The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-07-18

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hence sometimes tho attempt is made to account for
Catholic zeal where Protestant governments attempt
to crush and persecute the religion. But there Is
nothing of the kind here; we are free as all the
the Presbyterian as free as the Methodist free
any people who call themselves by any name. And,
in the absence Of all persecution, why is it that such
a multitude, such sea Of upturned faces, is found
before me to-day? Why is il Because Of the in
stinct Of Catholic faith the divine instinct commu-
ncated in its germ in baptism, and which it leaves In
the heart of those who have been baptsed because,
although we, you and l. are but the beings of day,
still we do not separate ourselves from ancestors
in the faith for eighteen hundred years who have
passed away, nor are we separated from our success
sors in the faith for eighteen hundred years. Who
will limit the time Imay say for eighteen thousand
years to come, In which your successor may still
preach the everlasting doctrines Of truth the
Son of God originally communicated it to his Apos-
ties and through them to the whole civilized world
That is the meaning OF your assemblage to-day; and
regard this, for my own part as most suspicious
and consoling occasion. 1t seems as if everything
had conspired to make this bright and glorious day
for the Catholics Of Rrooklyn-and of Brooklyn alone
shall | say? No. but Of the Catholics Of New
and of the Catholics of Europe, if they ever shall
know OF this. 1t is q glorious day for them all-and
why Because of the evidence OF such zeal yours,
because of the smiling countenance of God himself on
this occasion; for do you not see how beautifully
God has adapted the season and the day to such
an occasion? The sun shines in the west beauti-
fully, and the moon, (poiDting to the heavens)
is there borrowing by anticipation her own pure
light reflected back. 1t IS an occasion on which Ma
ture the field the ocean, the air. and light and shade,
all contribute to crown as may say, the spirit, the
zeal the fervor and the faith which have brought so
many of you here this suspicious occasion. There
is one other remark, and it is this, that weyou and
|, Catholic brethren--live in an age in which there
is tendency abroad to dispute everything, from the
existence of God himself downwards. And those
who do not recognize the communion Of saints have
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such things; and You must preserve the faith for
them and for their posterity You the guardians,
you the repositories of the truth. Though they
yield to these astonishing receptions, let them see
order and the mind which has influenced the Catho-
lie faith. Let them see, | say, and compare these
with their receptions They call themselves strong
minded people laugh3 They are philosophers
Given up superstition of that kind and that is but
one-for there are ten thousand Understandable only
circumstance emitting even to notice is, that it is
the most recent, and the one now most in vogue.
They would not believe in the intercession Of the
saints of God, regning with him, for their own
brethren on earth but they believe in tap tap tap
Here the Archbishop, to the infinite amusement Of
his audience struck the handle Of the crozer with his
kHuckles three times, producing most .ludicrous
efect) They can believe in that, and looking at
you, for instance, they say, d" What superstticus
multitude poor ignorant creatures" Have you
ever been gulled by such absurdties Has any
ever Uccu hcpt uuuCI tuc SIcds AnuuCuCc Vi
the second coming man. whose name is Miller In
word, Christian brethren, you not the repository
of steady, universal eternal divine faith, which will
become at length the landmark for the guidance Of
the human mind, of great portion OF this great
American people; who are ready to go to the right
to the left Just the most recent decever shall
have abused their easy credulity? That is your
office, and have doubt that God himself, even in
duty time will advance and opportunity may serve
1t is not merely in the ardor which you have mani
tested, it is not merely in the multitude which you
have crowded around this platform but it is still
more in that abiding principle OF truth recognized
and believed not by caprice, but by faith, that
this result Oh that faith in the Catholic Church
oh that glorious faith from the presence Of which
opinions shrink away like the dawn, or rather like
the mists OF the morning before the rising sun
Oh! that faith of everlasting truth, one and the
same universal, and existing through all time, be-
cause it is the emanation, the declaration from the
lips OF God himself, and therefore cannot be decep
ton. This is your faith, and this is my explanation
of the reason why you have assembled here to-day.
For what purposel To raise temple. l have ex-
planned the meaning Of temple. Call it rather a
wing Of the one universal Catholic Church, mere
little sacristy, portion, an outlet an enlargement
of that one edifce which constitutes the universal
church of our divine Saviour. This is the object
for which we have assembled. And there is
one circumstance which ] will refer to as cal
only at the commencement, but till the browning
stone and the completion of this great work-and it
is this. But oh !! why may | not require that an
angel should touch and purify my lips before refer
divinity Of Jesus Christ is denied and, in proper
ton as the enemies of faith multiply their bias
phemes against God and against His church, in the
same proportion does the Catholic Church stand
out firmly and strongly against every approach to
such consummation. Hence it is that we know
Jesus Christ to be God and man. He is God from
eternity, the second person in the blessed Trinity
He is man born in time, conceived by the power of
yIrlxr af
virgins name was Mary. And the Catholic church
has ever been taught, and has ever held, that
Mary, being the mother Of Cod though in one sense
the child OF Eve-Eve's daughter-yet as she was to
be the mother Of God incarnate, He had preserved
her immaculate, untouched by the stain and the de-
Element oforiginal sin. And hence the church, from
the beginning, has always been accustomed to re-
gard Mary, the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ,
as conceived without sin. And now, so far as l
know, these rude foundations the first that have
been laid this continent In attestatOn Of that
conviction, and faith, and feeling of the Catholic
Church. And this church is to be church dedicat-
ed when completed to the blessed Virgin Mary;
for though only human creature herself, yet the
mother of the Son OF God the Saviour Jesus Christ,
conceived without the slightest stain Of original
guilt surely Christians surely the title Of this church
will not be hndrance TO your zeal in aiding in the
prosecution Of the work till its completion. On the
contrary, l can have no doubt that wherever the
Catholic faith is strong in the hearts of men, the
very idea of leaving only one proof as testimony to
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people in honor of that sacred my stery will be an
encouragement, and that you will stand by this I'M
dertakipg You, who are Catholics of Brooklyn,
without exception this church is yours. You have
others already, but you will want more even after
this is completed By what do you stand? Oh,
by your faith, by one another, priest by priest
and man by man. Whenever occurs any great
undertaking like this, commenced and completed
especially under auspices felicitous those Of
this day, you will not rest till you see the work
either entirely completed, or at least far accom-
plished to be beyond the range of possible dsap-
pointment. | am astonished to-day myself, to see
the multitude here around me-the aged, and those
in middle life, and the young-and ! am delighted
that in the neighborhood even Of this great city OF
Brooklyn, there some fifteen hundred children
looking on and in the innocence of their life, and in
the ardor of their young faith raising their voices to
God, in hope that this work shall be completed and
that every other work to His glory shall be com.
pleted. Fifteen hundred children, this 18th day OF
July, 1853 and yet remember the period when in
this city-in the great Brooklyn great as it has
BEEN great it is but still greater If it were not to