Daily Republican., 1878-11-04
ANeLIcANIsM w. ROMAslsM
nishop Beekev's reply - bishop
Lee-The Roman Church mot .
Dsspotism-Th Charge Of Pagan.
ism Related.

\
Ism Related.
In the early part Of last week W
published 10 the REPUBLICAN, an extrac
Of q OBSCURE delivered at st. Andrew
Protestant Episcopal church, by BishoI
Lee Of the Protestant Episcopal Dioces
of Delawa are, which contained severa
illusions TO the Roman Church.
DR.. Becker, Bishop Of the Diocese O
Delaware, Catholic, took objection. AM
upon the day following 1t was an
uouncsd that the charges made by tn
Episcopal Bishop would bs refuted b.
DR.. Becker, on the Sunday following q
st. Peters Cathedral.
General publication being given t.
this notice the effect was as might hav
been expected. Public interest wa,
awakened to such an extent that lonJ
before the hour rs p. IN. yesterday ] 70
services to begin, tho cathedral wa
packed with q congregation, one-half o
which was Protestant. The aisles an'
GALLERIES were jammed, the sacristy wa
filed and the altar itself was invaded
The clergy Of the Catholic churches O
the city and vicinity were present, ant
many Protestant Divines were als'
in attendance. a,.E
This Bishop began without any pre-
liminaries by stating what the object o
the sermon was, namely a refutation o
the charges made by DR.. Lee agains
the Church of Rome. They are, among
others, the following:
l cannot but characterize the church o
Rome as soul.crushing and soul-blightint
despotisn; as something which substitute,
ior the faith OF the Lord Jesus Christ spuri
0us snd uncbristlan iaith;a paganisin, osten
sbly In the name Of Christ, with the Virgit
Mother saints and angels substituted in Hi
place: with conscience denied It's rIghtfu
place In the breast, because men are by 1t dc
MED the guidance Of their copsciences.
After reading this, and mentioning
his pain that any such calumnies should
be made, he promised by saying that
he gave Bishop Lee all the credit fol
incerity accorded by that gentleman
to sincere Catholics, and trusted tina,
Bishop Lee counted in that body the
Bishop Of Wilmington. else gratui-
tous insult was offered That he (the
speaker) desired to speak with all
courtesy, yet to repel assertions by
arguments, aud falsehood by truth.
The scheme Of Bishop Becker's an
swer amounted to this : lie claimed
that the Church Of Rome can be shown
historically to be the Church founded
by Christ. That this Is evidently
proved by ascending from age to age.
Council to Council, Bishops, Pon,ilis,
and Fathers, up to and beyond the Au-
gustines, Chrysostoms, Athanasius and
Basil, Ireneus and Polycarp to the very
time Of Christ. "a
That a hurch founded as visible
corporation by Divine Founder, could
not fall ; especially when the Founder
promised, as He did. to be with her
always: st. Matt, xvi, l6; St. John,
Xxx, %; st. Matt, xviii, 10, 10, 20.
That Christ kept His promise, and
therefore the church which can histori-
cally be proved to have not only con.
nection with. but absolutely to be- the
self-same divinely founded corporation,
is the Church OF Rome, which is there
fore the church founded by Jesus
Christ. The church founded by Christ
must be one, must always remain, must
always teach all mon, at all times, all
Truth But TO do this by divine au-
thority requires divine assistance. This
was promised. 1t was also given. The
promise was fulfilled, or Christ Is de-
c-iver. The last assertion would be
blasphemy. Therefore, He kept His
promise. But she was to teach all
truth. Therefore, she could never be-
come soul-destroying despotism. If
she were fallible, II she could, as
Bishop Lee says Of his establishment,
cease to be certain, cease to teach au-
thoritiveIy all TRUTH; II she, the
church, be- not infallible, We grant that
she could become despotism. This
our establishment must necessarily b..
one for admitting that it may teach
error, yet asking men to beli-vs it, he
commits an objectionable folly, for
man cannot be bound to listen to what
may be error and soul .blighting des-
pOtism.
The Bishop Of Wilmington put this
argument very clearly:
Authority TO teach on the one hand,
and the obligation of having and be-
lieving the teaching on the other, are
the two essentials Of the christian reli-
gion, but to perform the first duty, that
Of teaching authori'atively at all times,
all truth, to all men, requires intallible
certainty. The Catholic church, or the
Church cf Rome, has always, and alone,
demands this az an essential condition
of her Office. The church must teach
all men, at all times the truth. The
correlative Of the duty to teach, is that
of obedience, but no one can be bound
to obey what may be- possibly is, or
probably soon will be false; therefore
the duty of teaching by Divine author
ity, brings with it the duty of obedi-
ense by Divine authority. This in
falbiity which the church claims
and exercises.
1t is not however, nor cannot be des-
potism, unless christ be despot; or un-
less the obligation to hear the church
be- blotted out. Now put it thus: God
has founded by Jesus Christ a church
for the salvation of men; he expressly
orders and commands all men to obey
her; but she may at any time teach
error instead OF truth, which men are
nevertheless, bound to listen to, to
hear, to accept, to obey. Such a church
would he a bli5 5ht indeed; but the Cath
Ollie church proves that she cauno,
teach error,t that Chlistgave to her IN un-
dying principle; that he promises to be
with her always to the end of time
This promise he has kept with the
Catholic church; thetore she is not, nor
could she become soul blighting