The New York herald., 1870-05-23
ST. srEPnEs's ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH.

The Essentials 60 salvation Literally Con.
sidered-Sermon by the Rev. DIR. Edward
McGlynn.
"Faith, hope and charity: these three but the
greatest OF these is charity" This was the text of
an eloquent sermon delivered by the Rev. DIR. Nc
Glynn at ST. stephens church yesterday at high
mass. Faith, hope and charity, said the preacher
are essential to the spiritual life aud happiness Of
every man that comes into this world and 1t would
be illogical, when this is admitted say that one OF
these more essential than another yet the Apostle
does not hesitate to say that one IL greater than
the others-''the greatest OF these is Charity,
1t is charity love OF God that sanctHes the soul
and faith Is but the means and necessary condition
of charity, while hope Is merely the combination Of
one and the oherof the love OF the eternal life and
OF faith In Gods power and willingness to give to
u.s. Christ comes to save US through faith and love,
because this is required by the very ma
ture OF man. 1t rs an absurd prejudice
OF many minds that there is a necessary
antagonism between nature and grace reason and
faith, the world and heavens and some would almost
seem to imagine between God the Creator and God
the Rede,mer Again, some would seem 10 imagine
that God has cursed entirely and forgotten His org
nal work, while
THE TRUE CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE
is, that God the Redeemer Is not new and strange
us; that His mercy is over all His WORKS; that HIS
law is written in every heart, and that He has
left no man without witness Of Himself,
as Is taught expressly by st. Paul, and
that He forsakes no one who has not first forsaken
Him. Now, as God has created us with intelligence
and VIII, mind and nections our very nature seems
to require that we should be saved by the knowledge
Oh the true and the love Of the goodhat is by the
SR s ad aca rove q hSs hy or IN oe @ terms
Because 1t Is the end, or which faith Is the means.
Hence It is thar faith without works is dead; that
TO our greater condemnation II, having believed
aught, we have not zone aught. No ma1 IL saved
without charity, no man Is lost with It, No man is
saved merely by the knowledge and belief even Of
the full and entire deposit OF christian faith while
with the love Of God many are saved with onya
very imperfect knowledge OF this deposicOt faith
provided their Ignorance Of it, Is very frequently
The case is not through their own fault Hence It i
that all the Catholic teologians teach that what ia
called
INvINcIRLE OR INCuLpArLE IGNORANCE
viii be juiged accorc 70 tse ht WHICH sl he ha s
Hence conscience Is the ultimate guide for each ii-
be erroneous until he discovers his error so, II any
man following even an erroneous conscience, were,
suffer death at the hands Of any iduisitor wheter
schsmatcai, heretical or Catholic, we could very
wei well say hey MARTY pray Tor us" Catholic
tian faiIh, that it Is necessary 10 believe far as
they are propery made known to MS,
and others without which no man can be saved, A
man may be ignorant OF the former without any
fault or his, aud In such case may be saved without
knowing Them In the opinion OF many theologians
no man having the use Of reason can be nculpably
ignorant OF the latter. These tneOogians quote ST.
Paul TO prove that what IS absolutely essential and
what no man can be fautlessly ignorant Of is that
God Is, and tnat He VIII reward those who love
Him." l incline to this opinion, because 1t seems
the more rational and more worthy OF the mercy
and
UNIVERSAL FATHERHooD OF GOD
But others hold that II Is essential know also the
doctrine OF the Trinity aud the Incarnation. But
with these do not agree, for the reason that there
ma may De many, even IN n pagan lands VINO may love
ten q their hearts and be loved in return I by Him Him
who love me-" The full knowledge. there
fore. OF the true faith and Inc com
because OF the greater helps to charity and cOmmu
Mon with God and the sanctlfcation OF our souls
with which they supply us. Hence 81. Paul tells US
that faith shall cease; fer we then shall see what we
now believe, but charity VIII be eternal. Charity,
which is the end, must also be the principal means
with Christ and His Church. Charity Will attract
where controversy would repel. We must begin by
acknowledging the truth and the goodness that
even OF the pagan, II we would do him any COOL and
bring him 20 better knowledge OF the true and
convert any man ls 10 begin by abusing him and
whacSing his head merclessy with a controversial
While all Catholic theologians agree that incul-
paD.e ignorance excuses, yet sOme who may be
described as bgots are inclined to deny as matter
the truth. They win tell you that the truth
Of the teachings OF Chrst's Church is sufficiently
promulgated so that 1t Is hard TO admit excusable
ignorance In q given case. differ with them en-
tirely; and think 1t sufficient to quote the example
and authority OF the illustrious John Henry Newman
an honest, q learned and great mnd-lf ever there
was one-who, with his heart upon his lips shows
in his Apologize now, during his slow and weary
growth In the knowledge OF Truth, which
ENDED IN HIS BECOMING A CATHOLIC
he was always honest ana always In good faith
Again, the iilustrious DR.. Manning. Archbishop OF
Westminster. has written work on "The Work
1ngs OF the Holy Spirit i'll the Church OF England"
in which he holds that II was the work OF the Holy
Spirit TO preserve the fragments OF Catholic truth
for the benefit or many souls VINO otherwise should
have had no guide. and as materials for work OF
glorious restoration to Catholic unity. II Christians
bitterness they would the sooner convert the world
TO theological truth. II the world has not been con-
verted long ago 1t ia due, perhaps, as much to the
want OF charity towards GOD and man the part of
CHRISTIANS as to the hard heartcdness or wrong
headedness OF those to he converted.
ANTIOCH BiP TlSr CHURCH.