The Irish standard., 1900-12-08
THE ONLY TRUE CHURCH.
A Priest Pays His Respects 10 the
MethOdiStS

Alphonsus' church, Grand Rapids,
Mich. preached vigorous sermon last
Sunday week in reply to the denun-
ciations Of the Catholic church. which
were made by the Methodist bishops
in New York recently. Father Urben
was listened to by large audience,
and he spoke in part as follows:
God has given us Il revelation
through Christ His SON
Where can we find what Christ re-
vcaled? l answcr-we find this reve-
lAtion laid down in His church. This
is an historical fact which no man Of
common sense can deny: for Christ
gathered around Him twelve APOSTLES,
gave them full Instructions the Apos-
ties in turn founded congregations and
churches. Christ said to Peter: "Thou
art Pctcr-'the Rock'-and upon this
rock l shall build My church and the
gates of hell shall not prevail against
it," And: "Going therefore teach We
I'LL nations: baptizing them in the
| ll;illlt Vi luc EElllt anu Ol lHc Nou
and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them
to observe all things whatsoever I
have commanded you; and behold I
am with you all days even to tho con-
summation of the world" "Whoso-
ever will not hear the Church. let him
he to thee as a hcntlcn and publican"
| 'IhnrtTnrn fhnrN hn 1-iSilln
Church. the bearer of this revelation.
For Christ said to His Apostles: "a
city seated on y mountain cannot be
hid" (Matthcw, chap. w Where are
the signs by which all men Of good
will can see this city built upon Il
mountain?
First That Church, that city. must
first of all be founded by Christ and
His Apostles. and must be seen in its
unhroken succession at the present
day.
Sccond-That Church must he holy
in origin, doctrine, laws ana members.
Thlrd-lt must be universal IN re-
gard to times and places.
i Fourth-lt must finally be one in re-
gard to doctrine and law.
! Now | claim that the Catholic
Church alone has these signs, and is,
therefore, the only true Church Of
Christ on earth.
/ ] will prove my statements:
| First-Thc Catholic Church is apos-
tolic: (m She alone claims to he apos-
tolic (M She alone can prove her
claim through the uninterrupted sue
ccssion of her bishops ana pontlfrs. (c)
She alone proves the mission of her
ministers as coming. not from this or
Christ, from God.
Srcond-'l'hc Catholic Church is
holy: CM In her origin, from Christ and
the apostles. tb) Tn her teaching and
prccrpts. (c) In her members.
Third The Catholic Church is one:
(m She alone teaches I'LL things. %
She alone teaches all things that Christ
commanded. (cl She alone teaches ut
the present day what WAS taught in
the beginning. ND She alone is one in
her hc;ldtllr Pope, the successor OF
ST. Peter.
Fonrill-'rhc Catholic Church is uni
vcrSHl: (a) She alone fullills the pre-
ccpt of the Lord: Going. therefore.
teaching all nniions." % She has
more members than all other So-cAlled
lchurcllcs together. n) She can he
found in every country and cline
I The McthodiSts are not even Chris
tian.
| First-1hcy have 10 succession
through the Apostles. John Wesley,
the founder of MrlhodSm, was ut first
an Episcopal ministcr-,hrn Il Mora
vinn-at last Methodist. lie could
get no bishop OF the Epscopalau
church to create n bishop, so he con-
stitntcd one himself. Hence. there is
no. succession from the apostlcs-and
consequently none from Christ Ii is
a religion founded on the narrow brain
OF man In defiance of the laws of
God ana His Church
Second The Mcthodsts are not uni
vcrsAl. This needs no proof-cvcry
man OF common sense and the least
knowledge OF history is aware of the
fact.
Third-McthoGlism is not one They
have already split up into six or eight
different sccts, teaching diverse doe
trincs. Wesley tried to build tower
Of Babylon, but all spoke different Ian
guagcs.
Fourtl-Mcthodism cannot be holy.
Can thieves be holy or lead others ~
holiness? Can the doctrine, of rob-
bcry-such as was advocated by the
"blshops" in that conference in New
York-be holy? Yes they ana their
abettOrs have robbed the Grand Old
Man-tllc Vicar Of Jesus Christ on
cartll-of all his possessions, and then
the thieves call the Vicar Of Christ a
"cringing bcggar with a monkey"
Yes, they did send over monkey and
the poor fellow found that he was
Obliged to ape the Romans and do lust