The Faith of Our Fathers Part 4

Chapter V.

APOSTOLICITY.

The true Church must be Apostolical. Hence in the Creed framed in the first Ec.u.menical Council of Nicaea, in the year 325, we find these words: "I believe in the One, Holy, Catholic and _Apostolic_ Church."

This attribute or note of the Church implies that the true Church must always teach the identical doctrines once delivered by the Apostles, and that her ministers must derive their powers from the Apostles by an uninterrupted succession.

Consequently, no church can claim to be the true one whose doctrines differ from those of the Apostles, or whose ministers are unable to trace, by an unbroken chain, their authority to an Apostolic source; just as our Minister to England can exercise no authority in that country unless he is duly commissioned by our Government and represents its views.

The Church, says St. Paul, is "built upon the foundation of the Apostles,"(70) so that the doctrine which it propagates must be based on Apostolic teachings. Hence St. Paul says to the Galatians: "Though an angel from heaven preach a Gospel to you beside that which we have preached to you, let him be anathema."(71) The same Apostle gives this admonition to Timothy: "The things which thou hast heard from me before many witnesses the _same_ commend to faithful men who shall be fit to teach others also."(72) Timothy must transmit to his disciples only such doctrines as he heard from the lips of his Master.

Not only is it required that ministers of the Gospel should conform their teaching to the doctrine of the Apostles, but also that these ministers should be ordained and commissioned by the Apostles or their legitimate successors. "Neither doth any man," says the Apostle, "take the honor to himself, but he that is called by G.o.d, as Aaron was."(73) This text evidently condemns all self-const.i.tuted preachers and reformers; for, "how shall they preach, unless they be sent?"(74) _Sent_, of course, by legitimate authority, and not directed by their own caprice. Hence, we find that those who succeeded the Apostles were ordained and commissioned by them to preach, and that no others were permitted to exercise this function. Thus we are told that Paul and Barnabas "had ordained for them priests in every church."(75) And the Apostle says to t.i.tus: "For this cause I left thee in Crete, ... that thou shouldst ordain Priests in every city, as I also appointed thee."(76) Even St. Paul himself, though miraculously called and instructed by G.o.d, had hands imposed on him,(77) lest others should be tempted by his example to preach without Apostolic warrant.

To discover, therefore, the Church of Christ among the various conflicting claimants we have to inquire, first, which church teaches whole and entire those doctrines that were taught by the Apostles; second, what ministers can trace back, in an unbroken line, their missionary powers to the Apostles.

The Catholic Church _alone_ teaches doctrines which are _in all respects_ identical with those of the first teachers of the Gospel. The following parallel lines exhibit some examples of the departure of the Protestant bodies from the primitive teachings of Christianity, and the faithful adhesion of the Catholic Church to them.

Apostolic Church. Catholic Church. Protestant Churches.

1. Our Savior gives The Catholic Church All other Christian pre-eminence to Peter gives the primacy of communions practically over the other honor and jurisdiction deny Peter's supremacy Apostles: "I will give to Peter and to his over the other to thee the keys of the successors. Apostles.

kingdom of heaven."(78) "Confirm thy brethren."(79) "Feed My lambs; feed My sheep."(80)

2. The Apostolic Church The Catholic Church All the Protestant claimed to be alone, of all the churches repudiate the infallible in her Christian communions, claim of infallibility.

teachings. Hence the claims to exercise the They deny that such a Apostles spoke with prerogative of gift is possessed by unerring authority, and infallibility in her any teachers of their words were teaching. Her ministers religion. The ministers received not as human always speak from the p.r.o.nounce no opinions, but as Divine pulpit as having authoritative truths. "When you have authority, and the doctrines, but advance received from us the faithful receive with opinions as embodying word of G.o.d, you implicit confidence their private received it not as the what the Church interpretation of the word of men, but (as it teaches, without once Scripture. And their is indeed) the word of questioning her hearers are never G.o.d."(81) "It hath veracity. required to believe seemed good to the Holy them, but are expected Ghost and to us," say to draw their own the a.s.sembled Apostles, conclusions from the "to lay no further Bible.

burden upon you than these necessary things."(82) "Though an angel from heaven preach a gospel to you besides that which we have preached to you, let him be anathema."(83)

3. Our Savior enjoins The Church prescribes Protestants have no law and prescribes rules fasting to the faithful prescribing fasts, for fasting: "When thou at stated seasons, though some may fast fastest, anoint thy particularly during from private devotion.

head and wash thy face, Lent. A Catholic priest They even try to cast that thou appear not to is always fasting when ridicule on fasting as men to fast ... and thy he officiates at the a work of Father, who seeth in altar. He breaks his supererogation, secret, will repay fast only after he says detracting from the thee."(84) The Apostles Ma.s.s. When Bishops merits of Christ.

fasted before engaging ordain Priests they are Neither candidates for in sacred functions: always fasting, as well ordination, nor the "They ministered to the as the candidates for ministers who ordain Lord, and fasted."(85) ordination. them, ever fast on such "And when they ordained occasions.

Priests in every city, they prayed with fasting."(86)

4. "Let women," says The Catholic Church Women, especially in the Apostle, "keep never permits women to this country, publicly silence in the preach in the house of preach in Methodist and churches. For, it is G.o.d. other churches with the not permitted them to sanction of the church speak ... It is a shame elders.

for a woman to speak in the church."(87)

5. St. Peter and St. Every Catholic Bishop, No denomination John confirmed the as a successor of the performs the ceremony newly baptized in Apostles, likewise of imposing hands in Samaria: "They laid imposes hands on this country except hands on them and they baptized persons in the Episcopalians, and even received the Holy Sacrament of they do not recognize Ghost."(88) Confirmation, by which Confirmation as a they receive the Holy Sacrament.

Ghost.

6. Our Savior and His The Catholic Church The Protestant churches Apostles taught that teaches, with our Lord (except, perhaps, a few the Eucharist contains and His Apostles, that Ritualists) condemn the the Body and Blood of the Eucharist contains doctrine of the Real Christ: "Take ye, and really and indeed the Presence as idolatrous, eat; this is My Body and Blood of Jesus and say that, in Body.... Drink ye all Christ under the partaking of the of this, for this is my appearance of bread and communion, we receive a Blood."(89) "The wine. memorial of Christ.

chalice of benediction which we bless, is it not the communion of the Blood of Christ; and the bread which we break, is it not the partic.i.p.ation of the Body of the Lord?"(90)

7. The Apostles were The Bishops and Priests Protestants affirm, on empowered by our Savior of the Catholic Church, the contrary, that G.o.d to forgive sins:-"Whose as the inheritors of delegates to no man the sins ye shall forgive, Apostolic prerogatives, power of pardoning sin.

they are forgiven."(91) profess to exercise the "G.o.d," says St. Paul, ministry of "hath given to us the reconciliation, and to ministry of forgive sins in the reconciliation."(92) name of Christ.

8. Regarding the sick, One of the most No such ceremony as St. James gives this ordinary duties of a that of anointing the instruction: "Is any Catholic Priest is to sick is practised by man sick among you, let anoint the sick in the any Protestant him bring in the Sacrament of Extreme denomination, priests of the Church, Unction. If a man is notwithstanding the and let them pray over sick among us he is Apostle's injunction.

him, anointing him with careful to call in the oil in the name of the Priest of the Church, Lord."(93) that he may anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.

9. Of marriage our Literally following the The Protestant Savior says: "Whoever Apostle's injunction, churches, as is well shall put away his wife the Catholic Church known, have so far and marry another forbids the husband and relaxed this rigorous committeth adultery wife to separate from law of the Gospel as to against her. And if the one another; or, if allow divorced persons wife shall put away her they separate, neither to remarry. And divorce husband and be married of them can marry again _a vinculo_ is granted to another she during the life of the on various and even committeth other. trifling pretenses.

adultery."(94) And again St. Paul says: "To them that are married ... the Lord commandeth that the wife depart not from her husband, and if she depart that she remain unmarried.... And let not the husband put away his wife."(95)

10. Our Lord recommends Like the Apostle and All the ministers of not only by word, but his Master, the other denominations, by His example, to Catholic clergy bind with very rare souls aiming at themselves to a life of exceptions, marry. And perfection, the state perpetual chast.i.ty. The far from inculcating of perpetual virginity. inmates of our convents the Apostolic counsel St. Paul also exhorts of men and women of celibacy to any of the Corinthians by voluntarily consecrate their flock, they more counsel and his own their virginity to G.o.d. than insinuate that the example to the same virtue of perpetual angelic virtue: "He chast.i.ty, though that giveth his virgin recommended by St.

in marriage," he says, Paul, is impracticable.

"doeth well. And he that giveth her not doeth better."(96)

We now leave the reader to judge for himself which Church enforces the doctrines of the Apostles in all their pristine vigor.

To show that the Catholic Church is the only lineal descendant of the Apostles it is sufficient to demonstrate that she alone can trace her pedigree, generation after generation, to the Apostles, while the origin of all other Christian communities can be referred to a comparatively modern date.

The most influential Christian sects existing in this country at the present time are the Lutherans, Episcopalians, Methodists, Presbyterians and Baptists. The other Protestant denominations are comparatively insignificant in point of numbers, and are for the most part offshoots from the Christian communities just named.

Martin Luther, a Saxon monk, was the founder of the church which bears his name. He was born at Eisleben, in Saxony, in 1483, and died in 1546.

The Anglican or Episcopal Church owes its origin to Henry VIII. of England. The immediate cause of his renunciation of the Roman Church was the refusal of Pope Clement to grant him a divorce from his lawful wife, Catharine of Aragon, that he might be free to be joined in wedlock to Anne Boleyn. In order to legalize his divorce from his virtuous queen the licentious monarch divorced himself and his kingdom from the spiritual supremacy of the Pope.

"There is a close relations.h.i.+p," says D'Aubigne, "between these two divorces," meaning Henry's divorce from his wife and England's divorce from the Church. Yes, there is the relations.h.i.+p of cause and effect.

Bishop Short, an Anglican historian, candidly admits that "the existence of the Church of England as a distinct body, and her final separation from Rome, may _be dated_ from the period of the divorce."(97)

The Book of Homilies, in the language of fulsome praise, calls Henry "the true and faithful minister," and gives him the credit for having abolished in England the Papal supremacy and established the new order of things.(98)

John Wesley is the acknowledged founder of the Methodist Church. Methodism dates from the year 1729, and its cradle was the Oxford University in England. John and Charles Wesley were students at Oxford. They gathered around them a number of young men who devoted themselves to the frequent reading of the Holy Scriptures and to prayer. Their methodical and exact mode of life obtained for them the name of _Methodists_. The Methodist Church in this country is the offspring of a colony sent hither from England.

As it would be tedious to give even a succinct history of each sect, I shall content myself with presenting a tabular statement exhibiting the name and founder of each denomination, the place and date of its origin, and the names of the authors from whom I quote. My authorities in every instance are Protestants.

Name of Place Founder. Year. Authority Sect. of Quoted.

Origin.

Anabaptists Germany Nicolas 1521 Vincent Stork L.

Milner, "Religious Denominations."

Baptists Rhode Roger 1639 "The Book of Island Williams Religions" by John Hayward.

Free-Will New Benj. 1780 Ibid.

Baptists Hamps.h.i.+re Randall Free New York Benijah Close Rev. A. D.

Communion Corp of Williams in Baptists 18th "History of all century Denominations."

Seventh-Day United General 1833 W. B. Gillett, Baptists States Conference Ibid.

Campbellites, Virginia Alex. 1813 "Book of or Campbell Religions."

Christians Methodist England John 1739 Rev. Nathan Episcopal Wesley Bangs in "History of all Denominations."

Reformed Vermont Branch of 1814 Ibid.

Methodist the Meth.

Episcopal Church Methodist New York Do. 1820 Rev. W. M.

Society Stilwell, Ibid.

Methodist Baltimore Do. 1830 James R.

Protestant Williams, Ibid.

True Wesleyan New York Delegates 1843 J. Timberman, Methodist from Ibid.

Methodist denominations Presbyterian Scotland General 1560 John M. Krebs, (Old School) a.s.sembly Ibid.

Presbyterian Philadelphia General 1840 Joel Parker, D.

(New School) a.s.sembly D., Ibid.