The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1869-07-05

chap. 2Sth vrs. His faith 10 Christ Is power |
and veraclty, even N matters beyond tho
comprehension q our reason, By making the
real presence Of Christ in tho Eucharist,
(John 9th chap. Goth vrs.,) In,nne, hIssfaith
in His divinhyf ssTHor.rf, Csfisi, q Son
OF the living G6d,o on which occasion " was
that our Divine Saviour proclaimed him
s'blcsscd," aud declared that the Father In
Heaven had been his teacher.
His love and deyoteAuess grow proper
tlCnatclys7loys strong and ardent, but ia, as
Ghost, SO tnaI 4 ,cissu sssdsd febase. Il
was this loyc thai made hin dcsirc to walk
on the watefs to his Saviour, and on another |
occasion leap irto the wsScs TO swim TO |
Him. Thls love also led him 10 rcbuke his |
Master for subjcctipg himself TO sufferings |
and insults, 10 wlsh that he mlglh see Him |
always Ia the mots bentting splcndors Of The |
TRANSPORTATION, 70 declare shat he would |
never allow his feet to DO washed bt his |
head as well, In hne, 70 smitc the servant Of
the High Priest In the garden.
/ But Peter still lacked that most essential
virtue, humility. He was lmpctuous and
sclf-conldcnt. Even when Christ fore warned
I him at the last Supper ho still was sclf.rc-
liant. His fall, by the denial Of his Lord
with oaths aud curslng, was the fearful rem
edy that forever crushed his pride. II was
| Permitted by Christ, not In anger for his
punishment, but In kindness for his cure,
since on that very night he was one Of the
favored three chosen TO be the iedrest com
panlons Of our Lord during the Agony In
the Garden. W.
Thus, with humility as deep as his faith
was enlightened, aud his love devoted, the
moulding Of his natural character was COM
plcted, and he was prepared for the higher
supernatural character TO be conferred by
the infusion Of the Holy Ghost JON,
! 9. Nature without supernatural grace Is
like body without soul, nobly and adml.
rably framed perhaps, but lifclcss and inca
/ pablo Of action In Its Intended sphere. This
rudlmentnry and imperfect state was the
condition both Of the Apostles individually
and Of the infant Church collectively before
the coming of the Holy Ghost. lie came
upon them on the tenth day after Christ's
ascension, as we read In tic I'd chapter Of
the Acts. The soul was brcathed into the
body, and the Church's life began. Natural
goodness became holiness. and theuccforth
In Peter We behold the saint. We read the
record In the Acts Of the Apostles.
His faith has become rs a mighty trumpet
which pro:,a.s.;- r;-"s Of Nazareth, even to
the ends OF the earth-as q net which draws
souls to him In thousands at each Of his
scrmons-as a regal sccptrc Of miraculous
power, obcdlcnt to whose sway the lame
walk, the palslcd leap from their bed, the
dead are raised 10 life, and even his shadow
ne no walks the streets restores the sick to
health. Thcnceforth, no denial, unfaithful-
ness or irrcsolution; his only response to
threats and punishmcnts Is greater zeal In
spreading the Christian faith.
His humility was ever dccpcned by the I'M
dying remembrance OF his denial Of his Lord,
which was ever In his heart as fountain Of
sorrow and love. His ardent devotedness
welcomed scourgcs and imprisonment for
the love of Christ, nervcd him for his thirty
seven years OF labor In the East and In the
West, spending and being spent himself to
win souls to God, and made him welcome
martyrdom-the death Of the cross by which
his Master had dled-but asking and obtain
ing that he should be fastened TO Il with his
head downwards, for his great suffering aud
humiliation. Such was ST. Peters character
after Pentccost.
5. To these qualities OF his personal char
actcr arc added the prcrogativcs OF His posi-
ton In regard to the Church.
Christ has organized His Church In Just
such manner as He chose to have II, and
what He has done In regard to 1t Is not
theory to be speculatcd on. but o fact to be
Inquired Into and asccrtalued; whereas lie
might have made II an intercourse Of each
individual soul with God solely and directly.
lie was pleased, on the contrary, to establish
visible ministry OF men ordained to be "the
ministers Of Christ and dispensers Of the
mysteries OF God''-1 Cor, 4, 1; whereas
He might have established these In separate
Independent communities. He was pleased, on
the contrary, to constitute all the Church rs
one sheepfold, one kingdom, one city, one
family, one body whereas lie might have
! lived on earth always to superintend II, or
have guided II and preserved It's unity from
His throne In heaven. He was pleased, on
the contrary, to go to His Father, and to
appoint visible yiccgercnt to oversee
His visible Church: That one was Peter.
When, therefore, He speaks oflis Church
! as building, Peter Is the rock that is to be
Its foundation. When lie represents IL as n
kingdom, the keys-thc symbol OF supreme
I power--are given to Peter. When He de-
! scribes Il as sheepfold, Peter Is the shep.
herd appointed to feed the lambs and the
, sheep. The Church shall bind and loosen
! tho wills and conscicnces Of men; aud to
Peter is given the supremacy Of the binding
quer the world. and faith Is to be Its weapon;
Christ prays for Peter that hs faith fail not,
and orders him to confirm the faith OF his
, brethren.
Such supremacy In the visible Kingdom
Of Christ, so high above every earthly king
dom, must be acknowledged to be a dignity
far above that OF every earthly monarch, yet
10
: on higher level; II Is kingdom not OF this
world. These powers are given to Peter, not
for himself, but for the Church; they sub
sst AFTER him; he lives In his successors.
, Centuries later, st. Ambrose was still TO ex-
claim, "Where Peter IL, there Is the Church"
aud St. Augustine; "Rome hath spoken, the
, dispute Is ended" We claim for St. Peter
and his successors those prerogatives, and
1 those only, which now directly from the
. position aud duties which Christ has as
signed him In the Church.
The Church and Its visible foundation
stand together. Gods word Is pledged for
their perpetuity and indefectibility, and the
Almighty knows how TO make His word
, good, Both the Church and Peter have
been aud will be attacked and Knocked.
Christ had forcwarned them that rs lie had
, been called Belzcbub, they, too, should be
called devils, and so they have bceni but
! force and moekery were alike 10 be 10 vain,
= and so they have been and shall be.
God is bringing back the wanderers to the
kind, fitherly rule they have for while re.
jccted. Let us by the imitation of Peters
|, faith, love and humility, be 1T to welcome
: and receive them, and show ourselves not
unworthy Of our holy Church, and Of st.
, Peter who yet lives and reigns In his success
= sors.
: METROPOLITAN NJ. 4. CHURCH.
During July and August evening service
. In this church will be suspended except q
social gathering In tho lccturc-room for
!, prayer.
J, The pastor, Rev. DIR. Newman, In the
morning service dscoursed to full congre.
. cation, speaking from the Goth verse Of the
Z linh Psalm; "Hc hath not dealt SO with
u any nation"
He said there were no such hymns as those
Of the Jews, and no such national literature
: Through all yiclssitudes they were faithful
g to their land; for when banished they sal
y down by the waters Of Babylon, hung thel
y harps on the willows and sang; "If | forge
!, thee, o Jerusalem, lot my right hand forget
y her cunning. II do not remember thee
y let my tongue cleave to the roof Of my
e mouth; If prefer not Jerusalem above IN!
; chief Joy" Even the psalm from which the
text Is taken Is a song Of patriotism.
d On this glorious day, the anniversary o
6 the birth Of our nation, let us render ou
> thanks to Him, for we feel that he hath deal
IS with us as He hath not dealt with any
% nation.
e In the examination Of the text, as II ap
l. piled /, us, he said we have two things to