The herald., 1895-06-03
Confirmation of Children at the
Cathedral
UNITY OF FAITH ADVOCATED
Dedication Services at the New Baptist
Church
Union Services Of the Y. NJ. c. A. and
Y. w. &. A. Yesterday-An Address
By a Syrian

At the cathedral yesterday, on Ethe oc-
casion of tho feast of the Pentecost,
Bishop Montgomery adm Mustered the
sacram ent of confirm alton to about one
hundred children, and the sermon was
on the epistle and gospel read in the
mass.
He took occasion to state that the feast
itself of Pentecost and the sacrament OF
confirmation blended quite properly with
the letter just addressed by the holy
father. Leo XIII, to the Catholic people OF
the world, in which he requests their
prayers TO the Holy Ghost during the Fen
tecostaI season for unity of faith among
all Christian people.
Some months ago the sovereign pontiff
addressed an encyclical letter to all relig-
ious denominations. asking them to
stady and pray for unitv of faith among
all Christians. Shortly after he addressed
an encycical of the same import especl-
ally dir, cted to the English people.
these letters were received with singular
kindness and respect. All serious and
conservative men in the various religious
denominations. feeling the force of his
words and the necessity OF unity if the
Christian faith is 20 speak with authority
to the world, almost unanimously admit
likewise the wisdom and the CHRISTIAN
spirit that dictated these letters. OF
course they cannot, nor can he, see any
immediate prospect of his hopes being
realized. but both he and they under
stand we'll that such fact must come
from God. Hence it is that the burden
of his letters is that all pray tc God to do
for mankind what mankind cannot do.
And in this letter to the Catholic peu-
pie he lays especial stress on the feast of
pentecost, wnere there was unity of faith
preached to the ''Medes. the Elamites.
the inhabit of Mescpotamia, strang-
ers from Rome. etc-all hearing in their
own 10 lgues the wonderful works of God.
There was unity there because God
spoke and so ordained that His message,
though delivered through human per-
son, should reach each one as coming
from the mouthpiece OF God. What the
pope asks today is that there be for the
Worli renewal of that Pentecostal unity.
IL is evident that unity can come only
from two elements: First, it must be
upon basis of truth, and an authority
must teach that truth and must have God
back OF it the author. simply using
human agencies as He used them there,
but so controlling them that the words
of Christ may be fulfilled. HE that
heareth you heareth me :" 1t Is useless
to hope for unity under any other terms.
but God S arm is not shortened and He
can today, if He SO wills, convert the
iiedito anu Minus u hoi ao ho "a" oii
the first Pentecostal Sunday, In fact, men
today feel this. With some it pegets only
hopelessness, and they turn aside from
the prospect presented by hundreds OF
wrangling and contradictory beliefs.
The sacrament of confirmation con-
ferred upon The children today, said the
bishop, is simply one OF the wavs i'll
which that holy spirit lives in the church
as it's vivfyng principle, to sanctify and
to enlighten, according as Christ said,
The Paraclete whom the Father will
send in my name will teach you truth
aud will bring to your minds whatsoever
] shall have said to you aud he will Ie-
main with you forever"
we claim that this human organism of
the church, human as to its external be-
ing, has the Holy Ghost as its priuciple
of life, even as the soul of man animates
his body" was the closing sentence of the
reverend speaker.