The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-02-07

that delivered from the pulpit of the
Church of SITS. Peter and Paul by Rev.
Thomas Nelson Ayres, whose recent con.
vers' on and ordination were noted in the
columns of the Catholic Scandinavian d
Times. Previous to his conversion
Father Ayres stood high in the Episco-
pal ministry. He was II ..widowcr and
hiu one son, who acted as i'm acolyte at
the ordination services, which were con-
Quoted by Archbishop .Janssens Father
Ayres' first sermon had been awaited
with interest, and when he appeared in
the pulpit the church was crowded. He
has graceful, forcible delivery, and his
words were heard with intense interest,
especially that portion of the serr on
wherein lie pictured the forces which led
to his conversion.
Father Ayrcs tool. his text from the
Gospel according to st. Matthew xviii,
10, 90: ''.Ies,Is said to his Disciples: Go
ye therefore and teach all nations, bap-
tiHing them in the name of the Father
and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost,
teaching them to observe all things
whatsoever have commanded you He
said in part:
"yherc is nothing individual or per-
sonal in these words of our text: the,
are addressed to the Holy Apostles, not
as to individuals bit us to the Princes of
the kingdom of Heaven, as representing
tknt church which the Lord purchased
with His OWN blood. The; confer no
private authority or power, but grant the
great commission of The Church of God
: nj Indicate its prime Office and duty
This is II fact, beloved brethren that is of
great Importance. and one that we should
fin well in our minds. for there are many
earnest Christian people in the world
who fail to grasp this truth, and hence
do not understand the intimate bearing
OF the words upon the present time, upon
themselves and all men. They can but
see when they read the Holy Scriptures
that our Lord conferred upon Ills Apus-
ties most extraordinary powers and laid
upon them duties OF tremendous impor-
tancc-thc power OF binding and loosing
sins, OF opening and closing the gates OF
the kingdom O; Heaven, of working mira
Giles, OF bearing personal testimony to the
facts oi the Gospel-of teaching the truth
with infallible authority, of ruling the
souls of men with II power from ON high.
All these marvellous gifts they see con
ferred by our Lord upon His Apostles,
but they think that such gifts were per-
sonal to the Apostles themselves rs indi-
riduals, and that when these gifted men
passed away from earth all such gifts
anu SraccS departed With tnem
AN ABSURD THEORY.
Absurd as such II theory may seem to
properly instructed Catholics, it is the
one commonly held by Christians out
side the Catholic fold; and perhaps it is
unconsciously held even by some Cath.
olics in Il measure. Do you fully realize,
my brothers, that to tell IL lie to your
priest in the confessional is to lie not to
man, but to God, just ns truly rs was
the lie al Ananas and Sapph;rt told to
st. Peter, and that it merits the same
condign punishment? If you do not real.
ize it, you are somewhat under the in.
flucncc OF that Protestant error which
holds that the prerogatives and gifts of
the Apostles were personal to them. 1t
Is II hcresy plainly contrary to the teach.
ings of Holy Scripture and the church
and destructive of souls. The power and
grace that our Lord conferred upon His
Apostles after His resurrection were not
personal, but official; they were granted
not to individual men. but to the Church
OF God. And some of them are contained
i'll the words of the text. go teach all
nations, haptiZing them III the name of
the Father and Of the Son and OF the
Holy Ghost, teachin" them to observe
all things whatsoever have commanded
YOU 70 fully expound these marvellous
words would require Ear more time than
have ut my disposal to day. | shall
have to limit my remarks to one single
point, and that is the duty that our Lord
lay upon His Church to teach Go teach
all misunderstanding them to observe all
things whatsoever | have commanded
you.
DIVINE AUTHORITY To TEACH.
1.-The Church of God is IL teaching
Church Ecclesia Dozens Under this
head there are four points that call for
attentions First, the subject matter To
he taught, All things whatsoever have
commanded yo,i. All divine truth comes
from the revelations OF our Lord Jesus
Christ. God, says the Apostles, in
these last days has spoken to us 10y His
Son. That revelation is necessarily per-
feet, entire, final. What the Son of God
reveals to the world must he the truth
and nothing but the truth He delivers
to His Church all divine truth that is to
he known. And the truth is not to be
known by reason, by science, by phi,oso.
ply or any other way. 1t is revealed bv
the son of God, and is TO be accepted and
believed on that account. All revealed
truth is the. Church to teach. and further.
all duty is hers to teach. Whatsoever I
have commanded you' includes ali duty
to God and all duty To man. The church
is the great teacher o. faith and morals
Secondly, these words give the author.
ity to teach. The divine deposit is to be
taught by authority; the church is to go
before the world rs an authoritative
teacher, proclaming the truths and com.
mandments of God, as resting on her di.
vine authority. These things are true
she cries to the listening nations Il
know that they are true. There is no
hypothesis or Supposition, there are no
lis or andS or butts about it, 1t j. di.
wing infnllil,ln