The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-05-18

than the Roman prosecutions. But the church triumphed, and triumphed by suffering The successors of St. Pe-| ter deprived these sects of every prin- cfple of life by anathematizing their errors. Separated from the source of lifes they lost vitality. and like all things human, withered and died. They were branches cut off from the tree. and decay was their fate.
 The church triumphed in these cen turies of doctrinal conflict. It was bitter struggle. involving keen suf- ferfng, butsvictory came to the church Bpt she will never have peace: will never get beyond asstruce. New here sies wax while old ones wane She has witnessed the death of heresies without number; she will see the ex- tinction of all She alone is the pill lar and ground of truth
 s In the course of time, powerful princes attacked the throne of Peter with unexampIed fury. The power Of these mighty potentates was so great that they believed that their hosti1- itys would put an end to the rule Of the race of popes. Henry " dared to oppress Gregory VII, Philip, the fair. opposed Bonfface VIII; Otho IV. Philip Augustus and John of Eng land, dshed the authority of Innocent III Napoleon imprisoned Plus VII
 But these mighty potentates withered
  Tx once said in the midst of his trials: Let this be our comfort. our consoIstion our faith; that they will perish Peter will remain till the end of ages Little he thought that three days later would perish sud denly, who for many years had been the treacherous tornentor of the pa- pacy, Napoleon III Napoleon III perished uncrowned. humble in exile. He vanished like a shadow of his imperial ancestor, Napoleon I, from the greatest throne in Europe. and then from the sight of men, and the papacy remains.
 Princes who came with their mailed
 hands, and struck the mysterious pow
 CT that God has stabIished at Rome, fell back stricken by heaven in their turn, as Oza was in past days for his irreverence- The mighty potentates withered away. and the popes remain They are feeble spirits unmindful of the past, and weak of faith in the un- failing promises Of Christ. who; cam not read the lucid words grayen by His finger on the Pope's tiara ssI am
 the Htrength of God. let no man touch meiss
 The life of the church is the same In all ages. From the past one can triumph as Christ triumphed. She is always rising from the tomb. Where men believe that they have put her to death and buried her. she comes forth glorious and triurnp hants
 Kingdoms, empires dynasties, civil izationss which appeared superior to decay. and promised to endure, for eyeer have perished, or have been swept away But the Catholic church remains. losing here, yet gaining there, ever advancings if some time reced- ing, and always rnanifesting vitality. the evid ence of an indestructibIe prin- ciple that cannot have anything in common with systems and organiza- tions that spring to the surface four ish for season. and like all else that is mortal, wither and die. Whilst all else rises and ! falls and perishes around her. she remains fresh and young and vigor ous, increasing in the elasticity of youth, as she advances in the experience of age. Hedged round by the divine protection, she possesses the vitality necessity not merely to hold hersown in the. shocks and throess of battle, but to continue with unfalt ering step, her mission of teaclling all nations.
 She appeals to the past as a com hrrnation of the present. She holds in her hand the hook of Revelation. the Holy Scriptures. of which she is the divineIy constituted guardian She has preserved it intact through the Christian c6ntur1eSs Sne Will guard It to the end She fearIessly challenges her opponents to point out 2 flaw in her heavenly armor, g single seam through which the gIittertng point of human reason can penetrate and wound her, single dogma that req son can successfully attack.
 She has her giants, who are born | to her, to fight for her, who die away. and are succeeded by others, whilst | she, as youthful as in the beginning. as vigorous today as at any former period ever young and strong, sweeps on from age to age. at the head of Christian civilization. extending her dominions to the very ends of the earth Her majesty, her grace. her radiant purity. her power and author 1 ity, the supernatural character of her whole intelligence and action, all tell tof her Divine founder of the triunphs of a thousand victories: of her myriad future conquests; of the g1ories of her heavenly crown.
 sauasfoN BY REV. IF. J. MORAN, O. s. P. .