The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-01-29
RELIGIOUS.
Yesterdays Sermons in the
Metropolitan Pulpits.
DEFENCE OF THE CONFESSIONAL
The SwedenbOrgian View of ChriSt'S
TRANSPORTATION.
THE POWER OF ENTHUSIASM.
Unitarian View of the Mission
Of Christ.
HOPE FOR TIE SINN Err.
Arrogant Selfishness Worse Than
the Sins That Mem Punish.
GODS PRESENCE IN THE CHURCH.
~>~>>~~~>~O>~>~>>~->~--.~~
arrogant Sellishness Worse Than
the Sins That Mem Punish.
GODS PRESENCE IN THE CHURCH.
DiscOurses by the Rev. DIR. McGlynn, Revs.
Henry Ward Beecher, Merrill Rich
ardson, George Hepworth, w. M.
PunchOn, James Freeman
Clark, Chauncey Giles
and Father Kane.
ST. STEPHENS ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH.

ST. STEPHENS ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH.
Confession and the Remission Of Sins-Sermon
by Rev. DIR. McGlyun.
DR.. McGynn delivered a very able discussion in
this church yesterday. taking his text from John
Xxx, 21-24-"Then Jesus said TO them: peace be
with you; as the Father haih sent me. l also send
You. Ana when he had said this ne hrealhed upon
them and said unto them: Receive ye the Boly
Ghost: whose sins you shall forgive they are for-
given them and whose you shall retain they
areretainedr In this text We perceive The original
commission wherein the tribunsl OF confession Is
erected and we also The duty incumbent on
men have recourse TO II the means OF
purifying the soul when 1t has had The misfortune
TO pass under the yoke OF sin alter regeneration in
the waters OF baptism. 1t is instructive ana con-
BOlng TO find that Lord has Instituted this
deriui sacrament for sinners-that He has sent
the Holy spirit to abide forever with the members
OF His my stica body to comfort them and TO do all
things necessary the evolution the divine plan
throughout the ages Yes 1t is sweet to know that
In order 10 give permanence 10 this well the
other sacraments
He SENDS HIS APOSTLES
by that same authority by which He Himself was
sent, ana imparts to them His own power. Hence
1t IL that The perpetuaton OF that authority has
tory continued incarnation OF her
Founder; for the apostles were commanded to
go forth aud teach all nations and this heavenly
mandate has been ODeyed by their successors IN
every age, Christ thereby comes near TO us as He
was to those among whom He preached; He walks
In our most and places His hands little cnil-
dren Is lie did OF DID, to every heart that addresses
HIM with lord, Thou canst II Thou wilt, make
me Clean" He exciaims, II will that thou De
cleansed." How wonderfully Lord bequeathed
this great power to HIS Church-to go throughout
all nations with the authority OF the Almighty
power. aud with the assurance that His promises to
be with them should never fail, 10 the end that His
Church might last till the end of time. The import
auce OF cleansing souls from the OF sin has
been fully exemplined by Christ in the OF the
man suck OF the palsy. For moment
CHRIST SEEMED INDIFFERENT
TO the physical condition OF the sick man, and lie
turns hls attention immediately to his spiritual con-
ditiOnto the palsy OF the SOU, which was an EVIL
Infinitely greater than that OF the body. And He
Ia one be of sGoa thy ns are for
n neaven 70 ole Tor all mea-past' present ana to
once FOR all, and mere Is an example or IT, Our
Saviour gives graces to some, wnIcn Diners are not
destined TO receive. The Jews. deemlna 1t pre-.
.How can TINS man forgive sins b But Our
LORD LORD. ,s showing their thoughts SAID, ain
OF Man hath power on earth TO
forgive SINS then turning 10 the man sick OF the
pdiSy lie Saul Arise; take up tny Deu ana walk
Thereby He works miracle thai can De wrought only
by divine power TO convince them that the Son OF
Man He does not the Son OF God. but the Son OF
Nam has power on earth 10 forgive sins. Now. the
Jews were right wnen tney Contended that God
alone can forgive sins. But here is case where it
Is averred by Jesus that the son of Man has such
power. How, then, can these apparently contra
dlctory statements he reconciedy The only recon-
ciliaton between them Is that wnen the son OF Man
rorgves SINS He does as the agent OF GOd so thar
when That Son OF Mali pardons the sins OF creature
the sentence OF pardon Is rauIed by God, the
a r.
doned; or, rather. He uses the mind ana heart Of
the agent as means and instruments OF
foRGlvING SINS.
II may be objected That CHRIST was The Son OF God
and, therefore, could pardon the sick mans sins by
must bear IN mind the wording OF the text. which
shows that Christ, as man, wrought the miracle,
and that ne expressly tells the Jews that the OF
Man possesses the power oil orgiving sln Confirm
atOry Of this solemn declaration the Jews Is the
fact that lie subsequently sent forth His apostles to
do the same thing that he nad done. This text OF
winch we are treating. l. most striking passage.
at the foundation OF the Catholic Cnurcn,
and 1t seems PLAIN enough to DEFY
an or ;as esseo @
one wherein we behold Christ founding His Church
on Peter, the rock OF ages, ana declaring that
the gates OF hell shall not prevail against her. For
Catholics there is exhaustless source OF reflection
aud consolation In them. Lee Us look more closely
al the greatness OF the authority which CHRIST con-
Ierred upon HIS CHOSEN followers. Alter He had sa-
luted them lie reminded them oil His mission-'.As
the Father hath sent me Also send you.' Whv this
strange and energetic reminder Of his misslonY Be.
cause lie was ABOUT 10 DO something
WELL WORTHY or COMING
and OF His mission Ia the world. And when He mad
said this lie breathed upon them the Holy pIrit of
God-the third person vi the adorable Trinity. Well
might the fishermen have confessed their utter
unwOl tiness to become the recipients OF such I'M
speakabie Iavors. Well might Peter have protested
his i-itness 10 be the aDoae OF the Holy One when
he remembered that dismal night on which he not
only abandoned his Master at the hour OF ailcuon,
but even cursed and swofe hat ne knew Him not.
Wen might they all have done IN like manner. In
spite OF All this Jesus selects them TO declare HIS
name before the Gentlles, ana commissions them TO
accept ut HIS hands this nesmabie gift and TO ex-
erclse II wherever they should ind fattaul minds
and penitent hearts. In obedience to the sublime
dictates vi lis holy will they fastened 10 the ut
most lands to erect molly affairs FOR this new Chris
tial worship, That sacrInce and obaUns Oi thanks
giving might be offered 10 Him for HIS mercles.
Inc voice OF history p-0clains the magnitude Of
their heroic lauOrs anu the magnincence OF their
conquests over pagan and Jewish minds; and when
the arms OF paganism and the powers VI eartn
SWEPT THEM FROM ITS FACE
they wandered into subterranean caves where.
despite the terrors oil martyrdom, they gathered
sautarv remedy Of aDsoluton 10 those souls that
had fallen into sin after baptism. THIS same gift or
applying for pardon Is gwen to all OF us. IL Is not
enough Tor us to know this; we should know snat
we are in duty bound to have recourse TO
II at least once year. Just as tie master IN the
parable sends forth his servants To the highway TO
cOinpei those that nave been invited 10 come In so
also does our Holy Mother, the Church, compel the
converted 10 the ways OF God the Father. The rev.
erend pastor concluded by showing the harmony be-
tween Tue teacnng OF the Catlollc Cnurcn and Inat
portion o the text which relates TO the retaining OF
SIN. moreover, many persons, he sald are aOsOlved
ny GOO before entering the confessional owing TO
their true repentance ana good dispositions; but
sucn aDsOlutlon pfesupposes a firm determination
on the part OF tne peniien TO have recourse to the