The New York herald., 1872-11-18
ST. FRANCIS XAVIER'S CHURCH.

Sermon by the Rev. Father Icrriclk, s.
J.-What Constitutes a Catholic?-Is
there Salvation Outside the Catholic
Church:
The sermon at this church yesterday was
preached by the Rev. Father Merricx, who took for
nis text that portion OF the Gospel OF the day
which reads, "The Kingdom Of heaven is like to a
grain Ofmustard seed which man took and sowed
In his field; which is the least indeed, OF all seed
but when 1t is grown up 1t is greater than all Seeds
and becometh tree SO that the birds OF the air
come and dwell In the branches thereof" The
Saviour, said the reverend gentleman spoke in
parallels, as was the custom OF the people Of the
East. 1t was by means Of parallels that the people
were taught in everything, and in speaking TO
them in the parable Of the mustard seed the
Saviour did that which would have the most cor-
tain effect upon His hearers. The mustard seed
spoken OF was the Word of God, the great tree
which sprang from it the Church OF Christ and the
birds that locked to its branches were the true
Christian members OF that Church-the children OF
God.
THE ELECT or HEAVEN.
The reverend Father then went on at considerable
length, arguing to show that the Roman Catholic
Church was the only true Church. Ii it was not
the true Church then there was no God Outside
of the Catholic Church there was 40 salvation.
every Catholic was bound to believe it. But it
should be borne in mind that the Church had, so
to speak, soul and body and that Catholics might
belong to the body without belonging to the soul,
ana that non n-Catholics might In reality belong to
the soul and yet not belong to the body. In other
words, 1t did not follow that because man was
Catholic and outwardly practised all that his re-
walton than o non Catholic. II he snned in secret.
although he might have faith OF that kind that
moved mountains, and to all appearances was
GOOD CHRISTIAN,
he was certain, II he died in that state, to be
doomed to eternal punishment This kind OF
not to tile SOUL lie had faith, it is true, but faith
alone cannot secure our eternal salvation.
must accompany faith and Without good works
ana lath combined 1t was impossible to please God.
Now as to the nonCathollcs who belonged in
were undoubtedly many persons who were not
Catholics as far as attending the services in a
Catholic church were concerned, and VINO ofcOurse
did not partake OF the sacraments, who were in
reality Catholics The teaching OF the Church that
outside OF the Catholic Church nobody could be
saved did not mean that everybody who was not
Catholic would be damned that because q man
was Presby terian Methodist. an EpiscOpalian or
because he belonged to any Protestant sect, he
was necessarily doomed to go to hell Such was
not the teaching OF the Catholic Church. AS he
had said before there were those who belonged to
were In reality Catholics. True they might not
"belong' to the Catholic Church as the term Is
generally UNDERSTOOD, Dut they were LOT oil that
Catholic IN the true sense the Church means 1t to
be understood. And who were these Catholics who
did not .'belong" to the Church and yet were Cath
0lics They we're those who led good lives, who
believed in Christ and were ignorant OF the fact
that the Catholic Church was the only true Church;
who, In other words, were anxious to be right and
who prayed to God and strove to find out whether
the religion they followed was really the right one,
and, who, i they became convinced that the Cath
olic Chul ch was
THE ONLY TRUE CHURCH,
would join her communion. These were really In
the eyes OF the Church Catholics. Still this is no
reason why those outside OF the pale OF the Church
should think that they were all right and that they
could secure their salvation as easily out OF 1t as in
IL; for those only who did not deceive themselves
into the belief that they could jog along through
life on any road aud yet reach heaven were Catho-
hes belonging to the soul OF the Church, though not
to the body. And 1t was easy to deceive ourselves
into this kind OF belief We were living in an age
OF inhdelity, OF materialism, OF anti.religion We
could easily deceive ourselves by our selflove by
ambition, by our vanity, by our love Of the an.
pause OF the world into the belief that because we
did no great wrong to anybody,
WENT TO CHURCH REGULARLY,
and to all outward appearances were good Chris
tlans, had faith In all that the Church teaches and
yet inwardly were guilty OF some mortal sin, we
he was member OF the Catholic Church as lar as
outward signs went was not a Catholic. Better
norance OF the wilderness and ignorant of the
Word OF God, than to be Catholic only IN name in
q great city where his mode Of life would scandal
pleasing to God, to make our salvation sure, we
should have charity In our hearts-the love OF God
above all things. lie who had this must be a be.
lever in God and would do good works and live a
life outwardly and inwardly that God would re.
ward by le OF eternal happiness. We might by
being Catholics outwardiy only deceive ourselves;
but we could not deceive God lie alone knew our
inmost thoughts-our most secret actions. BY
them as well as by our actions that our nciChbors
could bear witness to we should be Judged The
reverend Father then closed by exortlng his hear.
ers to so live that they would receive the recon-
pense which God reserved for those only who
served Him faithfully here on earth,