Activate Javascript or update your browser for the full Digital Library experience.
Next Page
OCR
CONT ieae, Le
dence manta
i
| VOL, TIEN:
FE, yw
THE Ca’ THOLIC-WERALD i is published
Sornerof Market
every Thursdayy at the S.
and Second Streets: (ap stairs.
LLARS perannum, payable
Any person remitting
5 in advance, shall receive two copies of the
Herald, for one year, or one eopy fortwo years,
helb yearly in alvance,
om munications (except from Agents, an
from subsetibe ers contai
be post puid, and directed to the ‘Edi
the Catholic Herald,”* Philadelphia, Penn’
© paper willbe discontinued want afl
arrearages are settle
———————————oo
~ Yoetry.
FRIENDSHIP.
WRITTEN IN A YOUNG LADY's ALBUM.
How sweot tothink of friends wo prize,
OF those, whose heartsare like our own;
Fond thoughes of thei like incense’rise,
nr less the hours, when we'ré alone,
How boone the heart, when Fonts are near;
How heaves ihe bovoin with delig!
2 Whew frends ® wice break on he ear,
. F tho waters bright.
° Phitanipnian Dee. 4, 1835,
TRANSUBSTANTIATION,
(Continued)
isten now to the great St. Chrysostom, bi-
He
om, whieh signifies
golden mouthed, from the splendont and beauty
of his eloquence, which never soars to so high a
piteh of grandeur and sublimity as when he dis-
hop of Constantinople. "He died in 407.
derived the name of Chr
courses of this sacrament.
“Elias,” he exclaims, “left his garment to his
disciple : but the Son of God left us hig own flesh.
is covering ; but|™
e repine 1
(fear any difficulties ; for he who refused not to
shed his blood for all, and communicated tous his
do for our sal-
body a nd blood, whet re he nol
vation !"—Hom, Pop. Ant
«Let us then iat the hem ‘ot his garment,
rather letus, if we be so disposed, possess him
ntire. For his body now lies before us, not to
be touched only, but to be eaten, and to satiate
_ ve... And if thi ched his aarmey
they. ete he
so much virlue from ity h
draw, who possess him whole.
to thee, it
of Christ that is sircrehed towards thee,”’"—Z/om.
Ti. cap. xiv. in
In the fuilowing esteact does not this eloquent
to be addressing the incredulons
r the
Christians of the present day, who prefer
ainsay
contrary to our reason and our sight.
Wworp ovenrow ER BOTH,
but HOLDING FAST HIS WOR!
not deceive, but our sense is very east
“That never failed ;—this ofien. Since
word says,—This is, my
ding. Chri
have bequeathed to you gilts
elrendad under corporeal signs.”
in Matt. vii. 75 p-8
“| +L wish Trae his form,
How many how say, 1 ran
you feed on him.
lie gives you
himself, not only to ‘cee, but also to touch, to eat,
his sandals ?
s figure, ments,
you see tony you “owe him,
You wish to see his garments.
and to receive inwally. . « Consider how
dignant you are against the (ralton and against
hen that you be not
They
put todeath Ais most sacred body 5 3 you reserve wt
urs contr
hose who crucified him.
guilty of the bod and blood of Christ.
with a polluted soul alier 50 80
red upon you. Yor he
man, to be buffeted,
mingles himself with us,
but in very deed he makes us his body.
then ought to be more pure
of this sacrifice ?
the mouth which is filled with the spiritual fire,
and the tongue that is reddened with the terrible
bl i
one bo
Hho wilt relate the powers 0)
ll his promises to be hear
‘Shephard feeds his sheep
Shepherd d
who deliver Sten infants to other nurses.
He would not do this, but He feeds us with his
wn boty, and joins us to himself.”"—Zdom. Ixxsiii.
Yes! purer indeed than the sunbeam ought to
be the tongue that is reddened with the terrible
blood, for itis the blood of the purest and holiest
Vietim-that ever was sacrificed. But what purity?
mere wine.
What is there awful, what tremendous, insuch a
is required to eat mere bread, drink
SSS ee
"GO ‘TEACH ALL NATIONS.”
aining remittances) iaust
itor of
NUK
it dress
ow much more shall we
Believe there-
fore that the supper at which he sat is now cele-
God in every thing; and not
wit, although what is said may seem,
THIS
‘Thus let us doin the mys-
“not louking on the things that lie before us,
ps; for his word can
ily deceived.
jet us ascent
and view i with the eyes of our un-
{ito us nothing sensible;
teetal under sensible forms. ‘Thus
ism is given by water which | S
: but what is done by it, namely, the
regencration and renovation, is incorporeal or in-
tellectual. If you were only inconporeal he would
purely incorporeal 5
but as your soul is united to a Body. those gifis a are
ss
and put to death : pt he
id not by faith only,
oe ys Who
than he that partakes
The band which divides this
flesh ought tobe purer than the sunbeam, and
Pere are many mothers
shadow of a sacrament?
great saint have | bors into the following exclama-
tion, if, will i
ed the veil whieh Zonceals the trom endows Imyste-
ties from the eye of sense, seerned,””
the apostle says, “the body o: ofthe Lord :"
«What sayest thou, O blessed Paul?) Wil
to impress awe on the hearer, and making men-
tion of the TREMENDOUS MYST!
terrible and tremendous cup.
the cup, is that which flowed from his
ake of it...It is not of the altar, bat
Christ himself that we partake.
approach to him, with all r
and when thor boldest the body
thee, say to thys hy this boy T am no long:
er earth and asl r
bled, which wre pierced by the lance,”"—Jiom.
in ep. a
teries ; the Lamb of n for thee;
the spiritual blood flows from the sacred table.
The spiritual fire comes down fr
blood in the chalice is * drawn from the
side for thy purification:
hou seest bread? ‘That yu seest Ww
these things pass off as other Mons do? Faw nt
M THEE TO THINK So. But
near ro nthe fire loses its former
no longer remains; so
which
the substance ®f the body.
Wherefore, ap-
whe eraphim: "—Hom. de Penit, seu de Eu-
oi
ie “Bat are there many Christe, a as the offering is
tis the
ey and there
As then, though offered in
y places, there is one body and not many bo-
made in many places? By no
same Christ every where: here cent ic
entire one
thes} 80 there i is one sacrifice,’—Hom. avi in
cap x. ep.ad
‘The evidence 2 however which is to be derived
from the language of the ancient liturgies is still
stronger even than the testimonies whic!
adduced from the fathers. For these liturgies are
the testimony borne by the great churches that
nsed them to the truth and perpetuity of the Ca-
tholie Faith, [shall quote only two, that of St, | bea
James, and the Liturgy of Constantinople, or the
Liturgy of St. Chrysostom. The first ig suppos:
tles in the church of Jerusalem, of "whieh the
apostle St. James, from whom it derives its name,
was the first bishop. _ It is the most ancient of al
the limrgies, and has been commonly us y
ria. The second is the liturgy used by the Greek
church, could quote many more, wi
afraid of overloading these pages. I wish not
_| however to be believed on my own assertion with
wonderful consent and agreement
f the Eastern and Western churches in
their liturgies. I shall therefore quote the au-
thority of the Protestant Grotius, who says,—
“J find in all the liturgies, Greek, Latin, Ara-
it others, prayers to God that he
Holy Spirit, the ie
2
aS
3
=
3
z
=
3
3
st
&
—
s
3
=
was right therefore in saying that a custom so an-
cient and universal, that it must be considered to
have come down from the pie times, ought
not to have heen ehanged.”—Vorum pro pace.
lowing praye
Almighty, and send thy Holy Spirit, the Lord:
giver of lifes equal in dominion to thee and to thy
consubstantial and co-eternal . . . . whe
descended in the likeness of a dove on our Lord
s Christ, in the river Jordan ; who descend-
on the apostles j in the likeness of tongues of fire
pat coming he may make this bread the
life-giving boly, the saving body, the heavenly
bay, Nh ‘the Pa boay giving health to souls and bi
I and Saviour Seas
Chios for the remission of sins and eternal life to
those who receive it.
* People.—Amen. a
“Priest, —And may make what is mizt in this
chalice! the blood of the New Testament, the sav-
ing bl
eae at blood giving health to souls and bo-
dies, the blood of our Lord God and Saviour Je-
sus Christ, for the remission of sins and eternal
life to those who receive it.
eople—Amen.” — [Renaned tom, ii. 83.)
From the liturgy-of Ceinstantinepte. |
“The Priest again bowing retly.—
Even we offer to ‘thee is rational ant “iubloody
worship, and we beseec end down thy
Holy Spirit pon vs, nl upon these offerings.
“The De ‘0 the Priest and both adore
thrice before the holy: table, and they pray secret
—0 God! be propitious to me a
=e
read on the stole, and says secretly — —Bless, oh
J, the holy bre
corde tthe Priest sianding erect signs the holy
steries thrice with across, ai
eA INDEED TH ls BREAD THE PRE-
| CIOUS Bopy Yore RIST,
The Deacon.—
“dnd again wie ‘Deacon.—Biess, ob! Lords
the holy chalice.
\cubid the Prieat blessing it, sayy—And_ whi
The Dea
ee
8, —Bless, |
m stories on the stole
his ‘hands says—CUANGING by thy Holy Spi
Amen.
My —Amen. Amen.”
The Deacon.—Amen. (Goan. ps 77-]
Matt, xxviii. 19..
Do the angels tremble
when they behold mere bread & wine? Could this
of faith, he had not penetrat-
‘eRIgs, thou callest
them the cup of benediction (1 Cor. x. 16,) that
That which is in
side, and
tus therefore
reverence en purity $
ing before
is is that very body that
xxi
sivendestal ! Theta is spread with the mys-
and
om heaven ; the | a1
potless
Thinkest_ tho met
Tha
as wax * bronght
subst
lo thou thus conclule, that
consumed
proaching to them, think not that you receive the | disti
divine body from a man, but fire from the hand of
From the liwurgy of St. Sonal quote the ful-
Priest-Have mercy on us, God the Father
the life-giving blood, the “heavenly |*
“The Deacon bending his head shetws ‘the holy |
and says secretly.—
isin this hale, THE PRECIOUS BLOOD ot
1 | thy Chr
candagain ‘ie Beare shewing both the holy
Priest blessing both the holy mysteries
PHILADELPHIA, THURSDAY, ‘DECEMMER 17, 1825.
presenting it receives tht Holy bread saying,—
Give me, oh bord! the precious and bboy body
ofour Lord Go. id and Satiour jesus
life everlasti
Tn like manner tht Priest receives, the holy
bread, and bowing doyn his head before the holy
table, prays in this strt,—L believe, oh Lord
and I confess that thauart the Cheint, the Son_of
the living God.” fi. 82.)
of | ..*Likewise the holy chalice :.-. The
the jest re
ceives three | draughts, at the first he sent
the name of the Fail her; at (he second, and oft
Son; at the third, and of the Holy Gho:
Holding the chalice he calls the Deacon, say
ing, —Deavo ch. |
Nand the Deacon approaches and alores once,
saying,—Behold, I come to the Iinmortal King;
and, believe, oh Lord t and confess, &.
And the Priest says,—Servant of God, Dea-
con N. thou dost communicate of the precious
nd holy blood ot and Saviour Jesus
Christ, for the ronesion of thy sins and ever-
lasting life." —[P. 83
Fobe Corsinued.y
eens
COMMUNICATION.
ST. FRANCIS XAVIER.
Mr, Editor:—1 send you the following ex-
tract from a recent work; the testimony of the
ished wriler to the merits of St. Feancis
Xavier, isa worthy counterpart to the excellent ar-
ticle which on the same subject haslately adorned
your columns,
to tum his thoughts into this cha
which he
India, . Be
The church dedieated to Fran is Xavier, the
Apostle of the Indies, bas song ‘observable asa
building ; but it contains two works of art, the
most perfect that ever visited Indian and which L
suppose would be admired even at Florence or
Rome, the tom of St Francis Xavier and h
vel, w.
made to Goa, during his residence in
e | head, the last ascribed to Guido, which I should
humbly think from its excellence it might justly
be, thongh I dare not venture to give an opinion
tiful piece of sculpture, say seems, because
itis here so buried in a narrow chapel, that it is
impossible to have aview of the whole, and, bare-
Kavier was a ver y extraordinary map,
Persuasion and commanding eloquence, a ascen-
dant over the minds of men, unconquerable pa-
-| tience in suffering, ‘intrepid coarage amidst the
most dreadful dangers, and a life devoted with in-
exible constancy to a purely disinterested pur-
pose form a coinbination which varies ils exte-
rior and its direction according to the opinions
and manners of various ages and nations. In one
age it produces a Xavier; in another a Howard.
may sometimes take a direction which we think
pernicious, and a form not agreeable to our moral
taste 5 but the qualiries themselves are alwa}
miele and by the philosaphical observer, whose
eye penetrates through the disguise of a local or
temporary fashion, and recognizes the principles |
which depends the superiority o' mind
over another, they will always be revered. The
truth of many opinions for which Xavier contend-
ed itis not very e: any faa an 3 but he taught
to slaves the moral dignity of their nature; he
preached humility to wanna sol benevolence to
savages, t have told to the outcast Ein-
doo, that he was in the grandest point of view
and the ferocious Malay,
is enemy was his brother. He therefore
diffused the fruits of the best philosophy, and la-
bored to improve and ennoble nature—Life of
Sir James Mackintosh.
AUTHORITY OF THE CHURCH.
(Continued)
But should you, my Sissentient brethren, deem
these reasons insufficient to justify o mission
to the decisians of the church, and insiet that
orery. principle of retigion shall rest on the pri-
ate interpretation of Scripture, we have no ob-
jection, in the present instance, to comply
your demand. What dues the Seripture say oi
this head? hear the church, tet
him be to thee as the heathen and the publican.”
—(Matt. xviii, 17.) ‘Into whatever city you
ey apostles) enter, and they receive you not—
T say to you, it shall be more tolerable at the day
of judgment for Sodom, than for that city—He
that heareth § yon heareth me; and he that de-
spiseth yous despiseth me.” (Luke, x, 10, 12,
16.) “Tle tht btcath ond is baptized, shall be
saved s it he thi fieveth not, shull be con-
den Marke xvi. 16.) “ Remember
your relate who have spoken to you the word
of God: whose faith follow— Obey your prelates
and be subject fo them, for they watch, being
render a account of your sous.” (Uebrews,
Pes se and many other similar texts are sin-
cerely understood by every Catholic to require
submission to the ehurch in matters of faith and
morality, and gonsequently to forbid jal opposite
interpretation of Scripture. And will you refuse | 3!
y {the Catholic an equ: yourselves to
judge of the eense of Scripture? If ke understand
the Scripture to teach submission to the church,
why should you object to his following the con-
vietions of his conscience? - You claim a right
explain Scripture differently from
should you refuse him she pivilege of ex
it differently from y
approval of his opiivonss he “objects not (on his
own account) to your dissent. He is willing to
ey
aid
ine
oThe Priest ing holy beta it eanecus.
abide ie decision of the all-seeing Judg
he threatened condemnation, if his fail Ia be
““AS MY FATHER HATH SENT ME, I ALSO SEND YOU."
tothe Deacon, and the Deacon Kissing the hand
viour Jesus Christy for the remission of sins uato
!] sum:
- | will be best
be tried. Be satisfied with this, and do not ex-
pect that your Catholic brethren should prefer
your opinions ‘0 heir own convictions.
0 others the in for yourselves.
As you would tint men oud ito to yon. do you
also to len i in like manner.—(Luke vi. at)
But I fancy T hear some of you ask, why, up-
on the suppeuition that the lawful successors of
the Apostles are authorized teachers of religion
and. expositors of Scripture, does the Catholic as-
hat the pastors of his church are the lawful
successors 0! e Catholic
ehurch the only church of Christ?) ‘The reasons
curring to the different
texts of Scripture already cited. From those texts
the i have befure inferred, first, that certain revealed
loctrines are essentially required to he believed.
“ wit wwe Delicveth not shall be condemned.” —
ark,
second place, from the commis-
sion of Christ, “ “Go| teach a NATIONS,” —( Matt.
xxviii.) — Go Hospel To EVERY CREA
ure.” (Mai ark xvi. viy—that the religion of Christ
must be a traversal, not a national or merely lo-
cal religion. ew the Catholic is the only uni-
versal religi t is morally wniversal a
place foritexiate in every known country of the
worlds Ta many countries, it is the only religion 5
in most, its umber rs greatly predominate; in
every country, wherd Christianity exisis in any
form, there the Catholie religion is found. It 43
comparatively universal a ers, being in-
numerous, than any owe sect 0}
‘The oceasion that led the author |
commanded to teach, were tho:
them i observe all things w
-| Bishop or Priest you
spread of schism in vain
centers from the national creed.
effort,
eternal ‘Truth is asserted to have tanght as many
different systems of faith, as there are different ex-
pounders of the Bible,
to Catholic well knew, and therefore when the m
dern churches a
gin, and solicited his contilence,
give it to them, aud remained attached to the ori-
ginal church.
say, Gent
calla not for your]
Christians, and perhaps than ail
other sects and denominations put together.
other religions of sects are confined to compara-
tively narrow Jimi ‘They are national
establishments “they are the chureh of England,
reh of Geneva, the Greek, or the sian
che existing in the particular countries whic
heir names, and searcely know
siher parts of the world Not one of them ‘has
the s! st pretensions to be the church of * all
nations.” Mence we conclude that none of them
can be the eburch whieh Christ conmanded his
>
Apostles to found for the benefit of the world at| now
3 |large, into which the prophet had predicted * all
nations ehould flow."—(Isaiah, ii, 2.)
3edly. ‘The doctrines which the Apostles were
se, and ouly those,
which they had learnt from Christ: “feaching
isoever I have com:
“Therefore the
ded you.”—(Matt. x:
thoctrines of, “the true and universal church. .o!
there is difference of doctrine, there must neces-
warily | be deviali
is unity ol ¢ exists in the great Ca-
tholie ‘church, ‘sn in italone. "Though spread
through every nation of the known world, though | for their success,
professed by so many * peoples, and be es, ani
tongues,” differing from each ot anners,
in customs, in language, in interest, the doctrines ral aid, to have
of the Catholi church are every where he same
Not adifference will be found on any s
cle Q
Make the experiment.
pastor of this congergton
the Catholic church on any “yiven article of faith,
and carefully note his reply. Put the same ques-
tion tothe Bishop or Priest of France, of Ltaly, o|
Germany, ef Spain, of America, of Lindos
China, and [am sure you will receive from all and
ever, same answer. One and all will
unhesitaringly 211 you Such js the doctrine of the privilege of the church of Christ
the Catholic, church. such is my sincere belief.” | any othe
This, you will acknowledge, my brethren, is as
it ought to be. Unity like this is indispensable
in any church which aims to cee the uniform
and unchangeable doctrines of Ch
Need I add that you will in vain neck for it in
any other communion o or sect?
history of the different sects now in England.
ig but three hundred years since the most ancient
of them arose, and it was the first that England
had ever known. For near a thousand years the
Catholie religion had prevailed in _Enelans sand
no schism had divided its follow
habitant of the island believed thes
tars. Whatis the case now? Alas
tion sickens at the view.
our religious divisions?
flesh been employed to coerce the licentious
have penalties, priva-
tions, and persecutions been inflicted upon Dis-
In spite of every
‘ions still continne to multiply, and the
! imagina-
Who now can number
&
Such has ever been the case in former ages.
{lundreds of sects, now no more, have at diller-
ent periods arrayed themselves against the Catho-
lic chureh, From the momen
tons unity fled from them; they be
ed againat itself, “and they fell.
arose, proclaimed their divine ori-
he declined to
Was he uot justified in so doing?
Did not gomaion w peutence ¥ require that he should
n, allow me to delay my assent
at feast fora shite. and sce “whether you will be
alle
faith, whieh all your predecessors in reformation
have failed to establish.
ancient belief, till you have agreed amongst youre
selves what other [ shall substitute in its room.”
Alas! he must still wait; for there is yet nu pros-
pect of such agreement,
in our situation. neestors forsouks they
were compelled, by penal laws, to forsake the Ca-
tholic religion, and you have been bora in a state | the epost of every w
is been the case, and
BY the same tribunal will your faith still more, could you have foreseen the Jamenta- el.
of separation. Had
w | as we act.
or local
WHOLE NUMBER
ble disunion to which England has been brought,
would have reasoned as we reason, and acted
Be candid then, and if you chuse not
to return to the ancient church, let Catholics be
excused from adopting a new church. If you
claim the tight of adopting a a new religion because
‘ou imagine it to be true, surely a Catholic may
be excused for adhering 10 ‘Ihe of une upon a si-
milar conviction.
4thly. When Christ bade his apostles, « go
teach alt (nations. ihe promised to assist them in
the Kk 3 “2nd lor? the. said) «J am with
yous” and as this great work was not to be ac-
complished till the ent of time, —(Mattrxxiv. 4)
promised to continue the same assistat
“even to the consummation. of the world."
(Matt. xviii. 20.) This assistance of Christ was
indispensable, the conversion of nation:
supernatural work, which the unassisted pawers
of men could never accomplish. . Hence Catho-
lies comelude th that the church which has converted
tall the nations” that have } een converted, and
whieh sel ‘enjoys the exclusive privilege of con-
verting nations, must be the: church ef Christ.-
Now it is acertain fact, that every nation which
fo | has at any time become christian, was originally
converted by the Catholic church.
country of any considersble extent, Ww
ferent religion now prevails, which was not previ
ously a Catholic euuntey. does the Catholic
church sfill possess the power of converting na-
tions? ‘Take a map of the globe and see what she
TI rere
no
8 air
e-|has done since the Reformation. Before that pe-
riod, the ebureh of Christ comprised bi three
quarters of the Blok e. Since that tine a S foueth
has been added to America was discovered at
the moment when ‘England and s some ofthe north-
ern countries of Europe were preparing to aban-
don the ancient faith ; and America has since em-
braced with joy the faith which they forsoak. .
The whole of South America is now Catholic, -
and, with the exception of some European set-
tlers, nearly the whole «f North America, Many
vast countries and islands of the east, we which the
fuith of Christ had not before arried, are *
added to the Catholic fuld. ‘Scarcely were
the first three centuries of ehriatianity so euccers
ful in the conversion of pa; nations as the last
three have Is it then ‘pustible that Chast
can have forsaken his Catholic church? or can he
trust with his richest graces, and employ in his
greatest works, a church which has fotsaben ‘him ?
Catholies are persuaded
ith, Sue ar ils coy sntlees tie ships and a school, a
const the first English | istand may be tahioned to my religion.
eels ask the respretable | all pavers
at is the doctrine of | cam
of | version of
stan, of natior
Look back atthe
It
me doctrines; .
obeyed the same pastors, adored at the same al-
In vain has the arm of
jo settle amongst yourselves that unity of
Perinit me to retain my | hav
e
My Protestant brethren, you were never placed
But have not the e Enelsh sects made many. cons
much of foreign missions, We
ams of money esteeted ‘and numerous
missioners sent out by several iillerent sects. I -
have read their reports; I joked in vain,
lo not Bed that nothing
ndone, ButI say that the money which’
has been expended, qpght, without any supernatue
ne much more than I hav
and done. A fewindividuals may be brought
i an exterior conformity wih ony form of wor-
village, a town, ora smal!
This is
But Je nations and continents
tbe thus shaverted. ‘The wealth of king- .
[ome ‘vould not supply sufficient means, nor the
duration of the world sufficient time for the con-
its pagan inhabitants. ‘I'o bring the
s “* to the obedience orate to smuke ihem
inwardly and sincerely christians, is the work on-
\ly of divine grace, and the accomplishment of i it
alone. *
which claims {° have converted na-
tions, point on nthe map of the globe where those
nations lie, and the incthieacy of their labours will
atonce appear. 1 know that we are constantly
toll “« that prospects are brightening, that the har-
west is ready for the sick vend that great conver=
sions are on the point of being made.” Let the:
rst be made, and then we will I believes Tet thenr
rival, or even distantly resemble the conversions
of the Catholic church, and then we will deliber-
ale about a change of religion. Buttilliben, we
remain with the church with which the promises ~
of Christ remain, Is this unreasonable ? ~
Sthly. It appears, by the declaration of Christ
to Peter, *thowart Peter, (that is a rock,) and
this rock will I build my Church, and the gates
of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Matt. xvj.)
First, that the church of Christ should always be
built on Pe! tery econdly, that it should never be
overthrown.
What our Saviour meant by saying that his
church should be built on Peter, seemsclearly
plained by the words immediately following, # Z
will give to hee t the keys of hea-
ver, §c.” (Malt. xvi.) The 2 de y of keys
has always implied the conferring of: cuperiority
or chief command, and the * kingdom of heaven"
inthis and many other passages, seems primarily
to designate the church on earth. ~ Christ, there~
fore, promised to constitute Peter the permanent
hurch. Now ihe Catholic echureh .
fait er ace
knowledged a superiority crephitwal power! in the
successors of St. Peter; whilst all other sects
lave invariably broken this connexion, and have
consequently ceased to answer c the scriptural de+
scription of the “elurch of Chri
Again, the Catholic church hve ever preserved
the stability of chai aracier designated by the rock
aguinst which the powers of hell were to
prevail.” ‘There is no human institution which,
in this respect, resemble:
n
change, desiruction, and decay, during the eigh-
wen centuries which form the era of the christian
turch. Numberless see: “ of christians have,
g this period, arisen, and, like other human
instiunions, long since weaved to be. ner
did they quit the rock piPewr, tise, they became
ind They alereds
they divided, they veparated, aud the
Only the original church contincee ondimine
3
3
yo
~ [oe ee Nee