The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-03-31
CHURCH OF ST. PAUL THE APOSTLE.

OAOUOA V1 o1s nun LII AA VoAnbs
The True Faith and where 1t Is to Re
FOund-Eloquent Sermon by the Rev.
Father Elliot.
The abOve-named edihce was crowded yesterday
during high mass, the aisles being thronged by
persons unable to obtain seats. The statues and
pictures were envelOped in purple and the left
altar was gOrge0usly decorated. At the appropri-
ate hour Father Elliot assembled the pulpit, when
deathike silence spread softly over the multitude.
The reverend gentleman, who held his hearers
spell-bOund for an hour. Is comparatively young,
but in the pulpit presents an imposing appear
ance. Standing erect, and penetrating every
nook OF the edifice with powerful, sOnOr0us
accents when he fiings his hands and eyes towards
heaven he forcibly reminds one OF Father Burke,
whom he equals in earnestness and iervOr OF die
ton, and whom he may yet rival by more patient
measurement Of his sentences and infusion
OF still more energy into his words. He more
over, is endowed with the faculty OF happily pass
ing du pldiSdnt az seUere-sOmetimes moving his
listeners to laughter and other times wrestling q
sigh or tear He took his text yesterday from
st. Johns First Epistle ", 4-"FOr this is the
victory which Overcometh the wOrld-our faith"
In order that one may receive
THE GIFT DIVINE FAITH
he must yearn for the truth. Truth itself is the
Supreme Being, but truth as it Is known to man
consists OF a body OF rules and doctrines or
these every man knows q certain amOunt.-nat-
ural truths. But there exists another body of
truth which it behoOves men to seek and know
revealed truth Nothing is more certain than that
Jesus Christ came on earth and revealed certain
truths to men. How can we be possessed OF this
revelation : The Protestant says, "Oh, it Is al;
written in this book" (the Bible) Unfortunately
the Bible did not exist Tor the early Christians and
none of them believed it to be the exclusive means
OF Attaining truth. Calvin. Luther, Zwingle and
Otners sought Tor truth in the Bible alone each
imagined ne had found 1t--yO much hp Wit
perated all the Others. The process OF finding truth
IN the Bible has gone on until our own day, when
the number or cOntending sects Is incredible
Truth cannot exist In al-it can be found only in
one church, for truth Is one and consistent. The
only maxim now cherished by all those dissenting
sects Is that II IS not necessary to know the truth
The new method OF seeking it has failed, and there
method.
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH PRESERVES THE TRUTH
as deposit Tor men, in virtue of the powers con-
ierred upon her by Christ when lie said 'AlI power
Is given to me in heaven and on earth; go, preach
the Gospel to every creature. Her authority
Is expressed In the words of Jesus, "lie That
hears YOU hears me-" Her truth is expressed in
the language of the great Apostle Pau-''The
church of Coo Is the pillar and ground of truJh.n
Hence 1t Is that Tor nineteen centuries she has pre-
served that long, unwavering march in the way of
truth, and all outside her were in the shadow of
change, but touching true faith the opinions of
Catholics never can change. How should Catholics
act towards those who do not possess those divine
truths Z TWO classes OF such persons exist. The
first comprises those who wish Catholics no good;
the second. those who wish them no evil The first
necessarily sound
THE HORN OF TOLERATIoN
and fellowship, &C., as the Indian savages were
won't to sound the horn outside the gates of the
American settlers, in order to enter their houses
and destroy them The second class we should
treat with the greatest consideration. We should
lend them good books on Catholic doctrine
and pray for them. 1t often depends on
our feeble efforts to complete the working OF Gods
grace In their souls. In regard to his own
science the Catholic should be proud-not naughty,
as one chosen on account OF his own merits, but as
one chosen by God to membership of the true fold
He should glory In nothing so much as in being
Catholic. and should never be, ashamed to make
the sign OF the cross or to reject meat on Friday
Let men and women form religious societies and
offer the first fruits of their abOrs to the Church.
for God gave them all they have. 1t is saddening
to know that
SINS AGAINST FAITH
exist Parents, when they give bad example to
their children, tend to destroy their faith. Super
stitiOus persons who consult fortune tellers sin
against it, for 1t Is not to wretched women that
God imparts knowledge OF the future. Men who
speak loosely about their faith and Join secret
societies, such as the FreemasOls' and the Odd
Fellows, commit grievous crimes against it. The
very oath OF the MasOns il sufficient to condemn
them. The oath prescribes that 'whoever shall re-
veal the secret things Of FreemasOnry shall have
and buried on the shore OF the sea-" In this the
Free MasOns assume the power OF life and death,
winch COD mas not given to private societies and
individuals. The greatest crime against holy
faith Is apOstasy Thank God IL Is little known, for
our Catholic people have suffered too much to
apOstatiZe. Nevertheless many persons are tenn
pOrariy led astray in the expectation of returning
to the true way. This Is simply bidding farewell to
God Will not in like manner turn his back themg
The speaker concluded his brilliant discourse by
euoglzlng charity and eXhOrting all TO return love
to GOD for His Infinite love towards men.