The Irish standard., 1897-11-13
A MAG NlFlCENT DISCOURSE
The mission given at the Immacula,


Conception by Bishop Stanley, of North
Dakota, closed last Sunday evening with
the papal blessing and the Benediction
of the Blessed Sacrament. The sacred
ediflce was filled with men and women,
many of them Protestants. and they
were treated to one of the ablest and
most brilliant addresses ever delivered
in the city, the subject selected by rhe
bishop being (which is the true Church
of Christi" For nearly an hour and a
half the audience listened with rapt
attention to q most instructive dis
course, the Catholics going away
strengthened in their faith, and the
Protestants staggered in their belief.
Nothing short of verbatim report could
give an idea Of the force and eloquence
of this masterly address of the learned
prelate and It is "a matter of surprise
that no daily paper in the Twin Cities
made any mention of it, though it vas
we'll calculated to instruct and interest
every seeker after truth
The bishop commenced by saying that
it is conceded by all that Christ estab-
lished church upon earth and that He
appointed and commissioned His apos-
ties to teach the doctrines He had
taught them to all nations, promising
that He would be with them for all
days, even to the end of the world.
That church must exist today or Christ's
promise would remain unfulfilled. What
church is 1t is matter of momentous
Importance. st. Paul declared that if
an angel from Heaven came to preach
any other doctrine than that taught by
him. and which was received from
Christ, "let him be ana$hcma.''
The bishop then said there were GER
tain characteristics or marks by which
the true church can be known. The
first was unity Of doctrine which was
not to be found outside the Catholic
church, the members of which may and
do differ on every other question but
that OF faith. Truth is immutabe. The
same truths taught by the founder Of
Christianity are believed today by all
members Of the Catholic church all
over the earth, though they speak di-
verse tongues and belong to different
tribes and races of men. The churches
which separated from the primitive
church by hcresy and schism. and which
were founded by men after whom they
are named, have not the notes or
marks of the church founded by Jesus
Christ. They have no unity, and no
supreme judge or head as an authority
to settle points Of doctrine and disci
pine. The Nestorianism of the fourth
century, the Greek schism Of the tenth,
and the so-called reformation of the
sixteenth century, were referred to and
explained.
The second liark,5of the true church
was holiness. etrHe7e the bishop dis,
claimed any intention of dspleasing
any Professionals by his remarks. He
knew many good, Godfearing Profess
tants, but what he intended to convey
was that the church of Christ must be
holy in doctrines. even though its men,
bers may be la&eing. in sanctity and be
guilty of wickedaess. He said the doc
trine of the Catholic church was molly.
and men and womeHi of her communion
in all ages and rat the present day led
lives Of holiness. like Judas among
Christ's apostles, che Catholic church has
had members whose dives were bad, but
the enemies Of the church act the part
of buzzards in pourcing upon the bad
and ignoring the exemplary members
whose holy lives rebound to her honor
and glory. He referred to Luther, who
ridiculed the saying of st. James. CAS-
the body without the soul is dead, so
also is faith without good works.
Luther taught that faith alone would
suffice, and therefore his doctrine was
not holy. He touched on the doctrines
ta' . hit by the other reformers, like
Knox and Calvin. and stigmatized them
as un-Christian. The predestination of
souls and the doctrine of infant bap-