RE-UNION OF CHRISTENDOM.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXIII, Issue 29, 15 November 1895, Page 23

RE-UNION OF CHRISTENDOM.

(A Series of Lectures delivered in St Joseph's Cburcb, Temuka, by

tbe Very Rev Father Le Menant des Chesnais, S. M.)

Lecture X.— The Early Christian Church (continued). Holi-

ness of the Church

11 Christ loved the Cburcb and delivered Himself up for it, that He might sanctify it : a Glorious Churcb, not having a spot or wrinkle." (Ephes, V, 25-27.

By the Holiness of the Church we mean that it is holy in its Founder, Jesus Christ ; holy in its obj cr, which is the teaching of the doctrine of Chrißt, in all its integrity, simplicity, and sublimity ; holy in the instruments of sanctity, the seven Sacraments, its liturgy, its ioul-tbrilling ceremonies, its religious Orders, its charitable institutions, the writings of its Doctors, the lives of its Saints, whose htroic virtue has been attested by the most evident miracles, and the admirable life of thousands of its living members. Sanctity is two-fold : (1) Personal sanctity, and (2) re&lsaoctity. (1) Personal sanctity is a living union of man with God, by which be refers to Him all bis thoughts, words, and actions, with a view to please Him, to glorify Him, and thereby reach his immortal destiny and secure heavenly bliss : it is practical Christianity or Christianity reduced to action ; it is tbe very essence of Beligion, as we observed at the very beginning of these lectures. (2) Real sanctity may be material instrumental, or effectual. 1st — Material aancti'y is anything set apart for the pervice of Qod,v./j., a monastery, a church, a sacred d&rtlice, etc. 2ad— lnstrumental sanctity is a means instituted by God to give grace to our souls and lead them to perfection, vg., the sacramentß, the evangelical counsels, etc. 3rd — Eff ctual sanctity is the manifestation of interior Banctity, and of the in-dwelliDg of the Holy Spirit, v g., the gift of miracles. Tne Christian Church must have both personal and real sanctity. She is consecrated to God, the Fonntain-head of all holiness, and entirely devoted to His service, She has in the Sacraments, especially in the adorable sacrifice of the Mass, in her religious Orders, in the writings of her Doctors, in the examples of het saints — powerful instruments of

aanctification. She always had, has, aid ever sball have miraculous maaifesiations, as a proof of the in-dwelling of the Holy Spirit within her. She will also always have among her living members persons of heroic virtue and sublime perfection. Indeed, it is Dot necessary that ail her children should be actually holy ; it is sufficient that they should have all the means of becoming bo if they chose, that is, if they would follow her guidance and obey her voice, but, at all times, there must be holy persons, real living saints, among the members of her flock. Tbe Church is holy in her efficient cause, which is God ; in her final cause, which is heavenly bliss, and in her ministerial cause, the bishops and priests of tbe Catholic Churcb, who are assisted by the Holy Ghost to discharge properly their sacred functions. She is holy in her exemplary cause the word incarnate, the angels and saints. She is holy in tbe formal interior cause, sanctifying grace, and the assistance of the spirit of God. She is holy in her material cause, the whole bnman race redeemed by the precious blood of Christ. Although sinners are members of tbe Church by baptism and faith, yet, the just are the most noble portion of the flock of Christ. The Church mast always encourage perfection and tbe practice of evangelical counsels, she must always shine by the heroic virtues of her faithful children ; tbe reason is that the practice of the evangelical counsels and heroic virtues is the moßt faithful imitation of Christ, and the imitation of Christ is the principal object of the solicitude of the Churcb, Christo autem maxime illorum oongiliorum observantia placet, qua perfecta ejus imitatio co?itinetur—(E.xitter, Theol. Dog. I, 411— 414). Miracnlous manifestations of the sanctity of the Church have never and never will bo vtantiDg in any age. Bead the history of tbe Church and the Lives of the Stints and you will see, in every age, not only one but many whose Banctity was attested by manifest miracles ; a Church which has not the gift of miracles cannot be the true Christian Church established by Jesus Christ. The Catholic Church is the Church of all the most illustrious Pontiffs, Doctors, virgins, self-sacrificing monks and nuns, martyrs, and zealous and heroic missionaries. Tbe Churcb is holy because she is united with the triumphant Church in htaven, and strives to emulate her ; the same Jesus Christ rules over the angtls and saints of Paradise, and His faithful followers on earth. Heia loved, adored and served on earth, with the same love, adoration, and zeal which animated tbe citizens of heaven, with this difference, that the Blessed see Jems Chiist face to face in all His glory, and enjoy His visible presence, wbereas we behold Him only by faitb, and enjoy only His Sacramental presence on our altars. In heaven all are holy, perfect, immaculate ; on earth there is a mixture of good and bad people, fervent Christians, and careless and negligent ones. The Church is holy because everyday in thousands of places Jesus is mystically offered and becomes really, truly, and substantially present, and remains in our tabernacles a prisoner of love, and at every hour of tbe day and night, in some part of tbe world or other, there is a priest saying Mass, and devout worshippers forming around him a crown of glory, unitirjg themselves with Him in holy Communion, singing Hia praise in alternate choirs, aB the aDgels do in heaven, thankmg Him for all His benefits, praying to Him for the sick and dying, for those who are in pain acd affliction, and making acts of reparation for tbe unbelief and ingratiiude of many of Hie ungrateful children. How beautiful to see thousands of holy monks, devout nuns, pious priests, and exemplary Christians surrounding the tabernacle, at every hour of day and night, like tbe stars shining around tbe sun, and formiDg as it were a crown of glory around the thro: eof oui loving and amiable Saviour. Aa in heaven you have a celestial hierarchy consisting of tbe Dine angelical choirs, the choirs of tbe pa'riarebs, prophets, apostles, martyrs, confessors, virgins, etc, so in the Church en earth you have the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy, consisting of the Supreme Pontiff, the cardinal^ patriarchs, archbishops, bishops, and priests. You have also the choirs of the Benedictines, the Dominicans, the Franciscans, the Redemptoria'e, the Passionists, the Jesuits, the Oratoriang, tbe Carmelite?, the Trappists, the Vincentians, the Marists, the Oblates of St Charles Borromeo, the Oblates of Mary, etc. You have also the cnoirs of tbe Benedictine Nuns, the Claristg, the Ursulinep, the Carmelites, the Sisters of Charity, the Sisters of the Good Shepherd, the Ladies of the Sacred Heart, the Sisters of the Missions, the Sisters of Charity, tbe Little Sisters of the Poor, tbe Sisters of Mercy, the Marist Sisterp, the Sisters of St Joseph, etc.— all of whom, by their admirable lives, are the brightest luminaries of the Churcb, her comfort and her joy, and of whom our Blessed Lord may say:— "You are the light of the world," Vos cstis lux mundi (.Matthew v , 14). And, as among the inhabitants of paradise, there is an admirable uuion and harmony, so in the Church of Christ, from tbe beginning, there is a most wonderful union and harmony, til forming, as it were, one heart and one soul, having no other ambition bur to promote the glory of God and obtain heavenly bliss. The Chiivian Churcb must encourage everything which is calculated to elevate men and lead them to perfection ; this the Catholic Churcb does. (1) By the Beven Sacramsntß, through which sanctifying grace is infueed or increased in our souls. (2) By the example of the saints and martyrs, whoso lives she continually places

before her children, in order to encourage them to walk in thei r footsteps and imitate their virtues. (3) By the writings of her doctors— Bt Jerome, Bt Augustine, St Ambrose, St Basil, Bt Gregory Nazianzen, St John Ohrysoßtom, St Gregory the Great, 8t Thomas Aquinas, St Bonaventure, St Bernard, St Francis of Sales, St Alphonsus Mary de Liguori, etc.— in which are to be found the most admirable rules of Christian perfection and tbe most clear explanation of the doctiine of Jesus Christ, aod the most edifying examples of all virtues, by which they are encouraged to conquer their passions, overcome the temptations of the spirit of darkness, and the snares and dangerous maxims of this deceitful world, The Church exhorts her children to pray night and morning, to say grace before and after meals, to examing their conscience every evening, and never to retire to bed without asking pardon for theii faults, and saying from their heart an act of perfect contrition. In every Catholic Church Mass is said daily, and those who can are invittd to assist at it and pray to our Lord to apply to them the infinite merits of His passion and death. M&ny fervent Catholics, particularly religioui and nuns, receive Holy Communion several times a week, in order to live in closer union with our Divine Lord. Catholics are taught to keep puiity even in thoughts, Bich Catholics are reminded that, according to the ordinance of Divine Providence, they are to employ in works of mercy, a considerable portion of their income, otherwise they cannot expect salvation, for our Blessed Lord will say to them :— " I was hungry, and you gave me not to eat ; I was thirsty, and you gave me not to drink ; I was a stranger, and you took me not in ; naked, and you covered me not ; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit me. Then they shall answer Him, saying : Lord, when did we see Thee hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister to Thee? Then He shall answer : Amen, I say to you, as long as you did it not to one of these least, neither did you it to me, and these shall go into everlasting punishment " (Matthew xxv. 41-45). " Catholics are told, if they commit a grievous sin, to repent at once, promise never to do it again, repair it as far as possible, and wash it away in tbe precious Blood of Jesus applied to them in the sacrament of penance. They are commanded to abstain every Friday in commemoration of the passion of our Lord, to fast in Lent and Advent in union with with Him, who, being innocence itself, fasted for us forty days and forty nights, and commanded his disciples to fast and abstain " (Acti xiii., 2-4,xiv.,22). Catholics are taught obedienca to the civil power in temporal matters ; to ecclesiastical superiors in spiritual things ; love, affection, obedience and assistance to parents and to all legitimate superiors. They are instructed to love their enemies and return good for evil. They are exhorted, according to their means, to instruct the ignorant, to relieve the poor, to nurse the sick Bnd inhrm, to visit the afflicted and comfort the aged and dying Ibe Church commands us to make restitution and reparation for any injury done to our neighbour, and she teaches that except we do so, when it is in our power, tbe sin will never be forgiven ; she forbids all that is wrong and commands or encourages all that iB good, boly and perfect. If many of her cLildren lead criminal and sensual lives, the fault is not with her ; it is the result of their obstinacy m refusing to listen to her voice and follow her guidance, consequently she cannot be answ«rable for their conduct, which she laments and reprobates. If a Catholic does wrong, acting in opposition to the teaching of Jesuß Christ and His Church, he is, whatever name he may take, au anti-Christ, says St Augustine. " Quisquis Chritto contrarius anti- Christus est " (8. August. Trac. 111. in Epist. Joan). When St Blandina was interrogated about her religion, she replied : " I am a Christian, pledged to practice every virtue and avoid the very shadow of evil "—"" — " Christiana sum, nee mali quid qiiam a nobit committitur " (Acta. Stie Blandinae). A constitution is to be judged by those who keep it, not by the conduct of law-breakers, who deipiße it aDd set it at defiance. Bead the lives of the saints, the writings of the docton of the Church, behold the conductof fervent Christians, and you will be able to form a fair judgment of the standard of sanctity and morality of the Christian Church. Who could refuse his mead of praise aud admiration to those heroic ladies and gentlemen daily visiting tbe poor, nursing the sick, instructing the if norant, giving work to the unemployed, and spending all that they can spara of their riches in worki of mercy, without being deeply affected, and cry out, as the Pagans did on witnessing the charity and zeal of the early Christians : " How great is the God of the Christians, who from men haa transformed His disciples into earthly aDgels"— 1 ' Vere nmgnus Christianorum Deus, qiiales constituit homines f Quales cbqualiter fecit ? Angelos tx hominibus ipsos reddidit " (Tert. Apol. S. Agu. Ps. XLXII). So earnest are true Chrißtians that their persuasive eloquence, examplified in their admirable life, no one can resist. A Christian slave converted the Iberians ; St Frumentiue, a young boy, carried away by some Ethiopians, converted them to Christianity ; be returned to Alexandria, was instructed, ordained priest and consecrated bishop by St Athanasius ; other Christian slaves converted the Goths on the banks of the Danube, Ireland was converted by St Patrick, who bad been taken there as a slave, and being set free, studied at Marmoutiers, Lerins and Borne, and returned to them with the Episcopal dignity, Bt Clotilda contributed

powerfully to tbe conversion of tbe Franks. St Theodolinda assisted greatly the conversion of the inhabitant! of Burgundy. Under Pope Gregory, the Great Queen Bertha of Kent influenced Echelbert to welcome St Augustine and give him liberty to preach the Gospel. St Margaret, Qaeen of Scotland, considerably advanced tbe civilisation of the Scotts. St Catherine disputed with fifty learned philosophers ; she so ably defended the Christian came, that she converted every one of them, and they shed their blood for their faitb. The Church is holy, because she always encouraged tbe spiritual and corporal works of mercy, She established infant asylums for helpless babies ; homes for aged men and women, hospitals for the sick and insane, and the treatment of the blind, the deaf, and dumb, and every other kind of disease. She sends her Sisters of Charity and of Mercy on the battlefield, and in the plague-stricken cities and villages. She has instituted Magdalen Asylums for our fallen sisters, to reclaim them from a life of sin and infamy, and make of them angels of piety and self-sacrifice. The Congregation of the Good Shepherd of Angers alone has 150 houses, where 20,000 women are sheltered and preserved from the contamination of the wicked world. The Catholic Church has santified labour by the example and teachiog of Jesus Christ, and of His Apostles and saints. Owing to the benign influence of Christianity slavery has disappeared in all European countries and in America. The works of benevolence outside the Catholic Church are only a feeble imitation of what she has done and is still doisg, where she is in number, on a gigantic scale, and without her example, they would in all probability never have existed. Toe primitive Christians established means for the relief of tbe poor, the sick and travellers, and hospitals for lepers, and religious orders for the redemption of captives. The reformer! of tbe xvi century suppressed convents, which had been the asylum of the poor. St Igna" tius Loyola, St Francis of Assisium, St Vincent de Paul, etc, took them under their protection, and provided for them all the comfort which Christian Charity can devise. Another very striking proof of the divinity and sanctity of the Catholic Church is the care she always has taken to preserve the innocenoe of little children and have them taught the doctrine of Jesus Christ, Jesus, in order to win the heart of little children and become their model, would Himself become a little child. He declared that those only who imitate their candour, simplicity, and innocence can be admitted into heaven. He commanded His Apostles to take special care of them, and they did so. From the earliest days of Christianity bishops established everywhere ca'echetical schools, taught personnally by them or by some learned priest or doctor. To these were added philosophical scboolß, where the Christian Doctrine was scientific lly taught, and the objections against tbe Christian revelation explained and refuted, such as the school of St Justin, ia Rome ; Anstides, at Athens ; 4.thenagoras, at Alexandria ; Aaatolius, at Laodicea ; and the f am jus school of Alexandria, founded by 8t Mark, and celebrated by its learned professors, such as Pantnenus, Origen, Pierius, Achilles, Didymus, Macarius, Serapion, Rhodon, etc. Tbe great monastic schools of the Augustinian and Benedictine monks, and later on, those of the Dominicans and Jesuits, also the Catholic universities of Italy, Sp in France, Germany, Switzerland, England, etc, the schools of the Christian Brothers, of the Little Brothers of Mary, of the Patricias Brothers, etc, the Conventual schools for girls, of the Benedictires Dominicans, Ursulines, the Sisttrs of the Visitation, of the Presentation, of Mercy, of the Missions, of the Sacred Heart, of St Joseph, etc, th« confraternities of the Blessed Virgin, of the Guardian Angele of St Aloysius, for the sanctification of youth, the Catholic guilds and literary societies for young men. Are not these glaring proofs ot the sanctity of the Catholic Church 1 Do not these facts show how anxious she is to preserve children and young people from the snares of the world ? For this noble work she shrinks from no sacrifice an 1 spajes no pains ; and it is a fact worthy of notice that Catholics are the only ones in all parts of the world who never neglecr, cost what it may, tbe religious instruction of their children ; who consider it more important that any secular knowledge, and the only solid foundation of morality ; does not this prove that the Catholic Church ia animated by the spirit of her boly Founder, assisted by Him, and truly holy indeed. It may be objected that many Catholic youths turn out bad ; we do not deny it ; this is owing to the evil influence of home, the want of watchfulness of parents, dangerous company, the reading of immoral books, and other such things over which the Church has no possible control ; where parents are pious and prudent this is not generally tbe case ; tbe Church can only advise that wh'ch is good and right ; she can compel no one to do it, evoept by suisiop , and in this respect she is never wanting in her duty ; can tbe same be said of the other denominations 1 I paaa now to ano her proof of the sanctity of tbe Catholic Church, namely, her untiring efforts for the sanctification of the Christian family, Jesus Christ sanctified marriage by elevating it to the dignity of a sacrament (Ephes. v 25) ; by abolishing polygamy, which prevailed everywhere, and bringing back marriage to its primitive unity ; by making mairiage indissoluble, except by the death of one of the two contracting parties ; by proclaiming the mother the queen of Home and equal to her husband, instead of being only his slave or the instrument of his

pleasure ; by giving His hely Mother as a model to all Christian mothers ; by commanding little children to be consecrated to Him in holy baptism ; by declaring them candidates of paradise, and giving each of them a guardian angel to watch over them The child is no longer at tbe mercy ol its father, a parent who who w^uld destroy his child, as sanctioned by Plato, Ariajotle, Solon, Lycurgus, etc, would be thought guilty of an atrocious crime. Tne Caurch has also condemned the horrible doctrine of Malthas for preventing the multiplication of children. A tr.e is known by its fruits ; tbe Christian Church, which has effected these thiogs through her divine Founder, must certainly be most perfect and holy. The last proof I Bball give of tbe sanctity of tbe Chuich is that, without hesitation, irrespective of persons or temporal consequences, she has always courageously condemned any error against faijh or tbe moral lvw. In tbe Bast, when the Empire was translated from Rome to Constantinople, tbe Byzantine Emperors, wishing to have absolute and independent spiritual »nd temporal authority, encouraged the Patriarch of Constantinople to claim the same privileges as the Roman Pontiff, on the plea that Constantinople was a second Rome, and, therefore, its Patriarch should hod supremacy of hononr next to the Rom^u Pontiff. In vain did the Pope protest. Though acknowledging externally the Supremacy of. the Vicar of Christ, tbe Patriarch of Constantinople acted frequently without his sanction. In 484 Acacius, a creature of the Emperor, wily, proud and obstinate, effeminate and unprincipled, suppressed the name of the Pope from tbe diptyohs, or lists of the Popes, patriarchs and bisbopp, linked with one another by apostolical succession and legitima'e mission, and exercised independent authority, being supported by the weak-minded and ambitious Emperor Zsne. The orthodox bishops and priests were removed from their sees or churches, and intruders put in their place. The Pope was aßked to ratify these acts of violence and usurpation. He courageously declined to do it. Who could help admiring the fortitude of Pope Simplicius on this occasion 7 The energy of this holy Pontiff in affirming that the Papacy is the source of all ecclesiastical power and jurisdiction by the ordinance of our Lord Jesus Christ does him great credit. In 519 the Formulary of Hormisdas, affirming the supremacy of the Holy See, and the necessity of communion with it for all important Church matters, was signed by 2500 bishops This fact shows how the supremacy of the Roman Pontiff was at that time universally acknowledged. In spite of all this, in 691 the Council of Trollo, affirmed again the equality of jurisdiction of the Patriarch of Constantinople and the Roman Pontiff, and permitted priests, deacons and sub-deacons to marry. Pope Sergins condemn* d the decrees of the uncaoonical Council of Trullo, and John VIII condemned all those contrary to the rights of the Holy See ani good morals. Under the Byzantine Emperor Michael 111, the" drunk ud " Bard as, a favourite of the Emperor, led openly an incestuous and immoral life Ignatius, Patriarch of Constantinople, refused to give him Communion, He ctmplained to the Emperor, who deposed Ignatius, and appoinied in his place as Patriarch of Constantinople, Photiup, a layman. He asked tue Pope tc confirm his election. The Pope, though he knew tbe com equences, absolutely refused to sanction it. Michael 111 and Photiue then entirely separated from Rome; tbe branch was torn from the trunk and doomed to wither away, according to the prophecy of our Lord. A Greek Church was established insttad of the one Catholic Churcb established by Jesai Christ with His Vicar at. first representative and visible head. Michael Cerularius took tbe title of (K-iuiaenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Antioch and Alexandria. Ha dosed all tbe L*(in churches and expelled all the Latin monks from Constantinople. The schism was completed 1055. Is not that Chuich holy which consents to lose a whole empire sooner than sacrifice a principle or approve of any immoral practice? Which other chorch would do the same ? Let us turn to Germany. Martin Luther, disappointed not to have been ciosen by the Pop' to preach for subscriptions for the building of 8t Peter, attacked the Dominicans. He preached erroneous doctrines. Being rebuked by hiu superiors, he refused to submit and appealed to the Pope. The Pope tried every m -ans of kindne&s to bring him to a sense of doty. Luther would yield to no reason. Being condemned by the Pupe he became furious. He denied the infallibity of tbe Church and of the Pope, the supremacy of the supreme Pontiff, the celibacy of the clergy, penance, fasting, religious vows. He said that the Bible should be interpreted by private reason. Luther was supported by many princes, who, being rebuked by the Pope for their tyranny and immorality, were gUd to have an opportunity to throw uff Lie aoibrity. They also ha'ed the monks who frequently denounced th^jr abases. The pretended laxity of the monks, which has been grAtly exaggerated, was only a pretence to suppress them and seize upon their property. Ulric de UtteD, a sensualist and a sceptic of the type of Voltaire, and Oarlostad, Archdeacon of Wiltemberg, an immoral man. who took a wife, had the Bible read to him by working people, espoused the cause of Luther, and excited the people to plunder churches and monasteries. The Hussites of Bohemia, bitter enemies of the Pope, priests and monks, gave also to bim their support, and encouraged the people to throw off the supremacy of the Pope and of the Church, suppress monasteries, and take the Bible

alone as their gaide. To these we may add many outlaws, who thristed after plunder. Of all the friends of Lather the most moderate was Schwarzerde, surnamed Melanchton, a famous Greek Bcholar, bat having a great contempt for monastic ordeie, which he knew only through incorect and magnified reports, In Prussia Pope Adrian VI empowered Albert da Brandebnrg to rectify some abuses of the Teutonic monks. Albert de Braodeburg was the Great Matter of the Order. Although a monk he was very worldly and lived .like a prince. The Teutonic Knights were founded in Jerusalem, 1128. They took care of the poor in tbe hospitals, and also foaght for the defence of the Church. They were divided into three classes — the priests, the knights and the lay-brothers. They wore a white cloak, with a black cross. They were so very lich that in Germany alone they were the owners of a whole province. At first they were very fervent, charitable, aod excellent landlords, but, little by little, they relaxed. The Pope wanted to remedy these abuses. Luther advised Albert de Braodeburg to throw off the supremacy of the Pope, to get married and appropriate to himself the properties of the Order and embrace Lutheranism. It was a tempting bait. Albert followed to the letter the advice of Lntber. He had himself proclaimed Duke of Prussia, uuder the protection of Sigismond, King of Poland. He married the daughter of Frederick I, King of Denmark, encouraged his monks to embrace the Reformation and get married, and expelled all the pries's and mocks who would not imitate him. Pope Adrian protested, and died of sorrow and of grief. Is not the conduct of the Roman Pontiffs admirable? They never sacrificed justice or truth, and preferred to lose many kingdoms than to compromise it. la not this a proof of the sanctity of the Church, and of the assistance of the Holy Spirit, who guides and strengthen! her 7 She is not a time-serving Church, trying to pleaie civil rulers or to b 3 popular at the cost of truth or morality. Let us now come to England and Henry VIII " Tudor of Richmond," was at first a fervent Oatholic. He was a bitter enemy of Luther&msOi. He wrote a book io defence of the Catholic religion and the seven sacraments, which he dedicated to the Pope, and which obtained for him the title of " Defender of the faith " Defensor Mdci still held by her Majesty, Queen Victorta. After having been married 16 years to Catherine of Aragon, and having had by her several children, one of whom was Queen Mary, he toek a fancy to a lady of the court of Margaret of Navarre, named Anne B oleyn, and wished to repudiate the Qaeen, and marry her. The Pope opposed this adulterona union. Wolsev and a few servile courtiers encouraged it. The King was married. He had himself appointed bead of tbe Church by a servile Parliament, and who so ever refused to acknowledge his spiritual and temporal supremacy, had hia goo 1s confiscated and was put to death as a traitor, as was the case with Fisher, Bishop of Rochester, and Sir Thomas More, Chancellor of Bogland. Had the Pope yielded to Henry VIII's desire, he would probably kave lived and died a Roman Citbolic, and England to-day would be a Catholic country ; but morality anl truth admit of no concession, and the Pop ) preferred to lose tbe British dominions, where so many saints and doctors bai flourished, than sanction an adulterous union. To my mind, this inflexibility of the Oburch, in matters of faith and morals, irrespective of any worldly consideration, is the greatest proof of her sancity. I do not mentioa these facts to give pain to our separated brethren, yet it should make them think, and attentively consider whether they have not been misinformed about the doctrine and doings of the Catholic Church. In our next lecture, we shall examine: (I) How was the Christian religion propagated? (II) How was the integrity and purity of the Christian doctrine preserved 1 two most interesting historical problems.