The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1870-10-25
For the REGISTER
The Sermon In Father Heckers Church.

On the first Sabbath in October | at.
tended Catholic church on fifty.ninth
street. After the usual prayers and sing
ing and some other services, which | did
not understand, sermon was preached
by Father Longer, with good deal of
ability. No effort was made to produce
sensation, as is common in most New
York pulpits. 1t was a strait, forward,
terse, extemporaneous discourse, designed
to instruct. The text was the declaration
of Christ to his disciples, rie "All
power is given to me in heaven and on
earth"
shall onl y attempt to give you the
leading points, very briefly. The preach
er said :" The great want of mankind is
relief from their sins-God has provided
that relief. Where is it? In Christ.
1t Christ were at Jerusalem, all men
could not go there to get their sins for
given; there would need to be medium.
Christ Is in heaven, medium of course
is needed. The priest is Christ's appoint
ed medium. Men are slow to accept that
medium, because they say they want to
know assuredly that their sins are par
doned
On earth the pardoning power is ves-
ted In the king or governor of a state. If
the governor desired to pardon a man at
Sing Sing, he would not 90 there and say
to the man, you are pardoned, and open
the door and let him 90 free But he
would rather sit down and prepare and
sign discharge, and give it to the sheriff.
The sheriff is the medium the discharge
is the evidence of pardon. So the priest
is the medium, and the absolution is the
evidence of pardon to the sinner. He
who said, 4" All power is given to me-"
&C., gave that power to the priest and
said, These whom you bind on earth
shall be bound in heaven, and those whom
you loose on earth shall be loosed in
heaven. &c. All this work is done at
the confessional The confessional is very
useful to sinners, and equally so to the
priest, that he may know the state of
mind OF the sinner, 1. ?. whether to bind
or loose him. Many persons raise objec-
tlons to the confessional and say it is no
use that it is discrcditable to us ALL and
that God has not appointed it. Answer
IL Is useful to the sinner to subdue him,
and bring him to right frame of mind 1t
is not discrcdtabe, but exactly the op.
posite. God has given the church power
to declare it, and therefore he has given
the priest power TO forgive sins. Again
this is objected to- by two classes of OBJ.
Jectors. lst. That it is power subject
to abuse, that men cannot safely be en-.
dowed with such power, because they
are liable, and probably would abuse it.
I'd. That the power is divine, very pro-
perly expressed, by the Jews to our Sa-
viour who hath power to forgive sins
but God only" But Christ convinced
the Jews that he had power to forgive
sins and he gave that power to the priests.
That Peter might be able to show that
that trust was committed to him he had
power given MIN to raise the dead. All
the answer We can make az to the pru-
dencc of God in putting such a trust into
the hands Of men, is, let God be the
judge. God has given it to men, and it is
probable he regarded it wise and prudent
to do so.
There were seated on the platform
about twenty men, clothed in white tun-
les, and black caps, to whom the preacher
when he closed bowed respectfully, and
they uncovered their heads and returned
the civiity, They reminded us of the
four-and-twenty elders we read Of We
were afterwards told they were converts
to the Catholic faith, and candidates for
the ministry. After the sermon, Father
Du Schonne said mass. Clothed like the
other priests, he had also on his shou
ders carapax of silk cloth, exactly in
shape like a turtle-shell with cross Oh
it. His service was rendered in an unin.
teliglble, singsong,and probably in Latin.
Had it been read with good, fair enun.
ciatlon even in Latin there were some
present who would have enjoyed it, as it
was, lot Il sentence could be heard. On
the stage were twenty-four boys, neatly
dressed in the habit of priests, and train
cd to perfection, and carried the books,
bore the lights, ruug the bell, lifted the
priests carapax and surplice, and render.
ed all the little tweedledums with such
precision AS to command universal appro-
baton. These little Peris and the priests
at mass, made thousand unmeaning gen
Infections so sweetly that half the audi
ence wanted to follow suite. The organist
and the choir rendered admirable service.
The public service closed, and we follow
ed lnio the street several intelligent
men in the crowd who were discussing
the merits of the discourse, and they took
occasion to say emphatically that the
Catholic church is the grand bulwark of
this nation the only pride and patron of
her laws. LoyoLA.
TAkE MY HAND PApA.-In the dead of
night, am frequently wakenen by lit.
tie hand stealing out from crib by my
side, with the pleading cry, please take
my hand, papa
Instantly the little boys hand is grasp
ed, his fears vanish, and soothed by the
consciousness of his fathers presence he
falls into sweet sleep again.
We commend this lesson of simple, ,flial
faith and trust to the anxious sorrowing
ones, that are found in almost every
household. Stretch forth your hand,
stricken mourner, although you may be in
the greatest darkness and gloom, and fear
and anxious suspense may cloud your
weary pathway, and that very act will re-
veal the presence of loving compassion
ate father, and give you the peace that
passeth all understanding.
The darkness may not pass away at once
night may still enfold you in its embrace,
but its terrors will be dissipated its gloom
and sadness fee away, and in the simple
grasp of the Fathers hand sweet peace
will be given, and you will rest securely,
knowing that morning cometh. = -Coagre0o-