The San Francisco call., 1908-10-16
SERMON REVIEWS
WORK OF CHURCH
Bishop Comaty Delivers Power.
full Address at Celebration
of POntificaI Mass
Succession of PreIates From
Earliest Day to Present Time
DweIt on by Speaker

Following is the full text of Bishop
Conaty's sermon, delivered at the pom
tifcial mass in st. Mary's cathedral:
Il will give you pastors according to
my own heart and they shall feed you
with knowledge and doctrine. "-Jere-
miah iii:15
Your Grace-Before the altar of God
IN this cathedral church, we have knelt
today in grateful thanksgiving for the
70 years OF an episcopate, during which
this people and this diocese have been
blessed by the fidelity of a pastor ac-
cording 10 the heart of God. 1t is his
privilege in the presence of clergy and
people 10 offer the adorable sacrifice
IN thanksgiving to him with whose
priesthood he has been invested and
whose knowledge and doctrine have
been preached by him through the
many years of his pastorate. God al
ways selected and prepared the minis
ters of his word. the priests of his
before all the people. The pastors in
the old law were but types and figures
OF those chosen by Christ and sent as
his apostles TO bring 10 all men the
10 this pastorate bears in it the dig
nifty OF the Divine Savior himself shar-
ing his priesthood of Jesus Christ and
making the apostles and their success
sors coworkers in the divine redemp-
ton. teachers of his doctrine and min
listers OF the saving grace through
N4ANn 1Ildtl HdS u D6 TGCOnCll6Q 10 NTOQ
in Christ
Christianity is the greatest fact in
the annals of human life. It has laid
the foundations and built the struc-
ture of that civilization which the
world calls Christian and which it
recognizes as having blessed and en-
nobled humanity. 1t is not possible to
Ignore the fact that coexistent with
Christianity, giving forth it's message
and establishing it in the lives of men,
has been the Christian episcopate,
which in the plan of Christ is the
means by which Christianity has been
developed and held in unity.
Nineteen centuries separate us from
the establishment by Christ of his
church upon the apostles. Though
moods of human passion and the po-
htical aspirations of diverse nations
yet at the end Of those centuries the
found still living the life of its found
er, preaching the doctrine which he
committed 10 ii, and administering the
sacraments instituted by him, Offering
his selfsame sacrifice. dispensing his
graces. believing in him, obeying and
loving him with the same intensity of
faith which characterized his first
apostles. Among all the institutions
that have been established among men
II alone has survived, unchanging and
Interchangeable, meeting all conditions of
society, bearing TO all men the same
message, imposing upon all men the
same obligations, speaking to all men
IN the varied languages of men, the
one gospel Of Jesus. Christ, the Son
of God, the Redeemer of Mankind
The source of this power, this vitality.
this unchangeableness in doctrine and
morals. can not be satisfactorily ex-
planned except by the words. Chris
tanity is divine. 1t is divine for
there are the words of Jesus Christ in
IFS institution. AS the Father hath
sent me, so also I send you:' Going
therefore. teach all nations:" II am
with you all days, even until the con
summation of the world"