The Irish standard., 1897-03-20
|HoN We ALL GAN KNOW GOD
Eloquent Lecture Upon the Know
ledge Which the Church
Possesses.
FATHER CLEARY's REAs0NINGs
We Are Not Left in Darkness as
to the Wishes of the -,
= a:F
Almighty.

to the wishes OF the -
| Almighty. ~.
Synopsis of Father Cleary's discourse,
Sunday evening March IA, at St. Charles
church, on "How Man Can Reliably
Know What God Has Spoken.
"The mind of man, in it's honest search
after truth, has been perplexed in all
ages by the semblances of truth which
falsehood has ever unblushfngly pre-
scented. The honest and the true are
so precious in the esteem of men that
| the dishonest and the false have been
compelled to clothe themselves in the
garments or truth in order to win the
attention of men. The counterfeit has
always made its appearance soon after.
or at the same time with the genuine
and true. In fact, the very existence of
the counterfeit of any kind is mark OF
respect and regard shown to the worth OF
the genuine and true.
| There have been false prophets and
counterfeit teachers of religion in the
world ever since the work Of imparting
religious truth to the inqulring mind OF
man began its faithful and glorious mis-
sion. The "father of lies,' ambitious to
be like unto God" has been active, as
the champion of falsehood in the world.
But the God of infinite and .infallible
truth has always protected his children
against the deceits and decisions of the
false teachers of false doctrine. The ma
gicians of Egypt who attempted to per-
form the miracles performed by Moses.
the true servant of God, were brought to
confusion and shame BY their deceitful
magic they appeared to change the rod
into serpent, but when. they attempted,
like Moses, to change the serpents back
into rods, they were obliged to confess
their inability and counterfeit power.
God protected his special teachers of
eternal truth, the prophets in the old dis
pensation, by striking miracles, against
the pretensions of the priests and proph-
cts of Baal We read in the fifth chapter
of the third book Of Kings bow the
prophet Elias brought confusion upon
the priests of Baal and confirmed the
faith of Israel in his divine mission.
Simon, the magician, sought to coun-
felt the miraculous work of the apostles
in the new dispensation. The church of
the living God has ever been counter
feited by false teachers, false churches,
false systems of religion, that have only
tended to mislead and confuse the human
mind. Every counterfeit bears some re-
semblance to the truth. It would have
no value whatever in the eyes of men If
it did not bear even striking resemb-
lance to the truth which the human mind
most ardently longs for.
Every false teacher and false system Of
religion must present many elements OF
truth. No dlusive system Of religion has
ever appeared in the world that did not
express many true and lofty sentiments,
that did not contain many elements OF
truth. A religious system, If one such
could be invented, that did not proclaim
to inQuiring men many true principles
of virtue, morality and faith, could
never capture the consent of the human
mind. The most superstitious and de-
grading forms of paganism contained
some eternal and sacred principles OF
unchanging truth. The most delusive
heresies that have betrayed the human
mind into the widest and most extrava-
CANT absurdities, have not been wanting
in sound and saving doctrines OF divine
truth.
False religion, whether pagan or nomi-
nally Christian, have not been con-
demned, and must not be discarded, on
account of the truths they teach, but be-
cause of their false application and mis-
Interpretation of truth, because of their
confusing mixture of truth with error.
1t is this perplexing admixture OF truth
with error that renders heresy danger
| Gus, anu conveys poASOdOuo AAo'0ou v"
wholesome influence to the mind and
heart. God, the source and author OF
truth, has not resigned his reasoning
creatures to the chances of being deluded
by falsehood, or Of being enlightened by
truth. He has made careful and ample
provision that men shall be enlightened
by the light of truth and be protected,
with absolute certainty, against the de-
lusions and the darkness Of error.
The church of Christ, united body:
with head and members, a complete or
ganization, is among men to teach them:
| to govern them in the moral order, to
influence them to holiness Of life and to
protect them against eternal loss. From
and through the church, that teaches us
by the special authority Of Christ, the
eternal Son of God, the FathgF, whom
i