The Irish standard., 1890-11-08
SUBS A N q ], Pr . 4 .
The Church Always Victorious
Oyer Her Enemies. .as

The Church Always Victorious
Oyer Her Enemies.
The Only Religion That Properly Provides
for the Wants Of Mankind The Origin OF
the Church is Certain Her History
Written BY Her Disciples.
retrospective glance at the Catho-
lilo Church, that eighteen hundred and
ainsty years has been attacked by
human passions and the temptations of
hell but has ever been victorious Ac-
cording to the promise of her Divine
Founder will not come amiss as this
decade closes.
Ark of the Covenant, out of which
4here Is no al vation; Brilliant Light,
shat snlightens the world; the Church
offers. in her origin and duration, all
the characters OF truth, grandeur and
tmmutabiiity.
What consolation to the children of
Godt and what conviction of tho truth
of the Church when they see the Soyer-
eign PontiH who to-day SO worthily
hlls the most honorary post in the
Church, has succeeded to the succession
established by Jesus Christ since the
time of Peter. What a succession!
What chain!
In this respect all sects and societies
that have arisen show their inferiority.
For example, the false prophet Of
Arabia maintained that he had been
sent by God. After having deceived
an ignorant people he prodted by the
divisions among his neigh boris to ex-
kend, by force of arms s. sensual
religion. He was unable tb show any
zeal or apparent connection with past
ages.
1t is evident to all, that the various
asets that have been established are
separated from the ancient Church that
.Jesus has founded, in which St. Peter
The period of their separation is so evil
dent, that The heretics themselves dare
not claim uninterrupted succession
The Catholic Church preserves this
succession, and it can never DO denied.
Another proof OF the truth of the
Church is, that sha has always been
victorious over her enemies, and to
this may be added the continual pun
iahment Of the Jews, who have not re-
ceived the prom SEES of Christ, made to
hheir fathers. mu.
Our disorderly passions and indomit'
able pride are the cause. We prefer to
gisk every thing rather than obey; We
prefer to remain in ignorance rather
than confess it /; we are better pleased
to nourish vain curiosity sud Indulge
in liberty OF belief than to bow to
divine authority But God permits
shis for tine instruction Of His children
But for this we would not understand
the awful corruption Of our nature,
and the abyss from which Jesus has
drawn ua. The incredulity of the one
Aumiliates tho other !; and the rebels.
who oppose the designs Of God cause
H:n IL manifest Els power, by which,
indie endently of all else. He accom-
plishes the promises that He has made
10 His Church. n&
These promises assure as Of future
lite. God. who has shown Himself SO
faithful in ali that per tains to the
present, will not be Less faithful in
accomplishing that which concerns the
future; and the Church ON earth will
remain invincibie up to the tin1e when
her children, being Assem- Died, shall be
transported to heaven, their true
abode.
The true Church has this advantage
her origin ia certain, and her tradi~
tions have descended 10 US without
interruption. We have in our hands
her history, written by her disciples
books more ancient than any in hhe
world. Our religion rests not, then,
on fables, like the religion Of the
Pagans end the Greeks.
The poets, who were their prophets
and thsologians. proclaimed them
selves Instructed by the muses. of other
Sliviniiies, without giving any proof.
They dared not cite any testimony to
the facts which they related.
Jesus was born ii, Judea, as predicted
by the prophets He taught His doe"
trine, and performed the greater por-
tion of His miracles in Jerusalem,
which was the capital. He died there
and there His resurrection too Il
place
His disciples soon spread over the
Roman empire, and q short time after
over the entire world. They first
preached in the large cities-in An
tiooh, Alexandra, and even in Rome.
They taught in Athens, Corinth, and
in every por ton OF Greece, in the cities
the most enlightened the most corrupt
and idolatrous.
Before all Nations, Greeks, barbar-
ians, Nations learned and ignorant,
Jews and Romans, before people and
princes, the disciples of Jesus testified
to what they had seen with their eyes,
heard with their ears, and touched
with their hands, and particularly did
they TESTIFY to His resurrection. They
testifed to these facts against all human
reason and prudence, even to their last
breath, and to the shedding of their
blood. Behold the establishment of
Christianity.
Since the founding of the Church by
SIS. Peter and Paul we have always had
. Pope.l We have their names from