Doctrinal Catechism Steven Keenan

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DOCTRINAL GATECffiSM;
"WHEREIN DIVBR9 POINTS OF
CATHOLIC FAITH AND PHACTIQfi
v:43a^4lilii;i)
.
MODERN
ni^RETICS
TIH!
..
/BY ^-.-~
ABE SUSTAINED BY AN APPEAL TO
HOLY SCRIPTURES, THE TESTIMONY OP THE ANCIENT FATHERS, AND THE DICTATES OF REASON,
ON THE
BASIS OF SCHEFFMACHER'S CATECHISM.

BY THE
REY.
STEPHEN KEENAN.
and hold
fast that
THIRD AMERICAN EDITION, REVISED AND CORRECTED, CONFORMABLY TO THE DECREES OF THE COUNCIL OF THE VATICAN.
" Try all things,
which
is
good."- Thess,
v. 21.
Jmprimalur
* JOHN CARDINAL
ARCHBISHOP OF
McCLOSKEY,
NEW YORK.
TLate
"W-- STR,01srC3-,
EDtVARD DUNIGAN & BRO

599
CATHOLIC PUBLISHING HOUSE,

Broadway.
C?7\
.i^ TheLibrarv 'y.\^\A^ OF CONGR^^^^BATIONS \I
THE
BURGH EDITION
of Arguments, Authorities, and Proofs, ii and Practices of ih > Catholic Church, IS here presented in a very convenient form, as an additional antidote against the unceasing etfiisions of antagonist
concise
Summary
'support of the Doctrines, Institutions,
Ignorance and Misrepresentation.

^fter
The
Believer will be hereby

to
instructed and confirmed in his Faith, and the sincere Searcher
Truth
will here find a lucid path
opened
conduct him to
ita
sanctTiary.
There
is
unpretending pages.
it
much important matter condensed in these The work, I trust, will meet with the not'ce
in
deserves, and the good be thus effected which the zealous and
talented aithor has
had
view
I-i
in its publicatioi'.
ANDREW,
Bishjp of Ceramis,
Vicar Apostolic of Eastern Scotland.
Edinburgh,
lOth Aprils 1846.
I have read, with much pleasure, a Catechism, by the PvC^. Stephen Keenan. As it contains a well-reasoned defence of tht Catholic faith, and clear and satisfactory solutions of the ustial objections adduced by separatists, I deem that the study of it will and, therefore, 1 earnestly recoiase most useful to all Catholics
;
mend
it
to the Faithful
m the JNorthern District of Scoiiand.

til
JAS.
KYLE, V.A
N.
Dal
PsESHOME,
15/A April, 1846
I.'Tipn'm.itur,
^ Jonti,
Cabdinal McCloskey, Archbishop

Copyright, T.
of
New York.
W. Strong,
1876.
PREFACE
Diso^sioNs on the various questions of religion have

ever been, and
still
are, matters of inevitable necessity,
because Curistianity and

still
are,
its dogmas have ever been, and impugned by those victims of passion, prejudice,
and error
the schismatic, heretic,

is
and
infidel.
minister of Jesus Christ
thus compelled to
The make
true
reliit
gious controveisy an impoitant part of his studies, as

is
only by this
mean he
can, with the help of God's grace,
bring back
Christ.
If
these unfortunate vânderers to the fold of
angry leelings are sometimes engendered by

lies
these discussions, the fault
with those
who
first
raised the standard of rebellion against the authoritative
teaching of the lawful pastors,
whom
Christ commissionlife
ed to feed his lambs and his sheep, with the bread of
and the
Word
of God.
;
To
elucidate truth,
is
the object
of free discussion
for the task,
and
to all
who
are pôjperly qualified
ample scope should be given. Catholics, as regards their doctrines, court publicity because they are fully aware, the more these are tried and examined, the stronger will be the conviction of their truth in the mind of the sincere inquirer. Of this, ample proof will be
;
found in the multitude of

be
it
late conveisions,
conversions,
observed, not of the vulgar and
.illiterate, ^but
brightest ornaments of the age,
of the
not of
me interested
and
tc
worldly, but of
men who
proved tJiemselves ready
PREFACli:.
sacrifice every worldly
science and truth,

estant, but of
conversions, not
advantage for ihe sake of
cofl
of the nctim of pas-
sion, as is the case
when a stray Catholic becomes Protmen whoê minds are pure and their hearts
beyond
tearing
all
whose high and spotless morality is Such are the men, who, bursting in which they had been hitherto bound, and pieces the thick veil of early prejudice by
chaste,
suspicion
the fetters
tc
which the
is blindfolded, have boldly dared to act upon the Protestant principle of examining for themselves, and, having made that examination, not without hearty commendations of themselves to heaven, have, ot late, added to the glory of the Redeemer by then piety and learning, and, by their numbers, extended the pale of his true Church. With many Protestants it is vain to argue their pre-
Protestant world
conceived notions of Catholic doctrine are such, as to

prevent the infusion of the smallest portion of Catholic
truth.
Their teachers have been
for three
hundred years
employed, not in refuting the true Catholic doctrine, but

in inventing
calumnies against, and publishing misrepre-
sentations of Catholicism, and then
amusing
their au-
diences wdth a refutation, not of the Catholic religion, but

of these absurd Protestant forgeries, and " ingenious de-
which they themselves have fraudulently palmed upon the public as the genuine doctrines of the Church
vices,"
of
Rome. Even with
those
who
do
know
the rules of discussion,

like honest
and whose minds are imbued with something

fairness, controversy will be Cxidless,
if
the Scripture
nrit anrf
alone be appealed
to.
That Divine Book does

and, accordingly,
cannot explain
cussions,
itself,
each disputant
bitter dis-
will interpret to suit his
own views
hence the
and
interminable
contradictions,
observable
PREFACE.
femong
all
those sects
who have
separated themselves
from the Catholic Church. Tertullian, in Iiis Book of of refuting 1 Prescriptions, points out the proper method
ail
heresies.
sion,
opposes
He
tells
them
to
give proofs of their mis-
to their novelties, the traditional doctrines
and points to their jarring of the Apostolic Churches, and contradictory systems, as invincible proofs that they
are teachers of error.
Thus, v^dthout any appeal to Scripture, had the first reformers been asked, Whence come ye ? from whence have ye derived your mission ? they would have looked v&ry foolish, for to this question They were not sent by any they could give no reply. they had no mission from any Christian lawful pastor; mey and their novelties came fifteen hundred Church years too late to have any connection with the Apostles. In thus setting up as preachers, without any mission, they outraged the common sense of men. Christ himself, Moses, and the Apostles, preached new doctrines, but
;
ihey treated
men
as rational beings,
they
proved they
astonisliing
were sent by God by the most evident and

miracles
;
but the reforming ministers never wrciUght

to prove to their unfortunate followers
even one miracle

that they
were sent by God, or
to
stamp upon
their
new
cystem the seal of heaven.

because
These self-commissioned men railed against tradition^ it condemned their novelties but har^ they been
;
asked to prove, without the aid of

of God. tliev would have been
tradition,
i
jat
even the
very Bible, of which they boasted so much,
/as the
Word
for
much
em'.arrassed;
without the traditional argument, no mai can prove the Bible to be God's Word. Hence, the vf ry first principle
of the Protestant Creed
inreirriiy of the Bible
the
aiUhenticity, divinity, and
rests solely
if,
on the authority
of
tradition
and, consequently,
as they maintain, tradi
PREFACE.
tional
whole creed ia which all their other doctrines are grounded, rests solely, even according to themselves, upon the authority oi men. Those who talk of the Bible as the only rule of faith, would do well
be only
doctrines, tlieir
human
merely human, for
its first
principle, .upon
to
make
this
matter a subject of serious meditation
if
they do, they will ask themselves.

Bible, can be proved only
How
can
this
bo,
since even the authenticity, integrity, and divinity of the
by a reference
to tradition
The
heresies of modern times are as productive of sect?

in the
and divisions as those which appeared

Tertullian;
days of
they are daily spawning
new
religions, as
perplexing and pestiferous as the parents from which

they spring
;
and thus will they continue, shooting off
in
every direction, no matter

until their
how
preposterous or absurd,
very absurdity will force the pious and reason
ing portion back into the
and drive the thoughtless and vainly-wise section of

into the broad, but
bosom of the Catholic Churcli. them

infidelity.
dark and hopeless, path of
numerous works of deep research and intrinsic merit have of late Most of these, however, are so issued from the press. as to render them useless to many expensive diffuse and Catholics and Protestants, who, though anxious in their search after truth, have neither time nor education to enable them to read, nor money to procure, elabordte and
the subject of religious
controversy,
On
expensive publications
others, again, are so compendithaft,
ous, and the arguments so abridged,
when
fail
put into
ihe hands of a superficial Protestant, they
to
produce
conviction.
Some
others, in fine, there are, the scope of
which
is
rather to instrict Cadiolics in the faith and
practices of their religion, than to disabuse the Protestant
mind of
its
prejudices and
its errors.
Among
these worki^
of real talent and merit, something seemed to the writer
PREFACE.
wanting viz. an form, and cheap epitome of controversy in a concise comprising the principal arguments on the various questions most commonly controverted, combining perspicuity with brevity and cheapness, that it might be within the
of the
following pages to be
still
reach of
all
Catholics
is
who
are called to give a reason for
the faith that Protestants,
in them, and of all sincerely inquiring
whose occupations and circumstances
pre-
clude the possibility of their having recourse to more

learned,
more voluminous, and expensive works. Whether this desideratum be supplied by the following little work, the public will soon determine. The plan
controversial treatise by Father SchefFmacher, a
Jesuit,
and a portion of the groundwork are taken from a small
German
who
held the chair of controversy at Strasburg

It
about a century ago.
was
at first the intention of the
writer to give only a translation of Scheffmacher's Cate-
chism, but, after a careful examination of
it,
he found
some important articles treated with such brevity, that it was necessary to remodel and extend them, while others of vital interest were scarcely touched at all indeed, such were the changes and additions which the writer was obliged to make, that the present may be considered
;
an almost entirely
tei
is
new work.
As
the object of the wri-
to
do good, and not to acquire fame, he acknow-
ledges his obligations, in some instances, to several Con-
and some English Divines and trusts that an mdulgent public will find, in the soHdity of the matter, an apology for all defects in manner and style. He also
tinental
;
takes this opportunity of expressing his gratitude to the
eminent Cathohc prelate to

of security,
whom
the work, for the sake
was submitted
it
ing will be found in

age.
If,
in fine,
and feels assured, that nothunworthy of his Lor,dsliip's patronthis publication promote tlie caase o/
;

5<
PREFACfc:.
religion
and truth
it
the Neophyte,
by being put lighten the burden of

;
if,
into the
hands
oi
his brother clergy-
men
in the matter of contro'';ersial instruction
in dispelling eiror. in bringing
; if
it
aid
in carrying conviction to the
mind,
the
back
to the unity of the

it
one
fokl
some of
will
many who have wandered from

aider jis labors
the writer
cû
amply rewarded.
CONTENTS.
RISE
AND PROGRESS OF PROTESTANTI83I.
Nature and author of Protestantism, p. 15. Chapi i. Causes of Luther's new Creed, p. 17. Chap. iii. Luthei Chap. iv. required to retract by Cardinal Cajetan, p. 19. Luther judged by the Universities of Paris, &c., p. 21. Chap. Chap. vi. LuV. Luther cited by the secular power, p. 23.
Chap.
a.
ther's
mode
of supplying his
Church with
priests, p. 26.
Luther's reformation not the

i.
work
of god.
28.
God not the author of the change of religion, p. Chap. Chap. ii. Luther's language to the Emperor and the Pope, p. 30. Chap. iii. Luther's doctrine not of God, p. 32. Chap. iv. Luther's schism not brought about by God, p. 34.
V.
Chap.
vi.
Means used by Luther
not from God,
p.
?
36.
p.
Chap,
What
then are Luther's followers obliged to
38.
THE TRUE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST.

Chap.
i.
To
be saved
we must
is
be members of the true
Church
tlie
true
Church
that
which
was
established
eighteen hundred years ago, and has existed wnceasingly
ince
Chap. ii. In what Church do we two marks of truth ? p. 43 Chap. iii. Can Protstants tell where and what was the true Chuich before Luther's time? p. 45. Chap. iv. What of the Hussites and Vaudois? p. 47. Chap. v. Chief marks of the true Church its Unity, i. 50. Chap. vi. Holiness, p. 55. Chap, vii Catholicity, p 59. Chap. viii. Apostolicity, p. Go.
that time, p. 40.
find these
10
(ÔMKVTS.
RULE OF lAITH.
Chap.
Chap.
75.
ii.
i.
Divine faith
iv.
its
qualities
and necessity,
full
p.
72
Faith of Protestants, not firm, but

iii.
Chap.
They
of doubt, p are not certain that their Bible is free
of error, p. 78.
Chap.
They
Chap.
vi.
are not certain as to the

Qualities of the Catholic
sense of the Bible, p. 81.

rule of faith, p. 84.
v.
Chap.
Tradition a conne<;ted with
the rule of faith,
p. 86.
PROTESTANTS DO NOT ADHERE TO THE BIBLE ALONE.
Chap.
i.
They
do not adhere to
p.
it
in
the matter of God's
commandments,
p. 92.
p.
88.
subject of faith, p. 90.
Chap. ii. Neither do they on the Chap. iii. Nor do they on assurance,
abide not by
it
Chap.
iv.
They
as regards the Church,

p.
95.
Chap.
vi.
V.
Nor on the
10 i.
subject of Scripture,
97.
Chap.
Additional
p.
proofs that they are
not
guided bv
Scripture alone,
OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST AND THE SAINTS.

Chap.
Chap.
Chap.
n.
i.
Second Person of the Blessed

to
Trinity, p. 102.
What we owo
Jesus Christ,
p.
103.
Chap.
p.
iii.
Catholics glorify Christ more than Protestants do,

iv.
105.
Catholics do not abandon Christ by asking the
prayers of the saints, p. 107.

saints is Scriptural, p.
Chap.
v.
109
Chap.
vi.
The invocation ol The antiquity of this
practice, p. 110
COMMUNION UNDER ONE KIND.

Chap.
i.
Reception of both kinds not necessaiy,
p. 11
p.
Chap.
113.
ii.
Salvation promised to the reception of one kind,

iii.
and pure Church often adminisChap. iv. Text, Matth. tered under one kind only, p. 114. '* Drink ye all of this," answered, p. 116. Chap, y xvi. Additional reply to an obstinate Protestant, p. 118.
Chap.
early
The
CONTENTS.
SACRIFICE OF THE
ftTASS.
1)
Chap.
Chap.
ii.
i.
Essentials of the
Mass
instituted b^ Christ, p. 120.

p.
Sacrifices of the
Old Law,
125.
Chap.
iii.
Mass
R true, propitiatory sacrifice, p. 127.
PURGATORY.
Chap.
p.
i.
General proofs of the existence of a middle

ii.
state,
130.
iii.
Chap.
Proofs from the
New
Testament,
p.
132
Chap.
Proofs from tradition,
p. 136.
JUSTIFICATION.
Chap.
Chap.
iii.
i.
ii.
What is it? How is the sinner justified? p. 138. What part has faith in justification? p. 139. Chap,
Can one in mortal sin merit heaven? p. 142. Chap, iv What gives their value to good works? p. 144. Chap, v Can man satisfy for his own sins ? p. 146.
INDULGENCES.
What
is
an Indulgence?
the
arguments
p.
for
Indulgences
from Scripture, Fathers, and Councils,
149.
HEAD OF THE CHURCH.

Chap.
i.
Head
of the Church, p. 153.
Chap.
iv.
ii.
Primacy
of St. Peter, p. 156.
Chap
iii.
What
161
follows from the ad-
mission of this supremacy, p. 159.

to
Chap.
All are bound
obey the Bishop of Rome,
p.
\tHE pope
ture, p. 163.
is
NOT ANTICHRIST.
is
This injurious assertion of Protestants
cor rary to Scrip-
COUNCILS.
Chap
The
diflferent
kinds of Councils, and the weight
of their decisions, p.
166
Chap,
ii,
Number
of generaJ
Councils and obedience due to them,
p. 169.

12
CONTENTS.
OBEDIENCE TO THE CHURCH.
Chap. i. Scripture cormnands this obedience, p. 1"1 Chap. ii. Object of the commaRdments of the Church, p. 173. Chap. iii. Why she forbids meats, p. 175. Chap. iv. Lent who established it, 177. Chap. v. Why was Lent estabhshed? p. 179. Chap. vi. Reply to the scoffers at fasting and
abstinence, p. 180.
ON THE SACRAMENTS.
BAPTISM.
There are seven sacraments,
p. 181.
On
the subject of
Infant baptism, a Protestant cannot refute
an Anabaptist-
the matter, form, and institution of baptism, p. 184.
CONFIRMATION.
It
is
a sacrament,
p.
187.
Scriptural
and
traditioua.
proofs, p. 188.
HOLY EUCHARIST.
A sacrament of the New

regarding
fulfils his
it,
Law,
p.
190.
Promises of Christ
it is,
p. 195.
Christ declares
what
it,
p. 198.
He
that
promise by actuaHy instituting
p.
204.
Scriptu-
ral
proofs continued, p. 209.
Reply
to
those
who say
p.
is
moans
represents, p. 217.
Transubstantiation,
224.
Christ permanently present in the Eucharist, 229.
Adoration
of Christ in the Eucharist, p. 231.
BACRAMENT OF PENANCE AND CONFESSION.
The end
modern
p.
of this sacrament, p. 232.
Confession not
invention, p. 235.
Confession a
Diwne
institution,
first
237.
Scriptural proofs for the practice of the
Chris-
tians, p.
240
EXTREME UNCTION.
S43.
Scriptural proofs for the existence of this sacrament, p Testimony of the Fathers, p. 246.
CONTENTS.
HOLY
Orders a sacrament.
ORl>ER8.
i3
Pastors by
whom
sent, p. 247.
MATRIMONY.
act forbid
Matrimony a sacrament, any one to marry,
p. p.
252.
Catholic Church doei
257
CEREMONIES OF THE CHURCH.
Why
so
many
ceremorJes,
p.
259.
Blessing of inanimate
of the cross, p. 264.
Holy water, p. 263. Sign Vestments, -266. Mass m Latin, p. 268

things, p. 261.
PICTURES AND IMAGES
Their use
not
forbidden
by Scripture
used
p.
by God's
278.
own
order, p. 272.
Relics, p. 276.
Pilgrimages,
VENERATION OF THE EVER-BLESSED VIRGIN.

Catholics do not adore the Blessed Virgin or
&c., p.
any
creature,
283.
p.
Scriptural proofs of her pre-eminent dignitv. p Testimony of the ancient Church and early JP athers.
280.
2S8.
Persecution,
the Inquisition,
On On
I'he power of a General Council, or a Papal Consistory, in
temporal matters,
On
the reading of Scripture,

Friars,
Monks,
and Nuns,
.... .... .... ....

. .
p.
p.
292
301
p. p. p.
.
305
307
310
313
323
Charge of ignorance made against Catholics,
p.
p.
Charge of Unch-aritabieness,
ON HERESY.
What
p.
is
327.
it? 324. Peculiarities accompanying every nerer,-ji Luther and Calvin as missionless as Arius, p. 330.
14
'
CONTENTS.
THE VARIOUS RULES OF FAITH.
Arian or Socinian rule exploded, p. 335. Eaptists*j Meth* and Quakeis' rule refuted, p. 335. Lutheran and Calvinistic rule proved absurd and rejected, p. 338. Many
odlsts',
necessary truths not contained in Scripture,

the Old nor the
p.
347.
Neithei
New
Lavi^ recognise
the
Scripture as the
only rule,
p.
355.
Tradition to be admitted as well as Scrip-
ture, p. 357.
TKUE RULE OF FAITH, OR THE TEACHING OF THE INFALLIBLE CHURCH OF CHRIST.

Catholic rule of
362.
The same
Reasons
379.
why
proved from the Old Testament, p New Testament, p 368 the Catholic interpretation of the texts which
fa-ith
proved from the
bear on this subject should be preferred

p.
to that
of Protestants^
Argument from reason on
this subject, p. 385.
THE CHURCH CALLED CATHOLIC IS THE TRUE INFALLIBLE CHURCH OF CHRIST.
The
proofs, p. 386.
The
Protestant
p.
the Scriptural marks of truth,
388.
The
Church has none of Catholic Chuidi
nm U
the Scriptur
tl
marks
of truth,
p 391.
felB
AND PROGRESS Of
PROTESTANTISM,
DRAWN FROM THE
WOilKS OF LUTHER HIMSELf.
CHAPTER
(Question.
I.
What is Protestantism ? Answer. A new religion, invented and prop

abated by a man,
named Martin Luther.

?
Q. In what year was Luther horn A. In 1483. Q. Where was he horn !
A. In Eisleben, of Prussian Saxony. Q. Of what religion were his parents
?
all
hi^j
A, They were CathoUcs, as were

ancestK)rs.
Q. At
A, All
the time
the religion of all
Luther was horn, what was Europe ? believed what the Catholics believe
Luther himself a Catholic for any
at the present time.
Q.
Was
?
Hme
16
TPIE DOCTRIN'AL
CATECHISM.
A,
year.
He was
a Cathcjlic until his thirty-fifth
Q. What was his stale of life ? A. He was a monk of* the order of discaiced
Augustmians. Q. As such had he made religious vows 1 A, At the age of twenty- three years, he made
vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. Q. Wa,s he bound to keep these vows ? Jl. Without doubt, since he made them
after
mature rejection, and of his ow^n free wîll because the Prophet says, (Ps. xHx :) " Pay thy vows to the Most High ,'' and God himseh* says, (Num. ch. xxx :) " If any man make a vow to the Lord, or bind himself by an oath,
he shall not
all
make
his w'ord void,
but
shall
fulfiJ
that he promised.''
this
Q. Did Luther obey by keeping his vows ?

A.
tized,
command
;
of
Goi
he
No
he violated
all
the three
he aposta-
married Catherine de Bore, a nun,
like
hmiself under vows, and he utterly diso-
beyed everv ecclesiastical authoritv. Q. Was tnis man in ?xaiuy ine founder of
me
Protestant religion, and the first of thai
sect that ever
appeared in
;
the
world ?
for no minister, no conbody of Divines professing Protestant doctrines, was ever heard of until his tiraa
A. Most certainly
gregation, no
THE DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
17
Q. What inference do you dram from

this?
A.
cdl
That Protestantism cannot be the religion because, if the Church of Christ reof Chri-st
;
quired reformation, a
ness
\^
God
of purity and holi
ould never have chosen such an immoral
character
er,
an
apostate, a wholesale vow-break-
a sacrilegious seducer
for that purpose

11.
CHAPTER
cieni Catholic faith
Q. What induced Luther
to
attac/c the an-
and invent a new creed? A, Pride and jealousy. Pope Leo having granted an Indulgence, Luther's pride was mortified, because me commission to preach that Indulgence was given to the order of St. Dominic, and not to his own. Q. To what did he allow himself to be driven by this pride and jealousy ? A. To attack the doctrine of Indulgences itself.
Q. Would the Catholic Church have blamed Luther had he merely attacked the abuses or
avarice of individual Catholics
?
A. No, certainly.
He
erred in
this,
that
under pretence of reprehending abuses, he assailed the true failh on the subject of Tnduijênces
2*
l^
ViiZ tjOCVRlN
AL CAT EyHli^M
Q. What was his next step ? A, He posted on the gates of the Church of ^Vittemburg, ninety-five articles, which he wrote, and which contained many things not
,u
accordance with
the'
doctrines of the Church.
Q. Weiê
A.
these articles refuted?
They
were, and with
much
ability,
by
some Catholic Theologians,

replied with a
to whom Luther haughty insolence unworthy of
a Christian.
Q. What hypocritical pretences did Luther make in 1517, during these disputes?
A,
He
pretended that he wished to teach
nothing but what was conformable to Scripture, to the
Holy
Fathers, and approved
by the
Holy See. (T. 1. Ger. Edit. Gen. Q. What did he write to Jerome, Bishop of Bxindenhurg? A. That he wished to decide nothmg hmiself, and that he wished to submit all his docp. 12.)*
trines to the
Church,
(ibid, p. 54.)
to
Q. What
did he write
Pope Leo
in 1518?
A. That he would
of JesuB Christ.
listen to that
Pope's de-
cision as to an oracle proceeding from the

(IbiJ, p. 58.)
to
mouth
Q. What
superiors
?
did he promise
his
relig}(;u:i
A. That he would be silent,
if his
adversaries
were placed under the same
restraint.

Q.
19
What inference do you draw from all this? A. That he was either a hypocrite who did not intend to fulfil his promises, or that he was
quite
satisfied of the truth of the
doctrines
which he impugned, since otherwise he could not conscientiously promise silence and obedience.
What other consequences do you draw ? A. That a man swollen with pride, envy,
Q.
jealousy
disobedient
hypocrite
was
to
not
the person to be chosen
by God
reform
abuses
if
any such existed.
CHAPTER
Q.
III.
What took place at Augsburg between Luther and Cardinal Gajetan ? A. The Cardinal required of him, that he should retract his errors, which Luther refused, appealing at the same time to the mo>^t celebrated Universities of Germany, and to that of Paris, and pledging himself most humbly to submit to their decision. (Ibid, p. 119 and
p. 14.)
Q.
Did he stand by
that appeal ?
A.
No
he appealed a short time after to

(Ibid, p. 122.)
the Pope.
Q.
Did he
abide by this second appeal ?

tlie
A.
No; he next appealed "from
Pope
"
20
TU\: OOC'IRINAL CATEi:;iI13i\l
iii-informed,"
(Ibid, p. 205.)
" to
the
Pope well-infonned
Q. Did he
A,
cil.
stop even here ?
No
he then appealed to a Genoa!
Coun
(Ibid, p. 351.)
Q. Did he abide by
to the
this resolution to submit
decision of a General Council?
A.
to
No
at the Diet of
Worms, he
declared
flatly that
he would not submit his doctrine any Council. (Ibid, pp. 448, 450, 452.) Q. What do you conclude from such con?
duct
A, In the first place, that Luther must have been extremely fickle to appeal to so many Judges, and to abide by the decision of none. Secondly, that he knew his cause was bad and his doctrine false, since he would not submit it Thirdly, that he must even to the best judges. have been brimful of sir/ul pride and obstinacy, since he preferred his own single judgment to that of the whole Christian world. Q. But did not Luther promise to abandon his errors, if any one would prove them siicn
from Scripture ? A. Yes but this was only an

;
artifice
;
to
enable him more freely to propagate them
be-
cnuse he well
knew
that the Scriptures m.ay

;
be wrested into any, or every meaning
that
ne could give them any sense he pleased, as

the MornTons, the Millerites,
21
and other strange

:
sects
do
at the present
all
day
the
his
Scripture
is
made
.
to teach
sorts of contradictions.
Q What
fuge
?
was
ais real object in this subter-
A.
rors
He
wished to impose
monstrous
er-
on the public, as truths bearing the sacred stamp of Scriptural authority. Had he been sincere in his ap{)eal, he would have said shall leave it to the Church to decide whether my doctrine is conformable to the Scripture
:
or not.
CHAPTER
lY.
Q. What judgment did the Universities, to which Luther appealed, pronounce upon his
doctrine
?
A. They condemned his doctrine as and heretical. (Ibid, p. 539.)
false
Q, What Universities did

Louvain, and Paris.
so ?
A, The Universities of Leipsic, Cologne,
Q. Did Luther abide by their decision as he had promised? A. No on the contrary, he poured forth a torrent of invectives and insults against them he called the Univeisity of Paris "the mother
;
of errors," " the daughter of Antichrist," " the
gate of hell "
(Ibid, p. 548.)
If2
THE DOCTRINAL CATEi
HfSM.
judgment of the Pope to whom Luther appealed, and whose decisions he promised to receive, as if they came from thfi mouth of Christ himself? A. The Pope published a Bull, condemaiiig
the
Q. What was
ibrtv-one articles of Luther's doctrine.
Q. What does the Pope say in that Bull ? A. That he had done every thing he coild
to
reclaim
Luther, but that
all
his paternal
cares and advices had been unavailing.
He
gives Luther sixty days to retract, and orders

his
works
to
be formally burned at the end of

?
that period, should he persist in his enrors.
Q. Did Luther submit

A.
No
he
now renounces
;
the authoritv to
which he had appealed

to
he writes against the
Bull of his chief Superior,
w^hom he had vowed

345;) he
obey
he denounces the Papal decision as
the decision of Antichrist, (Ibid, p.
publicly burns the Bull, along with the
book of
the
Decretals.
(Ibid, p. 353.)
Q.
Had
Luther previously written, in
most submissive terms, declaring that he was

willing to cast himself at the feet of his Holiness
?
A, Yes, (Ibid, p 58 ;) but the moment the Pope opposed him, he changed his language,
declaring that not only the Bull, but the Pop^
himself should be burned
(Ibid, p. 553.)
THE DOCTRINAL CATE miSM,
2S
before,
Q.
Had
Luther not written, a
little
that his preservation
or destruction depended
entirely on the absolution or

his Holiness ?
(Ibid, p. 53.)
condemnation of
but he now declares that men must against the Pope, the Cardinals arms take up and Bishops, and wash their hands in the blooa
A. Yes
of these dio:nitaries.
(Ibid, p. 60.)
Q.
the
Had
he not written, before this time, that

the
Pope and
144.)
Catholic Church were the

(Ibid,
highest spiritual aîthority on earth ?

p.
A. Yes
those
but he no^v teaches, that none but
who
oppose the Papal authority can be

do you
saved.
(Ibid, p. 553.)
Q. What
duct
?
I
now
think of Luther s con-
A.
out
can discover nothing

the- slightest
in
it
but the spirit
of inconstancy, doubt, error, and revenge, with-
even
mark
of the spirit of
God.
CHAPTER
Q, What did
p7'ess the
Y.
the seculai
?
power do
to
sup-
rising heresy
A, The Emj)eror Charles V. cited Luther appear before the Diet of Worms, and sought
reclaim him bv the mildest means.
to
l4^
24
<4.
What
iêply
did Luthei^ make

?
to the or-
der of the
Emperor
replied, that from the wording of the one would suppose t!ie Emperor to be either a maniac or a demoniac. (Ibid, p. 400.) Q. Why mas not Luther confined, to prevent him from corrupting others, and from excAing
A.
He
order,
disturbance
A.
He
had received the assurance of a

the civil
authorities
safe-
conduct, and
could not
the term
break their promise.
When, however,
of the safe-conduct had expired, the
Emperor
off*
proscribed Luther as a sectarian, cut

the
from
body of the Church. Q. Whither did Luther then retire ? A. To the castle of Witlemburg, where he wrote the most false and pernicious works. Q. What was the effect of these works, in which he spoke of nothing hut " evangelical
hberty?"
A. These works produced disturbances, sedition, and amongst other evils, tlie German War of the Peasants, who con)mitted every
sort
of evcess, declaring that the rich had no
exclusive right to their property, that every

thing should
(he
be held in
common, because
in
2d chapter of the Acts, it is said, that all property was common amongst rhe first Ch-u^
jans.
THE DOCTRINAL CATEOHJftM
25
Q. Did other divisions and schisms soon ap^ f)eaj' amongst the Lutherans ? each disciple of Luther thought A. Yes
;
he had as good a right as his master to expound the Scripture according to his own
^.veculiar
whim;
Carlostad, Zwinglius, Cahnii,

this
Muncer, Schwenckfeld, were of
opinion.
They
own.
interpreted for
themselves,
denounced
of
their
their master,
and
set
up
religions
Q
and
Did
the thing called " religion/' invented

to
hy Luther, continue thus

different sects ?
;
give rise
to
nevj
A. Yes every year gave rise to a new spawn of sectarians, a short period produced
thirty-four different sects
and even
to
this
Jay, the religion of Luther
is
as prolific of sects
is
and sectarians,
as the putrid carcass
of in-
sects or vermin.
So
true
is
it,
that
when we
once abandon truth, there can be no end to our wanderings in the mazes of error that when we once break the moorings which bind us to the rock of truth, by the adoption of a false
;
rmnciple, such as that of private interpretation,
we
are only the prey of endless, ever-varying,
and fro on a wide ocean of contradictions and contrnrieties, to-day on one tack, to-monow uperroneous
opinions,
to
human
tossed
n another,
cei'tain of nothing,
but ultimate
2r
THE DOGTRlNi^L CATECHISM.
shipwreck on the rock of infidelity, or the quicksands of heresy and schism. Q. What lesson do you learn from this par-
Luther s conduct ? A. That the man who wantonly disobe3^s aU authority, both ecclesiastical and civil the man
ticn of
who
perverts the sacred Scripture, for the pur-
pose of exciting sedition and anarchy, and propagating
evident
heresy and schism
cannot
possibly be the ambassador of heaven.
CHAPTER
Q,.
V[.
to
foi
What means
did Luther resort
purpose of supplying his new church with priests, seeing that no bishop could, or would ordain any of his followers ? A, He invented a new doctrine on that subject, a doctrine never known in the Church till
the
his time.
Q.
What was
that doctrine ?
A. That all Christians men, women, and were truly and really children, even infants priests, and that nothing was wanting to then (Ibid, pp. 64, 33 but presentation to a cure.
309.)
Q. Upon
doctrine
?
lohat did he
found
this
unheard-oj
''
A.
Upon
that passage of St. Peter,
You
are
THE IK)CTRlNAI/CATE0:ii3M.
V 7'cyal priesthood."
"
2'
" St. Peter/'

all
he reasoned,
all
addresses this to
Christians, therefore
Christians are priests."
He
might equally well

all
have proved, from the same passage, that

Christians are kings
tha-t
;
since St. Peter declares
they are
all
royal.
Hence, as
all
all
Chris-
tians
are confessedly not kings, so neither are

all
they
priests.
Hence, again,
the followers
of Luther should be satisfied, that their pre-
tended pastors are only wolves in sheep's clothing,
who
entered the fold not by the door but
over the wall, smce their pretended orders and

mission are founded only upon a passage of
Scripture evidently i)erverted to suit a purpose.
Q. What
ers ?
ivas
Luther
next step after aboL
ishing the time priesthood amongst his follow-
A.
He
next abolished the true Sacrifice.

he allege against the sacrifice
Q. What did of the Mass ?
A, Various things which he learned from the diwil, as he himself declares.
Q.
''lict
How
''
does he express himself on that sub-
in his book on the
Mass
(Tom.
says, "
vi, p. 82.)
A.
Having awoke," he
about mid-
night, the devil
commenced
a dispute with
me
on the subject of the Mass/' Q, What did th^. devil say
t(
him
THE rOCTRlNAL CATECHIS^M.

Listen, most sapieît Doctor," said the A, father of lies : " during fifteen years you have What if all theso said Mass almost every day. acts have been only so many acts of idolatry ?' Q, Did Luther hearken to the paternal ad
"*
vice of his sable director ?
A.
He
listened so well, that he allowed him-
self to
be persuaded that the devil was righi
and he wrong, so that the enemy of man cank^ off' victor and though Luther in the same book calls the devil the most artful and lying deceiver, he here chose to follow his advice rather than that of the Church. Q. What think you of all this ? A. One can hardly tell at which to be most astonished, at the open and brazen avowai
;
of Luther, or at the awful blindness of those
who
follow a master, who,
by
his
own
account,
received his training and

school of Satan.
instruction in the
THE PROTESTANT PRETENDED REFORMA TION IS NOT THE WORK OF GOD.
CHAPTER
I.
Q. Can any one reasonably
believe that the

i
change in religion brought about by Luthei thn work of God ?
THE DOCTRINAL
A.
CATECHISIVI.
2S
No
one can believe
it,
unless he be utter-
ly ignorant of the true natuie of religion,, and
very unlearned in matters of history. Q. Why do you make this answer
A, Because, in the first place, the author of the Reformation is not a man of God secondly,
;
because
thirdly,
his
work
is
because the
work of God means which he used in

not
the
effecting his purpose are not of
God.
is
Q.
Why
do you ay Luther
not a
man
of
God?
A. Because he has
dant proof, that
tion in his
if
left
us in his works abun-
God saw need for any reformaChurch, such a man as Luther would
to
not be selected to carry God's will into effect.
Q. What have you works ?

A.
hlame
in
Luther
They
are
full
of indecencies very offen-
sive to modesty,
crammed with
a low buffoon-
ery well calculated to bring religion into contempt, and interlarded with very
insults offered in a spirit
many
gross
very
far
from Christian
charity and humility, to individuals of dignity
and worth.
Q,.
Pa.^sin-g over his indecencies in silence,
give us a specim,en of his buffooneries and insuits. What does lie say to the King of England, replying to a book
which
ii,
the
King hai
w*<Uen agiinst him?
(Tom.
3*
p. 145.)
30

''
A. He calls the King " an ass/' an idiot," "a ôol/' " whoni very infants ought to mock." Q. How does he treat Cardinal Albert, Archbishop and Elector of Mayence, in the icork which he wrote against the Bishop of Magde.hurgf (Tom, vii, p. 353.) A. He calls him " an unfortunate little priest crammed with an infinite number of devils.*' Q. What does he say of Henry, Duke of Brunswick ? (Tom. vii, p. 118.) A. That he had swallowed so many devils in eating and drinking, that he could not even spit any thing but a devil.'' He calls Duke George of Saxony, " a man of straw, who, with his immense belly, seemed to bid defiance to heaven, and to have swallowed up Jesus Christ himself." (Tom. ii, p. 90.)
''
CHAPTER
II.
Q. Was Luther s language more respectful, when he addressed the Emperor and the Pope ? A. No he treated them both with equal indignities he said that the Grand Turk had
; ;
ten
tirxies
peror,
the virtue and good sense of the
Em-
that the
Pope was
" a wild beast," " a

all
ravenous wolf, against rise in arms."
whom
Europe should
f*'om
Q. What do you conclude
Luther
THE DOCTRJNAL CATECHISM

insolent, outrageous,
and
libertine
manner
oj
speaking
A, That he was not the man to be chosen by God to reform his church for his language is the strongest proof that he was actuated, not by the spirit of God, but by the spirit of the
;
devil.
Q.
little
May
net his party say, that they
cam
about thi
trine be true,
the
manner of
that
it is
man, if his docnot upon him, but upon

the
?
word of God,
they build their faith
A.
If the Protestant doctrine
be true, then
God used Luther
as a
estabhsh his true faith
chosen instrument to rebut no reasonable man

; ;
can possibly beheve th^ latter therefore, neither can any reasonable man believe that the Protestant
is
the true faith.

it
Q.
May
not be objected that there were
individual pastors in the Catholic

worthless as Luther
?
Church as
A. Yes
but
all
the pastors of the Catholic
Church were not

the
first
so at one
and the same time,
whilst Luther, at the time
we
speak
of,
was
and only teacher of Protestantism. Besides, Christ himself gives an unanswerable

reply to
the objection, (Matth. xxiii
:)
"
The
Scribes and Pharisees have sitten in the chair

of
Moses
all
things therefore whatsoever they
shall
say to you, observe and do, but according
32
to iheir
THE DOCTRINAL CATECHLSM.
works do ye not/' Again,- some (Catholic pastors may have been bad men, but stil they were the lawful ministers of God, having succeeded to lawfully commissioned predecessors but Luther stood alone, he succeeded to none having lawful authority from whom he could derive a mission. In fine, whatever may have been the lives of some vicious Catholic pastors, they taught nothing new, their teaching was the same as that of the best and holiest Hence, there was ministers of the Church. no innovation in matters of faith, or principles of morality. But Luther was the first to teach
;
new
doctrine,
unknown
in the
wodd
before
his time.
CHAPTER
Q.
III.
We
are
Protesia.ntism
now was
satisfied that the
author of
not a
man
of
us that his undertaking ivas not

uihat did he undertake ?
God ; show from God
A.
He
fallen
undertook to show that the Church

into error, separated
his
had
her,
himself from
into
and formed
followers
party
against her.
Q. Could such an undertaking
he //yt?.
God
A.
git
No
for
God
has
commanded
us not
t
(o
in
judgment upon the Church, but
heaj

THE l}OCTRiNAL CiWEClllSM.
*d^^
and obey her with respect; "and if he will not hear the Church, let him be to thee as the heathen and pubHcan." (Matth. chap, xviii.)
Q. Wasitthepa7'ticular''teYntor'mV' Church
of the Roman States, or the Universal Catholic Church, that Luther charged with having
erred?
A,
It
was
the Universal
this
Church he dared
?
to
calumniate in
Q.
How
manner. do you prove this
A. Before the time of Luther, there was no Christian society in the whole world which believed the doctrines afterwards taught
ther
consequently, he assailed
sect or church, but
by Lunot any par-
ticular
the faith of the
whole Christian world.
Q. Are you quite

bly true, that
sure, that
it
is incontesta-
no Christian body ever
helieved^
Luther s time, the new doctrines he began then to propagate 1 A, So sure, that we have Luther's own His words are, (Tom. ii, p. authority for it.
before
9,
b.
:)
"
How
often
has not
my
conscience
been alarmed? How often have I not said Dost thou to myself: af all men pretend to be wise ? Dost thou pretend that
ALONE
have been in error, during such a long period of years?''
ALL CHRISTIANS
Q. What was
it
that gave
Luther mott
34
THE DOCTRIN'VL CATECHISM.

int^tp*
pain, during the time he m^flitated the
auction of his new religion ? A. A hidden respect for the authority of the
Church, which he found it impossible to stifle Q. How does he express himself on tJm matter ? (Tom. ii, p. 5.)
having subdued all other considerations, it was with the utmost difficulty 1 could eradicate from my heart the feeling that I should obey the Church." I am not so preAfter
''
A.
"
sumptuous/' said
in
he, " as to believe, that
it
is
God's name IJiave commenced and carried I on this affair should not wish to go to judgment, resting on the fact that God is my
;
suide in these matters."
(Tom.
i,
p.
364, b.)
CHAPTEU
Luther
?
IV.
Q. What think you of the schism caused by
Can one prudently believe that it is the work of God ? A, No beca?use God himself has forbidden
;
schism as a dreadful crime

chap,
i,
St.
Paul
I
(1st
Corinth
beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and
ver.
10) says:
"Now
that there be
chat
no
SCHISMS among
the
you be perfect in
you but same mind and samf

;
judgment.''
THE DOCTRINAL CATECHi^^M,
35
Q. What idea did Luther himself entertain

about schism before he blinded himself by his
rnfuriated antipathy to the
lawful foi A. He declared, that it any ( hristian whatever to separate himself from
the
Pope ? was not
Church of Rome.
Repeat the very words of Luther touch(Tom. i, p. 116, b.) ing Oiis important matter, A. " There is no question, no matter how important, which will justify a separation from the Church." Yet, notwithstanding, he himself burst the moorings which bound him to the Church, and, with his small band of ignorant and reckless followers, opposed her by every means in his power. Q. What do you remark on historical examples of conduct similar to this ever since the
Q,.
birth of Christianity ?
A. That in every age, when a small body
from the Church, ou account of doctrinal points, it has been universally the case, that the small body plunged by degrees deeper and deeper into error and heresy, and in the end, brought b}'^ its own nicreasmg cordetached
itself
ruption into a state of* decomposition, disap
peared and perished.

dreds of examples
;
Of
this
we have
hun-
nor can Lutherans or Cal-
vinists reasonably hope, that their heresy
and
are
schism can have any other end.
They
36
walking
of fa^th
VRE DOUIRIN AL CATECHISM.

in
the footsteps of those
strayed from the fold of truth,

;
from
who
have
the imity
and they can have no other prospect, than the end of so many heresies that havte g;one
before them.
CHAPTER
Q.
ed by Luther,
to establish his
Y.
means adoptnew religion, V)ere not of God ? What were those means ? A. That he might secure followers, he employed such means as were calculated to flatter
the passions of
Why have you said, that the
heaven
the devil
not Christ with with jlowers he took

like
;
men
he strewêd the' path to

thoi^ns,
but
like
off the cross
which Christ had laid on the shoulders of men he made wide and easy the way, which Christ had left narrow and difficult. Q. Repeat some of Luther s improvements upon the religion of Christ. A. He permitted all who had made solemn vows of chastity, to violate their vows and marry he permitted temporal sovereigns to plunder the property of the Church he abolished confession, abstinence, Tasting, and every worl of penance and mortification. Q. How did he attempt to tranquillize tht consciences ^'^ had disturbed by these scanda
;
Icusly libertine doctrines
THE DOCTRINAL CATECHISMA.
'SI
He
invented a thing, which he called
justifying faith, to
all
be
'a sutlicii^nt
sul>stitute for
the above painful religious Vvôrks, an inven-
which took off every responsibility from Dur shoulders, and laid all on the shoulders o^
tion
Jesus Christ
in a
word, he told
men
to be-
lieve in the merits of Christ as certainly ap-
plied to them, and live as they pleased, to

restraints of modesty.
in-
dulge every criminal passion, without even the
gain over to his r)arty a sufficient number of presumptuous, unprincipled, and dissolute men of talent, to preach and propagate his novelties ? A. He pandered to their passions and flattered their pride, by granting them the sovereign honor of being their own judges in every religious question he presented them with the Bible, declaring that ench one of them, igno-. rant and learned, was perfectly qualified to decide upon every point of controversy.
Q.
How
did he strive
to
Q,.
What
did he condescend
to
do for Philip,
Landgrave of Hesse, in order to secure his support and protection ? A. He permitted him to keep two wives at one and the same time. The name of the sec ond was Margaret de Saal, who had been maio
of honor to his lawful wife, Christina de Saxe.
Nor was Luther the only Protestant Doctm

4
38
vnr.
doctrinai catechism.
nioristr:>iis
who granted tliis the law of God

;
dispensation from
eight of the most celebrated
Protestant leaders signed, with their

the filthy
own
hand,
and adulterous document. Q. Does the whole history of Christianity furnish us with even one such scandalous dis-
pensation derived from ecclesiastical authority 1
A.
No
nor could such brutal profligacy be

for a
countenanced even
moment, seeing that the Scripture is so explicit on the subject. Gen. Matth. xix, Mark x, speak of two in one ii, But Luther and his flesh, but never of three. brethren were guided, not by the letter of the Scripture, but by the corrupt passions, wishes, and inclinations of men. To induce their foltowers to swallow the
new
creed, they gave
them, in return, liberty to gratify
every appetite.
CHAPTER VL
Q. If neither the author of Protestantism, ncr his work itself, nor the means he adopted tc effect his purpose, are from God, v^hat arehis
fvUowers obliged
to ?
A. They are obliged, under pam of eternal damnation, to seek earnestly and re-enter the
^je Church,
which seduced by Luther, thev
A DOCTRINAL CATKCHISM.
89
abandoned If they be sincere, God will aid them in then' inquiry. Q. JV/iat is the situation of tiie man who
:
does not at once acquit himself c^ this ohlin-ation

?
A.
He
;
is
the victim of mortal heresy and
schism
the thing he calls a chm'ch has

;
no pasin
tors lawfully sent or ordained
hence, he can
receive none of the Sacraments declared
Scripture to be so necessary to salvation.
Q. What think you of those (they are many) who are at heart convinced that the Catholic Church is the only true one, and are still such cowards as to dread making a public profession of their faith
?
A. "He," says our Saviour
Luke,-ix
Man
chap.,
ol
26
ver.,
''
who
shall
be ashamed of
me and
sliall
rnv words, of
him the Son of

shall
be
ashamed,
to
when he
come
in his majesty."
Q. What think you of those v)ho are inclined Catholicism, hut out of family considerait ?
tions neglect to embrace
A, Our Saviour,
Matth.,
tells
in
the
10th chap, of St
loves father or
such, that he
who
mother more than God, is unworthy of God. Q,. What say you to those who hecoyne Prattstants, or remaiii Protestants
\i
from motives
in the
of
orldly gain or honor
A,
say with our Saviour,
8th chap
40
DOCTRINAL uATECHlSM.
"
of St. Mark,
What
will
it
avail a
man,
if
ha
gain the whole world, and suffer the loss of

soul
hh
ON THE TRUE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST.
CHAPTER
I.
Q. 'Can any one he saved who is not in the true Church ? A, No for those who are not in the true
Church,
that
is,
for those
who
are not joined,
at least, to the soul of the
Church,*
there can
subject
be no hope of salvation.
Q. What says Christ upon

(St.
this
Matth., chap, xviii.)
A. That he who will not hear the Church, is to be reputed as a heathen. Q. What says St. Cyprian? (Lib. de Unit.
Eccl.)
A.
his
That he who has not the Church for ;" mother, cannot have God for his father
"
and the Fathers generally say, " that as all who were not in the ark of Noah, perished in the
waters of the deluge
;
so shall
all
perish,
who
are without the pale of the true Church.''
Q. What
is the
it
meaning of the ninth
article
This question, as
regards Pagans and invincibly igu^
%ut Christiins will be treated afterwards.
A DOCTRlN/,L CATECHISM
4i
sf
the
Creed:
''
I believe
in the /wly Catholu
Churchr
A
thai
is
That every one should firmly believe, to be a member of the CathoUc Church,
necessary in order to salvation.
Q.
true
By
ichat
marks can you distinguish

all other sects ?
;
the.
Church from
A, Particularly by two 1st, Whatever pretends to be the Church of Christ, must have been established, upwards of eighteen hundred 2d, ft years ago, by Christ and his Apostles. must have existed unceasingly in the world
from that time to the present. Q. Why do you say that Christ's Church must have been established more th-an cip^hteen
hundred years ago ? A. Because it was Christ who estabi'/Ijjd his own true Church, and it is more than eighteen hundred years since he left the world, to w^hich he has never since visibly returned. Q. Why do you say that a church, to he the true Church of Christ, must have perpetitally
existed, without
any
interruption, since the time
Christ established it?
A. Simply, because Christ promised

perpetuity to his Church.
such
Q. What are
subject?
Mattfi. Kxviii
the
words
of Christ ov
this
Matth.,
xvi
4*
chap.,
18
ver.
and
20.
42
A DOCTRENAL CATECHISM.
A.
"
Thou
art Peter,
and upon
this rock.
will build
my
church, and the gates of hell shalj
not prevail against it;" and, "Go, therefore,
teach
all
all
nations .... and lo

to
days, even
the
/ am with you consummation of the

!
world.''
Q.
How
does St.
Paul speak of
the
Church
of Christ ? (1 Tim., iii. chap.) A. He calls her the pillar and ground of
truth.
Q. Were
it
true
that the
reality fallen into idolatry,
Church had in what inference would
you draw from that fact ? A. That Christ was an unskilled architect and a false prophet because he must then his have built Church, not upon a rock, but upon sand, like that stupid architect of whom he himself speaiis Matth. chap. viii. and because the gates of %ell would then have really prevailed against the Church in spite of his pre;
diction.
Q. What conclusion do you draw from

this?
;
alt
A. That Christ established a Church that that she that Church has existed in everv age
;
exists at present that she never could, and never can, fall into any error dangerous to that salvation on matters of faith or morality every one, in fine, is bound with a firm and
;
A DOCTRINAL CATL JHISM.
43
teaches, De-
unshaken
faith to believe
what she
cause her doctrines are, like those of her Divine

Master, the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever
CHAPTER
II.
^. III what Church do you find those two certain marks of truth, of which you have spoken 1 A. In the Catholic Church, and in no other. Q. Was she established eighteen hundred
years ago
?
to
A. Yes; for no man has ever yet been able date her origin from any later period. Q. Has she existed alvmys, without even the A. Yes
least interruption,
;
during that time ? and no one has ever ventured tc point out such interruption, or how long, if it look place at all, such interruption lasted. Q. How does St. Augustine establish tins
necessary antiquity
and perpetuity of
time
?
the
Church up
A,
sion
to his
own
(Epist. a Gener.)
He proves it by the uninterrupted succesof Roman Pontiffs, whose names he gives,

thirty-nine.
xne after the other, for the complete period, to

the
number of
Q. How many Popes have governed the Church from St, Peter to the present Pnntijf
Pius IX. includvely,
A,
Two hundred and
fifty-
seven.
44
A DOCTi:i\'A[.
t -^TKCHISiVT.
Q.
Aj'c the two certain
marks of
the trut
Churchy of waich you have spoken, discovevahh

in the Protestant
Church
it.
A.
No
neither in the Episcopal, nor Cal-
vinistic
branch of
Q. How long is it since the Lutheran Church was established ? A. About three hundred years Luthei
;
preached the
first
Protestantism ever
first
known
in
1517
and Calvinism was
preached
in t!ie
year 1537.
Q. Were there no Lutheran or Calvinistic Churches before these dates ? A. No no such doctrines, nor churches, nor pastors, nor sects, were ever known in any
;
country prior to that time. Q. How do you reason

against your adversaries
?
from
these facts
A. Any church, to be the true Church, must have been established eighteen hundred years
but the Episcopalian and Presbyterian ago Churches are only of three hundred years' therefore, neither of them can have durat-on
; ;
any pretension to be the
Church of
(Christ.
Q. May not your adversaries reply, that the Church of the first four centuries believed as they do ; that, at the end of that time, the Church fell into superstition and idolatry ; and thai God judged it neiessary, after the

A DOCTRINAL CAIEOHISM.
45
Church was drowiijed in eiTor for eleven hunired years, /o send Luther and Calvin to r^
form her ? A. Yes, they may, and do advance many absm'dities, and this is one of them, which doe? for not bring them out of their difficulties that the Christ says, his Church cannot fail, gates of hell shall never prevail against her,
;
that his holy Spirit shall teach her all truth
FOR EVER,
that he will
abide with her all

that any must have
;
DAYS, even to the consummation of the world.
Therefore
it
is
an
infallible
truth,
Church
to be the
Church of
Christ,
been estabhshed eighteen hundred years ago

therefore, that
Church once estabhshed, could
never
the
fail
therefore the Protestant Church,
mere child of yesterday, cannot be the Church of Christ therefore her very foundation is nothing but error and blasphemy, for she is built on the supposidon, that Christ was either unwilling or unable to keep his promise a supposition which implies the most aggravated blasphemy, tantamount to a denial of the
;
Divinity of Christ
CHAPTER
Q,.
III.
What
to
sstant,
têply 1
can you put to a Frot which he can give no saiisfaciot^

questioyi
46
A DOCTRINA
CATECHISJW.
A. Ask him where the true Church was

before the time of Luther and Calvin.
Q.
^hen
May
he not rephj, that the

there were
Church was
in
invisible, that
Christians
every age
who held
the doctrines of
Luther and
Calvin, hut thai they

their faith ?
dared not openly profess
A. Yes
but this answer will satisfy no

;
man
must
of ordinary understanding
for surely,
it
be evident to every one
who
thinks, that
men
who
believed in their hearts one creed and pro-
fessed another, like these invisible Protestants,
were only hypocrites, dastardly traitors to their religion, utterly incapable of composing the holy, fearless body of the true Church of Christ. Q. Was not the Jewish Church for a timt invisible, and did not God say to the prophet Elias, that there were seven thousand men concealed, who had never bent the knee to Baal ? A. When the Jewish Church wâs invisible in the kingdom of Israel, it was in a most flourishing state in the land of Judah but the Protestant Church existed in no kingdom during the years of its invisibility, nor have we the Word of God assuring us, that there were
;
seven thousand invisible Protestants concealed under a cloud anywhere.
Q. Have you any other reply

A,
to
make
Yes
there
is
a very great diilerencr be-
nOCTKlXAl, CATF.cn ISM.
^t
tween the Christian and the JeivisJi Church God never promised that he would be with the Jewish Church all days, that the gates of
should not prevail against her.
hell
Q. Have you any other way of proving that the true Church must have been always
visible ?
A. If the Church had not been always visible, would have been impossible to obey the command of Christ that we should hear and obev his Church. The Church is composed of men teaching and men taught, and are these invisible ? Are preaching, public prayer, baptism,
it
the administration of the other sacraments, duties
that can be performed invisibly
Is
not
the subterfuge of
an
invisible
Church a mere
Millerite,
absurdity
or
May
not any
his
Mormon,
madman, declare
gion, hitherto invisible,
nostrums the true relinow at length revealed?
CHAPTER
lY.
Q. Have our adversaries any other reply to make to that, for them, annoying question Where was the Church of God before Iû.
'
ihers time
V
;
A. Yes
of
some of them say, that the Chuich Christ was that of the Hussites, theWaudoia,
and other heretics of the twelfth century, ana
48
A DOCTRINAL CATECTIISxM.
that the Protestant

lion of
it
Church is only a continue, under a different name.

this
Q. Can ment ?
A.
reply he sustained by ar^t^-
No
for,
in the
first
place,
though tht
in
principles
of these heretics differed
son.e
points from the Catholic faith, yet their doc-
differed widely
with the Catholic, and from that of Luther and Calvin Therefore, inasmuch as they held the Mass. seven sacraments, &c., they must have been and inasidolaters according to Protestants much as they held doctrines opposed to Protestants, they cannot be considered as forming one and the same Church. Besides, even admitting, what is not the fact, for the sake of argument,
trine generally agreed
;
were Protestants, this only makes the Protestant sect two or three hundred years older it leaver still twelve hunthat the Plussites, &c.,
;
dred vears of non-existence to be accounted

for
:
this is
an awful chasm.
ask,
during
?
this
Where, still wê long period was the Church of

other prior sect of heretics can
these ages
Christ
What
Protestants link themselves with, in order to

stretch out their existence over
all
?
None
the
and
if not,
then
;
still
they do not form
Church of Christ because they cannot connect their Church in any possible way with
'Srist
or his Apostles.
A DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
Q.
49
that
What say you

Church
to
those
who admit
Church up to Luther's time, hut that many errors and abuses had crept into her, which it was necessary to
the Catholic
luas
the true
correct ?
A,
of
was the Church Christ before Luther, she must be so still

If
the Catholic Church
hence, those
least,
who have
left
her are, to say the
schismatics.
Again, either these sup-
posed errors were prejudicial to salvation, or they were not. If they were, then Christ has failed in his word, then the gates of hell have prevailed against the Church, and this in the very teeth of Christ's promises and security to the contrary. If these errors were not prejudi-
cial to salvation,
then they were only the errors
of individuals, not the errors of the Church
teaching
and, accordingly,
it
was merely neces-
sary to correct the individuals, but on every
account to cling to the Church, as the pillar and
ground of truth
guilty
of the
to act
otherwise,
was
to
be
so
dreadful
crime of
Paul.
schism,
awfully denounced by
Q.
St.
May
;
not these people say, that
it
was we
who separated from them, not they from us f A. No for when there are two bodies one one ancient, of which is great, the other small,
the other modern,
ot
one
teaching the doctrine
a long series of ages, the other teaching a
50
DOCTR[NAL CATECHISM.
it is
new
small
creed
evidently not the great or the
ancient, both in existence and doctrine, but the
and modern body which becomes

for
re-
si)onsible
the separation
a small portior
detached from a mountain can- never with pro

priety be called the mountain
itself.
CHAPTER
Y.
Q. Are there any other marks of the inin Church ? A. Yes four, enumerated in the Nicene Creed " I believe in One, Holy, Catholic, and
;
:
Apostolic Church.''
Q. Did Christ require unity in his Church, A. He says, John, chap, x 16, that there is oniY. fold and one shepherd.''' St. Paul, b\xi Rom. chap, xii 5, says " We, being many, are one body in Christ ;" and Ephes., chap,
'f
"'
iv
that there
is
but
"
one body, one spirit, one
The Church, Lord, one faith, one baptism." therefore, is one body or fold, having one faith,
under one shepherd.
Q..
What
do you conclude from this
A. That no Church can be the Church of Christ which has not this oneness or unity.
Q.
A.
first
Is the Protestant
Church one
?
;
On
principle
princ pie
it
cannot be one
for
its
"
private
interpretation''-
has
A DOCTIIINAL CATRCIi 3M.
fs
ever jn'oduced, and will erer produce, necessarily,

(tv
schisms and divisions
each one, learned
ignorant, interprets according to his peculiai
r^'ht
or interest.
tk'i
Q. Is ern mcnt
A,
sia,
ProtesUnt Church one in

has for
its
its
gov-
?
;
No
it
head, the
the
Queen
or State in
is
King England
in Prus;
and
in
Scotland, the g;overnment

to the
various, according
whims of
the various sects.
Q. Is the Catholic Church one in her government ? A. Yes all the Catholics in the wôr i are
;
subject to their priests, these priests are .ubjecf

to their bishops,
and these bishops are appointed

ir.
and subject to, Peter's lawful successor the See of Rome.

by,
Q.
faith
Is
?
the
Protestant
Church one in
he?
A. She has one faith in England and another

in
Scotland, a third in Switzerland, and a fourth
In Prussia. as
to
The Free Kirk

;
of Scotland holds
damnable, what the Established Kirk believes

be good and true
and the Puseyite believes what the English Church repudiates. In one Protestant Church, bishops, and ordination by
are
bishops,
believed
to
be
necessary
in
another they are
rejected
One
;
Protestant
body believes
in the rea.
presence
and anoth-
o)i
in a baie
er,
and empty memorial. All th minor Protestant sects are in the same melaxicholy predicament, they differ from one another on some or many essential points.
Q. Is
faith ?
the
Catholic
Church one
in
her
A, All the Catholics in the world have one and the same creed. Amongst Catholics there
are no sects
land,
no Chm'ch of Scotland, or Eng:
or France
truths,
All
Catholics believe
the
same
and
to reject
trutl ^ is to
cut one's self
any one of these off from the Catholic

Churchis
comn
anion.
The
Catholic
the
Church, not of any nation, but of the world. Q. Is the Protestant Church one in her moral doctrines ? A. No one sect of Pix)testants believes ir. predestination, in salvation by faith alone and another sect of Protestants holds the necessity of good works and free will, whilst they denounce the above Calvinistic principles, as leading directly to the most debasing immo;
rality.
Q. Is
the Catholic
?
Church one
in her
mora*
principles
A. All Catholics follow the same moral principles,
the same vices
are denounced on the
one hand, and the same virtues inculcated or

*.he
other.
A DOCTRINAL CATECHJSM.
53
ike
Q. Is same
A.
the Protestant discipline everywhere

?
It is
different in
every country and every
sect.
Q. li head ?
ihe
Catholic
Church
is
ofie
on thu
uniform
A
that
The
Catholic Church
strictly
on every essential matter of
discipline,
whether
;
regard the pastors or the

feasts
people
the
same great
observed.
and
fasts
are
everywhere
Q. Is
A.
the
Piôtestant
Church one in her

?
Liturgy, or public service
No
on
;
this
contrariety
Scotland
she exhibits the most absurd
worships
in
God
in
in
one and
be
way, England in another, Geneva

Prussia in a fourth,
a third,
Sweden
fifth,
wherever a handful of Protestants

for
can
assembled together, they strike out a service

themselves, according to their particular
the Catholic
views.
Q. Is
Liturgy everywtiere uni-
form
A. The same great sacrifice of the Mass. and essentially in the same words, is everywhere offered the same seven sacraments are fivery where administered in the same manner
;
even the forms of the public service are everywaere essentially the same.

64
\ IJOCTRiNAL CATECHISM.
Q,
this
1
T'VJiat
inference do you
draw from
is
ei]
A. That the Protestant Church

divided against
tnanifokl
;
itself,
a house
that
it
is
not one, but
therefore,
it
is
not the Church of
Christ
That
strictly in
sequently,
Church is one every sense of the word and, conthat as it is the only Church on earth
the
Catholic
which has perfect unity, it is unquestionably the one true Church of Christ.
Q. Are not Protestants one, because they
all follow the Bible ?
A.
On
the contrary,
it
is
the Bible, abused
by the principle of private interpretation, which

occasions
all
their errors, heresies,
and schisms.
The Prussian Mucker

ples
;
teaches his filthy princi-
from the Bible the silly Mormon palms his nostrums on the Bible the execrable Socialist proves his brutalities from the Bible the Millerite extracts Millerism from the Bible in a word, Methodists, Baptists, Quakers, Epis;
;
copalians, Lutherans,
Presbyterians,
all
per-
vert God's
Word
in order to
make
it
support
their jarring
they do this
and contradictory systems and with as much assurance, as if God

is
could teach that black
white, or that a thing

tinie.
may
>H
be black and white at the same

sect
Thus. :*mongst the Presbyterians of Scotland,
teaches
that
Church patrona^je
if

A
l>oC'J'RrNAI.
CATECH1&\I.
Si
it
dan.nable, whilst another teaches that
is
CHAPTER
Q.
V]
What
?
IS
ine second
mark
oj the
true
Churcli
A. Holiness or sanctity. Q. Does it appear from Scripture,

Christ's
that
Church should
''a
he holy ?
calls her,
A, The prophet Isaiah

XXXV,
8,
Isa.
chap
way which
shall
be called the
HOLY WAY, over which

pass.''
David,
the unclean shall not
Ps. xcii, 5,
says:
"Holiness
becomes thy house,

St. Paul,
Ijord,for length of days.'' Eph. V, 25, declares, that " Christ
loved the Church and delivered himself for

that he
it,
might sanctify it, cleansing it by the laver of water and the word of life, that he might present it to himself a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing but that it should he holy rnd without blemish.'' See also Tit. ii, 14, and Peter, ii, 9.
)
Q.
A.
Is
?
the
Protestant
Church holy
in her
pastors
No
to this she
her pastors are
can have no pretension mere men of the world, not

)f
subjected to the restraints

chastity, or mortification.
Apostolic [Kwerly,
of
ttiîr
The burden

th
religious
A IJOCTIUXAL CATECHISM.
duly seeuis to be, the mere preaching

;
of a sermon or of their
duties,
two upon Sunday whilst most time must be employed, not in Apostolic
and that of
their
but in looking after their ov/n worldly
interest,
wives and children.

in her pas-
Q.
tors
?
Is the Catholic
Church holy
A. They are all separated from the world and its gratifications, and dedicated entirely to
God's glory and the sanctification of souls
;
no wôrldly cares intrude upon them Church is their spouse, and the people
spiritual children
;
the
their
they are
as
ever, in
a-
variety
of ways, employed in the spiritual improvement

of their flock
;
from the
to their
they watch with tender grave, those committed cradle charge and, they have no wives
care,
to the
;
or families to provide
their duties
;
for, their
hearts are in
and whatever of this world's g<X)ds they may possess, is employed for the glory of God.
Q. Are there any means of Holiness in the Protestant Church ? A. No they have destroyed them all they
;
have rejected the soul of religion in rejecting the holy sacrifice of the Mass, and five of tlie sacraments, all abundant souices of grace, as
vou
shall
;
afterwards see, where the subjects are
treated
and even the two sacraments which
A DOCTRINAL
retain, are
ATECHISM.
67
by them reduced to mere the mere giving of a name, and KtTipty forms partaking of a little bread and wine. Q. Has the Catholic Church means of holithey
still
ness
most abundant, in the holy sacrifice of the Mass and the seven sacraments, which are all so many channels, through which the graces which flow from the wounds of our Redeemer are conveved to the souls of Catholies of every class, in every condition, and at every period of life, from the time they enter
A.
;
Yes
the
this world, until
they render their souls into the
hands of God.
Q. Is
doctrines
the
1
Protestant Church holy in he"
A. The very contradictory nature of the various moral doctrines, taught by the evervarying sects of Protestants, must, of itself, be But what places the unruinous to holiness.
beyond all doubt, is her doctrine on predestination, on free will, her belief that faith alone is necessary, and that good works are useless for who, believing such absurdities as these, can have any motive to avoid
holiness of her doctrines
;
vice or practice virtue

patible
Holiness
is
incomdoc-
with these immoral principles.
Q.
Is the Catholic
Church holy in her
trines ?
^S
A DOt'TRlXAL CATECHISM.
A, She teaches her children to believe ali that God has revealed, and to practice all that
he has
commanded
multitudes
of Catholics,
not content with observing the precepts, prac

tise
even the
coi.nsels of the Gospel.
Fasting,
self-denial,
mortification,
unremitting prayer,
and a frequent participation of the sacraments, all of which are so pressingly recommended in the Scripture, are enjoined and practised by the whole Church, from the sovereign pontiff^ down to the humblest member of Christ's mystical
body.
Q. Were there, in consequence of these holy means and holy doctrines, many members oj the Catholic Church illustrious for sanctity? A. Yes multitudes, and of every class, from the king to the mendicant, and from the Pope
;
to the
deacon.
Q. Have even adversaries admitted this ? A. Yes the Apology for the Confession of
;
Augsburg, Art. 13, declares, that St. Bernard. and St. Bonaventure, weresaints eve.i the Calendar of the Church of England admits others and almost all our saints are
St. Francis,
;
admitted by the Fuseyite section of the English
Church. Q. In what Church did these admitted saints

live
and
die 7
A DOCTRINAL CA'PECHISM.
59
A. In
he Catholic, Apostolic, and do you conclude from this
Roman
?
Church.
Q^.
What
A. That as one can be sanctified through

Clirist in the
Catholic Church, so he can cer;
same Church and if he can be saved in this Church, it must be the true Church, and he can be saved in no other for Christ did not establish two Churches. There
tainly be saved in the
;
is
only one baptism, one fold, one shepherd,
one revelation, containing one true set of doctrines.
Q. Did God ever work miracles

the sanctity of
a,
to testify
Catholic
A. Even enemies admit that he did. That he wrought miracles by the hand of St. Francis Xavier, is allowed by Baldeus, Hackluit, and
Tavernier,
all
rigid
Lutherans and Calvinists.

;
Now,
St.
Francis was a Catholic Priest

religion,
and
hence the Catholic
which, by the aid
of these miracles, he taught and propagated,
must be the true

error.
religion, since
God
could not
to
give the testimony of his Almighty hand
CHAPTER
Q. What Church ?
is
YII.
the
third
mark of
the
true
A. Catholicity or universality

GO
A I>0CTR1NAL CATECFI. SxM.
Sa ip
Q.
ture ?
Is this
mark
evidently iêquired by
A. According to
Scripture,
in
the
Catholic
Church must be universal

universal as lo doctrine,
three
ways,
universal as to time, universal as to place, and
Q. Where do you find

versal as to time
?
Ixii,
that she
must he uni^
thy walls,
all
A. In
Isaiah,
I
"
Upon
Jerusalem,
have appointed watchmen

the night, they shall
Isa. ix,
the
day and
his
all
their peace/'
never hold 7 "Of the increase

o{
government and peace .... there shall be NO END." He shall sit upon the throng o\ David " to order it, and establish it, ... from In John, xiv, 16 henceforth even for ever." " I will ask the Father, and he shall give you another Paraclete, that he may abide with you for ever.'' Q Where do you find universality, as to
.
place, laid
down
in Scripture ?
A. In Malachi, i, 11 ''From the rising of the sun to the going down thereof, my name great amongst the Gentiles." Ps. xxi, 28 " All the ends of the earth shall remember, and shall be converted to the Lord." Ps, ii, 8 " Ask of me, and I will give the Gentiles for
thine inheritance, and the uttermost pîrts of the earth for thy possession/' Luke, xxiv
i5
A DOCTRINAL CATECHISM
16
penance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations," Acts, i, 8 " And ye shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the uttermost parts
"
That
of the
earth.''
Q.
Is
there
any passage of
Scripture,
in
a-
which the above three kinds of universality

true
clearly laid down, as necessary qualities of the
Church ? A. Yes in
;
the commission given by Cnrist
to his
Apostles
Matth.
;
xxviii,
19,
;
20
.
"Go.teach1
ing, therefore,
teach ye all nations
ing them to observe all things, whatsoever
have commanded you and, behold, I am with you all days, even to the consummation of th-e worlds Here you have, from the lips of Christ himself, an express attestation, that his Church >^vill be Catholic or universal as to time, place, and doctrine.
Q.
A.
Is the Protestant
Church universal
She
is
in
these three
ways
No
nor in any one of them.

;
no^
few centuries back she had no existence she is little more than three hundred years old. A Church is composed of pastors and people, teaching and beiieving certain doctrines, and no su'ch body
universal as to time
for a
;
balding Protestant
doctrines
was known
io
62
the world for fifteen

left
it.
hunHred years
aftei Chri-i
She
;
is
not universal either as to num-
bers or place
her
in
even the Greek Church is belore numbers and on this head she cannot
;
bear a comparison with the Catholic Church.
According
total
to
the
Scientific
Miscellany,
the
is is
is
number
;
;
of Protestants in the world

the
total
48,985,000
56,360,000
six to one.
whilst the
;
number of Greeks number of Cathohcs
254,655,000
that
is,
the Catholics are nearly
But
itself,
if
we
take each Protestant

the true point ol
all
Church hy
differ
and
this is
comparison,
(for these
Protestant Churches
from one another,)
we
will
find,
then,
that Catholics are to Presbyterians as sixty-five
Church of England as thirtyHence, it is not only incon'ect, but six to one. ludicrous, to call any of these Protestant sects Cathohc or universal. Neither can they 1)^
to one,
and
to the
called universal as to place
for Protestants
are confined to a small corner of the earth, as

will
be evident, by the following
statistical ac-
count, from the above authority.

EUROPE.
Catholics,
Protestautis.;...
ASIA.
AFRICA.
154,444,600
40,000,000
12,400,000
39,675,000
50,000
OCBANICA.
10,00C
AMERICA.
Catholics,
34,110,000
3,450,000
Protestants,... 9,150,000
50,000
JOCTRINAL CATEClilaM.
03
most decisive procf thai the Protestant is not the Church of ail nations she is not even the Church of any one nation, no, nor of even one parish exchisively on the
These
statistics are the
face of the earth.
In
fine,
she
is
not universal
;
as to doctrine, either as to extent or truth
for
she has taught, and does teach,

errors,
many
evident
of
such as predestination, the rejection
free will
and good works, and the impossibility
of keeping the
commandments.
truth, she
And
as to the
teaching of
sion to
it,
all
can have no pretenits
since each Protestant sect has

;
culiar doctrines
the
scarcely two of them

They even
pe-
have
same creed.
rejected, as apoc-
ryphal, at one time,
whole books of the sacred
Scripture,
which they now admit they reject to-day what they taught yesterday. Indeed,
whether moral, dogmatical, or disciplinary, they present only one confused and revolting mass of contradictions, contrarieties, and absurdities.
in point of doctrine,
Q.
above
Is the Catholic
thrrec
Church universal in
deny that she
is
the
ways
A,
No
one
will dai*e to
the
Chur:h of all ages. She is the only Church upon earth that can be visibly traced back through every age to the time of Christ. She is the Church of all nations, as is evident from the above statistical argument there is not
,

64
A IVJCTRINAL
CA'l EClU^bM.
nay,
scarcely a
a Christian,
Pagan
nation,
that does not attest her actual presence, or, by
noble monuments, her former greatness
fier
ancient canon law
is
still,
in
is
a great measure,
the foundation of
xîvil
the law of Scotland, as
it
law of Europe and America her noble temples and colleges, dedicated to the living God, are still the ruined monastic the pride o^ England establishments and glorious cathedrals, that once adorned every country of Europe, have survived the Vandal hand of barbarous i eforrUy as ever-enduring monuments, to perpetuate the
;
the law of France, and the whole
history of Catholic greatness.
Protestantism
has never converted even one
Pagan nation
whilst every people that have been bi ought to
the
knowledge and worship of the true God,
professing that they owê their conversion to

the Catholic Church, loudly proclaim her universality
;
everywhere her incense ascends

is
everywhere her sacraments are administered
everywhere her pure sacrifice

*'
oflered.
To
said
her alone did the Prophet speak,

I will
when he
give the nations for thme inheritance,

for thy possession/'
;
and the ends of the earth

In fine, she
Is
is
universal as to her doctrine

;
everywhere the same
it
it
has, like the pure
gold, passed through the ordeal of eighteen hun-
dred years' examination, unchangeable anc un-
A DOCTRINAl CATECIHSM.
f>5
changed
infidelity
combined efforts of lieresy ana against it have been unavailing. She

the
teaches her children to observe all that
God
has
commanded, and
vealed
the
:
to believe all that he has reis,
her doctrine
like
her Divine founder,
same yesterday, to-day, and for ever. Q. What says St. Augustine on the word
?
Catholic
A.
''
"
The very name
of Catholic/' ht says.
keeps
me
in the
Church.
Heretics have done
their utmost to obtain that name, yet they have never been able to succeed. If a stranger, on
where is the no heretic would dare to Catholic Church point out his heretical conventicle/' (Tom. vi,
entering any city, were to ask,
?'
'
Contra. Ep. Fund. chap. 4.)
Q. Give us Saint Jeroms words, contra

Lu'cif.
you see any body inherit its name from a particular man, as the Marcionites from Marcion, the Valentinians from Valentinus,'' (we may add the Iûtherans from Luther, the Calvinists from Calvin,) "you may look on that body, not as the Church of Christ,
but as the school of Antichrist."
A,
"
When
Q. Give us a good reason why your name of Catholic is the best proof that you are in
the ti'ue
Church.
A. These
who remained
6*
in
communion with
f)6
A DOCTRIX.A.
CAl'ECiUSM.
body of the faitliful retained the ancient name, whilst innovators gave to their followers either their own name, or one derived from their peculiarly novel doctrine, or fion
the ancient
the comitry in wliich this

first
new
creed
made
its
appearance.
Calvinists, the
dists,
Thus the Lutherans, the Church of England, the Methotheir
the Quakers, the Moravians, show, by
their
very names, the human origin of
religion.
Q. What inference do you draw from all that you hai>e said on this mark of Catholicity ?
A, That the Scripture expressly requires, in the true Church, universality as to time, place, and doctrine ; that the Protestant Church is not universal in any of these three ways that the Catholic Church is the only Church upon
;
earth that has this triple universality, and, consequently, that

it is
the true
Church of Christ.
CHAPTER
Q. What Church ?
is
YIII.
tn4*.
the
fourth mark of the
A. Apostolicity. Q, What do youviean by this word? A. That any Church pretending to be the
Church of
Christ,
must be able
to trace her

loctrine,
.^Vpostles
61
tlie
her orders, aiid her mission^ to

of Christ.
Q,.
Why
shoiJd this be the case
A. Because, during all the time the Church has existed, there must have been true pastors
" for the
tion of
"
work of the ministry, for the edificaEphes. chap. iv. the body of Christ,''
have appointed watchmen they shall never hold their peace," Isa. Ixii, 6. These pastors must have been lawfully sent for " no man taketh the honor of the priesthood upon himself, but Heb. he that is called by God as Aaron was/' V, 4. Thus, Christ sent the Apostles these Apostles sent others, for example, Paul and Barnabas and again, Paul sent Timothy and Titus and, in this manner, each succeeding
thy walls,
JerusaAem,I
. . .
Upon
generation of pastors was sent
l>y
;
the preceding
from Christ to the present time

their successors, did
it,
and the gen-
eration of pastors giving their cojnmission to
originally given, in
by the power of Christ " As my Fathese words

:
me, I also send you." In fine, the pastors of every age must havB been ordained, according to that of St. Paul to Titus, Chap, i, 5 " For this cause I left thee in Crete,
ther hath sent
:
that thou shouldst set in oixler the things that
are wanting,
dve y city, as 1 also
and shouldst ordain priests in appointed the^,"
68
A DOCTRINAL
CATEClIIsSiM.
Q. May it not he said that the Protestant Church is Apostolical in her doctrine, seeing
that she adopts the Scripture as her rule
?
A.
the
If she were, all Protestants
would teach
same
truths
and surely no
all
man
in
his
senses will assert, that either the Apostles oi

the Scripture could teach
the conk-adictory
for fourteen
and absurd creeds of Protestantism. Besides, hundred years after the last of the
v\postles left this world,
Protestant doctrines
were unknown amongst mankind. Q. Is the Catholic Church Apostolic in

doctrine
?
he?
A. Even our adversaries admit this in spite of themselves for whilst they unwittingly admit that we were the first Church, they as uniformly We maintain that Popery is unchangeable.
;
now which was taught country since the time of and m every century Christ our doctrines cannot be traced to any man or set of men, to any particular country'
teach the same doctrine
;
'
or date, posterior to the time of the Apostles
we
defy our adversaries to trace

Besides,
it
to
any but
Apostolic authority.
we
are the onl)
Church
that has existed in every age, since the
Apostolic times.
Q.
as
to
Is not the Protestant
Church Apostolic
first P'-ot
mission
1
nc".
;
A, Certainly
Luther was the
DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
ftstant
minister the world ever saw.
By whom
was he sent ? Not by God ^ for he never wrought one miracle to prove it, and his life was such as to prove that he was sent b}' an Not by the Apostles for opposite authority. hundred years too late to have fifteen he came any connection with them. Not by the Cathofor she cut him off from her comlic Church munion, and she could not give a commission
;
to
teach error directly opposed to her
own
creed.
his
No
;
Protestant Church existed prior to
time from w^hich he could receive a comtherefore he had

;
no mission therefore all his followers, in the heretical and schisn'.:*ical body to which he gave being, are mis sionless intruders, w^ho pay no regard to the words of St. Paul; "How shall they preach
mission
unless they be sent ?"
they, the
Almighty says, Jer. xxiii, 21 " I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran 1 have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied.'' It is incumbent upon them to show that they
: :
Rom.
x.
Of such
as
are not the thieves and robbers mentioned by

St.
John, chap.
the
?
x.
Q. Is
mission
Catholic Church Apostolic as
to
A. The Catholic Church alone, has, beyond all doubt, existed in every age, from the present tiJ the Apostolic age Hence, her pastors are
70
DOCIRINAL CAT,ECU1SM.
the only pastors

rjiission
on
earth,
who can
trace theii
to
from priest to bishop, and from bishop Pcpe, back tlirough every century, until they
trace that mission to the Apostles, who were commissioned by Christ himself We have a complete list of an uninterrupted chain of Roman Pontifls, reaching from the present Pon-
have lists of all the Catholic sees in the world, and the names of the bishops who, in every age, occupied them so that we have an unbroken
tiff,
Pius the 9th, to St. Peter.
We
succession
of
bishops
ruling,
teaching,
;
and
adorning every age and clime

strict
all
these in
communion with
the Protestant
the chief sec, that of
Rome.
Q. Is
orders
?
is,
Church Apostolic as U
ail,
A. The fact
nor do
orders.
they have no orders at
many of them even The ministers of the

well as those of
pretend to have
various Calvinisother refornied
tic sects, as
all
sects
not Lutheran, are mere laymen.

;
The
be-
Lutherans, generally, can have no orders

validly ordained bishops from
cause they have never had a regular succession

f)\
w^hom
the}
could receive orders.
As
to the orders of the
Church of England, they

extremely doubtful
;
are, to
it
say the
least,
because
has never been
proved, that the iirst Protestant bishop of the
A DOCTRINAL CATLCHISM.
71
CinvG.i of England was himself validly ordained or consecrated, and because the true form oi
ordination
was not
in
use in the
Church
of
England during one hundred and twelve years. But granting that they really are validly ordained, they have no mission, and hence they can
be reputed only as so
matical, and
heretical
many
suspended, schisIn
fine, as
priests.
the
whole fabric of Protestantism is only three hundred and thirty-two years old, it is manifest, that her ministers cannot trace their Orders to
the Apostolic times.
Q. Are
Apostolic
A,
?
the orders of the Catholic priesthood
They can be
traced from priest to bishop,
and from bishop to Pope, through every century back to the time of the Apostles. Indeed, a
perpetual succession of Catholic pastors has
al-
and hence, so little doubtîs there even amongst Protestants on this subject, that the Church of England, by claiming her orders from us, clearly and unequivocally admits
existed
;
ways
the Apostolicity of the orders of the Catholic
Church.
Q. What
this ?
infe^rence do
you draw from

is
all
A. That the Protestant Church

the
not,
and
oi
Catholic
Church
is,
the
true
Church
Christ,
72
DOCTRINAL CATECHTSM.
Q.
Why
this conclusion ?
'A, According to Scripture, the true Church
must derive, by a perpetual and uninterrupted succession from the Apostles, her doctrines, her mission, and her orders ; but the Protestant Church is not Apostolical in any of these ways therefore she cannot be the true Church. The Catholic Church, on the contrary, is evidently Apostolical in her doctrine, her orders, and her mission, therefore she is the true Church of
Christ.
Q. What general inference do you draw from all we have said on the ynarks of the Church ^ A. That the Protestant Church has not even one of these Scriptural marks of truth hence, her claim to be the Church of Christ, is ludicrous in the extreme that, on the other hand, as we have seen, the Catholic Church evidently possesses them all, therefore she is the one, holy. Catholic, and Apostolic Church.
;
;
RULE OF FAITH
CHAPTER
Q.
A.
Is
7t
I.
possible to he saved without Divine
faith ?
No
for
St. Paul, in
his
Epistle to th

A DOClRiNAL CATECHISM
73
iaith,
it is
Hebrews, chap,
xi,
says " Without

qualities
impossible to please God."
Q. What two particular

have that
it
must
fait ft
may
be divine ?
\
must be firm and undouhting ; ani must be prudently j^rm and undouhting, Q. Why firm and undouhting ? A. Because, otherwise, it will not be divinb Divine faith faith, but mere human opinion. rather than call is incompatible with doubt the smallest particle into doubt, we must be ready to lay down our lives for God, the author of faith, cannot deceive. Q. Why do you say that faith must he pruA.
It
;
dently jfirm
A. Because, no matter
the
how
strong and firm
inward conviction be, if it be irrational that is, grounded on false reasoning it is not
a virtue, but rather the effect of a vicious, be-
cause wilful, obstinacy
such
is
the faith of the

sect.
Turk, and the Heretic of every
Q. Where do you find
the
tvw ahove-men
tioned conditions of divine faith ? A. Only amongst Catholics because they

;
only follow a rule of

truth of their belief
faith,
which places
the
beyond the
possibility of
doubt.
Q. What
of faith
?
is that
which you here

7
call
a rute
74
A DOCTRIÂL CATECHlSiM
A. That which guides us to the belief and practice of all that God has revealed and cow
inanded.
Q. What is the Catholic rule offaith ? A. The whole Word of God, understood
lalliblv in its true sense.
in-
Q.
A.
Is not the written
Word
of
God
alone a
sufficient rule
No
offaith because it
?
is
susceptible of different
senses,
and the interpreter may give it a wrong sense. Hence, that it may be to us an infallible rule of true faith, we must be absolutely certain
that
we
understand the disputed passages corthis
rectly.
Q. Have Catholics on
tainty ?
head any cer
A. Their certainty is entire, because they receive from the Church, which they prove to
be
infallible,
the exposition of the Scripture.

this
Q. Have not Protestants

tainty ?
same
cer-
each Protestant explains the Scripture according to his own particular light, Q' fancy, or prejudice. Hence, he can never be certain that he is right, as he can never be absolutely certain that he is not deceived in his
A.
;
No
for
interpretation.
Q. What does
St, Pete'^*
i.
say
to the faithful
his
2d Epistle, chap.
75
''that
A. That they should no prophecy of Scripture

Heresies
all
is
understand,
made by private
show
in-
terpretation ;" and after denouncing sects and
and crimes,
in order to
is
that pri-
vate interpretation
the cause of them, he
adds, in the last chapter, that certain things in

St. Paul's
"
Epistles are hard to be understood,

as
which the unlearned and unstable wrest,
they do also tL> other Scriptures, to their

destruction/'
own
CHAPTER
Q. Shoio
us,
II.
more
at length,
why
those
wno
are not Catholics, can have no other than a
doubting or vacillating faith ? A, It is, because there are three essential
upon which they have no real certainty. In the first place, they have no real certainty as to the canon of Scripture ; secondly, they can have none as regards their versions or translations of Scripture ; and, thirdly, they can never
points,
be certain
that
their interpretations are the
genuine meaning of God^s word. Q. Why cannot Protestants know, with infallible certainty, uihat books
of Scripture
belies e
ai'e
canonical and divine
A. Because they profess to

iut
nothing
what
is
expressly laid
down
in Scriptur<^
A DOCIRINAL CATEuiUSM
Now
the Scripture does not
tell
are canonicd,
us v/hat books
that
is,
what, and
;
how many,
books are (Jod's divine word
this is aduiitted
even by the most learned Protestants.
Q. Cannot they knoic

expression, as
the
books that
are
divine, by their excelling beauty
and
thrilling
you know honey or sugar

all
by
their sweetness ?
A.
No
for if that could be, then
P?ot
would have acknowledged the same books as canonical, and yet we know thej have not agreed upon this point. The first Protestants rejected the Epistle to the Hebrews and the Apocalypse or Revelations, whilst the Protestants of the present day reestants
ceive these books
as
divine.
Calvin called
the Epistle of St. James, an Epistle of gold,

whilst Luther styled the same, an Epistle of
straw.
Q.
A.
May
If
they not say, that they

titles ?
know
the
canonical books by their
we must
receive the Gospel of St.
Matthew, because it bears his name, we should, for the same reason, receive the Gospels of St. Thomas and St. Barthokjmew, because they bear the names of these Apostles, and yei
all
Christians
reject
these
twô
Gospels as
Apocryphal.
Q.
May
fhey not say, that they receive
tfti
A DOCTRINAL CATECHISiM.
Irue books
11
of Scripture on the autliority of

they reject tradition, on every other
;
Iradition ?
A.
No
question, as a doubtfal source of truth
hence,
every doctrine drawn from it must be, for Divine faith, they say, canthem, uncertain.
not rest on tradition as a foundation
fore,
;
if,
there-
they
know what books

it
are divine only
from
not,
tradition,
evidently follows that they do

to be
and cannot, believe these books

at
God's
the
word with divine faith. Q. What happened year 1598?

A. The
Protestants
Strasbourg in
expunged from theii canon of Scripture, the Epistle to the Hebrews, the Epistle of St. James, and the Apocalypse and seventy-four years after, they again re;
placed .them.
This fact
may
be seen in their
in
old Ritual, in the chapter
on doctrine, and
this ?
the
new Ritual, page 7. Q. What do you conclude from

A. That they were
in
all certainly wrong, either expunging or receiving these books that if they were evidently wrong in a matter of such awful importance as is the integrity of the
;
Scripture, they can have

are right in
;
no certainty that they any thing that, in fine, their faith resting th*us, not upon any rational or certain foundation, but on the mere whims of men,
V8
cannot oe prudently firm, and, by a necessarv consequence, cannot be divine faith
CHAPTER
Q. Wliy have you
tiânslations
III.
said, that those
who are
not Catholics, can never be certain that their
from
the original Scrip tujês are
correct or faithful?
A. Because few,
if
any of them, understand

;
the original languages
so that they are inca-
pable of judging whether their translations are
conformable to the originals.
Q.
May
they not reply, that they have every
necessary security from their translators, whose
knowledge of Greek and Hebrew was indis

putable
?
;
A. No for these translators have given very different and contradictory versions and now, in this case, are men of ordinary education
;
to
know which to adopt ? Q. What did Zwinglius say
of Luther
translation of the
New
A.
He
said, that
Testament ? Luther had corrupted the
Word
of God.
Q. What said Luther of that of Zwinghus f A, He called it the work of fools, asses, ana
Antichrists,
A DOCTRINAL. CATECHISM.
79
the version
Q. Did Beza give an opinion on

at
A. Yes
to
CEcolampadius, published at Bale ? he declared it impioue, and opposed The English declared the Spirit of God.
;
the version of Geneva, the worst

unfaithful that
and the most
had appeared.
Q. Wnat
does Luther himself
avow a^
le-
gards translations of Scripture ? A. That he had added the word

to the text of St. Paul, (chap,
for "
iii,
"ONLY'
Rom.,)
faith,"
to the
we account
"
man
to
be
justified
by
he has,
by
faith oni.y."
Q. How did he justify himself when reproached with this ? (Tom. iii, Edit, de Jena,
pp. 141, 144.)
A.
only
but
if
" I
is
know
well," he says, " that the
word
not to be found in the text of St. Paul
any Papist plague you on the subject, tell him at once, that it was the will of Dr. Martin Luther that it should be added and please to say further, that a Papist and an ass are one and the same thing." ''lam sorry,'* says he, in addition, " that I have not added other words. This word only' will remain in
;
'
my New Testament,
Q.
until all the Papists burst
themselves with spite."
What
?,
do you conclude from tlrs
A That no
fidence in
prudent
man can have any
con-
Protestant Bible, since he can never

80
A DOCTRINAL CAIECHISM.
be certain that
it is
properly translated.
The
English versions are of the same stampj with

the
German.
(See Disraeli's Curiosities of

iii,
Literature, Edit. 1843, vol.
p.
:
530,
et. seq.'i
Hence, Butler (Hudibras) says

" Religion
spawned a various
rout,
Of petulant, capricious sects, The maggots of corrupted texts."

Q,
Can you draw any further

;
inference?
A. Yes that the faith of Protestants, grounded as it is on doubtful Yersions of Scripture, is not
prudently firm, and, consequently,
is
not divine.
Q. But have
books,
the Catholics themselves
an
ab-
solute certainty as to the
number of
the sacred
and
;
the truth of the translations
from
them
A. Yes
the Catholics are perfectly certain
as regards both points.
The Church
points out
the books that are canonical, and the correct

vei'sions of these books.
Now,
a fundamental
is,
principle of the Catholic religion
that the
Church
'*
is
infallible
because Christ says

all all
the gates of hell shall not prevail against her

will
that He
yaently,
be with her
days
that His
holy Spirit will teach her
truth for ever."
Hence, the Catholic grounds his faith on whal is certainly God's word, and his faith, conse
is
certainly divine.
81
CHAPTER
Q.
IV.
Why have you said that Protestants

?
have
HO cei^tainty or security as regards the true

sense of the ScrijHure
A. The
different,
passages of Scripture which regard
controverted points,
may
be tortured into two

;
and sometimes opposite, meanings now the Scripture itself does not, and cannot, tell us which is the true sense.
Q. Have not Protestants

sense,
said, that they are
individually inspired to understand, in its true
any passage of Scripture ? A. Yes but they have said many very
;
absurd things.
assertion,
it
According
to this
blasphemous
taught
was
the Spirit of
God who
;
Luther the real presence, whilst the same spirit taught Calvin the figurative presence it is God who inspires the Church of England to have bishops, and the Church of Scotland to reject them one sect of Protestants to admit good works as necessary to salvation, and another
;
sect to reject
them
oaptism necessary to
repute
it
one minister to account salvation, and another to
as a
were
set
inspired, they
mere ceremony. Surely, if they would all believe the same
of doctrines.
Q.
May
they not say, that the amhigiwui
8*4^
A DOCTRINAL CATECHISMi
are easily explained by those thai art
1
;
texts
Clear
A. Yes
they
may
say any thing
but
it
so
happens, that each flatters himself, that the texts

vvnicn appear to support bis pecuhar notionr^
abundantly clear. Thus, to prove thaj. is not God, the Unitarians think these words: ''My Father is greater than I;" and " That Christ is the first-born oj these other
are
Christ
creatures,''
terians, to
very
clear indeed.
The Presbyis
prove that the Sacrament

:
only
bread and wine, think these words
"
Thefiesh
to
profiteth nothing, the words ivhich
I speak
his
you are
spirit
;
and
if
life,"
the clearest portion ol

in
Scripture
as
any Christian
senses
could believe, that the flesh of Christ, by which,

in union with the Divinity, the wôrld was redeemed, profited nothing. The Anabaptists, to prove that infants should not be baptized, bring forward, what they imagine is very clear, these words " Teach all nations, baptizing them ;'' and, " Ae who believeth and .s baptized shall
:
he saved.''
Q.
also
1
Do
other
Christians think these cleat

clear
in
A. Yes
the^n the
some think them very

.,
ijroving the opposite doctrines, and others think
most obscure passages
in (*he Inspired
Volume.
A UOCTRINAI.
'JATECmSM.
^^
Q. Do
these sects quote other texts to
prove
thei^ peculiar notions?
A. Yes they will quote texts by the dozen, It is quite to prove any doctrine you please. clear to the Free Kirk of Scotland, from ScripturC; that the Estabhshed Kirk is Antichrist and to the latter, the Scripture as clearly proves
;
Free Church to be schismatical. To some, Joanna Southcote was the mother of the Messiah to some of the followers of Wesley, the gi'eatest crimes are only spots upon God's children whilst to the Muckers of Prussia, immothe
;
;
rality
is
virtue.
all
Q. What inference would you draw from

this ?
A, That a wise
God must have
left
in his
Church some judge perfectly qualified to decide, authoritatively, on all religious disputes, and to
point out, with certainty, the true sense of the
Inspired Volume.
Q. Enforce
A, As a
nated,
if
this truth
by a comparison,
could never be termi
to appeal
legal process
the counsel
were allowed
merely to the book containing the law, so religious disputes can never be settled by an appeal merely to the Scriptures and as a lawfull}^ commissioned judge is necessary for the
;
settlement of civil
matters, so
foj
is
a divmely
appointed judge necessary
the decision o\
Si
the
more
difficult
and more important matter
oi' I'eligion.
Q,.
Who
is
that judge ?
A. The teaching body of the Church oi Jhrist, whom he sent to preach his Gospel to all nations, and to whom he promised the contniued guidance of his Spirit, even to the end
of time.
Q. What do you understand here by

teaching body of the Church
?
the
A, I understand the Pope, either acting alone in his decisions ex cathedra on faith and morals, or in General Councils convened by him of the bishops, wlio are in communion with the See of Eome, and acting with them.
CHAPTER
Q. What are
rule offaith ?
V.
Catholic
the qualities of the
A. The Catholic ruJe and clear or easy.
is
universal, certain
Q. Wliy universal
A,
It is
?
all,
a rule for
;
the learned as well

all
as the ignorant
it
relieves the former of
doubt and uncertainty, and spares the latter the

trouble of a difficult inquiry and examination,
for
which they are
in
no way
qualified.
85
Q,
Why
do you say
it is
it is
certain ?
no other than the Word of God, explained by God's appointed organs, m the very sense intended by the holy Spirit, and of course God can neither deceive nor be deA. Because
ceived.
Q.
Why
do you say
it is
clear
in
?
all
A. Because it tells clearly, amlnguous portions of God's

understood.
what sense
Word
are to be
Q. What are
the peculiar
advantages of
the
Catholic rule of faith ? A, In the first place,

secondly,
ly, it
it
it
banishes all doubt
decides finally every dispute; third-
preserves unity.
When an infallible judge

for
decides, there
division.
can be no room
those
doubt
or
Q. What say you of

amine,
personally,
wKo would wisdom
ex-
every controversial point,

in their
and abide by what, they

the Scripture teaches ?
think,
A, That they adopt a rule which, for the great mass of mankind, is an impossibility because, to form a proper judgment from the Scripture on any controverted point, one should know, in the first place, all the texts of Scripture
;
that are for or against such point; secondly,

it
would be necessary
to
compare these
texts,
one with the other, to weigh their respective

.
86
obscure by others more
all
force, to illustrate the
clear; thirdly, to be absolutely certain, that

of
them
are understood in their true sense
and
no other. Now, this is evidently a business far beyond the reach, at all events, of tho ignorant, who form the great mass of mankind. Q. But may not the learned aid the ignorant
in this inquiry ?
A. Such
is
the absurdity to
which error
always reduces its votaries. You refuse to submit to the decision of the lohole Church to the decision of all the learned, pious, *and enlightened prelates of the Church, with the sovereign
Pontiff at their head,

qualified to
men of
all
others the best

;
judge of religious matters
you
re-
ject
their opinion, whilst
follow
you would blindly the crude notions of one layman pretend-
ing to learning, of one Oalvinistic or Lutheran

minister, for the truth of
whose opinions you
have no security whatever.
CHAPTER
Q.
VI.
the
Has
tradition
any connection with

it
rule of faith ?
A. Yes
because
is
is
a part of God's
re-
vealed word, properly called the unwritten word

as the Scripture
Q. called the written word.
What
is
tradition f
A DOCTRINAL CATECiilriM.
91
A, The doctrines which the Apostles taught
by word of mouth, and which have descended through every successive generation even to
our times.
Q. Are we obliged
teaches, equally ivith
to believe
what
is
what tradition taught by Scrip
lure
?
;
A. Yes
tles
it
we
is
are obhged to beheve the one

;
as firmly as the other
because, what the x\pos-
preached
the
as true as
same holy Spirit mouths and by their pen. Q. Repeat the words of St. Paul
ii,
was
what they wrote who spoke by their

2d Thess.,
fast,
chap,
ver. 14.
A,
"
Therefore,
brethren,
stand
and
which you have learned, whether by word or by our Epistle." (See also 2d Thess. iii, 6 1st Corinth, xi, 2 2d Tim. ii, 3.) Q. Do the Protestants believe many things
hold the TRADITIONS
;
;
not clearly laid
down
in Scripture
A. Yes
tially
they believe
many
things essen-
necessary to salvation, which are not
contained in Scripture.
Q. Mention a few of them.

^1.
The
;
Scripture does not anywhere say,
that
all
the books
of
God
it
composing
tell us,
;
itself
are the
Word
it
cannot
of
are correct
w^hether
whether our copies

our trans-lations

88
A DOCTRINAL CATECHISM,
faithful;
from these are
whether the books

tell
;
ol
ol
Scripture that are lost are a necessary part

the rule of faith
;
it
does not
infants should be baptized
whether the
all
us whethei
obli-
gation of keeping Saturday holy has been don
away with
should
whether
down
says
in its place, or at
Sunday should be kept what hour the day of rest

terminate
;
commence and
these,
and
not
sub-
twenty -four other necessary points,

clearly laid
in the
St.
are
Q. What
ject,
Sacred Volume. Epiphanius on this
91 Heresy?
A. That every necessary thing is not to be found in the Scripture for the doctrines of the
;
Apostles were not
all
committed
to writing,
many
of them, delivered by
word of mouth,
;
were handed down by tradition of the Apostles wrote nothing.
indeed, manj*
DO
WE FIND THAT PROTESTANTS REALLY ADHERE TO THE SCRIPTURE AS THEIR ONLY RULE OF FAITH
T
CHAPTER
1.
Q. What is the doctrine of Protestani% gardi^g the commandn-ents of God

"*
re
A DOCTRINAL UATECHDsM.
A, They teach that

them.
fall, is
it
is
impossible to keep
they, " since the
"
No
mere man," say
able perfectly to keep the
commandments
this subject,
of
God." Q. TVhat says our Saviour on

A.
'
in the llth chapter of St,
Matthew?
and
My
yoke
is
sweet,
my
Si.
burden
is
iightr
Q. What says
i,
the
Gospel of
Luke, chap.
ver. 6, "
A. walking in
speaking of Zachary and Elisabeth? And they were both just before God,
ALL
first
fications of the
commandments and justiLord, without blame." St.

the
Epistle, chap, v, ver. 3, says
:
John, in his
"
For this is the charity of God, that we keep his commandments, and his commandments are not " This heavy.'' In Deut. chap, xxx, we have
:
commandment
is
that
.
.
command
it.''
thee this day,
not above thee,.
.but in thy
mouth and
in
thy heart that thou mayest do
Q. Could a wise God give to his children commandments that he knew they were unable
to
observe
?
;
A. Certainly not
for
would order
his strength,
his slave to
even a master, who carry a burden beyond
would be reputed a fool. Besides, did not the young mnn in the Scriptures tell Christ himself, that he had kept all the comtnandments from his youth ? and Christ, who
03
his
knew
heart, did not contradict him,
but
urged him to other and greater works of love. Q. Do you find from these passages, that the law of God cannot be ohsevDed?
^.
No
I find quite the contrary.
Protes-
tants, therefore, follow
any thing or every thing

;
but Scripture
ing about
ligion, is
in this
matter
their
empty
boastre-
what they
call their Scriptural
only a grossly fraudulent means to
conceal their errors
ignorant
and
to
catch the simple and

off
to
throw the more learned
their guard.
CHAPTER
Q.
11.
What
is the doctrine
of Protestants on the
justifies the
subject offaith ?
A. They teach that faith alone

sinner.
What does St. James say ? Chap, ii, ver. following. and 17, A. " So faith also, if it have not works, is dead in itself, ..., even the devils also believe and tremble." "Was not Abraham our father justified by works, offering up Isaac his son upon the altar ?'^ ''Do you see that man is St. justified by loorks, and not by faith only.^^
Q.
Paul, 1 Corinth, chap,
xiii,
says
''
:
And
if
should have
all
faith so that
,
L could
I
remove
nothing
mountains, and have not charity,
am
"
Jll
Our Saviour addresses Magdalen thus

sins are forgiven thee,
Many
because thou hast loved
much/' Q. What do these texts clearly prove ? A. That the Protestant doctrine is false,- that their creed
is
in direct opposition to their

faith.
own
boasted rule of
Q. What good works ?
is the Protestant doctrine touching
A. They teach that good works are not at all necessary to salvation. Q. What does our Saviour teach on the sami
subject?
Matt,
x, 17.
A. That we cannot enter into heaven without good works " If you would enter into life, keep the commandments." St. James, chap, ii, 17, says " So faith, if it have not works, is dead in itself." St. Paul teaches,
:

:
,
"not the heurers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall ho^ justified'' In 2 Peter, chap, " Wherefore, brethren, labor i, 10, wevare told the more, that by good works you make sure your calling and election." Jesus Christ himself says -Matt. chap, vii, 21 " Not every one tliat sayeth to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doctU tiie will of my Father who is in heaven, he shalJ enter into the kingdom of heaven."
chap,
ii,
Rom.
ver. 13, that
^ri
A DueTKJXAl. CATECHISM.
Q. What
on
is the
reason
to he
given hy Chnst
the last day,
why
he sliall pronounce the sen-
tence of eternal exile on

^s it
of the wicked-only that they had no faith ?
many
A,
No
it
is
:
that
"
they had no charity.
Depart from me, ye cmsed, into everlasting fire, .... for I was hungry, and you gave me not to eat ; I was thirsty, and you gave me not to drink ; I was a stranger, and you took me not in ; naked, and you covered me not ; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit me.'' Q. What think you now ? Is the Protestant doctrine on good works in accordance with
Matth. XXV, 41
Scripture
?
;
on the contrary, it seems invented to set Scripture and reason at defiance. It is evidently opposed both to the spirit and the letter of the Word of God.
A, No, certainly
CHAPTER
Q. What
is the
II.
ProtesioMt doctrine on as
surance, or the certainty of grace ? A. They pretend, that the mome-nt

lieve in
wti be-
Jesus Christ,
we
are infallibly assured
of God's grace.
Q. What are we taught in Eccles. chap, ver. 1 and 12?

A.
"
ix,
Their just men/' says that
i.pispired
book
A DOCTRINAL CATEvillSM.
*and wise men, and their works, are in the hand of God, and yet man knoweth not whether he be worthy of love or hatred, but all things are kept uncertain for the time to come man knoweth not his own end." Solomon, in the 20th chap, of Proverbs, ver. 9, asks " Who can
; .
rfay
my
heart
is clean, I
am pure from
ii,
St.
Paul to the
Phil.,
.
chap,
.
12
sin
"
Wherefore,
my dearly
beloved,.
.with fear and trembling
v/ork out your salvation
Corinthians, chap,
iv,
;''
"
and again to the For I am not con-
uîous to myself of
fiereby
any
thing, yet I
justified, but he that
am not judge th me is
the
he Lord."
Q.
Do
these texts
prove the falsehood of

?
it
Protestant doctrine in question
A. Very clearly indeed.

be as unscriptural as
it is
They show
to
presumptuous.
Q. Rut do Catholics believe that we shoula always remain in a state of doubt, as to whether we are in a state of grace ? A. Catholics hold, that those who fear God
may
have, not the certainty of
faith, as
Prot-
estants teach, but a moral certainty that they
are in possession of God's grace
but nothing
the
except a revelation from God,

heart,
who knows
can give us an absolute certainty.

is
Q. What
"iubjcct
the Protestant doctrine on

?
tk^
of penitential works
94
A DOCTRINAL CATECHISM,
A. Protestants pretend, that Jesus Christ has so satisfied for our sins, that, on our part, lasting and other works of penance are entirely
useless.
Q. Is it wonderful that Protestantism slioula have some professars, since it teaches such a
convenient doctrine
?
A. Not at
all
since such doctrine opens a
heaven for unand vicious Christians. According repenting to this, they may serve the devil and serve God at one and the same time.
Q.* Does the Scripture teach this doctrine, so
flattering to the passions
?
ii,
wide, easy, and flowery path to
A. No, certainly
12,
the Prophet Joel, chap,
says
"
Now,
therefore, be converted to
me
with
all
your
8,
heart, in fasting,
St.
and
in weep-
ing,
and
in mourning,'''
John the
forth,
Baptist,
Matth.
iii,
adds
"
Bring
therefore,
worthy
xiii, 3,
fruits
of penance.''
:
In St. Luke, chap,

In the 12th chap.,
our Saviour says " Unless you do penance,
you
shall all equally perish."
he says to those
fruits
who
:
brought not forth worthy

thee,
of penance
"
Wo to
Corozain
wo
to thee, Bethsaida,; for if in
Tyre and Sidon had been wrought the miracles that have been wrought in you, they had long ago done penance
in sackcloth
that unless
and
ashes.''
He
tells
us elsewhere,
we
take
up our
cross,
and folJow
95
St.
him,
I
we
cannot be
ix,
his
disciples.
:
Paui,
Corinth, chap,
it
27, says
" I
chastise
my
body and bring
into subjection."
we
diC;
are told
" If
we
live
by the
And again flesh we shall
but
if,
by the
spirit,
we
mortify the deeds
of the flesh,
we
shall live."
Q.
sages,
Do
you find, by that, according
the
to
perusal of these pasScripture, Christ has

safely dispense
so satisfied for us, that
we may
with all crosses, siifferings, mortifications, ana
vwrks of penance ? A. No the very reverse is so evident, that a man must be either very ignorant, or blind
;
with prejudice, not to see
it.
CHAPTER
the
IV.
Q. What do Protestants teach as regards
Church ? A. That she
fell
into gross errors,
and corof
rupted the purity of the Gospel

Christ.
doctrine
Q.
ture ?
Is
this
clearly in opposition to Scjnp
A. Yes
error
"
xviii, 17,) that

:
because the Gospel tells us, (Matth the Church can never fall into
this
Upon
rock
will build
my Church,
its
and the gates of

't."
hell shall
never prevail against

builder
A rock
is its
foundation, Christ
9(1
his
and
power
its
prop and support.
"
He
that
Church," says Christ, " is to be " I will reputed as a heathen and a pubhcan/' be \^ ith you/' says Christ again, to his Apostles and their successors, ''all days (that is^ each and every day) to the end of the world.'*' In
will not hear the
fine, St.
Paul
calls the
1
ground of tiûth. Q. What do Church ?
Church the pillar and Tim. iii, 15.

teach
Protestants
of
the
A, They teach that she was invisible during more than a thousand years, pretending that
there
were alicays men who held
their faith
it
secretly, but that they
dared not profess
out-
wardly.
\y
Q. Could such a pusillanimous and cowardbody as this he the Church of Christ ? A. No for the people of Christ must not
;
only believe with the heart, but openly profess with the tongue. Rom. x, 10 '' For with the
heart
we
believe unto justice, but with the
mouth confession is made unto salvation.'' Q. To what do^s Christ c mpare Church ? Matth. xviii, 17. A, To a city on the top of a mountain,
ble to all the eyes in the world.
the
visi-
Q. What do you conclude from

(Matth.
tell
these words,
xviii,
17
:)
''If he will not
hear
theni,
the
Church
?"
O"?
A. That the Church must have been always visible, otherwise there must have been a time
during which
possible
this
command
of Christ
was im-
on account of the invisibility of the Church for no one could lay his complaint Hence the Cathobefore an invisible Church. lic is the true Church, since she is the only Church that has been always visible.
;
CHAPTER
Q.
y.
What
do Protestants teach on tne sub-
ject of the Scripture ?
A. They pretend that the Sacred Volume is so clear, that every one, leapned and ignorant,
may
easily
know
St.
?
Q. Does
its meaning. Peter think with Protestants
in this matter
A, No, indeed.
16,
In his 2d Epist., chap,

thina:s in
iii,
he says, that there are some
the
Epistles of St. Paul that are hard to be understood,
which the unlearned and unstable wrest,

cle^
as also the other Scriptures, to their oivn
struction,
Q.
Do
Protestants teach any other absurdity
on the subject of the Scriptuiê ? A. Yes they try to persuade their followers, that the Scripture contains all God's revealed will, and that nothing is to be believed or prac9
;
98
tised
is
but what
expressly laid
down
in that
Divine Book.
Q.
Is this doctrine in accordance with the
Scripture itself?
A No
of St.
brethren,
it
is
directly opposed to the

ii,
words
Paul,2 Thess.
stand
fast,
l4
" Therefore,
and hold the traditions which you have been taught, whether by word
our Epistle."
01-
Q. What do Protestants teach on

charist
1
is
;
the
Eu-
A.
It
not an easy matter to answer this

for to these four words, this is
question
my
body, each Protestant gives his
own
peculiar
meaning.
some, that
Some say
;
that the
it is
in the bread
it
some, that
is
body of Christ is under the bread

;
with the bread
some, that
it
has no connection with the bread, but that you
receive the body

s
when you
that the
eat the bread
and
not
jme, in
fine, say,
body of Christ
is
present in any sense whatever,

affair is
that the whole
a bare memorial,
this
Q. Are Protestants Scriptural in

ter ?
matof
A
Q.
No
they teach
Christ
'it is
Scripture.
they say
are there
to
very "this says

the
his
reverse
is
my
body;'
not
body."
of S^riptur^
?
How many distinct passages

prove the real presence
ii
A DOCTRINAI
C 4.TKCH1SM.
99
A, Fourteen, all contained in the following Matth. xvi, 26, 28 Mark, xiv, 22, 24 texts Luke, xxii, 19, 20 I Corinth, xi, 23, 25 John,
:
vi,
51, 60,
66
Corinth,
x,
16
Corinth,
xi,
27, 29.
of Scripture which de^ dares the Eucharist to he mere bread and mere wine ? A, No, not so much as one and hence the faith of Protestants on this subject is not only
Q.
Is there one text
not scriptural, but antiscriptural.
Q. What say Protestants of Confession ? A, That it is an unscriptural, popish, practice. Q. Is it then unscriptural ?
A.
V, 6,
No
first
the very reverse.
St.
James, chap.
says, " Confess
The
your sins one to another.'' Christians, under the direction of the

themselves,
practised
confession, "And many bethat
Apostles
Acts, chap, xix, 18, 19,

lieved
came and
See
xii,
confessed, and
showed
v,
6,
their
7,
deeds/'
Levit.
also
Num.
iii,
chap,
15; Matth.
5, 6.
Q. But why confess sin at all ? A. That, according to the law of

those
Christ,
who
are penitent
may
be absolved by the
Priests of Christ's Church, lawfully sent and
ordained.
Q. Do we find in Scripture that any suih vowe? was given to the Priests of the Church I

iOO
A IMJCTRINAL CATECHISM.
A. Yes
says to his
we have
for this the clearest texts
of the Insph'ed Vokime.

first
In John, xx, 21, Christ
chosen Pastors " as my Father has sent me, even so I send you ;" and in chap, wii, 18, of same Gospel ''as thou hast sent me into the world, even sv I have also sent them
into the world."
But Christ was sent
into the
world with power
to forgive sins, therefore, as
ne communicated to his first pastors the same power he had himself, they also had power
to forgive sins
;
indeed, he expressly declares
it, John, XX, 21, 22, 23: "Whose sins you and shall forgive, they are forgiven them
;
whose
sins
you
shall retain,
:
they are retained."

''
And
shall
elsewhere, he says
Whatsoever you
earth, shall
bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven
and whatsoever you shall loose on be loosed in heaven."
Q. Are Protestant doctrines equally un scriptural as regards the other Sacraments ? A, Yes their doctrines are? all antiscriptural as regards these. On Extreme Unction, see James, chap, v, 14 on Holy Orders, read 1 Tim. iv, 14 2 Tim. i, 6 Acts vi, 6, and xiv, 23 on Matrimony, see E/phes. v, 24, 25, 32. Q. When you read these passages, do you
;
;
find that Protestants

trines
?
teach Scriptural doc-
A,
No
they evidently teach the very con-
trary.
101
Their empty vauntings about Serif iturej are only calculated to blind the ignorant and mislead the unwary.
CHAPTER
not guided hy the Scripture
;
VI.
Q. Have you any other proofs that they are

?
A. Yes so many, that we cannot admit more than a mere specimen into this small work They reject much that is clearly contained in Scripture, and profess more that is
nowhere discoverable in that Divine Book. Q. Give some examples of both ? A. They should, if the Scripture were their only rule, wash the feet of one another, according to the
command
;
of St. John
they should
;"
of Christ, in the 13th chap,

keep, not the Sun-
day, but the Saturday, according to the com-
mandment, "Remember thou keep holy th^
SABBATH-day
not, in Scripture,
for this
commandment
has
;
been changed or abrogated
they should receive, what they

and
his Apostles
call the sacra-
ment, after supper, and not in the morning, because Christ instituted that sacrament at night,
received
it
after supper
they
shcnild not eat blood or strangled meat,
because
the Apostles forbid
it
in the
15th chap, of the

infants, as there
Acts
;.
they should not baptize

9*
102
is
A DOCTRLNAL CAlEClllSM.
no example
in
Scripture to justify such a
practice.
Q. What inference would you draw from

this ?
all
A. That Protestants ought rather to call thenmselves Anti-Evangelicals, than Evangelicals, as their doctrines are opposed to, rather than in conformity with, the Gospel
OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST AND THE SAINTS.
CHAPTER
Q.
A.
I.
How many
?
natures are there in Jesus
Christ
Divine and human natures; for Jesus Christ is true God and true man. Q. How many persons are there in Jesus Christ?
Two the
A. Only one
he
is
a Divine and not a hu-
man
human nature. Q. What do you conclude from this?

person, although he has a
A. That
all
the works of Jesus Ohrist are

;
divine, infinite in value

cellent the person, the
:
because, the more ex-
more valuable are his works hence, the works of the divine person of Jesus Christ must be infinite in merit.
A DOCTRINAL CArEUHISM;
103
Q.
Was
it
his Divinity or his
humanity
that suffered for us 1
A. It was his humanity that fasted, prayed, and suffered for us still we are right in saying
;
was God who suffered, because his sufferings and works must be attributed to the person,
it
and the person of Jesus Christ
is
God.
Q. Where
A. As he
is
is
Jesus Christ
where but and on the

;
his
a Divine person, he is everyhumanity is only in heaven,
altar in the holy sacrament.

his
Nor
every-
can
it
be
said, that, as
is
Divinity
is
where, so
follow.
his
humanity, for that does not

it
Q. Show
follow.
us,
by an example, how
intimately
does not
A. Man's head
his soul
;
is
connected with
yet
it is
not in every place where the
soul
also.
is,
otherwise the head would be in the feet
CHAPTER
II.
Q. What do we owe to Jesus Christ? A. We owe him a sovereign confidence,

and worship.
love,
Q. What worship is due to him ? A, That sovereign worship or adoration ihicl; is due to God, and to God only. Q, Do Catholics adore the saints ?
104
A. God forbid that

all
we
should give to any, oi

is
of the saints the worship which

:
due
tc
God
Q.
offer
we honor
the saints as God's servants^
enriched and honored with his divine grace.
Do
?
not Catholics consecrate altars,

the sacrifice of the
and
upon them
Mass
to the
saints
A.
10
No
altars
;
are erected and consecrated
God
alone
to
;
God
alone
is
the sacrifice of
the
Mass
offered
the former under the invoca-
tion of the saints,
and the
latter in
memory
of
the saints.
Q.
Why do we owe to Jesus Christ a sovereign

?
confidence
A, Because
He
is
the only mediator, in the
proper sense of the word, between
God and
mediator
?
Man. Q.
for sin
Why do you say he is

;
the only
A. Because
He alone merited
all
He
alone could and did satisfy

for us all the graces
we
receive from God.

the sins of
Q. Could not a saint satisfy for
men
A,
No
the angels and saints that ever

sativ^fied
;
were, or ever will be, could not have

the justice of
cause,
God
an
for
by
sin,
Infinite
even one mortal sin beBeing was offended
;*
His justice required

this
infinite satisfaction.
Now
o\
could not be given by any
number
4 DGCTRIi\AL CATECHISM.
iO^
quality of saints or angels,
who
;
are,
and nmust
essentially be, finite creatures
but Christ, be-
ing a Divine person, could easily ofFer sufficient,
because infinite satisfaction, by restoring to the gloi^y of which sin had deprived him.
God
Q.
Has
;
Jesus
1
Christ merited for us all
heavenly graces
A. Yes
" Blessed
be the
Christ,
ther of our Lord Jesus
God and the Fawho hath blessed
us with spiritual blessings in heavenly places, in

Christ."
(Ephes. chap,
i.)
Q.
for us
Do
the saints merit
graces for us
A, They may, by their prayers, obtain graces
from God, but they cannot, of themselves,

It
meidt them.
was Christ
alone,
who
and
could,
and
did,
merit and purchase them with the

for us.
price of his bjood, both for the saints
Q.
Why
do you say we owe

?
to
Jesus Christ
a sovereign love
A. Because it was He " Who delivered us from the power of darkness, and translated us
into
the
kiRgdom of the Son of

i.)
his
love."
fColoss. chap,
CHAPTER
III.
Q
merits
Do
Catholics glorify
Christ
?
and
his
more than Protestants

;
A. Yes
much more.
They worship
b^'in
(06
fi'equently
more intensely ;- -they glorify him in his saints, and in the pictures and images of him, which they keep with remore
and
spect and veneration.
Q.
Why
do you say that Catholics worship

?
Christ in his person, more than Protestants
worship which CathoHcs render to the person of Christ, present in the sacrament and sacrifice of the altar, shows it
A. Because
the
sufficiently.
In conformity with their creed,

all
they render to Christ, really present,

adoration in their power.
the
you said that Catholics ho?ior Christ, in his saints, more than Protestants do? A. Because Catholics, in honoring the saints, only glorify Jesus, who, by his mercies ai,id graces, has made these saints what they are, worthy of our veneration and imitation and-
Q.
Why have
as often as Catholics
show respect or vt
'deration
before a picture or image of Jesus, they uni-
formly refer both, not to the mere matter before
them, but to the prototype, Jesus Christ himself.
Q.
Why
do you say that Catholics honor
more than Protestants ? A. Because Catholics think more of his sufferings and passion than their adversaries Catholics observe Lent, a fast of forty days, in
the merits of Christ
A DOCTRINAL CATECHlWM.
they abstain honor of his fasting and sorrows from the luxury of flesh meat on Friday, m
;
honor of
his death
they make frequent

his passion
use
of the sign of the cross, to keep them in mind

of the tortures he endured for sinners, and that
and death on the cross, that they hope for heavenly strength and grace they end every prayer " Through Jesus Christ our by these words Lord ;" and the last name they utter when
it is
from the merits of
they are dying,

fore, is
is
his holy
name
Jesus, there;
the only hope of every CathoHc
and
since
those of our adversaries who say othe^rwise, are

guilty of the
all
very extreme of injustice

is
we
ask the saints to do,
to
pray for us to
our Divine Saviour.
CHAPTER
Q.
IV.
Do
not Catholics abandon God,
and put
when they ask the prayers of the saints ? A, No certainly not so much as Protestants Jo, when they ask the pisayers of sinful men. Q. Is it not derogatory to the merits of
th'ir trust in the saints,
;
Christ
to
invoke the saints

;
A, Certainly not since the Scripture declares, that the prayer even of the just man availeth much.
108
O'.
Li what are Protestants deceived on
this
si'hject?
A. In supposing that Catholics substitute the saints for. Christ, and place their hope in tlie former and not in the latter. This is a very mistaken notion. Catholics do not ask grace
from the saints
pray that
dressing
;
they merely ask the saints to

grant them
all
God may
:
necessary
graces through Christ.
They
say,
when
ad-
God
our sins;''
lics
but when
:
''Have mercy on us
"
;" ''Forgive
addressing the Blessed
Virgin or the saints
Pray for
us/'
Catho-
know
well, that all the virtues, merits,
and
izraces of the saints are derived, not

selves, but
from them-
from Jesus Christ.

the merits of the saints then useless
Q. Are
to
us
A.
No
the
more agreeable the

;
saints are to
God, the more powerful will their intercession be in our favor consequently, the more mer
itoriously
they ha/e co-operated with God's
grace, the
us
;
in
more useful will their prayers be to the same manner that we value more
the prayers of the
man
that
is
is
truly just, than
we do
l^.
those of Lhn vvho
imperfectly so.
?
Tn whose place do we put the saints
A. Not
'JUT
in the place of Jesus Christ but
m
i?
own
we
conjure them to join with us

that,
i^jvprxt
prayer to God,
through
Jer>t
A ttOCTRlNAl CATECHISM.
10
Christ,
ir
we may
of.
obtain
all
the graces
we
stand
need
CHAPTER y
Q. iJoes
A.
It
the
sacred Scripture order us

?
ti
invoke the saints
neither expressly orders, nor forbids

it
Q. Is upon me
not said in the 49th
in the
day of
tribulation
llth chap, of St. Matthew ? to me all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will
refresh you."
"Come
Psalm ? ;" and
"Call
in the
it.
And
are not these clear com

forbid us to ask
mands to invoke God alone ? A. As these passages do not
the prayers of men, so neither do they forbid
us to ask the intercession of the saints.
Q. What then does passages ?

A.
God demand
in these
He demands
that
we
invoke him, and
him
only, as our sovereign Lord,
from
all
whom
both the saints and

-consolation.
we must draw
help and
Q.
useful to ask the prayers of the saints ? A. Yes, surely most useful, if it be at all useIs
it
have recourse to the prayers even of men. Q. IIoio do you Janow that it is useful to have recourse to the prayers of men ? A. In the first place, all sects admit this
ful to
and, secondly,
God
himself orders the friends
lie?
A d:)ctki.\al catechism.
of Job to have recourse to Job's prayers, (chap

xlu
:)
"
Go
to
my
servant Job, .... and

;
my
ser-
pray for you his face I will be not imputed to you." Q. Do the avgels and saints hear us when we ask their prayers ?
vant Job
shall
a.cept, that folly
A, Protestants admit, that even the devils
know what
deny
this
and yet they knowledge to the blessed and perfect angels and saints of God. In Matth. xv, we are told, that "there is joy over one sinner that doeth penance, more than over ninety-nine If the saints and angels can see just persons." in this world even the penitent hearty they surely hear our prayers without any difficulty. In Luke, chap, xvi, Abraham, who, according to Protestants, must have been in heaven,
is
;
passing on earth
heard the supplications of Dives, or the rich
man, who was certainly Zachary, chap, i, 12.
in
hell.
See
also
CHAPTER
Q.
very ancient date
?
YI.
Is the practice of invoking the saints of
A. Yes
even the Protestant Centuriators

it
of Magdebourg admit, that

*he
has existed since

all
the third century at w^hich time
agree that
trace/' saj
Church was pure.
"
You may
Ill
they, "manifest vestiges of the invc>cation of

saints in the third
'''
century
;''
thus Origin says
Holy Job, pray for us/' The Protestants cvho drew up the Augsburg and Helvetic Conit
fession, define
" that relative
as
and
inferior veneration is
sound Protestant doctrine, due to
the saints and angels."
To
the
same
effect the
testimony of
nearly
all
all
the early Fathers, and even of
the most learned Protestant bishops,
along with Kemnitius, and Luther himself,

says
:
who
" I
therefore, with
the whole Catholic
Church, hold that the saints are to be honored
and invocated by us." Q. What do you conclude from all this ? A. That the invocation of the saints, angels, and blessed Virgin, is a good and salutary practice, seeing that it has been adopted in every age of the Church that it has been taught and practised by the wise, the learned, and the good and that the most learned, though bitterest, enemies have been compelled to admit its utility.
;
COMMUNION UNDER ONE
KIND.
CHAPTER
Q.
Is
It
1.
necessary
to
recewe the sacratneni

?
Qf the Eucharist undltr both K bids
112
A.
No
it
is is
not,
for three reasons
first,
is
because what
received under both kinds

;
received under one kind only

to the reception of
;
secondly, be-
cause Christ has promised the same reward
one as to the reception of both thirdly, because the ancient Church administered this sacrament often under one kind
only.
Q.
Why do you say that
the
same
?
is
received
under one, as under both species
A. Because Christ is received as he is, living and immortal, w^hole and entire and, as a aving body is no^t without blood, or living blood without a body, so Christ is received, as he is, under eitlier the form of bread or the form of
;
wine.
Q. Does the priest, who receives under both, receive more than the Laic ? A, No he receives the same for, as a man receiving two hosts would not receive more
; ;
than he
tion of
who
receives only one, so the recep-
one species is equal to the reception of both Christ whole and entire being received
either case.
Q.
people
Why
chalice
alone partake of the have they more right to it than the

d.o
priests
?
it
A. They alone partake of

it is
in
Mass, because
part of the sacrifice
but priests, bishop*v

A DOCTRINAL. cATLCHlSM.
Slid
113
even the Pope, receive under one kind
only,
when they receive out of
JMass.
Q.
Why
do you say that the chalice for7ns

a priest, according to
;
vart of the sacj^ftce ? A. Because Christ

offered bread
is
the order of Melchizedeck
now Melchizedeck
and wine both; hence, Christ has
been pleased to institute the sacrifice of his body and blood, under the forms of bread and
of wine.
CHAPTER
the
II.
Q. Why do you say that Christ promises same reward to the reception of one as to
A. Because
this is clearly laid
the reception of both kinds ?
down 50 John, This chap, of bread which cometh down from heaven, 52 of he may not any man
sixth
St.
in the
is
ver.
"
the
li
that
eat
it
die.''
" If
any
man eat
58
"
of this bread he shall live for

I
ever.''
by the Father, so he that eateth me, the same sliall live by me." 59-^" Not as your fathers did eat manna and are dead he
live
;
As
that eateth this bread shall live for ever."
Q. What do you observe on these passages ? A. That Christ promised eternal life to those
who who
receive under one kind, as well as to those

receive under both.
Indeed, Christ him-
self aihninistered the
sacrament under one kind

10*
114
EOCTRmAL CATECHISM
at
only to the disciples
Emmaus
"
And
il
came
to
he was at table with them, he took bread, and blessed, and brake, and gave
to pasij, whilst
them."
St. Paul,
Cor. chap,
xi,
27? says
"
Therefore, wîosoever shall eat this bread, oe
drink the chalice of the Lord unworthily, shali
be guilty of the body and of the blood of the
unworthy reception of either kind is enough to damn, and consequently, also, the worthy reception, enough to save because, both the body and blood of the Lord are profaned, or advantageoush'
Lord."
clearly, that the
;
This shows
received, under either kind, as
is
evident from
the conjunctive particle and, in the latter part
of the verse, whilst the disjunctive or

in the former.
is
used
From
the account of the Last
Supper given by St. Luke, chap, xxii, 20, it would appear that the cup was not a necessary, even of the Apostolic communion, for it is given not during the supper, but after the supper.
CHAPTER
III.
Q. Why have you said that the ancient and pure church administered the sacrament often under one kind only ? A. Because history proves it to be the fact
Nicephorus, Hist. Eccles.
Cyprian, and St. Basil,
all
lib.
iii,
cap. 7, St.
allude to the practice
A DOCTRINAL CATE^^HISM.
J 1
The
far
latter says, that the sohtaries
who
livea
from towns, were in the habit of carrying with them, for the whole year, the Holy Eucharist, under the form of bread.
Q. Did not Pope Gelasius command

Catholics to receive the chalice
?
all
A. Yes
for
but
this
was only
for a time,
and
the purpose of detecting the
Manichean
the
heretics,
who
considered wine as the creature
of the devil.
These heretics mingled with
Catholics, and, concealing their heretical principles,
approached .to communion with them Hence, the Pope ordered the chalice also to be administered, knowing that this being under the form of wine, would deter these heretics from profaning the sacrament.
Q. What do you conclude from this? A. That the sacrament must have been previously administered under the form of bread, otherwise this order of Pope Gelasius would
have been unnecessary. Q. How wai,' the sacrament given to the young, and to infants ?
to the sick,
A. Under the form of bread only in the two former cases, and u)ider the form of wine in the latter and the Greek Church, during Lent, was in the habit of consecrating on Sunday what should be necessary for the whole week^ and under the form of bread only.
;

116
A
nOCTlllNAL CATE"llJaM
CHAPTER
Q,.
IV.
'
Has
27
:
not
"
;
Christ expressly said, MattK

all of this
xxvi,
Drink ye
V
\o
A. Yes
but these words were addressed
the Apostles alone,
and not
to
all
the faithful
Q. But
given only
if the
to
command
to
drink was hert

not justly
eat also,
the Apostles,
may we
to
conclude that the com.mand
was
given only
to the
Apostles
A. The commands
to eat
and
to drink were,
on
tles
this occasion, both given only to the Apos-
and
their successors,
that
is
to say, to the
bishops and priests of the Church.
Q.
How
do you prove this
A. The
given on
it
command
to eat
and
to drink
was
this
occasion only to those to
whom
"do this in remembrance of me ;" but these latter words were addressed only to the Apostle-s and their lawful successors in the ministry because, by these last words, Christ conferred on his ministers the power to conseand it is crate and administer the Eucharist quite apparent, that this power was given to the Apostles only, and not to mankind in general, who have never even claimed it. Q. Is there then no command in this pas-
was
said
sage,
that
?
tlie
laity
should
eceiv(
the
Eur
vharist
A.
It.
iH
Yes
the priests are ordered to distribute

:
by these words
"
Do
this in
of
me f
and consequently, the
remembrance laity are com-
manded to receive it. Q At what precise moment did Chmst uttei these words: ''Do this in remembrance of raer
A. St. Luke (chap, xxii, 19) quotes these words as having been uttered by our Lord immediately after he had given the Eucharist to the Apostles under the appearance of bread, and before he had delivered the chalice to them.
Q. What may
stance
1
he learned from this circum-
A. That Christ authorized
his Apostles
their successors to administer the
and sacrament
under the form of bread to the laity, but that he gave no command as regards the chalice.
Q. But does not Christ say, in St. John, chap, vii, " Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, ye cannot have life in you ?" A, True but we receive Christ not dead, but alive and immortal, as he is now m heaven hence, we most certainly receive under either kind both his body and blood, for where his body IS, there is his blood, soul, and divmity also. Besides, Protestants have nothing to do
;
;
with this text on the present question, since
IJ8
A DOCTKINAL CATECHISM.
they hold, that not only this text, but the whole
chapter in which
Jesus Christ.
it
is
found, legard, not
tlie
sacrament of the Eucharist, but mere
faith
CHAPTER
(4.
V.
What would you

an
say, in addition to the
above, to
tell
obstinate Protestant
who would
you, that every thing done by Christ at the Last Sup])er should continue to be practised, and hence, that all should receive under both kinds, because he administered it to all then
present
?
:
case,
Protestants, in thai I would tell him have much to do that they neglect. Q. What should they do, if all that Christ
A.
did, be essentially
necessary
A. They should wash the feet of all that are admitted to the sacrament they should break
;
the bread
they
should
make
the chalice or
they should recup pass from hand to hand ceive the sacrament after supper, and only twelve should sit at the same table.
Q. What
A. That
if Protestants reply, that these are

?
not essential to the reception of the sacrament

is
just
what
^^
e say
wifh regard to
to
the reception of both kinds.
Q. Are not both

sacrament
?
kinds
essential
the
A D0CTR1?%^\L CATECHfSM.
\l^
A. If they were,
ne promised to him
Christ
would not have

all
promised to the reception of one kind
that
who
receives both.
x\nd
again, if they were, the
pure Chm'ch of the first four centmies, would not have administered
one species without the other, as she frequently

did.
Q.
ter the
Why
does the Catholic
Church adminiskind, only ?
sacrament under one
A. Amongst other reasons, first, because, for above reasons, it is evidently unnecessary to and, secondly, because many acciuse both dents, exposing this most holy sacrament to irreverence (such as spilling the cup) would take place, if the cup were given to all. Q. Have Protestants made any admissions on this head?
the
;
A. Yes
the
the Confession of
Augsburg excuses
in this matter, (p.
Church from any blame
"If 235;) and Luther, torn, ii, p. 100, says: you go where only one kind is administered, be content with one kind, and don't oppose the great mass of Christians ;" and again, tom. iii, " If a General Council should order us p. 274 to receive under both kinds, out of contempt
for the
Council
we
should receive only one.'*
Q.
said
?
What
do you conclude
from
all
we havf
A, Protestants, in forming their creed, have
120
meap.-
read the Scripture without studying

ing.
its
Q. What othei^ inference vôuld you drav: ? A. That the Scripture does not contain every
necessary truth clearly laid
there
down
otherwise,
would be no dispute on
this subject.
ON THE SACRIFICE OF THE
IVIASS
CHAPTER
Q.
it
1.
Who
is the
author of the
is
Mass
Wan
?
instituted hy Jesus Christ, or by the
Church
A. Jesus Christ
the author of the essential

;
part, or the sacrifice of his
body and blood the Church has appointed merely the accompanying ceremonial.
Q. Did Jesus Christ offer his hody and his blood for us to his Father in the Ijast Supper? A. He did, not only upon the cross, but in
his
Last Supper. Q. How do you prove this
A,
By
the
words of Christ
:
himself.
is
In St,
liuke, chap, xxii, he says
"
This
my
body,
which IS
wards.
GIVEN
for you."
is
Mark
well his
He does
not say, this
my body, which
A DOCTRINAL CATECHlÂi.
^hall be
l2i
given for }0u, but which IS now,

speak, given for you.
still,
whilst
This becomes
from the words used by Christ, whilst he held the chaKce in his hands, and this whether we follow the Cathohc or " This is my blood of Protestant translation the new testament, which is shed for many for
more
tjvident
the remission
of
sins.''
(Matth. xxvi, 28, Prot.
For this is my blood of the new testament, which shall he shed for many unto (Matth. xxvi, 28, Cath remission of sins/' St. Mark and St. Luke are equally Transl.)
Transl.)
"
clear,
especially
the
latter,
it is
chap,
xxii,
20.
From
these passages,
quite clear that tho

;
chalice contained
what was shed

therefore
Christ.
for us,
what was shed for us bui was the blood of Christ
the chalice contained the blood of
But at the time of the Last Supper, Christ had not yet shed his blood for us in the
;
sacrifice of the cross
therefore he shed
it
ir
the sacrifice of his Last

his
Supper
his
therefore, in
his
Last Supper, Christ offered in sacrifice
body which was broken,
blood which was

;
shed, for the remission of our sins
therefore,
he offered a true and real propitiatory sacrifice

in hin
Last Supper.
Q
A
tiuk
What follows f im
If Christ, in
hit
this?
a
Last Supper, offered
and real
sacrifice of his
body and
blcxxL
122
A DDCTRINAL CATECHISM.
before he offered himself in sacritiee on tne

cross,
it
follows,
offer
all
that
the
all
the
priests
uf his
Church must
same
sacrifice,
because
Christ ordered
do what he " Do fhn himself had done on that occasion for a commemoration of me.'' Q. What is the title gioen by David, ir, 109th Psalm, to Jesus Christ?
his ministers to
:
A.
ing
He
styles
him a
"
Finest for ever, accord-
to the
Q. cording
Why
order of 3Ielchizedeck" is he styled ''for ever a priest, ac-
order of Melchizedeck ?" A. Because, like Melchizedeck, he used bread

to the
and wine
in the sacrifice.
is
Q.
tifter
Why
Christ styled a priest for ever

?
Melchizedeck' s order
A. Because he continues, and will continne
same sacrifice by the hands of priests to the end of the world. Q. Would Christ he a priest for ever
to offer the
his
ac-
cording to the order of Melchizedeck, if a sacH. fice, according to Melchizedeck' s order, had been
only offered at the Last Supper ^y himself?
A.
priest
No
he would not be a for ever, but only for once, according tc

;
for in that case,
the order of Melchizedecli

ever,
it
to be a priest for
was necessary he should
establish an
everlasting order of priests, to offer the

sacrifice, as his substitutes.
sam^
A DOCTRINAL CATECH1S:\I.
123
a priest, according to the order of Melchisedeck, if he had not used bread and wine in a true and real sacrifice in
he
Q. Would Christ
Last Supper 1 A. No for if he did not do so in the Last Supper, he is not a priest at all, according to. the order of Melchizedeck, since there is no resemblance between his sacrifice on the cross, and the sacrifice of Melchizedeck and if Clirist did not at his Last Supper, he never at any other time did, oflfer a sacrifice similar in any manner to that of Melchizedeck. Q. What does the prophet Malachy say
the
;
;
touching this sacrifice ? A, " From the rising of the sun, even to the
going down
the
thereof,
;
my name
in
is
is
great
among
is
Gentiles
and
every place there

ofiered to
SACRIFICE, and there
my name
clean oblation."
Q. Does not Malachy foretell here merely the

sacrifice
*A,
of the cross
to
?
;
No, not that alone
for he speaks ot a
sacrifice
be offered in every plact^ and the
was
ofiered in onlv one
place and /or one time.
a sacrifice
Hence, there must be of the new law, intimately connectea

be
or identical, with that of the cross, to be ofieied
up in every place, which can

the Eucharistic' sacrifice
no other
thai)
"24
DOCTRINAL L'ATEuHJSM
Q May
;
not this clean oblation he
prayu
for a
and praise and thanksgiving ? A. No for this would be nothing new

prophet to
offered to
ihe
fore-tell
;
this sort of oblation
was
God
in
prophecy
Vv~as
every age, even at the time made. Besides, w^ho would

evidently alludes
dare to say that his imperfect prayer was a

clean oblation
to
?
The prophet
some extraordinary
oblation to
some new clean come, not already existing, which

sacrifice,
would be substituted
demns.
for
all
the sacrifices of the
old law, which, in the previous verses, he con-
Q. What says
subject?
the
prophet Jeremias on
this
(Chap, xxxiii, 18.)
A. "Neither shall there be cut off from the priests and Levites a man before my face, to offer holocausts, and to burn sacrifices, and to
kill
victims continually.''
Q. What says St. Paul? (Heb. v, 1.) A. " For every high priest, taken from among^ men, is ordamed for man in things pertaining *to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacinfices
foi' sins ;"
an
altar
and elsewhere, he says " We have of which those who serve the tabernacle
:
dare not
.
eat.''
Q.
Do you
find that these doctrim^s of
the
Apostles, or lohat rvas foretold of the Christian
125
Church by
A.
the prophets, are realized
or verified
in the Protestant
Church
cr
No
for the Protestant

sacrifice,
altar, or priest,
Church has no all of which acin.
cording to Scripture, are clearly necessary

the true Christian Church.
CHAPTER
Q.
in the old laiv ?
11.
How many kinds of sacrifices

;
wyi e
t/ie?
A. There were four

rory sacrifices.
the
holocaust,
the
Eucharistic, the impetratory,
and the
propitia-
Q.
A.
of
Why
were
victirns ofiêred in holocaust ?
To acknowledge
the supreme dominior
God over all creatures. Q. For what purpose was

A.
the
Eucharistu
re-
sacrifice ?
To
thank
God
for favors
and graces
ceived.
Q. For what was

instituted ?
the impetratory sacrifice
A.
To
obtain from
God
important benefits
or graces.
Q. For what end was

fice ?
the propitiatory sacri-
A.
To
render
God
propitious,
and
to expiate
11*
i2'6
A DO'JTIUNA]. CATECHISM.
Q, What says St. Augustbie, horn in 351, ids work on the City of God, written aho?d fourteen hundred years ago A. That the one sacrifice of the Mass was
'f
instituted to hold the place of all the sacrifices
of the old law.
Q. What says
33,)
St.
Ireneus
(Lib. iv, chap.
A.
"
The
Apostles
received this
sacrifice
from Christ, the Church from the Apostles, and she offers it everywhere, according to the and in every place a prophecy of Malachy " pure sacrifice shall he offered.'
'
:
Q. Has
years
earth.
1
;
Mass
heen offer
ed everywhere during the last two hundred
A. Yes
in
every Christian country of the

heen everywhere offered during
Q. Has
A. Yes
it
the last twelve

;
hundred years
all
as
the ancient liturgies

attest.
Greek, Arabic, &c.
Latin,
Q. Can any one point out the first priest, bishop, or Pope, who said Mass', or the time or
country in which this first
Mass
ivas
said?
A,
Q,.
No
no man has ever
beeix able to
make
such a discovery.
yVliat follows from this ?
It
A.
follows
by
St. Auûstine*s nile, ihn
A DUCTRiXAL
CATECIn^JYl
I'iT
we have
it
received the Mass from Christ and his

if it
Anoslles, since,
were the invention of man,

its
could be traced to
is
author
for says that
Father, whatever
universally beheved and
practised in the Church, and cannot be traced
any bishop, or Pope, or council, as its author, must have been taught and practised by the
to
Apostles.
Q. Give me another authority, from the many Fathers who assure us, that the pure Christian Church of the earliest ages admitted
the
Mass
St.
as a true sacrifice
A.
Cyprian
is,
(Epist.
78)
says
"
Jesus
Christ offered the
same
sacrifice as did
chizedeck, that
bread and wine, his
Melown body
and blood
If
Jesus Christ, our Lord and
God, be himself the high priest of his Father, and if he first offered himself as a sacrifice to
commanded the same to be done in remembrance of him, then that priest truly stands in the place of Christ, who does what Christ did, and offers in the Church a new and
him, and
cc>mplete sacrifice
to
God
the Father, doing
what he
ordained."
CHAPTER
Q.
Is the sacrifice of the
ifice ?
HI.
Mass
it
ue,
pro*
viti^tory sar*
129
A DUCTLIXAL CATECHJSM.
A. Yes
both for the hving and the dead.

is it
Q. In what sense
fi<.efor the living ?
a projnHato? y sacri^
it
A. In
spirit
this,
that through
they obtain the
of compunction and grace to repent of
their sins.
Q. A.
How
It
is it
propitiatory for the dead?

of the
still
contributes to the remission
temporal punishment,* which they
may
owe
Q.
A.
to the
Divine Justice.
that the
How do you prove

?
Mass
:
is truly
a propitiatoi^y sacidfce
This is my blood of the new^ testament, which is shed for mây for the remission of sins f' and from " For every St. Paul to the Hebrews, chap. 5
St.
From
Matth. chap, xxvi
high priest, taken from

for
among men,
gifts
is
ordained
to
men
in the things that appertain
God,
fo^'
that he
sins."
may
offer
up
and
sacrifices
Q. What do you conclude from these A. That as wê certainly have, in the
tian
is
Chris-
Church, a high
Is
priest, so his
duty certainly
sacrifice
to offer sacrifices for sins.
Q.
fice
there then
more than one

?
propitiatory or expiatory
lias
not the sacri*

/
of the cross alone expiated all sin

'
See Trealise ou Inîir'cncet
A DOCTRIVAL CATECH.SM.
129
A. The
fiee
and the sacri

the
of the ahar, are one and the same.
Q.
Why
The
then renew
every day
same
sacrifice ? is not the sacrifice of the cross once
offered sufficient
A.
merits and virtue of the sacrifice ol

;
the cross are infinite
but that virtue and these
merits must be apphed, and this can only be
done bv certain means. Q. 'What are these means hy which

to
the
merits of the sacrifice of the cross are applied
our souls
A. They
are the sacraments, the sacrifice ol
he Mass, prayer, and good works.
Q. Amongst these means, in what light are 3 to regard the sacrifice of the Mass ? A. We are to regard it as a means employ ea
b
'
the Almighty, for applying the sacred merits
ol the sacrifice of the cross to our souls, in a
very particular manner.
Q. Has the sacrifice of the Mass leen offered for the dead since the earliest ages ? A. Yes as is evident from the testimony of the early Fathers and writers. Tertullian, " lib. de Monog., says That a woman who would not have the holy sacrifice of the Mass celebrated every year for her husband on the
;
:
anniversary of his death, should be considered

as
one
who had been
divorced from him."
St
130
A DOCTRINAL CATECÎUSM.
9,
Cyprian, Epist.
says
"
Our predecessors
prudently advised, that no brother departing
any churchman his executor, and, should he do it, that no oblation should be made for him, nor sacrifice offered
this
Hfe should nominate
for his repose/'
The Council
all
of Chalons (anno
579) decrees, that in

ers be offered
solemn Masses, prayxxii,
up
for the souls of the departed.

lib.
In
fine,
St.
Augustine,
de Ciyit. Dei,
tells us, " that
one of
his priests celebrated

spirits,
Mass
in
a house infested by evil
and that by
this their
banishment was effected."
ON PURGATORY
CHAPTER
Q.
A.
2dly,
I.
^'
d
J.
How
It is
do you irrove that there
gatory, or middle state between hell
is a Pi i and heaven ?
proved,
1st,
from the
New
from the Old Testament Testament and, 3uiy, from

;
tradition.
Q. What is your prooffrom the Old Testament ? A. In 2d Machab. chap. 12, where Judas, the valiant commander, collects and sends to Jerusalem twelve .housand drachmas of silver, foi
13J
sacrific
**
-^
to be offered for the sins of the dead,

''
It is
therefore," says this passage,

to
a holy and
wholesome thought
pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from their sins." Q. What do you conclude from this pas
saê
?
A. That besides heaven and

middle state
;
hell
there
is
because, as the souls in heaven
require net the aid of prayer, so the souls in

hell
can receive no benefit from it hence, there must be some tliird state of souls, in which prayer is beneficial to them. Q. Bitt is this book of Machahees a canonical book, containing God's word ? A, It has been recognised as such from the St. Augustine (Civit. Dei, chap. arliest ages. " The Church of God has always '6) says
;
:
oknowledged
l;.ok."
l'':3
it
the
Machabees
as a canonical
Protestants have rejected this book,
many
other books of Scripture, because
contains doctrines opposed to their novel in-
ventions.
is
They do
not seem to reflect, that
it
on the authority of the Catholic Church they know the Scriptures which they admit to be God's word, and they have that authority for this book as well as for the rest. Q. Does not the author of Machahees make 'in apology for the errors it contains ? A. Yes; for errors oi style, but not for er-
132
rors
in
fact
or
doctriiTe.
See,
for
anoth.ei
argument on
3ixxvii, 33.
this
subject of Purgatory,
Gen
CHAPTER
II.
Q. How do you prove from the New Testament that there is a Purgatory ? A. From Matthew, chap. 12: "Whosoever speaketh a Avord against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him neither in this world, neither in the world to come." Q. What inference does St. Augustine draw from this passage ? (Civit. Dei, chap. xiv.
;
;
iib.
21.)
^1.
That some
sins are forgiven in the next
world, otherwise this passage of Scripture would
be nonsense.
Naw
sins
are not remitted in

;
heaven, for no sin can enter there

for
nor in
hell,
no redemption from that awful therefore there must be some third abode place, where some sins are forgiven. Q. Cite the words of St. Paul? (1 Cor.
there
:
is
chap,
iii.)
every man's If any man's work v/ork, of what sort it is. abide.... he sha.i receive a reward; if any, man's work shal. be burned, he shall sulTeH
A.
"
And
the
fire
shall
try
33
loss,
but he himself shall be saved, yet so as bj
fire."
Q. What on this do you remark ? A. There can be no pain, or suffering, or nor is the fire of hell for salva(ire in heaven therefore this, fire, which tion, but damnation worketh unto salvation, must be in Purgatory. Q. What says the same Apostle ? (Philip,
;
:
chap,
ii,
10.)
A.
earth,
"
That, at the
name
of Jesus, every knee
should bow, of those that are in heaven, on
and under the earth." Q. How do you reason on this ? A. By those under the earth, are evidently meant, not the dead bodies, but the souls of the dead not yet in heaven. Now these souls are
certainly either in hell or in Purgatory, or in
both.
hell,
But
for
St.
Paul cannot allude to those

wêll
in
he
knew
in
that they would not
bow
allude
the
to
knee to Jesus,
souls
therefore he must
place,
some other
which
is
not hea*ven, or earth, or the hell of the

therefore that place exists, and
it
damned
is
that
which
Catholics ca.l Purgatory.
Q. What does
xxi,
St.
?
John say (Apoc. chap.
27) of
"
Heaven
A,
And
there shall not enter
mto
this ?
it
anj
thing defiled."
Q. Wliat do you conclude fjôm

12
i;^4
A. That there must be some place for the pmification of souls after death because the Scripture assures us, that even the just man falls seven times, and can any one in his senses suppose that many will not die without expiating these faults ? With these they cann:)t enter heaven, which rec-eiveth nothing defiled they cannot be sent to hell, for they are, according to Scripture, just. Therefore there place, where these failings of must be a third even the just man will be expiated. See also 1 Corinth, chap, xv, 29; 2 Tim. i, 18, where
;
St.
Paul prays for Onesiphorus after he was

to
dead.
Q. Did any one ascend

Saviour ?
heaven
hefoiê
our
No No says
A,
;
for in St. John, chap,
iii,
13, Chrisi
"
man
hath ascended up to heaven,
but
that came down from heaven." Where then were all the just souls of the Q.
He
Old Testament until Christ's ascension ? A. They were not in heaven, they were not in hell, therefore they were in some middle
place or state.
Q.
1
What
iii,
is the
meaning of
thac passage in
Peter,
18,
which says, that Christ weni
and preached unto the sp'rits in prison ? Where u 're these spirits ? A They were not in heaven, for there the^

A DOCTRINAL CATECHlSiM.
135
in hell,
;
(ould require
for there
no preaching
they were not
preaching could be of no use to them
some middle state where the were awaiting the comhig of the Redeemer, by whom the gates of heaven were tc
therefore they were in
souls of the just
be
re- opened,
and they admitted
into the presence
of God.
Q. Does not the Scripture

falls so it shall lie ?
scnjy
that as the tree
A,
Yes
but this means, simply, that every

saved or
lost
;
man who
judgment.
fate
for
is
dies, is either
and
his
it
may
also refer to the state of the soul
after
the last
ultimate
The moment man

hell.
dies,
decided, either for the south or the north,
heaven or
it
Q. Is
not said, (Apoc. xiv.)

in the
" Blessed are the

say
;
dead who die
Lord, for they shall rest from
their labors ?"
Yes
thrice blessed
we
but this text
only alludes to martyrs, and such as die free from

all sin
and debt of temporal punishment, and such,

,
of course, require not purification.

in
They
really die.
the Lerd.
Q. Does not Christ say
to
the
good
?^^
thief,
*'Thi9
day thou shalt be with me in iâradise A. Yes but it is not clear, that by paradise, is here meant heaven and not Purgatory and even if tliis were clear, a miracle of God's grace, wrought in favor of a penitent on the very day the tvorld was redeemed, is not to bo considered as God's general rule with regiird
;
136
sinners.
DOCTRlxNAL CATECHISM.
the good thief sufferer
to
In
fine,
much on
the cross, and Christ might have re-
ceived his patient sufferino^s there as his purgatorial expiation.
CHAPTER
III.
Q. What is your third mode of proving thai there is a Purgatory ? A. By tradition, or the unanimous testimony
of the Fathers.
is
Q. Was all antiquity of the a Purgatory ?
belief that there
A. The third Council of Carthage, anno 253, decreed prayers for the dead. The Council of Chalons in 579, the Council of Worms in 829,
and the Council of Trent,

decision.
all
came
to the
same
Q. A?'e the Ancient Fathers unanimous on

this question ?
A.
You have
only to consult Berrington'

Catholics, to be satisfied
St.
and Kirk's Faith of

that they are
most unanimous.
Ephrem
orders prayers for the repose of his soul after

liis
death.
The Emperor Constantine wished

in their prayers to
his
1
to
be buried in a church, that the faithful might
remember him
Chrysostom, in
Corinth, says
:
God.
Epist.
St.
tc
no'-
Horn, on
"
The
tears of the living are
A DOCTRINAL CATECHrSM.
useless to the dead,
lieve
i3
that prayers and alms

in his Epistle to " It is
re-
them."
St.
Jerom,
:
Pam-
machius, remarks
customary to strew
with flowers the graves of the female dead, but jôu have followed a better usage in strewing the grave of your wife with alms for the solace al Her soul/' St. Augustine, in 13th chap, of his
9'th
Book of Confession, says
" I
shed not a
tear, whilst they offered the holy sacrifice for
the peace of
my
dear mother's soul."

:
On
the
37th Psalm, he prays thus

Lord, in this
in the
life,
"
Purify me,
that
fire,
may
not require the
by which souk are tried, Work on the Heresies, f (Heresy 53,) he says " Aerius was the first who dared to te-ach, that it was of no use to offer up prayers and sacrifices for the dead, and this doctrine of Aerius is the fifty-third
application of that
next
and, in his
:
heresv."
Q. Does
it
follow,
from
the
circumstance
Church prayed for the dead that there is a Purgatory ? A. Certainly if the Church always prayed tor the dead, she believed the dead were in a place wliere prayer could be beneficial to them this place was not heaven, nor could it be ne\\ therefore it was Purgaior}'.
that the ancient
;
12*
138
DOCTRJXAL CATECHISM.
ON JUSTIFICATION
CHAPTER
Q. What
A.
It
is
I.
IS
justification
a grace which makes us friends
o\
God.
Q. Can a
grace
?
sinner
merit
this
justifying
A. No, he cannot because all the good works which the sinner performs whilst he is hi a state of mortal sin, are dead works, which have no merit sufficient to justify.
;
Q.
Is
it
an
article of the Catholic faith, that
the sinner,
in mortal sin, cannot
merit the
grace of justification ? A. Yes; it is decreed in the seventh chap of the sixth sess. of the Council of Trent, that
neither faith, nor good works, preceding justification,
can merit the grace of justification.

then
is the
Q.
A.
How
He
is
sinner justified
justified gratuitously
by the pure
mercy of God, not on account of his own or any human merit, but purely through the merits
of Jesus Christ;
for
Jesus Christ
is
our only
his pas-
mediator of redemption,
who
alone,
by
sion and death, has reconciled us to his Father.
Q.
IT//?/ th-'.n
do Protestants charge us with
139
b<fhtmng, that tne sinner can vieint the remission of his sins
?
A. Their ignorance of the Cathohc doctrine

/s
th^ cause of
this,
as well as
many
other false
charges.
Q. Must we then conclude, that the sinner cannot, by good works, obtain the grace of justification ?
A. The sinner
tification
may
obtain the grace of jusa
by good works pi'oceeding from
broken and penitent heart, because these are necessary predispositions and conditions, but no works of his own can ever merit the grace
of justificâtion.
CHAPTER
Q.^
II.
What part
sinner
It is its
has faith in the justification

first
f the
A.
to
its
root or foundation, the
step
attainment, an all-necessary condition,
without which no
man can
:
ever be justified
/lecause the Apostle nays
"
Without faith,
to
it is
impossible to please God."
Q. But nnner 1
A.
is faith
alone sufficient
justify the
No
God
requires other dispositions in
order to the reception of justiiying grace.
He
reauires the sinner to fear God, to love God, to
(40
A DUCTRIxVAL CATECHISM.
hope in God, to be sorry for past sin, and tc have a well-grounded purpose not to sin again.
Q. Does God require

ditions, or as
these as necessary con?
meritoHous works
A.S
necessary conditions, without which
he will not receive the sinner in grace. Q. What do the Scriptures say on this subject ?
A. "And when thou shalt seek there the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him yet so, if thou seek him with all thy heart and all the affliction of thy soul.'' Deut. chap, iv, 29. " But if the wicked man do penance for all his sins which he hath committed, and keep all my commandments and &o judgment and justice, Ezek. living, he shall live, and shall not die.'' chap, xviii, 21. "/f you keep my command;
ment, you shall abide in
my
love
you are
com-
my
friends, if
you."'
mand
a ages
John, chap,
you do the things
that
xv, 10, 14.

these pas-

?
A, In the first place, that the sinner can never be justified, unless he comply wUh these
necessary conditions
alone
is
;
and, secondly, that faith
not sufficient to justify him.

the Baptist say, John, chap,
iii,
Q. Does not
36:
that believeth in the everlasting ?"
"He
Son hath
lifo
A DOCTRINAL CATECtilSM
i'ij
A, Yes
cious
but St. John speaks here of

is,
etfica-
faith, that
he
who
beiieveth in the Son,
so as to believe
tise all
all
that he teaches and pracshall
that he
commands,
have
everlast-
mg
life.
Q. Does not St. Paul, Rom. chap, iii, 28, ?az/ ; " We account a man to be justified by faith, without the works of the law ?" î. True, but St. Paul is speaking here of for St. Paul the Jewish, not the Christian law cannot contradict St. James. Now, St. James says, in words about which there can be no " Seest thou that faith dispute, chap, ii, 22, 24 did co-operate with his works, and by works, faith was made perfect ... .do you see, that by works a man is justified, a*nd not by faith only ;'' " For even as the body and, ver. 26, he adds
;
:
without the
spirit is
dead, so also faith without
works
is
dead.''
Q. Does not St. Paul, Rom. chap, v, 1, saij " Being justified therefore by faith, let us aave peace with God through our Lord Jesus
Christ
r
St. Paul,
1
A. Yes; but the same

chap,
xiii,
1,
Corinth.
2,
says
" Tf I
speak with the
tongues of
charity,
I
men and am becoTne
of angels, and have nol

as a sounding brass
all
;.
.
. *
and
if 1
should have
faith,
so that
could
I
remove mountains, and have not charity,
atr
142
notning."
si>eaks,
faith,
So
that
it is
quite clear the A[X3stle
in
the passage quoted, of that lively
animated by charity, which is ever producing good w Drks. Q. Protestants suppose, Hiat good works are
the necessary effect of faith, as heat is
of fire,
^
:
or light of the sun
is this
supposition correct
xii,
A.
''
No
for
St. John, chap,
42, says
believed in him but because of the Pharisees, they did not conof the chief
also
.
Many
men
fess him ; .for they loved the glory of men more than the glory of God.''
.
CHAPTER
Q,.
III.
sin,
who is in a state of inortal merit heaven by any good work or works ?

one,
;
Uan any
A. No; he can neither merit justification, nor heaven because, all the works he performs
v/hile in a state of
mortal sin are dead works. and of course have no merit. Q. Can one who is in a state of grace mejnt heaven A. The just, who are in a state of grace, may, by good works, merit an increase of glory but even they can never, by any or every gooa
work, merit the first degree of glorv that right to heaven.
is,
143
to
Q. To
ivho?n do
?
ue owe our permission
enter heaven
A. Solely to the mercy of

:
God and
by the
the
merits of Jesus Christ

ings
for
it
is
suffer-
and death of Jesus that we acquired heaven and it is God's mercy alone, as our inheritance which gave us such a Mediator and Redeemer. Q. Why have you said that the just may, by good works, mernt an increase of glory in
;
heaven
A. Because, in Scripture, heaven is proposed to us as a recompense, and a recompense or reward is due only to merit. Q. What does St. Matthew say on this matter ?
(Chap. V, 12.)
"
A.
Be
to
glad and rejoice, for your reward
is
"
very great in heaven."

"
In Prov. chap,
xi,
18
is
But
him
the
that soweth in justice, there

St.
a faithful reward."
James, chap,
i,
12
Blessed
is
man
that
endureth temptaproved, he shall
tion, for
when he hath been

the
crown of life, which God hath promised to them that love him." St. Paul, " I have fought a 2 Tim. chap, iv, 7, adds
receive
:
good
fight, I
have finished
;
my
rest,
course,
there
I
is
have
laid
kept the faith
as
to
tlie
up
the
for
me
crown of
will
justice,
which the Lord,
just
judge,
render to
me
in
tha^
day."
144
Q.
What
have Protestants
to object agîinsi
this Scripfur^J doctrine ?
A. Nothing that
tural
:
is
either rational or Scrip^
for the leirned arnons; themselves
have
the
taught the very same.
The Apology for

of Augsburg,
p.
Protestant
isays
:
Confession
teach, that
spiritual
96.
a as
"
We
temporal and
good works merit reward in this world,
well as in the next."
Q. What then have Protestants to say to Catholics on the subject of merit and good works ? A. All they have to say arises from their
ienorance of the Catholic doctrine.
CHAPTER
lY.
Q. What is that which gives tneir value ic good works ? A. Sanctifying grace, w^hich is within us. Q. Is this sanctifying grace oui own, 07 u
it
from God?
A.
It is
the pure gift of God's liberality to us.
Q.
How
The
does St.
Paul express himself

v, 3.)
*'
otx
this subject ?
(Rom., chap,
A. "
forth in
charity of God," he says,
is
poured
our hearts by the Holy Ghost,
who
is
given to us."
Q.
l\
hat are the effects of sanctifying gracf
145
A.
It
makes us the
friends and children o/
God.
Q. To whom do we owe
grace
7
this
inestimabU
A,
alone.
To the
merits of
esus Christ, and to these
Q. Have you any thing

efficacy
;
to
remark on
the
of the merits of Christ ? A, Yes he was not satisfied with meriting heaven for us he also, by his grace, put us in
;
a condition to merit greater degrees of glory
in
heaven.
xvii,
Q. Does not our Saviour say, Luke, chap, 10 " So you also, when you shall have done all those things that are commanded you.
say,
we
are unprofitable servants

is
?''
A, This
doctrine
to
;
quite
in
accordance with oui
we
are certainly unprofitable servants

;
God, whatever good we do for nothing which we can do, either adds to, or takes from, his essential glory. are not, however, un
We
profitable
servants
to
ourselves,
since
these
good works secure /or us the rewards God has been pleased to promise. Q. Could God order us to perform good r:orks without promising us any recompense ? A. Certainly because we are his creatures, aP'^ the grace which enables us is his. The
;
Council of Trent, Sess. xvi, chap.

13
16,
s^vs
146
**
God's goodness to
his
man
is
so great, that he
even desires our merit."
own
gifts to
be converted into
Q. Have we reason good works ?

A.
to
trust
much
in ou
says the same Council, any Christian should glory, or confide in himself, and not in the Lord." Q. How is it, then, that Protestants reproach Catholics with placing too much conjL dence in their good works ? A. They reproach us, because they do not know us and the onlv return we should make
forbid/'
"God
" that
for their ill-treatment of us,
is
to pray, as Christ
did for
death
the ignorant Jews, who put him to " Father, forgive them, for they know
not what thev do."
CHAPTEK
Q. Can a man
A.
sin.
V.
satisfy for his
own
sins
No
neither
man
nor angel, nor both

satisfy for
men and
for
angels,
can ever
one mortal
satisfied
Jesus Christ alone could and has
our
sins.
to
Q. Can we apply
tion of Jesus ?
ourselves /\e satisfac-
A,
grace.
We
can, certainly, with the help of Ged'?
147
Q.
How
is
the satisfaction
of Christ apleceive a
remitted
plied to us ?
A
full
In two ways, either
when we
is
remission of temporal as well as eternal
punishment, or
us to endure.
when
the eternal
is
and some temporal punishment
reserved for
Q. In what case are both the eternal and ^.eviporal punishment remitted hy the application
of the satisfaction of Christ to our souls ? A. In baptism, by which all sin, and all punsin, is
ishment due to
remitted.
Q. When are
the satisfactions of Jesus so
applied to our souls, that, though the eternal punishment he iêmitted, we may have some temporal punishment to endure? A, Commonly in the sacrament of penance. Q. Are not the guilt and the punishmeni
remitted together
?
A,
No
for
it
often happens that God, in
forgiving the sinner, changes the eternal punish-
ment which he has deserved by
his
si-ns,
into a
temporal or temporary punishment.
Q. Make
2 Kings,
xii
this
clear hy
an example from
chap.
A, David is guilty of murder, which deserves the eternal punishment of hell. Nathan warns
him of
his danger.
**
David repents
have/'
says he,
sinned against the Lord."
Natiian

148
replies
;
The Lord also hath taken away thy SIN THovj SHALT NOT DIE." Bchold the eternal punishment taken away but what is substituted in its place ? Mark what follows, a temporal punishment is substituted in its place
'
" Nevertheless,
because thou hast given oc-
casion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme
for this thing, the child that is born to thee SHALL SURELY DIE." (Prot. Vcrs., 2 Sam. xii.) Q. Give another Scriptural example that all
doubt
may
he removed.
A. In the xxiv chap, of same Book, (Protest. Vers., 2 Sam. xxiv chap.,) David repents of his sinful pride in numbering the people God forgives him, but on condition, that he should suffer, as a temporal punishment, either seven years of famine, or thêe months of flight before his enemies, or thiêe days of pestilence ;
:
and, in addition, the prophet
Gad
orders
him
to
erect an altar and offer sacrifice to the Lord.
Q. Can
the penitent
sinner pay,
in
any
manner, the debt of temporal punishme?it which is due to the justice of God ? A. Yes as is quite evident from the above
;
two passages.
it
Indeed, the Scripture counsels

terms.
in express
Daniel, chap,
iv,
24
Wherefore,
;
king, let
my
counsel be accepl-
nble to thee
^d
redeem thou thy sins with alms thy iniquities with works of mercy
A DOCTRINAL CATECH
the pojr."
'SM.
149
Protestant
The same may be drawn from Vers., chap, iv, 27, though much
:
Our corrupted to suit a Protestant purpose. " Give Saviour himself, Luke, chap, xi, 4, says
ALMS, and BEHOLD ALL THINGS ARE CLEAN UNTG
VOU."
ON INDULGENCES
CHAPTER
(4.
I.
What
It is
is
an Indulgence
A.
a remission of the temporal punish

to venial sin,
ment due
and also to mortal sin, after the eternal punishment has been remitted, as mentioned above in the case of David.
Q. Are sins remitted by Indulgences ? A, No sins are remitted by the sacraments of baptism and penance. Q. Has the Church the power to remit temporal punishments ? A, When the applicant or sinner is properly disposed, the Church has power to remove every obstacle to his admission into heaven
: :
but a debt of temporal punishment, due to God's

justice, is a
temporary obstacle
to
therefore the
Church has power

proposition
is
remove
18
:
it.
That
this
most certainly
xviii,
true, is evident
''
from Matth., chap,
Whatsoevei
13*
150
A DOJIRINAL CATECHISM
shall
you
upon
bind upon earth,
shall
be
boun(1
also in heaven,
and whatsoever you
shall loose
be loosed also in heaven/' From which it is more than evident, thai the powers of the Church, over sin and its punishearth, shall
ment, are not in any

dispositions
way
the
confined or restrained,
provided always, that the sinner have the proper
Church has power to remit the sin itself, (as beyond all doubt she has,) she has surely power to remit the temporal
;
and
if
punishment due
to sin.
Q. Are Indulgences of very ancient date the Church ? A, Yes since the very commencement
;
in
of
Christianity.
Q. Give us a clear instance of

use.
their early
A,
St.
Paul granted an Indulgence to the
incestuous Corinthian,
that public sinner
by the remission of
the
temporal punishment to which he had subjected
and the Apostle declares, that it is by the powder of Christ, and in Christ's 2 Cor. chap, ii, person, he acts in this matter have what pardoned, if I have " For I 1 pardoned any thing, for your sakes have I done it in the person of Christ.'' Q. Is this temporal punishment always in;
:
jlicted in this life ?
A.
It
may
be inflicted here, or in Purgatory
if
151
liereafter
and
the
not discharged here,
it
must
be discharged hereafter.
Fathers of the early Church speak of Indulgences or the remission of temporal
Q.
Do
punishment A. Yes
;
St. Cyprian, Epist. 18th, says, that
the bishops of the
Church granted (hke
St. Paul)
a remission of the canonical penances and penitential
works, by the mediation of holy con" the
fessors or martyrs,
abundance of whose
might supply for the want of their " I brethren," according to that of St. Paul now rejoice in suffering for you!' Col. chap,
merits
:
i,
24.
Q. Have any Councils spoken on

ject ?
this sub-
A, The Council of Ancyra (anno 314) orders the bishops, " having considered the conduct of the penitents, to show them mercy, or to lengthen the time of their penance!'
Q.
What
inference do you
draw from
this
practice of the Church in ancient times ? A. That, in the remission of the canonical
penances, she also remitted so
much
of the
temporal punishment before God.
Q.
Why ?
what connection
is
there between
the one
and the other? A. The canonical penances were inflicted by God's Church as a temporal punishmeat
152
_^
-^
This as inflicted by his ChurcK accepted by God, either as the whole or a part of what his justice demands for whatever his true Church does, is done by himself " As my Father sent me, even so 1 send you ;" " Whatsoever you shall loose ;'" in earth, shall be loosed also in heaven He that heareth you, heareth me ;" &c
due to sm.
is
''
&c. Q. Can any Indulgence or leave he granted by any power on earth to commit sin ? A. No nor can God him&elf give leave to commit what is of its own nature sinful. Q. Does not the Pope give leave to tell lies, and commit perjury, and make mental reservations, and he disloyal, and persecute Protestants, ichen these appear to him to promote the
;
Catholic cause ? A. No these are

;
all
Protestant
calum-
nies.
Q. Would dispensations or pardons granted for any such ends have any validity ? A. No they would only add sacrilege to blasphemy. Q. Is it an article of the Catholic faith, that temporal punishment is remitted befoix God hy an Indulgence ? A. It is not so defined in express terms but by what is defined on the subject, and by necessary consequence from other doctrines, bearing on this, it is and always has been held by Catholics as substantially o/ faith, although not formally so defined.
; ,
Q..
153
this
What has
?
the
Church decided on
left
mhject
A, That
God
has
in
his
Church
the
power of granting Indulgences, and

Christian people.
that In-
dulgences are extremely advantageous to the

Decret.
1,
Q.
Is there
any thing in
de Indul. Sess. 25. this decree with
which Protestants can reasonably he offended? A, No for they themselves grant Indulgences of their own, as is evident from the history of the cutty stool. For particular sins, those who were rich were mulcted in a pecuniary fine, and those who were poor were obliged to give satisfaction before the whole congregation.
;
Now,
if
either this
;
was not
tised ?
if
the latter,
was of use to the sinner or it it was an Indulgence then for what pui'pose was it practhe former,
For further proof of the practice of the ancient and puie Church, see Coun. of Nice, (anno 325,) Can. xii. Cone. Gen. T. 2
ON THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH.
CHAPTER
Q. Who Church?
is
I.
the true
and
chief head of the
154
A DOCTRINAL CATE(!HISM.
A, Jesus Christ is the true head of the Churcf\ who, being himself invisible, governs his Church from Leaven in an invisible manner. Q.. Did Jesus Christ appoint any vicar on earth to govern his Church in quality of visihle
chief or head
?
A. Yes
he appointed for that purpose St.

St.
Peter and his successors.
Q. Did
A, Yes
;
the other Apostles from
Peter receive more power than Christ?

is
as
evident from
many
passages
of Scripture.
Matthew, chap. xvi. Thou art Peter, and upon this rock 1 A. will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall
Q. Quote
"
St.
not prevail against
it."
Q. What
Q.
is
meant here by
the
word
" rock
?''
A. Peter himself.
Why?
in John, chap,
i,
A. Because
calling Peter,
42, Christ, in
him a new name, which signifies a rock, and which explains clearly the meaning of the word " rock" in the above text. " Thou art Simon the son of Jona, thou shalt be called Cephas, which is interpreted Peter, Our Saviour spoke in the Syriac or a rock." language, and in that language, Cephas is the same as Petros in the Greek, both meaning a rock indeed, the words of Christ, literally ingives
,
A DOCTRINAL CATHCHISM.
155
have this meaning: ''Thou art (k rock, and upon this rock I will build my ChurchJ' Such words were not addressed to any other Apostle. Q. What are the words of the text immediately following ? Matth. chap, xvi, 19. " A. And I will give to thee (Peter) the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven and whatsoever thou shall loose on earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven." Q. Did not Christ address the same words
terpreted,
;
to all
the Apostles ?
A.
to
On this occasion,
he addressed these words

it
Peter alone, which makes
quite evident
that he intended to confer
on Peter a peculiar
all
power
in
when he
addressed the other Apostles
in these
words, he did so generally and to
common,
Q. What does Christ say to Peter John xxi, 15, 16, 17? A. " Feed my lambs, feed my sheep." And the Fathers of the Church have understood by and by the the lambs, the lay faithful people
;
sheep, the pastors of the people
for as
the
tlie
sheep nourish the lambs, so do the pastors of
Church tend, and spiritually feed, their flocks. Q. What do you conclude from the ahcn^
?cmmission given only
to
Peter
156
A DOCTRINAL, CATECHISM.
A. That Christ gave the charge of the whole

Church, pastors and people, sheep and lambs.
to Peter alone.
CHAPTER
Q,.
II.
Have you any

;
other proofs of St. Peter

xxii, v.
is
Primacy or supremacy 1 A, Yes in Luke, chap,

says to his Apostles, "
26, Christ
He
that
greater
;
among
and he
There-
you,
that
let
him become
as the
younger
is the"
leader, as he that serveti."
fore there
was a greater, or leader, amongs

Christ's
the Apostles, otherwise

;
words could
have no meaning but if there was a leader. Peter, and no other, was that man. Q. Does Christ anywhere offer iip a special prayer for Peter s faith, icithout including, in
this
prayer, the rest of the Apostles ? A, Yes Luke xxii, 32, Christ says to Pe;
:
ter these wôrds
"
But
ivwdt
I
;
that thy faith fail
have prayed for thee, and thou, being once
converted,
which
it
over his
confirm thy brethren.'' From is clear, that Peter had a superiority brethren given him by Christ; for if
he was only their equal,
how
could he confijvn
them Q.
Why does
Christ
John, chap,
xxi,
15
before giving Peter the special charge of all
A DOCTRINAL GATEC;..SM.
157
Chris fs lambs and sheep, ask that Apostle whether he loves him (Christ) more than the
other Apostles love
him?
love
A, Christ evidently requires greater
from Peter, because he is to confer a greater dignity upon him, committing to his care the
whole Christian community, pastors and people. Q. Have you any other Scriptural proof of
Peter
s
superiority
A.
When
first.
the Scripture gives the
names
ol
the Apostles in order, Peter's
placed
(Matth. chap,
x.)
name is always Nor can it
be alleged that this
was the oldest, for and was even the first to follow Christ. St. Ambrose, in Epist. ii, ad Cor. cap. xii, says, Not Andrew, but Peter was chief amongst the Apostles." St. Angus, lib. de Baptis., says
''
:
was done because Peter Andrew was Peter's elder,
'
Behold Peter, who held the pre-eminence with such lustre." St. Optat., lib. contra Paradds
:
.nen.,
"
Peter was appointed chief of the
Apostles, to the
served in
end that unity might be prethe Church."

act
at
any time as chief functionary of the Church ? A, He did so immediately after the Ascen
sion of our Lord.
Q. Did Peter
He
assembled the Apostles

re-
he presided at the election of an Apostle to

j>lac-e
Judas.
(Acts, chap,
i.)
Peter was the
14
jl58
a doctrinal catechism
to
first
preach Jesus Christ crucified, and, by

first
the conversion of three thousand at his
sermon,
gave form to the Christian Church, verifying the words of Christ, that he should le the rock or foundation from which the Church
first
should
rise.
(A.cts,
chap,
ii.)
He
is
first
to
teach the admission of the Pagans or heathens
which matter he alone was taught by a revelation from heaven. (Acts, chap, x.) He works the first miracles, at the Beautiful gate of the Temple, on the lame man, (Acts, chap, iii,) on iEneas and Tabitha, (Acts, chap, ix,) and as a punishment on Ananias and Sapto baptism,
phira, (Acts, chap, v.)
Q. Does
ties ?
it
appear, from any other
circiLrri'
stances, that Peter
was chief amongst

.
the
Apes
A. Yes for when he was cast into prison the whole Church prayed for him, nor was this
;
done
for
any of the other Apostles
to
him
alone did heaven vouchsafe an angel as a deliverer
from
his prison, (Acts, chap, xii.)
Q. Did Peter act as presiding teacher amongst the Apostles ? A, Yes he decided, in the first Council held at Jerusalem by the Apostles, that the Christians should not be subjected to the Jewish rite
;
of circumcision
d'd
St. Paul,
t^-
though an Apostle,
not venture
decide
upon
it.
"Men
I
A DOCTRINAL CATZClll.^M.
brethren," said Peter, "
159
you know
that in former
davs
God made
choice
among
us, that
by
my
mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the Gospel ;" and, when Peter had made an end of ;'' speaking, " all the multitude held their peac, and even James himself, who was bishop of Jerusalem, where the Apostles were assembled^ rose only to repeat St. Peter's decision, and to
acquiesce in
it,
(Acts, xv.)
Q. What dq you conclude from all this ? A. That there is not one truth more clearly
established in Scripture, than the superiority or
supremacy of Peter, and that the acrimonious attacks of Protestants on this article of the
Christian faith, only prove that they
sport
make
a
it
of the Scripture, except in as far as
supplies
them with some passages, seeming to bear two meanings, which they pervert, in order to prop up the tottering fabrics of contradictory
and contrary schisms.
CHAPTER
Q,.
III.
The supremacy of St. Peter once estabwhat necessarily follows ? A. That all the successors of St. Peter hold f.he same rank and power ; because the form of government, established by Christ in his Church, was not to last merely duriiig one or
lished,
160
centuries, but always,
like
two
the Churchy
until the
consummation of the world.

<'
are the successors of St. Peter Q. A. The bishops of Rome, in which capital of the world, St. Peter established his See and andea his life.
Wh^
Q. What reply do you make to those who pretend to hold that St. Peter never was at
Rome
A.
if St.
We
put the following rath^' troublesome

In the
first
questions to them.
place,
tell
us,
Peter did not suffer martyrdom at
Rome
under the Emperor Nero, in what part of the world, and when did he die ? Secondly, if St.
Rome, from what country, were his

Peter did not die at
all
at
what
time,
an<:^
relics or
remains
transported thither, for there they are beyond
doubt
Thirdly, did not the Fathers of the
early and pure Church,
who
lived near to the
time of St. Peter,
know
better than Protestants,
who made
their first
appearance only three

the
first
hundred years ago,
who was
bishop of
Rome
'tias
Q. Do any of
the first ?
;
these Fathers
say
St.
Peter
A. Yes
St. Augustine,
Ep. ad Gener., enu-
merating the bishops
who had governed
Church of Rome, begins thus

first,
Peter
the
was
the
to Peter succeeded Linus,
and to Linus,
16]
Clement.
St. Ootatus,
contra Parmen.
**'
St.
Peter first occupied the See of Rome, to him Linus sucnceeded, and after Linus, Clement."
St. Ireneus, lib.
iii,
27 Heres.
>j;iven
and
first
all
Epiphanius, de the other Fathers who havo

cap. 3
;
St.
a catalogue
St.
of the
bishops
of
Rome,
assign the
ter.
"
occupation of that See to Pethe capital of the Christian
Leo, in Ser. de Petro et Paulo, says
Rome became
Rome."
world, because St. Peter established his See

in
in
In Pream. Concil. Chalc,
and
also
Coun. Ephes., it is said, that " Peter Hves, judges, and defines, in his successors'' " Happy Church," says Tertullian, addressing the Church of Rome, " which the Great Apostles fully impregnated with all their doctrine and all their hloodr
CHAPTER
Q.
IV.
Do
all the faithful
owe obedience
to
to the
bishop of
Rome 1
;
A, Yes
all
are
bound
obey him as the
vicar of Jesus Christ, the chief b/shop of the
whole Christian Church. Q Is it a grievous sin

to the
to refuse
submission
sovereign Pontiff?
"
A.
Whoever
oppose," says St. Paul, " the
lawful authorities, oppose the or^^r of the Al
14*
162
A UUC'i
i?:N AL
CATECHISM.
resist
mighty, and those
who
such authorities^
bring condemnation on themselves."
Q.
Is
it
necessary that all Christian Churcaes
be in strict comrr.union with the See of
Rome ?
Ireneus,
is
A So
lib.
iii,
all
the Fathers teach.

:
St.
cap. 3, says
"
The Roman Church

all
the
principal,
and hence
other Churches
must be united to her." St. Cyprian, lib. i, Epist. 8 " There is only one God, one Christ, one Church, one chair of Peter, established by the Word of Christ himself." St. Jerom, I am attached to Epist. to Pope Damasus your chair, which is that of St. Peter, I krK)w that the Church is built upon that rock ;'" ana
'
again, "
Whoever
profane
;
eats not the
Lamb
in
that
house,
is
w^hoever takes not refuge in

against
that ark, shall perish in the waters, of the deluge
whoever
Chinst
;
is
not with you,
is
Jesus
scat-
whoever gathereth not with you,

is
tereth abroad."
Q.
Why
the Catholic
Church
called alsc
Roman ?
A, Because the Catholic Churches of all nations and ages have honored the See of Rome, and, on account of its " superior headship,'' have aiways gloried in tb.e profession of the r at :achment to it.
A DOCTRINAU
1 V
TECHISM
163
ON THE INJURIOUS ASSERTION OF PROTEST. ATS, THAT THE POPE IS ANTICHRIST.
CHAPTER
Q. Has
Scripture
?
I.
this
assertion
any foundation
in
A, That the Antichrist will come before the end of the world, the Scripture abundantly
proves
;
but that the Pope
is
that Antichrist,
is
not only unscriptural, but antiscriptural.
Q. Where in Scripture do you find

solent assertion refuted?
the in-
A, In very many places.

wars, famines,
In Matth. xxiv,
pestilence,
false
earthquakes,
pjophets, tribulation, such as hath never been,
nir shall
he,
and
all this
before the abomination

shall
of desolation
(the
Antichrist)
;
be seen
their
^landing in the holy place
therefore, as these
extraordinary scourges have not yet

the
made
appearance, Antichrist has not yet come.
In
same
place,
it
is
said, the
Gospel shall he
preached in the whole world, before the Antichrist and the consummation come. But the Gospel has not yet been preached in the whole world therefore, the Antichrist has not yet come therefore the Popes, who have existed even since the time of Christ, cannot be the
;
;
Aatichrist.
Er>4
A L>UCTRl?w\L CATECHISM.
vr).
Have you any other texts A, Yes te:S:ts in abundance.

;
Daniel, cnap.
vii, connects the ahomination of desolation, oi the Antichrist, with the placing of thrones and the sitting in judgment of the Ancient of
days.
times,
half,
He
gives
power
to the beast for a time,
and half a time, or three years and a which exactly agrees with the period of
xi,)
his
career fixed in the Apocalypse, (chap,

Therefore, Antichrist's reign
forty-two months or twelve hundred and sixty

days.
is
to
be
only three and a half years, and these immediately before the last judgment.
But the Popes have reigned since the time of Christ therefore the Popes cannot be Antichrist. Q. What does the Apocalypse say, chap, xi ?
;
christ,
A. That, during the above reign of Antiduring twelve hundred and sixty days, Henoch and Elias will preach against him. But Henoch and Elias have not yet come;
therefore, neither has Antichrist.
Q. What says ISth chap, of same Book? A. That Antichrist wdll mark on the 7nght hand or forehead all his followers but the therefore he is not Pope has not done so Antichrist. Again, no man is to be allowed to buy or sell, but he that hath the character, or the name of the beast, or the i umber oi' his name. But Catholics have neither h's charac;
DOCTRINAL CA JECHISM.
165
fe^j
nor
riaine,
nor number, nor has the Pope

;
p*evented ihem from buying or selling fore, again, the Pope is not Antichrist.
there
Q. What do you find in Apoc. xiii chap. ? A, That Antichrist is to open his mouth into
blasphemies against God, to blaspheme his
name
and
his
tabernacle and
them
that
dwell in
But the Pope has made God's holy name honored and adored in every clime and through him wâs the world conat all times Christ it was he who converted all verted to the the Protestants from barbaric Paganism Pope honors and venerates them that dwell in
heaven.
; ;
;
heaven,
'tis
Protestants
who
blaspheme the angels and saints, in heaven ; therefore the Pope,

Antichrist.
dishonor and them that dwell

at least,
is
not
The above
is,
text
would go
far to
prove, that Antichrist
or will be, a Protestant.
Q. What remark do you make on Apocal.

xvii,
which thou sawest, was and is not, and shall come up out of the bottomless pit." But these words cannot be verified in any Pope therefore, the Pope is not
A,
It
says:
"The
heast
Antichrist.
Q.
A.
Is
it
clear from Scripture that
Rome
will
he the seat
of Antichrist
it is
No
much more
.
evident that Jeru-
salem will he his seaf
In the Gospel of St
166
Matth. chap, xxiv, Christ speaks

temple of Jerusalem,
first
of the
and immediately after

;
comiects this with the ahoininatiort of desolation

to be seen standing in the holy place
evidently
pointing out that temple as the holy place where

the beast should be enthroned
ly
:
and
this is clearxi,
confirmed by the Apoc. chap,
8,
where,
on by Antichrist, and of those that were to be slain bv aim, St. John says "And their bodies shall lie in the streets of the giêat city, which is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord also was crucified." Now, the Lord
-^peaking of the
wars
to be carried
was
crucified
in
Jerusalem,
not
will
in
Rome
therefore Jerusalem, not
Rome,
on
be the seat
of Antichrist.
12th, 13th,
See
also,
this subject, 11th,
and 17th chaps, of Apocalypse.
ON THE COUNCILS.
CHAPTER
Q.
A.
cils.
;
I.
How many kinds of Councils are tnere f Two kinds genera, and particular CounWhat
?
IS
Q.
general
oj
aBcumerîca*
Council
DOCIRINAL CATECHISM.
all
161
the
A,
An
assembly of bishops, to which
bishops of the world are invited or
summoned,
presided over by the Pope, or his legates, or at

least
confirmed and approved by him. Q. What is a particular, national, or pro?
vincial Council
A.
ince.
An
assembly of bishops, to which are

the
invited
all
bishops of a nation or prov-
Q. Can a Council err in
its
decision on
any
in-
matter offaith ? A. General or oecumenical Councils are

fallible
in matters
of faith
not so particular
Councils.
Q.
Why
do you say that a general Council

a general Council erred in a
is infallible ?
A. Because,
matter of
;
if
whole Church would be in error now this cannot be, because the gates of hell shall never prevail against the Church. Q. Why do you say the whole Church would e^r, if a general Council taught error ? A, Because the bishops assembled in a general Council .represent the whole Church, and any error taught b}' them, is consequently an error of the whole Church. Q. In what light, then, are we to look on tf^ decisii n of a general Council ?
faith, the
As
the decision of the
Holy Ghost.
if58
Q.
How
does St. Peter speak at the Jirst

?
general Council
Acts, chap, xv, 28.
A. "It hath," he says, ''seemed good to tht us, to lay no farther burden upon you." Q. Is it a great sin to refuse submission tc a general Council ? A. It is the greatest act of criminal pride and presumption, accompanied by the awful
Holy Ghost and lo
guilt
it
of heresy or schism, or both.
We
call
extremely criminal, as well as irrational
because the
his
man who
will not submit, prefers

this in
own
single opinion
and
is
a matter, nor
regarding which he
authorized to judge
decision of an
qualified,
neither qualified
to the deliberately
formed
best
le-
immense assemblage of the
and most competently authorized,

it
gitimate judges.
Q.
to
May
not he said, that we are obligea
abide by the decisions of a general Council, only when these are in accordance with the
Word
of God? A. This is a mere piece of sophistry
it
sup-
Church may te.ach what is opposed to God's Word. Now, this is impossible for in that case, God must have failed in his word, his Holy Spirit, as he promised, would not have taught his Church all truth for ever, the gates of hell would have prevailed against
poses that the
tell
169
aer.
God
aid not
the world to be guided
3y what they thought conformable to the Scriplure,
He
sent his pastors to teach all nations,
ind told the nations, that he who would not believe these should be condemned.
CHAPTER
Q.
held?
II.
How many
general Councils have been
A
first
Besides that held by the Apostles and

Pastors of the Church, nineteen
held.
others
have been
Q. Where and when were

general Councils held
?
the
four
Jirst
A. The
first
at
Nice
in 325, the
second
at
Constantinople in 381, the third at Ephesus in

431, the fourth at Chalcedon in 451.
Q.
at
How many general

?
;
Councils were helu
Constantinople
A. Four
in
all
in the years 381, 553, 680.
809, respectively.
Q.
How many
in
at ike Lateran in
Rome?
1139, 1179,
A, Five;
the years
1123^
1215 and 1512.
Q.
A,
How many
Two;
:
at
Nice
the
first in
325, the second in 787
Q.
How many A Two one
at
in
Lyons.?
1245, the other in 1274
15
170
A DOCTEINAL CATECHISM.
general Council was held at Vienne in
;
1311
Q,
one at Florence in 1139
one at Trent*
in 1545.
Were
the
Lutheran and Calvinist minis-
ters invited to assist at the

;
A. Yes every safe-conduct they could desire. offered them it was their own fault that they were not present. Q. Are Protestants hound to obey the decisions
;
Council of Trent ? they were entreated to attend, and
of
Council of Trent ? A. Certainly; because these decisions emathis
nated from the lawfully constituted judges of

the true Church of Christ.
Q.
What
ivas the last General Council?
A, The Council of the Vatican, held at
Rome, December
Q,
8,
1869.
dignitaries
at-
How many
it
ecclesiastical
tended
A. Forty-nine cardinals and 694 patriarchs,

archbishops and bishops from
world.
Q.
all
parts of the
What dogma was defined in this Council ? A, The dogma of Papal Infallibihty that the Pope when he speaks ex cathedra^ that is, when he defines a doctrine regarding faith
;
or morals,
is
possessed of that infalHbility with
which our Redeemer endowed the church.
A DOCTrjNAL CATECHISM.
Q,
171
Pope speah ex cathedra ? A, The Pope speaks ex cailiedra^ when in his character of Universal Master and Pastor of all
does the
When
Christians,
by
his
sovereign
and
apostolic
authority, he defines
some doctrine regarding
faith or morals for the
Q,
whole Catholic Church. Whence comes it that the Pope cannot

because
teach error in place of truth F
A, He is infallible him, because the Holy

truth, aids
God
assists
Spirit, the Spirit of all
to Peter,
Q,
him according to the promise made and in him, to his successors.

the decrees of the Vatican
Were
Council
accepted hy the bishops of the Catholic
Church?
A, With wonderful unanimity, not one bishop in the whole world refused to accept
them.
ON THE OBEDIENCE DUE TO THE CHURCH,
CHAPTEK
Q.
I.
Are we
;
A, Yes
chap,
xviii,
Church ? because our Saviour says, Matth. 17: "If he will not hear the
obliged to obey the
Church,
let
him be
to thee as the heathen
and the pubhcan."
172
Q. What does Christ say to the pastors of the Church ? Luke, chap, x, 16.
A
.
"
He
that heareth you, heareth
me
;
he that despiseth you, despiseth

that despiseth me, despiseth
me
and aud he
;
Q. What says
A.
"
;
St.
him that sent me." Paul? Heb. chap, xiii, 17,

and be subject
to
Obey your
prelates,
them
for they watch, as being to render
an
account for your souls."
Q. A?x we bound, in conscience, to obey the ecclesiastical, as well as the civil powers ? A. Yes because both are instituted by the
;
appointment of God. St. Paul, Rom. xiii, 1, 2, 3, " Let every soul be subject to higher &c., powers; for there is no power but from God
and those that

fore,
are, are
ordained of
God
there*
he that resisteth the power, resisteth the
ordinance of
God
and they that
resist
pur-
chase to themselves damnation, .... wherefore

be subject of necessity, not only for wrath, but
Îso /or conscience sake.''
Q. What follows from these passages ! A. That we are obliged to obey the
authorities,
civil
and
to observe the
commandments
the
of the Church.
Q. But are not the commandments of Church the mere commandments of men ? A. True but we are obliged to keep commandments of men, when God ordains
;
the
it
17S
command of a fathei or a magistrate; is only the commandment of man yet we are bound to observe both, because God thus also are we bound to ob^y the so oi'dains Church, because it is the command of God that we should do so.
for
example, the
Q. Does not Christ say, Matth. chap, xv, "In vain do they worship me, teaching 9 doctrines and commandments of men ?'' A, Yes but Christ speaks here of vain and useless human commandments, not in accord:
ance with, but opposed
to, his
law.
CHAPTER
of the Church
^
11.
Q. To what purpose are the commanaments

A. They serve to lead us to the better observance of the commandments of God.
the law of
God
ordains, that
is
Thus we render to him
the worship that

fast
due
to him,
that we should
does not
is
;
and confess our

;
sins,
and receive the holy
communion
to
it
but the law of
God
it
tell
us how, or wheUj or
to the
how
often,
necessary
left
perform these acts of religion
he has
Church
the
to settle these matteis of de-
tail.
(^
Has
Church any right

15*
to
appoint
feast-days ?
174
A, The Christian Church has surely a right which even tlire Jewish Church possessed. Q. Where do you find, in the Old Testament, feasts of pi'ecept instituted by the synagogue ? A. In the Book of Esther, chap. 9th, and
the last chapter of the
Book of
Judith.
Q. Have you any other way of proving that the Church has power to institute festivals of
precept
1
A.
Had
she not such power, she could not

in
have done that

agree with her
;
she could not have substituted

Sunday
the
first
which
all
modern
reHgionists
day of the week, for the observance of Saturday the seventh day, a change for which there is no Scrip
the observance of
tural authority.
Q. Has
the
Church power
;
to
appoint days
f fasting ?
one of the bishops of the early and confessedly pure Church, taxed Aerius with heresy, for having disputed
for St. Augustine,
A. Certainly
that right.
Church forbid us the use o1 certain kinds of food on particular days ? A. Yes for she did so even in the time o^ the Apostles, Acts xv, 29 " That you abstain
A.
the
;
Can
''
from things sacrificed
to idols,
and from
blood,
and
fro.nn tJiings
strangled
175
Q. If the Christians of these times had used

these forbidden meats,
would they have comtait-
ted sin ?
because, in that case, they A, Certainly would have violated a commandment of the
;
Church.
Q.
May not Protestants

mouth
;
s..y,
that that
which
it
entereth by the
dejileth not the

it
man 1
A, Yes
Is
but
we
reply
is
not the meat,
the disobedience,
;
clean
and wê
which renders the man unask them, where did Adam and
?
Eve
ing,
put the fatal apple

to,
Besides, in the pasis
sage alluded
Matth. xv, 11, Christ
speak-
not of food taken in opposition to a precept
of his Church, but merely of food taken with
unwashed hands.
CHAPTER
Q.
III.
Why
does
the
Church forbid certavn

?
meats on particular days
A. Not that
bodv.
in
these
thing unclean, but to
meats there is anj chastise and mortify the
Q. Were there not some heretics in ancient

times,
who termed
certain kinds of food unclean
and
the creatures of the devil ?

;
;
A. Yes the Marcionites and Manicheans and this doctrine of theirs is styled by the
Apostle the doctrine of the devil.
176
Is
it
Q.
to
a very ancient Christian practice

the use of flesh
abstain
from
?
;
meat two days
in the
week
A. Yes
this practice
commenced with Chris''

:
tianity itself; for St. Epiphanius, in his Cate-
chetical Instructions, says
An
Apostolic law
the week/'
the two
has ordained a fast of
days of abstinence always observed over the whole Christian Church ?
two days in Q. Were Friday and Saturday
A. No in some places the Wednesday and Friday were the days observed and as to
; ;
tkese
trine,
disciplinary portions of Christian docit
Jerome remarks, to. conform to the usages of the Church where we may happen to dwell. Q. Why have the Greeks appointed Wednesdays and Fridays, as their days of abstinence ? A. Because Christ was sold or betrayed on Wednesday, and put to death on Friday. Q, Why does the Western or Latin Church observe Friday and Saturday ? A. In honor of the death and burial of Jesus
is
proper, as St.
Christ.
Q. Does not the Apostle blame the Colossians for saying: "Touch not, taste not, handle not /' and again : " Let no man therefore judge you in meat or in drink ?" Coloss. chapt
.
ii,
16.
\ DOCTRliXAl.
CATECHISM.
177
A.
The Apostle
is
speaking here of the Jew;
ish distinctions
between meats
they consider-
ed some meats in themselves clean and others unclean it is this false and superstitious notion, as well as other abrogated Jewish ob;
servances, that
the Apostle here
and
this is quite
evident from the
condemns words imme:
diately following
those above quoted

in
"
Let
no man therefore judge you

or in respect of a festival
meat or in drink, day, or of the new

:
MOON, OR OF THE SABBATHS."
Q. Does he not say, 2d Cor. iii, 17 " Where the Spirit af the Lord is, there is liberty?"
A,
Why,
this
text
may
;
be quoted with as
good a grace to throw off the whole law of God. " Liberty ;" yes but a rational and religious liberty consistent with "the obligations and duties of one bound to observe the laws of "Free," as St. Peter says, "as/r'ê, Christ. and not as making liberty a cloak for malice, 1 Peter, chap but as the servants of God."
ii,
16.
CHAPTER
Q.
A,
IV.
Who
The
established
Lent?
?
,
Apostles.
Q,
How
do you prove this
A
and,
by the rule of St. Augustine secondly, by the testimony of the Fathers.

Firstly,
178
A DOCTRlxNAL CATECJllSM.
is St.
Q. What
J
Augustine
rule?
(Epist
8th.)
A. " Every practice received by the whoh Church, whose origin cannot be traced to any
must be regarded Apostolical institution'' an Now Lent has as l)een observed in all Christian ages and nations, and cannot be traced to any merely human
bishop, or Pope, or Council,
source posterior to the time of the Apostles

therefore
it
was
instituted
Q. What
do you reply
was invented by the A. That this cannot be true for TertuUian and Origen, who lived before that Council make mention of it in their writings. Q. Do you know any Father who has expressly declared that Lent was instituted by
;
by the Apostles. to those who say Council of Nice ?
tt
the Apostles ?
A. Yes
formally
'
;
St.
Jerom and
St.
Leo
declare
it
:
the former, Epist. ad Marcel., says

institution,
Following the Apostolical
we
ob-
serve a fast of forty days
de Jejun
;"
the latter, Serm. 9
inspiration
was the Apostles, who, by the of the Holy Ghost, established Lent."
" It
conscience
says
"
Q. Were people, in these times, obliged io to fast during Lent? A. Yes for St. Jerom, Epist. ad Marcel
; : ;
year
The Montanists fast three Lents in the we fast only one. That they observe
17^
but
three
is
a voluntary act of their
own
we
cDserve one, because we are obliged,'' St. Au" Our fast at any other time is gustine says
:
voluntary
not fast."
but during Lent,
we
sin if
we do
CHAPTER
Q. Why did of Lent 1
A.
forty
First, in
Y.
the Apostles institute the fast
days
honor of our Saviour's fast of secondly, in honor of his passio-n
and, thirdly, to prepare ourselves, in the spirit
of mortification, for the better celebration oi

the Easter solemnity.
Q. In ichat manner should Lent

A.
stain
be observed ?
We
ought to attend in
flesh
this to the
;
Lenten
to abits
Instructions of our respective bishops
from the use of

prohibited
;
meat on the davs
use
is
to take only one meal about
noon, and a slight collation in the evening
The
sick are
under no
if
restrictions,
Avhen the
nature of the disease requires a rela^xation of

the law
;
and
a sufficient reason be given to
the lawful superior, the collation

in the
may
be taken
morning.
all
Q. Are
;
Christians bound
to fast?
;
all
A, No various classes are exempted Isl, under twenty-one years of age 2dly, a'ii Uie aged who can be prudently deemed to<i
;

180
A DOCTRINAl. CATECHISM.
to
;
wâk
nurses
fast
3dly,
all
women
;
with child ann
4thly,
that are engaged in heavy
and, Sthly, the and laborious employments poor, who are never certain of sufficient and
regular food.
CHAPTER
VI.
Q. What should a Catholic reply to those who scoff and rail at fasting and abstinence 7
A,
He
should
tell
them, that those
who
will
not hear the Church, are declared, by Christ

himself, to be as heathens
or publicans.
He
should repeat to them the words of St. Augustine

It is an impudent folly to blame that which is practised by the whole Church,'' Q. Upon ivhom does this reproach fall with
''
full force ?
A. Upon Luther, in an especial manner, who blamed fasting, although practised over the whole Church. Q. Can you prove, by any Scriptural example, that Catholics do well
centain kinds offood
?
to
abstain
from
A. Yes
the prophet Jeremias praised the
Rechabites for abstaining from wine, because

Jonadab, their father, had forbidden them the
tise
of
it
lience, the Catholics
cannot do
evil
by abstaining from any particular food, when ihe Church, their mother orders them to do go
^
A DOCTRINAL CATECHISIW.
181
Q. In what manner can we show a Protest*

aid, that he speaks
unreasonahly against fasts

he keeps Sunday, and not
rest,
and
abstinences
A. Ask him
why
Saturday, as his day of

ling either to fast or to
since he
If
is
unwil-
abstain.
he reply,
keep the Sunday, but says nothing as to fasting and abstinence, tell him the Scripture speaks of Saturday or the Sabbath, but gives no command anywhere regarding Sunday or the first day of the week. If, then, he neglects Saturday as a day of rest and holiness, and substitutes Sunday in its place, and this merely because such was the usage of the ancient Church, should he not, if
that the Scripture orders
to
him
he wishes to act consistently, observe fasting
and abstinence, because the ancient Church so

ordained
?
ON THE SACRAMENTS.
CHAPTER
\cl.
I.
How
do you prove that there are seven

?
iacraments
A, From the Holy Sciipture and the dogmatical decisions, as well as the constant
ditions, of the
tra-
Church.
16

182
A DOCTRINA], CATECHISM
Q. Where do you find in Scripture tliai there are seven Sacraments ? A. We find in Scripture seven outward si^ns of invisible grace, instituted by Jesus Christ, as so many means to confer gi'ace on
our souls
;
this is easily
show^n of each sacra-
ment
Q.
in particular.
Do
all Catholics
?
profess that there are
seven sacraments
A, Yes; all the Catholics in the world, in number about two hundred and fifty-six millions,
believe in seven sacraments.
Q. Do the Greek schismatics recognise the same number ? A. Yes all the Greek schismatics recognise the same number of saciaments as the Catholic Church, and these schismatics are in number
;
about Cfty-six and a half millions
so that three
hundred and twelve muUions and a half that is, nearly the half of the whole human race hold the Catholic faith on this subject whilst
;
tne whole Protestant population of the world,
opposed to
millions.
it,
only amount to about lorty-six

the
Jeremias,
schismatical
,
Greek
Patriarch of Constantinople
declared the belief
of the schismatical Greek Church in the seven sacraments, anno 1576; and others have re-
peated that declaration at various times sines

that period.
183
Q. What do you conclude from all this 1 A. That the whole Christian world, morally speaking, do now believe, and have at all times for had the believed, in seven sacraments seven sacraments been a modern invention, the Greek schismatical Church, which has been separated from us for nine hundred years, would not have had these sacraments, in number and
;
nature, just as
we have
them.
Q. Have Protestants been always agreed as to the number of the sacraments ? A. No some admitted two baptism, and what they call the LorH's Supper others admitted four and even five, and some admitted
;
only three, as
that "
is
evident from the Confession
of Augsburg, Apol.
penance
is
which says expressly, a sacrament in the proper

art. 7,
sense of the word."
Q.
What
inference would a
man of reflection
compelled
to
draw from A. That
these Protestant inconsistencies ?
Protestants
were
frame their rehgion, not according to Holy Writ, but according to the corrupt maxinis of their followers the question with their found;
ers was, not
what does Christ teach, but what
will our partisans receive as doctrine from our
hands.
Hence, they taught one doctrine to-day and another to-rrorrow, one doctrine in this country, and another in that, in order to suit
^84
themselves and their religion to the changes ol

time, place,
and passion.
CHAPTER
the baptism of infants is
II.
Q. Can Protestants prove

A,
to
Baptists, thai
good and useful ?

because, according to
is
No
they cannot
Protestant principles, such baptism
useless.
Q.
Why
do you say this
A. One of the Protestant principles is, that no human being can be^ justified, except by an act of faith in Jesus Christ but no infant is
;
capable of m-aking this act of faith
therefore
in-
upon Protestant
fants
is
principles, the
baptism of
useless.
Q. Can you draw the same consequence from any other principle? A, Yes their first principle is, that nothing is to be practised, which is not authorized by Scriptural example but it does not appear from Scripture, that even one infant was ever
;
;
baptized
therefore Protestants should reject,
on
their
own
principle,
infant baptism as an
unscriptural usage.
Q.
How do
Baptists treat other Protestants
A. They boast that the Scripture

ly for Baptist practice,
is
evident
that other Protestants
hold traditional doctrines, like the Catholics
185
teach
They quote Matth.

all
chap, xxviii
"Go
nations, baptizing them," from which they

it is
;
say,
clear, that
teaching should go before
baptism
hence, they conclude, that as infants
cannot be taught, so neither should they be baptized, until they are capable of teaching or
instruction.
Q. What use do they make of Mark, chap, " He who believeth and is baptized shall xvi
be saved ?"
A.
They say
it is
eviaent that belief or faith

;
must precede b^Dtism
but, they add, children

;
or infants are not capable of believing

fore neither are they capab./n
o''
there-
being baptized.
Q. What can
tist
Protestant,''' rejly to this
Bap-
reasoning
A. They may give these passages another meaning, but they can never prove that their interpretation is better than that of the Baptists,
because they themselves give every one
a right to interpret Scripture.
Q. What inference do you draw from this 1 A. That every Protestant has much reason
to
doubt whether he be baptized. Q. How do Catholics prove that infants ought to he baptized ?
clear
A. Not from Scripture alone, which is not on this subject, but from the Scripture
illustrated
by the constant
16^
tradition
of
the
186
A DOCTtllXAL CATECHISM.
Church, which, in every age, administered barK tism to infants, and consequently the practice must have been derived from the Apostles.
Q. Can Protestants use this triumphani argument of tradition against the Baptists ^ A. No they have no right to use it in this matter, where it would serve them, since they reject it in every question where it is opposed to their novel and latelv invented doctrines. Q. What is the outward or visible sign in
;
baptism
A. The pouring of water on the person, and the words, " I baptize thee," &c., pronounced by the minister. Q. What is the inward or invisible grace
conferred
?
A.
The
is
sanctifying grace of God,
by which
all
the soul
regenerated, cleansed from
sin,
made
the child of God, a
member of his Church,
and an heir of heaven. Q. Where do you find, in Scripture, that Christ instituted baptism ?
A. In
many
places, but particularly in the
passage where he gives his CDmrnission to the

Apostles, Matth. xxviii, 19
tions,
"Go teach
name
all
na-
baptizing
them
in the
of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holv Ghost." Does it appear from Scripture that bap*
lism rermts sin
A. Yes
;
187
''
Do Acts ii, 28, says penance, and be baptized every one of you in
St. Peter,
:
the
name
of Jesus Christ for the remission of
your
sins/'
Q.
Is baptism necessary to salvation ?

;
A. Yes
for Christ
says,
John
iii,
3,
5
be
" Verily, verily, I say to thee, except a
man
born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God ;" and
in
Mark, chap, xvi
"
He
that beheveth
and
is
baptized, shall be saved."
CHAPTER
(4.
III.
do you consider Confirmation one of the sacraments ? A, Because it is a visible sign of invisible
grace.
Why
Q. What
is the visible
sign in Confirmation ?
A. The unction of Holy Chrism, and the imposition of the hands of the bishop.
Q. What
this
is
the invisible
?
grace conferred by
Ghost, which
sacrament
A,
tian.
A
.
grace
of
the
Holy
strengthens and secures the faith of the Chris-
Q. Where do you find Confirmation men\ioued in Scriptui^ ?
A. In the
Stli
chap, of the Acts,
it is
said,
88
having received the Word of God, were baptized by St. Philip and the Apostles "sent unto them Peter and John, who, when they were come, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost, for he was
that the Samaritans,
;
come upon any of them, but they were only baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands upon them, and they received the Holy Ghost." Here we
not as yet
have a sacred
themselves,
certainly
is
rite
performed by the Apostles
by
n^^
the imposition of hands,

(>^^dination, as
which some have dreamj.'^^vious
ed
for, as is
evident fronj a
verse of
the
same chapter, there were women amongst those upon whom the Aposl:es imposed their
Neither can
it
hands.
be baptism
for
the
Samaritans were previously baptized by St. Philip. Therefore it is that sacrament of Confirmation, which, by
text expressly says, that these
the universal testimony of the whole Christian
Church, was instituted by Christ, and practised,

in this instance,
by his Apostles. Q. Have you any other Scriptural proof

this
showing
sacrament as completely distinct

first
from baptism ? A. Yes St. Paul

;
baptized and then

xix, 5
confirmed the Ephesians,

"
Acts^ caap.
;
Having heard
these things, they were bap-
tized in the
name
of the Lord Jesus
and whec
A DOCTRINAL CATECHISM-
8fi
Paul had imposed his hands upon them, the
Holy Ghost came upon them." Q. May it not he said, that the Apostles imposed theii hands on these occasions to communicate the ex ernal and visible gifts of the Holy Ghost, but that bishops have no such power now ? A, The external or visible gifts of the Holy
Spirit,
such as the
gift
of tongues or prophecy,
were, in the time of the Apostles, necessary for

the conversion of the world, as direct proofs
that
God was
the author of their religion
but
now
that the world has

for
and proofs
of
abundant arguments that great fundamental truth,

along with these mi-
miracles are no longer necessary, but the grace
God
communicated
gifts,
raculous
which strengthened the first Christians unto perfection, and enabled them to lay down, even with joy, their lives rather than deny their faith has been necessary in
every age to all Christians, is still necessary, and will continue so until the end of the world and it is this invisible grace of the Holy Ghost
which is communicated in Confirmation. Q. What have you to say to Protestants on this sacrament ? A. You appealyi we say to them, incessantly you boast that you comply with to Scripture,
t to the very letter,
^why
is it,
then,
tliat
only
190
?
a mere handful of you practise this sacred rite
Why
do you
not, as
the Apostles did, impose
your hands upon those

tized ?
whom you
have bap-
Q. Are there any proofs for Confirmation in the practice of the ancient and pure Church? A. Yes St. Cyril, 3 Cathes., says " When the body is visibly anointed, the soul becomes sanctified by the interior operation of the Holy
;
:
Spirit.''
iii,
St. Augustine, Lit.

10, says
:
contra Petel.
of
lib.
cap.
"
The sacrament
Holy
Chrism does not

itself."
yield in sanctity to baptism
CHAPTER
Q.
Is the
;
lY.
?
Holy Eucharist a sacrament

all
even those who look upon it as merely bread and wine. Q. What is the sensible sign in this sac? a ment ? A. The appearances of bread and wine which remain after consecration, and under which our blessed Saviour is received into our souls. Q. What is the inward grace contained this sacrament? A. The body and blood of Jesus Christ, the source and author of all graces. Q. Where do you find Jesus Christ men'
parties admit this,
A. Yes
txoned as the author of this sacrame-n*
its
191
institution
A. In the Gospel account of
where Jesus Christ, taking bread, gave thanks, and brake, and gave it to them, saying this is my body do In Hke this for a commemoration of me.
xxii,
Luke
19,
&c.,
'*
manner, the chalice

saying
:
also, after
he had supped,
this
is
the chalice of the
new
testa-
ment
you."
in
my
blood,
which
shall
be shed for
heliev^.
Q. What does
the Catholic
?
Church
as to this sacrament
A. That after the words of consecration are
pronounced over the bread and wine, our Lord Jesus Christ, true God and true man, is truly, really, and substantially contained under the outward appearances of the bread and wdne, the whole substance of the bread being changed into his body, and the whole substance of the wine into his blood we understand also, not his body and blood as they were in this world, but as they are now glorious and immortal in
;
heaven.
Q. What do you mean by a glorious and immortal body ? A, I mean that kind of body of which St. Paul speaks, Cor. xv, 44 1 It is sown a natural body, it shall rise a spiritual body if
*'
there be a natural body, theie
is
also a spiritual
body."
95{
Greeks hold the same doctrine as the Catholics on this subject ? A, Yes in their attestation, signed by seven
Q.
Do
the
Eastern Archbishops, (Perpet. de

iii,
la Foi., torn,
p.
412, &c.,)
we
read
" 1st,
That the Hving
body of Jesus
Christ,
ascended into heaven,
who was crucified, who and who sits at the right

;
hand of the Father, is truly present in the Eucharist, but in an invisible manner 2dly, that the bread and wine, after the invocation of the priest and the consecration, are sitbstantially changed into the true body and blood of Jesus Christ, and that the accidents which remain are not bread and wine in reality, although they appear to be bread and wine
3dly, that the
living
Eucharist
is
a sacrifice for the
and the dead, established by Jesus Christ, and which we have from the Apostles by tradition 4thly, that the body of Jesus Christ is eaten whole and entire, in an impassible state, by those who receive it, whether they be worthy or unworthy, such as are worthy receive the unworthy to their it for their salvation, condemnation that it is also immolated without effusion of blood, and justly adored as God.'
;
Q.
Was not the celebrated
Calvinist, Claude,
?
staggered by this Eastern document
A, So much so, that he wrote to verify the and we have the celebrated letter in anfact
;
l.)B
swer to him, dated May 21, 1672, confirming everv word of the above document, in the clearest and strongest language, as containing the faith of the Eastern Church on the subject of the Eucharist. See Perp. de la Foi, already
quoted, tom.
iii.
Q. What did Luther teach on

" In vain
this subject ?
I wished,'' he says, " to have A, denied the real presence of Christ in the Eu-
charist, .... the
words of the Scripture are so

in favor of the
plain
spite
and strong
of
all
mystery, that,
I
my
wishes, although
strained
every nerve to reject it, yet I could nevei bring my mind to adopt the bold expedient."
(Ep. Car. Amic.)
Again he says
is
"
The
denial
of the real presence

;"
a piece of downright
the deniers,
'*
blasphemy, an impeachment of the Divine veracity

.
and he
calls
a set
of deviled, be-deviled, per-deviled, and superdeviled wretches."
Q, What is the real doctrine of even the Church of England on this sacrament ? A. In the Book of Common Prayer, we
find the following question, "
What
"
is
the in-
ward part or thing

Supper.)
signified?" (of the Lord's

is
:
The
answêr
The body and

and indeed
in
faithful
blood of Christ, which

taken, and received
ai-e
verily
by the
17
the
Lord's ttupper."
194
A DOCTRINAl. CATECHlsM.
Q. What says Leibnitz ? Systema Theol,; page 226 Paris, 1819. A. " But pious antiquity plainly enough declared, that the bread was changed into the body of Christ, the wine into his blood, .... and
:
this chano-e the
Latins have rightly called Tranis
substantiation, ... .here the Scripture
to be
explained by that tradition, w^hich the Church,

as
its
keeper, has transmitted to us."
Q. What says Grotius ? Vot. pro pace. A. " I find in all the Liturgies- Greek, Latin Arabic, Syriac, and others prayers addressed to God, that, by his Holy Spirit, he would consecrate the gifts offered up, and make them was therefore right in the body of his Son.
and universal must be considered as having come down from the first ages, and ought not to have
asserting, that a practice so ancient
been altered.''
Q. What says Dr. Parker, Protestant Bishof of Oxford ? (Reasons for Abrogating the Test, p. 13, anno 1688.)
A.
" It is
evident to
all
men
that are but or-
dinarily conversant in ecclesiastical learning, that the ancient Fathers, from age to age, asjserted the real
and substantial presence
in
very
high and expressive terms."

all
Indeed, almost
the learned bishops of the English Trotest-
ant
Church are of
the
same opinion on
this
\ DOCTRIN.xL CATECHISM.
195
matter.
And no one can

Church
doubt, that a large
section of that
at present are as
much
CathoHc, as the Cathohcs themselves, on the

subject of the Real Presence
(See the
Modern
Puseyite writers.)
Q. What inference do you draw from this powerful testimony in favor of the real presence
?
A. That
this
portion of Catholic doctrine
has the support of every Church deserving the
name
that
its
opponents are few, generally
and always factious and full of sectarian prejudice. Hence, from the number and learning of the vouchers for the Catholic faith here under discussion, it is manifest, that that faith must be strongly and clearly laid
ignorant,
down
in Scripture.
CHAPTER
ise,
Y.
Q. Did Christ make any particular prom

as regards the Eucharist, before he init ?
;
stituted
A. Yes
a very clear promise in the sixth
chap, of St. John
Q. Does tais chapter regard the Euchar-ist ^ A. Yes even the learned Mr. Johnson, a Protestant, in his " Unbloody Sacrifice," shows,
;
at large
that the Primitive Fathers understood
1190
the sixth chapter of St. the Eucharist.
John
as
refemng
to
Q.
Is there
any thing remarkable in
the firii
part of this chapter ? A. Yes the astonishing miracle

;
which
is
Christ performed in feeding five thousand per-
sons with only five loaves and two fishes,
here related
suitable
and such a miracle was truly a

to
prelude
miracle of miracles
the Holy Eucharist, by which he was, with heavenly breadthat is, with his own body and blood to feed all his
the introduction
of that
faithful
followers.
The very
fact
that
he
wrought
this astonishing miracle, before intro-
ducing the subject of the Eucharist, shows that he was about to speak on a matter that required
strong faith in his followers and audience.
If
he had merely to announce to them that he
was going
wine,
to
give them
common
bread and
is it likely he would have introduced it by such a tremendous miracle ? Q. Does it appear that the Jews had, bejore
the
teaching of Christ, any notion that the Messiah would give them bread from, heaven.
?
as Moses had done

after the
A. Yes; for in one of their
coming of
Christ,
Works "Commentary on
earliest
&(f
the
Book of
Ecclesiastes,'' they say, that as
Moses brouscht down manna from heaven,
A DOCTRINAL
CATECHl>3r,I.
1 4^*7
ne of the signs of the Messiah should be, that he should bring down bread from heaven.
Various Jewish teachers in the early ages of Christianity, according to R. David Kimchi,
have admitted transubstantiation, grounding it on that passage of Osee, chap, xiv, 8 " And they shall live upon wheat, and they shall blossom as a vine his memorial shall 1)6 " Many Doctors,'* as the vine of Lebanon." says David Kimchi, " expound this text, that there shall be made a change of nature in
seem
to
WHEAT
in the times of
our Redeemer Christ."

to
this belief
Q. Does Christ himself appear of the Jews ?

A. Yes, in vc
y-
allude to
clear te-rm.
John, chap,
;
Amen, amen, 1 s^y to you, Moses 32 gave you not bread from heaven but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven." Q. What does Christ say that this bread from heaven is ? A. In verse 35, he says, it is himself: I am THE BREAD OF LIFE." Q. What follows these astonishing words ? A, A long and impressive instruction as to the necessity of believing his words, which
vi.
:
"
''
fihow^s
clearly, that he was about to n veal something which he knew h*s audience wûld have gi'eat difficulty in believing. i^. After ending the instruction as to faitti 11*
198
with these impressive words,
"Amen, amen,
me
hath ever
say to yoU; he that believeth in

lasting Ufe,"
-how does he jproceedl
A. He repeats again, verse 48, the awfu words " I am the bread of life," as if he saw they would now be believed, in consequence of the instruction he had given. Q. Does he show, that the bread which he
:
will give, shall be better than the miraculous
manna, and, consequently, better than the bread and wine of the Protestant sacrament ? " Your fathers did eat A. Yes he says manna in the desert, and are dead ; this is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that " if any man eat of it, he may not die
;
:
CHAPTER
(4.
YI.
After having prepared the minds of hu audience by feeding five thousand persons with
five loaves,
and lectured them on the necessity of strong and lively faith, after having repeated, again, that he himself was the bread of what does he now say thai life from heaven,
"
this
bread
give
is
in reality
?
:
A, Verse 52, he says

will
is
The bread
that
my flesh,
for the life of the world/'
Q. ment
How
?
did the Jews receive this announce
A. Verse 53
selves, saying,
:
199
"
They
strove
can this This is exactly the question flesh put, at the pi^sent day, by unbelieving Protest" How ? !'' To put such a question to ants. Hoiv did the Almighty, is it not blasphemy ?
to eat ?"
!
How
among themman give us his
he create the world out of nothing he turn the rod

did he change the water into
How did of Moses into a serpent ? How How the waters into blood ?
?
wine
at
Cana
Hoio feed
?
five
thousand people with five loaves
Q. If he had meant, that what he was to give them was mere bread and mere wine, what should he, as a good and wise God, have done now that he saw the Jews would not believe him ? A. He should at once have explained, (as he did on other occasions,) that he did not wish to
be understood
literally,
but figuratively,
that
he meant to give them bread and wine as a
commemoration of his death. Q. Did he give such an explanation 1 A. Aô he repeats, verse 54, the same again
;
in
stronger language, and even with an asseve:
ration
"
Then Jesus
said
to
them.
Amen,
amen,
of the
shall
say unto you, except you eat the flesh
Son of man and drink his blood, you not have Hfe in you ;" and, in the next
order to îve strenjzth to his
five verses, in
2ii0
A DOCTRINAL
Al ECIUS.M.
words, and to leave no doubt of his nneaning
on the mind of any one,

but almost in
the
he, in different forms,
same words, repeats over and over the same truth without any explanation
whatever.
Q. When, on other occasions, Christ taught anything in figurative language, was he in the habit of giving an explanation immediately after, lest his words might be misunderstood, and lest the people might he misled by his figurative language, by interpreting his words
liteiâlly ?
A. Most certainly he was. In John, chap iii, he corrects Nicodemus, who understood him literally, when he wished t ) l understood
^.r
figuratively.
In Matth. chap, yvi,
5,
he corliterally,
rects the Apostles,
who
understood him
when he meant
Leaven of
32, his disciples
to speak figuratively,
on the
iv,
the Pharisees.
In John, chap,
misunderstood him as to the

taking him in the
literal
food he spoke
himself.
of,
sense
he instantly corrects the error by explaining

In John, chap,
xi,
11,
his
disciples
again mistake him, and he instantly explains.

In Matth. chap, xix, there
is
another misunderat
standing on the part of his disciples, and he
once
sets
them
right.
Another instance may

vi:i.
be seen in Matth. chap.
Q. Did
the Jews, the Apostles,
and
the di$
ciples
201
lit*
of Jesus, understand him here in the

for the
eral sense ?
How can this Verse 62 " His disciples murmured.'' Verse 67 " After this, many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him ;" whilst he finds it necessary, in verse 68, to ask his Apostles, " Will you also go
A. Yes
;
Jews
ask,
man
give us hisjlesh to eat
they are scandalized him, they do not him

that that
believe sense, does he,
Q. Seeing,
then, that all are about to leave
at his doctrine,
in the literal
on
this,
as on every other occa-
sion, explain himself at once,
and show
them,
that ht speaks in figures, that he does not in-
tend to give them his flesh and his blood in reality, but merely bread and wine, as a com-
memoration of himself ? A, No he sees that the Jews, the disciples, and the twelve Apostles, understand him in He allows the very sense which he intended. them to go away, he gives no explanation, beThey understand cause he has none to give. him literally, and he speaks literally. He appeals to his Ascension, as an argument wliich In should induce them to believe, (verse 63.) verse 64, he clearly tells them, that the eating of dead flesh will profit them nothing, but that the flesh winch he will give them is his glorified
;
202
body, animated by his soul and his life-giving
and divinity by which, in the mystery of Redemption, he was to give life to the world. He exhorts them again to have faith, showing that he was teaching something which it was difficult to believe and concludes, by askmg his Apostles, whethe: To which St. they also refuse to believe him
divinity,
that
same body,
soul,
Peter
his
replies, (verse 69,)

:
with
full
confidence in
shall
Di^ ine Master

?
"
Lord, to
whom
life,
we
go
thou hast the words of eternal
.... thou
art Christ the
Son of God."
inference would you
Q.
What general
draw
from the conduct of those to whom Christ addressed himself on this occasion ?
A.
If
Christ
intended only to give bread

himself,
and wine, as a memorial of

followers,
why
did
he not say so to prevent the departure of his
and
to teach
them truth
Or can
any one
in his senses suppose, that
the author
of truth would leave, in doubt and obscurity,
one of the most important articles of the religion he was about to establish? Assuredly no. Then he spoke in the literal sense, then he wished to be understood in the literal sense, then the Jews, the disciples, and the Apostles, understood him correctly. The Jews and disciples left him, because they wouid not believe that he could give them his fiesh and
20S
But the Apostles, who knew that iie was God, to whom nothing was impossible, who could not be deceived himself, and could
olocMJ.
not deceive them, submitted to the belief of

the incomprehensible mystery, in these
"
words
Lord, to whom shall we go ? Thou hast the words of eternal life ;" we believe all that thou hast taught, no matter how difficult, because "we have believed and hdiVQ known, That THOU art the Christ the Son of God."
Q. If Christ intended to he understood in and meant only to give bread and wine, would there have been any
the figurative sense,
reason
why
all his
audience should have turned

?
their backs
upon him
;
A. Certainly not since such memorial would have been inferior both to the manna and Paschal
Lamb
of the Old
Law.
Q. If Christ intended only mere bread and was it not an awful violation of the propriety of language to say, that, in using
wine,
these, his
followers ivould be eating his flesh
and drmking his blood ? A. Yes, most certainly such a? we can lever suppose the wisdom of God could adopt Liay more, such language was well calculated to deter the ^jws from believing his doctrine
;
at
all,
be'' ûse,
in their language,
to eat
the
fe$h of .ny one, meant to do him some grle^ ous
204
injury,
(see
27th Psalm; 19th chap, of Job:

iv
;
Ecclesiastes, chap,
St.
James, chap,
it
v.)
As
to the drinking of blood,
was
universally
considered a dreadful crime

(see
among
)
the Jews,
;
Gen. chap,
;
ix
Levit. chap, vii
Sam
blood,
chap, xiv
eating of
it is
Judith, chap, xi
flesh,
And
as to the
human
or drinking
human
mentioned as the most dreadful curse God could inflict on mankind, (see Wisd. xi, 7 Apoc. xvi, 6 Jerem. xix, 8.) Q. What would you draw from this con
;
sideration
A. That Christ evidently wished to be understood in the literal sense, and, on account oi
this,
was compelled
;
to use
language disagreefor,
able to Jewish ears
otherwise, his use of such
expressions
was uncalled
improper, and
unwise, and calculated to defeat the very object
which our Divine Saviour had

this supposition, that the
in
view
and
very author of
wisdom would couch the doctrines he wished

the entire world to believe, in language unpar-
donably incorrect, and scandalous to his folit is impious and lowers, is not only absurd
blasphemous.
CHAPTER
VII.
Q. Christ then promised, that At oould givt his body and blood for the spiidtual ju dof uu

people,
20
where
saying
ot
do you find that promise fulxxii,
filled ?
A. In Luke, chap,
them,
"
19:
"And
taking
bread, he gave thanks, and brake, and gave to

:
This
is
my
body which
will
is
given for you''
Place these
vvrords beside the
words
the promise, and
you
at
once
admit the promise

promise were
is
fulfilled.
The words
I
of the
"
And
the bread that
will give
my
Q.
flesh, for the life
of the world."
Is the institution as to the cup or chalice
tqually^ clear ?
A. Yes the words of the promise weie Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you shall not have life in
;
"
you."
words,
This promise
is
now
fulfilled
:
in these
is
Luke, chap,
xxii,
chalice of the
New
20 Testament
"
This
in
the
my
blood,
which shall be shed for you." Q. Are the Evaiigelists, Matthew (xxvi chap.,
26, 28)
and Mark
;
(xiv chap., 22, 24) equally
clear
A. Yes and the fact, that they repeat the words of the institution almost in the very same words, and essentially in the very same "ihat they all repeat the words body and sense, blood with the most remarkable uniformity of language, is one of the strongest proofs for the
real presence.
18
206
A DOCTRINAL CATECHIisM.
SO? A. Because they, at least, knew what Christ meant by the words body and blood; and il Christ meant by these merely bread and wine,
Q.
Why
some of them, were it only by accident, would have given his meaning instead of his words, or, at all events, would have given some explanation of them yet not one of them
;
did so.
Q. Is there any thing remarkable in the

Syriac version of St. Mark ? A. Yes learned Catholics, as well as Prot;
estants, admit, that
it
represents our
is
Lord
as
;"
saying
"
Take,
eat, this
my
body itself
thus clearly confirming the Catholic interpretation.
See Walton,
Prol. Bib. Polygi.
Q. If Christ intended to deliver to mankind his real body and blood, could he have used more proper, concise, or correct language ?
A,
No we cannot
;
conceive language better
chosen.
Q. If he intended mere bread and wine, could he have used more improper language ?
A. No in that case, the use of such language would be unwise and inexplicable. Q. Was the time in which Christ instituted ihe sacrament a period of his mortal career, in
;
which the use of the inost obscure and improper figures should be employed to convey to his
; :
Apostles {those
20?
who were to teach the world) the most simple and necessary truths ? A, Certainly not he was making his last Testament, which, even amongst men, is made
;
in
as simple
and clear language as possible

he was teaching what was
tc
he was teaching his Apostles what they were

to teach others
;
be believed and practised by the whole world

till
the latest ages,
practice of which
all
and upon the belief and were to be saved or

and
to
its
damned.
The
awfulness of the time, therefore,
the cxvvful nature of the doctrine,
awful
de-
importance to those
well as to those
who were
teach, as
all
who
should be taught,
manded from a good and wise God, what he could easily give, and what he most assuredly
did give
the
utmost perspicuity in the lan-
guage used.
Q. Is there any thing remarkable in the words of the old alliance, which tends to illus" This is my trate these words of the new
blood
r
;
Exodus, chap, xxiv, Moses took blood and sprinkled it upon the people, saying " This is the blood of the covenant which the Lord hath made with you." The words of Christ in the New Testament have evidently a and as relation to those of Moses in the Old Moses presented to the people, in the Old Law
A. Yes
in
;
208
A DOCTRLNAL CATECHISM.
so, in
the rexl blood of the victims,

the
the
real blood of the
heavenly victim
Lamb
of the
of
God
New
the
is
presented to the children
new
If,
covenant.
in this most dignified of all the sacraments, the true body and blood of Christ were
Q.
not present,
what would
be the consequence ?
A. That Jesus Christ, the all-wise God and Saviour of mankind, did intentionally, or at
least indifferent as to the
awful consequences,
institution, as to de*o
express himself
so. in
its
ceive nineteen-twentieths of those he can^*^

redeem,
and endless disputes, and expose the great body ot his Church to be guilty of the appalling crime all this, too, whilst one word of of idolatry explanation from him would have prevented all
to involve all Christians in bitter
;
these evils.
Q. What would you infer from this ? A. That, as these blasphemous suppositions cannot for a moment be entertained, so it is clear, beyond all doubt, that Christ spoke in the literal sense, in that he intended to be under stood, and in that sense, and no other, his Ianguage is perfectly intelligible. Q. Was the Almighty pleased to be explicit in the language which he employed in tht establish ment of olner institutions of import ance?
209
A
tions
xvii,
To be satisfied that he was so in institu of much less importance, read Gen. chap,
10,
on circumcision
sacrifice
Exod. chap,
xii, 3,
;
on the
in the
of the Paschal
Lamb
Leviticus, on general ritual observance
and and
New
and
instituted
Law, the sacrament of baptism is and enforced, in language the most

the sacrahis
clear
precise.
Q. If Christ meant to leave us in ment mere bread and wine, are not
sufficiently explicit
^
words
says
A.
No
they are
the reverse.
He
''This is
my
body, this is
my
blood;'' whilst
Protestants would
words,
blood.
This
make him mean by
these
is
not
my
body, this
is
not
mv
CHj^îiîU viiL
Q. Can you quote any other Scriptural authority on the subject ?
A. Yes
St. Paul,
1
several,
and of great importance.

says
:
Cor.
x, 16,
"
The
it
chalice of
benediction which
we
bless, is
not the com-
munion of tht blood of Christ ? and the bread which we break, is it not the partaking of the
lody of the Lord?''
Q. What
A. St
is the first ?
remark you
wouM make
on this passage,
Paul
knew
well whether the sacra 18^
210
A DOCTULN'AL CATECHISM.
ment was the body and blood of Christ, or onij mere bread and wine. He is here preaching
to the Christian Corinthians, instructing thena
in
If,
what they ought

Paul
to
believe
and
practise.
then, Christ spoke figuratively,
why does
not
St.
ple
now
explain these figures to the sim?
and the unlettered

to
Why
does he now,
call bread,
?
when he ought
be plain and clear,
he body, and wine, the blood of Christ
If the
Protestant be the true sense of these words,
why
does he not, even by accident, hint at such

?
a meanins:
St,
Q. Have you any

Paul's words
?
other reflection to offer on
A, If the cup contain only wine, how can St. Paul call it a cup of benediction or blessing ? If only wine, how can the reception oi it be the communion of the blood of Christ ? If what appears bread, be only bread, how can
the partaking of
it
be the partaking of the body
Besides, the word which St. of the Paul uses to express communion, is koinonia,
Lord?
not metoche, a
word which
expresses, not
ordinary union, but the closest
any union of what

in the
next
we
receive with our

Cor.
own
substance.
Q. What
ve?^se?
(1
does St.
x, 17.)
Paul say
A. After having said, that

t>!
we
are partakers
the
body and blood of
Christ,
under the
forms of bread and wine, be
211
"
Foi we, being mar y, are one bread, one body, all that partake Df one bread/' Now, in the Catholic sense of the sacrament, these words
adds
:
now
are true strictly, for
THE SAME BREAD,

the Lord.
we
that
all
is,
partake of one and

the sacrcd flesh of
I
The bread which

;
will give,
is
my
flesh; but, in the Protestant sense, St. Paul's
words would be nonsense for if the sacrament be mere bread, then each receiver partakes of a diflTerent bread and hence, as the bread upon which they feed is not one, so neither can Protestants, they be cemented into one body.
;
therefore, being neither one bread, nor one body,
are not the sort of Christians to
whom
St.
Paul addressed himself
Q.
What
does St.
Paul say in
the next verse
(18) of A, "
same chapter? Are not they that eat of the
sacrifice,
partakers of the altar ?"
Q. What does St. Paul mean by these words 1 A. That as the Jews, by the order of the
Almighty, always, except
so also^the Christians,
when
precluded by
their sins, eat of the victims that
were
offered,
altar,
by partaking of the
eat of the sacrifice

is
but the Christian sacrifice
Christ himself; therefore, in partaking of the
victim, they ea* the
body and drink the blood
of Christ.
212
Q. Have you any other Scriptu: tl argu* ment ? A. On this all-important matte the arguments from Scripture seem inexhaustible St. Paul, 1 Cor. chap, xi, 23, 24, and 25, records the institution in the very language adopted by Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and adds, that he has learned what he w^rites from the Lord, Now, if Christ had spoken in figures at the institution, would it not be natural to expect,
,
that,
in this
new
revelation to St. Paul,
who
was not present
at the
Last Suppei, he should

cO afford
vary the language so as

tion of these figures ?
some explanamost
And
yet he does not

to with the
the
same words are adhered
wonderful exactness.
the true
Again, St. Paul

;
knew
meaning of these words and if he understood them to mean mere bread and wine, used as a figure or commemoration, why did
he not, writing, as he was, in Greek, to the
figure of or a commemoration of my blood
SIGNIFIES
Corinthians, say
this is a
my
;
body,
or this
my
body and
my
blood.
tells
St.
instructing the ignorant
he
Paul was
these ignorant
people, that what they believed to be brâd and
wine,
tlie
is
the
body and blood of Christ
was
this
way an
?
inspired Apostle should instruct t4e

imitate
simple
would any Protestant minister
St. Paul in this odd system of instruction ?
213
Q. Does
St.
Paul give any
explanation^
which proves incontestably, that he understood the sacrament to he the true body and blood oj
Christ
?
;
same chapter, he " Therefore, whosoever shall eat this says bread, or dinnk the chalice of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and the
A. Yes
:
ia verse 27th of
blood of the Lord:'
Q. words
ence
What
?
inferences do you
draw from
these
A. That
;
St.
Paul believed in the real prescould he call the chalice, the

it
for
how
chalice of the Lord, if
were only a cup con-
And what would the unworthiness consist in, if only common bread and wine were present, and how could the
taining
common wine
unworthy receiver be
blood of the Lord,
guilty of the
body and
if the body and blood of the Lord were not there present ? Q. What do you remark on the following verse (28) " But let a man prove himself, and so let him eat of that bread and drink of the
chahce ?" A. That, in the sacrament, there must be something more than mere bread, otherwise, why
this
searching proof and
trial
befoi^ receiving
it ?
What
are the concluding words of

?
Si.
Paul, vfrse 29

214
A,
''
A Di^CTRlNAL CATECHISM.
For he that eateth and drinketh un. worthily, eateth and drinketh judgment to himself; not discerning the body of the Lord." Q. What do you say on tliese words ? A. How could a man become unworthy by eating a morsel of bread and drinking a little wine, as a commemoration of the death of Christ ? Why, above all, is he consigned to eternal damnation for a thing, in itself, so indifferent, and why is he doomed to this awful fate, for not discerning the body of the Lord, if the body of the Lord be not there
cannot be insulted or profaned ? If the Catholic be the true doctrine, if the body and blood of Christ are truly and
since, if not there,
it
really present,
intelligible
then
full
are
all
St.
;
Paul's
words
the
and
of meaning
but, in
Protestant sense, they are the most unintelligible gibberish that ever
was
uttered.
Q. Can you draw
aîy further (30)
from
there
the
next verse
infirm and
proof of
this
"
Therefore,
are
many
weak among
you, and
many
sleep ?"
A. Yes, and a very strong proof. St. Paul, on account of your unin these words, says wôrthy communions, because you, in many instances, receive, without discerning the body of the Lord, you are afflicted with sickness, and van with death in punishment of your awfuJ
:
A DOCTRINAL CATECHESM.
guilt
215
by the profanation of the sacred body and a punishment which blood of the Redeemer,
we cannot suppose
or drinking
inflicted for
eating bread
mere wine.
Q. Are
the Christian
sation superior to those of the

;
Church and dispen* Old Law ?

all
A. Certainly this is admitted on by Protestants as well as Catholics.
hands,
Q. Would
nified
this he the case, if the
sacrament of the New Law bread and wine, used as a mere figure of the Christian sacrifice ?
;
most digwere only
A, Assuredly not for how much more dignified, and strikingly illustrative of the sufferings and death of our beloved Saviour, wâs the Paschal Lamb of the Jews, slain and offered
up before the Lord, than is the unmeaning practice of eating and drinking bread and wine, as the only memorial of the Christian Pasch.
Q.
Was
;
the
manna of the
desert a figure oj
sacrament of the Eucharist ? A. Yes Christ himself declares it but if the Protestant bread and wine be the Christian
the Christian
;
Pasch, then the figure
is
greater than the reality,
degraded even below the ievel of the Judaic rite. The manna was miraculous bread, the Protestant sacrament h
is
and Christianity
natural bread
the
the Protestant sacramen":
manna came from on high came from the eartU
216
the
or the baker's oven

estant sacrament
manna was
a heavenlj
food of
food, given only to the people of

is
God, the Protal!
the
common
men, wicked and virtuous, Jews and Gentiles.
Turks and Christians

bath,
the manna,
the
on the SabProtestant
it
suffered not corruption,

is
sacrament
of
all
corruptible at
;
all
times,
has no
these
miraculous qualities
the
manna had
was not of
the taste
all
kinds of food, and yet
sacrament has the taste of ordinary bread, and has no heavenly properThus, according to the Protestty whatever.
foods, the Protestant
ant faith, Christianity sinks into insignificance
before the wonders of Judaism,
greater than the reality,

Christ,
ed,
we
Moses
the
figure
is
superior to
all
our notions of religion are subvert-
find ourselves entangled in a dreadful
But mass of absurdities and contradiction. when we look at the Catholic Pasch, and beHeve in the illustrious sacrifice and sacrament in which the body and blood of Jesus Christ are offered and received, we are extricated from our inexplicable difficulties our understanding becomes unclouded we perceive at once the noble and significant figure of the Old, and the hifinitely superior and illustrious rea)
;
;
ity
of the
New
Law.
noCTRlNAL CATECHISM.
21^
Q. Does
CHAPTER IX. not Dr, Adam Clarke,

Holy
in " Ihs-
course on the
Eucharist,'' London, 1808,
say, that in the Syinac, the
language used hy
word nify or represent,'' and

Christy there is no
that expresses " to sig-
that hence Christ ivas
compelled
to
say
"
This IS
my
?"
body," instead
of
" this
REPRESENTS
;
my
body
A, Yes but this assertion of Dr. Clarke has been expunged since by Mr. Home, thus provDr. Lee of Caming that Clarke was wrong.
bridge (Proleg. to Bagster's Polygl. Bible) confesses that Clarke
was in error and the Right Rev. Dr. Wiseman, w^ho is well qualified to
;
judge in
Syriac,
this
matter, has discovered, in the
to represent, or typify.
forty words expressing to signify, But the simplest an-
swer to the objection is, that the Apostles, who wrote in Greek, had plenty of words meaning
to signify.
IS,
Why
then did they use the word,

if
when,
to express Protestant doctrine,
they
wish to teach such, they had an abundant choice

of words
?
Q. Does not
St.
Luke, chap,
xxii,
say
"
And
having taken the chalice, he gave thanks, and said, take and divide it among you for I say
;
to you, that
will
not drink of the vine

?"
till
the
kingdom of God come

19
And
does not this
ilS
prove that
it
was wine, and not
his blood,
which
was
A,
ir.
the chalice ?
would have patience lo read the whole passage, and not leap at conclusions, they would see that the above words were uttered not over the sacramental cup, but over the wine that was drunk with the
If Protestants
Paschal Lamb, immediately before Christ

tuted the sacrament in verses 19, 20.
insti-
Q. Christ says new testament,'' &c.

two figures,
rative
?
" this
;
is
the chalice,
the
and where we have
these
why may
nof the whole he figu-
A. These figures were the simplest language to the Apostles who were familiar with them. Every one says, this cup, this glass, meaning and the Apostles were acthe contents of it customed to the language of Moses " This is the blood of the covenant which the Lord hath
;
mad^ with you," meaning
that the blood
was
not of the covenant, but its seal. Lesides, Christ which shall explains the figure in the words
''
be shed for you

the chalice or
;"
now, assuredly,
Cor. chap,
xi,
it
was not
his blood.
:
wine that was shed, but

1
Q.
St.
Paul
says
"
Do
this for the
of me."
commemoration or in i^memhranc^ Now we do not remember things

;
present hut things ahsent

presff^n.^
hence Christ
is
not
in the sacrament
A DOCTRINAT. CATECHISM.
219
A, This
xii,
is
a mere quibble.
Eccles. chap,
says
of thy
fool
Remember thy Creator in the days Now, will any Protestont be youth."
:
"
enough
is
to say, that, in
is
the days of our

?
youth, our Creator

Christ
absent from us
Besides,
not visibly present as he

;
was when
addressing the Apostles
hence, inasmuch as
he
his
is
now
In
;
invisible,
fine,
he
may
be said to be abis
sent.
the sacrament
a memorial of
is
death
and the
real death of Jesus
not a
Holy Eucharist, but is only 1 Cor. chap, xi, " As often represented in it, show the shall as you eat this bread, &c., you death of the Lord till he come.'' Q. Can a thing be a memorial of itself ? A, Yes the manna preserved in the Ark was so Aaron's rod was preserved as a memorial of itself, with which Moses wrought so many miracles the victims eaten by the Israelites were memorials of the same victims
thing present in the
offered
on the
altar.
Q.
May not
I
these words, " This
is
my body,''
I
&c., he understood as these others, "

door," "
am
the
am
the vine ?"
Nothing was previously said by Christ to prepare the Apostles for believing that he was really to become a vine or a door, whilst he wrought a tremendous miracle, and addressed them in a long
A, No, for
reasons.
1st,
many
220
DOCTRINAL CAJ'ECHISM.
discourse, to prepare
)read he
flesh.
was
to
them to believe give them should be

Christ
says,
" I
that the
his
own
the
2dly,
When
chap,
am
door''
John,
"
the
Scripture
itself,
verse 6th, declares, that he

uratively.
was speaking
fig
This proverb Jesus spoke to them,
hut tluiy understood
noty
Christ, seeing this;

:
" I am the immediately explains the figure door into the sheepfold by my doctrine and
;
through
enter
my
he
blood
shall
all
must
enter.
If
in,
be saved.
/ am
any man the good
shepherd; the good shephe> I giveth his life for his sheep." In John, chap, xv, where he says
he
by calling us the branches ; showing, that we must live by his grace, as the vine-branch lives by the sap of the vine, that we must be united to him by love and obedience, as he was by
is
the vine, he explains himself instantly,
says
into
these united to his Father.

"
Now, when
;
Christ
This
is
is
my
body," he does not even
hint that he
speaking figuratively
he enters
no explanation whatever.
scandalized,
The Jews
his disciples leave him,
are
ex-
all
claim
the
This
is
a hard saying
yet he repeals
:
same words " Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink liis blood, you shall not have life in you." Q. Mdiy not Jesus Christ, when he sanl, "This is niy body," have spoken figuratii^h
truth in the
same
A DOCTRINAL CATEOllJSxM.
like
*
22
x,
St.
Paul, when he said,

Christ ?"
Cor. chap,
and the rock was A. No for St. Paul is merely preaching, where figures are allowed and useful whilst Christ is instituting a sacrament, at the most awful moment of his life, in the act of making and every one wÛ nis last will and testament grant, that here rhetorical figures and flowêrs would be highly unbecoming. Besides, there IS no figure in the words of St. Paul, if careHe proposes the cloud and fully examined. the passage of the Red Sea as a figure of baptism, the manna as a figure of the bôdy, and of the Rock of Horeb as a figure ol water the
; ; ;
the blood of Christ.
He
then says
;
"
And
all
drank the same spiritual drink

rock
Christ
(spiritual)
they drank of
the spiritual rock that followed them, and the
was
Christ."
And was
from
all
not
the
true spiritual rock,

spiritual
whose
be-
wounds, as from
lievers,
fountains,
both prospectively and retrospectively,
drank (not as the Jews, from the material and figurative rock Horeb) the spiritual waters of
eternal
whole,
The word spiritual explains and does away with the figure.
life ?
the
Q.
text,
''
May not
This
xii
IS
the substantive verb " is" in the
my
body,"
shall
mean
represents, as
the
same verb
nhap
" is"
means represents in Exodus,

eat
(the Jlesh
"
You
of
the
19*
222
A DOCTR1NA-. CATEChiSM.
Lamb)
in liaste, for
it
is
the Phase {cr
Pass
over) of the
Lord
?"
;
A. No, not at all though on the force of this text Zwinglius became so bold as to deny
iransubstantiation, decla ing, that he
was
"
in a
dream reminded of
black monitor''
this text
by some
is,
winte or
is
The
fact
that the verb
does not
mean
represent in this passage.
Even
Rosenmiiller, one of the most learned Protestant commentators, maintains, that the word is
should be here taken literally
the original has,

is
This
is
the passover to the Lord, or this
the
day OY feast-day of the passover saci^d to the Lord. The very same construction of language is used in Exodus, x " This is the Sabbath to the Lord," which we have this is the Sabbath of the Lord." The same again oc
:
''
curs in Exodus, xxxii, 5
"
The
festival of the
Lord,"
for " the festival
to the Lord."
And,
finally, in
the 27th verse of the very chapter

:
under discussion
Lord's passover,"
is
"
This
is,
is

:
that
in the original
"
This
here
the sacrifice of the passover sacred to the
Lord."
So
that
the verb is does not

all,
mean
represent at
but
is
to be
understood
are
literally.
How
amusingly inconsecutive
Protestants in their arguments against Catholi-
cism
to
In a few Scriptural instances the verb
he
means
to represent, whilst
in ten thou-
A bOCTRliVAL CATECHISM.
223
literally,
sand instances
because
it
it
is
to be
understood
therefore, like true philosophers, they conclude,
suits their views, that in these
" this is
my
body,"
words
the
word
is
must be un-
derstood, not literally, but figuratively, whilst
every circumstance connected with the above text goes to prove the contrary. Q. Do not the Scriptures represent the body of Christ as in heaven, which he is not to quri
that
his
till
the " times of the restitution of

iSy
all
things,'*
until the
;
end of the world ?

;
A. Yes
but the Scriptures assure us, that

also in the Eucharist
body
find,
is
therefore
we
believe both.
will
Those who make

St.
this objection
that our Lord, after his ascension,
appeared visibly to
Jerusalem.
Paul in the castle
of
Q. Does not Christ himself say, Mark, chap, " The pooi* you have always with you, but me ye have not always A, Yes but he speaks here of his mortal
xiv
:
and
visible
presence
for
he elsew^here says
" I will
be with you
all
Q.
xi,
St.
Paul calls
it is
the
days, even to the end." sacrament bread, 1 Cor
therefore
bread,
A, He calls it bread, because it has the appearance of bread but he calls it this bread, clearly showing that it has something extraor;
dinary about
it.
He
calls
it
bread, but he say^
224
that
A DOCTRIN'AL
i^TECHISM
he
who
partakes of
it,
partakes of the
;
body of Christ. Christ called it bread but he adds, the bread which I will give you is my
flesh for the life of the world.
Again,
wo have
man}" examples of Scripture, in which the thing changed bears the name of that from which it is transubstantiated. Thus, Gen. ii. Eve is call in Gen. iii, Adam is ed the hone of Adam called dust, because he is made from dust; Exodus vii, Aaron's rod is called a rod, after it became a serpent John ii, the water after being changed into wine, is called water. The Scripture, too, often calls things what they aj)pear to be. Thus, Gen. xvii, angels in hu;
man
form, are called men.
CHAPTER X.O^ TRANSUBSTANTIATION

Q. What do you mean by Transubstantiation ?
A,
noted
To comprehend
all
:
this,
we must
observe,
to be
that in
bodies there are

the
two things
;
outward appearances, such as taste, smell, shape, coloi', &c. and, 2dly, the matter or substance in which these qualities
1st,
reside.
The
of the
sensible qualities are objects oi
knowledge, which
mony
we can acquire by the testisenses, but we can form no notion
of the nature or structure of the inward sub-
A LOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
stance
it is
225
beyond the reach of even our conNow, with regard to the Holy Euception. charist, our faith teaches us, that " this inward imperceptible substance of the bread and wine^ is, at the consecration, by the Almighty power of God, changed into the substance of the body and blood of Christ," all the outward sensible qualities remaining entirely the same as before
;
consecration.
cap. 4.)
(Council of Trent, Sess.
xiii,
Q. Can you show that such a change took

place
?
;
A. Yes
.o
for
it
when
was
Christ took the brea-^ instill
his hands,
it
:
bread
but w..
it is riib
gave
to his disciples, he declares that

"
body
This
;
is
my
body."
not be false
made
the
it
so.
by declaring it The change did not take
His words canto be his body, he

place in
outward sensible qualities ; therefore it took place in the inward substance. Q. May it not be said that his body is with
the bread ?
A.
No
for Christ does
not say
In
this
bread, or with this bread, or under this bread,
or this bread eaten by faith, or with this bread
when you
says
his
Tins
receive
is
my body my body. What

it^ is
but he simply
Christ held in
his
hand could not be bread and und the same time.
body
at one
226 Q. Doefi
the Scripture, by
pie than this,
affirming that
fo7'e, is
any other exam show, that the word of Christ a thing is what it was not he.
produce
sufficient to
;
says
fever
A. Yes
the ruler
;
John,
was
the effect ?
chap,
iv,
49, 50
to Christ
" Sir,
come down
:
before
my
that
son die.
Jesus saith to him

;
Go
thy way, thy
son liveth
and
it
the
same hour
Jesus said to the ruler, thy son liveth, that the

left
him''
is
(Verse 53.)
?
Q
A.
of
How
such a change possible

as well ask
You may
created out of nothing
how was the wôrld how were the waters

;
Egypt turned
into blood
;
to a living serpent
the dry rod
inat
the water into
wine
Can a,
Q. How can one substance exist under thu outward appearances of another ?
A, As easily as angels
servants in the Old
who
appeared to God's
Law, under the outward appearance of men, and spoke and walked and Luke, chap ate, as if they really were men. 22 the Holy Ghost appeared under the iii, bodily shape of a dove ; and Acts, chap, ii, 3
under the form of ''parted tongues of fire Q. How can the body of Christ be in man
places at one
'
and
the
same time
A We
know
little
of glorified bodies, or
;
their qualities
and perfection
but
we know
A D(;CTR1NAL
CATECHISM.
227
xv. In fine, the miracle of the 1 multipHcation of the loaves and fishes (Mark vi, 40) was intended and calculated to meet and remove the objections of unbelievers on this the loaves and fishes having been misubject raculously, though invisibly, endued with the properties of extension and inexhaustibleness, so as to feed five thousand men with five loaves and two fishes, and four thousand with seve-n loaves and a few small fishes. Mark viii, 6. Q. Perhaps each one only took a little ? A. No for the Scripture says, they did alieat and had their fill, and there were twelve baskets of fragments remaining. Q. Perhaps, then, Christ created new loaves
;
John heaven, Cor. chap.

XX,
that they are not like mortal bodies. How did our Saviour's body pass through the stone with which his sepulchre was closed ? Mark xv, How did his body pass through the door ? 46.
19,
26.
How
did he, whilst in
after his ascension,
appear to
St.
Paul
andfislies
?
;
again the Scripture declares, fishes he divided among them ALL,'' and that " they filled twelve baskets oj the fragments of the five barley loaves." Q. How can the body of Christ be contain ed under the compass of a small host ? A. Our Saviour says, that our bodies sha31 become like the angels, that it is possible for God to make a camel pass through the eye oi a needle and how did the body of Christ pas> through the door and throngli the sto'iie ?
for
A,
No
that ''the
two
^28
mCTRINAL CATECHISM.
the
Q. Are not
matter
?
senses
deceived
in
i/ns
A. Not at ill the serxses can only be employed on ex ernal qualities they are not In the sacrament, the exercised on siibstance. external appearances are those of bread and wine the senses perceive these, and therefore
;
;
they perceive
all
that
is
within
tlieir
provLace.
As
you say, the senses were deceived in Christ, who was God-man, and yet appeared to be only man, or in the Holy Ghost, when he appeared under the form of a dove. Q. How can the same thing appear under two different fonms, as under the form of bread and wine ? A. The Holy Ghost appeared under the form Luke iii, 22 and under the form o^ of a dove
well might
parted tongues
Acts
ii,
3.
of tr an substantiation been believed in every age of the Church ?

the doctrin-e
Q. Has
A,
No
:
portion of Christian doctrine

St.
is
better
attested.
4,
is
Ambrose,
lib.
iv de Sacra, chap.
says
"
;
Before the consecration, bread only

but after the sacred words are pro-
present
nounced, the bread

of our Lord."
his
chpnged into the body And St Gregory of Nyssa, in

is
:
Large Catechism, chap. 37, declares firmly believe that the bread is changed the body of Jesus Christ."
" I
into
229
CHAPTER
Q.
Is
XI.
Christ permanently present in the
sacrament,
that
?
is,
at
any other time than when
is
received
A.
He
is
really
from and
after the time the
and permanently present words of conse?
cration are pronounced.
Q.
How
do you prove this
A, At the
either his
moment
Christ finished the pro-
nunciation of these words
"
This
is
my
body,"
body was
the latter
is
there, or his
words wêre
had not yet
not true
blasphemy
therefore, his
body was
received
the
present, but the disciples
it,
there
it
was, present at other than
moment in lohich it was received. Q. Throw a little more light on this.

A, Christ did not say
:
This shall be
my
body
when you
body.
receive
it,
but absolutely, this
is
my
is
The present, and

is.
not the future time,
marked by the word Q. If the Lutheran doctrine in this matter were true, what would be the consequence A, That the body of Christ would be present, not by virtue of the words of consecration, but by virtue of the manducation, which is a
gross absurdity.
Q, What says
Sncr. chap. 4
?
St.
Ambrose
Lib.
iv
da
20
280
A DOCJRJSAu CATECHISM.
A. ''The words of consecration aie as efficacious as those employed by God in the creation of the world." Hence, the body of Christ is present immediately after the words of consecration, as the wôrld existed immediately after
the pronunciation of the words
which diêw
it
out of nothing.
Q. Repeat
syrius
?
St.
Cyril in his Epistle to Coelo-
A.
"
None
but a fool/' he says, " can

its
imagme
imme-
that the consecrated host loses
virtue
diately after consecration/'
Q. Have you any other proof of the permanent presence of Jes2is Christ in the Eucharist 1 A. Yes the Primitive Church preserved the
;
Eucharist for the sick in holy vessels.

of persecution,
it
In times
wâs kept for a considerable

to
time
and the bishops were wont
send
it,
one
to another, as a
mark
of their strict union.
Q.
How
long does Jesus Christ remain un?
der the species
A. As long as the species exist. Q. If the blessed sacrament should fall into fire or water, would Jesus Christ suffer or he
insulted
!
A,
Ke
would be insulted
the fault of
man
but
if
;
happened by by accident, no insult

if this
would be
offered to
jmpassiblo
He
him He is immortal and can suffer no more and in the

;
A DOCTRINAL ÂTFXHISM.
231
cases nientioned, or any other such, the species
only are consumjed or changed.
CHAPTER
Q,.
XII.
Should we adore Jesus Christ in ths llessed sacrament of the Eucharist ? A. Certainly because He, whom all the angels adore, is truly present on our altars.
;
the blessed
Q. Are Catholics justified in kneeling before sacrament when it is carried past

street, either to
'(
them in the
A, Yes
the sick, or in re
ligious processions
;
more than justified for it, according to Scripture, we bend the knee at the name of Jesus, how much more are we bound to do
;
so before his sacred person,
Q.
Do
Catholics act properly in carrying
the adorable
sacrament with religious

?
pomp
and solemnity in processions

A.
If the Israehtes
carried the ark of the
alliance with great solemnity, Catholics
have
much more
figure.
reason to carry in triumph the holy
sacrament, of which the ark was only a mere
Q.
May
it
not be said, that Jesus Christ
is
in the sacrament, not seeking our adorations,
hut tc be the spiritual food of ou^ souls ?
A, Jesus Christ was in the
cril
of Bethlehem
232
not. to
A DCJCTRINAL CATECHISM
be adored merely, yet the Magi neglected not to adore him. He cured the man born blind, not merely to receive that man's adoration,
yet that
man
neglected not to give

is,
it
him
re-
Wherever Jesus
Christ
there he
is
to
be
ceived and adored with sovereign honors.

:
St
Angus, super Psal. 98, says " It is sinful tc neglect to adore Jesus Christ ik the EucharisL'' St. Ambrose, Lib. iii de Sanct. Spirit, chap. 12, says " adore Jesus Christ during the cele:
We
bration of the sacred mysteries.''
Q. Are
point
?
the
Lutherans
agreed upon
this
A.
No
Kemnitius and
it.
his partisans order

;
the adoration of Christ in the Eucharist
Illvri-
cus and his party forbid
ON THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE AND

CONFESSION.
CHAPTER
Q. For what end was
ance instituted
baptism.
?
I.
the
sacrament of Pen*
\
A, For the remission of
sins
committed
after
Q.
A.
Is
it
;
a true sacjament?
tecause
it
Yes
has
all
the essentials of
A DOCTRINAL CATECHIrfM.
a sacrament,
233
outward sign in the sentence thft of absolution pronounced by the priest, inward grace in the sanctifying grace of God. by which our sins are forgiven, and it is evithe
dently instituted by Jesus Christ.
Q. Where?
A. In Matth. chap,
sick of the palsy,
ix,
Jesus heals the

to
man
and says
him
"
heart, thy sins are forgiven thee."
Be of good The Jews
say
''
"
He
blasphemeth."
of
"
Jesus replies, that
he works this miracle, that they might

that the
know
it,
Son
man
\nd
hath power on earth to

the multitude seeing
forgive sins/'
feared,
and
glorified
God who had
given such
tre-
[)0wer to men.''
Here Christ works a
mendous miracle to prove that he, as man, can forgive sins, and the people glorify God who had given such power to men. Q. What do you conclude from this ? A. That Jesus Christ, even as man, had this power from his Father. Q. Does he communicate this power, which
he certainly had,
to the
pastors of the
Chwch ?
day of his resurrection, he says to them John xx, 21: "As my Father hath sent me, I also send you ;" but he himself, even as man, had, by the abovcj text, power
the very
A,
On
from
his
this
Father to forgive sins
therefore he
gave
power
to his Apostles.
20*
234
Doctrinal catechism.
to clear
Q. What does he immediately add,
away
A.
all
"
doubt as
to this
power ?
:
Breathing upon tbem, he said

;
Receive
ye the Holy Ghost
whose sins ye shall forgive, they are forgiven them, and whose sins ye shall Again Matth. retain, they are retained."
xviii,
18
Christ says
"Amen,
say to you,
whatsoever ye shall bind upon earth, shall be bound also in heaven and whatsoever ye shall loose upon earth, shall be loosed also in heaven!" Q. What says St. Chrysostom on tfiese pas;
sages
A,
"
To
the priests
is
given a power, which

;
God would not
give to angels or archangels
earthly princes have the
power of binding
the
body, but the binding of the priest reaches even

to the soul
ratifies
.what the priests do below, God above, and the master confirms the
:
sentence of the servants."
Q. Can
he pleases
?
the priest
forgive or retain sin as

to act as St.
A.
No
he
is
bound
Paul
did,
when he pardoned the incestuous The Apostle declares, that what he

It
Corinthian.
did, "
ii.
in the person of Christ."
2 Cor.
he diu
The
n the person of Christ, and does only what "Jhrist would do for the sincere
priest ac:s
penitent.
235
Q.
Is
it
not blasphemy to say that
man can
that
forgive sins ?
A, Certainly it is blasphemy to say, men, not commissioned by God for that but it is no blasphemy to pose, can do so that men may have that power, and have
;
pursay,
that
power from God, since the Apostles were men, and yet they certainly had such power. Q. On what conditions can the lawfullyordained and commissioned piiest exercise this power ? A. The penitent, to be absolved, must detest his sins he must be firmly resolved to avoid sin and its occasions in future he must be willing to submit to whatever penance the priest imposes and, if able, he must confess all his
nns.
CHAPTER
Q. Is
tice ?
II.
the confession of sin a
modern prac-
A. No;
it is
as ancient as revealed religion.

?
How
do you prove this
A. In the first place, from the clearest testi iuony of the Old Law When a man or woman shall have comnutted any of all the sins that men are wont to comn it, and, by negligence, shall have transgressed the commandment of the Lo]*d, hey shall confcs:i ikeir
''
23tJ
/v
UOCl'KiNAL CATECHISM
principal,
v, 6.
sin,
and restore the
over and above."

tion.
Num.
and a
fifth pan Here we have
not only confession, but penance and restitu-
Q. Quote other passages on

matter,
this
importam
A.
per
"
;
"
He
that hideth his sins shall not pros-
but he that shall confess and shall forsake

shall
them
obtain mercy."
Prov.
xxviii,
13
Be
not ashamed to say the truth for the sake

;
of ihf soul
sin,
for there
is
shame
that hringeth
and a shame that bringeth glory and graced
See also Ecclus. vi, 24, 31. Q. Did the practice of confession exist immediately before the coming of Christ 1 A, Certainly for it is said of the immediate forerunner of Christ, St. John the Baptist. That there went out to him all the country of Judea, and all they of Jerusalem, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing
;
'
their sins.''
Mark
i,
5.
Q. But did
not this confession merely
mean
confessing sin to
God
A, Protestants must be blind indeed, not In see the absurdity of this subterfuge do they consider that a culprit, about to be hangeri, makes a real confession, if he merely confess
;
his sin in his
own mind
or heart to
God ? No
tlia/
every execution that takes place proves
A DOCTRINAL CATE {^HISM.

tie
23*}
does not.
Confession
is
the revelation oi
sin to
man.
The
;
confession of sin to
God
;
is
in itself,
without contrition, a matter of

for
little
consequence
in
God knows
all
things
we
confess to him in spite of ourselves.
Besides,
Num.
v,
you see
that the confession
must
the
have been to men, as the restitution of

principal,
and
the fifth pai^t over
and
above,
must have been made
to
men.
CHAPTER
Q. In
by
the
III.
New Law,
is
is
confession institutea
?
God
or by the
Church
A. Confession
a Divine institution, but the
Church has
Q.
fixed the time for the
performance
is
of that duty.
How
do you prove that confession

?
Divine institution
A. From John, chap, xx, 22, where Christ says to his Apostles " Whose sins ye shall forgive, they are forgiven them and whose sins ye shall retain, they are retained ;" and from
:
Matth. chap,
sages
xviii.

?
these pas-
A, That before the pastors of the Church can exercise this power "-he sinner must con*
less his sins to
them.
238
Q.
A.
Why
By
SO?
according to the
the above text, the priest has powei

dis-
to forgive or to retain sin,
position of the penitent

sion, the
now, without confes-
exercise of this
power
is
impossible,
because, in that case, the puiest cannot kno^%
what sins to retain, or what to forgive. Q. Throw a little moiê light on this, A. The priest is a judge who must decide what sins he ought to forgive, what he ought now, no judge can pronounce a deto retain cision without hearing the whole case. Q. May it not he said, that the priest is not
:
a judge, hut A.
is
appointed merely to declare

?
the sins forgiven
No
for the
keys
ai'e
given, to open and

it
shut the gate, not to declare that
is
open.
Hence, the powder which Christ gave to his Apostles and their successors, was the power of hinding and loosing, not the power of dedaring the penitent hound or loosed. Q. What do you find in 1 John, i, 8 ? A. " If we say we have no sin, we deceive If we ourselves and the truth is not in us. confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins."
Q.
ing,
May
not Protesta^nts say, that this saysii,
we have no
and
this confession
of ouj
nns, merely regard
God and
not the priests ?
239
A. They must regard the priests for whc would dare to say to God that he has no sin ? And does not God know all our sins already
;
without having recourse to our confession
Q. Have you any other remark this passage ?

A.
It
to
make on
says,
if
we
and
confess our sins,
God
is
iS
faithful
and just
to forgive us.
just,
God
here
said to be faithful
to forgive us
because he promised
our sins on the condition that
we
confess them.
The words
:
of the Apostle are

" If
the same as the following

sins,
we
:
confess our
God,
who
is
faithful
in
promise he made
and just, these words
will
keep the
sins
Whose
texts
you shall forgive, they are forgiven." Q. Can you produce any other
Scripture on this subject
?
of
A.
St..
James, chap,
v, 16,
says
"
Confess
your sins one to another, and pray for one another, that you may he saved,'' Here we have confession to man laid down as a contherefore
dition to salvation.
Q.
bor
1
May
not this
confession, not to
mean public and general the priest, but to any neis^heither public
it
A.
It
means confession of sin
or private, for either will be sufficient, and
means
to the pastors of the
ieclared to have
power
to
Church who ai*e absolve ; for wha^
240
A DOCTRINAL CATECH11M.
would be the use of confessing private sins Ic the public who cannot forgive them, and who would be scandalized by them ? Besides, who would confess to those who might divulge hi^ sins and destroy his character ?
CHAPTER
Q.
sins ?
Is
IV.
in Scripture
tc
there
any example
pyôve that the first Christians confessed their
A. Yes
us, that
the 19th chapter of the Acts
tells
many who
believed came, " confessing
and showing their deeds,'' Q. What did the Apostles require of them
besides confession
?
A,
"
That many of them who had followed
curious arts," should bring their books together
and burn them.
Q. What do you infer from this passage? A. That St. Paul and the converts of Ephesus were thoroughly Catholics in this matter, seeing that they did exactly what the pastors of the Catholic Church and their people do at the present day, in the same circumstances, Q. Is it clear, from the Fathers of the An.
cient
Church, that private confession urns

in
r//-
UMys practised 1 A Yes St. Cyprian,

;
his
Sermon,
Cdv
Lapsis,) says
"
241
let
My
dear brethren,
every
whHst he is yet in Ufe, and in a state to Drofit by the advice and assistance of the priest,
one,
confess his sins/'
St. Basil (in Quaest. Brev.
Reg. 228, 229) remarks: "Our sins must necessarily be confessed to those to whom has
been committed the dispensation of the mysteries of God." Q. What are St. Ambrose's words ? Lib li de Poenit. chap. 6. A. " If you obtain grace, confess your sins, for an humble confession bursts all the chains
of sin."
Q. What says
de Sacerd.
St,
Chrysostom
Lib.
iii
A.
cured
"
The Jewish
priests could not
cure the
leprosy of the body, they merely declared M

;
but the Christian priest does not merely
declare, but effects the cure of the leprosy of
the soul."
Q. What says
T. 10.
St.
Augustine
say,
I sii?
Hom.
;
xlix,
A.
"
Let no one
secretly
do
it
before God, he
knows
mv
heart and will par:
don me.
'
Did Christ then say without reason What you shall loose upon earth, shall be loosed in heaven ?' Were the keys then given to the Church for no purpose ?" See also St Jerome, Expos, in Ezech. cap. 10.
21
242
n DOCTRINAL CATECHISM.
Q.
sion ?
Why
did the Lutherans abolish confes*
A. Because, says the Confession of Ausrsburg, "no man can remember all his sins." Q. Is this a good and valid reason 1 A. Certainly not since the Cathohc Church
;
only requires, that her children be sorry for

their sins,
al\
and confess
all that,
after earnest
and
careful examination of conscience,
thev can
bring to their recollection.
Q.
A.
Was No
;
the above the real reason

?
first,
why Prot
because
it
(Slants
abandoned confession
they abolished
it,
was troublesome, and they did not wish

carry their cross
tors
;
to
secondly, because their pas-
were not lawfully ordained and commissioned priests, and hence, as they had not the power to absolve, confession to them was useless
;
thirdly, the thing w^hich they called the
Reformed Church taught them, that faith alone was quite sufficient to save them, hence, it was useless to practise confession or any other
Scriptural
wêre
precept
fourthlj^
to
these
ministers
sins
bound by no law
confessed to them,
be fools to put
hence,
of
?
keep secret the

their people
wouW
any
any thing
in their
power.
teach
Q. Does
A,
the
Chm ch
Englanl
thing on this subject
Yes; theBookof Common Prayer teaches
A DOCTRINAL CATEClliSM.
both confession and the power of absolving
243
;
and
even the
certainly
Kkk
of Scotland, (see Confess, of
Faith, Visit,
of Sick,) whose ministers have
no ordination, wôuld willingly lead But these spurious their people to confess. ^^'hurches have never succeeded in this attempt
OiS
EXTREME UNCTION.
Q. Wheiê does the Scripture mention the sacrament of Extreme Unction ? A. In James, chap, v, 14 " Is any one sick among you, let him bring in the priests of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord, and the prayer of faith shall save the sick man, and the Lord shall raise him up, and if he be in sins,
they shall be forgiven him.''
Q. What do you conclude from these words ? A, That, according to Scripture, every Christian in danger of death should oe anointed by the priests of the Church. Q. What would you say to a Prctestani touching these words of St. James ? A. You boast, I would say, eternally about
following the Scripture, to the letter, in every
244
;
thing how is it, then, that you never anoint one of your sick, whilst you are aware thai there is an express command in the Scriptuie
to this effect ?
Q.
May
not Protestants say, that this pas-
sage of St. James is to he understood of a miraculous unction, like that in St. Mark, chap,
vi,
13
"
And
?"
they cast out

oil
many
were
devils,
and
anointed with
healed them
many
is
that
sick
and
A.
No
this
passage
;
rather a confirmation
of our doctrine
for the Apostles,
through the
sacraments, often wrought miracles, as in the

19th chap, of the Acts, St. Paul works miracles
through Confirmation.
not an essential
ministered,
hibition
These miracles were
part of the sacraments ad-
were an extraordinary exof God's power to induce an unbe-
they
lieving world to admit, not only the sacraments
so miraculously established, but to admit also

the truth of Christianity.
When, however,
the
world was converted, these wonderful accompaniments of the sacraments were no longer
rxecessary.
Q. Have you any other rejdy

ihis
to
make on
matter
;
A. Yes
^hat
it is
the words of St.
impossible to explain
James are so clear them away. By
rords, all p-riesis are ordered to anoint
245
2dly,
from
St.
Mark
,
this
does not appear
By
the words of St.
James
:
all the sick are to be
from St. Mark it is onlv clear that many were anointed 3dly, This duty of anointing the sick is, by St. James, expressly confined
anointed
to the priest
;
whilst the gift of healing maladies

in St.
and sicknesses,
Mark,
is
given to others,
:
as well as to the pastors of the
Church
Finally,
the unction mentioned by St. James, is to produce the effect of saving by the remission of sin, which proves it evidently 1o be an institution of Jesus Christ for only He, by a material mean, can produce such an effect. Now, such
;
effects are
not at
St.
all
attributed to the unction
mentioned by
Mark.
Q. Does not the word Presbyter mean Eldet in the above passage ?
A. Certainly not
in
the
Protestant sense
in the primi-
The
tive
pastors of the
ages,
Church were,
Presbyters
;
called
because they
were generally elderly men such things as Kirk elders (anomalous beings, who are neither ecclesiastics nor laymen) were unknown in the
Church,
ance.
until
Protestantism
sets the
made
its
appear-
But what
1
matter at
rest, is the
circumstance, that the Apostles are called Presbyters in

l-i
Petei*, v, 1
in 2 John,
i,
and
in
John,
i,
1.
a.
Q.
Is
Extreme Unction
23^
sa^ranierUf
246
A UOCTKIXAL CATECHISM.
because it is a visible sign, whichu institution, Divine confers invisible grace. by Q. Wliat is the sensible sign 1
A. Clearly
A. The anointing with holy oil, accompanied by prayer " Let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord." James, v. Q. What is the invisible grace given ? A, The sanctifying grace of God, by which sin is washed away and forgiven the actual grace of God, by which the soul is strengthened, and sometimes the restoration of the body to health, according to these words " And the piayer of faith shall save the sick man, and the Lord shall raise him up, and if he be in sins,
they shall be forgiven him."
Q.
this
How
do you show that Christ institutea

?
sacrament
question.
A. Protestants must be very ignorant to ask

this
They
;
believe St.
James
to be
and can they for a mo ment imagine, that such a man would even speak of a rite, by which man is to be saved, raised up, and forgiven his sins, unless as an Apostle, taught by the Redeemer himself, he had the express institution and authority of his Divine Master ? Q. Do the Fathers mention this Facramem
an inspired Apostle
in their lO'itings
?
247
A
" x\s
St. Augustine,
Serm. 215 de Temp., says
often as sickness happens, the sick
man
should
receive
the
Eucharistical
sacrament,
and then the unction of his body, in order to comply with the words of the Apostle James, V chap. Is any sick amongst you' '' &c.
Q. Did
this rite ?
the
Church of England ever use

Liturgy of
A. Yes
is
in the first
Edward
the
Sixth, the use of
Chrism and Extreme Unction
ordered.
(See order for Visit, of Sick*
page 114.)
ON HOLY ORDERS.
sends the pastors of the Church A. Christ himself sent the first pastors,
Q.
Who
f
ir;
these
words
"
Going, therefore, teach ye
all
nations, baptizing them,"

tors,
&c.
aided by the Spirit of
selection, appointed their
These first pasin making their successors and thus.,
God
through the chief bishop of the Church, the
body
Q.
of pastors has continued
down
to the
present day.
himself up for a Christian teacher, if he he chosen by the people^ as the F^êsbyterian ministers are ^
not
set
May
any man
248
A DOCTRINAL CArECHlSM.
;
A. Certainly not since St. Paul says, Heb. " Neither doth any man take the honor V, 4 to himself, but he that is called (not by the mob, but) by God as Aaron was." " How can thej preach," says St. Paul again Rom. x 15
:
" unless
they be sent ?"

texts
Q. Have you any other

A. In
St.
on
this subject ?
:
John, chap,
x,
Christ says
"
For
by the sheepfold, but chmbeth up another way, the same is a thief and a robber.'' Again Matth. xv, 14those
he that entereth not
who
intrude themselves into the pastoral office,

their unfortunate followers, will "
are represented as " blind leaders of the blind,"
who, with
fall
into the pit."
Q. What are the principal duties of pastors of the Church ?

A,
;
the
preach the Gospel, Mattk xxviii 19 to baptize, Matth. xxviii, 19 to offer up Luke xxii, the holy sacrifice of the Eucharist, 19 to forgive sins by the power with which God has invested them, John xx, 22 and to
To
administer the holy sacraments of which

are
we
now
treating.
(See texts quoted, as regaros
each sacrament.)
Q. Did the Apostles communicate their sa* cred powers to those who succeeded them ? A. This is clear from the words of Christ who said he would be with them all days, even
to the
249

all
Now, he
could not be with the Apostles

pastors of his
;
days, as the
Church therefore, he meant that he would be with them and their successors all Besides, we hear St. days, even to the end.
Paulc
Acts
XX,
to
28
address
the chief pastors
who were
*'
succeed him in these words

to yourselves,
Take heed
and
to the
whole
flock, wherein the Holy Ghost has placed you In fine, bishops to rule the Church of God." the religion of Christ was to be the religion of therefore, of necessity, it must have, all time
;
at
all
times, pastors ordained
and sent
to
as the
Apostles were.
Q. Are bishops superior thority and jurisdiction ?

A. Certainly
as
;
priests in au-
as
much
superior to the priests
were to the other disciples. When Judas fell from the Apostleship, the other Apostles elected and raised Matthias to his
the Apostles
place, according to that
ric let
Acts
the
another take."
XX,
28
prophecy " His bishopActs i, 16-24. St. Paul

are to rule
:
says, the bishops
Church of God. In 1 Tim. v, 19, he says "Against a priest, receive not an accusation, but under two or three witnesses ;" from which
is
the superiority of bishops
more than
evident,
as they are here constituted the j.udges of the

prijisthood.
250
holy orders
Q. Where, in the sacrament of have ice the outward sign ?
A, In the imposition of the bishop's hands the delivery of the necessary instruments, and
prayer.
Deacons, Acts vi, 6 and that of SS. Paul and Barnabas, Acts xiii, 3. Q. Where does it appear that inward grace is conferred in this sacrament ? A. In 1 Tim. iv, 14, where St. Paul says to Timothy " Neglect not the grace that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, by the imposition of the hands of the priesthood ;'^ " Stir up the grace and in 2 Tim. i, 6 of God which is in thee by the imposition of my
Read
the
ordination of the
;
seven
hands''
Q. Who has the power to ordain priests ? A. None but bishops. Q. How do you prove this ? A. From Titus i, 5, vv^here St. Paul says to " For this cause I left Titus, bishop of Crete
:
thee in Crete, that thou shouldst set in order

the things that are wanting, and shouldst ordain
priests in every city, as
1 Tim. v, 22, " not to impoee hands lightlv Ephesus bishop of on anv man." Q. Can you establish the superiomty ;
and from
I also appointed thee ;" where St. Paul tells that
bishops from tradition

251
establish-
A. Very clearly; from the very
ment
ther,
of Christianity
down
to the time of
Lu-
we
defy any adversary to

priest,
person considered a
name even one who was not or

?
dainea by some bishop. Q. What do the Fatfiers say
A,
St. Ignatius, a disciple
of the Apostles,
who succeeded
St.
Peter in the See of Antioch,

:
says, Epist. ad Trail.
"
Reverence your
bishop.,
as Christ himself, like as the blessed Apostles
have commanded us for who is the bishop, but he who has all power and principality over Again Ep. ad Magnes. It becomes all." you to obey your bishop, and in nothing to resist him, .whether you be priest, deacon, or " Heresies laic." St. Cyprian, Ep. 55, says and schisms rise from no other source, but dis;
-'
obedience to the chief pastors/'

Lib.
:
Tertullian,
The bishop, de Bap. cap. 17, writes indeed, has a right to give baptism, and next
"
the
priests
and deacons, but not without the

St.
authority of the bishops."
Q. What says
rius ?
Epiphanius
Con.
Ae
A. That the 65 Heresy, condemned by the

(Jhurcl\, consisted in
maintaining, as Aerius had
done, that the powers of the bishop and Uie
were equal. He adds, that thexe is this difference between the bishops and priests,-
priest
252
that the priests are the sph'itual fathers of the
people by baptism, whilst the bishops are the

spiritual fathers of the priests
by ordination.
Q. What was
done at the Council of Alex-
andria ? A, All the ordinations of Colluthus were de Glared null, because he was only a priest. Q. What do you conclude from all this ? A. That none but Catholics have true and
real
priests
or
pastors
because,
in
other
all,
Churches, the ministers are not ordained at

or ordained
is
by men whose Episcopal ordination

hence,
I
doubtful
conclude
also, that secta-
rians are deprived of the greater part of the
sacraments,
their
ministry
is
not of divine
appointment but self-constituted, and their Church forms no part of the Church of Christ. " Where there is no Episcopal ordination/' says the Protestant Dodwell, " there is no ministry,
no sacrament, no Church."
ON MATRIMONY
CHAPTER
I.
Q. lias marriage all the necessary constitu'mts of a sacrament ? A. It has the outward sign, in the mulua^
i*
-DOCTRINAL CATKCHISM.
253
ac-
consent of the parties, externally signified

ecclesiastical
companied by the other conditions which th6 law requires. The in^vard grace IS that which enables the married couple to discharge their duties faithfully and in a Christian manner to one another, and to train up and the their children in the fear of God Divine institution is evident from Matth. xix, 6, where it is said, '' Wherefore they are no more two, but one flesh what therefore God hath jjined together let no man put asunder." Q. How does it appear that grace is conferred in the sacrament of marriage ? A. In the first place, you see from Matth.
; ;
xix,
quoted above, that
God
is
the author of
marriage, and sureJy you will admit, that he

will give to those
whom
it.
:
he joins in
this
holy
union, such graces as will enable
them
to dis-
charge the duties of

ly says,
2dly, St. Paul express"
Ephes.
I
v,
32
This
is,
is
a great sacra
ment, but
that
is,
speak in
(Christ
and
in the
Church,'
that marriage
in the
New Law
of Christ and in his
Church, a great sacra-
would not make sense, if this be not its meaning; what, if marriage be not the great sacrament here alluded to w^hat s this great sacrament in Christ and the ? Church -Christ himself and his Church canDct be a 2;reat sacrament in Christ and thf 22
ment
for the passage
254
Church; but
if
marriage be
this great sacra-
ment, then every sacrament confers grace.
Q. What does St. Paul say, in the preceding ve'*^ses 24 and 25, of same chapter ?
A. " Therefore, as the Chmxh is subject to Christ, so also let the wives be to husbands in all things. Husbands, love your wives, as
Church and gave himself up for it, that he might sanctify it." Here the union of man and wife is likened to the union of Christ and the Church but the union of not only a union of Christ and the Church is
Christ also loved the
;
love, but also of
grace
therefore, such also
is
the union of
man and
wife.
Q.
woi^d
Do
"
net Protestants translate the above
sacrament'" by " mystery,' in Ephes.

object in doing so
;
v,32? A. Yes but they had an

;
they wished to deny the sacrament of marriage
and
to
show them
that they
have made nonit
s6,nse
of the text, you have only to ask them,

is
what mystery there

a sacrament
It
in marriage, if
be not
and,
if
not a sacrament,
how
is
it
greater " in Christ and the Church," than

at
any former period of the world ? St. Augustine reads sacrament ; and St. Jerome, who restored the New Testament to the truth of the Giêek, and the Old, to the truth of the Hebrew^ who lived fourteen hundred years ago, and
was
DOCTftfNAL CATECHISM.
255
who was one

or
'
of the greatest hnguists of that

age,
any other
this
St.
Jerome reads
HacrarnenV' for "mystery."
Q. What does St. Augustine say as to the sacrament of Matrimony De Bono Conjug. Ibid, c. xxiv, p. 337, cap. 18, T. vi, p. 335 and c: x de Nupt. ? A. He says "In the marriage of our women, die sanctity of the sacrament is of the greatest weight ;" and again " In all nations, the great good of marriage consists in the propagation ol children and the fidelity of the parties but
among
his
Christians, there
is,
besides, the holi-
ness OF THE SACRAMENT."
TertulUan
also, in
Treatise de Monog., expressly calls matria sacrament.

cap.
1
mony
hb.
i,
St. Ireneus,
"
Adv. Haeres,
says
By
all
means they ought

:
on the sacrament of marriage.'' " Christ St. Cyril addsCap. 2, in Joan. 22 sanctified wedlock, and gave grace to marriage." St. Ambrose Lib. i de Abraham, ahd in Cap. " There is a great sacra^ 5 ad Ephes. writes ment in the union of man and ivife.''
to meditate
:
Q. Are
the
all
Christians hound
to
man-y by
of God ? A, Certainly not for
command
if'
they were, St. Paul
aas given a very bad advice.
Q. Repeat his words I Cor. chap, vii, 8. ii, " But I say to the unmarried and to the
256
widows,
A DOCTRINAL CAl KCHISM,
it is
good
for
them
if they so continue
even as /."
Q. Does not
ter verse 2,
''
the Apostle say, in
same chap
But for fear of fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband ?" A, Yes but in verse 1st, he says, " It is good for a man not to touch a woman ;" and in verse 9th, " But if they do not contain themselves, let them marry." Hence, the Apostle's meaning evidently is, that those who do not
;
feel, tkat,
with ^le help of God's grace, they
can live chaste lives, ought to marry, and that once married, each man should confine himself to his own wife, and each wife to her own husband.
Indeed, in same chapter, verse 27, St.

says,
Paul
"Art thou loosed from a
wife,
seek not a wife ;" and, in several passages, he
exhorts
single
Q,.
all
who
are able, to live, like himself, a

vii,
life.
(See chap,
ver. 7.)
Does not God order
Adam and
Eve, and
the
whole
human
?
race, in Genesis, to increase
and multiply
A. This is not a command to all, but a blessnig by which God accords fecundity to all Those Protestants who unthat shall marry. derstand it as a command, mus< charge St Paul, one of God's inspired Apostles, with breakmg the law of God. With what face cau
A DOCTRlÂL CATECHISM.
25"?
Piotestants bring forward such nonsense, see-
number of themselves never marry; and what will they do with those ^^ho
ing that a great
cannot get married
CHAPTER
ic^.
II.
Does the Catholic Church forbid any one to marry 1 A. No, she leaves every one at liberty to do
as
he thinks proper.
Q. Does she not forbid

priests
?
the
marriage of
A, She forbids priests obliges no one *to become a
to
marry, but she
priest.
Q. To what does she into Holy Orders ?

A.
oblige those
who
enter
keep the vow^ of chastity, which they have voluntarily, and after mature deliberation,
To
to
made
Q.
God.
does she oblige them to this
?
Why
may
A. That they
they
may
be more
at
liberty to
discharge their duties to their flock, and that
be totally disengaged from temporal
matters.
priest
These advantages of
tlie
unmarried
over the married Protestant minister, were
acknowledged, even bv Protêstants. during: the

prevalence of that terrible pestilence, the Cholera,
and are
still
openly visible to
all,
when typhus
22*
258
fever and other contagious diseases scourge oui

population.
Q. Does
tages in
1
St.
Paul
clearly urge these advanvii,
Cor. chap,
;
A. Yes
he says
:
without solicitude
32 ? " But I would have you he that is without a wife is

to the is
solicitous for the things that belong
Lord,
how
wife
he
is
may please God; may please
but he that
with a
solicitous for the things of the world,
how
he
his wife,
and he
is
divided.''
(Read
also verse 34.)
Q. In any of the early ages of the Church, were bishops or priests permitted to marry
after entering into holy orders ?
A. No we defy our adversaries to name even one such case. Q. What are the words of the Second Canon
;
of the
2d Council of Carthage
''
A.
That
bishops, priests,
and
all
who
are
charged with the administration of the sacraments, must lead continent

lives.''
Q. What reason does

this
the
Council give for
ordinance
"
?
tfie
A.
This," adds
Council, "
was taught
by the Apostles, and has been always practised by the Church."
Q. What do you irfer from

been said on this subject
?
all
that has
A, That reason, antiquity, and Scripture, are
25^
and prac
a.1
on the
side of Catholic doctrine
tice.
ON THE CEREMONIES OF THE CHURCH.
CHAPTER
Q,.
I.
Why
does the
Church make use of
so
many
A,
different ceremonies ?
First, to give external expression to the
interior religion
;
sentiments of respect, devotion, and

secondly, to enliven and increase de-
votion and piety by

senses
;
moving and
striking the
thirdly, to lead the simple
more
Q.
easily to a
and illiterate knowledge of the mysteries of
religion.
Is
there nothing superstitious in thesf.

?
ceremonies
A. There wâs nothing superstitious in the ceremonies of the Old Law, why then should there be any thing superstitious in those of the
New?
Q.
A,
der
;"
Is the use of ceremonies authorized by

?
1
Scripture
things be
St. Paul,
Cor. xiv, 14, says
"
Let
all
done decently and according to orand the ceremonies of the Church con-
tribute
much
to these ends.
260
to
W/iot icoula you say
a Protestant
who condemns ceremonies ? A, You make them, I would

ute to the decency,
reply, contrib-
solemnity, and
grandeur
of the court, the camp, the bar, and the civic
and yet you would banish tliem from the service of God your ball-room, your dining room, and drawing-room, are all ceremony, and this to add to your dignity and grandeur in the eyes of men, and you would rob God's service of the solemnity and grandeur to which propei ceremonies so much contribute. Q. Have you any other reply ? A. Your whole service, I would say, is only one great ceremony why build Churches, when you can serve God at home why go to Church, when, in your own dwelling, you can study the Bible, and when your interpretation is as good and as correct as that of your minister why have your children baptized, since many of you maintain, that baptism is only a
festival,
;
;
cerem.ony
w^hy receive the sacrament the Church, of bread and wine, wîich you be only a may receive home why do you stand unin
ii
that
it
does not remit original sin
it
bit
at
covered
is
when
the minister prays,

less
when
sitting
?
more convenient and
troublesome
26-
CHAPTER
Q.
II.
Why
are
wax
tapers blessed
and burnt
on the Festival of the Purification in our churches (
A,
is
To put
us in mind, that our Saviour,
who
first
the right of the world, appeared, for the
on that day, in the Temple. Q. Why are ashes distributed on AshWednesday, the first day of Lent ? A, To remind us, that we are only dust and ashes, and that we ought to enter upon that season, in which Jesus was humbled and mortified for our sake, with an humble and mortitime,
fied spirit.
Q.
A.
Why
are
Palm branches
Sunday
blessed
and
distributed on the
before Easter ?
To remind
us of the triumphant entry of
our Saviour into Jerusalem.
Q.
Why
They
are bells of churches baptized? are not really baptized, but they are
only blessed in the same manner as churches. Q. Why are bread wine, eggs, and other
y
things blessed?
A,
his
To
induce the Almighty to shower
down
benedictions upon those
who
use them.
Q. When things are consecrated to the sermce of God, do they, in reality, become more
tacred ?
2r2
for Christ says
A. Yes
19-^"
rMatth.
for
xxiii,
17
whether is greater, the gold, or the Temple which sanctifieth the gold ? Ye blind, for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar which sanctifieth the gift ?' Where you see the gold sanctified by the Temple, and the gift by the altar.
foolish
blind,
Ye
and
Q. Does
the Scripture allow the sanctifying
or blessing of inanimate things ? A. Certainly for St. Paul, 1 Tim.

;
iv, 4,
5,
says
foi'
"
is
it
Every creature of God is good, .... sanctified by the word of God and
does St. Gregory of
prayer.^'
Q.
What
Nyssa say
'f
wine before benediction are common things and of no virtue, but after benediction both of them have a great
virtue."
(Orat. de Bap. Jesu Christi.) A. " The mystical oil and
Q. Is
te
it
not a superstitious practice to
makt
use of inanimate things for religious purposes^
procure blessings A, Certainly not
?
;
for the Scripture would,
in that case,
teach superstition.
the Scripture authorize this
Q. Where does
practice
?
A.
St.
Mark, chap,
vi, 13,
says
"And
they
cast out
many
were
devils, and anointed with ou
many
that
sick
and healed them."
In
St

John, chap,
the
v, 4,
^fVS
we have
"
And
an angei
ol
Lord descended at certain times into the pond, and the water ivas moved, and he that went down first into the pond aftet the motion of the water was made whole of whatsoever infirmity he lay under."
Q. Have you any thing in 4 Kings, chap. V, 10, on this subject? " And Eliseus sent a messenger A. Yes :o him, saying, Go, and wash seven times in the Jordan, and thy flesh shall recover health, and thou shalt be clean ;'' and in verse 14th, the order is complied with, and he is made clean.
;
CHAPTER
III.
Q. Whence has holy water its virtue ? A, From the prayers of the Church used in blessing it, and from the prayers and piety of
who use it. Q. What are these prayers ? A. The priest, in blessing it, prays, that against those who use i*, the intrigues of the devil may be defeated by the Holy Spirit of God and the people, whilst using it, pray in
those
;
these beautiful
words Sprinkle me, O Lord. v\dth hyssop, and I shall be cleansed, wash me ^nfl T shall become whiter than snow,"
''
204
Q. Is
origin
OCTRINAL CATKCHISM.
the use of holy ivater of very ancient the
m
in
Church of God
(the
priest)
A.
water
It is
mentioned
in the 5th chap, of

shall
Nuni
bers " And he
take holy
an earthen vessel." In Num. chap. viii, 7, it is again mentioned " Let them be sprinkled with the water of purification." (See
also
Exod. chap. 19th and 30th.) Q. May holy water he used under the
for
New
Law ?
A. Certainly
be sanctified
1
;
every creature of
God may
by
the
Word
of
God and prayer

it ?
Tim. iv, Q. Did

A.
It is
viii,
5.
the early
Church use
mentioned
;
in the Apostolical Instit.
Lib.
St.
cap. 35
St.
;
Cyprian, Lib.
i,
Ep. 12 St
Jerom, Ep. 12
;
St. Basil
de Spiritu Sancto..
ix,
cap. 27
St.
Greg. Mag., Lib.

;
Ep. 71
Epiphan. Haer. 30
Euseb., Lib. v, cap. 21.
CHAPTER
IV.
Q. Why do Catholics make the sign of the Cross upon themselves, and why is it so frequently used in the Chiwch service ? A Because it is a brief profession of the Christian faith, and its use is derived bv urn versal tradition from the Apostles.
""""'"""'""'""'I
A DOCTRINAi v^'ATECHlSM.
206
A. As often as
*
we make
the sign of the

:
Cross, repeating at the same time these words
In the
name
of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Ghost" we profess om'selves followers of, and believers in, redemption by the Cross, and we at the same time profess our faith in the three Persons of the Adorable
Trinity.
Q.
sign
How
is
do you prove thai the use of this as ancient as the Church itself?
A. From the testimony of the early Fathers and writers " At the commencement of all our actions, whether we come in or go out v/hether we go to dress, to the bath, *to the table, or to rest whether we take a chair or a light, let us always begin by making the sign of the Cross on our foreheads. This practice is not commanded by a formal law of the Scripture, but tradition has taught it, custom confirms it, and faith observes it.'' TertuL de Corona,
:
nap. 4.
Q. Do any of the other Fathers mention it ? A. Origen says the same thing Select, in Ezech. cap. 9. St. Cyril recom.mends the sa:ne
practice to the faithful
De
tells
Catech.
4.
St. Basil
Sane, cap. 27, No. (SQ, expressEy us that it is an apostolical tradition.

Spirit.
Cross made si often in the holy Sacrif.ce, the administration
Q.
Why
is
the sign of the
23
268
A DOCTRINAL CATEuHlSM.
of the Sacraments, the benedictions, rior worship )f the Churca ?
and
exte*
A. To teach us, that every practice, every ceremony, rite, and service, has its virtue solely through the merits and death of Jesus Christ upon the Cross, and that all God's graces are showered down upon us on account of his sufferings and his blood. Q. Were not the Christian Copts guilty oj superstition in making the sign of the Cross with a hot iron on the foreheads of their children, and was not this the origin of the Catholic
practice
A. Protestants must be very ignorant to
make this assertion. The not however made by any
sign of the Cross,
painful means,
was
universally used in the Church.
The Copts
made
the sign of the Cross visible on the fore-
heads of their children to prevent them from

being stolen by the Mahometans.
(See TAbbe
Renaudot.)
CHAPTER
Q.
V.
What
?
do the vestments loorn by the Priest
signify
A, Each :>f them signifies some accompaniment of our Saviour's passion. The Amice signifies the piece of Hnen with which our Saviour was Matth. xxvi. The Alb representi blindfolded

A DOCTllIXAI. CATrCfllSM.
the white
267
garment with which Christ was, m mockery, clothed by Herod Luke xxiii. The Girdle, Maniple, and Stole represent the cords and fetters with which Christ was ')Ound John, chap, xviii, 12, 24. The Chasulle represents the purple garment which the soldiei'?; put upon our Divine Saviour. Q. What is meant by the Cross marked on the Chasuble ? A. It represents the Cross which our Saviour
carried through the streets of Jerusalem.
Q. What
veil
is
meant by
the corporal
and
the
of the chalice ? A. They represent the linen clothes in which

Saviojîr's
our
body was wrapped, whilst

?
it
lav
in the
tomb.
does the altar signify
Q. What
A. Calvary, upon which our Saviour was crucified, and also the Table used for the Last Supper.
Q, Why is the Missal carried befoiê the Gosvelfrom the right to the left side of the Altar?
A.
To commemorate
who
the transference of the
Gospel of Christ from the Jews

t,
who
rejected
to the Gentiles
received
it.
Q.
the
Why do
?
we stand during
the reading of
Gospel
A,
To
express our readiness
to
obey th
orders of the Sr^n of
God
268
A rOCTKlNAL CATECHISM.
does the priest put a drop of water into the wine in the Chalice ?
Q.
Why
A,
To
represent the union of the div'ine and
human
natures
m
?
Christ.
elevate the
Q. Whi/ does the priest

crated elements
conse
A,
after
To
represent the elevation of the Cross

it.
our Saviour was nailed to
Q.
Why does
and
?
the priest d^'vide the

let
Host
into
three parts,
one of them drop into the
chalice
A.
To
signify the separation of our Saviour's

;
body from his blood and his soul from both and to represent the descent of his soul to Limbo, where the spirits were in prilbn.
pray sometimes in a low, and at other times in a loud voice ?

Q.
does the priest
Why
A, Because Christ did so, whilst he was hanging on the Cross. Q. Why does the pi test bless the people at
end of Mass ? A, To represent the benediction which our Saviour gave to his disciples before he ascended to heaven.
the
CHAPTER
Q,.
VI.
Why
is
Mass
said in the Latin tongu$
and
not in the vernacular ?
\l(\S)
DOCJ R IN A L CAT KCII

place
.<
A. In the
C
sev
That the service oi d may be everywhere uniformly the same ^ndly, That the same words and same prayfirst
ers
to
A
may
hich
:
be used in order to avoid the changes,

all
living languages are so
ject
thirdly,
t
That the
much subsame language may be
whole Church, that the pastors of ev ^>ry country may understand one another, and ti\at the people passing from one country to anc ther may have no difficulty in joining at the piblic service, it being everywhere the
used over
le
same.
Q. Are not
public
s
the people injured by
having
the
'rvice in
a language which they do not

for
iinderstc
id ? ^. By no means
all
surely
God
under-
stands
languages,
>
prayers
will
reach His
Throne, n
be uttered
matter in what language they
may
own
'
and as
to the people, they
have the
prayers
of
Mass
translated
into
their
tongue in thîr Prayer Books. Q. Does 1 ot St. Paul say

19, "
Cor. chap, xiv,
But in V\e Church I had rather speak five words with n y understanding, that I may in ati'uct others tlso, than ten thousand words in
a tongue ?"
A. Yes
*
but St. Paul

as
i^
\i
is
speaking here of
instruction,
evident from the word.s

itruct others also
That
may
f And
llwi
23*
270
Jatholic
prayers,
A DOCTRINAL CA rECllISxM.
Church
in
all
her sermoiv, private
and instructions, addresses /i<^r children in a language which they do understand. Q. Do not Protestants make frequent use
of
1
Cor. xiv, against Catholics on this subject

;
A. Yes
but
if
Protestants would think be-
fore they speak, they
would see that

is
this chapSt.
ter has nothing to
do with the question.

miraculous
to
Paul, in the whole of this chapter,

the
reprobating
vain display of
tongues
in
preachings, exhortations, or instructions,
made
by recent converts, more

than to glorify
show
their gifts
God
or edify the people.

he
Q. Can
tice ?
this
oliapter
turned
against
Protestants so as to support the Catholic prac-
A. Yes;
greater
is
in verse
5,
St.
Paul says-
"For
he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, unless perhaps he interpret, that the
Church may receive

is
edification ;"
now
the Ca.tholic service

all.
interpreted for the
use of
Again, verse
;''
13,
"
Therefore he
that speaketh
he interpret
by a tongue, let him pray that where speaking tongues is uol

if
found fault with,
verse 27,
one
Protestant
At)4>slle.
interpretation follow.
In
" If
any speak with a tongue, ....

In
fine,
let
intejyret.'"
in verse 39,
the
*'
aigument is annihilated by the Wherefore, brethren, be zealous to
A DOCTE.NAL CATECHISM.
prophesy,
tongues."
27
vnth
and
the
forbid
not
to
speak
Q.
Is
?
Latin in
reality
an unknown
will
it is
tongue
A. None but those

venture to say that
still
who are very ignorant

In
it is.
some countiies
it
;
the vernacular tongue
;*'the
learned of every
country are acquainted with
and of
all
lan-
guages
it
is,
at least to a certain extent, the
most universally knov/n. Q. Is the custom of not performing the service in the vernacuTar tongue confined to the
Catholic
Church?
;
A,
No
the Greek, Ethiopian, Indian, and
Muscovite schismatics, say Mass in their ancient, and not in their modern tongues. The Syrians and Egyptians say Mass in Syriac, though Arabic be their vulgar tongue. Arabic is the language of the Melchites and Georgians, though they say Mass in Greek.
Q.
Is there
any other reason lohy

?
the
Mass
should be said in Latin
A. The Mass is the one sacrifice of the A\'hole Church, foretold by Malachi, as an offering to be made in every place under heaven Hence, all Christians have, in the oneness and unchdngeableness of the language in which il is offered up, a strict bond of union unity is preserved by uniform; ty of rite.
:
A DOCTRINAL CATJail I^M.
Q.
it
necessary that all the people should

not.
understand ivery word used in the Liturgy?
A, Certa nly
tion performed,
It is
only necessary that

their intention
they should comprehend the nature of the ac-
and unite
and
devotion with that of the
priest.
Q. What do we^nd in the Jewish Church 1 A. The Jews lost the use of the Hebrew
language during the Babylonish captivity so
entirely, that
w-hen Nehemias and Esdras read

the Scriptures to the people they
the
Law from
were obliged to interpret 4t, (Nehemias viii, 13.) Q. What do you infer from this ? A, The Jews spoke Syriac the Scriptures were not translated into that language until after the time of our Saviour yet the Hebrew was still retained in the religious service of the Jews. Besides, from Levit. xvi, and Luke i, it is very evident that the people were not required to be even so near the priest as to be able to hear him for they wêre not allowed to be even in the Tabernacle when he prayed for himself and the whole congregation.
;
;
ON PICTURES OR IMAGES.
What
is the
use of Images ?
first
A They
serve, in the
placOj to adore
the
273
Church
secondly, to instruct the ignoriint
and, thirdly, to excite devotion.
Do Catholics adore images ? A, No Cathohcs adore God onlv. Q. Do Cathohcs invoke images ? A. No Catholic ever thought of such
Q.
;
tiling.
Catholics neither hope
for,
nor ask succor or
grace from them.

the 25th Session of the CourtTrent cil of ? A. That we honor pictures or images, not
Q. What says
any virtue these inanimate things possess, but on account of the originals which they represent. The honor is given to the original, not to the picture so that in uncovering the
for
;
head,
Christ,
self.
or kneeling
before a picture of Jesus
we honor and
the
adore Jesus Christ himthe
Q. Does not
commandment forbid
making or
images ? A. No. It only forbids worshipping them as " Thou shall not adore them nor serve Gods.
the use of pictures or
them.''
Q. If
the
the Scrijiture
condemned, as idolatry,
viaking or use of pictures or images, would not the Scripture contradict itself?
A, Yes
for in that case
contradict his
God himself would own command and in fact or;
der that idolatry which, in the
commandment,
he.
274
A DOCTRINAL CATECHiSM.
had forbid Exod. chap, xxv, 18 " Jod said to Moses, thou shalt make also two cheruhims of beaten gold on the two sides of the oracle let one cherub be on one side, and the other on the other." See also 20, 21, 22 verses of same
:
chapter.
Q.
things
We
see here the likenesses
made
by the express
of heavenly command of God ;
did he anywhere order, in the same manner the

likenesses of earthly things?
A. In the same Exodus, chap, xxviii, 33, he does so " And beneath, at the feet of the same tunic, round about, thou shalt make as it were pojnegranates of violet, and purple, and scarlet,
:
between." See also 34, 35 verses and 3 Kings, (1 Kings, Prot. Trans.,) chap, vii, 23, 24, 25, 29. Again,
twice dyed, with
little bells
;
set
3 Kings
vi,
29;
and 3 Kings
iii,
x,
19.
Read
also Osee, (Hosea,) chap,
4.
Q. Did God. ever use an image for mijâculous purposes ?
A, Yes
in
Num.
xxi, 8,
*'
And
the
Lord
said to him, (Moses,)
make
;
a brazen serpent.
and
shall
set
up look on
it
for a sign
it,
w^hoever being stmck

;"
shall
Hve
and
in
verse 9 you
will see the
miraculous effect pix>duced.
Q. You have said that pictures and images adorn the House of God, is it proper to adorn
tempi
s ?
A l)OC"rKI\A. CAlllOHIf^M.
Certainly.
275
says.
^4.
Psalm
XXV,
8,
The Royal Prophet

" I
have love J,
in 2
Lord; the
(Protes.
beauty of thy house, and the place where thy

glory dwelleth."
2 Sam.,)
And
is
Kings
is
vii, 2,
David
also
ashamed
to dwell in a
of cedar, whilst the

skins.
lics
Ark of God
house lodged within

Cathothis
See
Psalm cxxxi,
3, 4, 5.
glory in the splendor of God's house and

;
the grandeur of his service

imitate the example of
(see
and in
they
David and Solomon,
opening of
sell
his
temple,) rather than the
niggardly parsimony of the traitor Judas,
who
wished to
the box of precious ointment and
give the price to the poor, and for w^hich he
received such a severe reprimand from Christ

himself
John
xii, 3,
&c.
Q.
Why
do Protestants strip the
House of
of ev^ry ornament, whilst they are so profusely liberal in the decoration of their own dwellings, and all their worldly monuments
God
and public buildings

A.
that
It
is
7
is
because their religion
essentially
of this world.
They
flatter
themselves
that they
may
obtain heaven at the least possi-
ble expense.
They
give God's glory to them;
selves
and
to their wôrldly heroes
and
their
ministers are too

for
much engaged
in
providing
trouble
wives and famihes, to give themselves any about, or spend any of t\ieir inconies
276
in,
A DOCTRiNAL
CA'I Oi HISM.
the erection or decoration of splendid
tem
pies tc the living
God.
ON RELICS.
Q. In what
relics ?
manner do CathcKcs
JionoT
A. As precious remains, which bring to their remembrance distinguished sanctity, and as dear pledges, which animate their confidence in the communion and intercession of saints. Q. Did the first Chtnstians honor relics? A. Ceitainly
;
have learned to Q. Repeat St. Augustine's words

103, ad Quint.
JL.
and do so.
it
is
from them that we
Epist.
" I
send you the
relics of St.
Stephen, to
which pay due honor." St. Jerom wrote a w^hole book against Vigilantius, who wâs the first to deny honor to holy relics. Q. Have relics any secret or interior power
or virtue
?
;
A,
No
but
God
has often granted great

s ?
favors through them.
Q. Do Catholics adore or worship reli A. No; this would be rank idolatry.
A!/

211
Catholics can, with a safe conscience, say,
Cursed is he who commits idolatry, who prays to images or relics, or worships them for God/' Q. Has God himself honored relics, and through them wrought astonishing miracles ?
"
A, Yes
the waters
of the Jordan
being
struck by Eliseus with the mantle
of Eiias.
suspended their course and afforded him a dry passage, 4 Kings ii, 14, (Prot. ver. 2 Kings ii,
same chapter, verse 8th, the same astonishing prodigy was performed by the same means. Read the wonders performed by means of the rod of Moses, (Exod. vii.) See also 1 Kings, {alias Sam. v,) and also Sam. vi, 19, as to the wonders God was pleased to perform on account of the Ark, which was certainly a mere relic. See also 2 Kings, {alias Sam. vi, 6, 7,) and 4 Kings, {alias 2 Kings xiii, 21,) where the hones of the prophet Eliseus
14.)
And,
in the
raised a dead
man
to life.
the
Q. Are any such examples to he found in New Testament? A. Yes many such Matth. ix, 20-21.
;
The woman
twelve years
troubled with an issue of blood for
is cured by touching the hem of our Saviour s garment. In Matth. xiv, 36, as many as touched the hem of his s;arment were
made
whole.
In Acts xix, the handkerchiefs
and aprons which had touched the hody of St 24
278
A DOCTRINAL CATECHIc5M.
Faul, removed diseases,

In fin 3, the
and
expelled devih
tudes
tiiat
shadow of St. Peter healed multiwere sick and troubled with unclean
v. 15, 16.)
all
spirits.
(Acts
Q. What inference do you draw from

this ?
A. That Protestants show a lamentable ignorance of Scripture, when they rail against If God has so honored them, and holy relics. nas wrought such wonderful miracles by them, as honored instruments, under both the Old and New Law, should not all Christians honor them and may not those men be deemed
;
wicked who despise the venerable instruments, used by the Almighty, to display the wonders
of his
power
ON PILGRIMAGES
Q. Is there any spiritual advantage to he derived from religious pilgrimages 1 A, Yes when they are performed in the
;
spirit
of true devotion.
Q. What can he the use of a pilgrimage to any particular place, since God is every
%)here ?
It
is
useful in. this, that, though
God
is

27i
everywhere, some places are better calculated to excite devoti' a than others; for example,
the scenes of any of the great wonders or
tri-
umphs of
holy
soil
Christianity, the Shrine of SS. Peter
and Paul, the Crib of Bethlehem, or the thrice

of
Mount
to
Olivet or
Mount
Calvary.
Q.
A.
bled
TV/iat succor
does
?
devotion find in a
pilgrimage
.
such places
We
pray with more fervor, and are hmii

sensibly,
more
when we
find ourselves as
grievous sinners wandering amongst the monu-
ments of redemption. Q. Can we glorify God hy doing, for his honor, what he has not commanded ? A. Certainly; David 2 Kings xxiii 15, 1617 whilst he burned vvdth an ardent thirst poured forth the fresh water as an offering to the Lord; and, by this act of mortification, which was not commanded, he glorified God. The Blessed Virgin surely glorified God by her voluntary chastity, which was not commanded vSt. Paul glorified God (St. Luke, chap, i.) by the voluntary chastisement of his body
(1
Cor.
ix.)
Q. Can you give us any Scriptural example of religious pilgi images ? A. Elcana and Ann went every year to Silc to pray and the Blessed Jesus and his Virgin Mother made a pilgrimage every year to Jen
;

280
A DOCTRINAL CATEJllloM,
alem to pi'ay in the Temple.
These
surelj
are good and sufficient authorities.
ON THE VENERATION OF THE EVER-BLESSEI MOTHER OF JESUS.
CHAPTER
Q.
I.
Do
Catholics adore the Blessed Virgin
Mary
as they adore
God ?
;
A. No, this would be idolatry but Catholics honor her pre-eminent prerogatives with a degree of veneration infinitely inferior to that
which is due to God, but much superior to thai which is due to the angels and saints. Q. Why honor her at all? A. Jesus Christ himself John xii, 26 says, If any man serve me, him will my Father
honor
;"
surely, then, even as
God honors
the
Blessed Mary, for no one served his Divine
Son with
so great fidelity, our veneration for
her cannot be misplaced.

"
Even
Dr. Pearson
a Protestant, (Exp. of Creed,
p. 178,) says,
cannot bear too re\erend a regard to the Mother of our Lord, so long as we give heb NOT that worship ichich is dve unto the LorJ
himself."
We
A DOCTRIiVAL CATECHISM.
28
Q. WJiat do you discover so especially preeminent in the Blessed Virgin as to demand

our especial veneratioic
?
fall
A. Immediately after the
of man, the
out, four
Almighty honors her by pointing her
thousand years before the event, as the })erson
whose seed should crush the serpent's head.

In Isaiah
viii,
13, she is
made again
the subject
of a prophecy, and the sacred lips of the Prophet
of the Lord proclaim her virginity, a virtue
which
in all ages has obtained the first
degree
of honor.
Q. What do we find in Luke

A,
of
is
i,
26
We
to
find she
is
chosen of
all
the daughters
Eve
be the Mother of Jesus,
the choice
made by the ADORABLE TRINITY, and an Archangel announces the wonderful tidings
to her.
Q. Is the heavenly message delivered hy the A.ngel in such a manner as to give a strong
proof of Mary's exalted dignity ? A. Yes for she is addressed in language so respectful as to leave no doubt about the
;
matter.
"
Hail
!"
says the Angel, "
Full of
Grace, the Lord is with thee: Blessed art THOU AMONGST women." Q,. What think you of those Protestants who call the Blessed Virgin an ordinary wo
5ian
?
'
24*
282
A.
We
pity them,
we
tren:ible for
them.
Ar*
ArchangeV, bearing the words of the Adorable

Trinity upon his tongue,
tells
them they
are
blasphemers of the saints of God.

ture,
They
utter
a falsehood in the face of that exalted crea-
nay,
Q.
A.
falsehood in the face of the Angel.
a falsehood in the ver}' face of

the above
God
himself
Do
;
passages of Scripture ex
hihit her as
an ordinary
woman
Xo but the contrary. Is she an ordinary woman who is made the subject oj prophecy, with whom the Blessed Trinity communes, to whom that Blessed Trinitv
delegates an
Archangel Messenger,
lips
who
is
declared by the unerring
be FULL OF grace,
her,
and, of
of that Angel to
to
have the Lord with

of the earth, to be
all
the
women
peculiarly blessed ?
Q. What should Protestants do to justify their language towards the Mother of God?
A. They should coiTupt their Bible a Httle make the Angel say, " Hail, thou thou hast no that art an ordinary woman, grace, thou art not blessed more than others,
more, and
the Lord is as much ivith the wives and daughters of the holy reforming ministers as
lie is
with
thee.''
Q.
TT \at does Origen,
who
lived fourteen

A
liUlîitlWAL.
CATECHISM.
to
283
hundred years ago, say

pose
i.
our present purof grace/ (fee,
A,
He
says,
"'Hail
full
\t
a salutation addressed to
Mary
alone/'
CHAPTER
Q.
tion ?
n.
35,
What says Luke,

"
i,
on
this ques-
A.
lier,
And
the Angel
answering, said unto
(Mary,) the Holy Ghost shall come upon
and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee ; therefore also that Holy Thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of Godr Q. Does this passage prove the Blessed Vir gin an ordinary woman ? A, Oh blush for shame, ye reforming preIs she an tenders to Scriptural knowledge
thee
! !
ordinary
woman, who
holds direct intercourse
with the three persons of the Adorable Trinity
She whose son is the Son of God ? she who j made the mother of the King of kings ? s[ie whose son, as the Angel tells her, shall be great, an shall be called the Son of the High^ fst, who shall sit on the throne of David.^nd
1
-êign
over the house of Jacob for ever? Q. Doe she not, in verse 34, show some
284
doubt,
when
I
;
she asks
"
How
shall
this be
>
seeing that
know
not
man ?''
x\ngftl
A. Yes
tells
but the monnient that the
her that the

all
is
her,
that High, she submits
Holy Ghost shall come upon to be the work of the Most

at once, and,
wdth the most
edifying docility and humility, exclaims
"
Be-
hold the handmaid of the Lord, be
it
done unto
me
according to thy wôrd."
Q. Is there any thing in the 40th verse of same chapter to throw additional light on the
exalted dignity of the Blessed Mary ? A. Yes at the salutation of Mary, the babe
;
leaped in Elizabeth's womb, and Elizabeth was

-filled
with the Holy Ghost.
Q. Did Elizabeth, filled thus with the Holy Ghost, and bearing in her womb the Baptist, than who none greater was ever born of woman, did Elizabeth, icho was made by God miraculously fruitful, who knew, though not present at the angelic interview, what had passed did this honorbetween the Angel and Mary, ed, exalted, and inspired Elizabeth agree with
Presbyterians in thinling the Blessed Virgin
an ordinary woman 1 A, No she would Jbave shuddered at such language. She proclaimed Mary's blessedness,
;
and, though exalted herself,

self highly
slie
considered her/
honored by Mary's condescension w
2d5
paying her a
visit.
"
And
Elizabeth spake out
with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou
among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb ; and whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me ?"
Q. Is there any other proof, in
of
this chapter,
Mary's 'pre-eminent dignity
A. The poorest daughter of Eve is ennobled and exalted by becoming the mother of a king. How great, then, must be the dignity of Mary, who became the mother of fhe King of kings and Lord of lords! And, when we consider that Jesus could not dwell in an unholy tabernacle, how ineffably pure and exalted must Mary's spiritual state have been Q. Does not this chapter suggest still some other proofs of her extraordinary and singular
!
dignity
?
;
A. Yes
the
she
was troubled
at
the extraor;
dinary nature of the angelic salutation
but
Angel Messenger of the Most High calmed her fears, by declaring to her the exalted place she held in the estimation of the Most High. " Fear not, Mary, thou hast found grace with God.'' But the circumstance which proclaims above all others her singular pre-eminence is, her maternity combined with virginity. She 13 a virgin, and yet a mother This alone is sufficient tc put to shame those unhappy
! ! !

28t>
to p;lory in revilino: the blessed
men who seem

mother of
wfiose
their
Son
titey ado<re, as an ordinary
Redeemer, by proclaiming her, woman.
is
Q. What do we learn from Luke i, 18 ? A That the ever-exalted and blessed Mary She declares of herself that a prophetess.
generations
shall
call
all
her
blessed
and
ol
surely no one will be bold enough to say, that

she,
who was
the
Holy Q. What
full of grace, and the temple Ghost, could speak falsehood.

inference would you
draw from
this revealed truth ?
A. That Protestants belong not to the true for they refuse to fulfil this people of God
;
contemning the Blessed Virgin they proclaim her an ordijiary woman, instead of obeying the Scripture, which
prophecy.
glory
in
:
They
says,
call
"
From
henceforth all generations shall
me
blessed."
Q. Dves not the Blessed Jesus despise Mary John ii, 46 in these words " Woman, what have I to do wîth thee ?''
A. Yes, according to the corrupt Protestant but according to the Vulgate, translation vvhich even the Protestant Grotius considers
;
vhe SAFEST VERSION, uur Saviour's

*
words
are,
Woman, what
Q.
is it to thee
and. to me?''
Is the Protestant translation

it ?
absurd and
ridiculous is they understand
2S1
would make our are all bound to imitate, despise and contemn his own mother^ She is honored by being asked with him to the marriage she wd.^ familiar with him previously, for she asks him to work a miracle, which She does she clearly knows he can perform. not seem hurt b)^ the apparent refusal of Jesus. But the solution of the whole difficulty is found in the fact, that he works the very miracle
A. Certainl}'
;
for
they
Saviour, v/hose example
we
requested by
Mary immediately
ii,
after.
Thus,
oi
he works his Jirst miracle at the suggestion
Mary.
In
Luke
49-51, he treats her with

;
the greatest respect
he forgets her not, when,

in the
even hanging on the Cross

death, he
agony of
yet, after
commends her with
his last breath to

;
the care of his beloved disciple

all this,
and
Protestants would
make
us believe that
he despised her, and treated her wîth studied
contempt
at the marriage-feast of
Cana!
?
Q. What iDould you say

the Protestant translation
to the difficulty, if
was
correct
A, He sometimes acted in his character a? God, and sometimes as man, and, on this occasion, he wished to manifest that, as God, ne knew their w-ants and would relieve them, in ihe same manner as, on another occasion, ho ?aid to MdiVy'' Didst thou not know that J ^'* shouid be about my Father s business
t88
CHAPTER
III.
Q
A.
What
?
says
to
St.
Augustine (Serm. on the

dignity
AniDun.) as
Virgin
''
the
of the
Blessca
By what
I
prakes,
sacred Virgin,
may
extol thee
know
not, since thou hast
been deemed worthy to bear in thy womb Him whom the heavens are miable to contain."
Q. What says
Lib.
iii,
St,
Epiphanius
Adv. Haeres.
F. 2
Truly life itself was introduced into the A, world by the Virgin Mary, .... Eve brought to
the
"
human
race the cause of death,.

life."
.Mary
brought the cause of
Q. Is
the
Greek schismatical Church one

?
tlius,
its
with the Catholic Church on this head
A. Photius,
gin,
great leader,
:)
speaks
(Serm. de Nativ.
"
But you,
Blessed Vir-
and
also
Mother of
the eternal Lord, our
and refuge, interceding for us with your Son and our God, .... vouchsafe to ren der us your panegyrists." See Counc. of Ephesus and Nice, Act 6. Q. Is the veneration of the Blessed Virgin an ancient practice in the Church ? A, It can owe its origin only to the Apostles, no man, (or it can be traced^to no later age no body of men, no country, can* be pointed
propitiation
;
A DOCTRINAL
UA'l ECHl.riM.
28fe
out as having originated

the authority of heaven.
it
hence,
it
is
it
evi-
dently Apostolical, and, consequently,
hag
Q. What general conclusion would you dram from all that we have said ? A. That Protestants, in their contempt foi
the Blessed Virgin, resist the irresistible evi-
dence of their own Bible. They talk of her as an ordinarv woman, whilst, in a flood of heavenly light, she shines the most singularly preeminent personage that ever was created.
God
himself
makes honorable mention of

of the world
;
her
at the
very
dawn
the
prophet
Isaiah,
centuries before the event, proclaims
her the illustrious Virgin
Mother of the future

all
Messiah
; an
;
all-wise Deity selects her, of
the daughters of Eve, to be the
Redeemer
Archangel
the
Mother of the Blessed Trinity sends an

;
to obtain her consent
luted as full of grace
among Holy Ghost will come upon that the Most High will overshadow her her that her son shall be called the Son of God;
Lord
;
is
women
with her
she
she
is
sa-
is
assured that the
that she is Messed
that the
that she has found grace with
God
!
!
!
that,
though a virgin, she shall conceive the Son of At God, at once a Virgin and a Mother
the sound of her voice, the infant Baptist leaps
in his mother s womh, and his mother
is
filled
25

290
A
DOCTRINAL UATECHISM.
with the Holy Ghost.

saiutes
inspired Ehzabeth very words of the Angel "Blessed art thou among women;'' and this
The
Mary
in the
Blesso^l
Mary
herself bursts forth in the spirit

foretells, that all
of prophecy, and
shall call
generations
generations,
her blessed;
and
all
during fifteen hundred years, did
so,
and seven-
nighths of Christianity do so at the present day.
appear strange, that Piôtestants^ God has so pre-eminently sanctified and exalted, have you any additional considerations which may have a tendency to make them blush for their rash and
Q.
It does
loill
despise her, lohom
unscriptural conduct
A. Yes
Blessed
holy
many.
;
For nine months did
the
of Bethlehem wept over body, and she sorrowed when he wiped away with him temple Egypt tended him g youth and was
womb
;
Mary
carry our
Redeemer in her thrice she suffered with him at the crib

his infant
;
his tears
;
bled in the
fled
to
durii
sanctified
by
his
Divine companionship during
thirty-
the companion of all and tortures her soul was transfixed by every vôund he received -her tears were mingled with every drop of a living monument oi blood which he shed rrrief, she was found at the foot of the Cross, when all ha(f abandoned him. In the dying
three years.
his sorrows, sufferings,
;
She was
struggle of Jesus,
2Vfl
we
find her his anxious care
with
ple.
his
dying breath he commends her
to
the affectionate tenderness of his beloved disci-
She received into her arms his mangled and bloody body, and sorrowed with those who she sought him early [aid him in the tomb on the morning of the Resurrection, and was found among his Apostles on the day of his Ascension and on the day of Pentecost and even all this is not sufficient to induce wise and
;
religious Protestants to regard with respect
and veneration the Mother of Jesus Q. What should Catholics do in a country where torrents of blasphemous insults are evert day poured forth agaivst the Mother of God by men calling themselves Christian ministers ? A. They should have ever on their lips the sweet address of the Archangel Messenger, thus paraphrased by the holy Athanasius fourteen " Be mindful of us, O hundred years ago
!
:
Blessed Virgin
Hail,
full
of grace, the Lord
is
with thee
Thee
the angelical and terrestrial
hierarchies proclaim blessed.
Blessed art thou

is
among women, and blessed womb. O mistress, lady,
the fruit of thy

foi
!"
intercede
ôr us
us^
Queen, and Mother of God, pray
299
ON PERSECUTION
Q.
belief,
Is persecution,
on account of religious
a isnet of the Catholic religion ? A. Certainly not. Although some Catholics are said to have persecuted, if matters are carefully examined, it will be found, that, in some
instances,
the persecutions
arose
out of the
il
wicked
spirit
of revenge, and in others, that
was not
lics
religious opinion
which was persecuted,

If
but gross moral and political crimes.
Catho-
have ever been guilty of persecution, the crime was their own, not that of their religion.
Q. Did Protestants persecute Catholics? A. Yes in every country where the Reformed doctrines were received, CathoHcs were
;
persecuted.
"
Peterson Hooft, a Protestant,

hatred of cruelty,
;
reproaches his Protestant countrymen of Holland thus

:
Actuated by
you rush yourselves into acts of cruelty no sooner have you secured your freedom, than you wish to tyrannize over others." Hist. Reform. Ger. Brand., T. i, p. 333. Knox commenced the Reformation in Scotland, by being a part) to the murder of Cardinal Bea-
tou'i.
(Tytler's Hist, of Scotland.)
In 1560,
re-
the Parliament es^'.ablished the Presbyterian
Sgion,
2\)^
and ordered
all
the professors of the an"

"
cient faith to be punished with death.
With
such indecent haste/' says Robertson, did the very persons, who had just escaped ecclesiastical tyranny,
proceed to imitate the example/'
[n 1596, the Presbytery, writing to the
King
and Council concerning the Earls of Huntly, Errol, &c., say that, " as they had been guilty of idolatry, a crime deserving of death, the civil power could not spare them/' Q. Did the French Protestants persecute ?
A. They rebelled against their sovereign,
prohibited the Catholic religion,
priests
murdered
the
and
religious,
burnt the churches and
convents, and dug up the dead to

of their leaden coffins.
make
bullets
(Maimbourg, Thuanus, Hist. Calv., Lib. 31.) Nic. Fromenteau, a Protestant, confesses, that in Dauphine alone, they killed two hundred and fifty-six priests and one hundred and twelve monks or friars. In these atrocities, the Protestant Baron des Adrets forced Catholic prisoners to jump from the towers upon the pikes of his soldiers, and obliged his own children to wash their hands
in the blood of Catholics.
(Liv. de Finance.)
Q. Did Protestant England persecute Catholic
Ireland ?
A. Dr. Curry has preserved, amongst many

other
martyrs,
the
names of twenty-seven
25*
294
priests,
A DOCTKINAL CATECHISM,
who
suffered death on account ol theii
religion.
i,
(Hist, ol Civil
Wars
in Ireland, vol.
See Spondanus and Pagi on the marp. 8.) tyrdom of F. O'Hurle, the Catholic Archbishop of Cashel, a sanguinary deed, perpetrated by Sir W. Drury. See also Bourke's Hihernia Dominicana, where the number of Irish martyrs, and the dreadful deaths they died, are
given in
detail.
Q. Did not
the
Duke of Alva
boast, that, in
the Loiv Countries, he
had delivered eighteen
thousand heretics to the executioners ? A. These heretics should have been called rebels, since, according to the Protestant writer Brand, they had conspired against the life of the duke, then Spanish governor, and put to death, in cold blood, all the priests and religious they could lay their hands upon. See Brana, Hist, Reform, des Pays Bas. Feller, Hist. Diet,
art.
Toledo, says, that
Vandermerk
slaughter
ed more unoffending Catholic priests and peas-
Alva executed Protestants governmgnt. See also on this during his whole subject, Mons Kerroux, L'Abrege de VHist. de la Hollande, Q. Did not the 4th Later an Council, in 1215,
ants in 1572, than
fxpressly ordain the persecution of heretics ? A. In the first place, Matthew of Paris (ad
diet, ann.)
denies that the supposed persecuting
A DOCTRINAL CrECHISM.
295
2dly,
Canon was
Dupin,
lic,
^,he
act of that Council
even
who Tom. X, p.
was more Protestant than Catho104, says, "it

;"
is
certain that this

is
chapter (the persecuting Canon)
not
the
work of
the Council
3dly, the learned Proti,
estant divine Collier, Eccl. Hist., vol.

declares, that the
p.
is
424,
spu-
Canon
in question "
rious
ine,
4thly, supposing this
Canon
to be genu-
it
was framed
by
all
for a particular case,
and
not by the Ecclesiastical part of the Council

alone, but
the sovereigns of Europe,
who
were present at the Council, either by themselves or by their ambassadors. Q. For what particular class of heretics was this Canon adopted ? A, It was framed to check the horrible
brutalities of the Albigenses,
there
evil
;
were two Gods

;
state
that no one could be saved a married that unnatural should be substituted those of marriage that no kind of flesh-meat could be used without they
in
one
who
taught thai
2:ood
and the other
gratifications
;
for
sin
threw the Scriptures into the common sewers, and profaned horribly even the sacred vessels of the Altar. AH these, and many other dreadful impieties, they openly taught and practised, so that even Mosheim, Eccl Hist. vol. iii, says Their shocking violation of decency was a consequence 3f their pernicious svstem they
'
;
296
A LOCTRINAI. CATECHISM.
looked upon modesty and deoency as marks oi
inward corruption/' Such were the men so often pitied by Protestants as a persecuted race. See Limburch. Hist, of Inquis. See also Bossuet's Var.
Q. Did not the Council )f Constance per sccute Wyckliff? A. He was treated very mercifully not,
withstanding his seditious and impious doc-
unpunished during his whole hfe. Dr. Fiddes, Life of Cardinal Wolsey, pp. 38, 39, Protestant as he was, says " It was not
trines,
left
:
he was
for their speculative opinions that the followers
of Wyckliff were punished, but because they
maintained opinions derogatory to the rights of

princes, injurious
to
society,
and contrary
:
to
law
'
against
The laws and Archb. Parker says them were necessary on account of the
"
tumults they occasioned."
impious .and seditious doctrines of Wyckliff? were they such as to

these
Q. What were
deserve prosecution
A.
He
taught,
1st,
that one mortal
sin
(an
act of drunkenness for example) in a rector,

bishop,
magistrate, or sovereign, justified the
people in disobeying and deposing these authorities,
(Walsingham, Hist. Ang. p. 283 ;) 2dly, that no civil laws were to be obeyed, no taxes paid, unless the justice of such laws could be
29*7
proved from Scripture, (Walsing. ibid ;) 3dly, ihat no man could lawfully swear in a court of
justice,
(Walsing. page 204,)

title
or
confirm his
own
in
or his friends'
to
an estate for ever,

it
(Knyght, Col. 2707
;)
4thly, that
was
sinful
have one shilling's worth of property, (Knyghf, Col. 2648 ;) 5thly, that his followers should despoil all that had properto
any clergyman
284;) 6thly, that God ought to obey the devil, (Knyght, Col. 2648 ;) 7thly, that
ty,
(Walsing.
p.
colleges
and
universities
were
diabolical, (Con-
dem. Coun. Constan., Art. 29;) 8thly, that it was unlawful to pray in churches, or keep the Lord's day, (Hypodig. Walsing. p. 557 ;) 9thly, that temporal princes should cut off the head of any Ecclesiastic who sinned and that, ii
;
the prince himself sinned, the people should
punish him. ^Knyght, Col. 2657.)
Q. Dia
this
.
dreadful doctrine produce
its
hitter fruit?
his
A. In four years from the time he opened mission, he and his followers produced,
amongst the people, insurrection, plunder, murder, and civil war. The Chancellor, Primate Ludbury, Lord Treasurcii' Hales, and Chiei Justice Cavendish, were murdered by the Wyckliffite rioters, and their intention was to kill the king himself and all the nobility, (Waldng. Hist. Ang. p. 26^5 ^ They fixed adver-
2?>Q
A DO.lTtlNAL CATECHISM.
tisements to the church doors in London, declaring

that
they
had
raised
one
hundred
did not
p.
thousand men, to combat those

agi'ee to their opinions,
who
(Walsing. Hist.
385.)
Q. At least, John Huss and Jerom of Prague ive?ê put to death for heresy, A. Yes but they caused violent seditions in Bohemia they excited a general insurrec; ;
tion,
they
deluged
the
country with blood.
"
The
Hussites began by murdering the Majôr

the kingdom,
after
of Prague, then they overturned the govern-
ment of
fighting
several
battles against their sovereign in the field,

after everywîere
and
burning
down
monasteries,
murdering the clergy, and even those who proAeneas. Sylv. ap Fleury. tected them." Q. But were not Huss and Jerom put tc death by the Ecclesiastical Council of Con-
stance
?
;
A. No the Council excommunicated them, and declared it had no farther power regarding Nay, the them, (Act. Counc. Sess. 15.) Church, under her highest penalty, forbids any Ecclesiastic to concur in any sanguinary punishment and hence, the bishops in the British Parliament leave the house, when trials of life and death are going on. Q. But were not these men burnt at the mstance of the Council ^
;
A DOCTIIINAL JATECHISM.
299
A,
No
they were committed to the flames
by the magistrates, acting on the laws of the land, and by the order of the Elector Palatine
and of the Emperor Sigismond, (L'Enfant, L. iii, i 48.) Nor had the Comicil any thing to do with their death its acts are still extant and we have its history by L'Enfant, a Calvinist, who does not even hint at such solicitation on
;
;
ihe part of the Council.
Q.
Was
not the Council culpable in pei
mitting the execution of these men, after granting them a safe-conduct ?
A. The Council could not prevent the execution of seditious rebels John Huss had no safe-conduct, but merely a passport, promising him protection to and from the Council, (L'En;
fant. Hist.
cil
Cons. L.
i.
parag. 41.)
The Counto
was
guilty of
no breach of
faith
Jeiom,
but he
was
;
guilty of flagrant perjury to the
Council
he pubUcly anathematized his

yet
own
doctrine, and
at the time
tittle
afterwards confessed that,

it,
he denounced
in
his heart.
iv,
he believed every
of
it
See the Calvinist
L'Enfant, Lib.
parag. 75.
Q. Are not the Protestants who were slaugh^ tered on St. Bartholomew's day at Paris, an undeniable proof that the Citholic Church
persecutes
?
A.
Very
far
from
it
that
massacre was
300
caused by the unrelenting vengeance of Charles

IX. and the bloody ambition of Catherine de
day of this massacre an edict is published, in which the king declares, that whatever had happened was done by his express order, and not out of hatred to Protestants, but to put an end to the conspiracy of the Calvinist Coligni and his nefarious companions." Q. What did the Calvinists do, which thus
Medicis.
'*
On
the
piôvoked
the
inexciisable
vengeance of
the
king
A. They were reported
to the king, as hav^
ing hatched a plot to overturn his government
and destroy himself They certainly attempted to seize the king, and overturn the constitution of his dominions, (Maimb. Lib. iv, Conspiracy of Amboise and Meaux ;) they threatened to whip the king, and to make a mechanic of
him,
they fought four battles against him, and treasonably delivered Havre de Grace,
(Ibid..;)
the key of his dominions, to
Queen
Elizabeth,
a foreign potentate
they murdered multitudes
of priests, religious, ana
unarmed
people, burned
churches and monasteries, and made rivers of blood flow in the very streets of lâris, (Davila.)
In the city of Pamiers, they murdered
clergy
all
the
who composed
a procession on Corpus
ii.
Cht
isii,
Heylin, Hist. Presb. Lib.
A DOCTRINAL CATEdllSM.
(4.
30
Did
;
not the Bishops encourage the mas-
sacre of St. Bartholomew ? A. No on the contrary, the bishop of Lisieux opposed the execution of the king's order,
saying
to lay
" It is
the duty of the good shepherd

his sheep, not to let
down
his life for
are
them be slaughtered before his face. These my sheep, though they are gone astray, and to run all hazards in protecting [ am resolved Maimb., Conten., Fleury, &c. them." Q. Did not Pope Gregory XIIL rejoice when he heard of this massacre ? A, If he did, it was because the matter was
its
represented to him, not in

as a victory
true colors, but

fair
gained by the king in a

Lib.
iv.
man-
ner over impiety and sedition.

i
;
Thuan. Lib.
considered
Maimb.
"
The Pope
Charles's act, as a necessary act of self-defence
against the infamous, treasonable, and bloody

plot of the Calvinists, Coligni, &c., against his
life
and government."
vi, p.
Pagi. Brev. Gest.
Rom
Pant. vol.
729.
ON THE INQUISITIOJ^
Q.
Is not the Inquisition a stat^ engine em-
ployed by the Catholic Chui^ch for the purpose of persecution ?
26
302
.
A.
No
the
Church has
not,
and never had,
any connection with the Inquisition, farther than this, that some of her members, through
mistaken
zeal, resorted
to this cruel
and un-
warrantable
trines.
means
for
the
purpose of sup
pressing immoral, blasphemous, and infidel doc-
Q.
Why
do you say that the Inquisition
i:
no part of the Catholic religion ? A. Because no such court existed till the twelfth century and in many Catholic countries no such tribunal has ever existed whilst,
; ;
in
some of those where

Q.
it
was
established,
it
has been long since suppressed.
Was
not St.
?
is
Dominic
the founder of the
Inquisition
A. This
a Protestant
till
calumny
it
nowhere
established
xiii.
after his death.
was Mos-
heim, Saec.
Q. If some Popes and Bishops and Catholic
engine,
Princes established and used this dreadful it must certainly be a part of the
?
Catholic religion
A.
of
that
No more
than
Queen
to
Elizabeth's Court the Dissenters ol
High Commission, which

period declared
the Inquisition
itself,
be more intolerable
man
was a necessarv
part of Protestantism.
Tames
II., c.
vi
See Hume Hist. Eng Mosheim, vol. iv, p. 395.
303
Q.
Was
not the Inquisition, with Ecclesias-
head, competent to pass sentence of the loss of limbs or of death ?

tics at its
had no such power. Very few received sentence of death at all from theRoman Inquisition there is not one such sentence recorded and more blood was shed by the Calvinistic Huguenots of France on account of religion, than could have been shed by five hundred Spanish Inquisitions.
A.
;
No
it
Q.
Why
such an engine at all
A. The rulers at that time were, in their wisdom, impressed with the idea, that it was
the best
tion,
mode of suppressing
punished
sacrilege, profana-
apostacy, magic, and other crimes, which
are
corporally
in
every country,
whether Catholic or Protestant.

land, or the early
How many
?
witches did the Calvinist ministers burn in Scot-
Puritans in N. England
How
?
many
Papists did they persecute and prosecute
(Arnot's Hist, of Edinburgh.)
Q. The Inquisition,
then,
is
no essential
part of the Catholic religion ? A. It is so far from being

Catholics
so, that mosi and as earnestly as Protestants themselves. It is a mere state engine, which certain rulers used as a
condemn
it
as loudly
matter of policy, not so
much
to
put
down
heresy, as to check the seditions and immorali'
304
lies
A DOCTRINAL CATEt
that, in
IllSM.
every age, were the consequences
of heres}', an engine which CatlioUcs in gen-
denounce as opposed equally to policy justice, and charity. Q. Have Protestants any right tc be per petually harping on the Inquisition ? A, As a matter of principle, they should come to the charge with clean hands living,
eral
;
as
they do, in glass houses, they should not
throw stones. What difference is there between the jails, into which they cast thousands of Catholics, and the prison of the Inquisition and what difference between the deaths the unhappy victims on both sides died ? If Queen Mary put to death two hundred and seventyseven Protestants for their rebellious opposition, Protestants have had ample revenge, through the first Protestant king, Henry' VIII, who slaughtered sixty Catholics for denying his and through their mercispiritual supremacy less Elizabeth, who persecuted, in most instances, to death, and in all to utter ruin, twelve hundred Catholics, for their faith and if Mary
;
burnt her victims, Elizabeth hanged, quartered,
embowelled, and burnt hers. See, for other examples of persecution, Lingard, vol. viii, reign
of Elizabeth
;
and
viii,
for the
p.
penal laws against

In fact, Catholics
Catholics, vol.
143.
have experiencol from the Protestants of thesp
countries only one continued persecution
or less intense.
fiorht
*i(15
more
They have been j)ermitted to honor of a country and the security of a crown, which, in return, gave them no encouragement, and, till very lately, scarcely
for the
any protection.
ON THE POWDER OF A GENERAL COUNCIL, Oil PAPAL CONSISTORY, IN TEMPORAL MATTERS.
Q. Can a General Council frame new

ters,
maU
or articles offaith
A,
No
a General Council can only define
what has been already revealed and belongs

to the deposit of faith.
Q.
Have
not Popes at times claimed the right
of deposing sovereigns ?
A, For
tuted
many
centuries monarchs were coninsti-
secrated in the Church, with ceremonies
by the Church, they swore

and
in the
to
hands
of bishops of tlie Catholic
Church
govern
justly
to respect the rights of the people
and of God's Church.

Q, If
a king violated his

he
oath^ rvhat
was
the
tnhnnal at which he could
arraigned?
tri-
A. The Iloly See was the recognize:!
26^
306
bu]iaL
If the charges
were sustained he was condemned, and unless he reformed was de-
clared to have forfeited his throne

his oath of office.
by violating
Q.
171
Was
It
the action
favor of the
of the Popes in such cases rights of the people?
was in all cases. Q, Are the States of Europe more happy or quiet noiv tJiat this power is no longer recognized?
A,
A,
No
century in history has seen so
many
monarchs deposed and driven into exile as the last hundred years, or so many small States swept away entirel}?".
Q.
A, and revolutions, or by the unbridled ambition of princes who by force of arms crush all surrounding States and establish a military
despotism.
Q.
cieties
How are these changes made ? By secret societies, plots, conspiracies
What
and
is the
body which
these secret so-
despotic military sovereigns alike opto
pose and seek
crush ?
A, The CathoUc Church. Q. Aiê equivocation, or mental reservation,

allowed by the Catholic Church ? A. No; these are Protestant charges, in-
vented for the purpose of exhibiting Catholics The Catholic Church nevei in oc^^His colors.
taught such unworthy doctrines
trary, she disaj- proves
307
on the con-
and condemns them
ON THE READING OF THE SCRIPTURES.

Q. Do Catholics forhid Sacred Scripture ?
A.
thrice
the
reading of the
No
they only forbid the abuse of that

the Catholic
Holy Volume, which
Church
has ever preserved and regarded as one of her
most sacred deposites, and without whose preservation the Protestant Church would never
have had
it.
Q. Is it forbidden to any one ? A, Yes, to those who would certainty abuse it, to those ignorantly proud people, of whom St. Peter speaks, where he says, (2 Pet. i, 20,)
that certain parts of St. Paul's Epistles " are
HARD
to
be understood, lohich the

lorest,
unlearned
as also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own perdition."
and unstable
Q.
Why
SOME
are not all permitted
to
interpret
the Scripture as they will ?
A, Because
only "
(2 Pet.
iii,
16)
God
has given
to be apostles,
Bome eningelfsti,
some prophets, othet and somepastois and teacfi-

ersJ'
Because its sense is to be sought from those who were sent to teach from the " lips
;
of the Priest
who
shall keep knowledge,
and
from whose mouth they shall require

Mai.
ii,
the law''
7.
Q.
A.
Do
not Catholic Bishaps
and Popes
?
dis-
courtage the reading of the Scriptures
No
the CathoUc clergy are
bound
tc
read the Scripture for nearly an hour every
day
the Catholic Bishops of Great Britain
publicly declared, in 1826, that the circulation
of authentic copies of Scripture was never
dis-
couraged by the Church

rescript, April 18, 1820,
Pope Pius
VII., in a
addressed to the Eng-
them " to encourage theii veople to read the Holy Scrij)tures, because nothing can he more useful, more consoling^ more animating. They serve to confirm the faith, to support the hope, and to inflame the
hsh Bishops,
tells
charity of the true Christian.''
Q. Does not
the
Catholic
versions of the Scripture into for the very purpose of keeping the Scripture
Church forbid modern tongues,
from the people ? A. Even he Rev. Robert Adams refutes

this
Protestant slander
though a Protestant
Re-
himself, he declares that the Catholic laitv are
not debarred the use of the Scriptures.

ligious
World Displayed,
vol.
ii,
p.
78.
But
the best refutation of this
30^
that
calumny
is,
Pope
Pius VI., writing to Martini, Archb. of Florence,
on the subject of
tures,
his translation of the
Scrip-
applauds his zeal in publishing his versioii,

faithful to
and exhorts the
read
it.
This docuprefixed to
ment
Q.
is
dated April 1788, and
is
every English edition of the Catholic Bible.

Is
it
not said that Catholics published

till
feiv versions of Scripture
pelled to do so by Protestant
they were comexample ?
A, This
is
another Protestant slander propa-
gated to catch the ignorant.
Before Protest-
antism had a being, there were upwards of
twenty versions of the Scripture into almost all the modern languages, as will be evident from
the subjoined detail.
EARLY CATHOLIC VERSIONS.
Fust's, printed at
Mentz,
Anno
1462
1467
Bender's, printed at Augsburg,
Malenni's Italian Bible,
1471
Four Gospels, Belgic,

Entire Bible, Belgic, Cologne,
Julian's, (an
1472 1475
Augustinian monk,)
Delft Edition,
St.
1477 1477
1478
1479
,
Vincent Ferrler's, Spanish,

Edition,
Gouda
(iiiyards des Moulins, Freiich,
14liO
Four Versions mentioned by Beausobre, (Hist de

Reformation,
Efilaplc'c
livre iv,) printed before
la
New
Testament,
Old Testament printed before
1522 1523 1 528
310
153S 1578
Bruccioli's Italictn Bible,
Antwerp and Louvain,

tARLY PROTESTANT VERSIONS.
Luther's Version of
New
Testament,
Anno
Tyndale's
New
Testament,
1522 1526
1527
1 530
First Belgic Version,
Luther's Old Testament,
Tyndale's Pentateuch,
Miles Coverdale's Version,
Ohvetan's Old Testament,

First Italian Version,
1530 1535 1537 1562
ENGLISH CATHOLIC VERSIONS.

Version of whole Bible, MS., Auglo-Saxon Version, MS. about
Anno
1290
1300
FRENCH, GERMAN, SPANISH, AND ITALIAN MS. VERSIONS
German, about 800

1294.*
Italian,
1270
Spanish, 1280
French,
* Six versions, and twelve appeared

in
editions, of the
Sacred Volume
is
German
before Luther's time.
The same
true
of three versions, and

eions,
many
editions, in ItaHan.
Four vei-
with a multitude of editions, were published in Gothic and French. Two Belgic versions, with several editions. The Bohemian version was published, Prague, 1488 at For other CathoPutna, 1498 at Venice, 1506, and 1511. lic translations, in almost all the languages of the world, and many of them published in Rome, the very hotbed op r'>* PERV, see Le Long's Bibliotheca Sacra, Bochmer, Letpsic. 1709 and note appended to Lord Shrewsbury's Letter < (iOrd Bealey, page 90.
; ;
A DOCTRINAL CATEttllSM.
311
ON MONKS, FRIARS, AND NUNS.

Q. What
ders ?
is
the
meaning of
religious Or*
A. The very
such Orders
fact that
we have
in revelation
counsels, as well
as
should
exist
commands, proves that in the Church as
should observe these counsels, for Christ did not give them in vain.
Q. What do you mean hy counsels ? A. Those virtues which Christ has recommended, but not commanded under pain oi sin, such as chastity, voluntary poverty, &c. Q. Is there not something wrong in becoming
a
Monk
A,
or a
;
Nun ?
if
No
but
we
are to believe the Scrip-
ture, there is
something peculiarly praiseworthy

Christ speaks often of the dan;
m
it
doing
so.
ger of riches
to
he
if
tells
sell all
the
young man
in the
Gospel to go and
the
this
poor,
is
Now,
that he had, and give he wished to be perfect. what Monks and Nuns do and
;
can there be any thing wrong in following the advice of Christ himself, in embracing a life
of
voluntary poverty, instead of exposing one's

the seductive danger of riches ?
St.
self to
Paul declares, that he
who
giveth his virgin in
man'iage doth well, but he that giveth her not
312
doth better ; and can there be any thing

in
following this advice of the Apostle,
wiong in vowvirtues
ing and preserving that brightest of

chastity
?
all
Christ declares, that
we must
de-
ny
him
ourselves,
;
take up our cross, and follow
those,
can there then be any thing wrong in who, finding that they cannot do this
from
it
well in the midst of this wôrld's temptations,

retire
tise
into the cloister,
the counsels of Christ, in
and there pracobedience to, and
under the guidance of, the great masters of a religious life, always to be found in every religious establishment ?
Q. Are all religious employed merely in la boring for their own, or piâying for the salvation of others
?
A.
No many religious
;
Orders are establishto
ed entirely for the good of their neighbors, some

to teach
the
ignorant,
others
preach the
Gospel,
some
to provide for the poor, others to
ledge and virtue,
imbue the minds of the some
rich youth with
knowtc
to attend the sick, es-
pecially in the public hospitals,
and others
redeem the slave and the captive.
Q.
May
?
there not be abuses in these estab-
lishments
A. There is nothing so good that it may not be abused marriage, every profession, the very Word o' God, nay, our common Christianity
;
are
all
SiU
occasionally abused
but surely no good
Christian wil. think this an argument eithef

against them, or to get rid of them.
ON THE CHARGE OF IGNORANCE MADE

AGAINST CATHOLICS.
Reformation bring the bless ing of learning into the world ? A, Protestants attribute to the Reformation, what is due solely to the art of printing, discovered before the introduction of the new rethe
ligion of Luther.
Q. Did not
the Catholics use the art of printing promotion of literature before Protestantism had a being ? A. Before the end of the fiifteenth century, printing presses Were wrougl t in thirty-four towns of France alone ; and between the years 1455 and 1536, twenty -two millions nine hundred and thirty-two thousand volumes had been printed. The Popes, Nicholas V. and Sixtus IV., with the Princes and Kings of most European countries, were the munificent patrons of the arts and sciences, (Reche^ches sur les Bibliotheques, pp. 82, 207, 233, 180.) Learning was ir. such a flourishing state in Germany, 2^
Q. Did
for the
314
were founded between and 1506. Erasmus declares that " learning triumphed in England, that the King, the Queen, two Cardinals, and almost all the Bishops, exerted themselves in promoting (Ad Pet. Bembum Basileas, 1518.) Init." deed, all the Universities in Europe were founded by Catholics and in Catholic times. During
that ten Universities
the vears 1403
three hundred years, Protestants have

their wish to
shown
promote learning by the erection of only two Universities, those of Dublin and London. Q. By whom were the Universities oj Scotland erected ? A. By Bishops and Popes That of St. Andrews, by the Catholic Bishop Wardlaw, under the sanction of Benedict XIII., in 1413; thai of Glasgow, by Pope Nicholas V., aided by Bishops Muirhead and Turnbull, in 1450 that of Aberdeen, called King's College, by Pope Alexander VI., to which Bishop Elphinstone Even the Edinburgh largely contributed. Universit}.^ was projected by a Catholic Bishop,
:
(Reid of
Orkney,)
that
who
left
eight thousand
merks
tion in
for
purpose.
Indeed, every na-
such
as
Europe, by the proudest monuments^ Oxford, Cambridge, Bologna, Sor-
bonne,
Salamanca,
to
bears
irrefragable
testi
mony
the untiring exertions of the Cath
noCTRlNAL CA TEC^
for the
IS.VJ
315
olic
Church
promotion of the arts and

this
sciences.
Q. Can you
illustrate
?
matter hy any
additional consideration
;
A. Yes is not Europe indebted to Catholic Bishops and Popes for its civilization, its laws,
and
all
all
its
knowledge of the
fine
arts ?
Are
not painting, sculpture, music, and architecture,
completely and entirely Catholic ? If you nave any doubt, only look to the magnificent abbeys and cathedrals which have survived the fury of Vandalic reform, and which the barbarous hand of Protestantism has
interesting ruins,
left
only
a**
vinced.
No
and you will be quickly conwonder, then, that the candid
Colonel Mitchell, in his Life of Wallenstein, should declare, that " deep and indelible is the
debt which religion and civilization
owe to
TO
THE EARLY RoMAN
PoNTIFFS AND
THE
Church of Rome.
ment."
They
strove long and no-
bly to forward the cause of
human improve-
Q. Did not even

large libraries
the
Monasteries possess
and men of learning ? A. For this we have excellent Protestant " The monas-teries authority. .had more
.
opportunities for study than the secular clergy
possessed.
.But their most important service

repositories for books.
All oiu
was as secure
3)0
A DaCTRlNAL CATECHISM.
uianuscripts have been preserved in this

ner."
"
man439.)
(Hallam, Mid. Ages, vol.

the
ii,
p.
When
;
monks were
settled in the reigrt ol
King Edgar, they promoted a general^ improvement they were very industrious in restoring
learning,
and retrieving the country from the

(Colliei
remarkable ignorance of these times."

Hist. Ecclesiast.)
ation,
"
little
before the Reform-
many of
the
great monasteries were

;
OF LEARNING monasteries were men of

NURSERIES
the
SUPERIORS of
(Ibid.)
distinction.''
Bishop Tanner says
"
The monasteries were

Pope Gregory Church ?
schools of learning and education."
Q. What was
A.
to
the order of
VII. to the Bishops of the
He
urged
all
the Bishops in Christendom
encourage literature and the arts, and to have each a school attached to his Cathedral (Voigt, Hist. Greg. VII., French Church.
Trans.,
p.
500.)
the opinion
Q. What was
'ind
of Burke, Gibbon,
Catholic learn-
Lord Hutchinson,
as
to
ing ? A. The firs-t declared, that " France alone had produced more eminent scholars than all
Europe;" the second one Monasterv of Benedic tine Monks gave to the world more works of learning than both the Universities of Engthe Protestant Universities of
said, that "
A DOCTRINAL CATEUHISM.
land
;"
SM
and the third spoke thus to the British House of Lords " Catholicity, which has this night been the subject of so much abuse, has ueen the behef of the most extensive and ENLIGHTENED nations of Europe, and of the most illustrious characters that ever did honor (Cob., Letter Linto the name of man."
:
gard's Tracts, p. 63.)
Q.
Do
not Protestant countries stand
much
modern times, as to education, comprosperity, and than Catholic countries? fort, A. They turn their whole attention to wôrldly prosperity religion gives them little concern and hence it would not be very surprising if, in the above branches, they were in advance. That such, however, is not the case, you have only to read, Howitfs Life in Gerhigher, in
;
many
vol.
also,
Tait, Feb.
1843
i,
p.
219;
;
Ihid, vol.
TurnhulTs Austria, ii, see pp. Q^, 72
p.
59
Borroio's Bible in Spain, chap. v.

o\
Even
Dr. Welsh, in the General Assembly
1835, admitted, that Scotland, " instead
of be-
ing the very first in point of education, holds a very low place in respect of some Protestant, and I must," he says, "add, some Roman
Catholic Countries."
This from a minister and when taken in is a very large admission connection with the declaration of a British ifecretary of State on the Factory question.
;
27*

318
" that
DOCTRINAL CATLCUISM.
is
Protestant England
the most ignorant
Christian country in the world," and with the
astounding proofs of spiritual and
tempora.
ignorance laid before that Factory Commission,
must be considered as perfectly conclusive. Q. What does Mr. Laing Notes of a Travsay as to the comparative eller, pp. 435, 442
state
of education ? A. In page 435, after saying that the poverintellectual
ty-stricken
priest
''
recluse
is
the Popish
Nineteenth Century, he adds, Our clergy in Scotland have a very erroneous notion of the state of the Popish clergy .
of the
;
them prayed for, as men wallowing in luxury, and sunk in gross ignorance. This is somewhat injudicious, as well as un-
we
often hear
charitable
for
.
.
when
the youth of their con-
gregations.
.come
in contact
abroad with the
Catholic clergy, so described, and find them in

learning, liberal views, and genuine piety, ac-
cording to their
own
doctrines, so very diflferent
from the description, and the describers, there will unavoidably arise comparisons. .. .by no
means edifying or flattering to their clerical teacheis at home.... Our Churchmen should
understand better the strength of a formidable
adversary, ...
.who
life
bvinsis
into the
field zeai
and purity of
equai to their own.
The
ducation o the regular clergy of the Catholic
A JCOCTKINAL CATECHISM.
319
Chunih,
is,
perhaps, positively higher, and, be-
yond doubt, comparatively higher, than the By positively education of the Scotch clergy. higher, is meant that, among a given number of Popish and of Scotch clergy, a greater proportion of the
former
will
be found,
who
read
with ease and a perfect mastery the ancient

languages
Greek,
Latin, and
Hebrew
and
pro-
the Eastern languages connected with that oi
the Old Testament,
a greater number of
found scholars, a greater number of high mathe-
and a higher average amount of acquired knowledge." In page 442, he adds, " The Catholic clergy adroitly seized on education, and not, as we suppose in Protestant countries, to keep the people in darkness and ignorance, and to inculcate error and superstition, but to be at the head of the great social influence of useful knowledge." Again, in page 439, alluding to the gross calumny, "that the Catholic clergy seek to keep their people in ignorance," he scouts the impudent saying in the " This opinion of our following masterly style Churchmen seems more orthodox, than charitaThe Popish clergy have, in ble, or correct. reality, less to lose by the progress of education than our own Scotch clergy. In Catholic Germany, in France, Italy, and even Spain, thft education oi' ihe c ~mmon people, in readings
maticians,
:
320
A DOCTRINAL GATE JHISM. and moralSi
writing, arithmetic, music, manners,

s,
at least, as generally diffused, and as faith-
fully pron>oted,
by the
their
clerical body, as in Scot-
land.
It is
by
own
advance, and not
b*-
Keeping back the advance of the people, thai

the Popish priests of the present
day seek
to
keep a-head of the intellectual progress of the
community.
Church, and
hands,
Education
is
is,
in reality, not only
not repressed, but is encouraged, in the Popish
a mighty instrument in
used.
its
and ahly
for
In
every street in
at
Rome,
instance,
there are,
short
dis-
tances, public primary schools, for the education
of the children of the lower and middle classes.
Rome, with a population of 158,678
souls,
has
372 public primary schools, with 482 teachers, and 14,099 children attending them Has Edinburgh so many public schools for the instruction of those classes
?
I
doubt
it.
Berlin,
with a population about double that of

has only 264 schools.
versity,
Rome
stu-
Rome
has also her Uni-
with an average attendance of 660
and the Papal states, with a population of two and a half millions, contain seven universities. (Protestant) Prussia, with a population of fourteen millions, has only seven .... The statistical fact, that Rome has above a hundred schools more than Berlin, for a popudents
;
lation little
more than
half that of Berlin, puts
flight a
is
32 1
it
to
world of
humbug .... Is
what
is
asked,
what
these
taught to the people of

?
Rome
by
all
schools
Precisely
taught
at
most Protestant capital of the most reading, Protestant country in the world) writing, arithmetic, geography, languages, reThis ample ligious doctrine of some sort." attestation, given by an enemy, w^hen looked at
Berlin, {the
along with the extraordinary exertions that are
made, now that the penal laws are done away with in Great Britain and Ireland and other countries of Europe, by the Catholics of these
countries, in establishing schools, educational
convents, and colleges, should,

the Catholic
we
think,
open
pro-
the eyes of the veriest bigot to this truth, that
motes the
arts
Church loves and sciences.
learning,
and
ON THE CHARGE OF UNCHARITABLENESS.

Q. Are Catholics uncharitable to Sectarians? A. Certainly not since the Church teaches them to love all mankind, to pray for all, t(; forgive all, and to do good corporally and spir;
itually to
all,
ii
respective of creed, country, or
3*^2
that there is no salva
Q. Does she not teach lion out of the Church ?

A.
We
have already proved that there

there
is
is
only one true Church, as

^
only one
Lord, one faith and one baptism, and that the Catholic Church is that one true fold. Hence
it is
not only not uncharitable, but very charit
what which teaches, that sects and heresies and schisms are sins which exclude from heaven. St. Paul declares, that " they that do such things, shall not inherit the kingdom of God." Gal. v, 20, 21. Q. Do Catholics charge all that are apnble in Catholics to declare to the world
is
laid
down
in Scripture,
parently out of their communion with the crimes of heresy and schism, and consequently exclude
them from salvation ? A. No all baptized children who die before they sin mortally, and before they embrace and believe error, are members of the true Church. Again, all those sincere people belong to the soul of the Church, who, being baptized, and believing the great fundamental truths of Christianity, and who are prevented from believing it in all its details, not by carelessness, nor leinporal interest, nor human respect, nor the spirit of obstmacy, nor by malice, but simply oecause they never doubted, and never had
;
8uffi(uent
means of knowing
the truth, \\'hich
A DOCTRINAL CATE(JH1SM.
823
they would embrace at once, and with gladQess,
could they only discover
it,
all
these,
we
will
say, belong to the soul of the
Church, and
be saved,
if
they lead good lives and do
not violate God's law.
Q. What do you mean by the soul of the Church ? A. All those belong to the body of the Church
who
are openly professing Catholics
to the
Church belong all such as I have above described, who, being baptized, and believing the fundamental truths of religion, are living separate from the body of the Church, not by any fault of their own, but purely by not having sufficient means to lead them in>to a knowledge of the whole truth.
soul of the
Q.
Do
Protestants expressly teach the verj
doctrine they unjustly blame in us, " exclusive

salvation ?"
A. Yes
the 16th Article of the Old Pres^

:
hyterian Confession says
That there is one Kirk, out of which Kirk neither life nor eternal felicity is to be hoped for J' The 25th chap,
Westminster Confess, declares,
" that
"
of the
those
who
profess the true religion, (there can
be only one religion true,) with their children,

are the house of God, out of which there is no Mvdinart possibility of salvation." The 18th
chap; of the Church of
England
Articles de-
824
clares, " that
they also are to be had accursed, presume to say, that every man shall be saved by the law or sect which he professeth." The same is the doctrine taught in the Prot. Belgian Confess., 1561, and by the Synod of Dort, 1619. The French Prot. Catechism,
that
Edit. 1710,
of.
p.
283, says,
is
"Without
doubt, out
the
Church, there
nothing hut death and
DAMNATION." This is extraordinary doctrine to come from the lips of men who came out of the only Church in the world a few years before.
Q. What do you conclude from all this? A. That those pretended lovers of charitable doctrine must be very blind w^ho look lor such in anv Protestant Communion.
ON HERESY
CHAPTER
Q. Wliat
A.
is
I.
heresy
An
obstinate attachment to one's
own
is
private opinion, in
opposition to
;
what
is
deit,
clared an article of faith
and he
guilty of
who
prefers
hirs
own
opinion to the declared
doctrine of the universal
Church
for exsi.r'îa

A DOCTK[NAL CAT ECHISiM.
it
826
any portion of Scripture, which mean-
he hold obstinately any meaning he chooser

is
to give to
opposed to that given by the Church. ing Q. Have all heretics pretended to prove their peculiar doctrines from Scripture?
A.
All,
without exception.
nied the consubstantiality of the

"
The Arians deWord, depend-
ing on that passage of St. John, chap, xiv
My
Father
is
greater than
/.''
The Mace"
donians denied the divinity of the Holy Spirit,
on these words
''ngs.''
Rom.
viii,
26
The Spirit
himself asketh for us with unspeakable groan-
The Manicheans pretended to prove, that Christ became man only in appearance, by " Taking the form of a servant, Philip, ii, 7 being made in the likeness of men.'' The Nes
torians fancied they proved, that in Christ there
were two persons, by Coloss. ii, 9 " For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead corporally.'' The Eutychians cited John, chap, " and the Word was made flesh," to prove, and the Pethat Christ had only one nature lagians founded their denial of original sin, on Ezech. xviii, 20 " The son shall not hear the
i,
iniquity of the father."
Q. What was
rors
?
the source
of all these
e>
A. The presumptuous desire and determination of each Heresiarch to prefer his own m-
28

326
A V10CTRINAL CATECHISM.
terpretation of the Scripture, to that given by
tne whole Church.
Q. Were Luther and Calvin guilty of a similar i rational presumption ? A. They were shipwrecked on the same rock which had caused the ruin of all the Heresiarchs that had gone before them. Calvin, for example, gave these words " this is my body'' a figurative meaning, whilst the whole Church then existing, and the whole Christian world during fifteen hundred years, understood them Luther explamed these in their natural sense. words Rom. iii ''Man is justified hy faith without the works of the law'' as dispensing with the necessity of good works, and the observing of God's commandments, whilst the ivhole Church understood these words to mean, that man is justified neither by the works of the natural nor of the Jewish law, but by fakh in Jesus Christ, and by the works which proceed from that faith, having the grace of God for
their source.
Q. Did Luther and Calvin
act uniforhily
on
this irrational principle of piêferring each his
own
single individual
judgment
to that of the
whole Church ? A. Yes such was the principle upon which they grounded Cdoh article of their new faith.
;
Q, Can Luther, or any of
his followers, hs
A DOCTRINAL CATECHIbM.
32/
excusable before God, seeing that each one of them prefers, in the interpretation of Scripture, his
own one
the light
light,
ment,
to
?
and his own one judgand judgment of the whole

;
Churcn
say
or
:
A, Certainly not
for to
such individual
we
Either you believe that you are fallible in
which you give the Scripture, you hold that you are infallible : if you say you are fallible, then your faith is uncertain
the interpretation
and
vacillating, and, consequently,

;
is
not faith
at all
but
if
you say you are
infallible,
then
your absurd presumption drives you to assert, that the whole Church may err in her interpretation of Scripture, but that you individually can interpret it with infallible certainty Q. What can he reply to this dilemma ? A, defy him to make any satisfactory
!
We
reply
he being either the victim of perplexity,
or the dupe of the most insupportable obstinacy.
CHAPTER
II.
Q,. Have you observed any peculiarities which have uniformly accompanied every imj ortant heresy that has made its appearance in the
Christian world?
A, Yes
servable.
five
1st,
peculiarities
are always obto
Every Heresiarch presumed
328
blame the Church with having fallen into pernicious error 2dly, These Heresiarchs, with their adherents, always separated themselves from
;
3dly, They uniformly laught new unknown till then in the Christian world 4th]y, They always gave their own name, or the name of their country, or the name of their new dogmas, to their followers 5thly, Not one of them could ever prove that
the
Church
;
doctrines,
he had a lawful mission.
Q. Have you observed the same traits in the Heresiarchs Luther and Calvin ? A. Yes like Arius, Macedonius, Nestorius, and Eutyches, they blamed the Church, they they taught separated themselves from her, new doctrines, they gave their names to their and they were unable to prove a followers,
;
lawful mission.
do you prove that Luther, for example, taught new dogmas ?
Q.
A.
How
him or any of his followers to name even one country, one parish, or even one village, which, from the time of Christ until
Luther appealed, ever taught, that there are only two sacraments, that the Mass is an
abomination,
Antichrist.
We defy
the invocation of and Purgatory, a

superstition,
saints, idolatry
the
Pope,
Q. Have you remarked any other peculiar Uy
A DOCTRINAL CATECKISM.
as often as
320
in tht
any new doctrine appeared
Church
A,
can always name the author of such new creed, tell the place and time where it
We
made
the
its
first
apftearance,
first
men who opposed
give and
it,
the
names
Thus,
of
point out
the Council w^hich
know
that
condemned it. Arius, in the year 315,
we
in
Alex an
to teach,
;
DRiA, a city of Egypt, wâs the
first
was not equal to the Father and we know, that this error was combated by the Patriarch Alexander and by St. KtiiaNAsius, and that it was condemned by thm FIRST Council of Nice. Q. Do we observe the same peculiarities, as to the new doctrine of Luther ? A. Exactly the same. That doctrine made its first appearance at Wittemberg, in Saxony, in the year 1517; it had Luther for its author was COMBATED by all the Universities and was finally conto which he appealed demned BY the Council of Trent. Q. What other marks of novelty do you dib
that Clirist Jesus
; ;
cover in Luther s doctrine
A. Three other marks.
That doctrine was
at first embraced by very few ; all those who embraced it, had been previously taught a very different doctrine ; and its appearance gave rise to great confusion, amazement, and sedition. 28*
330
Q.
A D(CTRINAL CATECHISM.
May
it
not he said, that Luther taught
nothing new, hut merely re-estahlished what the Apostles taught ?
A. This reply
is
justly suspected, because
it
was
the reply of every
Hereârch
that appear-
ed in the world.
Q.
How
do you refute this assertion
A. The doctrine of the Apostles could nevei cease to be taught, because Christ declared he would he with his Apostles teaching all days, even to the consummation of the world; but the doctrine of Luther was not only not taught, it was not even known before his own time therefore, the doctrine of Luther was not the
doctrine of the Apostles.
CHAPTER
III.
Q. Were Luther and Calvin
hetter able to
prove their mission, than were Arius, Macedonius, or Nestorius ?

A.
No
in this
they had the very same

to
diffi-
culty to contend with as had these Here-siarchs.
Q.
How
did the Catholics prove
the re-
had no mission ? forming A. They said to them Your ecclesiastical superiors have not sent you to preach or bap- I therefore you have no ordinary mission tize but neithei h^ve you an extraordinary mission;
leaders that they
:
for, if
33 i
you were sent immediately and directly by God himself, you would have been able to prove this, like Moses or our Saviour, by working miracles.
Q. Did Luther himself admit, that no man could preach unless he had one or other of these
missions
?
;
A. Yes addressing the Anabaptist preachhe says " If you are sent by man, show as your patent if by God, let us see you working miracles/' (German Edit., T. 5, p. 491-6.) He forgot, however, this embarrassing dilemma, when the CathoHcs, with much more justice,
ers,
:
applied
it
to himself.
Q. Could not Luther, who was a priest oj the Catholic Church, reply, that he had power and commission from her to preach the true
doctrine contained in the Scripture
?
A, Either the Catholic Church was

such
if
at
that
time the true Church, or she had ceased to be

;
she
was then
for
the true Church,

to separate
it
was unlawful
from her, and she could not give him a commission to preach a doctrine contrary to her own but if she had ceased to be the true Church, then' she was not qualified to give any commission
;
Luther
at
all.
Q. As then Luther and Calvin had

ly Ui}
evident-
mission, either ordinary or extraordinary.

332
in
---^--^-
A DOCTRINAL CATECHISM. ^
'
regard them and theii successors in the ministry ? A. As wolves in sheep's clothing, who have entered the fold, not by the door, but over the
what
light are
we
to
wall
of
whom
Christ says, that they
come
not
to feed,
but to devour the sheep.
THE PROTESTANT
"
RULE OF FAITH"
EXAMINED.
CHAPTER
of faith tion, I should
;
I.
Q. You have said much already on

still,
the rult
as
it is
a very important ques-
a more full exposition of the three false rules generally followed by Protestants, and then a brief but clear statement of the
like
Scriptural grounds upon which the Catholic

rule offaith rests,
A,
You
shall
be gratified, as far as our brief
space will allow.
Q. What say you then

cinian
?
He
to the rule of the Soadmits that the Scripture is in-
spired, but that reason is to be the interpreter
of that Divine revelation, and that nothing zV to be admitted, but what reason can clearly comprehend.
A.
We reply, in the first place, God
is
infinite
333
things
we
of
are finite
hence, he can reveal
many
which we understand nothing except the
facts revealed,
such
are, for
example, the Unity
and Trinity of God, the Creation, the IncarnaNow, can reason be our guide in tion, &c. Will things which it cannot comprehend ? presumptuous, finite reason pretend to fathom the unfathomable abyss of God's infinite wis dom and power ? Will it blasphemously tell God, that it will believe nothing but what it can understand, that it will believe nothing on God's word, unless he condescend to explain its nature ? Secondly, reason is fallible hence it cannot be the foundation of faith, which excludes all doubt it can only be the foundation Only open the pages which conof opinion. history of man look at the molten tain the sad idols of ancient Rome, and the garden gods of at the contradictions and abancient Egypt, surdities of Pagan and Christian schools, guided entirely by human reason, and you will be
satisfied, that
there
is
nothing ridiculous, gross,
absurd, or shameful,
which erring reason has

surely
it
not taught
and
if so,
cannot be a
the sects in
secure rule of faith.
Thirdly,
all
the world professing Christianity, agree in de-
nouncing the Socinian or Unitarian rule, and Most certheir 'creed founded on that rule. tainly, therefore, it is safer to follow the over
i?34
whelming majority of Christians, than to risk our salvation upon a rule lately adopted by a handful of men, who have no claim to the title of Christian, since they deny one of the fundamental
Christ,
articles of Christianity
the Divinity
of
Q. Have you any other argument against

this rule ?
A. Yes, many.
of
The
reasons or judgments
;
men
are as different as their faces
hence,
at out
an
infinite variety of religions
would be formed
under the direction of reason.

politics,
Look
:
contradictory systems of medicine, philosophy
and agriculture, and say
If
such
is
the case in secular sciences, should
we
not
have the same

religion,
if
Bab;y'lonish confusion as regards
reason were admitted as supreme

not, in that case,
judge
Should wê
have
as
many
creeds as there are men,
as
many
va-
rieties in religion, as there are different
grades
of strong or weak, polished or unpolished, rea-
son amongst
men
is
In
fine,
the very rule of the
Socinian
reveals
teries.
Christian
The God rational. much more rule certain truths, many of which are mysThe Socinian says What I understand
is
a contradiction to his reason.
of these,
what my reason does I will beheve and thus an inI will comprehend, reject not
;
;
ic>lent creature,
who
is
the
mere work of God's
hand,
335
himself,
who does not understand even

exist in
--who cannot comprehend

which
half the mysteries,
and around him every moment, dares to disbelieve God's word, unless God condescend to explain all to him. How irraThe Christian, on the tional is such conduct contrary, when a mystery is proposed, seeks
!
sufficient
satisfied
proof of the fact of revelation
on
this
head, he believes
at
once.
God
is
infinitely good,
;
he says, therefore he
cannot deceive me he is infinitely wise, therefore he cannot be deceived himself; whatevei

he reveals must be true
;
therefore
believe
it,
whether I understand it or not. We may then sound as we please the depths of worldly in this we are confined to no bounds science It but in religion we have prescribed limits.
;
is
di
positive institution
"
Thus
far shalt thou
go,
and no further."
CHAPTER
II.
Q. What say you to the rule adopted by ine Baptists, Quakers, Moravians, and Methodists which consists in a supposed private inspiradon made by God to each individual ? A. The conduct of those who adopted this
delusion
is
its
best refutation.
first
Montanus and
it,
Maximilla were the
who adopted
and
836
(Euseb. Eccl.
of Carlostad
ihey both hanged themselves.

Hist.,
Lib.
V.)
The
followers
were privately inspired by God, " to despoil and kill all the wicked/' (Sleidan, De Statu
Rel. et Reip. Coniment., Lib.
iii,
p.
45.)
John
Bockhold, following his inspiration, declared

himself king of Sion
(Hist, de la
he married eleven wives,

them
all
and, by order of his spirit, put
to death.
Herman was inspired to declare himself the Messiah, to order that all priests and magistrates should be killed (Brandt, p. 5L) David George declared himself the true son of God. (Mosheim, V. iv, p. 484.) Such were the foreigr
Reform, par Ger. Brandt.)
Protestants
who
followed private inspiration as
a rule of faith.
Q. Were the English followers of this rule more moderate than their continental brethren 1 A. No Nicholas taught, that faith and worship were useless, that men should continue in sin, that grace might abound. (Brandt, For the doings of Hacket's and Venp. 5L)
;
ner's private
inspiration, see Fuller's Hist, of
the Church, p. 9, and Echard's Hist, of
Eng
Fox, according to Penn's Journal, declared the

Scripture only a secondary rule, subject to the
spirit
;
and one of
his party
entered the Par-
liament
drawn sword, saying, he was authorized by the Holy Spirit to kill everv
House with
JOCTRINAL CATECHISM
(IMaclaine's
33"
man
that sat in that house.
on Mosheim, V. v, p. 470.) inspired to have himself hailed as the " Prince of peace, the rose of Sharon, and the fairest of
ten thousand."
Note James Naylor was
(Echard.)
Moravians, that
that
Wesley says of the many of them did not read

"
the Scriptures, pray, or communicate, because
was seeking
never have
salvation by works.
Some
of our English brethren say," he adds, " you

will
faith,
till
you leave
;
off the
Church and the sacraments as many go to (Journal, hell by praying as by thieving." Such were impious the and blas1740.) phemous fruits of the rule called " private inspiration."
Q. These unquestionable facts are shoching evidences against that rule, have you any additional argument to offer ?
A, In the
is
first
all,
place, the true rule of faith

whilst,
a rule
for
with
the exception
of these few deluded Protestant fanatics, no body of Christians ever felt, or even pretended to feel, that they were privately inspired by God therefore, the great mass of Christians have ever been, and now are, without any rule of faith and is this at all reconcileable wîth God's goodness and mercy ? Secondly, Those
;
;
who adopted
Scripture.
this rule directly
contradicted the
Their spirit told them to murder
29
338
the
The
abound
of
to
Scripture says
spirit
;
"
Thou
forbids
shalt not
kill.**
the Scripture
one
to
told
them
to sin that
grace might
sin.
all
Nay>
Spirit
they contradicted one another.
The same
God
taught one thing to Wesley, and another
Bockhold,
Joanna Southcote, and

Spirit of
another to Fox.
believe and
Finally,' the
God,
to
say these fanatics, teaches us what
we
are
what we
it,
are to do
is
but can they
prove that
in reality,
the Spirit of God,
and not the spirit of error ? (for from their Works, hinted at above, it would appear that No, they cannot the latter is their guide.) for, in order to do so, they should work some unquestionable miracle but in this they have never succeeded. What wise man, therefore, would be weak enough to abandon the Scripture, constant traditign, and Church authority, and deliver his soul to the guidance of such self-sent, foolish, and wicked pretenders to inThey are guided by a spirit, but it spiration ?
;
is
evidently the spirit of fanaticism, darkness,

error.
and
CHAPTER
III.
Q. What is the third false inile of faith ? ui. That of the respectable portion of Protestants, who maintain, that the Bible, and the Bible onlT/y aid the Bible, not as it sounds, or
'1
A LyOCTRINAL CATECHlSxM.
as
is
339
it is
it
understood by the learned, but as

idual,
is
understood by each private indi^

ignorant or learned;
whether
given
this
the rule of
faith,
by a
and good God to mankind. Q. Have you many arguments against

wîse
?
pretended rule
A. Yes, very many.

with the Catholic rule of
The
faith.
first
of w^hich
is
derived from a comparison of this Protestant
Q. What
is the
Catholic rule of faith

all
A. All truly inspired Scripture, and

terpreted, not
truly
divine tradition, (see Chap, on Tradition,) in
by the ignorant, nor even the learned laity, but by the lawfully sent and ordained pastors of God's true Church. Q. In comparing these rules, why do you
give a preference
to the
Catholic rule
A. Even at this moment, there are seven CathoUcs for one Protestant in the world;
seven to one in favor of our interpretation of Scripture, and in favor of our
hence,
rule
;
we have
we
and
all
have, in addition to
this,
the whole
world during fifteen hundred years before Luther

;
all
this is
confirmed by the
its
fact, that
whilst
Catholics, of every age
and country,
interpreta-
agree as to the rule of faith and

tion,
no two sects of Protestants are agreed upon every question of religion nor do they give their rule of faHh one ond tbe same inter
;

840
pretation,
each indimdual Protestant explains

by
all
the Scripture for himself, whilst each Catholic
has the Scripture explained

present
that
is
at
or ever
waswise,
of his
learned, great, or
good, in God's Church.

onl)^ the security
The Protestant has own one judgment

;
the Catholic has that of the whole Church.
Q.
Is there
any thing absurd in

?
this trait of
Protestantism
A. Can any thing be more absurd, than that an ignorant peasant should pretend to interpret the Inspired Volume better than all the pastors
of the
Church
?
it
Q. Would
A. Very
be less absurd, if only learned

to
Protestants pretended
Jittle
do so
;
indeed
since they can be
only considered a handful,
when compared with

:
the learned body of the Catholic Church the Scripture says, " Theiê be
if,
as
many
counsellors'' truth will

;
wisdom am,ong be on the side of

that of three.
Catholicism
centuries,
Protestants have only

is
we have
the learning of eighteen
your next argument ? A. During three hundred years, the Bible, as privately interpreted, has been the rule of Protnow, if it had been the rule intended estants Protestants would have been of one i 'ôd, all b} faith, they would have given the same inlerBut the reverse is >retati :)n to every passage.
;
Q. What
the case.
841
ZuingUus, out of taught the contrary the Church

of the Bible
;
;
Luther taught the
real
presence out
the
same book; of England
teaches one doctrine, the Kirk of Scotland another, the Evangelical
Church of
I russia a th rd,
and yet
all
follow the Bible and interpret for
themselves.
They have proved the
Bible, as
privately interpreted, to be the fruitful source
of delusions, heresies, and schisms.
Q.
Is
it
not clear, that there can he only one
true faith, as there is only one Lord, one baptism, one revelation, ivhich
can have only one
true sense
?
all
and the Protestant rule destroys this unity of faith. Let each man interpret the Bible for himself, and you will have, as is evident from our swarms of
doubt
;
A, Yes, beyond
Protestant sects, as
different heads
many religions
ministers
as there are
and judgments.
the
Q.
sects
May
No
not
restrain
these
by forcing
all to accept their interpreta-
tion ?
A.
their
for this
would be
;
in contradiction to
owm
principles
it
wôuld be destroying
the right of private interpretation.
Q. Does not
the teaching
the
Protestant rule facilitate
of all sorts of e'^ror, and this withtut the possibility of applying an antidote?
A. Yes,
clearly.
For example, an ignorant 29^

342
Unitarian cobbler denies the divinity of Christ,
on these words " The Father is greater than I." It will be of no use for a Protestant minister to
'*
quote against him that other passage and the Father are one f for the cobbler
unity of affection,
is
will reply, that their unity is a
not of nature, and this he will say
evident
from the former passage.

leave
The
minister must
him
in his error
for the cobbler will tell
him he has a right to interpret Scripture for himself, and that he is as good a judge as any
minister.
Q. If the Bible be the only rule of faith, should not Protestants be able to tell us, with.
certainty, of
Bible
is
what and How many books composed ?

;
the.
A\ Certainly yet this they cannot do. They have never agreed amongst themselves on this they reject nine or ten books which we Mead admit. St. Paul to the Hebrews, St. James, the second of St. Peter, the third of St. John, St. Jude, and the Apocalypse, have been al] successively admitted and rejected by Protestants. Their opinions, so often changed, show they have no certainty as to what books really
;
constitute
the Bible
and, con-sequently,
the
Bible can ne\ er be for

faith.
them a certain
to the
rule oi
Q. What say you as
books of 5c7i/?-
A DOCTRlNi^L CATECHISM.
lure which are
lost,
343
alluded to in
Num.
;
xxi,
i,
14
Kings
iv,
32
;
Chron.
Matth.
ix,
ii,
Matth. A, If the Bible be the only rule, it is either the whole Bible, including the books that are
9
;
xxvii, 9
29 23 ?
Cor.
lost,
still
or
it is
;
that portion of the Bible
have
;
if
which we the former, then the rule is incomlet
plete
if
the latter, then
Protestants give us
to
one
text,
declaring what
ficient as a rule,
Yiecessity of
be sufand clearly indicating the non-
we have
what is lost. Q. Can you draw any argument against the Reformed rule, from the circumstance, that
Christ appointed a body of pastors
to
teach
and preach A, Yes

;
in his
the
Church ? Reformed
rule
;
makes
these
pastors an unnecessary lumber pastors
for either these
and
their people agree in their inter

;
pretation of Scripture, or they differ

agree, then give the people Bibles
if
are useless-the people can

if
they
differ,
?
then which
is
right
teach themselves pastor

the
?
they
the pastors
;
or
the people
Where
is
the certainty
If the
in(.er;
pastor compel the people to follow his

pretation, then
their rule
is
destroyed
is
ii
he
if
liis,
cannot do
this,
then again he
useless
and
to
they give up their
own
opinion and
follo\A
then they are trusting their salvation

fallible
one
man,
wh
fjîves
them, not the info ilible
St4
oi
Word
of God, but his fallible interpretation
that infallible
Word.
Q. If Christ intended the Bible to be man's only guide, should we not suppose that he would
have written
it,
or ordered
;
it to
be written ?
;
he never commanded his Apostles to icrite Bibles. but to PREACH the Gospel. Q. What may we ask Protestants in addition ?
A. Certainly
and yet he nevei did so
A.
Why
did not
the Apostles,
who knew
nnillions of
well the true rule of faith, write

Bibles,
and send them
to all the ends of the
earth, with a
command
to
all
to learn to read
them
that
?
all
Why
did they not establish schools,
might be taught to read ? Why did only a few, even of the Apostles, write their Why did they allow nearly one doctrines ? hundred years to pass before the last book ol and what rule did the Scripture was written Christians of that century follow, since the Scripture was incomplete ? Was not the world converted by the preaching of the Apostles and other pastors, and not by Bibles ? Whj'
;
did not the Apostles even translate the Scrip,

tures into the vulgar tongues of the nations
they converted?
St Paul,
Why' did
Rome,
tlreir
not St. Peter and

translate into the
who
lived at
Roman
tonû^ even
own
Epistles ?
Why
did St. Paul write to the
345
Romans
in
Greek
language understood only by the learned ? Q. Does it appear from undoubted facts, that God could never have intended the Bible to he
our only rule offaith ? have seen that A.
We
this
during the
completed.
it
first
century, for
first
;
was impossible the Bible was not

copies,
During the
four hundred years
and these few written with the pen, existed. Some books of Scripture were lying at one Church, and some at another and during these four hundred years they were translated into only one language yet, during these four hundred years,
equally impossible
; ;
was
few
whilst the Bible, as a rule of faith,

cal impossibility, the
was a physi whole world was converted: was discovered,

;
Nay,
until the art of printing
the Bible could not be the rule of faith
and thus Protestants must maintain, that the whole world was without any rule of faith during the first fourteen hundred years of Christianity. During that time few could read, and even ii they were able, they could not get a copy of the Scripture, which cost imn\ense sums. Even it present there is not one Bible in existence and what rule are those to for every ten souls Thus, even during follow who cannot read ?
;
the
first
century, the Bible
rule of faith,
was no* and much less was it
the only the rule
346
during the
four, nay,
first
during the
first foui-
teen hundred years.
Q. If the Bible, as privately interpreted, were our only tiîhunal of appeal, would not God have acted like an unwise legislator who
ivould
ters
make every man

;
his
own judge
in rnau
of law 1 A, Yes and
is
not this consideration alone
sufficient to
convince every reflecting person

?
of the futihty of the Protestant rule

sort of
.What
law would we have, if every man were his own advocate as well as judge ? If a wise legislator considers the judge of the law as important to the welfare of the
community
as the
law
what are we to think of Protestants, who would make God give us a divine code ol
itself,
taws, without supplying us with divinely ap-
pointed interpreters and judges of these laws
Such a
visions
principle contains in itself endless di-
and schisms. Luther's religion, which was one in him, became, by the adoption of this principle, the seed of an infinity of creeds,
so
much
so,
that scarcely
faith
two Protestants
point.
nave the same
on every
Q. What does Capito, Protestant minister

of Strasburg, admit in this matter ? A, " Our people now tell us," says he, " I know enough of the Gospel I can read it for
myself
have no need of you."
(Inter. Kpist
347
Dudith says to Beza, ''Our people are carried away with every wind of docif you know what their rehgion is totrine day, you cannot tell what it will be to-morCalv.)
;
row.
In
what
" It is
single
point
are
those
who
war
against the Pope agreed amongst them-
selves ?"
of great importance/' says

" that
Calvin to Melancthon,
w^hich subsist
the
divisions
among
us,
should not be
known
to future ages/'
CHAPTER
Q.
the
lY.
A7ê
there
not
many
essential
trutas,
vation,
knowledge of which is necessary to salwhich are not clearly laid down in
Scripture ?
A. Yes many for those out of the Church, who have for their guide Scripture alone, as understood and explained by private interpretation. But the Scriptures having been written by inspiration by Apostles and founders of the Church, and for her use, her membeis are not exposed to any error or danger on this subject. Tlie command to the Apostles and their successors was, " to teach."
;
Q.
K''>t^n
if the Scripture told us
what and
348
hoic
A DOCTRINAL CATECHFSM.
many
'!
loere
the
true,
all-necess-afy,
and
suffi-
original books of Scripture, would that be

cient
A,
No;
to be a certain rule of faith,
it
should
with the utmost certainty, what are the true and uncorrupted copies of the true
also inform us,
and
original Scripture.
The
last
of the Scrip-
were written nearly two thousand year^* ago we know that the last chapter was added to Deuteronomy after the death of Moses, and that other changes have taken place since that
tures
;
time.
What
text,
then,
tells
us
that
these
changes were made by inspired men, and not by impostors ? Without certainty on this head,
ihe Bible cannot be a secure rule of faith.
the
Q. WTiat do you draw from the fact, thai Jews were, for generations, without the
Bible as a rule offaith in their own tongue ? A. most important inference, viz., that
the people of God were all that time without that which Protestants maintain to be the only
rule of faith.
That people lost the use of the Hebrew language in the Babylonish captivity
after,
during fourteen generations
they spoke
and the Protestants themselves admit, that there was no Syriac version of Scripture before the time of Christ, (Ray croft's Ed. of Bible London, 1655.)
Syriac
;
Can
Protestants be certain tlud the Jew
A DOOTRINAL CATECHISM.
tsh
349
Rabbins did not corrupt
the original Scrip,
ture ?
A.
No;
this
is
another question the Bible
cannot answer.
If these ignorant
and malicious
in that hatred,
men, who had a sufficient motive

tianity in its source,
hated Christianity,
and
for corrupting Chrih-
when they
inserted, after
the
time of Christ, points to indicate where

point,
there should be a vowel, inserted maliciously a
wrong
fure
may
they not thus have perverted
verses and chapters, nay, whole books of Scri}
and what Protestant can be now certain that they did not do so ? Q. But even supposing all the originals which exist to be perfect, hotv can Protestants
;
knoiv that their translations nals are faithful?
from
these origi-
A.
Here
is
is
another necessary truth which

Translation from dead
;
the Bible cannot teach.
languages
at
all
times difficult
the
original
idiom of the Bible has not been in use for up-
wards of two thousand years the translators are mere men, and, of course, fallible. Zuinglius says, Luther was a foul coiTuptor of God's Word liUther retorts the compliment upon Zuinglius Beza condemns the translation of (Kcolampadius, and Castalio condemns that of B^'iu the Protestant Bishop Tunstal counted
;
tv
thousand errors
'n the
fir<?t
English trans-
30
34
A r>OCTRINAL CATECHISM,
iaton
Bille
;~
is
-and Dr. Broughton says, the English?

so corrupt as to send thousands into
eternal
flames.
The very
translators
them
every
selves confess, that tliey are not certain that
they have given the true

passage, but merely
the best readings.
Word of God
in
what they supposed to he Such is the Protestant rui^^

they trust their im-
such the thing to which

mortal souls
'
Q. // the Scripture he the only rule offaith, must it not he a matter of the last importance to know what is the true sense of that Sacred Volume ? A. Certainly and yet the Scripture cannot
;
tell
us this
nay, St. Peter (2 Pet. of Scripture

the
" are
iii,
16) tells
us, that parts
hard
to he
un-
derstood,
which
unleu^rned
and
unstable
wrest, as also the rest of
their
own
perdition''
the Scripture, to Nay, the Scripture can

the
not even prove that
itself is
Word
of God;
and
69,
this
Protestants admit.
;
(Chillingworth, p.
No. 49
14, p.
S.
p.
and Hooker Eccl. Polem., Lib. i, Dr. Covel (Defence, Art. iv 86.)
It
is
31) declares, "

does, or
it
not the
Word
The
of
God
which
to
can assure us that we do well

Bible then
all
think
the
Word of God.''
is
cannot
tiTiths
tell
us these
two most important of

the true
that itself
Word
of God, and
what
IS its
true and genuine sense.

351
Q.
Do you
?
observe other necessary triiths
us taught by the Church, not clearly laid

in Scripture
down
A. The doctrine of the Trinity, a doctrine the knowledge of which is certainly necessary
to
salvation,
is
not explicitly and evidently
laid
down
in Scripture, in the Protestant sense
of private interpretation.
Q. What say you of infant baptism ? A. One-third part of the whole human race
die before they reach their seventh year
:
it is
then a matter of the last importance to

;
know
for the whether infants should be baptized that baptism declares, is necessary to Scripture salvation and yet the Scripture does nowhere tell us clearly whether Christ intended infants
;
to
be baptized.
If
it
did,
why
should
we have
who have never been able to see this ^rzîÂ clearly laid down in Scripture? Here, then, we have a truth, upon which the salvation of one-third part of the whole human race
Baptists,
depends, which
is
not to be found in Scripture.
Q. Did not
the
Church, at the time of Christ,
and
before that period, keep the
day of rest from

on Sunday?
five o'clock
;
on Saturday
till five
A, Yes and yet Protestants keep it from twelve to twelve without any warrant of Nay, they oppose the Scripture Scripture.
Levit.
xxiii,
32" From
even unto even shall
yon
celebrate your Sabbath."
J52
A DOCTRINAL CATEfiUSM.
Q.
When
Protestants do profane work upon
Saturday, or the seventh day of the week, do

they follow the Scripture as their only rule oj
faith,
do
they find this permission clearly

in the Sacred Volume ?
laid
down
A. Oil the contrary, they have only the authority of tradition for this practice.
In pro-
faning
Saturday, they violate one of God's

clearly
"
commandments, which he has never

abrogated,
Remember
thou keep holy the
Sabbath day/' Q. Is the observance of Sunday, as the day of rest, a matter clearly laid down in Scrip
ture ?
and yet all Protestants consider the observance of this particular day as essentially necessary to salvation. To say, we observe the Sunday, because Christ rose from the dead on that day, is to say we and we act without warrant of Scripture might as well say, that we should rest on Thursday because Christ ascended to heaven on that day, and rested in reality from the work
A.
It
certainly
is
not
of redemption.
Q. Is
that St.
it
not said, in the
Book of
Revelations,
the Lord's
John was
is,
in the Spirit
on
day, that cural
Sunday ; and is not this proof that Sunday is the day to
Sci ipbe ob*
t& ved in the Nev^
Law

^_
353
.
A, Are we then to observe this particular day, merely because St. John had a revelation upon it, must we observe, as a day of rest and hohness, any day upon which an Apostle mas
in the Spirit ?
Q. But
A,
it is
is
called the Lord's
day
And
not every day the Lord's day,

tell
you not to work upon that does it tell you that the obligation of day, keeping Saturday is done away with, or that it was not the day of the Resurrection or Ascension which St. John here calls the Lord's day ? Q. Is it not said in the Acts " And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples
does this text
came together
to break bread, Paul
preached
unto them, ready to depart on the morrow," and is not this sufficient Scriptural authority
for the observance of the first
day of the week?
A. But does
this text
abrogate the observance

that
of Saturday the seventh day, or allow Protest
day ? Certainly They should then rest upon both days, if not. they hold the above text as any argument. The
ants to do profane
text in question does not say that the Apostle
work on
preached, or that the people assembled every
day of the week, but merely on ticular day, for which a good reason
first
It is
this paris
given,
namely, that St. Paul was to depart next day.

quite clear, however, that they
met every
30*
354
;
A DOCTRflVAL CATECHISM.
for the same Acts say, St. Paul Saturday preached in the Synagogue every Sabbath, and exhorted the Jews and the Greeks. Besides, h is not wonderful that the disciples came to gether on this first day of the week, since, according to Acts ii, they continued daily in the Temple breaking bread. Q. Does not St, Paul order the Galatians and Corinthians to make collections on the first day of the week ? A. Yes but, again, this does not abolish the observance of Saturday. St. Paul does not say that the people would be at church on that day, that they were to keep that day, to the exclusion of Saturday, holy,or that these collections were to be made at church, but merely that every man should lay up by himself in
;
store
upon that day. Q. What do you conclude from all this? A, That Protestants have no Scripture for that they the measure of their day of rest, abolish the observance of Saturday without
warrant of
Scripture,
that
they substitute
they have
Sunday
ty,
consequently,
in its place without Scriptural authori-
that for
all
this,
only traditional
Yet Protestants would look upon a man who would do profane work after five o'clock on Sunday, or keep the
authority.
first
Saturday and profane the
day, as a victina
A DOCTRINAL >A1ECH1SM.
of perdition.
the Scripture,
clearly,
35o
Hence we must
all
conclude, that
which does not teach these things

necessary truths,
does not contaii?
and, consequently, cannot be the only rule of

faith.
Q. Does
posed
it
not appear
from
all this,
that
Protestants teach, in
to Scripture,
many
things,
what
is
opdoc-
trines are
and that the Catholic much more Scriptural?

is
very evident from all we have said, and must be considered indisputable, if w^ e study carefully what has been said in page 88, and the following.
This
CHAPTER
Q. Does
written
ike
V.
it appear from Scripture, that the word was ever, either under the Old or New Law, considered as the only rule of
faith
A. Until the time of Moses there was no

w^'itten revelation
;
yet Seth, Abraham, Isaac.
Melchizedeck, and
all
God's
peo^ple,
were saved
by the belief of truths for which they could have no authority but tradition. Q. What says Moses as to the Book of the Law which he wrote, and ichich was the first
written revelation the world
was favored with

it
''
A.
He
orders tKe Levites to deposite
in
356
A DOLTR.NAL CATECHISM.
the side of the
Ark of the covenant of the Lord
;'
adding, " after seven years, in the vear of re

mission,
. . .
,
thou shalt read the words of

Israel in their hearing/'
tliis
law before
written
all
(Deut.
xxxi, 24, et seq)
Was
this
a giving of the
?
word
this
to the people as their only rule

it
The
ple,
Levites are ordered to read
to the peo-
and
only once in the seven years.
Q. What
9, et seq. ?
do we find in Deut., chap,
xvii, 8,
A. God commands his people, whenever they find among them a hard and doubtful matter in judgment, " to come to the priests of the Levitical race, and to the judge that shall be at that time, (the High Priest,) and thou shalt ask
of them," says the Lord, " and they shall
show
thee the truth of the judgment
and thou shalt do whatsoever they shall say .... and what they and he that will be proud, and shall teach thee refuse to obey the commandment of the priest
;
who
this
ministereth
at
that
time, .... that
man
shall die."
Moses had written out the law by

yet he, the inspired oracle of heaven,
time
does not put that written word into the hands

of the people, that by
disputes
;
it
they might decide their
on the contrary, he orders them, under pain of death, to have recourse to the priests of the Church, and especially to the High Priest, See 2 Paraltp. (2 Ghron. xix)
DOCTRl^
7,
VL
CATECHISM.
it is
35""/
and Maiachias
ii,
where
at his
said, "
The
lips
of the priest shall keep knowledge, and the people shall seek th^
law
Q.
Is not the
New
mouth." Testament equally
cleat
on this head?
A. Certainly
thing,
for Christ
never wrote any
and never commanded his Apostles to In Heb. i, 2, it is said, " In these days write. (God) hath spoken" (not written) " to us, by his Son." In Matth. xxviii, 18, Christ does not say to his Apostles, Go, write Bibles to all nations, In Luke x, 16, but " Go, teach all nations."
He
does not say.
He
that readeth, or heareth
the Scripture, heareth me, but "
He
that heareth
17,
you, heareth me."
In
Matth.
xviii,
He
is
does not say.

ture,
to
but
"
He that wîll not read He that will not hear the
the Scrip,
Churchy
be considered as a heathen and publican."
CHAPTER
Q.
VI.
Do
Catholics depend on tiâditional doc-
trines as well as
on those that are Scriptural
or written
?
;
A. Yes
It is
we
believe that
is
what Christ or
hi^
Apostles spoke,
clear,
as true as w^hat they wrote.
fram what
we have
truths
seen above, thai
they delivered
many
by word of moutlv
858
A D0CTR1ÂL CATECHISM
in the Scripture.
which are not written
These and divine by Catholics, when it is found that they have been beheved by all Christian nations, and in* every age of the Church.
truths are considered authentic
Q. Does the Scripture authorize this dependence on traditional doctrine 1 A, In 2 Thess. ii, 15, we have, " Hold the traditions you have been taught, whether by word, or by our Epistle.'' In 2 Corinth, iii, 3,
it is
said, "
You
are the Epistle of Christ, not
written with ink, but with the Spirit of the

living
God."
Here, what
is
not written
is call-
ed the Epistle of Christ,

of the living
Vvrritten
with the Spirit
God upon
only tradition,
as the written
the heart, which, though most certainly must be as true

itself.
Word
Q. Have you any other

effect ?
texts
to
the
same
A, 2 Thess iii, 6 " Withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which ye have received
of us."
;
See Rom. vi, 17 1 Cor. xi, 2 Tim Tim. i, 13, where it is said, " Hold fast vi, 20 the form of sound words which thou hast heara 1 Thess. ii, 13 " When ye received of me." the Word of God, which ye heard of us, ye received it, not as the word of men, but (as it
; ;
is
in truth) the
Word of God
"
A DOCrRl?JAL CATECHJSM.
35l>
Q.
How can you distinguish

1
true from false
tradition
A. As easily as you can distinguish a true from a false copy of Scripture. In both cases you must depend on the uniform and universal You hold testimony of Christian antiquity. your Bible to be the Word of God, because all (christian ages and nations have done so before you and you have the very same testimony
;
for the
traditional doctrines held as divine
by
the Catholic Church.
We
have as much
for the truth
evi-
dence
for the truth of universally-admitted tra-
Jitional doctrine, as
we have
and
authenticity and divinity of the four Gospels.
Q. Does not our Saviour say " Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal Jfe?" John V, 39. A, Yes but he does not say, in them ye kave certainly eternal life. This argument would prove, that the Old Testament, without for, at this time, not the New, was sufficient one word of the New Testament was written. In 2 Tim. iii, 15, we are told, that all Scripture IS profitable, and that it maketh wise unto salvation; and what Catholic ever denied this?
;
;
This text does not say that the Scripture alone
maketh wise as to every thing necessary. The book of Genesis makes men wise, but will this one book make men wise in every religiou?
860
truth ?
St.
Paul praises Timothy, because he had read the Scriptures from his youth but
;
then Timothy was a bishop, whose duty

.
it
was, not only to

Scripture.
read, but
to
expound the
Q. What say you to Deut. iv, 2 " You shall not add to the word which I speak, nor take away from it ?" A. At this time nothins; but the Mosaic law was written hence, this passage in the mouth
;
of a Protestant proves, that he- believes the
Mosaic law
sufficient as a rule of faith.
But
what
will
he say to the Prophets and Apostles,

all
who
afterwards added
the rest of the Oki
and New Testament ? It is not what is added by inspired men that is here condemned, but what is contrary to that which God had already revealed, for God do6s not condemn the good institutions of men. 2 Chron. xxx, 21, after the children of Israel, according to law, had
kept the solemnity of
23,) the
]i:eep
Vvâs
Azymes seven
days, (ver.
to
whole assembly took good counsel

addition, (ver. 27,)
''
other seven days, and yet, though this
human
their prayej
came
also,
to the holy habitation of
heaven."
Thus
Christ himself (John x, 22) keeps the feast
of the dedication, mentioned in 1st Macchabeeo,

iv,
f6,
though
this
book
is
not admitted hi
all.
Protestants to be Scripture at
A DOCTllINAL CATECHISM.
361
Q. Does not
lypse, the last
St.
John, at the end of Apoca-
book of Scriptuiê, say mail shall add to these things, God

unto him the plagues written in
(Chap,
order,
his
xxii, 18.)
" If
any
add
shall
this
book
last
T
in
A. The Apocalypse, though placed
was not
last written.
St.
John wrote
Gospel some years after his liberation from
the Isle of Patmos,
where the Apocalypse was
composed
hence, as St. John, according to the
Protestant sense of the words above quoted, would himself incur the curse, it is evident that he merely threatens with that curse any one who should dare to vitiate, by addition or substraction, the book which he there concludes, that is, the book of the Apocalypse. He ends his Gospel by declaring, (John xx, 25,) that our Lord did much that was not written and surely the witnesses of these doings were not accursed for relating and believing what they had seen, or heard from the lips of Christ, although these things were never written. The Thessalonians had tradition, (2 Thess. ii, 14 ;) Timothy had a form of sound wojds, (2 Tim. i, 13 ;) and were they, or are we, to be visited by the plagues, because, in obedience to St.
Paul,
we
hold these traditions, in addition to
what God commanded to be written ? It w therefore a nere Protestant gloss, unauthorized

31
362
by the text
itself,
and
in contradiction to the
rest of the Scripture, to assert, that
we
are to
believe nothing except
what
is
written.
ON THE TRUE RULE OF FAITH, OR THE IN. FALLIBILITY OF THE TRUF CHURCH OF
CHRIST
CHAPTER
Q. What
Catholics
?
I.
is
the
rule of faith
adopted by
A. All truly inspired Scripture, and all truly divine tradition, interpreted by the teaching body of the Church, that is, by the Pastors to whom Christ said " Go, teach all nations/' This teaching body, the Chief Pastor and the bishops in communion with him, all
Catholics
is,
believe
to
be
infallible,
that
if
can teach no error. Now, this great fundamental truth be clearly

that they
laid
down
;
in Scripture, then Catholics will be
quite safe
Pastors
then
following the teaching of their

the teaching
body
will be, to
the taught, an infaLible rule of faith.

well,
Markthtf
we do
not maintain that the pastors of
Church
are, of themselves, infallible,
but thai
God his made them
so for the benefit of hi5
people,
ips.
363
their
and that Christ himself teaches by

to
Q. What proof have you

Jiis ?
advance for
all
A. In Isaiah
teaching the
Christ Church ''He

ii,
3,
is
represented as
will
teach us his
ways, and
we
shall
walk
in his paths."*
Church must be
has Christ as
infallible in its teacliing,
That which
its
director,
and whose children
walk in the paths of the Saviour.
Q. What do we find in Isaiah, liv, 17 ? A. That no weapon which is formed against and that the Church of Christ shall prosper every tongue which resisteth her in judgment she shall condemn. Surely she must be infallible, if she triumph over every enemy, and have power from God to condemn every tongue
;
that opposes her decisions.

is
In Isaiah
Ix, 12, it
said, " that the
nation and kingdom that will
not serve her shall perish."

tions
Now,
could naif
be compelled
to
serve the Church,
she
?
could lead them astray and teach them error
Q. Do we find any thing of importance our purpose in Ezechiel xliv, 23 ?

*
to
Protestant brethren have only to refer to their own and note the titles of its chapters, to b satisfied, that this and the following passages, quoted from the Old Testament, have a direct reference to the Church of Christ, wh'nw
Bible,
Our
hfaiiibiUty thoy foretell iu the
most
explicit terms.
364
A. what
'*
They
(the priests) shall teach
my people
between a holy thing and a thing polluted, and the difference between clean and unclean they shall show them and when there
is
;
shall
be a controversy, they
shall
stand in judg-
ment, and shall judge according to
my
judg-
ments."
The judgments
of the priests of the

infallible,
Most High must then be

Q. What
.A.
since they
himself.
?
are according to the judgment of
God
We have " Our Lord

it
have we in Psalm cxxxii, 13

for
hath chosen Sion
an habitation to himself; this is my rest for ever and ever; here will I Now, acdwell, because I have chosen it." Tim. iii, cording to St. Paul, 1 15, Christ's dwelling-place is his Church " That thou may est know how to converse in the house of God^ It must be the Church cf the living God''
he hath chosen
manifest, then, that the
pure and free from error
Church of Christ is for, were she the

;
mother and mistress of idolatry, the pure God of heaven could never have chosen her for his
dwelling-place.
4 ? " Fear not," says the Almighty, addressing the Church, " for thou shalt not be ashamed, neither be thou confounded, for thou shalt not be put to shame." If, as Protestants pretend.
Q. A.
What
says Isaiah,
liv,
^he
Church became ida atrous, surely she musi
A DOCTRINAL CAl ECHISM.
365
have been put to shame, and, in this case, tlie words of the Ahuighty are supposed ialse, which iS evident blasphemy. Q. Is there not a still more brilliant testimony to the infallibility of the Christian
Church in A, Yes
the
*'
same Prophet,
I
Ix,
15
will
make
the
thee an
eternal
excellence/'
Would
Church be an eternal
depths of idolatry
shalt call
?
excellence, if after
a few centuries' duration,

the
she had fallen into
And,
in verse
;
18, "
Thou
shall
thy walls
more,
salvation
our Lord
;
be unto thee an ever-
lasting light
thy sun shall go

shall
down no
and thy moon
be no more diminished."
salvation,
Now, could
ble
it
be said of an idolatrous ChurciL
that her walls
were
that the infalli-
Deity was her everlasting

set
light,
that her
sun should
no more, nor her m.oon withdraw her light ? According to these texts, either the Church is perpetual, pure, and infallible, or
is
God
a false prophet.
In chap,
xlii, 3,
she
is
crown of glory, the delight of the Almighty;'' and in ver. 12, she is called, "a city sought for and not forsaken ;" and could she be either the one or the other, if she had,
as Protestants pretend, fallen into idolatry
called " a
ana
superstition
Q. What says Ezech. xxxiv, 22 ? A, 'Vl will save my flock, and it will he r
366
A DOCTRINAI CATECHISM,
more a
from
spoil
if
'
Could the flock be
saved
Church teaching that flock were full of error and buried in idolatry, as Protestants contend, for upwards of a thousana Surely that Church is infallible in years ? which God himself saves the flock from spoil. Q. Is not this infallibility clearly laid down
spoil,
the
in Isaiah,
Ixi,
A, Yes, very
clearly.
" I will direct their
work
Pastors, "
Lord of his Christian and I will make an everlasting covenant with them" for preserving this neverin truth/' says the
failing truth.
Surely nothing could more
explicitly point out the infallibility of the future
Again, in xxxv, 5, it is Church. said, that in the time of Christ's Church, "the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and a highway shall be there, and it shall be called the
Christian
way
of holiness,.
.though fools
shall
not err
therein."
Now,
if
the
Church were
idolatrous
or superstitious, could she be called a

holiness, a
way
of
way
yje
in
which even
fools could not
err ?
Q. Do
A, Yes nant with
bility
not find a very strong text in

?
Isaiah, Ixix,
;
20
there the Almighty

"
makes a
coveinfalli-
his
Church, which places her

all
beyond
doubt.
says he, " a
Redeemer
to Sion,
There shall ome/' and to them thmt
A DOCTRINAL
shall
C \TE-CHIi
>I.
367
as
for
return from iniquity in Jacob;
ine, this is
my
that
in
is
in thee,
covenant with ibem and my words that

.lot
my
spirit
thy mouth, shall
have put depart out of thy mouth,

I
nor out of the

the
m juth
of thy seed, nor out of
mouth of thy
for ever/'
seeds' seed,
from henceforth
and
Surely a Church, with the
mouth, with the Spirit of God as her guide, and having the word of heaven, that these shall remain with her foi
of
in her
Word
God
emr, must be
xxxii,
infallible
can teach no
error.
Q. What say you

Church
39,
to the
words of Jeremiah,
where God says of his Christian " I will give them one heart and one
way, that they

put
may fear me for
ever
will
fear in their he arts, that they shall not depart from me ?"
my
A, Protestants see here

duration, the
how
false is their
assertion, that after three or four
hundred years'
Church of Christ fell into idolatry. That Church is io fear God for ever, and nevei
to
ments, and observe
walk in my judgand do them, 1 will make a covenant of peace unto them; il shall be an everlasting covenant with them ] will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore,'^ We here ask any reasoning Protestant, if an idolatrous Church can observe
"
Atlmighty says
depart from God.
In Ezec. xxxvii, 24, the

shall
They
my
statutes
868
God's statutes
inrjagined, that
can
He make an
;
everlasting
it
peace with such a Church
or can
be even
aiiJ
He
could place his holy sanc-
tuary in the midst of a mass of idolatry

superstition /or evermore ?
CHAPTER
II.
ARGUMENTS FROM THE NEW TESTAMENP.
he will not hear the Church, let him be untf thee as a heathen and a pubhcan ?" A. ask, could a good God, who came to teach truth, and to save men by the belief of
" If
Q. What do you observe on Matth.
xviii,
17
We
truth,
give such a
command
as
this,
if
the
Church, w^hich he appointed to teach,

idolatrous
that
Church ? Suppose, for Church teaching even one error, does not
were an a moment,
above text, command all to beHeve that error under pain of being as heathens and publicans, for w^hom there is no salvation ?
Christ, in the
If this supposition
be not blasphemous,
is
know
not what
is
and yet such
the language of
every Protestant.
dently
By
rejecting the infallibility
of the teaching body of the Church, they evi-
make
fell
the Saviour
command
it,
his people
tc
to believe idolatry, as the Churcbi,
according
them,
Christ
into
it,
and taught
soon
aftei
left
the world

A DOCTRINAL CATEUHISM.
369
make on the where ChriH Matth. xviii, next verse says to the teachers in his Church, " Whatsoever you shall bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever you shall loose upon
Have you any remark
to
18
earth, shall
^1.
;
be loosed also in heaven
?''
Yes these words have relation to the Sacrament of Penance, and the other doctrines connected with it. But the infallibility of the Church is secured and asserted in other parts of
the Scripture, as, "
you all days;'' Q. Do you here suppose

vidually infallible ?
Go ye, teach ;" " I am with " He that hears you, hears me/'
the teachers indi-
A, The Pope as the constant head of the Church we hold infallible in decisions ex cathedra : but not exempt from falling into perThe various bishops are neither insonal sin. But we may dividually infallible nor sinless.
argue that
if
the
Pope and the various bishops
teach any particular doctrine, men
who have
had no motive for such, do actually teach the 'êry same truths, then we maintain, by all laws of human evidence or moral certainty, that their combined testimony to the existence of any doctrine infalliWy proves its truth. This, however,
IS
not what
we contend
se
;
for here
we
maintain our teaching body to be

j'ause
infallible, be-
(Tod has
made them
as in the Old

S76
Law
he
made
the Sciibes and Pharisees, wlio
were the public ministers of his Church, (though often, no doubt, personally sinners,) infallible, for the safety of those whom they taught. That these teachers of the ancient Church were in^ fallible, is more than evident from Matth. xxiii, " Upon the chair of Moses have sitten the 1 Scribes and Pharisees all therefore whatsoever they shall say unto you, observe and do,'' Were they not infallible teachers, even God could not and surely no thus command us to obey them one will make the teachers of the better Chris
;
;
tian
Church inferior to these. Q. Did not the Apostles and first Christians
?
act on this teaching as infallible
A. Yes
in
Acts xv,
2, Paill
and Barnabas,
and certain others, went up to Jerusalem to have a disputed question of religion authoriThey had no Scripture to tatively decided. yet, after great disputation, guide them they, as the teaching body, decided, Saint Peter declaring that their decision was the deIt seemeth good to cision of the Holy Ghost ;" and this decisicm and to us the Holy Ghost
:
'*'
was obeyed by
neaven.
all,
as the infallible decree ol
Q.
Is
it
not manifest,
from
Gal.
ii,
1,
thai
in
the first Christians reposed no :onfidence any authority but the Church teaching ?

A
J<
CT.rvINAL CATr.CHISM.
37
A. It is even St. Paul, after teaching and preaching fourteen years, goes up to Jerusalem. " I went up," says he, " according to revelation, and conferred with them the Gospel which I preach among the Gentiles." St. Paul does not take the Scripture here as his only rule; no, no; he draws an additional confirmation of his own inspired teaching, from its conformity to the teachings of the Church, necessarily infallible. This, however, not as if he were doubtful, but to satisfy such, if any, as might regard him as a teacher apart or distinct from the Church. Q. Does not St. Paul Ephes. iv, 11 supply us with a very strong argument : " He gave some Apostles, and some prophets, and
;
other some evangelists, and other some pastors and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, until we all meet in the unity of faith ?" A. This certainly is a strong passage. Here the Bible is not employed to perfect the saints, to edify the body of Christ, but a body of living teachers are pointed out, and these must be infallible in their doctrine, otherwise they would neither perfect nor edify the body of
Christ.
Q. What say you on Matth.
xvi, 18
"The
it.''
gates of hell shall not prevail against
(the
Church
builder
?)
A. In
"On
is
this passage, Christ is the architect or

this
rock
the foundation
vock I will build my Church:' and Christ declaras.

;

372
that
even
all
the
power of
hell shall
never
pr*
vail against her.
Who
then will dare to assert
Church, with such a foundation, such an architect, and such a promise, is fallible, Either she that she may fall into idolatry? cannot fail, or Christ is only a false and impothat this
tent prophet.
Q.
Is
not the
infallibiliiy
of the
Church
clearly pointed out in
Matth. xxviii, 18, 19,
20, where it is said, " All power is given to me in heaven and in earth going therefore, teach
;
all 7ia^/on5, ....
teaching them to observe

1
all
things whatsoever
have commanded you and behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world?" A. Christ here sends his Pastors to teach all nations, and to teach them until the end of the
world
:
He knew
well that his Apostles could

;
not do this of themselves
for twelve mortal
men
could not teach everywhere and always
until the

Christ sent these
first
When,
therefore,
teachers, he
sent with
them
;
all
their
chosen assistants and

did
successors
for
surely Christ
not
come
merely to secure safe teachers

says he has
all
to those
lived in the time of the Apostles!
who Now, he
power
:
his teachers infallible
sends them to teach
all
tlierefore he can make He, the God of truth, and sureJv ha nations
;
A LOCTRINAL CATECHieiM.
'HS
He vnU does not send tham to teach error I days, says, all all thejn, and, beyond he he with
doubt, he will be with them, to preserve
at
all
them
times from teaching even the smallest
error, for he could not
be with an idolatrous
Hence, as Christ himself is the guide and this in every age, she can Church, of the obviously teach no error hence she is infalChurch.
;
lible.
Q. What says
A.
St.
Paul I
Tim.
iii,
15
He
calls
is
the visible Church, in
which
Timothy
a teacher,
"the Church of the
LIVING God, the pillar and ground of truth.''
What man
is,
will dare
attempt to give these clear

?
words even two probable explanations
She
says an Apostle, the Church of the living God, therefore she can teach no error. She is
the pillar
so, if
and ground of
truth
could she be
?
she taught idolatry or superstition
Q. was infallible
We admit, you may say, that

until the Scripture
thc^
the
Church
written,
was
but after that period

infallible rule.
Scripture became the
A. Christ does not tell vou that his Church be infallible only for a time, he declares she will be so until the end of time nor does St. Paul say, that the Church will ever cease to be the pillar and ground of truth. The Scriptures are, be) ond doubt, an infallible rule to
will
32

374
the extent of the revealed truth contained in
them, but they are
infallible
only in themselves
and not with regard

infallibly correct,
to us, unless
we
are preis
pared to say, that the meaning
we
give them
be,
and that
this
cannot
we
have only to consider how Protestants contradict one another in interpreting Scripture. The Bible, then, cannot be an infallible rule,
unless your understanding of
right
;
it
be
infalliblv
but of this you can never be certain,
you have it interpreted for you by an infallible judge, and this, as you must see, sup poses the existence of an infallible Church ? Q. In Luke x, 16, what do we find?
unless
A.
*'
He
that heareth you, heareth me, and
he that despiseth you, despiseth me."

ble teaching
He who
infalli-
heareth the teaching of Christ, heareth

;
but Christ,
who cannot
deceive
declares, that he
who
hearêth his pastors, hear-
eth himself ; therefore their doctrine, being that
of Christ,
is infallible.
Q. Does not
correct
?
the Apostle-^Gd\.
i,
assume,
that the teaching of the pastors is infallibly
A. Certainly for he declares, that even an angel from heaven is not to be believed, if he teach a doctrine contrary to that preached by
;
the pastors of the Church.
Q. Have we not a most conclusive passage
DOCTRINAL CATECHISxM
31^
I
in
John
xiv, 16, 17,
and
xvi, 13
"And
will
ask the Father, and he will give

Paraclete, that
ever, the
you another he may abide with you for
Spirit of truth. ,. ,You shall know him, because he shall abide with you and in
;
you
but
when
he, the Spirit of truth, is
come,
he will teach you all truth
A, Here the teaching body of the Church are to be directed by the Spirit of truth, who is to teach them all truth, and for ever. They must then be infallible guides.
Q
the
Does not Christ

world
?
call his
Apostles the
light of the
A, Yes
and upon these words
we
argue
sent
m
by
following manner.
The
;
light,
Christ to enlighten the world, could not lead

into darkness or error
their lawful successors
fore
but the Apostles and

;
were such light therethey could not lead mankind astray. Q. We admit, say some of our reformed
the
brethren, thai the Apostles v)ere infallible, but
we cannot make
vastors
same admission as
them.
to
thi
who succeeded
must,
A.
ter,
You
we
reply, either admit the lat-
you must make Christ a respecter of persons, who gave to the first Christians infallible teachers in the Apostles, and left all the rest of mankind to the direction of erring men Christ sureh makes us as secure as
or
376
the
first
(yhrktians
he loves
us, as
he lovpd
them.
Q. Cav you strengthen your cause by a reference to Ephes. chap, v ? A. Yes. The Church is described there as
riie
spouse of Christ
Christ has sanctified her,
and lovel her, and presented her to himself, without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, and made her holy and without blemish. Now, this Church must be free from error, otherwise Christ could not sanctify her, nor could he I'ove
her, if she
was
idolatrous
is
her holiness, withprelates," says St.
out spot or blemish,

infallibility.
a certain pledge of hei
"Obey your
Paul, " for
they watch, as being to render an
account for yo^r souls."
Now% how
could the
Almighty, by his Apostle, order us to hear and
obey men, unless he knew that these men could " Take heed to yourteach us no error ?
selves," says the
same Apostle
to the pastors of
the Church, " and to your whole flocks, w^herein the Holy Ghost has placed you bishops, to rule
the
Church of God."
CouM
the
Holy Ghost
according
subject his people in this world to the rule and

direction of men,
who might
to Protestants, did^
and,
teach error, idolatry, and
superstition ?
Q. Must not the rule of faith, given by tkt Almighty to mankind, have been an easy rule ^
377
A. Yes
Christian
pastors
because
it
was
inte:ided for the ig^
norant as well as the learned.
Wherever
the
Church
for
;
existed, there
were Christian
a flock without
we cannot suppose
shepherds
guides
hence, the teaching of these living
was always within reach of their people. This mode of acquiring instruction is a " path in which even fools cannot err ;" not so the Bible, about the interpretation of which even
and which, until the invention of printing, fourteen hundred years after Christ, could not be within the and to those who reach of the people at all be no rule at all. were unable to read, could Q. Was the Jewish as well as the Christian
the most learned dispute
differ,
;
and
Church infallible 7 A. As long as it was the decree of heaven that the Jewish Church should exist, she was,
by the teaching of her pastors, infallible as a During the first two guide to her people. thousand four hundred years of the world, there was no Scripture God's people Seth, Abraham, Isaac, Israel, Job, Melchizedeck were saved by the teaching, which must have been
;
infallible,
of the patriarchs.
In Deut. xxxi, the
Levites are ordeied to read and expound the
Scripture to the people; but the Scriptuieis

not put into the hands of the people.
In the
same Book, chap,
xvii,
all
are
commanded,
32*

378
A DOCTRINAL CATE
:H ISM.
under pain of death, to have recourse to the Church in every controversy. In 2 Parahp. (2 Chron. xix) " Amarias, youi
pastors of the
7,
high priest, shall be cuief in the things which
regard God."
In
to
Make,
ii,
the people are

lips of
commanded
seek the law^ from the
the priesthood.
Now,
surely these
commands,
Jewish
to ';bey the pastors or teachers in the
Church, evidently suppose that body to be

infallible, for
a good
God
could not
his people,
under pain of death, to

lead
command obey men

be so uni-
who might
them into error. Q. Was the Church of Christ to versal, that all its children might
reach of
its
be within
teaching
A, St. John, Apoc. vii, 9, besides twelve thousand of every tribe of Israel, saw a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues. Ps. ii, 8
"
Ask of me, and
will give thee the Gentiles
and the end of the earth Ps. xxii, 27 for thy possession.'' All the ends of the earth shall remember and be conPs. Ixxii, 7'^ He shall verted to the Lord." rule from sea to sea, ....yea, all the kings of the earth shall adore him, and all nati ms shall serve him." And in the New Testament, the J Church is represented as a city on the top of a mountain, as a light which cannot be hid,
tor thy inheritance,
"^

379
whilst IJhrist commissions his Aposi /es to teach

all nations.
is
The
teaching of the Church, then,

all,
within reach of
;
as the
Church
is
visible
to all
but no one in his senses will say the

Bible,
same of the
whose
existence, in the hands
of the people,
was an
impossibility during most
of the time that has elapsed since the establish-
ment of
Christianity.
CHAPTER
Q.
say
:
III.
May
not some reasoning Protestant here

inter-
You have given a very plausible

infallibility
to
pretation of these passages of Scripture in
favor of the
Christ
;
hut
how are we
?
the true interpretation,
that
of the Church of know that yours is

these texts
mean
exactly what you say
A, Here
with,
to
we have a sensible person to reason and we request nim to beg the Almighty
mind
;
enlighten his
wê
beg him
to solicit
this
grace through the all-powerful mediation
of the incarnate and crucified
God
is
wê beseech
him
also to recollect, that there
a thick misi
of long-fostered
prejudice
to
be removed,
that the effects of early education are to be overcome, pride and self-love to be curl)ed and repiessed. Let him give these texts an
380
A DOCTllINAL. CATECKiSM.
attentive reconsideration, and then v/eigh im*

partially the following reflections.
1st,
The
following rule of criticism has been
universally received
"
be clearer than the

the
thing
texts, then, in question,
Every explanation must explained." The by the chapter titles ot

refer
to
Protestant
Bible,
:
evidently
the
Church on this head, therefore, there can be no dispute. These texts say, that, in the Christian Church, the Lord will teach us his ways, that our path shall be so plain thai even fools cannot err in it, that God will never be wroth with his Church, that she shall be founded in justice, that her children shall he taught of the Lord, &c., &c. Now,
Christian
what interpretation can be so clear as that which I gave these texts, that the Church of which they were spoken must be free from error and what inference could be more forced and unnatural than this, which Protestants
draw,
that a Church, with these splendid and
glorious attributes,
a Church which
into idolatry
I
?
has
God
his
as her teacher, his
Spirit her guide,
and
Word
The
ever in her mouth, should be

fall
liable to
teach error, or
drew from the New Testament evidences is still more natural. 1 will build my Church upon a rock, the gatea
inference which
A DO(^TRtNAL CATECHISM.
381
with her all days, even

the
world,
truth,
she pillar and ground of my Holy Spirit teach her truth

is
to the
consummation of
all
the
will
for
ever.
Is
not the interpretation of these
passages, in favor of infallibility, easy, natural,
and obvious
jectural,
and wôuld not any interpretation

fallibility,
of them, in favor of
the texts themselves
2dly,
be forced, conless clear
and whimsical, and much

?
than
Our next reason
for the admission o/

is this
:
the Catholic interpretation

for this interpretation, the
We
have,
unanimous testimony
all
;
and collective judgment of

tions,
ages, of
all
nathis
of
all
Christian people
and surely
is
ought to be preferred to the private interpretation of
one
fallible
Protestant rule
each
man
for this, in fact,

is
the
to
Protestant
bound
follow the interpretation he himself thinks best.

If there
is
wisdom among many

is
counsellors,
even two or three gathered together in his name, surely any interpretation, universally believed by the Catholic Church spread over all nations, and existif
and
Christ
in the midst of
ing in
tion of
rie
all
ages,
is
preferable to the interpreta-
any one
be
individual,
how
learned soever
may
3dly,
Our
interpretation should be admitted,
if I
can prove that the Protestant mode of inlorpretation ought to be rejected truth lies
;

382
;
; ;
between us the one must be right, the other wrong. Now, that mode of interpretation is bad in theory, which its advocates are obHged to abandon in practice. But such is the Protestant
mode
it
supports the right of private
judgment as the great palladium of Gospel liberty. When, therefore, Protestant Churches interfere with, or restrain this liberty, they abandon But the Church of their system in practice. England excommunicates the Church of Scotland excommunicates
this
for doctrinal errors
is
reconcileable
?
judgment
with the right of private This right, they say, is from Christ
it
those w^ho use
are responsible only to Christ
no Protestant Church has a right to judge of its use, or its abuse, for that is the very power they deny to the infallible Church. Protestants authorize each man to interpret, and then excommunicate and depose him for doing
and
if so,
what they authorize

bad
to
;
hence, their principle
is
they hold in theory what they are obliged

in
abandon
practice.
What,
indeed, are
their
signatures to the thirty-nine articles, and Athanasian Creed, their denunciations or the their suspensions Dissenters and Unitarians, ^but a practical abandonof Pusey and others,
ment of the empty boast of Protestantism the right of private judgment ? 4thly, That mode of interpretation must be
A DOCTRINAL OATECHISM.
383
the
correct one, which
is
sanctioned by the
example of the Apostles, and practised by the primitive Church. But both these appealed, private not to judgment, but to the judgment of the teaching Church, for the truth of their doctrines. When certain teachers at Antioch disputed with Paul and Barnabas concerning
the necessity of circumcision, did they appeal
each to
his private
judgment, or to the Scrip-
ture privately interpreted ?
No
they sent a
deputation with Paul and Barnabas to consult

the pastors of the
Church
at Jerusalem.
The
;
Judeans and Antiochians, led by private judgPaul ment, believed circumcision necessary
and Barnabas thought otherwise.

the Church,
They
appeal,
not to the Bible, but to the teaching body of

and, under the direction of the
is
Holy Ghost, the point
decided by this body.

alone were the
Now,
if
the
Scripture
only
rule, the
Antiochians were guilty of a heinous
sin in abandoning that rule, and the Apostles were equally criminal in deciding by any other 5thly, That mode of interpretation is true which was adopted during the first five centuries during which period even Protestants admit that the Church was pure and free from
;
every
error.
Now, when Arius
denied
the
was no appeal to private judgment; a general Council was called in

Divinity of Christ, there
384
the year 325,
and thus was condemned, by the
body of
Arius,
first
living teachers, the impious doctrine oi
doctrine which
may
be styled the
pri-
monster produced b} the principle of

as the
vate interpretation.
Such adopted by all

6th]y,
turies.
above was the principle

first five
s.
the Fathers of the
cen-
St. Irenaeus,
(Adv. Haer^
L.
iv, c. 45,)
:
who
lived in the
appointed in his
doctors
;
Second Century, sa^s " God Church Apostles, prophets, and

gifts of
where, therefore, are the holy
God, there must the truth he learned'' And again Cap. lii, p. 355 " To this mari all things will be plain, if he read diligently the Scriptures, with the aid of those who are the priests in the
Church, and in whose hands rests the doctrine of the Apostles.'' Origen, of the Third Century,
says, (Praef. Lib.
i,
Periarchon,)
"
Many
think
they believe what Christ taught, and some of

these differ from others
that doctrine
tles
;.
. .
.all
should profess
the
which came doicn from and now continues in the Church ;
Apos-
that alone
is
what is tnus delivered," St. Hilary, in the Fourth Century, says, the ship from which Christ
truth which in nothing differs from
preached 'Ms an emblem of the Church, within which is the vwrd of life placed and preached'*
"I would not,"
*3pist.
Augustine (Contra Fund.) in the Fifth Century, " I would

says
St.
A DOCTRINAl CATECHISM.
885
not give credit to the Gospel, unless the au^

thority of the
Church induced me
Faust., "
is
to
it
for/*
says he, Contra
the authority of our
sacred hooks
bishops,
confirmed by the consent of

the
nations, through
succession
of Apostles,
and
councils."
CHAPTER
IV.
Q. Can you confirm all these arguments in favor of infallibility, by an appeal to reason, which is the handmaid of Scriptuiê ? A, Yes*; reason tells us, that a fallible Church is unworthy of a good and merciful God. What security can man have from a Church which may teach error his salvation depends upon and how can he be cerhis faith and morals tain what he should believe or practise, if he have no teacher but a fallible Church ? Hence, either the Church of Christ must be infallible, or there should be no Church at all for no man can ever be certain that what a fallible Church teaches is true he can never, without doubting, believe her doctrines he can have not even moral certainty of salvation for
;
though he may believe every thing she teaches, and practise all that she commands, he must still remain in doubt as to the truth of his be*ef To have true faith, you must have a 33
385
A DOCTRENAI. CATECHISM.
this
teacher that cannot err

unless the
you cannot have,

It is
is
Church be
it
infalHble.
vain for
infallible
il
you
to reply, that the Scripture

;
an
teacher
until
we admit
an
be
infallible
teacher,
;
your interpretation of
it
infallibly right
but
you are satisfied that you have it explained by an infallible interpreter, you must still
be in doubt regarding
its
true
meaning; and
infallible,
hence, though in itself the Bible be
with regard to you
it is still
fallible rule.
CHAPTER
V.
THE CHURCH CALLED CATHOLIC IS THE TRUE INFALLIBLE CHURCH OF CHRIST.
We
have already proved, by the most con-
vincing arguments, that the Church of Christ,
whatever and wherever she be, is infallible we have yet to point out w4iat and where that Church is we new deliberately assert, that this infallible Church of Christ, is that great, ever-enduring, and everywhere-existing Church, which is called Cathohc. Q. Hoic do you prove this assertion ? A. Were we destitute of every other argument, the following would be sufficient. That Church, and that Church only, can be the true Church of Christ, which openly avow^s and befor, having once Ueves its ovm infallibility
;
;
;
admitted tkat Christ's Church
is
387
any
infallible,
Church teaching
it
its
own
fallibility,
teaches that
;
cannot be the Church of Christ
because,
even though such Church were actually in itself infallible, by teaching its fallibility, it teaches an error in dogma, and, by this very fact, becomes fallible. But the Catholic Church is the ONLY Church upon earth, which avows, believes, and teaches its own infallibility therefore, the Catholic Church is, beyond all doubt, the true, infallible Church of Christ and the Protestant Church, by proclaiming her own fallibility, and liability to err, proves to a demonstration, that she has no right to the august title of Christ's Church. Q. What other proofs have you to advance on this subject? A. The Scriptural marks of the Church of
;
Christ are to be found only in

;
the Catholic
Church hence, the latter is evidently the Church of Christ. These marks are Unity, Sanctity, Catholicity, and Apostolicity.'^ The true Church of Christ is, according to Scripture, One, There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one fold, of which there can be only
* As an apology
to the reader for the hrevity
with which
fully al
we
will state the following
argument,
we
requetit hira to re-
member, that we have treated these subjects more Wi^ 50, in the early part of this work
388
A DOCTRINAL
CA'J
ECHISM,
one shepherd.
blemish.
She
is
is
Holy: The spouse
of
Christ,- -a purchased people,
holy and without

The
Apos-
She
Catholic or universal:
prophet declares, that she will have the nations

for
her inheritance, and the ends of the earth

;
for her possession

tles
and Christ
tells
his
to preach the
Gospel to
all nations.
She
{Âpostolical: Christ was to.be with

days,
Yier all
she was
to exist always,
from the time

all
of the Apostles to the end of the world, that
her doctrines might be traced easily back through
every age
to the Apostolic times.

is
The
Protestant Church
not One.
Prot-
estants admit and Protestants
deny the Trinity some of them admit and some of them deny some admit and some "he Divinity of Christ deny the necessity of baptism, the real presence,
;
the existence of free-will, the necessity of good
works, the propriety of having bishops as rulers

in short, there is scarcely
they are
agreed
one point in which upwards of two hundred
jarring sects of Protestants
made
their appear-
ance during the
first
century of their existence.
The Protestant Church, then, is not One. Nor can it be said that she is Holy. She has taught that God is the author of sin, that man mus' sin, that good works are hurtful to salvation. Her founders and leading teachers Calvin, Cranmer, Knox were ai] Luther,
A DOCTRINAL CATLCHISM.
Stained
;
880
Melaiichthon says,, the by immorality whole Elbe would not supply tears enough lo and Luther adds weep over their crimes " Our people are more disorderly, vicious, and cruel now than when they were Papists." The
;
Protestant Church, therefore,
is
not Holy,
St.
Nor
is
it
true that she
is
Catholic,
Pa-
by the name Catholic, the true Church is distinguished from all heresies. The Protestant Church has never, though she has often attempted it, been able to filch that glorician says, that
ous
name from
us,
or to get herself
made known
and recognised by that title. If you ask anywhere, even in Protestant countries, for the Catholic Church, no one will point to a Protestant Church. Fifteen hundred years of Christianity had elapsed after the death of Christ before she made her appearance, before even her very name was known therefore she is
;
not
Catholic
or universal
as
to
time.
She
never was so diffused throughout the world as

that she deserved to be styled the
Church of aK
nations.
tries
lies
;
Protestants are only 18,000,000, Cathoare 256,000,000; she not exclusively

is
;
She
is
only know^n in a few coun-
the
Church of any one nation, nay, of any one parish under heaven therefore, she is not universal as to place. She is not Catholic as to
th^ truth of her doctrine
it is
different in al-
33*
300
r)0(jj'Kii\Ai.
'jvrEcuisM.
most every different country it has ped and changed almost every year
;
scarcely
oeer^
ohop-
will
ycu
point, believe the
dent,
two Protestants, who, on every same principles. It is evitherefore, that the Protestant Church is
find
not Catholic,
To
be Apostolical, she should have a per-
petual succession of society, doctrine, orders,
and mission from the Apostles. Now she made her first appearance in the world only in the year 1517 ; her society existed nowhere before that time
;
her
peculiar doctrines could
not exist, for there were none to profess them.
As
she had no existence, she had no pastors
hence, she could have neither orders nor mis

sion.
Indeed, her pastors cannot have orders

at present.
even
There are only two ways of receiving orders and mission, either directly from heaven, or from the lawfully sent and ordained pastors of God's Church upon earth but Protestant ministers have not received them
They came fifteen in either of these ways. hundred years too late to have any connection with Christ oi- his Apostles and they have never been able to prove that they received either orders or mission from the Catholic
;
('hurch
they
the
only Church in existence

first
when
Prot-
made
their
appearance.
The
estant Chuicli, therefore, has not the Scriptural
DOCTRINAL
CATJ: HISM.
<
391
marks of truth. Unity, Sanctity, Catholicity, and Apostolicity hence, beyond all doubt, she cannot be that infallible Church of Christ, which we have, by such a flood of overwhelm ing evidence, proved to exist.
;
CHAPTER
VI.
THE CATHOLIC oHURCH HAS ALL THE SCRIPTURAL MARKS OF TRUTH.
She is One in her faith. The Apostles' Creed, the Nicene Creed, the Athanasian Creed, and the Creed of Pope Pius, are everywhere taught the same articles of faith, the and believed same principles of morality, everywhere found in tne same rule of faith everyher catechisms the same sacrifice of the Mass where followed everywhere offered the same seven sacraments ever}^where administered; the same great festivals of redemption, and the same Apostolical fast of Lent, everywhere observed.
;
Such, in short,
that the
altar
is
her unity in these respects,

is
Catholic priest
the world
;
at
home on every
and the Catholic laity, whether they wander to the west or to the east, to the north or to the south, can join with ease and fruit in every part of Divine worship, because it is everywhere essentially the same. She is One in her government too Her chilin
:
'jO'G
a D( CTRINAL CATEuKiSM.
dren spread over
all
nations, differing
else, in
from each
other in every thing

battle array;
the order of religion
are one, united, beautiful body, like an
army
in
each simple Catholic is subject to his parish priest, each priest to his bishop, and ach bishop acknowledges the spiritual su-
premacy of
Peter's lawful successor, to
whom
Christ said, "
Feed my lambs, feed my sheep." The Catholic Church is therefore One. She is Holy. She teaches her children to
believe
all
that
God
;
has revealed in the Old and
Testaments to look to Jesus alone for mercy, grace, and salvation to practise the
;
New
virtues
recommended
in the
Gospel
:
to receive
short, to
the sacraments there instituted
in
believe firmly, to hope with confidence, to love
with fervor
God and every
fellow -creature
and heavenly means, and crowned in every age with myriads of saints, whose lives have been so incontestably holy, that even enemies have been compelled to admit their eminent The sanctity, and reverence their memory.
doctrines,
Her pure
pious exertions, have been
Catholic Church, then,
is
evidently Holy.
She
is
Universal too.
The name
Catholic
has been ever hers in spite of every enemy.
By
she
this title is she
known now everywhere,
as
days of Pacian or Tertullian. She bears not tlie name of any man or any
in the
was
country, because she
is
393
the
Church of every
man and
every country.
in
Her
;
doctrine has
every nation Jerome, Augustine, Leo, and Gregory, taught what we It has been attacked in vain by the teach. other doctrines ablest heretics and infidels have arisen and died in rapid succession
been taught
every thing has been changed, even nations have lost their very names her doctrine has
;
remained the sam.e amid the general wreck, because the truth of the Lord remaineth for That she has been universal as to time ever.
that
is,
that she has existed ever since Christ,
without
any interruption even Protestants and there is scarcely a nation willingly admit under heaven that does not attest her universality as to place ; everywhere her altars rise, everywhere her sacrifice is offered, everywhere her pastors disseminate the pure Word of God. She converted the world from Paganthe names of her Apostles are embalmed ism
; ;
in the recollections of the nations she converted.
Ask
for the patron saint of
every nation
he
in succession,
and you
will find, that
who
priest
is
carried Christianity thither
was a Catholic
or a Catholic bishop.
Where is the nation

is
that
not under the protection of some Catholic saint
Where
is
the great city that
not adorned with
some Catholic cathedral,
university, or
monas-

394
A DOCTRINAL CATElUIl
'>M
tic institution
magnificent even
v.
in
its
ruins
Where is the island that is not hallowed by the name of some Catholic recluse ? Where is
hose monuments do not speak our antiquity and universality by the
even the graveyard,
names, the embJems, the doctrines, that adorn the moss-clad stone ?
In fine, the Catholic
Church
is
Apostolical
Her
society
we can
we
trace, as a religious body,
with congregations, pastors, liturgy, back through
every age, until

society,
arrivô ai that first blessed
which was formed

;
as
Christ and his Apostles
her doctrines can be

;
the school of
traced to no source but the Apostolic times
her orders and mission can be
back through an unbroken succession of bishops and Popes to the time of Christ, who ordained and commissioned the first pastors of his Church. She is therefore Apostolical, in every sense cl the word.
traced
can come tiien, dear reader, to omy one conclusion on this all-important subject, which we think fully warranted by what we have seen. That conclusion is this the true Church o\ Christ, which is mfallible, ought, according: to Scripture, to be One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolical. But the Protestant Church
:
We
i:>
DOCTRINAL CATLuHlSM.
395
ueither one, nor holy, nor Catholic, nor Apostolical

;
therefore,
sh*^ is
not, she
cannot be, the
true, infallible
trary, the
Church of Christ. Church called Catholic
On
is
the con-
strictly
;
in her faith,
her government, her liturgy
One Holy
;
in her head, her doctrines, and her saints
Catholic as to time, place, and doctrine

tolical as to her society,
Aposdoctrine, orders, and

;
mission.
fallible
Therefore, either she

of Christ, or
is
the true, inis
Church
is
God
a deceiver
is
the Scripture
*Rd religion
Word, reason a solemn mockery

not his
a fancj
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m

CATHOLIC FAITH AND PHACTIQfi

ABE SUSTAINED BY AN APPEAL TO

BASIS OF SCHEFFMACHER'S CATECHISM.

EDtVARD DUNIGAN & BRO

CATHOLIC PUBLISHING HOUSE,

.i^ TheLibrarv 'y.\^\A^ OF CONGR^^^^BATIONS \I

'support of the Doctrines, Institutions,

Ignorance and Misrepresentation.

Believer will be hereby

instructed and confirmed in his Faith, and the sincere Searcher

will here find a lucid path

talented aithor has

Vicar Apostolic of Eastern Scotland.

lOth Aprils 1846.

m the JNorthern District of Scoiiand.

15/A April, 1846

Cabdinal McCloskey, Archbishop

Diso^sioNs on the various questions of religion have

are, matters of inevitable necessity,

because Curistianity and

the schismatic, heretic,

minister of Jesus Christ

gious controveisy an impoitant part of his studies, as

can, with the help of God's grace,

these unfortunate v^anderers to the fold of

angry leelings are sometimes engendered by

these discussions, the fault

raised the standard of rebellion against the authoritative

teaching of the lawful pastors,

ed to feed his lambs and his sheep, with the bread of

are p^ojperly qualified

found in the multitude of

observed, not of the vulgar and

brightest ornaments of the age,

proved tJiemselves ready

sacrifice every worldly

science and truth,

advantage for ihe sake of

of the nctim of pas-

sion, as is the case

conceived notions of Catholic doctrine are such, as to

Their teachers have been

employed, not in refuting the true Catholic doctrine, but

calumnies against, and publishing misrepre-

sentations of Catholicism, and then

diences wdth a refutation, not of the Catholic religion, but

Rome. Even with

the rules of discussion,

and whose minds are imbued with something

That Divine Book does

will interpret to suit his

give proofs of their mis-

to their novelties, the traditional doctrines

were sent by God by the most evident and

but the reforming ministers never wrciUght

even one miracle

were sent by God, or

cystem the seal of heaven.

asked to prove, without the aid of