The San Francisco call., 1908-10-16
CHURCH CHOSEN AS
MINISTER OF REDEMPTION

1t seems hard to understand how
any one believing in Christ and accent
ing his gospel as Gods revealed word.
can fail TO recognize that the plan
chosen by Christ in the work of re-
demption was the building of a visible
church TO which he confided his work.
he selected the apostles and ordained
them rs his ministers, investing them
with his own mission and power and
sending them to teach the nations and
minister TO them, holding them subject
TO the great authority, which sacred
and intact was given by him to Peter
upon whom, as the rock his church
was built. This is Christ's church.
which, until the end of time was to
be the minister of redemption.
The apostolic character is essential to
the church, for upon the apostles ii
was built by Christ To them he gave
for all time the commission as his
teachers and his ministers. Indeed,
the apostolic character is essential to
It's unity in maintaining integrity of
doctrine and intactness of power in
teaching and in the administration of
the sacraments. 1t requires that in
the church there be a regular and an
uninterrupted series of validly and duly
commissioned pastors who can act with
the authority of those to whom Christ
said, GO teach all nations All that
Christ established must be continued.
His sacrifice and priesthood, his doc
trines and teaching, his sacraments and
ministry. AS the apostl0 were or
dained by Christ, so must they ordain
others. and as they were sent so must
they send others. Thus Matthias was
selected and ordained by the apostles.
and so were Barnabas and Titus, Tim
othy and Mark, and for 10 centuries
the Christian church has bestowed the
apostolic commission upon its bishops
and priests. Valid orders are not suf-
ficient to succession; Jurisdiction is
essentially necessary. 1t is not merely
an episcopal succession, but an apos-
tolic one. not a mere succession of or
ders but of authority. which alone per-
nfits the exercise even of episcopal
functions. st. PauPs words ring in
our ears. Neither doth any man take
this honor to himself. but he that is
called OF God as Aaron was" and those
other words, And how shall they
preach unless they are sent?' The
apostolic authority must supplement
valid ordination. Jurisdiction comes
from the successor of Peter, the vicar
OF Christ. who rules the church of
God. The church which endows it's
ministers with apostolic character must
hold in itself the stem of apostolic sue
cession it must trace it's lineage unin-
terruptedly to the apostles and be able
to say to the one whom 1t sends to the
people, "As the Father sent me, so also
The Catholic church has Away,
maintained that Christ established the
not an ecclesiastical policy. nor is IL
to be confused with the priesthood, noI
is II a name without any special power
Of authority. Such opinions have pre-
vailed among many and differing sects
calling themselves Christians and loud
ly proclaiming antagonism to anything
In the nature OF a real episcopate. The
Catholic church recalls the words of st
the whole flock wherein the Holy Ghost
has placed you bishops to rule the
church of God which he hath pur-
chased with his own blood"