Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-05-08

He has made her identical with Himself as we learn from His own words addressed to her when he says: "He that hears you hears Me, hears the Eternal Father who has sent me-" Our obligations to hear this church, to walk in the way which she presents to live this life of which she is the source, are, as the Inspired Word declares, clear, definite, express absolute. If any man refuse to hear thee, our Savior says, 'sLet him be to thee as the heather and the publican; be as those not participating in my graves" And again, he who refuses to hear you, refuses to hear me, despises me and the Father who sent me.
 Her intent and purpose, as St Paul fully states in his epistle to the Ephesians, are the perfecting of the children of men until we all meet in the unity of faith, and of the have attained unto perfect manhood, even unto the measure of the fullness of Christ. So that henceforth we be no longer chil- dren carried about with every wind of doc Urine led into error by the wickedness of men who cunningly lie in wait to deceive us. But rather that doing the truth in charity we may in all things grow up in Him who is our head even Christ.
 She is then the kingdom of God upon earth, but spiritual kingdom, instituted only for spiritual end, and governing men and nations only through the relations of conscience. Yet although spiritual kingdom, existing only for spiritual end, she is nevertheless the savor through which alone civil society is to be preserved. To her ministers Our Divine Lord said, "You are the salt of the earth" Pagan society did not possess this salt, and it gave the | most conclusive evidence that it was utterly unable to withstand it's own inherent weakness and wick edness. The Holy Ghost, through the mouth of the apostle, bears testimony to the utter depravity of those times. Men, the inspired book says, knew not their creator, and built altars to the unknown God. They changed the glory of the in age of corruptible man and of birds, and of four-footed beasts, and even of the 1 loathsome reptiles that crawl upon the | face of the earth. And God gave them up l to the unclean, foul desires of their own hearts, so that the most shameful, degrad- 1 ing passions, and the most unqualified in- | justice became the marked characteristics of their life. They lacked the correcting, purifying, sweetning, persevering savor of the church of God.
 But, my beloved brethren, whilst our society of to-day could not, thanks to Christian life and grace, thanks to the passion and death, to the cleansing, sancti- flying blood of it's myriads of martyrs, to the example and intercession of it's innum
 erable saints, fall to the degradation ot these ancient times, we should not forget that we have the same humanity that these erring men possessed; the same weak and fallen nature subject to the same passions and deplorable excesses. And only the same salt cen preserve us from the same corruption. Secular learning alone will not bring forth this fruit. The schools which produced a Socrates and Plato, 6 Thricidides and Phstarch, Cicero and 6 Virgil, Cato and8AaScipio were, dispite of their high intellectual attachments powerless to purify or sanctify the heart of man. They did not so much as aim al it, they did not conceive it possible. Film. mate from the profane learning of to-day all that nineteen centuries of Christianity have infused into it, and it will be as i'm potent to stem the tide of corruption as were the schools of Athens or of Rome. The light and the truth which come to us by the church, the spouse of Christ, and these alone can preserve society, and give to ii
 peace and stability. Hence all who ad
 ulie duu loEe our Justly PIlIeu CIV 11lAaGlol of day; all who desire to possess an6 transmit untarnished to future generation
 the peace and prosperity that it guarantees to all, the culture and refinement that i
 places at our disposal, the liberty that i
 bestows, the exalted manhood that it i'm parts, should rejoice as they behold start
 ing into existence another sanctuary iron
 which shall radiate this divine light ant
 truth, all regardless of creed or nationalit.
 should encourage the multiplying of thes
 centres of spiritual life, all should con
 tribute iberally of their means for th
 erection of these temples as all society wil
 either directly or indirectly profit b. them, and all should eel 1tainly respect an' honor, should praise and bless those faith full men and women who, out of slende means afforded by the sweat of their brows give generously and constantly in orde
 that the sanctifying graces flowing iron that church founded by our Divine Lor' upon Peter may, through the medium o
 these material temples reach all, unite al in one divine faith, elevate all to the free
 dom and dignity of the sons of God, secur for all true peace and happiness here an eternal peace and joy with God hereafter