The Irish standard., 1910-12-31
CARDINAL GIBBONS
ON CHRISTIAN UNITY
His Eminence Shows Plainly it Was
Not Intention of Christ
to Establish.
Or Sanction Various Conflicting
Denominations, but One Cor
porate Body.
One Faith, One Baptism, One Creed
Have the Worlds 250,000,000
Catholics.

Recently Cardinal Gibbons preach
ed a sermon on the subject Of Chris
tian Unity" which attracted wide at
tention from the daily press of the
country and also brought forth crit
icisms from some Protestant minis
ters who except to the Cardinals
conclusion that it was the intention
of Christ to establish one Church that
should possess unity in doctrine and
government with its members united
Under one visible head.
A summary of the Cardinals SER
mon follows:
1t was manifestly the desire of
Christ that all His disciples should
be united in the profession of one
faith. In His admirable prayer be-
fore His passion He says, IL pray
for them also who through their word
shall believe in Me, that they all may
he one, as Thou, Father, in Me, and
In Thee; that they also may be one
in Us; that the world may believe
that Thou has sent Me-" because the
unity Of the Church is the most lumi-
nous evidence Of the divine mission
Of Christ.
In ST. Paul's epistle to the Ephes-
ians he insists also upon unity of
faith in the following language: "Be
careful to keep the unity OF the spirit
in the bond of peace; one body and
one spirit, as you are called in one
hope Of your calling; one Lord, ono
faith, one baptism, one God and Faith
er Of all, who is above all, and through
all, and in us ALL" AS you all, he
says, worship one God, and not many
gods; as you acknowledge the same
divine Mediator of redemption, and
not many mediators; as you are sane.
titled by the same divine Spirit and
not by many spirits; as you all hope
for the same Heaven, and not differ
ent heavens, SO must you all profess
the same faith
| Unity is Essential.
! Unity of government is not less es.
sential to the Church of Christ, than
unity Of doctrine. Our divine Savior
never speaks of His churches, but of
His church. He does not say upon
! this rock l will build my churches, u
but "Upon this rock I will build my
I church," from which words we must
conclude that it never was His in.
t tention to establish or to sanction
various conflicting denominations, but
one corporate body, with all the mem.
bers united under one visible head;
for as the Church is visible body, II
must have visible head.
The Church is called a kingdom
"He shall reign over the house OF
Jacob forever and Of His kingdom
there shall be no end" Now in ev
cry well regulated kingdom there is
but one king, one form of govern
ment, one uniform body OF laws
which all are obliged to observe In
like manner, in Christ's spiritual
kingdom, there must be one chief tc
whom all owe spiritual allegiance;
one form Of ecclesiastical govern
ment; one uniform body of laws
which all Christians are bound to OBJ
serve; for every kingdom divided
against itself shall be made desc
late"
Our Savior calls His church A
sheepfold. "And there shall be made
one fold and one shepherd" Wha>
more beautiful or fitting illustration
of unity can We have than that which
ls suggested by sheepfold? All The
sheep Of flock cling together. |,
they are momentarily separated they
are impatient until reunited. They
follow in the same path. They feet
on the same pastures. They obey the
same shepherd and fly from the voice
of strangers. SO did our Lord intent
that all the sheep Of His fold should
be nourished by the same sacramentl
and the same bread Of life; that the!
should follow the same rule of faitl
as their guide to Heaven; that they
should listen to the voice Of on'
Chief Pastor, and that they shoul