Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1874-06-05
INDIGNATION Meeting.

delivered by the Right Reverend
Bishop of the Diocese of North Caro-
lima, in the Protestant Episcopal Con-
vention held in Wilmington, on the
morning of May 23d, 1874.
Tie meeting was called to order, at
ter hich, the offensive charge, above
referred to, was read.
Comments were made and resoiu-
tons drawn up, condemnlng the sao
charge as q reflection upon the charac-
ter of the Catholics of this city, State,
and world at large, in the practice of their
religion, and fitting to be denounced; as
two thousand copies of the same Often
sive charge have been ordered to be
distributed throughout the State.
The Pastor, the Reverend Father
Gross, was called upon to address the
congregation, on the subject of the
"Sacrament Of Penance". He spoke in
substance as follows
Nh dCuy uud justly Indignant IcO-
pic Let me say to you sooner
might one attempt to defle the very
rays of the Sun with filth, as to attempt
to defile by aspersion the divine light
of Catholic Faith shed on earth. Hav-
ing arrived only within this week
from Raleigh and read the subject of
your and my own just Indignation, and
whilst I feel myself unprepared to do
Justice in argument to this great Sac
rament of Penance yet [ must give
you and others an account of the
''Faith that is within u.s. knowing full
well that even one pebble of Catholic
Truth is powerful enough to over
throw any adversary, though he were
clothed in the armor of a Goliath.
Many per- ons cannot understand why
Catholics 90 to Confession for the re-
mission of sins, because they do not
apprehend the true form of Govern
ment of the Catholic Church. Catho-
lies claim their Church to be the only
Church founded by Jesus Christ for
ever and that this Church was estab-
lished by Him upon certain fixed prin-
ciples of government government
with head, with power, with divine
laws, with a divine Commission to
teach the same to the end Of the
world. If the Catholic Church be
thus considered as a visible spiritual
kingdom, it viii not appear strange
that she should claim the power of for
giving spiritual offenses or sins.
Christ, OR Lord, first made to the
Apostles, the promise of establishing
this His Kingdom upon earth and Of
giving it to them and their legitimate
successors, Fear not little flock, it
hath pleased your Heavenly Father to
give you Kingdom"-a visible,
spiritual Kingdom upon earth. He
further promises to appoint one among
them as tie President or visible head
and SO Ee says 10 Simon Peter: Thou
! art rock. and on this rock l Will
build my Church.. " and Il will give tc
. thee the Keysof TIE Kingdom Of God.
! These promises of Christ, Of establish.
ing His Church az an understandable,
visible Kingdom, were 4 confirm alton
of the Jewish prophecies concerning
Christ and His Kingdom on earth
. After His resurrection, orr Savior
/; makes good these promises He es
tablishes His Church. His Kingdom
: He organizes it. He appoints the
visible head in His absence To the
same Simon Peter He now gives the
: supremacy ci the Apastolate, and three
times does the Lord commission Peter
to fec.i Has sheep and His lambs, tina
, il, be the chieT Pastor of His visib..
, Church: "Peter, lowest tI.ot. ne more
than these. : feed nay sheep
: feed my lambs" Thus Simon Pets.
was to be the visible rock of the In
+ visible Rock, Christ; the visible chic
, i'aetor representing the invisible
, she;,ller,; o. souls, Christ; the visib,,
Lord, Christ, appointed to hold til,
Z G TinorIn,>, l.,
Church and ''to confirm the faith O.
; His Brethren
,. Christ inlparis 10 His kingdom
power, as no government ~hateve
= can exist without power. g Al
/ the power Which I have before N.
=. Father L give you AGO forth
. for the remission of sins acts I.3S
+ They were also to forgive sins CONT
r ted after baptism. For even as Son O
. Man, Jesus Christ had received this
g power of forgivinG sias For at the
/ curing of the Paralytic, when the i.a
pious PharIsees had thoughts of bias
phemy and said within themselves
: who can forgive sins but God only.
Jesus answered that We may know
that the Son Of Man hath potrer On
: earth to forgive sins, de saith to the
man sick Of the palsy I say to thee
!. Rise, take up thy bed ;" and he wen
away. glorifying God" Luke l.
u, %, q. Now, on the very day o.
his resurrection, He said to the Apos
,, | ties =" AS my Father hath sent me,
l also send You John Ky, u. Con
> scQuently with the same powers that
as man ala sent by my Father, l also
, send you as my substitutes, as pasto-s
OF my Church. And that there might
be no doubt that i'll these woris, he
included the power of forgiving sins,
aye, to show them that this power was
particularly included in them, He i'm
meIiately "breathed upon them and
said, Receive yethe Holy Ghost; whose
sins ye shall forgive, they are forgiven
them, and whose sins ye shall retain,
: they are retained" John Xxx, 22.
/ Thus the Apostles were appointed to
| continue the work Hehad inaugurated,
| OF teaching all truth and of forgiving
sins. And [ am with you all days to
the cOnsumEaation of the world" Thus
were The Apostles to 1--we to the end of
the world, iii their legitimate success
sOrs. Transmitting their orders and
mis:non, and powers to them as for
/ example in orr Republic, Washipgt tor
( successors and in the transmission
of their powers. 1t is thus certain
from Scripture. that the power Of for
giving sins was given to the church,
and If given, was granted to be eyer
clsed as long as the church was to re
main on earth, to the end of tine
| This power Of forgiving or retaining
| sins, according to the disposition Of
( fI.Ac tt,J1c Ia1o IL
of God to the ministers of His church,
who are merely His servants in it's
exercise. The power Of forgiving sins
by the ministers of Christ's Church,
necessarily supposes the knowledge of
the existence of grievous sins in the
| individual to be pardoned; and this
knowledge is obtained by his confess
sion, whether made in secret or pub
lcly. The confession of sins is of
Divine commandment, both in the
old and new law In the New Tesla