READINGS IN CATHOLIC DOCTRINE.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXV, Issue 10, 20 August 1897, Page 25

READINGS IN CATHOLIC DOCTRINE.

WHY CATHOLICS BELIEVE IX THE CnURCH. (From the Catholic Press.) I am com inced that there is a large class of Protestants— earnest humble-mmded Christians— who cannot believe our religion because it appears to them •' too good to be true." They hear us claim an '-infallible" Church, with an "infallible Head. At first they are shocked at such doctrines and inqun-e of the Catholics they know whether we really do hold what vre are said to hold. •• Why, yes," is the reply ; " but please hear the explanation. We believe the Cuurch 'infallible' because the Holy Ghost has been given to her to make her so. He dwells in her perpetually, and ' guides her into all truth ' (St. John xvi la) It is Ho preserves her wonderful unity, and in spite of the machinations of the devil, all the wickedness or frailty of man, keeps her century after century, the unfailing source of holy doctrine and the means of holy living. So, again, her Visible Head, the' Pope i 8 1 infallible ' in laying down the law on questions of faith and morals because the same Divine Spirit takes care to overrule his teachings' and decisions. You see, then, there is no superstition in our belie? • for wo attribute this infallibility to Gal and not to men." Here the candid inquirer is ready to acknowledge that our faith is intelligent and even enviable, but feel" himself forced to add that "he never could believe such things ; they are not to be had in an errino- world like this — they are simply ' too good to be true.' " ° Take, again, our doctrine of the Eucharist— the " Blessed Sacrament." When they hear us talk of having Jesus Christ really present on our altars day and night, and of receiving Him in Holy Communion in such a way as to become one body and blood and soul with Him, they are amazed beyond measure at the daringness of our belief. As bjtore, they gladly acknowledge that our doctrine has beon misrepre»ent"d to them, and that, when it is properly explained there is nothing absurd or repulsive about it. "On the contrary " they say, '-it is a beautiful idea, bus ever so much 'too good to be triXc/ The same result is produced in their mind when our " Sacrament of Penance "is set before them in its right light. To be told that the love and compassion of the S iviour has provided such ea-^y means of obt lining pinion cannot fail to attract tender consciences. They kurn that w e go to Confession because we believe that our priests at ordination receive the Holy Ghost for tho express purpose of forgiving sins by the authority of Jesus Christ ; and that, when our dispositions a>-e ri;>ht, and wo receive absolution, our sins " are remitted" (St. John \\- . 2.5) there and then, and will never .vain bo mentioned" (E/och. xn in , 22) to us. '• H oW i a iei c possible?' they say, " lor an} I hing .so good to bo true '"' And, once more, when their misconceptions of our devotion to tholilcssol Virgin are removed, they find that, instead of putting her in the place of her Son (the "one Mediator" of salvation) \ve rely upon her intercession with Him, and acknowledge the favours an 1 grac.'s she obtain-, for us to come to u.s through His merits They also see that we look up 111 1 her w ith the love and confidence of children luvau-e we believe her our Mother as well as His, and that llehismve.ii her tv us as a pledge ot His unfailing mercy—Himsuit being our J adg • a-, well a-, our Advocate. So that, instead of her making Him 1< -s to u-. she makes Him a very great deal more .mil is the d"i:o'L possible bond b 'tween ourselves and Him. Now' of cour-e, w.K'ii i hey find all this out, they are honest onou-'h to with Ir.uv at once the charge, tluy have made against our doctrine yet here, too, (all link upon the same old notion that what is so beautiful mu-.t be imaginary— or, in other words, is '• too i>ood to bo tru ■. ' Dear reader, w hy does it not occur to you that when Ood sets about a thing. Heiloes it m the. way mo-t worthy of Himself/ Now, you believe as wo do. that He came into the world to institute a religion for " all nations " and all times. Then, pray, do you think it more like Him more worthy of Him, to have lett this religion to the "private interpretation " of those for whom it wan intended, and to have made Himself responsible for endless confusion and discord, or to have organised and endowed a visible society to teach and preserve it to the end of the world / And, supposing He did thus form and quality a visible Chinch, would it be worthy of Him, think you, to let this Church fall from the truth and propagate damnable erro'rp or become "divided against itself," like the " kingdom " with which He ridiculed the Pharisee, > (St. Matt. xii. 2.V). Moreover, we may well ask, vi hat form or constitution for a teaching Church could you devise at once so durable and so sample as the form which we claim He devised / Simplicity, indeed, is a note of God's handiwork. What more simple than baptism ' You believe in b.iptism ; then why do you not recognise the same Masterhand in our equally simple sacrament of Penance / And the Eucharist— for all the mystery of the Real Presence— might commend itself to you by its simplicity. As a sacrifice, it perpetuates thai ol the cross, under the very simple forms ot biearl and w iuo— pi rpriuatus Lhe Sacrifice of Calvary without i opiating it, and applies its fruits to our souK As a sacrament, it unites us with our Lord m tho closest possible manner our substance becoming one with Hi.,, as the food wo cat becomes

one with ours. Tell me, could Infinite Love have invented anything more simple than this ? and is not such an invention just like what we know of that Love ?

Now ponder what I have said, and pray over it. Lay aside all prejudices, all foregone conclusions. Pet-hap* you have hitherto regarded our religion as the creation of logicians or of visionary enthusiasts. Pray that you may find it true, if it is true. And, believe me, the hour will soon come when, instead of calling it " too good t > be true," you will joyfully testify, with us, that it is " too good not to be true."