Los Angeles herald., 1908-06-08
CATHOLICISM IS
ALL-EMBRACING
EPlSC0PALlAN DEFENDS THE
MOTHER CHURCH
CENTRAL AUTHORITY NEEDED
AS INTERPRETER
Sectarianism Claims Right of lndlvid-
uaIIy Constituting the Bible, but
Speaks with Constantly ln-
creaslng War of Words

"Why 1 Am a Catholic" was the topic
of Rev. Richard Gushee last night at
the Church of the Ascension, Boyle
Heights. Next Sunday evening he will
speak on why / Am Not Roman
Catholic"
Mr.. Gushee is the leader of the Cath
olic club of the Episcopal church of
Los Angeles. He said in part:
There come times when. however
distasteful it may be, it is necessary to
correct MISREPRESENTATION of the Cath
oiio party iii the Anglican communion.
There has appeared lately in local
paper an article which inferred that
Catholic practices were not lawful
in the Episcopal church. Those VINO
are called Ritualists, and call them
selves Catholics, can prove that they
teach the law of their communion.
1--WE may epitomize the whole mat
ter in the words of a prominent anti
Catholic when he says: 1t is unlucky
that the Rituals have, as l apprehend,
both law and logic on their side
Il speak to you this evening on Why
We Are Catholics The Catholic is the
universal faith. There may have been
accretions at different times in diff
ferent parts of the church. For in
stance, the church in California might
add or subtract from the faith. The
church in Italy or Spain may add to
the faith. Those accretions die out.
The Catholic faith, as held by the uni
versal church, does not. If you will
consider you will see that this con-
ception of Catholic truths makes the
church inclusive. She is not like
sect which takes some one theory and
stakes all on that. The Catholic chureh
is broad enough to contain what is pos
tive and not negative in most sects.
"Sectarians could come into their ola
mother church and have their positive
beliefs, only they would have more
For you will understand that by con-
tinually thinking of but one side or the
truth those who have left the church
have come to minimize other truths
equally or more important. 1t is an
axiom that untruths usually come from
overemphasis of some one side of the
truth. The Catholic faith is the full
cycle of Christian revelation.
"Sectarianism usually has some part
of the Catholic faith, but there is one
thing that none of them have, and tnat
Is corporate authority. They DO not
pretend to, They claim that every man
has right to interpret the Bible in his
own way, with the result that we have
about 200 interpretations in this coun-
try, What wonder is 1t that the noted
Protestant revivalist confessed some
years ago that the church has lost the
imperative mood
"But. I am answered, we have the
Bible for authority. If you are willing
to face the question fearlessly you will
find that the only reason you have for
believing that the New Testament is
the word of God Is that the Catholc
church told you so. Few people think
of this. The Catholic church collected
the books of the New Testament. she
guarded and preserved them for you
all through what you call the Dark
Ages.
again, the Catholic church alone
teaches me that the Bible means what
it saws. Not only does the church as
sure me that the Bible is revelation
from God, but it alone takes the word
of Holy Scriptures and, forbearing to
interpret them in a non-natural sense,
tells me they mean exactly what they
saw Thus when our divine Savior says
The bread that 1 will give is my flesh
and This is my body the Cathonc
church does not evacuate all meaning
out of the words. She takes the words
at face value.
"The Catholic clergy speak with au-
thority because they teach not their
own opinions, but the truth enunciated
by the church of the ages.
'Why, then, am 1 a Catholic? only as
a Catholic have l authority enabling
me TO know that my religious in
structor is teaching me the truth once
for all delivered to the saints. Only as
a Catholic do l belong to an organiza-,
tion which pretends to be the pillar and
ground of the truth. Only as Cath
olic do | know that the New Testament
is the word of God. only as a Catholic
do | have a church which squarely
takes the words of Holy Scriptures for
their face value Only as Catholic
have 1 guide which, among the opin-
ions of the present day. will interpret
for me the scriptures of the Bible"