The New York herald., 1876-02-23


the Rev Father Callaghan. Rev. Father Mcdowell
Rev. Father FItzsimmons, Rev. Father NcotS Rev
Father Larkin, Rev. Father Lynch. Rev. Father No
Quirk. and Rev. Father Donnely. The
preached by the Rev. Dr. Duny OF 81 Josephs church.
in response 70 an invitation from the Union he took
his text from the episte OF St James second chapter
where the disciple says that not only faith but good
works are necessary for salvation We apt
slider the world before the dawn OF Christianity
mersed in awful ignorance and glocm; without honor,
without morality, without God, without any fixed prn
cples TO guide virtue without any definite cnd
toward which to direct his footsteps wthoa; any
BILE assurance OF hnal retrbution But all these
misses false, and never was the world In state Of
greater intellectual grandeur than at tho period
when the twelve fishermen converted to
principles heretofore unknown. Every art that could
humanize cnnobe man had attained it's highest
perfection Every branch Of literature that tended TO
the exercise OF the best faculties had been cultivated
success School after school had discussed the alb
strusest sciences and sought solution Of the mystery
of mans existence. The Roman principles of philos-
ophy had como the truth the ethical code OF
Alexandria had proposed higher and purer standard
OF morals and even upon the subject of the Godhead
Paganism had thrown oil many of It's grosser ideas
and aimed at teaching principles Of intellectual
character. Yet, Notwithstanding all this grandeur
and mental culture, such the tropical splendor OF
the sun Of revelation that men thought from the con-
trast 10 have passed fromthe darkness of midnight TO
the brightness OF noon This was the man
of the coming of faith. 1t
the lght-smple complete and universal II spoke of
the past and the future with the same certainty Of
the present IL spoke OF eternity Of tme II spoke
OF and the greatness of his destiny in the tte-
ness of his origin. But Notwithstanding all this,
MAN IN HIS PRIDE
of heart and in his OF Christian humility
carried away by this uminary OF faith to wrest IL
to his destruction. For We find IN after
times men ignoring the principle OF good works and
depending solely upon their faith for Justification tell
ing that Christ effected the redemption OF mankind
SO completely, wiped away the worlds sins SO utterly
that all we have TO do is TO lean upon HIM, and that
without any concurrent labor of our own but solely by
the easy operation of believing in Christ saved
Hence hear often the doctrine OF justification by
faith alone Hence much abuse OF the Catholic
Church and OF Gods sacraments, simply because
she and lhey say that the murderer must shed
Of contron that the thief must return his stolen
booty that the avengeful and the dctractor must re-
store tho fortune and the name OF their victims; that
although without faith, is impossible 10 please God
nevertheless iath without works IS dead that al
though il is faith the mysteries and revelation OF the
Christian religion which saves us nevertheless II Is
faith its precepts without their observance which
condemns u.s. And here 1t Is that the Catholic Church
meets two different kinds OF opponents-one the
Peagan heresy, which seems TO resuscitae itself in
this day, and which says, If am an observer OF
the law If refuse to lie, # scorn to steal If my man.
hood refuses degrade itself by any act of moral
physical intempcrance l cannot fail TO satisfy ajust
God, matter what relgion or faith profess. Now,
let cndeavor to dsabuse this impression by assur
ing you that your good works can have no
merit but by and through faith. Faith
IL is that impress them with the
seal of eternal lite as the bank noto issued from
the Treasury Department would be useless without the
proper Endorsement SO whatever we do, though hon
orabe and audabe, # it bear not the characteristic OF
faith It were presumptuous to suppose 1t conducive 10
salvation This what ST. Paul inculcates TO the Jews
when he tells them:-'Immoate whatever victims
you please, purify your bodies ever SO much, make
whatever profession you like of an exact religious
ship il all these obServances all these ceremonies bo
not sancti1ed by faith they TO purpose And
this is what the doctors OF the Church demonstrated
necessarily to the herecs OF their times And this is
why preach it to you. And although the argument is
in my words nevertheless 1t is the doctrine of the
saints the doctrine of the Scriptures the doctrine OF
Jesus Christ, that without faith, sincere humble,
obedient faith il IS Impossible to please God Wiil you
ity which compromises the doctrines OF Jesus Christ
answer, cannot do It, IL is my duty simply TO tell
them you II they are too hard, close not with me;
close with that God who created you who
sanctined you, who redeemed you solely out
OF His mercy, aud tell Him, If you imagine
and who bear itY However, His doctrine is
unchangeabe as Himself, and still remains. BE you
angels or martyrs in respect to morals, If you
wanting in purity of faith, in simplicity of faith,
sincerity of faith, answer with ST Paul, your works
avail you nothing, without faith it is impossible TO
please God" But, strange to say, scarcely has the
Church met and refuted this heresy when she has TO
turn her attention to another the exact contrary OF
the former however, no less subtle, but more ex
travagant and unreasonable. l speak OF of the
primary doctrines OF the Reformation that faith alone
without good works will This is smooth
doctrine and remarkably agreeable doctrine 1t only
lead heaven and that pandered successfully to
the degraded age in which was promulgated Faith
without works forsooth. Ask the saints and martyrs
of Christianity II they believed this doctrine Why was
It they prayed tasted and bled Tor their aith2 Why
was 1t they practised with wonderful constancy the
whole compass of evangelical councils and they Will
tell you they did not believe this doctrine for ST. James
taught them different when he said las the body
without the spirit Is dead, 80 also faith without good
works is dead" Is there anything which conduces
more directly or speedily TO inhdety and licentous-
ness of belief than iniidelity and RIGHTEOUSNESS OF
works II this be true, where is your fundamental
doctrine that faith without works will save you Is
It not in accordance with the equity OF our contract
to bind a man the moment he accepts that
tract TO all the obligations embraced therein Why
is it, then when VIC by faith have accepted the
Dbrcfta anitv Inv ifc al
obligations Let me assure you, and you will lind
in accordance with reason, that the Christian who
has accepted and believed Christianity and not fol-
lowed its precepts-n words who has relied upon
the doctrine that faith alone will him--will be
more severely Judged and more terribly punished
Christianity