The New York herald., 1874-11-22

7 r. Egbert in the wainwright Memorial Protestant
| Episcopal church.
To-day, and hereafter until further notice. the
hours OF service in Grace church viii be halfpast
ten A. NJ and half-past three p. M.
The Rev. George McCampbel wiz preach to-day
at the usual hours In the Spring street Presby-
terian church.
IL the Roman Catholic Church the True
Church OF Gods
To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD
For many centuries IL has been the boast OF the
Roman Catholic Church that II is the true Church
or God and that all others are spurious schts-
matte branches or that church which was founded
py Jesus Christ. In your issue OF Sunday. Novem-
Der l, a writer. over the signature OF 'Pruden-
thus" speaking OF the Roman Catholic Church,
says "In her tabernacies alone, who Is the only
true spouse OF the Lamb. doth He really dwen
evermore" In this assertion "Prudentiusr alb
solutely contradicrs the Saviour Himself, who has
declared "For where two or three are gathered
together in my name there am ! in
the midst or them" Matthew, xviii, 2O.l
1t Is sheer folly. then, for any one
Church to claim a monopoly Of His presence or
say with US only doth He s'realy dwell evermore.n
His own word has settled that question
When the ancient Church or God was first estab-
lished on earth under the superintendeDce OF
ordinances :-"Thou snaIt not add thereto nor
diminish from It," tDeut, Kill, 32) One OF the
laws Of that Church was that the priests
should marry Christ never annulled that law.
What right, then. had the Roman Catholic Churcn
to say to all priests, "you shall not marry, but
you must take a vow OF celibacyS"
Christ said, "Aiter this manner pray ye, Our
Father who art In heaven.'n The Roman Catholic
Church teaches "Aiter this manner pray ye,
Mary mother OF God, have mercy on u.s."
The Lord Jesus Christ says:-"Look unto me
ana be ye saved;" "Come unto me all ye that are
weary and heavy laden. and Will give you rest"
and again, "Whosoever cometh unto me will In
nOwise cast out" But the Roman Catholic Church
says, 'LoOk unto Mary, and pray to her and to st.
Peter and all the other saints TO intercede for
your When the Lord hath spoken one thing,
what right has any Church In His name to teach
and to preach the contrary Is 1t not anti-Christ
IN SO far as it does thiss
In violation OF the spirit and intent OF the FIRST
Commandment, which says, .'Thou shalt have no
other gods before me-" and which forbids the
making OF any image to bow down to, to adore or
serve. the Roman Catholic Church for centuries has
kept images In It's houses Of worship, to which
the people bow down and say prayers, and vet
they say they do not worship these images, nor
the once living mortals whom they represent.
What. then Is Worship when a man is seen on
his knees saying prayers to God all Will admit
tnat he Is engaged IN worship. But when the
knees to Mary or some Of the saints saying prayers
TO them that they say, ls not worship. SO 1t has
declared that they 90 not worship the IDOL to
which they bow down. but the spiritual lntelli-
plea OF excuse? The command. 'Thou shalt not
bow down 70 them" Is as imperative as Thou
men SerHs mages or sprss and sayinS 10
prayers to them are acts of worship.
When Cornelius ie down before Peter
.Stand up; l myself also am man." (Acts, K,
25. 26.) When John fell at the ieet OF an angel to
am thy lellow servant ana OF thy brethren that
have the testimony OF Jesus; worship God.n
to bow down to or worship aught save God alone /
The auricular confession, by means OF which the
Huown the secrets of all it's It's mempers oaK and been
thereby able to WELD vast power IN the councils
Of the state Is not sancti8ned WSa By any precedent
He in no case exacted long confession from
those whom He iorgave and healed. To behold a
ing III Him, were all the Conditions He required
for the extension OF His mercles. ST. Peter st.
IN this respect and there Is not an instance on
record where any one OF them exacted an auricu-
he would extend to him the consoiations OF re-
I ligion or that healing power with which the Lord
to Christ and exacted iath In Him as the condi-
tion OF salvation. None OF them ever sent man
TO tne priest, saying M go confess an to MIN, ana
the auricular confession ana the assumed power
OF all priests to forgive sin Is purely the invention
and work OF men. ana 1t exerts q baneiul influence
upon tie ignorant and the Vicious, for they think
there IS no danger IN sin; the priest will forgive
them, and IL Is only question OF little penance
in lie or a few masses after death, and the soul
viii reach heaven, no matter what it has done.
The Roman Catholic Church nas declared Mary
to DC the "Mother O! God" the s'Queen OF
Heaven" "Queen OF Angels &c. though there is
not shadow Oi authority or the least warrant IN
a
mothers de VINO Is declared TO be without Begin
ming or ending OF days; Of whom solomon SAID,
not contain thee, much less tris house which |
have built" Has He, indeed, mother and that
the dust the earth and the work OF His hand ?
Is 1t not most preposterous Of alI preposterous
teach US that God has mother or
father Nothing OF the kind. What said
the to % m he faTd e
that she was 10 become The mother OF GodS BY
no means He said to Mary, Therefore also that
called the Son Of God" luke, l., 35.) And yet
for centuries the Roman Catholic Church has
taught that Mary is the mother OF God, and have
sald. perhaps, more prayers to her than to any
other being In heaven. Even II Mary. or any
those who asked it (of which there is not parti-
Gle OF Scripture warranty, they would need 70 be
endowed end with the very Attributes and powers Of
dressed TO them. They must needs be omnipres.
ent to be cognizant Of al the prayers addressed
God Is being omnipotent aud omnipres-
ent. Tue Scriptures teach that ''HIs
eyes are In every place, beholding the
evil and the good.n proverbs, XIV, 81 And He
heareth prayer. Though all the word be engaged
IN suppcation, and IN many tongues, He can near
and understand and answer. But, why should
We think that Mary ST. Peter. or any other saint.
Is so nearly equal with God as TO be able TO 90 IKE
wise2 Is 1t not preposterousS Is 1T not absurdS
Christ taught men to pray TO the Father IN His
name. What right, then, has the Roman Ca atholc
Cnurcn to send any worshipper to the shrine OF
any saint to suppicate
The eyes OF the world are getting open to see all
these things. To war with the abuses which have
crept into the Church is not waging war against
the Church oil God. His Church Is made up OF His
believing people and His wOrsnlppers every ywhere,
ana though the Papacy snoAJd be abolished
and the Roman Catholic Church swept out OF
existence, the Church Of Goa would still remain
and the gates OF hell could not prevail against 1t.