its meaning, may allow the appellant an open field for endless disputation, and an escape, amid the mazes of arbitrary interpretation, for his fondly conceived and novel theories, but it will not suffice, to indicate or confound heresy, to prevent or heal the wounds of schism, or to settle doubts and controversies about what men shall believe and do, in order to be saved. This appeal is made with as much confidence by Arums, Soci- nians, Universalists, Miller ites, and Deists, as by those Protes- tant sects which pretend to be more orthodox. The impartial inquirer for truth, must therefore perceive the necessity of some sufficient means to settle and determine the true intention of Christ, and the import of his divine revelations; and without a direct individual revelation from G'd himself, which he cannot he foolish enough to expect, he can find no evidence so rational, re- spectable and conclusive, as the solemn authoritative acts of the Church, and the catholic faith ami practice of its nn*inl>. is. in each successive generation and age. and in evciy country of the world, from tin- period of its foundation to the present time. When <|'ie-t!ous aii>e among the citizens, ot different States, whether United or Confederated with regard to the fixed funda- mental principles of their constitution, it is rational to try them By me writings and comments of those great men who tirsr ad- ministered the government; and we consider the practical opera- tion of the government in the past, as a safe commentary on the principles of the constitution. Besides, we have a supreme tri- bunal for settling disputed questions of constitutional law : and the decisions of this tribunal are respected, throughout the whole republic, as final and conclusive. Why, then, shall not the practi- 42 THE TRUE CHURCH. cnl operation of the Church of Christ, and the writings of the eminent d< c"ors ami fathers of the early ages, be held as rational and convincing evidence, of the nature of the principles and truths of that sublime constitution, which has been left by the Redeemer and his Apostles, to secure the valuable and imperish aide blessings of religion? And why shall the decisions of that tribunal, which Christ instituted and commanded us to respect and obey, not be considered final and conclusive, with regard to any questions which may arise? The man who would pretend to understand the constitution of the United States, or of the Con- federate States, in a sense adverse to the Continued practice of the government, and to the unanimous testimony, furnished by the writings and commentaries of the most profound statesmen and lawyers of the country in times past, should be looked upon as eminently presumptuous, if not as entirely insane. And why shall modern reformers, with novel theories and views about the Christian law and faith, be more esteemed, when found opposed to the continued practice of the Church, and to the unanimous testimony of the eminent writers and fathers, whose genius, talents, and wry names, have been in veneration for ages? We cannot undertake to array all these testimonies, since to do so, volumes w<»uld be necessary. Some of the early fathers have written volumes in vindication of this single point concerning the authority of the Church. Among these, are: Tertullian, St. Cyprian, St. Augustine, St. Jerome, St. Vincent of Lerins, &c. But we may. in the next chapter, set down a few of these testi- monies, which are direct and conclusive. CHAPTER IX. A few testimonies from the Fathers — The losiimony of tradition — Three rations especially worthy < f nthMition — Tin- si.,,, m.nt <,{ Dcitn I'.mlin ile < as to Archbishop Usher's 'declaration respecting the variations in the of the Greek Testament. 9^ Treneus. a Greek by birth, but ranked with the Latin I thers, and who, through St. Polyearp, his preceptor, was coiW| nected with the Apostolic times, said : "Where the Church is, there is the Spirit of God. and where the Spirit of God is, there is the Church and all grace."* " We must obey the priests that are in the Church: those who *Ireneu8, Book iii. the true Church. 43 have succession from the Apostles, who, together with the episco- pal power, have, according; to the good pleasure of the Father, received the certain gift, of truth. But as to those who depart from the original succession, wheresoever they he assembled, they should he suspected, either as here "* "What if the Apostles had no! ought we not to have followed the order of Tradition which they delivered to those to whom they committed the Churches ? To which order many nations yield assent, who believe in Christ, having- salvation written iu their hearts by the Spirit of God, without letters or ink, and diligently keeping ancient tradition. It is easy to receive the truth from God's Church, seeing the Apos- tles have most fully deposited in her, as in a rich store-house, all things belonging to truth: For what! if there should arise any contention of some small question, ought we not to have recourse to the most ancient Churches, and from them to receive what is certain and clear concerning the present question. "t The same father, also, in his fifth book against heresies, says: "The teaching of the Church is true and stable, showing to' all men the same one path of salvation;" and further, "Every where hurch proclaims the truth." St. Clement of Alexandria, a great father of the same age, de- clares that the "right doctrine isTto be found only in the truth (or the true) aud ancient Church;" and he maintains that "there is only one true Church, that Church which is iu reality the old one."t Tertullian, in his Prescriptions, maintains that "We are not to appeal to scriptures, neither is the controversy to be settled upon them, in the which there will either be no victory at all, or one very uncertain." But, "Wheresoever it shall appear that the truth of 'the Christian discipline or faith is, there will also be found the truth of scrip- tures, and expositions, and all Christian traditions." And further, he maintains that, "To know what the Apostles taught, that is, what Christ re- vealed to them, recourse must be had to the Churches which they founded, aud which they instructed by word of mouth, and by their epistles." He contended that these "Mother Churches' 1 taught the truth, HMRhat all other opinions "must be novel and false."fy Origen, who lived in the last of the second, and died in the be- ginning of the third century, and is numbered among the Greek Fathers, says : "Since there are many who think they believe the things which *Ireneus, Book iv. tlri. B. v. J Strom, lib. vii. § See Prescriptions of Tertullian, passim. 44 THE TRUE CHURCH. ave of Chris f , mid are of different opinions from those who went before them, let the doctrine of the Church be kept, which is de- livered from the Apostles by order of succession, and remains ii tlie Churrh to this very day. That alone is to be believed foi truth, which in nothing disagrees from the tradition of the Church." And this father plainly says, that we are, "To draw intelligence from the scripture, according to the sense which has been delivered by the Apostles ;" and that we are " not to believe otherwise than as the Church of God hath by succession delivered to us '" St. Cyprian, a Latin father of this age, after maintaining the unwavering fidelity of the pure spouse of Christ, and the impossi- bility <>f her ever being defiled by adultery, says : 4 -Whosoever divideth from the Church, and cleaveth to the Adultress, he is separated from the promises of the Church : He cannot have God for his father who hath not the Church for his mother." And he asks^B "He that doth not hold the unity of the Church, can he think that he holds the unity of the faith ?"f And Lactantius, who from the eloquence of bis style, deserved to he called "the Christian Cicero" and who is classed with the Latin Fathers of the fourth century, says: " It is only the Catholic Church that hath the true worship and service of God: this is the source of truth; this the dwelling place of faith ; this the' temple of God : into which who entereth not, and from which, whoever departeth is without all hope of life, and of eternal salvation. "J Kulhnus, in his ecclesiastical history says that the great St. Rasil and St. Gregory Xuzianzen, "took the interpretation of scripture not from their own sense, but from the tradition of the la:her<.'§ St. C\nl, of Jerusalem, of the same fourth age, testifies that the Church is called Ca'holic, " because she teacheth Catkolicly, ami w'rlmiti omission, all doctrines, which men should know, con- cerning things visible and invisible, heavenly and earthly. "|| The same Father in his f.fh caterhesis, says, '•Guard the Faiih, and /hat Faith alone, which is now de- livered to thee by the Church, confirmed as it is by all the s( tures." St. Ambrose represents men as walking in the darknSH night, and says to them individually, " Let the Church point out the way to thee."T\ *Oripon in his preface to his Periarchon, his Tract on Matthew, and Homily VII. on Leviticus. t St. Cyprian de Unitate Ecclesioe. * Inst. lib. iv. § Ruf. Hist. Eccl. lib. 2. || Catechis. xviii. tf In ps. xxxv. I THE TRUE CHURCH. 45 Al«o this Father declares M Faith is the foundation of the Church: for it was not spoken of the flesh of Peter, but of his faith, that the gates of Hell should not prevail: His confession overcame Hell: and this confession excludes many heresies: for seeing the Church, like a goo,] ship, upon by many waves, the foundation of the Church must iil against all heresies."* tine, whose works contain a great deal on this sub- other things, maintains that, " in the Church the truth resides, whosoever is separated from it, it is hecessary that he should speak false things. "f lie also says, in his fourth book against the Donatists : "That which the Universal Church holds, and is not ordained uncils, but hath been always retained and observed, is most justly believed to have been delivered no other way than by Apostolic traditions, &c We must observe in these things that which the Church of God observes: The question, therefore, between you and ourselves is, which of the two, yours or ours, is the Church of God?" This Father considered the authority of the Church the true guide of men in points of faith, and looked upon her decisions as conclusive. He thus eloquently sets forth the authority of the Catholic Church : "There are other things which most justly keep me in her bosom : The Consent of peoples and nations keeps me there: The authority begun by miracles, nourished b\ hope, augmented by charity, confirmed by antiquity, keeps me there: The -ucces- sion of prelates ever since the see of Peter, to whom our Lord, after his resurrection, committed the feeding of his sheep, to this present Episcopate, keeps me there: and finally the very name of Catholic, keeps me there, the which n-nne this Church alone, not without cause, hath retained among so many and great here- sies, insomuch that when am stranger demands where the assem- vvherein a man may communicate with the-Cathol c Church, is not any heretic has the boldness to show him hi* temple or house, &c These many, and so strong ties, retain a ver in the Catholic Church." " • ;rTso declares emphatically : ltf»* I myself would not believe the gospel were it not that the authoiity of the Catholic Church moves me. "J He further demonstrates, that the same Church which teaches him to believe the gospel, also teaches him not to believe those heretics (the Manicheans) against whom he wrote, and argues, *De Incar. Domini. tSf. Aug on ps 57. J .Nisi me Cathuhca? BccletutB commoveret autnoritas. St. Aug. Con. Fund. 46 THE TRUE CHURCH. that since those heretics admit that we must receive the gospel from the Church, it is madness in them to pretend to teach the sense of the gospel against that which the Church teaches. 11 What madness is this? Believe them (Catholics) that we ought to believe Christ ; but learn of us (Manicheans) what Christ said. 11 * And writing against Cresconius, he argues that we believe the scriptures, by believing the Church, since the scriptures commend the authority of the Church to us : " Whosoever feareth to be deceived with the obscurity of this question, let him require the Church, which the holy scriptures, without any ambiguity, doth demonstrate." St. Vincent of Lerins, after naming several of the heresies which had arisen, says: " For this reason,' to avoid the labyrinth of so many contrary eirors, it is very necessary that the line of Prophetical and Apos- tolical conceptions should be drawn according to the rule of eccle- siastical and catholic sense, or understanding." St. Leo, writing concerning penitential fasts, says : "It is not to be doubted that all Christain observance is of divine instruction, and that whatsoever is received by the Church into the custom of devotion doth come from Apostolical tradition, and irom the doctrine of the Holy Ghost." We find also among the testimonies of antiquity many express commendations of the authority of Councils to determine contro- versies. The ancient canons, termed Apostolical, and, though admitted not to have been drawn up by the Apostles themselves, . yet certainly a work of the first ages, by some even attributed to St. Clement. These canons specify, "That Bishops should twice a year hold Councils, and among themselves examine the decrees of religion, anil settle such eccle- siastical controversies as should arise." Here is. proof of an authority to compose ecclesiastical disputes at least. St. Ignatius testifies, "That it was the order iii his time, that synods and asf of Bishops were frequently celebrated." Tertullian witnesseth the same concerning Councils held Greece. And the historian, Socrates, records this memo saying of the Emperor Constantine : lk Whatsoever is decreed in the Holy Council of Bishops, that is universally to be ascribed to the Divine Will." f St. Ambrose terms the decrees of the Council of Nice, " Hereditaria sigtlacula, hereditary seals, not to be violated by the rash boldness of any man. "J * Lib. de utilitate credendi. t Soc. hint, eccles. lib. 1. { St. Amb. dt Fide. lib. 3. ' THE TR1 RC1I. 47 These proofs, from antiquity, multiply before the inquirer, in proportion as his investigation brings him down from century to century. He discovers first, that the Bishop, in his diocese, was the ruler; that he possessed the spiritual a.utlt< power, arv for administering the affairs of that \>, . which he had immediate charge. St. Ignatius i- hurt in ■ "Do you all follow your Bishop as Christ did his Father. Without the Bishop let no man presume to do any of those things Which belong to the Church."* He discovers, secondly, that provincial and national synods had Btill more authority than single Bishops, but not an unerring au- thority. Their decrees must still be subject to the approbation or rejection of the Universal Church, united under its h» decrees of particular synods, accorded with what had In en "every where delivered and believed," they might stand, but not other- wise. Hence Pops St phen caused the Bishops of an All lean Council ' one of their decrees on the subject of rebaptiza- The Utter of the Pope set forth that this decree opposed the traditionary faith and practice of the Universal Church, and declared that "wo innovation should be admitted, but what icas handed down should be r< But he observes, thirdly, that it is a well ascerlaiued and settled point, that a plenary, (Ecumenical council of the whole Church, over which the incumbent of Peter's see presided, had supreme authority to decree what had been. the doctrine _ ■d ; and sn I ons were, every where and hy all Catho- lics, received with reverence and submission, and regarded as final and conclusive. These decisions "could not be violated by the rash boldness of any man," who cared for the sacred unity of faith, and respected the authority which Christ vested with his Church. This current of traditionary testimony shows that all Christians, from the earliest ages, held to the tenet of religious faith main- tained by Catholics at present, "that there exists in the Church of Christ a supreme, unerring authority ," and proves conclusively, that any Christian society pretending to be Christ's Church, and not having, or even professing to have, such authority, is, by this fact alone, manifested to be something else, than the Church of Christ. The present Catholic Church is the only Christian society which claims now, as she has always claimed, this supreme unerring au- thority, and, therefore, she must be the Church of the fathers, the Church of primitive christians, the Church which Christ founded ok the rock Peter, the Church which, in the words of fet. Cyprian, * Ig. Ep. ad. Saiyrn. 48 THE TRUE CHURCH. all must "have a? Mother who will have God for Father;" word, she must he the true Church of Christ. The force of the testimony, furnished hy the unanimous consent of the t'iitlici > a ml doctors of past ages, to convince us of this funda- mental doctrine, of the unerring authority of the Church, is shown by the following considerations, among others which might be presented. 1st. The doctrines of Christ, were orally delivered to the Apostles, and oralh/ delivered by them to the christians, who first formed the Apostolic Churches. By the way of oral tradition, therefore, Christianity was established and spread over the world. 2ndly. This way is no where set aside in scripture, but on the contrary, it is especially commended. 3rdlyV It is the most sure and safe way for preserving the true doctrines of Christ. We will, in brief, show that these three considerations are well grounded. And first, We find from the scriptures, that the Apostles were taught by Christ, from his own lips, and sent by Christ to preach the gospel to every creature. Christ wrote no scriptures himself, and there is no evidence that he commanded his Apostles to write. It seems to have been his purpose, not to write his law. upon tablets of stone or upon paper, but in the hurts of believers. He wished his Apostles to preach, and the people to obtain faith l»y hearing the word of God. "Faith cometh by hearing," says 8t. Paul. There is no evidence that all the Apostle* wrote scriptu.e, or that those, who wrote, did so, as a duty, eomrminded, or deemed absolutely indispensable. There is no evidence that the sum of tnese wilting-, admitted to be inspired, or any one of them, was designed to be the sole guide in matters of Faith, independent, of the Church, which Chri-t instituted and commissioned to teach Ivs doctrines. Fvidently, with the Apostolic body was invested the authority to teach hy ouil tradition, and no where in scripture do we find that OiU way was at any period to be changed lor another. But secondly, tlvs way is expressly commended and approved in scripture. "There are some that trouble you, and would per- vert the gospel of Christ." (Query: Did these persons wish change the written word?) — "As we said before, so say I now again, if any one preach to you a gospel besides; that which you have received, let him be anathema."* The Gallatians bad received, the gospel, but certainly not a Written one, otherwise, here was a lit. and convenient place for the apostle to say, " -ee what is written in the gospel which you have received, and judging fur yourselves believe as you please." *Gal. i. 7, &c. THE T&UE CHURCH. 40 They received the gospel from his preaching, and by what they - ceived, they were to test the preaching of these persons who came to disturb them. Again, St. Paul writes to the Phillippians : " The things which, you have both learned and received, and heard and seen in me, do ye. The Apostle wished them to practice those things which by word and example they had learned from him. Their faith, thus, (i to daily practice, would be preserved precisely ns it had been eza admitted two persons, with Nestorius. Luther and his followers maintained that the divine nature suilered and died ; Beza pronounced this a blasphemy. Calvin advanced the impiety that God is the au- thor of sin; the Lutherans pronounced this an abominable error. Luther pretended that the humanity of Christ is ubiquitous, or in all places: this was denied by Zuinglius. Calvin maintained that the children of the Saints are saved even without Baptism, Lu- ther contended for the contrary. Luther discovered in the scrip- tures three sacraments, viz : Baptism, the Eucharist and Pen- ance ; Calvin admitted the first two, rejected the last, and disco- vered iu the scriptures another: viz, orders, which last Luther re- jected. Zuinglius denied that orders and penance are sacra- ments, but admitted Baptism and the Eucharist. Luther main- tained that in the Eucharist, Jesust Christ is to be adored as really and truly present, at the moment of communion; and 56 i LIE TRUE CHURCH. Calvin loudly contended that this is idolatry. Melaucthon afterwards an associate of Luther, said that good works arc n< gary for eternal salvation ; the followers of Calvin strenuously op- posed this doctrinejM Some Protestant sects maintain the necessity of baptism, others say it is only a ceremony, useful but not necessary. Some say that grace is really conferred by the sacraments, others that the sacra- ments are not channels of divine grace. The Quakers will use no water in baptism ; other denominations of Protestants rely greatly upon water, and insist on immersion. Some Protestants teach the divinity of Christ, others teach that Christ is not God. Some inculcate the advantage of confession ; others ridicule it. Some advocate Apostolical succession ; others laugh at this, and maintain that the people can choose, appoint and empower their own ministers. Some speak of the necessity of Christian unity in doctrine and discipline ; others look upon this as altogether un- necessary, and think it unimportant with which class of Christians a person communes, provided he is not a member of the Catholic Church. But all of these speak of the doctrines of Christ; of the truths of the gospel ; of Faith ; of the ordinances of Christ ; of salvation ; of the Church ; of damnation ; of the day of judg- ment; of the good and the bad; of the different destinies to which saints and sinners are reserved; and all affectionately, boldly, and eloquently appeal to the written word of God. And still the written word of God is not able to silence their disputations, or reconcile their contradictions. Why so ? For the simple and apparent reason, that Christ did not select "the scriptures alone," as the means of making known to mankind his revelations. Had he selected this way he would, in his infinite power, have made it adequate to the task. The diversity of sects, all appealing to scripture to authorize their contradictory doctrines, proves that scripture alone is not able to induce men to embrace the same doctrines of faith, and to practice the same religious observances, and, therefore, manifests that Christ could not have intended, and did not intend, this as "the only rule of Faith and judge of con- troversies." But if he did not intend, either the way of individual illumina- tion, and divine inspiration to each believer, or the way of scrip- tures interpreted by private judgment, he must have designee that way, contended for by Catholics, viz : The unerring teacmiP authority of the Church, expounding the written and unwritten revelations of God. For it is plain, that these three, are the only means, known to men, which he could have selected, and if he did not select either of the first two, he must have chosen the last, or none at all. * These facta are set forth in the work of Cardinal Cotti, sur La Vraie EglJse, cited bjrDelanro-Dubez, in his address of The Converted Atheist. THE TRI RCH. 57 We might further confirin the Catholic tenet on this subject, by an exposition of the principles and express avowals, of the first reformers. We have not space, however, in a brief tract, for a detailed exposition, and can only direct the reader's attention to some, of the many, proofs of the Catholic doctrine, which might be gathered from the admissions exprer which may be seen in Protestant writers. The early reformers maintained that the essential form of the trife Church, consists in a pure preaching of the true doctrines, and a right administration of the sacraments of Christ, and con- sequently, error must destroy the Church, by destroying its essen- tial form. Hencfe Whitlaker represents Luther, as giving- seven marks of the true Church, of which the first is "the sincere and pure preaching of the gospel." This only, of all the seven, Lu- ther made essential."* But if the pure sincere preaching of the gospel was to be a mark of the Church, of course then Christ designed the Church always to preach the gospel purely and sincerely. To do this she must have the attribute of infallibility, contended for by Catholics. Calvin said in his epistle to Francis 1st: "We assert that tjie form of the Church is contained in the pure preaching of the word of God, and in the legitimate admin- istration of the sacraments." Du Moulin, in his first book against Cardinal Perron, said — " Since the true Church is opposed to schismatic s and heretics, it is certain that, as heretical Churches have no other mark by which they may be discerned but false doctrine ; so the true Church is discerned by true doctrine." The same writer said : " That is the true Church which is held together by the profes- sion of the true Faith, and communion of the sacraments." Again : " True faith and doctrine enter into the definition of the Church, and make part of its definition." Duplessis, in his treatise of the Church, chapter fourth, says, " To administer the word and sacrameuts purely, are essential marks of the Church." Although these reformers pretended that the preaching of true doctrines, and the right administration of the sacraments, were l^e marks of the Church, in order that they might evade those arguments advanced by Catholics to show that they were cut off from the Church, because, having no claim to Unity, Catholicity, Sanctity, and Apostolicity, the real marks of the Church, yet, in- asmuch as they made the form of the Church to consist in the true faith and right administration of the sacraments, we avail * Whittaker, Ccmt. 2 qu. 5. Cap. 17. 5S HIE TilVK CHURCH. ourselves of their avowal to show that the Church enjoys the pre- rogative of infallibility. For, if true doctrine ami true faith be the essential form of the Church, the Church must be infallible as long- as she exists. Because by the loss of true doctrine, she perishes in her very essence. Either then she always pos- and teaches true doctrine, or perishes totally, as soon as she adopts and inculcates error. If then the Church, which Christ established, has persevered down to our times, she has also continued to possess and preftch; the truth infallibly. But if, at any time, she adopted and taught error, she essentially perished, and now Christ has no Church upon earth. Luther made a Church, and so did Calvin, and so did the King of England, and so did John Wesley, and so did Mr. Campbell, and many others have undertaken the same great work. Yet certainly none of these was the Church which Christ founded. We know positively who made them, and when, and where, they were first established. We know their history, and are fully acquainted with their various vicissitudes, and contra- dictory proceedings. W r e have no evidence in scripture that men should hear and obey the Church founded by Luther or Calvin, or by the King of England, or by John Weajpy, or by any modern founder of ChnrcheS» If the Church which was founded by Jesus Christ, could adopt and teach error, and thereby essentially perish, by a stronger rea- son, the Churches which men have founded can teach errors. If the Church which Jesus Christ founded has thus perished, no true Chinch now exists, and we are neither wise nor secure, in yielding obedience to any of these Churches, which men have established to suit their own peculiar fanciesSBj So that, if Christ founded a Church and wished it to persevere and be perpetuated till the end of time, and if its essential form consist, as the first reformers maintained, in the pure preaching of true doctrines, and the right administration of the sacraments, then the Church is essentially infallible. The perpetual preser- vation of true doctrine, and perpetual preaching of the same, is infallibility. Why did Luther say : " Hereticus ero, si postquam ecclesia d< terminaverit, non tenuero," — "I will be a heretic, if after the Church shall have determined something, I will not hold it"^H unless he admitted the unerring authority of the Church ? And further, he admitted that the Cardinal'of Cambray, had " very learnedly proved that the Universal Church cannot err." Calvin said, "When we are in the bosom of the Church we are secure of having the truth with us."f *Luth. in Resp. ad. Dlolag. gylv. tlnst. 4. Cap. 1. I 59 ie author declan Church." \ ■' ' . confesses that "together with the genuine dnctv gospel, is so to be joined the sense of the Chin vedly be called the keeper and interpreter 01 Calvin must have believed that the Church coin. he made these avowals. Beza, in his book on to ■ ;' the Church, says that "the Cburch of Christ is a school, in which the word of the Lord is to be learned that it may be rightly understood," and this avowal supposes the Church with unerring authority. Du Moulin, in his work alr< bo, again >t Cardinal Perron, sa " Whosoever is assured that he is in the true Church, is assured that he has the true faith and doctrii How can he, who is in the true Church, be assured of true, doc- . unless the true Church infallibly It seems to have heen the intention of God to m crs condemn their own rash work, and to say to tli tUO, to j '11 — " out of i thee, wicked serva Hear Luther, in his contest with Zuinglius and Ocolampadius : " If the world is to subsist much loi different interpretations which the; that there remains no other way for us to preserve the unity of faith, but to receive the decr< < under their authority." Hear Calvin, in his epistle to Melancthon : "It is important that no suspicion, of the divisions that are amongst us, should pass to future ng-es. For it is ridiculous be- yond what can be imagined, that after having made rupture with the whole world, we agree so little among- ourselves in the very commencement of our reform." Listen to Duditius exclaiming: " How are ours, dispersed, agitated by every wind of doctrine, driven hither and thither on every side. What their religious sentiments are to-day, you may perhaps learn ; what they will be to-morrow, it is impossible to divine. In what, if you please, do all those agree, who make war against the Roman Pontiff? From ' first to last, run through their articles, you will see nothing ad- vanced by one of their doctors, that immediately is not by another denounced as impiety. They make a new symbol every month, menstruam jidem habent." Hear Melancthon saying that : " The Elbe could not furnish him with water enough to weep over the misfortunes of a divided reformation." * Calvin, de. scand. p. 102, 60 1 HE TRUE CHURCH. The Calvinists wore also forced to recognize and admit the r cessity of a definite authority. In their discipline, they required all to submit to the decision of a national synod, and settled, "that if any one refused to acquiesce in this decision in all points, publicly abjuring- his errors, he should be cut off from the Church.'! Men, who left the Catholic Church, where the authority is Divine, were compelled to submit to authority professedly human and fal- lible. And in point of fact, all those who belong to any of the sects, and submit to be taught and governed by the Confessions of Faith and standards of those Churches, do really yield obedience to autho- rity. We cannot see what such have gained in throwing off the authority of the Catholic Church. It is certainly no consolation to know that the authority, to which they now willingly submit, is, by its own admission, a human, fallible, erring authority. It is no consolation to know, that in believing its doctrines, they may believe errors, and in submitting to its guidance, they may be con- ducted kl into the ditch." All Protestants who submit to any Church, not the Catholic Church, by that very fact condemn them- selves. Because their ancestors first became Protestants, in con- tempt of the authority of the Catholic Church, and assumed to judge for themselves; but by submitting to any other Church, they no longer judge for themselves, but let such Church judge for them. They condemn themselves, because by submitting to any Church, they show that they cannot judge for themselves as they had undertaken to do, when they threw off the authority of the Catholic Church. In yielding obedience to a Church, they show the necessity of submission to authority, and consequently show, that they should not have revolted against the authority of the Catholic Church. For if t4ie authority of any Church should be respected, it is evidently the authority of that Church only, against which Protestants revolted in the beginning. How can we sufficiently admire the wisdom and goodness of the Divine Saviour, in having, amid the mighty ocean of human thought, theory, and opinion, placed that immovable rock upon which his Church stands, whose base rests solidly as the earth's foundations, and whose top rises among the clouds of the upper Heavens ! How can we admire sufficiently that astonishing knowledgPH the human heart, that perfect acquaintance with the passions, the weaknesses and wants of man, displayed by the Redeemer, in thus entrusting him to the care of his Church ! Well did he un- derstand that love of variety and change, that desire for a name and reputation, which urge men forth upon the world to achieve new, unheard of deeds, to erect or subvert, to stir and agitate, to theorize and execute, to do something, good or bad, that may dis- tinguish them from the common mass, and raise the bubble of rttfi true cnrr; 61 their personal glory upon the elastic breath of popular applause. He would not trust his divine religion to the corrupt influence of human passions and desires, but while these might sport as they e with human institutions and theories, he ; red religion under the protection of an authority, which was a I .•port. This is the eternal " pillar of truth'' • of present things, rises more firmly and si.' g pyramids, wb gth can he shivered by the light- i of no tempest, wh" m be upheaved by no earth- ainsfc which the corroding tooth of time will be powerless. For eighteen centuries and more this pillar has stood firm and solid, amid the heavings of change and revolution. ])y- a and empires have ml fallen-— nations have been born and perished — crowns and have. throu_l: ... of races now extinct, passed from prince to prince— nations have become Christian and again relapsed — new countri< i discovered — change has passed over the face of the physical, po- litical and social world — all has been in commotion. And still itholie Church, "the pillar and ground of truth. ' with her unerring authority, has continued to stand, and prosper. This miracle is of itself enough to point the imjnirer to the Church. Tt is a thtng wvident — a light which cannot be city on the top of mountains, to whir tinned to flow, demanding to have their names inscribed on the We wil! briefly resume, and conclude : hrist established his Church to teach his religion. lie intended this Church to exist visibly and perpetually. :}. It could not exist visibly and perpetually as his Church, without perpetually teaching his true doctrines. 4. It could not perpetually teach his true doctrines without being infallible. We have proved, from plain texts of scripture, that the Church founded bv Christ was invested with the attribute of in- fallibility. We have shown from the uninterrupted practice of the Church, that she always considered herself in possession of this attribute. : We have shown that the fathers, and eminent writers of e first ages, recognized infallibility as the undisputed attribute of the Church of Christ. 8. The Catholic Church only, claims the possession of this at- tribute, while oi Iters admit that they are without it. !). The present Catholic Church shows an uninterrupted exist- ence, from the present period, back to the times of Christ and his Apostles. 10. Protestant Churches have all been founded since the period Fcne 62 ROD, of Luther's revolt against the Catholic Church. They ha been cut off from her, because they refused submission to her au- thority. 11. Protestants were forced to deny the existence of an uner ring authority, in order to justify their schism from the" Catholic Church. But the reformers, in some avowals of their wril and all Protectants who submit to any Church authority, have vir- tually condemned themselves, and shown that they should have submitted to the just, the divinely constituted, and time-conse- crated authority of" the Catholic Church- There lore : 4 If there be upon earth, a Church founded by Christ, as all Christians admit there is, it must be the present Catholic Church* •She, and no other, is the True Church. CONTENTS CHAPTER I 'unit that tl ir;i of Christ — Assumptions of Protestants against the Catholic Church, - - - - 8 % ■ U?TER III. ined — It is ■ ed with Infallibility': 11 'AFTER IV Infallibility of the Church is a question e.i" fact — Did Christ authorize unerringly the truths of Chris- tianity .' The Protestant sophism of a "vicious circle" — The real "vicious circle" of Pro.v.-tants — A sacred Hierarchy con- stituted by Christ — The Apostles and the Primacy of St. 1 1 • CHAPTER V. le by Jesus Christ to the Hierarchy — Tour im- portant truths to be considered — Christ's Prediction and its fulfillment— The Spirit of Truth given to the Church, - 10 CHAPTER VI. Further proofs from Scripture of the unerring- authority of the Church — The Apostles were to have successors — Christ's Ministry would be always needed, and therefore would be always perpetuated, - - - - 2i 64 CONTENTS. CHAPTER VII. The powers to be exercised and the Sacraments to be adminis- tered were for the benefit of the people, hence the Ministry must be perpetuated — The true doctrines of Christ must be taught, and the teaching body must teach them truly, that is iut'allibly — This further proved from the necessary unity of the Church— Protestants believe that the authority which Christ gave to his Church was a fallible authority — Have they any Scripture to prove this belief? — Some parts of Scrip- ture they only use to refute them : can they prove nothing in their own favour from them? — To protest or destroy is easy, CHAPTER VIII. A further proof is derived from the conduct and practice of the Church — The Pastors always taught with an authority which implied Infallibility — The Councils — Vain effort of Protes- tants to evade this argument, CHAPTER IX. A few testimonies from the Fathers — The testimony of tradi- tion-«-Three considerations especially worthy of attention — The statement of Dean Paulin de Cressy as to Archbishop Uslier's declaration respecting the variations in the manu- scripts vt' the Greek Testament, - ^ CHAPTER X. The Infallibility of the Church is secured by Divine promise and protection — But. the principle, upon which it is exercised, of handing down nothing but what has been delivered, would insure a sort of human infallibility — A Divine revelation needs an Infallible teacher — Individual inspiration was not promised, nor has it been given — The Bible, with private judgment, has engendered all kinds of heresies and sects — All points are debated — The Catholic doctrine confirmed by the principles and avowals of the first reformers — Summary and Conclusion,