IX.
After them came Henry VIII. He was a Catholic, and defended the Catholic religion. He wrote a book against Martin Luther in defense of the Catholic doctrine. That book, I have seen in the library of the Vatican at Rome a few years ago. Henry VIII. defended the religion, and for doing so was titled by the Pope, "Defender of the Faith." It came down with his successors and Queen Victoria inherits it today. He was married to Catherine of Aragon, but there was at his court a maid of honor to the Queen, named Ann Boleyn, who was a beautiful woman and captivating in appearance. Henry was determined to have her, but he was a married man. He sent a petition to the Pope asking to be allowed to marry her, and a foolish petition it was, for the Pope had no power to grant the prayer of it. The Pope and all the bishops in the world cannot go against the will of God. Christ says: "If a man putteth away his wife and marrieth another, he commiteth adultery, and he that marrieth her who is put away committeth adultery also."
As the Pope would not grant the prayer of Henry's petition, he took Ann Boleyn, anyhow, and was excommunicated from the Church.
After a while there was another maid of honor, prettier than the first, more beautiful and charming in the eyes of Henry, and he said he must have her too. He took the third wife, and a fourth, fifth and sixth followed. Now this is the founder of the Anglican Church, the Church of England.
Our Episcopalian friends are making great efforts, nowadays, to call themselves Catholic, but they shall never come to it. They admit that the name Catholic is a glorious one and they would like to possess it. The Apostles said, "I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Holy Catholic Church." They never said, in the Anglican Church. The Anglicans deny their religion, for they say they believe in the Holy Ghost, the Holy Catholic Church. Ask them, are they Catholics, and they say, "Yes, but not Roman Catholics. We are English Catholics." What is the meaning of the word Catholic? It comes from the Greek word Catholicus, universal, spread all over the earth, and everywhere the same. Now, first of all, the Anglican Church is not spread all over the earth. It only exists in a few countries, and chiefly only where the English language is spoken. Secondly, they are not the same all over the earth, for there are now four different Anglican churches: The Low Church, the High Church, the Ritualist Church and the Puseyite Church. Catholicus means more than this, not only spread all over the earth and everywhere the same, but it means, moreover, at all times the same, from Christ up to the present day. Now, then, they have not been in existence from the time of Christ. There never was an Episcopalian Church or an Anglican Church before Henry VIII. The Catholic Church had already existed fifteen hundred years before the Episcopal came into the world.
After Episcopalianism, different other churches sprang up. Next came the Methodist, about one hundred and fifty years ago. It was started by John Wesley, who was at first a member of the Episcopalian Church. Subsequently, he joined the Moravian Brethren, but not liking them, he made a religion of his own, the Methodist Church.
After John Wesley several others sprang up, and finally, came the Campbellites, about sixty years ago. This Church was established by Alexander Campbell, a Scotchman.
X.
Well, now, my dear beloved people, you may think that the act of the twelve apostles of Indiana was a ridiculous one, but they had as much right to establish a church as had Henry VIII, or Martin Luther, or John Calvin. They had no right at all, and neither had Henry VIII, nor the rest of them, no right whatsoever.
Christ had established His Church and given His solemn oath that His Church should stand to the end of time. He promised that He had built it upon rock, and that the gates of hell should never prevail against it. Hence, my dear people, all those different denominations of religion are the inventions of man. And I ask you, can man save the soul of his fellow-man by any institution he can make? Must not religion come from God?
And, therefore, my dearly beloved separated brethren, think over it seriously. You have a soul to be saved, and that soul must be saved or damned, either one or the other. It will dwell with God in heaven or with the devil in hell. Therefore, seriously meditate upon it.
When I gave my Mission in Brooklyn several Protestants became Catholics. Among them there was a very highly educated and intelligent Virginian. He was a Presbyterian. After he had listened to my lecture he went to see his minister, and he asked him to be kind enough to explain a text of the Bible. The minister gave him the meaning. "Well now," said the gentleman, "are you positive and sure that is the meaning of the text, for several other Protestants explain it differently?" "Why, my dear young man," says the preacher, "we never can be certain of our faith." "Well then," says the young man, "good-bye to you. If I cannot be sure of my faith in the Protestant Church, I will go where I can," and he became a Catholic.
We are sure of our faith in the Catholic Church, and if our faith is not true, Christ has deceived us. I would, therefore, beg you, my separated brethren, to procure yourselves Catholic books. You have read a great deal against the Catholic Church, now read something in favor of it. You can never pass an impartial sentence if you do not hear both sides of the question.
What would you think of a judge, before whom, a policeman would bring a poor offender. And who on the charge of the policeman, without hearing the prisoner, would order him to be hung? "Give me a hearing," says the poor man, "and I will prove my innocence. I am not guilty," says he. The policeman says he is guilty. "Well, hang him anyhow," says the judge. What would you say of that judge? Criminal judge, unfair man, you are guilty of the blood of the innocent! Would not you say that? Of course you would.
Well now, my dearly beloved Protestant friends, that is that is what you have been doing all along. You have been hearing one side of the question and condemning us Catholics, as a superstitious lot of people, poor ignorant people, idolatrous people, non-sensical people, going and telling their sins to the priest. And what, after all, is the priest more than any other man? My dear friends, have you examined the other side of the question?
No, you do not think it worth your while. But this is the way the Jews dealt with Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And this is the way the Pagans and Jews dealt with the Apostles, the ministers of the Church, and with the primitive Christians.
Allow me to tell you, my friends, that you have been treating us precisely in the same way the Jews and Pagans treated Jesus Christ and His Apostles. I have said this evening hard things, but if St. Paul were here tonight, in this pulpit, he would have said harder things still. I have said them, however, not through a spirit of unkindness, but through a spirit of love, and a spirit of charity, in the hope of opening your eyes that your souls may be saved. It is love for your salvation, my dearly beloved Protestant brethren, for which I would gladly give my heart's blood, my love for your salvation that has made me preach to you as I have done.
XI.
"Well," say my Protestant friends, "if a man thinks he is right would not he be right?" Let us suppose now a man in Ottawa, who wants to go to Chicago, but takes a car for New York. The conductor asks for his ticket, and he at once says, "You are in the wrong car, your ticket is for Chicago, but you are going to New York." "Well, what of that?" says the passenger, "I mean well." "Your meaning will not go well with you in the end," says the conductor, "for you will come out at New York instead of Chicago."
You say you mean well, my dear friends, but your meaning will not take you to heaven. You must do well also. "He that doeth the will of My Father," says Jesus, "he alone shall be saved." There are millions in hell who meant well.
You must do well, and be sure you are doing well, to be saved. I thank my separated brethren for their kindness in coming to these controversial lectures. I hope I have said nothing to offend them. Of course, it would be nonsense for me not to preach Catholic doctrines.
