The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-04-08
Ole GatslIigstrter
nlsILoP nAIN,s LEorpnEs
Crltielsed by a rFolestant clsrsyma
Edltnrn Intelligence. ~ ~ -

Veu leSluEes ol nlsnop haln published
your paper. As Protestant, AIN niue
surprised that this, above allseasons Of Id
year, is chosen by tho Priesthood Rs III
proper time to preach controversial SCI
mons, when most people think penitentig
ones would suit better. Il may be that /
listen 70 these sermons Is part Of the penn
ance the faithful must undergo In Len
and considered necessary by tho author
ties OF tho Catholic Church to confirm tn
wayeIing in viewof Protestant aCtiyityan,
asgreSstveneeS. Bishop Knin very wisely
ior himself, does not altempt to give III
definition OF the Catholic Church. IL
treats the whole matter Us u settled poin
that tho church 10 which he belongs |
that church, and, In the boldest and mos
assertive manner, informs us in his scr
mon on John xx:2l, that there there ar
no more difficulties in accepting tn
claims he puts forward for his church thar
believing in tho existence Of God. Hov
audaciousl The Bishop is following in tht
footsteps OF Peter Huet, Bishop OF Av
ranches, who according 10 Tenneman, /,
his History Of Philosophy, Employee
scepticism us u means Of converting Pro
testantS." And Mosheim, in his Eccie
slastical History (cant. XVII, sec. /, part y
says ut Ia well known that the JGsuits
who were favored by Huet have employee
this method to lead Professionals into thu
Romish communion" Dr. Bentley, "Or
Free,hinking" led. 1913, says on this point
lis most certain that to propagate Athe
isni In Protestant countries has been 4
method prescribed and made use Of bN
Popish Emissaries," "Thus Rome rises or
the ruins OF reason" The t"SuprcmaCy Of
Faith" is in fact the Supremacy Of the
Pope" Does not Bishop Kain say, in fact
to the PrOtestants whom Ire addresses, thai
there Is no halfway house. You must be
either Roman or fnfdel. You cannot re,
main Protestant. In his sermon on the
above text he states that the Apostles re.
celved certain powers from the Head OF the
Church, the risen Savior. But hese powers
were personal; there Is not one word about
successors, and not one word Of the Pope
oil Rome. The Bishops argument appears
70 be that these powers were given to the
Apostles Peter was the Prince OF the
Apostles; he was Bishop Of Rome, and
thu. present Pope is in regular succession,
and consequently my churrhis the church.
What stride from Jerusalem 10 Rome,
and from Rome to Wheeling! But there
are no less than three ASSUMPTIONS First.
that. Peter WIS Prince Of the Apostles:
second, that he was Bishop OF Rome; third,
that the present Pope is his successor. The
Saviour POUNDS His church ut Jerusalem,
Bishop Kain his at Rome. Let us look al
the context Of this DIST verso and compare
It with the corresponding passages in
l.uke's gospel. Wei learn that others were
present besides the Apostles; Just how
many We cannot tell; probably some were
women. The 10Th verse OF this chapter
Xxx, reads: "ln the evening, being the first
day Of the week, when the doors were
shut where the Disciples were as-
sembled for fear of the Jews, came
Jesus and stood in the midst
and saith unto them "Pcacc be unto
YOU" "Then were the Disciples glad
when they saw the Lord" Observe the
term used, Disciptes, a more general word
than apostle. All the apostles were Dis.
ciples, but all the Disciples were not Apos.
ties. In the xiv chapter Of Luke two Of
the Disciples were journeying to Emmaus.
The Savior joined them on their Journey,
the day OF His resurrection. He made
himself known unto them and then vai-
ished. They Immediately return to Jeru.
salem, and in the 33d verse Of this chapter
it ia written they "found the eleven gather
ed together and them that usrc triLI them. !"
and while they were relating their CONVEX.
sati0R with the Saviour ''Jesas himself
stood in the midst and saith unto them,
Peace be unto you. (3Gv.) "And opening
their understanding that they might un.
derstand the Scriptures, said unto them,
thus it is written and thus it beloved
Christ TO suffer and to rise from thO.dead
the third day, and that repentance and re.
mission OF sins should be preached in His
name among all nations, beginning at Jeru.
salem. And We are my witnesses OF these
things. (45-fS) These statements OF JOHN
and Luke complement each other. "The
breathing" Of Jesus upon the Disciples
of John is the opening OF their
understanding OF Luke. "The power
Of remittipg and retaining sins" OF John,
is the preaching OF repentance and remis.
sion OF sins OF Luke, and the sending o.
John is the tcttrcSsing OF Luke. Now was
this gilt Of the Holy Spirit for the renis
sion OF sins bestowed on others besides
the Apostles? II it was, the whole fabric
OF pricstlyabsolution built on these words
collapses. No one will presume TO assert
that any bishop, priest, minister or cler.
gyman possesses, any more than the lay.
man, the power of forgiving sins "N0nt
can forgive sins, but God only" "And
from this it follows that no absolution
given by man can be anything more than
a declaration either general or particular
that sin has been forgiven by God. Every
Christian has warrant TO say TO his broth.
er, repent and believe on the Lord Jesus
Christand thy sins shall be forgiven thee. u
Bishop Thirlwall's Remains, iii p. S62.l
II we take the Bishops text literally il
proves too much, fol then it would follow
that rs Jesus was sent Of God, the Father
"even 80 did Jesus send them" These
words could only be understood with their
proper limitations. The Apostles were uot
sent to discharge that work Of redemption,
which was the one prerogative Of their
Lord; they were sent us He was sent to
proclaim Gods love to sinncrs-to preach
repentance and remission OF sins The
Apostle Paul, writing to the Corinthians,
thanks God that he had baptized but few,
adding, "For Christ sent me not to bap'
tie, but to preach the Gospel" On any
fair interprntion OF the words, in his est.
nation the preaching Of the Gospel was
more distinctly, more necessarily part oil
his Office than the administration OF the
sacraments. Again, in that most solemn
charge to Timothy, what is it that holds
the first place in his thoughts? The power
81 absolntioA? The administration Of the
sacraments as channels Of Grace? No; the
preaching OF the Gospel: 81 charge thee
before God and the Lord Jesus Christ
who shall Judge the quick and dead a
his appearing and Kingdom, preach thu
Word"
The Bishop indulges in fling at the Re
vised Version. Of the New Testament n
changing the Protestant Rule Of Faith. II,
has forgotten the sixtine and Clementin,
Editions Of the Latin YWlgate, the Yersie,
to be used by the Romanists in all scr
mons expository and disputations. Pop
Stylus V. published an edition in 1850
| 4. 1.