The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1902-06-21

everywhere Peter baptizes preach.
converts and sanctifies souls 49,,
whatever may be the obstacles no sbaf,
always continue in his work of pIant
ing and watering, until he shall ba,.
landed the last soul that shall ever rys
on earthin the haven of safety.
1t is further recorded that the ba-,.
of Peter was almost submerged W.
nave been times when the church. too.
was almost submerged. She has bae,
exposed, from time to time. to tenn
pests so formidable that her enemies
have said: 1T is ali over with the
church, and her friends trembled while
excepting to see her eugulfed by the
flood of human passions. But they who
hoped and they who feared for the ruin
of the church did not know and realize
the extent Of the promise Jesus made
to his church. when ne said: The gates
of hell shall not prevail against her
Relying on this promise. true Catholics
entertain no fears for the church: they
know that Jesus is with her that he
conducts and prays for her. and that
sooner or later she shall come froth
!! triumphant from all her trials. The
past gives assurance for the future A
| cruel and barbarous persecution passed
/ over the church for 800 years. and the
church triumphed in the conversion of
/ her would-be executioners. Heresies
/ then followed but they were reduced
) to heIplessness. while she remains full
| Of life and prosperous; and the
branches which separate from her lam
guish and ultimately die. The war Of
passion, pride. pleasure and impiety
arises in every age. and their attacks
are so violent that the bark OF Peter is
| rudely shaken. but she is never sub
merged. Her enemies die Denitent or
impenitent. and the pail of silence
promptly falls about their tombs. but
the church stands erect on the ruins
and ashes of her oppressors. This per-
petuity of the church. i'm the midst of
the instability of human things, is one
of the most striking proofs of the di-
vinity of her origin.
In the beginning the power of mighty
Rome was summoned up for the de-
struction of the infant church of Christ
For 300 years the blighting storm rageI
above the opening bud, but she braved
it all and shot forth. a glorious flower.
In the sixteenth century her own chill
dren revolted against her. Joined the
ranks of her enemies. and turned rene
gades and traitors and prosecutors Of
that cause for which their forefathers
died and received the martyrs crown.
Through these years of persecution and
intolerance she suffered much, indeed.
in her head and members; but she SUI
fered no hurt in her faith or doctrine:
no. never. She gathered strength from
persecution: the martyrs blood was the
mustard seed that increased and multi
piled; the good grain was sifted from
the bad. the wheat from the cookie, the
gold from the dross; she still subsists
unimpaired and untained by error, and
will so continue to subsist as. long as
the world shall last; the infalIible word
of God warrants her duration to the
end of time. The heavens and the
earth shall pass away. says Jesus
Christ, but my words shall never. pass
away: nor shall so much as a single
iota be retrenched from the law that I
have established. 1t comes not within
the reach of any earthly power what
ever to alter or abolish any one ordi-
nance which we find instituted by
Christ our Lord for the sanctifcation
of his people. We have seen the church
assailed by the most violent storms Of
persecution; we have seen deluge OF
evils pouring down upon her from
every side, ready, in appearance, to
overwhelm her in an avalanche Of de-
struction. The powerful hand of God
has buoyed her up. She has ever risen,
like Noah's ark, above the rising flood.
Jews, Pagans, Philosophers and in
! fideIs have combined against her;
schismatics and heretics of different
descriptions have, by turns, attacked
her unity and her faith; their attacks
have as often failed. Tyranny may
strip the church of her temporal pos
sessions-they are fortuitous acquisi-
tons, not essential to her existence
penal statutes may forbid the public
exercise of her religious worship, but
she will silently preserve inviolate the
inviolable rights Of conscience till the
tempest ceases, and she will ever reign
triumphant in the hearts of the faith
full. W. f. NJ.
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