Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-01-18

to succumb to the wiles of men or
Satin. His words are distorted, and
men will insist that Christ's Church has
fallen into error and needed the, labors
of the holy men of God like.
LUTHER, HENRY VIII, AND OTHERS
to remold, remodelor reform it. Christ
said: "Whose sins you (my apOstles)
shall forgive they are forgiven" His
words are again distorted-they must
mean something else, anything else
but what they clearly express. Again
he says, after blessing the bread and
wine: This is my body, this is my
blood" Oh! no, we are told, He meant
to say just the reverse; that it was not
his body and blood. Why continue
this series of illustration of the facil
method with which some men set aside
the plainest,d document Of divine revela-
tion? Am /, then, drawing conclusion
unwaranted by the premises when as
sert that this method of the private in
depreciation of the Scriptures leads to
the denial of ChriSt's divinity, and
therefore to the subversion of Christi
anity? For, if Christ is not God Chris
tianitY is but hideous moral monster
which for nineteen hundred years has
imposed on the credulity of mankind.
This no sane mind can adult which
takes even a cursory survey of the
priceless benefits which the Christian
religion has conferred on the world.
All who appreciate those blessings
and desire their continuance should
labor to uphold that divine religion
through which they are dispensed, and
array themselves against the wild
theorists who can plan the destruction
of the existing order but are powerless
to devise better substitute. But the
influence Of Christianity, whether in
the'molding Of society or IN elevating the
individual Christian life must neces-
sarily diminish in proportion as its
fundamental principle-the divinity OF
it's founder--is undermined. II then
the tendency Of
THE SYSTEM OF PRoTEsTANTIsM
is to the gradual elimination Of that
primary doctrine from the minds Of its
followers must not the system itself be
fatally false and manifestlY un-Chris-
tian?
In contrast with the uncertainty and
doubts and perplexities and contradlc-
lions which prevail outside the Catholic
Church, when in our own day the ques-
ton once asked by Christ at C9serea
Phillippi is repeated: "Who do men say
that amp" is the clear, unwavering
and positive declaration of the same
blessed Peter ever living in his success
or, Thou art the Christ, the Son OF the
living God" There can be
no uncertainty in the meaning Of this
profession. Our Lord is truly man, the
long-expected Messias, the son of David:
but He is also truly the Son OF the liv-
ing God. Unswerving fidelity in the
confession of this sublime truth must
ever characterize the Church built on
Peter. who first made this glorious con-
fession and received for his reward the
assurance of his divine Master: Thou
art the rock OH which l will build my
Church, against which the gates OF hell
itself shall never prevail" This pro-
fession of faith
THE CHURCH BUILT on PETER
maintained against the soothing Jews
who had crucifed him. She
upheld it against the disappearing
Arius and the mighty potentates
who shielded him and his i'm
pious heresy. She proclaims it to-day
in the face of proud philosophy and a
sneering infidelity. She inserts it as a
first principle in all her creeds; she
breaches it from ten thousand pulpits;
She transmits it to her children sculp-
tured in marble, embodied in canvas
built up in the most majestic forms OF
architecture. The Holy Name OF Jesus,
which the Church so profoundly honors,
brings before the mind of the Catholic
that human form, "beautiful amongst
the children of men," but beneath that
human form, faith shows to him as to
Thomas the divine character Of Him
who bears that sweet and holy name;
and so at the very mention OF that
adorable name, he is ever ready to eX-
! claim
Ny Lord and my God.