Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-03-17
LENTEN LECTURE.
A Synopsis of the Third Lecture
by Bishop j. j. Kain.

I and behold L am Win you ali udl .,
I even TO the consummation OF the world.
! Matthew xviii, 1920.
Briefly reviewing the ground already
passed over in his former lectures, the
I Bishop continued: Christ has founded
a church and organized 1t into perfect
society. 1t is His body, His kingdom,
His sheepfold, &c. 1t is not, then,
made up Of heterogeneous elements, be-
! tween which there is no band OF unity.
On the contrary, as a divinely organized
society, it blends together most admira-
bly the nations of the earth, in every
other respect, save religion, so different,
and forms them into one kingdom
where there are rulers and officers of va
riOus ranks-bishOps, priests, deacons,
&c.-all subject to a central and
supreme authority vested in the
blessed Peter, and his successor in
office, the Bishop Of Rome. To these
His ministers, the pastors of His church,
what promises has Christ made guaran-
teeing the perpetual existence OF that
society OF which they are officers, and
defining their powers in teaching the
members of that Christian society?
Quoting from the NNlth chapter OF St.
Matthew: "Thou art Peter, Ia rock
and on this rock | will buildmy church,
and the gates of He'll shall not prevail
against it, the lecturer maintained that
this was clear prediction OF the sta
bility" of the church; pledge that she
cannot perish. He appealed to history IN
proof OF the fierce and continued efforts
made during the past, nearly nineteen
hundred years, to invaildatc tins
prophesy by destroying the Church, but
all i'm vain. The Church to-day is as
united and as firm as nj any period oi
her past existence, and by her stability
il giving evidence of the divinity Of Him
who founded her and declared that no
power OF earth or he'll should destroy
her. But the Church built originally 10y
Christ on Peter, must be still resting on
Peter, as on her divinely guaranteed
foundation. Now what church recognizes
the spiritual authority OF st. Peter, per
petuated in his successors, the Bishops
OF Rome, as the very rock on which
securely rests the edifice OF Christian
faith? None but the Catholic Church.
The inference is irresistable: The
Roman Catholic Church is now, as she
ALWAYS has been and must always con-
tinue 10 be, the Church OF Jesus Christ.
What she was as she came forth from
the hands of her Divine Founder, that
she must ever continue To hr; she can
not lose anv element that is essential 10
her very existence. But she was made
teaching church; TO her was committed
the sublime duty OF making known TO
all nations, of all times, all the saving
truths of faith. To qualify her to dis
charge this duty, she is invested with
supernatural wisdom To guide her.
Christ Identifies himself with the teach
ers oi His church. Ii He is iniaIlibIe
and cannot teach error, so are they who
represent Him. "He that hcareth You,
hcareth Me-" The spirit of truth, the
Holy Ghost, is given to the church
for the express purpose OF en-.
abling her to teach all truth forever,
rs We read in the 18th and 10th chap
ters of 81. John. Moreover, Christ
gives the positive assurance that OhedI-
ence to the church is the solemn duty
oi every christian. Iii lhcl will not
hear the church, let him be 10 thee a.
the heather and the publican. Matt.
NNIlI. Il.
But it would be blasphemy 10 assert
that Christ requires us, under penalty
Of being numbered with the hcathcn,
to listen TO and obey a church, that, as
our Protestant brethren say, may lead
and has led men into every kind OF
abominable error, and even idolatry.
But the strongest proof OF the unerring
authority of the church in teaching the
truths Of revelation, is found IN the
very words of that magnificent com
mission given by Christ to His ApoS-
tles.-Matt. NXNlII 1920, lSee text
II is clear that very special presence
Of Christ is here promised to the
apostles, and to their successors also.
since that presence is To continue until
the end. not Of their lives, but OF the
world, and that moreover this perpetual
and special presence OF Christ with
the pastors OF His church is for the
purpose of enabling them to fulfil the
commission, Teach all nations all the
truths Of salvation for all time On
the other hand, all men of every age
and cline are placed under the
necessity OF hearing these apostles, and
receiving from them the doctrines
which they are authorized 10 announce.
Ii is indeed very different to see,
reasoned the Bishop, how any one
believing the Gospel, can reject the con-
cluSion which We draw from this plain
declaration of our Divine Savior, viz:
That the church commissioned by
Christ TO teach the saving doctrines ui
the Gospel, in His own name, and
supported by His divine presence, can
possibly err in her cnunciatiOn Of these
truths. But il she cannot err, then l.
she infallible?
The subject being So important, the
Bishop announced that, on next sun
day evening, he would continue his eX-
r,os;tiOn