The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-12-04
ADVENT LECTURES.
Fifth in The Series by Rev. Dr.. Stang
at The Cathedral.
Why Can The Catholic Church Be the
Only True Church p His Topic.

Rev. William Stang, u. D.. gave the
fifth lecture i'm the Advent series az
the Cathedral last evening. and. as
usual. the attendance was very large
! indeed Father Stang spoke on "Why
| Can the Catholic Church be the ONLY
True church," and he took for his text
Thou art Peter. and upon this rock
VIII build My church. and the gates of
hell shall not prevail against it," FIR.
/ Stang said i'm part:
The Roman church alone can trace
back her existence to the days of the
Apostles. Whilst all the world has
changed she has preserved her doctrine
and her government She has fulfilled
her destiny. filling earth and heaven
with saints, whose lives and deeds have
been the wonder and the admiration of
their contemporaries. SO splendid tes-
timony as this cannot be lightly set
aside The other churches do not have
Christ as their founder because every
one Of them began TO exist years aflsr
He had already founded His church.
They are not apostolic for the same
reason. Their institution is a fact of
history; we know the names of their
authors. the source OF their origin. and
We must realize that they were the
work Of men. The only men commits
stoned 10 do the work OF Christ were
the Apostles Therefore. the moment
you cut off any church from the Apos-'
ties. that moment it ceases 10 be the
church OF Christ.
The church of Christ mu.D teach
without fear OF error. If YOU have been
convinced by our arguments. you are
bound TO conclude that the only church
that has a title TO this '.rerogative is
the Roman Catholic church, This au-
thority she has never ceased to claim
ana III is almost impossible to concede
that this claim would have been uni
Nersally admitted during rs centuries If
II mad not been founded upon truth.
moreover If We apply the principles of
Protestant reasoning to this question
has not the Catholic church as much
right 70 assert her own iufallibility as
lneN nave TO denv it2 DO not they
cialm the right of Drvnte interpreta-
llon or the Holy Scripture for every in
ulFldual? II, chen. all the members of
the Cathohc church assert that GER
tam texts of Scripture prove the in
IdlhNltY or their church. on what
ground ] ask, can our dissenting
Drethren Justly condemn the assertion?
Moreover the Catholic church was In
possession ot the Scriptures and of their
meaning before thew were entirely writ
ten and upward OF 200 years before they
had been declared authentic by her
councils
Flnally, the trun chuF,h of Christ
must De holy. Where. If not in the
catholic church NAV we look for this
character.stic? Is she no, holy i'm her
OBJECT I'm the means she uses to bring
that OBJECT about. IN her doctrine, IN
her martyrs, her confessors. her vir-
gins IN the glorious array Of saints of
her communion now enjoying I'm hea-
ven the reward OF q good life here on
earthF Read the history of the men
ana women that have sprung into ex- |
lstence and covered the world under |
the Fostering influence OF the church Of
Rome. Read OF their deeds and OF the |
chastity Of the church's virgins, OF the |
deeds OF her martyrs and missionaries.
Point out In our own day a clergy like |
our own. show us orders like the Good |
Shepherd. the Sisters OF Charity. the |
Little Sisters N tho Poor. and hosts OF |
others. In this church. if we be rea-
sonable men. we are forced 20 recog- |
nize the true church Of Christ and tho |
only lawful claimant TO that title"