The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1896-12-11


and the Invocation OF the Saints
He spoke as follows:
The doctrine OF indulgenoes is one
think less understood by our Protestant
friends than any other. II is charged in
books opposed TO the teaching of the Cath
ollie church that an indulgence means a
permission to commit sin. and in proportion
to the gravity OF the sin which the person
desires 10 commit, SO shall the eoinpensa-
ton be to the prizes, who gives Inc per
mission.
The church teaches that God Himself
can not give permission 10 commit sin,
and if that be true and know it is. how
can We believe that man can do what God
eau not! If the church teaches such =
damuAble doctrine as that. why is 1t that
Prottstants who become Catholics. and
they aie becoming sueh every Gay, remain
IL a. internal institution that teaches TIE
olaDoiicai doctrine that man cAn peyJl3i
them to offend The great Cor Tor pc
cUnl2ry consideration. We have priests
and bishops aud srchbshops ana Cardinals
IL The Catholic church VINO. when Protest
ants, hated The Catholic church bscAcse
the! then believed THIS sntiguated calumny.
be led to love that IN the church WAlcs
was The very reason that Kept them AVA
from IL IN the beginning. They have found
out. as every man may who will take IN
terest enough 20 investigate. that 1t is an
absolute iaisehood. IN the sermon on pur-
gatory think ! proved that God requires
katSiacuoE Tor our Sins. even after they
are forgiven. And there is temporal pun.
ishment due to every sin men commit, to
be suffered either here or hereafter Tbs
church teaches that an indulgence is re-
mission. wholly or partially. Of the tenn
pogal punishment due TO sin after the guilt
and eternal punishment, have been forgiven
Matthew, xvi. 1913. Thou art Peter
and l Will give unto thee the keys OF Tho
kingdom Of heaven, and whatsoever thou
shalt bind upon earth shall BE- bound ia
heaven, ant whatsoever thou s.lsi, loose
upon earth shah be icosed also 10 heaven.
II these words our Sayious gives 10 81
Peter. as the chief pastor % His church.
authority extending over all her members
ar ample and universal power OF conduct
ing The faithful to heaven by Ioosing
them from everything that might hinder
them from going thr-s, provided always
they Re properly disposed. and perform the
conditions required on their part There |
can pe oaly Two things that can prcveni a |
soul from going 20 heaven. viz the guilt |
Of sin SID the deb, Of temporal punish |
meat We have already seen that God has |
delegated power TO forgive sins n His |
rane- Certainty Il is rot a greater power |
70 remit IL COTS name the temporal pun
istnent due 20 sin than to forgive the sln /
Itself. The power fhel to remit the tenn |
lorai punishment due 70 forgiven sn IS |
the power o. granting az indulgence.
All governments sre-c sc the s1u,e power !
though IN somewhat di1e-~rt ssgse. /
What Kid q = eoTcrumeut would 81 b |
" hose ruler had 10 power O. releasing those
f.s
DO het'er7 The FEDERAL goaeyfniert. D. !
tho president. and ali ne s'.'eF tr 'heir +
governors. exercise this power every Jag (
Suppose man j. sentenced 20 the rcni- /
tCntiary for twenty Year,. ard the gQv /
orno- should reduce il 20 ION years. fhst .
would be an indulgence q ten years gwen I
10 the prisoner. and is ausi3egur 10 gaf- ]
'ial ind gence h. the church II the zne
ernor should pardon him entirely ths' I
would be according TO the same analogy a I
plenery Indulgence God has likewise 4
government on earth He went away Him
self and left men here 70 carry 10 on un-
der the guidance Ct The Holy Ghost who
stll ronains and ~il remain ur'll the or' I
81 time MATTHEW xiv 1917 Besides /
Christ is still with His church IN spirit fer /,
he says Il am with YOU MI DAYS even 70
the contamination % the World" MAJ
thew. Nviii. 20l.
gran, indulgences to each other Cod can
exercise TINT right which He does when
He gives power N bind or loose in rnost
comprehensive sense because He sass.
Whatsoever YOU bind on earth shan b
bound in heaven. and whatsoever you loose
on earth shall be loofed in heaven" To
make It entirely plain \ boy disoboys hls
mother. Sho tells him tina, II he does II
again she VIII lock him up four hours IL.
the smoke houfo He dsobeys. rEakes
many good promises and HIS mother take.
two hours of, His mother tells him IL he
VIII give a nickel to a poor orphan boy she
WIN let MN out entirely He does ~ and
10 liberated.
~ TO the charge that the church ever
SOFA lndulsences, 1t is no; true. freely
admii' Without question. that one OF nd.
eohdi,lohh Tor obtaining indulgence often
was me giving OF aims. either 10 the poor.
Tor Iropagating the faith or TO erect snd
adorh temples Of the living God IL ia aiso
admitted as Il fact that the collector ~
trese aims abused their offices ana maj.
re''Y brought odum upon indulgenc.s
themselves. But the church never ar-
proved these abuses. 4 tax collector may
70 wrong may run on with the funds of
ire state. but the State is not to blame for
the rascality OF It's agents II not knov-n In
Inc first place. son-in law OF the prtsl.
neht OF France some time ago sold COM
missions purporting to emanate from Tho
republic The republic did not authorize
his act, but condemned 1t, and II a man
should say that he Will not belong TO any
Institution unless he can find che where
every one does right, he Will never belong
to any institution. Suppose men had said
10 Christ that they could not think Of heinz
members of His church because He had
that tratorous scoundrel Judas in His
company, and one of His aposilts at that.
Alas! what Is II that the cupidity OF man
has not put up for sale? An apostle he
trays and sells His redeemer Certainly
nothing worse can ever happen, but Nc nro
prepared by this evidence OF turpltuce for
any scandal that may come SO mitch for
the subject OF indulgences,
The practice OF Catholics with difference
to the Invocation OF the saints 3 greatly
misrepressnted and misunderstood by our
Protestant friends. We are charged Inv
some with giving divine wor.in ,a 49,,