New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-11-27
CONSCIENCE HIGHER THAN CIVIL LAW

Catholic.
A fulI bioh mass was celebrated yesterday
ct Francis X,viers Church In Sixteentst. near Fifth
AVE. under the auspices Of the Catholic umon Circle VI
NowyorL The mass was celebrated by the Rev Father
D,Iv with the Rev. Father Pelleter s. j., as deacon
md the Rev Father NJ DesardiDs, s. j. as sub-deacOn
Tho Music performed was Bercc's Second Mass win ui
choir and chorus and with the composer himseh pre-
siding at the organ The sermon was preacheu Dy ''o
Rev Father Merrck from the Gospel OF the uay taken
from Jobn XVII l6 10 o. Tho sermon was Dased prih-
cnallv from the words: "And ye now therefore, have
sorrow; but will you again. and your heaft Snail
reio,ce and your Joy no man taketh from you"
The words OF the Gospel the preacher SAID show that
the Church will have distress but also give the conf
dcnce that the Church viii overcome the w0rll. Tbc
Divine Lord announced the Law OF suffering, but accom-
panied tho announcement with prophecy. lie lore
saw that suffering would come 10 Ills Church; but
although 1t should suffer. 1t would always overcome IN
the end. 1t not many days after the CrucihXioh
that Peter and John preached tho news OF the
crucifed Redeemer in Jerusalem. Tney there found
q man advanced IN life vino had been lame from
childhood and was asking aims. Peter turned to him
and tGd him that gold and silver ne hai nOnei Du IN
the name Of Jesus he comnindeI nm 70 Use up aid
walk. Tle miracle was performed, ana u eAcil'u tc
anger Of the chief priests who caused John and Peter 90
be arrested. They were forbidden to preach ID inc he
the sight OF God to hearken moro unto you IMAM unto
God, judge ye" The priests then let them 20 "a peac
Peter began 10 preach again preacneu III tHe
OF Christ and also worked miracles IN us name IAIS
caused great CONSERVATION among the priests % Je,sa
lem ana the Apostles again arrested. But Poter
and john still undaunicd, ana IN answer 10 IN
phas, when he offered them liberty, Icter haId, We
chi IN obev God rather than man." Then OF the
Council Gainalel called attention to the Importance OF
touch Inc mea as they had worked wonderful signs lo
ntmated That IL thoy were not from Con tlIF "ou!,
soon disappear; but If they were from Goa he WOdIi
protect them The Apostles therefore, not pat 10
DEATH scouTged and set loose, Win the proh
biou however That they were not TO pro4cn me name
OF Jesus. The R,deemer also gave an Illustration OF
what the Church would be whom He SAID: Render
me things which are GJds" IL was an injunction tld
the Jews should pay the tribute But whtn ne reusu
10 deny that tie the Spiritual King OF the Jews, lie
form by His own example that the command OF he
Divine Master could not bo dlaJD"{cd al.aEI oy mus
even unto death.
sGc was the history of the Church Of Christ Although
God had chosen 10 subj act her 70 H;rlS IL mai itI
fully watched over and protected nor. Ilere were
three points connected with TINS subject that deservel
attention. Fr-t, the law OF sun ring as applied 10 he
Church. was common TO all manki ID secondly, that
Coo had verified the prOpLecI OF Christ, aGd Had pro
ected the Church and Its suffering; anu thirdly, mat
these facts should lead Christians 10 gL ',r Iala ana
greater devotion TO their reli on Suffering was uni
vcrsal to all mankind. Suffering was not intended by
God when he created man DuV ~ va ~, 49,
something which was good ami ought - exist. Wheu
man was first created 1t WAS Intended hdt be shpd!d DC
happy, ana, preparation for his eternal end th nc
should know ana cjOy happiness. ouch had Decn tlt
con tOn OF the angels. who had been engaged IN the
act OF loving Godm ord.i that III te end tney ngnt
enjoy Gods happiness. they knew HIS greatness ana
HIS goodness. aud were happy III tlelr love OF God
was intended tnat man SHOULD mus ne hpp9 ad II nc
had continued IN HIS love and obedience 81 Gji, ne
would never have known suffering. There we're ansc.s
VINO did pcrseverc IN their love OF GOi and they FELL
but not the fault OF God When man was ere
aed he was endowed with soul and body and wItI con-
Trajectory Qualities II was ID his ha' IL tlat ne si"d
be subjected to suffering and ne was required u suuif
that DO hight enjoy. Mans nature hau Oetn Ddds
varied that he mEut SAT- tEe az 'rcht cohuoh Oh
life; ami God had been pleased To woLk Out Ills own
plan through those VcrJ variations III the O''E'n%i
plan man was not to know suirlnE 1dt TO pursue me
Of happiness. He Was placed ~ the Gar len, win peace
and Joy around MN, aud there pat on ms ria lii ne
never sinned lie would have beon TRANSLATED without
passing through tho agOLles Oh dttth Bat man ich,
because he not faithful; yer Goi ~ HIS mercy con
sidered the nature OF man lie dld hOi 40 WIN the
angels cast him down to hell, Dat gave hun another
chance ard Instituted another stage OF things, 0y es-
tabshng the law OF suffering, 81 as 10 cause hlul To
exercise those Ylrtucs-pduencc perseverance,, luru-
Jude LcroiSm He instituted the law OF sIGeinS mat
might gOry tn ny The exercise OF Tie very vlt-
tues brought out by suffering Even the ;decmcr was
a OF SORROWS and suffering He was born N poverty.
hved lite of hardship and died death OF ignOmuy.
He glord HIS Father Dy LIE Of patience hImlItv,
and trust God The irvine Master Intended that THIS
great model man should DC initiated, no. ny iEuals
alone. but by all the members OF the CHRISTIAN Chdrch
lie initiated by the saints or O!u-uS ep'tlu Sc
ydnts-whO III singular manner et ne o. su"'ih-,
and ia many lad down Their ves, III Obedience ~
TINS law the God who made them. 1t was not won,
derfu, therefore, that tDe Chf'S.'h tH icH EHouil
know sun ring; for Christ was mal Of suffering.
so must the members Of His my steal body suffer- ~
would be seen that 1t had al Ways been su1f and
that Church had been the object ~ per-eeuon bofh
from within ana without. l. hld been y .rsecHtcn ~
the Evil Spirit which had always been INC enemy OF
man. and had also su red from the perVeTe nature oi
man himself. The enemy whom 'hrNi was seht 10
destroy made ana makes use OF perverted human ma
ture of the world and OF the passions OF nan lie hid
used two great means whereby 10 animate Tue thuFCh
of his vine enemy, and these were violence and error
From without the violence and passions Of men had
doctrines had been introduced and intended TO per
meae the whole CAurch with the nereSy OF the first
great liar and the author OF Les
During the first three centuries the great
enemy OF the Cnurcl bad been Tie Roman nptr,
that empire OF IRON, WINCH rau III cOdl OF mall Sought
TO destroy Chst and his followers. Bat ike Dawn,
when he faced Goliath. the Church stood forth unarmed.
One would have supposed that II CHRIST intended TO
destroy this great Roman Empire lie would, To nave
shown His greatness. have scnt iorth His apostles az
the head OF armies stronger tnan those OF Imperial
Rome The prophet III MS vision saw Babylon destroyed
by the Mcies and Porsans, tine Persian Empire dos
by the Greeks, ana finally Greece sh To
iron rule of Imperial Rome. Chrst, kiuS lar more
powerful, cOul1 have instantly crushed Rlnc; Dut
such not the plan OF God. lie showed HIS power
by overcoming strength win weakness. ant might with
patience He sent iorth his twelve apoScs aud tneir
successors to suffer and die, TO Y down tacr lives after
torture By hundreds ana thousands, nay millions; hut
the Roman Empire was crushed at last and the cross OF
Christ was raised te highest pinnacle Of the Roman
capital. Pagan Rome Is no more. Ills WAS tAc hrst
effort OF brute yiClence.
The next was that OF the great impostcr Mahomet,
Who with his NY RAIDS from Arabia spread over Europe
and Asia running all before hun. leaving destruction In
his track, and spreading his gospel OF error the
sword. But he stopped AT Last. Those very CHRIS
tians who had red aud Ocen prosecuted went iott1
to battle with the Saraccn anu again CHRISTIANS aii
Hardly mad Mohanmedlsrn been stopped in ts onward
conrse before the bibl rau princes oi Europe tarued
their violent hands against the Church. mp
own iDfilblty against that OF The Holy Fa,hcr. TIe
King England the KING OF France and The barbarous
Emperor OF Germany claimed rights which they put
above those OF the Father OF the Faithful Tie Church
struggled suffered, and resisted; but finally conquered
Then IN the sixteenth century the Protestant princes
opposition and tried 10 crush Out the Chnrch of
the true CIrls by persecution ana ris But the Church
stu existed Although violence appeared 10 succeed
for tins, 1t finally failed AID the Church became III
umphant
The second !aure OF opposition was error. During
the day OF the early persecution many dG rent here
sios e rccoidei TO have arisen The heresy OF Arian
ism appedrcd to triumph for about 800 years and many
led away by it, out as II error it lasted only
peared until 1t is now only known III history NeXt the
Cuurcl! Of thc East arose 10 separate Catholic unity
ana truth. 1hen for 1000 years the Church enjoyed
comparative peace, ana IN yaln were efforts made to
Iun CL.rcn POM unl uuLI-l NJ