The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-10-25
ST. STEPHENS ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH.

Sermon by the Rev. DIR. Mc(slynn-The
Authority Of the Church-rhe Ecumenical
Council and Perc Hyacinthe's Position.
At the principal mass at st. Stephens church, on
East Twenty.eighth street yesterday morning. the
Rev. DR.. E. McGlynn, pastor, taking his text, Mat
thew xvi, 13, 10, delivered an eloquent discourse
on the authority Of the Church, which he con-
sidered peculiarly opportune at the present time
IN view Of the interest which Is felt In the approach
ing General Council. True faith s the result OF
authoritative teaching by divine au thority. 'But
whom do You say that ann Simon Peter answer
ing. sald:-Th0u art Christ. the Son OF the living
God."' And Christ assures him that not mere
human nature, but the Father in Heaven
had revealed this truth to HIM, and In return
for his confession Of Christ's divinity our Lord
makes him the rock upon which He will build
His Church, with the promise that the gates OF hell
shall not prevail against It, He also promises that
He will make This man Simon, whom He now calls
Peter or The Rock, the chief teacher ana ruler and
judge in this same Church under the symbol Of the
keys by which he is made chief Of that kingdom Of
God upon earth. whose threefold mission 1t is to
teach the truth as taught by Christ to administer
ordinances and execute His law, and to interpret
and apply both His law and His teachings This was
made clear by the promise that whatever Peter
should bind or loose on earth should be bound or
loosed IN heaven. similar promise OF authority to
bind and loose was given to the other Apostles MAT
tHcW ASul.D buUOIuluutc, HOWcVtT, W Tue supreme
authority OF the keys which were given only to
Peter. 10 this apostolic, teaching, governing body
so constituted Christ gives the mission to represent
Him ana pcrpetuate HIS work throughout all nations
and all tlme TO teach what He mad taught. to do
what He had done, TO carry out what He had esta-
bshed. In fact we may say that Christ's chief mis-
sion was to establish such q society," and without
1t His work In Its bearing upon all future ages
would have been fragmentary, incomplete and q
failure. Hence, He says on another occasion to
Peter: Feed my lambs, feed my sheep" John XIII
and to all the Apostles gOhn XXI GAS the Father
Church His living body with which he is be invisi-
bly, present. and In which His Holy Spirit Is to abide
viii not hear and obey this church are TO be con
sdered as aliens from HIS society. "Let him be to
thee US the heather and the publican" Matthew
xvlii.). The reverends0ratOr then went on to show
that the teaching and governing authority OF the
Church was given to Peter and his successors and
to the Apostolic college, and was not to die with
Peter or with the Individual Apostles.
The definitions and enactments Of q general or
Ecumenical Council, in which the bishops OF the
universal Church, the successors OF the Apostles,
assemble under the presidency OF the Bishop OF
Rome, the successor OF st. Peter, are the highest
ity. What Is OF divine institution the Church
not change, increase or diminish. Hence she cannot
add to or take from the original deposit OF faith;
she cannot alter her own constitution (which she
is the creature and not the creator; she cannot
change these ordinances Of Christ which are COM
monty called sacraments; she cannot cease to offer
change the essential nature OF the Offering OF her
eucnarlstic sacrifice But from her very nature as
living society for all times and all peoples, she
endowed by Christ with power over her own discl-
pine Hence she can change, modify or abrogate
cne Ua anu enaGs inc new IN mere matters OF DIS
places. Yet her worldwide nature, the countless
number and diversity OF her children, her venera-
bic character as the Church Of Ages the very pru.
dence with which she Is endowed by the Holy
spirit, who has been promised to abide
In mere matter Of discipline or ceremony: and TO
preserve these powerful helps to unity she requires
various ages and peoples to conform to her universal
"a Sai mi OF
larty by STOPPING to adopt the fashions or caprces
OF any one age or nation Yet from time to time the
In general council to enact statutes or discipline TO
reform abuses, 10 quicken their own faith and zeal
and that OF their locks ana, II necessary or exped
lent, To define the faith They do not pretend nay,
tney positively disclaim the power to make new
revelations or add to the deposit Of faith. TIE
Church simply defines what she finds In this deposit
contained In the testimonies Of Christian anti.
guilty and In her own everyday teachings Instincts
anu practices; That Is, she expalnA interprets ana
places IN clearer ana more explicit light some
point OF fatn asserts that she finds it In the original
deposit, ana forblds the teaching OF the contrary
munion Thus It Is that she has defined from time
To time in her councils OLD Christian truths AGAINST
Tue qubpies OF nereiSs OF the sophisry Of SCI oas
divinity OF Christ, and later, at Ephesus and Cnace-
don. the doctrine OF Ills incarnation. And so on
through the various councils 1t was In this sense
that a few years ago, the Church defined the doc
trine OF the immaculate conception, which SO lar
from being new doctrine was household word Of
devotion TO every Cathonc child, and finds ~ I'M
phclt argument In the writings Of the earliest
Fathers No weak or ill-lnstructed Catholic need
tear new revelation to tax his faith II as rumor
has II, the Council should define the ASSUMPTION OF
the blessed Virgin IL would be nut what Is Implied
In the Worldwide annual celebration OF that event
on the 10th OF August; and II 1t should define the
prerogatlve OF the Pope to teach infallIby er
to the whole Church, in matters of laith-it would
but define what has been taught by the Council OF
Florence -FOUR hundred years ago, where Greeks and
rulei and father OF the Christian Church.
AT various times ambitious or disappointed or III.
advised eccesastcs qubbled about Jne doctrines OF
the Church. or denied them, or have been rebelious
90 her authority or rendered too hating an OBJ d-
ence. II IN our time any eccleslastc, no matter
how eloquent, how brilliant, or how honored he
may have bee1, should believe that O general conn-
Gil Of tine Church define OF iatn what is really