never was a man so holy and learned as not sometimes to be wrong. Yet "the Spirit of Truth," which Christ promised His disciples, so watches over the traditional teaching of the Church that certain holy and learned men, of different ages and various lands, bear unconflicting testimony that such and such doctrines have ever been the teaching of the Church of God; and their testimony is more than the opinion of fallible man, it is the voice of divine tradition, ever living, never erring; that voice which the chosen of Israel heard upon the Mount of Beatitudes and in plains round about the Sea of Galilee; that " sound which hath gone forth into the whole world"; "that which was from the beginning, which we have heard . . . of the word of life, we declare unto you. . . that you also may have fellowship with us, and our fellowship may be with the Father, and with His Son, Jesus Christ"; "for God, who, at sundry times and in divers manners, spoke in times past to the fathers by the prophets, last of all, in these days hath spoken to us by His Son."

In conclusion let us revert to the thought with which we began. If man naturally and by the invisible elevation of God's prevenient grace has conceived an insatiable desire to draw nearer and learn more of the God of his conscience; and if, after much painful expectation and earnest reaching out after this so ardently craved knowledge and friendship, and wakeful watching for some token, if such there be, of God's loving will to reveal Himself to His creature; if at length, as we have supposed, God does vouchsafe such a revelation and man finds a book which, he is sure, contains some part of those welcome tidings, is it natural for him to stop there and spurn every other message from above? Why are we loath to accept so much consoling teaching of the Catholic Church? We ought not merely to say: It is not in the

Bible; we ought with all diligence "to search the Scriptures"; we ought to "hold fast the traditions which we have learned, whether by word of mouth or Epistle"; and we ought to bear well in mind that the Bible is not a sun in the heavens, but, as the Psalmist says: "Thy word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my paths." It is "as a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn and the daystar arise in our hearts," and the veil be taken away, and we see God face to face, and in the light of that beatific vision we behold the Eternal Truth in its perfect beauty.

III. THE CHURCH

"The Church of the Living God-the pillar and ground of truth." 1 Tim. iii, 15.

There is something in the very sound of certain words that acts upon us like a charm; the name of a loved one is such a word, and such a word is the name of the Church of the Living God." It fills us with delight. Yet I must confess that, as I approach the subject I have chosen for this discourse, the joy it inspires is mingled with sadness. When I turn my thoughts upon the Church in this our dear country, I indeed rejoice with exceeding great joy, but when I turn to the consideration of the millions who know her not, "I feel continual sadness and sorrow in my heart for my countrymen who are my brethren according to the flesh." "Brethren, the will of my heart, indeed, and my prayer to God is for them unto salvation . . . until we all meet into the unity of faith, and the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ."

Whatever way we look we see "the multitudes" of sincere souls, "distressed and lying like sheep that hath no shepherd." And Jesus seems to say: "I have compassion on the multi

tudes." It seems as if we can see Him, weary with His journey to this distant land, as He sits thus by the wayside; and we seem to hear Him saying: "Do you not say, there are yet four months, and then the harvest cometh? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes, and see the countries, for they are white already to harvest."

Yes indeed, our country is white already to harvest. They have heard "the good tidings of great joy,—that unto us a Saviour is born, and they have come to worship Him." Their admiration and reverence are read in every newspaper and magazine. They come to Him and ask, as did the disciples of John the Baptist: "Lord, where dwellest Thou?" and "He saith to them: Come and see." But then their trial begins, and "they stand without," like Magdalen on the first Easter morning, "weeping. For they have taken Him away, and they know not whither they have laid Him." They know He is near, in some church which they know not. ize the sore need of a guide to Christ. been sublimely expressed by Cardinal Newman in a like painful situation: "Lead, Kindly Light, amid the encircling gloom, lead thou me on." They have a guide, the Bible, if they will but read it prayerfully, with a sincere desire to know the truth and a courageous determination to follow its guidance, it will surely lead them to Christ, for He has said: "Search the Scriptures, for in them you think to have eternal life, and they give testimony of me."

And they realTheir plaint has

Let us read1 a few passages together and see if they will not guide us to the Church of Christ.

I. St. Matthew says (xvi, 18): "And Jesus said: I will build my Church . . . and the gates of hell shall not prevail

1 The following passages are too lengthy and too numerous for quotation. It would be more effective if the preacher would read them.

against it." Therefore Christ intended to establish a Church, that is, a congregation of His followers, a perfect society, with members united under a common head, striving for a common end the glory of God and their own sanctification and salvation; loving one another with unfeigned charity, openly professing the same faith, forming a visible society, that all men might see and know. "By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." This society was to be one; small in beginning, "like to a grain of mustard seed," but growing into a mighty tree; "like to a sheepfold," in which there is but one flock and one Shepherd; "like to a city set upon a hill," that all men might see it, for they are to be "the salt of the earth," "a light to the world."

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St. Luke tells us (vi, 12 ff.) how our Lord began to build His Church, choosing the apostles and giving them authority to rule and teach in His name: And it came to pass in those days, that He went up into a mountain to pray, and passed the whole night in the prayer of God" for He was about to begin a tremendous work, a work which was to last till the end of time-the work of establishing "the Church of the Living God, the pillar and ground of truth." "And when day was come, He called unto Him His disciples: and He chose of them twelve, whom He named apostles." "Then [ix, 1 ff.] calling together the twelve apostles, He gave them power and authority . . . and He sent them to preach the Kingdom of God. . . . And going out, they went about through the towns, preaching the Gospel." "And after these things [x, I ff.] the Lord appointed also other seventy-two: and He sent them two and two before His face into every city and place whither He Himself was to come. And He said to them: . . . Go, behold I send you as lambs among wolves. . . . And into whatsoever city you enter and they receive you,

say to

them: The Kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. But into what city soever you enter and they receive you not, going forth into the streets thereof say: Even the very dust of your city that cleaveth to us, we wipe off against you. Yet know this, that the Kingdom of God is at hand. I say to you, it shall be more tolerable at that day for Sodom than for that city. . . . He that heareth you heareth me, and he that despiseth you despiseth me. . . ." "If one will not hear the Church [Matt. xviii, 15-18], let him be to thee as a heathen and a publican. I say unto you, whatsoever you shall bind on earth shall be bound also in heaven, and whatsoever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed also in heaven." Thus our Lord established His Church, one visible society, in which the apostles had unlimited authority to rule and teach.

And then, after His three years of preaching, on that solemn occasion when, gathered with His chosen Twelve in the upper room at Jerusalem, "before the feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour was come, that He should pass out of this world to the Father: having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them unto the end. . . . And Jesus said: . . . Little children, yet a little while and I am with you. A new commandment I give unto you, that you love one another, as I have loved you. If you love me, keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and He shall give you another Paraclete, that He may abide with you forever. The Spirit of Truth. . . . He shall abide with you, and shall be in you. . . . I will not leave you orphans, I will come to you. Yet a little while and the world seeth me no more. But you see: because I live, and you shall live. . . . And the word which you have heard is not mine: but the Father's who sent me. These things have I spoken to you, abiding with you. But the Paraclete, the Holy Ghost, whom