The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-06-30
SERMON OF ARCHBISHOP HUGHES.


count or hts Visit to Reme.
Yesterday forenoon at half past ten O'clock Arch
bishop Hughes preached in ST. Patrcks Cathedral for
the first time since HIS tho eternal City,
The saiubrous air Of Italy and the sh Of the Tiber
presented by his Holiness to have agreed with
his Graces external corporesl man. just mach the
spiritual pabulum administered by the Great Shepherd
and his Cardinals appears to have nourhed his inner
man-''the vital spark of heavenly fame.n The Arch
bishop has acquired considerable fesh from his tour,
and he looks rubcund and fresh and like divine in
high spirits. In fact he has evidently added to his
years by this visit while he has built up his interest
Rome, as the leading representative Of the Catholic
Church in the United States. In all points Of view
therefore, the journey has been happy and ausyicous
and the church in these parts may be expected oursh
with vigor from its influence.
The cathedral pretty well filed bat not crowded
we have 1t on other occasions when the Arch
bishop preached special subject. Had h
Grace brought the red hat frou Rome, the building
would not have contained half Of those who would have
thronged to 1t. Some who, Notwithstanding what
they had read in the newspapers to the contrary
pected to feast their eyes upon the holy symbol,
much disappointed and said that his Grace would look
well in it, aud deserving Of the dignity, the
best Cardinal among them.
The Archbishop selected the sixteenth chsyter of st
Matthew beginning with the thirteenth verse; for hi
text which, having read, he said Beloved brethren,i
ia TO pleasing coincidence that the first day
which have the pleasure Of addressing you again. the
Church celebrates and honors the martyrdom cf those
glorious apostles before whose shrine 1t has recently
been my privilege to offer praise to God This is fes
tiva day which the Church does honor to the martyr
dom of Peter and Paul-commemorates the anniversary
Of the day which, after having given up all else dear
them their Master and his cause they gave mp life
tself-the beheaded, the other crucihed-but who
puIu or
begged that he might not be cruched in the
form, bu. with his head towards the earth The ChMch,
however has an object higher than simply commemo-
rating the glorious virtues Of her founders which
lay before us constantly the relations which they bore
to Christianity and to the Church-to encourage
stanty by their example-to raise to something
IL not like the blessed Lord himself who ought to be
perfect model-s at least TO those who notwith-
standing their Weaknesses performed the duties which
they owed their Creator and whom for their sube-
quen fidelity Christ selected the pillars Of his Church
the to be the foundation Of it. and the other
clarion voice Of divine inspiration the Of
the worldthe great apostle OF the Gentes That por
tion Of the Scriptures which have read desgn the
Office Of ST. Peter from the lips of Divine Lord and
Saviour. The mode in which he proceeded to implant
the heavenly truths in the hearts Of his apostles,
Of gradual approach suggesting somsthng, aud
then elictng something Just n mother teaches her
child suggesting word in order that 1t may be repeat
ed And, though Divine Saviour knew what was in
the hearts Of the apostles, in regard himself and
In Peters heart Notwithstanding his former denial Of
him. he asks Whom do men say that anu and after
their answer he asks. But whom do you say that ann
by generous impulse, Peter replied Thou art Christ,
the Son Of the living Godn Then Christ tells Peter
who he Is and says: Thou art, Peter, rock, aud
this rock will build my church. and the gates OF hell
shall not prevail against tn Oh blessed declaration by
Divine Saviour Oh sweet assurance OF iniallibe
faith oh security for every struggle in which the church
may be engaged-lhe gates OF hell shall not prevail
against IT, Christ has built Il ro,k, and that rock
Peter 1t Is nearly two thousand years since this
was said and during all that time what might have been
anticipated from the words Of our blessed Lord have not
ceased TO lie does not the gates Of hell shall
not attack the church. Far from IT. but by the words
Shall not prevail it would seem 1t his viii that
and contests and al that did 90 ecurs against
soiy 81 fsc church and y Christian I economy you
will find that In every period and In every century the
church has been out Of struggles whilst carrying
out the object Of its institution But the church has no
pleasant mission to discharge towards the tbs
worldthe men Of the earth They possess indeed the
immortal spirit the spirit which dies not-but they
made Of earth, and TO earth they will return. And after
their fall know what they subject to pa ssion
disposed to be proud Of themseves-srrogan aud proud
such as they seem to-day. In the nature of
thrgs therefore, the church TO be opposed aud
every form becauFe II In all respects contrary
every instinct and propensity Of the human heart II
began by self denial and tell me any thing more difficult
than self-denisl II began by teaching man humility
and tell me II easy to divest ourselves Of arrogance
Its frst principle that Of charitylove to all
TO our enemies and this at time when the world
not 10 be expected that vndiotve should give
up hs revenge that the rich should be disposed
PAL with his property for the benefit Of his fellow
creature who ess In the s Of the world hal
no claim upon him except community OF an c0mmu-
nifty Of redemption by the Son Of God But II these be
the feelings Of mankind In general, how much did
the precepts Of the Church apply to those whose st
tions in life elevated them above the Of mankind
such kings and emperors and conquerors who
ponsible 10 nothing but their changing ca
prices and their corrupt will II not
pccted and accordingly the Chnrch had hardly been
launched In the world when the contest began
II In the time Of Peter who brought
fore magistrate and scourged ana continued from that
time 70 the present and notwithstanding what lying
historians about the omnipotence Of he church,
the church has been assaied in various ways and the
successors 81 St Peter have been obliged to fee and hide
themselves In caverns In - Apprentices where they
nevertheless continued 10 launch forth their denunca-
tons against the crimes Of kings and emperors This
has been the battle ~ the church In it, outward res
tions hut how much subtle has been the contest
between herrsy and truth, when Christ aid that
the gates oi he'll should not prevail against the church.
Il J. undetood that he meant 10 signify that the church
.hould not only ultimately triumph In all It,
that he would speak T. through the church, which
he made the dopo fitory of All divine truth And the
ch rrch only the depository preserve but the
channel 10 communicate; aud X has It's Interpreters
TO explain, when necessary, a that Chr. revealed for
the sanct.fcation Of man Hence he aid h. would b.
With the church T. the end Of the world and hence
Is that implicit obedience to the authority Il the
church l. necessary In this implicit obedience, not
only do We do what reason justines but fuhl the
preceps cfthe Divine Master himself aud those u the
inspired vriisrs The church has not been conquered
she has been ted-her power has been tested In every
wsy that the perverted heart Of could conceive.
exterory internally Intellectually morally politically In
every way for there power earth that has In
turn attempted assail the Catholic Church During
period u three hundred years nearly all the
q St Peter have given up their lives for their faith and
after that when Christianity and the church tole-
raednay taken into favor BY emperors aud others Of
high earthly inuence-heresies and the blending of the
principles Of the faith with paganism attempted
In those controversies the church hal much to sufsr
and yet, after the contest she i found triumphant
Neither under Nero his In blood did ths
gates q hell prevail against the church Neither under
Arius others who attempted 10 corrupt the faith did
the gates of hell prevail against the church Then
came Ignorance, the breaking up Of the Roman empire
and the influx a barbarians late the 6f-
teenth sixteenth century bu. neither had
hes he ~ tha rhuwch
their darkness obscure s teachings The reverend gem
teman then referred to the subtle enemies which the
Church has had 10 coutend with, and said the great
outbreak a the French revolution made indiscrmi-
nate All beliefs but that open, and
although the hands that assailei the church
stained with blood, they did not disguise the spirit
hY which they acinaiad. They did not nnknnx-