The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1853-01-04

me LAsr-SUByECT, HE LAWS or
CATHOLIC CHURcH.-0wing to the Prs'soi "s'e'
upon our columns, we were compeneo 70 oeie,
until to-day the publication of a. sSe'cn VI ONO =.
the closing discourses of Rev. Mr. "ai"oi'n' "
New York, delivered in canneciOn WIN 'hs hns
sion to which we hsv already aluuea- Inc c'oe'
ing services OF the mission took place 1881 evening
The Rev. gentleman discoursed rom the lolo"-
ing Words OF the Catholic SCRIPTURES any
man vii not hear the church LET hin oe 10 you as
heather and publican" He "ouio nrsl en-
qulre VIVA, made man Catholic 10 hoid 70 the
doctrines OF the Catholic Church was not sunclent
to constitute true Catholic, fer was possible lor
man n beIieve all the doctrines of the holy Cath
ole Church and not yet be true Catholic mere
were persons that belonged TO herec con- n1anions
that believed in almost every doctrine OF inc
church, but yet were not true Ca'noHcs' IL was
not enough to believe in tie doctrines oil Inc
.b,,rch !, uas necessary m ,ract.ce the belief and
>, dove,ona in copsis,ep, acton those doctrines
It was necessary to recognize the chuich DIS s'aHu'
ing in the place of God and speaking in MS name
Ii was requsite not OILY to believe, but 10 loioW
and practice the doctrines Of the Holy Catholic
church
The true believer YVES bound to listen to the
voice Of the church, because the church expounded
the laws of God. He was pound to obeyit Cath
olics we're bound to obey the dictates Of the
church IS much as they were bound to s5ey the
laws directly given them rem Almighty God. The
church had the same authority to make laws, and
binding laws, as the Almighty himself, tor the SIM
ME reason, that the laws of the holy church were
founded On the laws of God, and 1t was Gods com
mandments that the Holy Catholic Church COM
msnded it's members to obey. When members
obeved the church they obeyed God, when they
did not obey the church they disobeyed God. Our
pleased Lord gave commandment to his disciples to
90 into the world AMI teach all nations whatsoever
things he commanded them. The church was
Governed By the commands OF Christ, and since
the beginning of the church, her laws had conform
ed with His teachings. These laws were there
fore as binding as those emanatng from the NOUN
of God himself. The word of God taught chris
tians to forgive their BRETHREN even If they sinHed
again and again repeatedly. He would not limit
forgiyenesses How should the delinquent be treat
edf He should first be spoken to kindly then il
he did not obey. he should tell it TO the church,
and then if he did not obey the church, ne should
be considered as heather and publican. He
should be looked upon no more Catholic. If
he did not obey the laws Of the church, which
were as binding as the ten commandments, he
should no longer be considered Catholic.
How ehoald they view the laws OF the church
Not as hard and cruel, or as imposing burden.
some, binding yoke. They should remember that
the laws of the church were the laws Of a good
mother. The Holy Catholic Church commanded
nothing unnecessary-nothing which was not con-
formed to the laws of God, and her laws were ne
cesssry in order to support and expound the laws
of God. They were given in order to keep us from
mora! sins, and to save our souls. Those COM
rnandments were for the saving of our spiritual
lives none of us would allow child TO creep by
the side Of well or spring where it would be
certain TO lose its life, and God and His church
watched over the children of earth in like man.
ner.
If Catholics, for instance, were to despise the
mass-the, most holy sacrament-they in effect,
tainted and despised God. The Catholic that would
not come to mass once a week. on Sunday morn.
ing, was only one in name but not in practice. God
would not admit to his presence those who refused
His holy sacrament. Men labored SIX days in the
week and the Sabbath was the day Of abstinence
from abor, and the period of devotion. This ab
stnence necessary in order to perfect the sal
Walton Of our souls.
The church also commanded the observance of
fast days. Was it hard law If the church had
not made law on the subject, would we not be
bound TO fast 2 The church, in enacting the OBJ.
servance Of certain fast days in the year, did SO in
accordance with the comman ds of Christ. The
church asked this observance with authority.
The Church also commanded that the holy COM
munion should be received once year, at Easter.
Could Catholic have reasonable hope of saliva
ton by doing less than thiss Was it hard law to
ask the fulfllment of this command CT the church
Again, the church commanded that once year
her children should confess their SINS The church
could gain nothing by it, unless in gaining the saliva
ton of her children. The priests could gain moth
ing by 1t, only the consolation of doing good On
the contrary, they lost sleep and health In confess
ing, at particular periods, the hundreds that waited
upon them. But Jesus Christ had commanded it.
The church also, had passed laws with regard to
marriage and forbid clandestine marriages. Mar
riages must be celebrated in the presence OF the
priest OF the church and two Witnesses and the
church provides that the bans of marriage shall be
published three different Sundays. This command
was made In order to prevent innocent guileless fe-
males from being forced TO live life of infamy,
distress and misery. The regulation in regard to
the publication of bans not yet fully in opera
tion but had been adopted by the Holy Council at
Baltimore, to 60 into strict operation after this
year. 1t was good and necessary law.
These FIVE commandments of the church were
equal in authority with the commandments of God,
because they were founded upon his laws. In fac.
the Rev gentleman said he would 60 farther and
say that while they were of equal authority
with the commandments of God, 1t would be
still more heinous practically speaking, to break
the laws of the church, than the command
ments of God. Men break the commandments If
God through the impulse of pas sion and in mo
ments of great temptation, aud it might be thst
poor sinners afterwards regretted their sins. The
Catholic who should thus fall into temptation, In
whose heart the true love of the church burned
If he regretted his action, would be forgiven Sy
God and the church, on doing penance and asking
and receiving absolution of sin. But how was il
with the laws of the church The violation Of the
laws of the church was the resul, of deliberate,
fixed purpose. Ii was not the result of momentary
temptation. The violation of its settled ordinances
exhibited species of contempt against the autho
vftv If Cod baeaoaa tha xx,aa ,b. uiaihls