/tpT i’Vo'? ’ m ; Our Sunday Visitor Press, Huntington, Indiana 75 22-U?D An Hour With A Sincere Inquirer WHICH IS THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST? (1) It is historically certain, that Jesus Christ lived on earth, that He claimed to be the Son of God made man, and that He proved this His claim by the sanctity of His life, by the prophecies of the Old Testament concerning the promised Redeemer, by miracles, and, above all, by His resurrection. (2) If Jesus Christ is truly the Son of God, then all He said must be true, and all He promised to do He must have done. Now, among other things, He promised to found a Church, and only one. Consequently there must now exist a Church founded by Jesus Christ, and since the Catholic Church is the oldest of all societies called churches, it follows that the Catholic Church is that one Church founded by Him. (3) Even if we had not the express words of our Lord, that He would found only one Church, reason alone would convince every one that there can exist only one Church founded by Jesus Christ, since He could not con- tradict Himself, as He would, if, opposed as all churches are to one another in doctrine, He had been the founder of more than one church. (4) Christ not only promised to found a Church, He promised also to build this Church as the prudent man in the Gospel had built his house—that is to say, upon a rock; not to allow the powers of hell to prevail against her ; to send to her the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of Truth, “to abide with her for ever,” and to remain Himself with her unto the end of time;—all of which means, that He promised to endow His Church with infallibility in teaching all nations until time shall be no more. OUR SUNDAY VISITOR LIBRARY HUNTINGTON, INDIANA 2 AN HOUR WITH A SINCERE INQUIRER (5) Consequently all those who say that the Church founded by Jesus Christ has fallen into error, teaching now a doctrine different from that confided to her by her Divine Founder, deny, at least implicitly, the Di- vinity of Christ; for, if the Church has fallen into error, then Christ has not kept His promise to build His Church upon a rock, not to allow the gateg of hell to prevail against her, to send the Spirit of Truth to her, and to abide Himself with her unto the end of time. But, if Christ has not kept His promise, then He did not keep it either because He was not willing or not able to keep it, which is the same as to say, He tvas not God. (6) It is certain that our Lord had authorized the Apostles and, consequently, also their successors, the bishops, who form the teaching body of the Church, to teach all nations. From this it follows, that every one is strictly bound to listen to the teaching Church and to ad- mit her teaching as true. But if our Lord obliges every one to admit the teaching of the Church as true, then it must needs also be true; for if not true, then our Lord Himself would lead people into error by strictly obliging them to believe firmly to be true what is not true. It follows then, necessarily, that our Lord having endowed His Church with authority to teach , has also endowed her with infallibility in teaching; i. e., in her authority to teach is also included her infallibility in teaching. (7) You willingly admit, that every one is strict- ly bound firmly to believe what our Lord has taught. But in order to firmly believe what our Lord has taught you must be absolutely sure that what is proposed to your belief is really the doctrine taught by our Lord. Of this you can be perfectly sure only if you admit a messenger who tells you with infallibility what our Lord has taught and what He requires of you to believe. Without having left such an infallible messenger, our Lord would re- quire of men to do something without giving them the means with which to do it. This fully explains why Cath- AN HOUR WITH A SINCERE INQUIRER 3 olics who are convinced that the Catholic Church is that infallible mesenger left her on earth by our Lord, have convictions, whilst non-Catholics, not admitting such an infallible messenger, have only changing opinions. (8) If you ask a Catholic: “Do you firmly be- lieve this or that to be the true meaning of such or such a quotation of holy Scripture ?” he will answer that he believes it as firmly as if he heard it from the very lips of our Lord Himself. And if you ask him : “Why do you believe it so firmly?” he will reply : “Because the Church teaches it.” When you ask, why he so firmly believes the teaching of the Catholic Church, his answer will be: “I am perfectly convinced that the Catholic Church is the Church founded by Jesus Christ and built by Him upon a rock, so as to be secured against ever teaching and oblig- ing people to believe anything contrary to revealed truth.” (9) Non-Catholics, not admitting an infallible teaching authority, when gathered together in order to decide upon what is really revealed truth and upon what is the true meaning of Holy Scripture, may be compared to surveyors, who are going to measure a piece of land with- out having first agreed upon a common standard of measurements. (10) Only a church claiming infallibility in teach- ing can claim also authority to teach , and to oblige its hearers to admit its teaching as true. Hence all non- Catholic churches, not claiming infallibility in teaching give up at the same time their claim to authority to teach, and, consequently, their claim to be the Church founded by Jesus Christ to teach all nations. (11) The infallibility of the Church in teaching does not depend either upon the learning, or upon the sanctity of her popes and bishops, but rests solely upon the promise of her Divine Founder, who is both willing and able to keep His promise. 4 AN HOUR WITH A SINCERE INQUIRER (12) This is confirmed by history. For, although the enemies of the Church have been very numerous, and many of them very learned, they have worked in vain to prove, by one single instance, that the Church ever con- tradicted herself. This proves, beyond a shadow of doubt, that the Church is not a mere human, but a di- vine institution, preserved from erring by the almighty power of God Himself. No doubt, assertions of the Church having taught contradictory doctrines have been made and will continue to be made; but all such asser- tions are either empty sayings, or as many proofs that those who make them are ignorant of the real doctrines and of the history of the Catholic Church. “WHAT’S TRUE IS NOT NEW, AND WHAT’S NEW IS NOT TRUE” (1) This axiom must be self-evident in its applica- tion to facts, whether taught to man by nature or by re- velation, if we except the facts of history and current events. The law of gravitation was true long before New- ton discovered it ; it was true from the date of the birth of the universe of which the earth is a part. Newly dis- covered stars existed thousands of years, if not millions of years, before they were sighted by our latest telescopes. (2) Every believer in the divinity of Christ consist- ently confesses that He was THE Truth. But there are many self-evident deductions which follow from such be- lief, to some of which we would call your attention. Granting that Christ was THE “Truth,” any depar- ture from His doctrine or His code of morals during any century since His time must have been away from the truth, and therefore not defensible. “For the law was given by Moses; grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” (John I, 17). “Jesus saith to him: T am the way, and the truth and the life. No man cometh to the Father, but by Me.” (John xiv, 6) “For this was I born, and for this AN HOUR WITH A SINCERE INQUIRER 5 came I into the world ; that I should give testimony to the truth. Every one that is of the truth, heareth My voice.” (John xviii, 37) “That (Jesus Christ) was the true light, which enlighteneth every man that cometh into this world” (John i, 9). Granting that Christ was THE “Truth,” there could not possibly have been any reformation of His work, of His teachings, or of His moral standards. A movement in any one of these three directions would contain error. It would “change the truth of God into a lie” (Rom. i, 25). “The word of the Lord endureth forever. And this is the word which by the gospel hath been preached unto you.” (I Peter i, 25). Because Christ was THE “Truth,” He taught with authority, and not like the Scribes and Pharisees of either ancient or modern times. Therefore, “anyone who is not with Christ is against Him, and anyone who gathereth not with Him scattereth” (Matt. xii. 3). If Christ was THE “Truth,” then any organization set up as a substitute for the Church, which He founded and commissioned His Apostles to establish, is the work of “a false Christ or false prophet” (Matt, xiv, 24), no matter what loyalty may be suggested by its name. Holy Scripture informs us in many places that false teachers would appear through the centuries (Matt, xxiv, 11), (Mark xiii, 22), (II John iv, 11), (Rev. xix, 20). No or- ganization formed by any of them could be “the Church of the living God, the pillar and ground of Truth” (I Tim. iii, 15). If Christ was THE “Truth,” and promised to pro- tect His Apostles from error in the propagation of His teaching, then any new substitute for His or the Apostles’ teaching is to be anathematized (Gal. i, 8-9), no matter how much more attractive the substitute might appear to be. “For such false apostles are deceitful workmen, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ” (2 Cor. ii, 13), 6 AN HOUR WITH A SINCERE INQUIRER If Christ was THE “Truth,” then any modern sub- stitute for His clear decisions relating to Marriage, Di- vorce, Education, is to be condemned, no matter how much greater approval it might receive from the majori- ty. Holy Scripture warns us against codes springing from corrupt minds and hearts: “For there shall be a time, when they will not endure sound doctrine ; but, ac- cording to their own desires, they will heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears” (2 Tim. iv, 3). “Now as Jannes and Mambres resisted Moses, so these also resist the truth, men corrupted in mind, reprobate concerning the faith” (2 Tim. iii, 8). “And no wonder: for Satan himself transformeth himself into an angel of light” (2 Cor. xi, 14). INVESTIGATE CATHOLIC CLAIMS (1) It is not Catholic doctrine which keeps people out of the Catholic Church. We have in mind those who might otherwise feel disposed to investigate Catholic claims. There is a large body of Americans, of Englishmen, of Germans, of Scan- dinavians, of Swiss, who, seemingly quite honest with God, give the Catholic Church no hearing because of in- herited prejudices. We mention these particular groups because they are the ones who have been most affected by the anti-Catholic activities and propaganda consequent on the so-called Reformation 'in their respective mother countries, activities and propaganda encouraged by the very States themselves for several centuries. (2) But to return to the group, which pretends to find some point of Catholic doctrine impossible of accept- ance. If the members of this group were truly honest with themselves they would discredit most of the dogmas of physical science. Which doctrine of the Catholic Church would be more difficult to believe than the doctrine behind Radio, if it were not a fact that is ever before us? Surely AN HOUR WITH A SINCERE INQUIRER 7 no one would say it is more difficult to believe in the Im- maculate Conception than in the possibility of a speaker or singer, entertaining the people of the entire world. Daily contact with the Radio prevents anyone from deny- ing this phenomenon or mystery. But if it were taught merely as a theory, as an abstract truth, whose manifesta- tions had never been experienced, would it not be almost impossible of belief? (3) Is there anything in Catholic teaching more dif- ficult to grasp than life in the insect, in the snail, in the tree or plant, in the grain of wheat, in the egg? Is there anything in Catholic teaching more difficult to conceive than what astronomers teach about the number and mag- nitude of heavenly bodies and their distance from us, ex- pressible only in unpronounceable figures? How few the skeptics in relation to the scientific teaching that there are more heavenly bodies than there are people in this world ! But let anyone try to grasp the immensity of space occu- pied by these if each were only as large as this world ; if there were, in other words, 2,000,000,000 worlds the size of ours, all separated by safe distances from the rest. Everybody says “Credo” to these and other dogmas of science, even without investigation or hesitation.- They accept these facts of the natural order on the same basis that they are expected to accept the facts of the super- natural order, namely, by faith. (4) How can the Protestant who actually believes that the eternal Son of God became man, that He lived on earth thirty-three years amid privations, sufferings, and the greatest poverty, and then allowed Himself to be cruelly murdered for His creatures, consistently hold it impossible to believe that the same loving Savior would go a single step farther? From love unto death there is surely only a step to the Eucharist, which evidences His continued love for each individual and His persevering interest in the salvation of each ? Anyone who can believe in the Incarnation of the Son of God can believe any addi- 8 AN HOUR WITH A SINCERE INQUIRER tional mark of God’s love. The Eucharist would not be a more infinite step than the Incarnation. Protestant Christians readily and unquestionably ac- cept the difficult doctrine of the Incarnation of the Son of God and of the Redemption of the world through His bloody death on the cross, yet refuse to accept what should be easy to believe after believing the former, viz., the doctrines of the Eucharist, of the Sacrament of Pen- ance, of an infallible Church, etc.—all of which are cal- culated to keep the redeemed race closer to God, make it direct sharers in the fruits of the Redemption, to imbue it with a sense of security in its faith. (5) Surely it ought to be more difficult to believe that Almighty God could intend such a state of confusion and uncertainty as exists in the Christian world to-day than to believe that He would have provided for the de- finite instruction of His followers, as the Catholic Church claims, or for the establishment of unity of religious be- lief and practice among those who profess to be members of the household of the faith, who regard themselves as His adopted children and address Him “Our Father”. Do not delude yourself into believing that you are kept out of the Catholic Church because of her teaching. If you were, and were consistent, you would be a dis- believer in a hundred other things which you so readily accept on human authority, and without even asking for proof. THE BIBLE IN THE CHURCH (1) Supposing, for argument’s sake, but not grant- ing, that all that Christ has taught is contained in the Bible, He must have instituted a tribunal to explain it, and to require this explanation to be admitted as the true one, He would have acted as imprudently as a ruler who, after the publication of a code of laws, should have omitted to appoint a tribunal endowed with authority to AN HOUR WITH A SINCERE INQUIRER 9 explain it and to require this, its explanation, to be ac- cepted. In case of a lawsuit both parties would come be- fore the court with the law-book in hand and interpret it according to their own interest. Our Lord acted as every prudent lawgiver is expected to act. He appointed a tri- bunal to guard and explain the holy Scriptures, authoriz- ing it at the same time to require of every one to re- ceive its explanation as the true one. This tribunal, as proved by history, is the Catholic Church. (2) Let me call your attention to the fact, that all non-Catholics who yet admit the canon of holy Scripture, do this on the authority of the Catholic Church, and thus, by this very fact, not only acknowledge that the Catholic Church was authorized to declare which books were in- spired and which were not, but also, that in doing this she was preserved from erring—i. e., made infallible. (3) Non-Catholics who no longer admit the judg- ment of the Catholic Church regarding the inspiration of holy Scripture, must logically examine, not only those writings which the Catholic Church has collected in the canon, but also those which she has rejected as not being inspired. This non-Catholic examination of sacred writ- ings is like that, for instance, of ancient classics, made by learned but, after all, fallible men, and, consequently, their judgment rests only on human authority, and is, therefore, insufficient for the making of a supernatural act of faith. Catholics have their Bible declared to be in- spired by the infallible Church, and, consequently, their faith rests on the authority of God Him- self. Thus they are really enabled to make a supernatural act of faith in the teaching of writings, which the in- fallible Church has declared to be inspired. (4) The conviction, that the holy Scriptures are in- spired writings, is not all that is required. There yet re- main doubts regarding the true meaning of their con- tents. This is confirmed by daily experience. Nothing 10 AN HOUR WITH A SINCERE INQUIRER is more evident than that those who do not admit the in- fallible teaching authority of the Church, although they still admit the authenticity and inspiration of the holy Scriptures, are continually quarrelling among themselves about its meaning, and the most learned among them are just the very ones who disagree most. Catholics, on the contrary, having first convinced themselves of their Church being endowed with infallibility in teaching, are infallibly sure, not only of the inspiration of the holy Scriptures but also their true meaning. (5) That the Bible alone was not intended to be the sole rule of faith is sufficiently evident from history, which tells us that the Catholic Church had existed fully three centuries before it had become known which were inspired writings. History tells us also, that the Bible was not the sole rule of faith, even after the Third Council of Carthage had declared which writings were inspired and which were not. This is apparent from the fact, that before the art of printing was invented, it was at least morally impossible for the great majority of peo- ple to have a Bible for their use. Neither is the Bible in- tended to be the only rule of faith at present. The rule of faith left by our Lord must be a rule that all can make use of. Such a rule cannot be the Bible, since there will al- ways be a great number of people who either cannot read, or cannot get a copy of the Bible in their own language or cannot understand what they read. This is corrobo- rated by every day’s experience. In fact, the boastful watchword of the so-called Reformation, “The Bible, and nothing but the Bible,” has never been carried out in practice. The real difference between Protestants and Catholics consists actually in this, that Protestants accept as interpreters of holy Scripture unauthorized individuals or small bodies of men, whilst Catholics have as their in- terpreters of Holy Writ the infallible Church of God . AN HOUR WITH A SINCERE INQUIRER 11 CHURCH’S INFALLIBLE AUTHORITY (1) The true Church must necessarily claim infalli- bility, or freedom from error, in teaching. A church not claiming infallibility in teaching cannot claim the right to oblige people to admit its teachings as true. From this it follows that, since other religious organizations do not claim infallibility in teaching, confess that they have neither authority to teach, nor authority to require their teaching to be admitted as true, they consequently admit they are nob the Church which our Lord has founded, to teach all nations. (2) It is evident, both from Holy Scripture and from tradition, that Peter was appointed by our Lord the head of the Apostles; that to him our Lord gave a Pri- macy not only of honor , but also of jurisdiction , and that, consequently, this Primacy of St. Peter and of his suc- cessors is an essential part of the government of the Church founded by Christ. (3) The “keys” of the kingdom of heaven—that is to say, the supreme spiritual power—Christ gave to Peter alone . “I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. xvi. 19). (4) It is also evident from Holy Scripture that the superiority of authority which our Lord gave to St. Peter was acknowledged and admitted by the other apostles, and history tells us that the Bishop of Rome, as successor of St. Peter, was always regarded as the head of the whole Church and as endowed with special poivers. As a last desperate effort to find an excuse for their not sub- mitting to the authority of the Bishop of Rome, Angli- cans and others have tried to disprove this historical fact. In this endeavor they have not only failed, but succeeded in opening the eyes of many well-meaning and sincere members of their community to the untenableness of their position. 12 AN HOUR WITH A SINCERE INQUIRER (5) Our Lord appointed St. Peter as the shepherd of the whole flock,—that is, of the whole Church; conse- quently every member of the Church isbound in conscience to heed the direction of St. Peter and of his successors in matters relating to faith and morals. But, if we are ob- liged by our Lord to follow the supreme shepherd of the Church, then we have also at the same time the assurance, that our Lord will never allow us to be led by this su- preme shepherd—i.' e., by the successor of St. Peter — into pastures of error. “One God, one Christ, one Mediator; one Truth, one Church; one episcopate, though many bishops, as there is but one sun with many rays. But the foundation of this oneness Christ has laid in Peter, to whom He has given the keys of the kingdom of heaven and consigned his en- tire flock.”—St. Cyprian ; 258 A. D. (6) Our Lord prayed for St. Peter, that “his faith fail not.” To deny St. Peter’s and his successors’ infallibility in teaching the whole Church, is the same as to declare, that the prayer of the Son of God was null and void, which is certainly pronouncing a blasphemy. (7) History, too, is proof of the infallibility of the successors of St. Peter. Many learned men have spent almost a life-time in order to discover one single instance of a pope having taught a doctrine in contradiction with what was taught by another pope. As yet they have la- bored in vain. Catholics most willingly admit, that among the successors of St. Peter there have been men who were far from being saints; but this fact is only one more proof that the Papacy, as well as the Church, is a divine institution, preserved by the almighty power of God Him- self from falling into error. Our Lord has promised not to allow His Vicar on earth to become a teacher of error. This promise our Lord is both willing and able to keep. He has kept it and will continue to keep it unto the end of AN HOUR WITH A SINCERE INQUIRER 13 time, and even if the most unworthy men should happen to sit on the throne of Peter. STRUGGLING WITH CONSCIENCE (1) As soon as you shall become convinced that the Catholic Church is that one and only Church which our Lord has founded, and which He has endowed with auth- ority to teach all nations and with freedom from error in teaching, you will be also convinced of your strict duty to submit to this Church, and to ask of her to be instructed in all you have to believe and to do in order to save your soul. What is yet wanting to you may be the gift of faith. To be intellectually convinced and to believe are two things infinitely different from one another. The former belongs to the natural, the latter to the supernatural or- der ; the one you can obtain by the natural faculties of the intellect, the other only by a supernatural help coming directly from God. Without the light or gift of faith, one, however intellectually convinced, is unable to believe su- pernatural, revealed truths, just as one who has perfectly healthy eyes is unable to see without light. This fully ex- plains why so many highly talented and highly educated persons do not believe, notwithstanding their being con- vinced that God gave a revelation to mankind, and confid- ed this His revelation to the custody of the Catholic Church. They do not believe because they cannot believe, and they cannot believe either because they have never received the gift of faith or they have lost it by their own fault. If talent and learning were sufficient to believe, then highly talented and learned persons would also be better off spiritually than persons less talented and less learned, whilst daily experience proves that poorly tal- ented and poorly instructed, but truly humble persons, believe most firmly. They possess the gift or light of faith in a very great measure. In this light all that God has revealed and what holy Church proposes to their be- 14 AN HOUR WITH A SINCERE INQUIRER lief, appears to them so clearly and so certainly revealed, that to doubt it in the least becomes for them, as it were, a moral impossibility. (2) After having become convinced of your duty to submit to the authority of the Catholic Church, still more after having done so with the help of God’s special grace, you must not wonder, if you are at once assailed with all kinds of temptations, unknown to you before. The arch-enemy of God and man hates nothing so much as the Church of Jesus Christ. Hence he most willingly grants everything, if by doing so he can keep persons out of the true Church. In the Catholic Church he recognizes the mystical body of Jesus Christ, and that infallible and all-powerful means instituted by Him, to lead men into the possession of heaven, from which he and all the fallen angels are for ever excluded. These temptations and an- noyances, therefore, must be for you one more convincing proof that the Catholic Church is the true Church of Christ. Don’t be disturbed by them nor dispute with them. As Pilate said : “What I have written, I have writ- ten” ; so also say you to the tempter : “What I have re- solved to be and to do, I have resolved.” Be faithful in your prayers, and in due time God will command the storm of temptations to abate. The clouds of doubts and perplexities will disperse and a great calm will ensue. Whilst the enemy intends to harm and ruin you, God wishes you to have a chance to prove your fidelity and generosity, and thus to take firmer and deeper root in the fertile soil of holy Church. To confirm and encourage you the more against possible temptations and annoyances call to mind and convince yourself of the following truths : (3) In order to truly please God we must not only abstain from evil, but also do the 'positive will of God ; but to do the will of God we must learn it ; to learn it we must make use of that means which He Himself has in- stituted to acquaint men with His holy will. This means AN HOUR WITH A SINCERE INQUIRER 15 is the Church founded by Jesus Christ, which you have become convinced is the Catholic Church. Consequently, every one who in all earnestness wishes to do God’s holy will, and thus become pleasing in His sight, must listen to the teachings of the Catholic Church. (4) The question is not, whether we have all the same God, whom we all intend to serve; but whether we serve Him in the manner He Himself requires; for only when a servant does what his master demands of him, can he expect to please him and to be rewarded by him. (5) Whatever endearing expressions a child may make use of, and however generously and sincerely it may try to please its parents and make them loved and honored by others, it can never truly please them as long as it neglects or refuses to do that one thing which they, above all others, require of it. So neither can any one truly please God, however great and generous his en- deavors may be, if he neglects or refuses to submit to the authority of holy Church, or neglects to clear up his doubts as to whether the Church he belongs to is, or is not, the Church founded by Jesus Christ. Such a one only deceives himself and allows himself to be deceived by others, and all the good works he may imagine he is per- forming are scarcely more than mere rubbish in the sight of God. (6) When appearing before the judgment-seat of our Lord, one may enumerate all the good actions he has performed and call upon the whole world as a witness of the irreproachable and edifying life he has led; but all will avail him nothing, if he did not submit to the auth- ority of the true Church, or, by his own fault, did not come to the full knowledge of it. Our Lord will tell him, that for the good works he has performed and for the morally good and edifying life he has led, he has already received his reward on earth by having been kept free from the attacks of violent temptations, by having had 16 AN HOUR WITH A SINCERE INQUIRER success 'in his undertakings, by having enjoyed the esteem and love of his fellow-men, by having been praised and extolled by them even after death ; but that he cannot ex- pect a reward in heaven, which is reserved only for His obedient children. IF CONVINCED YOU MAY NOT HOLD BACK ( 1 ) The saying, that it does not matter what a man believes, provided he does what is right, involves a con- tradiction. It implies, that a man may believe things to be true and do just what is contrary to what he believes. Besides, “doing what is right’' includes also “listening to the Church.” Hence, no one, knowing the true Church of Christ, and, after all, not submitting to her, can say that he does “all that is right.” He transgresses wilfully and continually a most important commandment of God by not submitting and not listening to the Church, and is, in fact, a very great sinner in the eyes of God, whatever he may be in the eyes of men, should he even rival the Pharisees of old in external righteousness. (2) “Out of the Roman Catholic Church” there is no salvation for those who knoiv her to be the true Church founded by Jesus Christ, and, after all, refuse to submit to her ; neither for those who doubt whether the church they belong to is the true Church, but neglect to clear up their doubts, and thus remain by their own fault ignorant of the true Church founded by Jesus Christ, who has solemnly declared : “He who will not listen to the Church, let him be to thee as the heathen and publican” (Matt, xviii. 17), and, “He that heareth you, heareth me; and he that de- spiseth you, despiseth me” (Luke x. 16). Whatever edi- fying lives such persons may lead, they cannot be saved. They will be lost, not on account of the positive evil they have done, but on account of what they have omitted to do. There is good reason to suspect, that a great deal of AN HOUR WITH A SINCERE INQUIRER 17 the zeal at present manifested among non-Catholics and their craze for performing works of charity, and in this, if possible, to outdo Catholics, is reducible to an endeavor to stifle religious doubts. When such doubts assail them they look at themselves; compare their good and moral lives with the bad and immoral lives led by so many Catholics; heap up before the eyes of their soul all the good and charitable works they have performed and are yet performing. Thus pleasing and admiring themselves they dismiss all annoying doubts as to whether they are members of the true Church, or not; and being satisfied with themselves, they conclude that God too must be satisfied with them. Besides, the enemy of God and man is only too anxious to confirm such persons in their false peace, security and self-delusion, and to succeed herein still better he is most willing to play the part of an angel of light, filling their hearts with false and counterfeit sentiments of devotion and piety, and urging them on to practise those moral virtues towards which they feel naturally inclined. Thus he will succeed in preventing them from inquiring into the doctrines of the Church, and so will keep them out of her pale, and, consequently, out of the way of salvation. (3) It is unreasonable and unjust to judge the Catholic Church by the bad lives of many unfaithful members. Catholics are bad only in as far as they do not live as Catholics. The Catholic Church is a good tree and as such can bring forth only good fruit ; but as you can find bad fruit on the best tree, so you will find also bad fruit on the good tree of the Catholic Church. But, as bad fruit on a good and healthy tree does not owe its being bad to the good tree, but to some bad influence from without, so the bad conduct of so many Catholics is due, not to the Church but to some bad influence outside the spirit of the Church. He who lives up fully to the teach- ing and direction of the holy Catholic Church will in- fallibly become a saint. All saints whose sanctity God 18 AN HOUR WITH A SINCERE INQUIRER has made known by miracles were children of the Catho- lic Church without a single exception, and saints are nothing else but the fruit of the good tree of the Catholic Church. (4) It is also unreasonable and unjust to judge and measure the moral goodness of actions by what they appear to be. The intention of the heart is the only measure for our good, as for our bad deeds. Actions little objectionable in the eyes of men may be highly displeas- ing in the sight of God, and actions very objectionable in the eyes of men may be little, or not at all objectionable in the sight of God. Slaves of sensual passions, whose very appearance is highly disgusting, are certainly less hateful in the sight of God, than persons intoxicated with pride, however respectable and even praiseworthy may be their external conduct. Who could doubt, that the public sinner in the temple, even before he so humbly asked for God’s pardon, was far less displeasing to God than the proud Pharisee, notwithstanding the latter’s dazzling ex- terior righteousness. Hence, those who proudly refuse to become children of the holy Catholic Church, although they know, or at least suspect, that she is the true Church of Christ, are certainly far greater sinners before God, than Catholics who willingly submit to the Church, but are not free from sins of sensuality. Sensuality has at least the excuse of weakness; not so pride, refusing to submit to the authority of the Church. This explains also why, in many cases, God does not deprive slaves of sen- suality of the gift of faith, whilst it is often withdrawn as punishment for intellectual pride. (5) As it is wrong to judge an individual, so it is also wrong and unjust to judge families, societies, and even wholp nations by their mere external conduct, which may-be pleasing, polite and engaging, but cannot be called truly good unless its motive be the desire to do the holy will of God as made known by His holy Church. It is also AN HOUR WITH A SINCERE INQUIRER 19 in this intention of conforming our conduct to the will of God, as made known to us by the Church, that true education consists. Hence, a poor servant-girl, knowing well her catechism and anxious to live according to what she has learned from holy Church to be the will of God regarding her, is truly educated, whilst a lady of fashion, although a leader in society, but ignorant or forgetful of what God by the voice of His Church requires of her, whatever her worldly learning and accomplishments may be, is not educated at all, and possesses no resemblance to the pattern of true perfection, which is God Himself. (6) Remember well, a mere moral life alone is not a sufficient claim to a reward in heaven. It must be a moral life rooted in true faith and led in obedience to the teaching of holy Church, the sole and infallible messenger and interpreter of God's holy will. (7) What our Lord has said remains always true: “Unless you become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven" (Matt, xviii. 3). However much convinced one may have become intellectually , that the Catholic Church is the one Church founded by Jesus Christ, he will not receive the grace to enter it unless he humbles himself, becoming like a child. THINGS WHICH SHOULD DRAW RATHER THAN REPEL (1) You must not be surprised if you hear of scan- dals, and even of very great scandals, in the Catholic Church; and this not only among the faithful, but also among the clergy, high and low. Their being members of the true Church does not free Catholics from the at- tacks of hell, but rather exposes them more to the hatred of Satan and his emissaries. Daily experience confirms the truth, that the more one is attached to the Catholic Church, and the more he endeavors to live up to her spirit and teaching, the more he has to suffer from the attacks 20 AN HOUR WITH A SINCERE INQUIRER of the wicked. The same is true of Catholic families, soc- ieties, parishes, religious congregations, and even of nations. This explains why, especially in Catholic coun- tries, the efforts of hell against the Catholic Church and her children are so furious. The hatred of hell against a person, a family, or a nation is always in proportion to their attachment to the Catholic Church. Hell most will- ingly grants everything desirable, is even willing to assist in advancing the temporal prosperity of individuals, families, and nations, and, if necessary, even to help to get up a sham piety and to practise sham moral virtues, if by so doing it can cast discredit on the Church of Christ. Catholics are soldiers led out of the barracks into the open battle-field to encounter the enemy. Converts continually profess that their submission to the authority of the Catholic Church was the signal for battle ; that, as soon as they had become members of the Catholic Church they were assailed and harassed by temptations of which they had no idea before. Happily, temptations are no evil in themselves; on the contrary, they are so many helps to become more rooted in virtue and to lay up a greater store of never-ending treasures in heaven. (2) Thieves do not usually attack poor people, but those whom they suppose to carry something valuable with them. This explains why Satan and his emissaries tempt but little or not at all sinners, and those who by their own fault are not members of the Catholic Church. He and his fellow-demons know full well that all such persons may possess, including even their moral good- ness and their moral virtues, is without any supernatural value in the sight of God. (3) Being the true Church, and consequently the mystical body of our Lord, the Catholic Church lives continually the life of our Lord. You may draw a parallel between the life of our Lord and that of the Catholic Church. As our Lord was calumniated, falsely accused, AN HOUR WITH A SINCERE INQUIRER 21 hated, persecuted, and even unjustly and shamefully con- demned without a chance being given to Him to defend Himself, so also the Church of our Lord, from the very beginning of her existence was, is, and will always be unto the end of time the only Church calumniated, hated, misrepresented, persecuted, and condemned without a chance being given to her to defend herself. No other so-called Church is hated, except only in as far as it ap- proaches in its teaching the Catholic Church. Neither are the Jews hated and persecuted on account of their reli- gious profession, but on account of their nationality and the odium attached to it. (4) Do you not find it rather surprising that any priest, who professes to turn his back on the Catholic Church, however unknown he may have been before, is at once by the Protestant public held up as a man of learn- ing, etc., and whatever his antecedents may have been, is praised and lauded? Pulpits are at once offered to him, and the more vehemently he can inveigh against and abuse his mother, the Catholic Church, who has nourished him, and rehearse all the old and stale objections and oft- refuted calumnies, the more he is applauded. Compare with this the dealing of the Catholic Church with regard to those who have submitted to her authority. She is anxious to instruct them more and more in their holy religion, and urges them on to practise it in humility . (5) Non-Catholics experience great self-compla- cency in spending much time, energy, and money in battling against side-issues—for instance, against intem- perance, profanity, cruelty towards children and animals, profanation of the Sunday, etc.—whilst they are little or not at all concerned about what is of chief importance, viz., about clearing up their well-founded doubt whether the religion they profess be the true one or not. Omitting to do this, they continually sin grievously against the love they owe to themselves ; for to expose one’s self wantonly 22 AN HOUR WITH A SINCERE INQUIRER to a great danger is already a sin against well-ordered self-love ; and to such a danger every one exposes himself who lives on in doubt whether the religion he professes is the true one or not. Thus, whilst admiring themselves on account of the great zeal they display, and the great and good works they imagine they perform, they omit a most important duty and miserably deceive themselves. (6) Non-Catholics very slowly and rather reluc- tantly rid themselves of the idea, that the Church is a mere human institution, owing her coming into existence and her continuation in existence to human endeavors. This explains why Protestants take so great a personal interest in the forming and upholding of their different churches. Considering their respective church as a mere human institution, Protestants think themselves individ- ually called upon to use all the human means at their dis- posal to keep it in existence, at the same time tinkering at it in order to make it more and more accord with their individual ideas of what a church should be. Catholics, on the other hand, are convinced that their Church is a divine institution, which from the very beginning of her existence has received from her divine Architect and Builder all that is necessary for her unchangeable pre- servation unto the end of time. WHAT SHOULD APPEAR CLEAR TO YOU (1) If you are sincere in your search after truth, then you will, with the help of God’s grace, sooner or later become convinced that the best among other relig- ious organizations are human institutions , ever changing. They are upheld and seem even to prosper for a longer or shorter time by human means and the good faith and sincerity of, no doubt, a great number of their adherents. The Catholic Church, on the contrary, is the only Church that traces her origin to Christ, and as such contains in herself all that is essential for her to continue to exist AN HOUR WITH A SINCERE INQUIRER 23 and to fulfil her duties until time shall be no more ; that is to say, the Catholic Church alone will unto the end of time teach men with infallible certainty what they have to believe and to do to work out their salvation. (2) A little attention must convince you, that Pro- testantism is rapidly falling to pieces. Do not take it ill if, for illustration’s sake, I compare it to an old garment which, while being mended in one part, tears in another. New means are daily tried to mend Protestantism and to prolong its existence; but all these means, instead of be- ing useful, only hasten the inevitable dissolution. Protes- tant leaders being aware of this, are continually on the lookout for some reform movement, getting behind which will attract to their churches new interest. (3) Do not allow yourself to be disturbed by the fact, that many very learned persons do not submit to the authority of the Catholic Church. It cannot be difficult for you to become convinced, that very learned non-Cath- olics are often pitiably ignorant of the teachings of the Catholic Church. Most of their knowledge of the Catho- lic Church is second-hand knowledge ; having themselves scarcely ever or never consulted a book written by a com- petent Catholic writer. There are many instances of well- meaning and learned non-Catholics who felt quite indig- nant, when they at last, seemingly by chance, were led to read a Catholic book, and thus became aware that Catho- lic doctrine is very far from what it had been constantly represented to them. (4) To make temporal success a mark of the true Church is more than childish. Rather the opposite mark should be characteristic of that Church which has for her Founder the greatest lover of poverty who was ever on earth, and who left to His disciples poverty and suffer- ings as His most precious legacy. 24 AN HOUR WITH A SINCERE INQUIRER HOW HAS THE REFORMATION BENEFITED? (1) Have you ever given impartial study to the character and results of the Reformation, to the character of the “Reformers” and the methods by which the move- ments they fathered were introduced? Have you ever asked yourself what special benefit came to God, to religion, or to the people through the sixteenth century religious reform movements? (2) In the light of history which religion has under- gone reformation since the birth of Protestantism ? Surely not the Catholic religion. The reformed religions are the ones which have been steadily reformed, whether for better or worse it does not concern us here. Lutheranism, Calvinism, Episcopalianism, have all undergone frequent reforms, and it is not likely that their original authors would stamp with the seal of approval or even recognize any of them to-day. According to the latest Census on Religious Denominations, gathered under the auspices of the United States Government, there are now in the United States alone twenty-two bodies of Lutherans, nine bodies of Presbyterians, four bodies of Episcopalians. ^But this is not half the story. One who strove to reform Episcopalianism has nineteen bodies of Methodists to his credit. Nicholas Storch started the pace for eighteen bodies of Baptists. There are one hundred and fifty other denominations enumerated in this census, which, while not called by the names of any of the five groups mention- ed, are off-shoots of one or other of them; and, in the estimation of their members, are reformed improvements over the reformed organizations from which they separated. Now, think you that Almighty God is more honored and glorified by these divisions in the human family than He would be if all were “of one mind and one heart” ? (3) Has religion benefited by these divisions, which AN HOUR WITH A SINCERE INQUIRER 25 have bred confusion in belief, indifference in practice, and enmity and strife in relation to one another ? Is unity of faith, is Christian morality promoted by outward cooperation, such as is observable in local wel- fare movements, or even in the great Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in America, in which twenty-nine leading denominations hold memberhsip ? Is not the ten- dency of denominational cooperation rather in the direc- tion of compromise which renders impossible any authori- tative teaching of definite truths ? Is not the tendency also in the direction of compromise with the standards of morality which, set by the irreligious, are welcomed by American youth? (4) Religious error and bad morals must be equally offensive to God, Who is both infinitely truthful and in- finitely Roly. He cannot be less indifferent about our at- titude towards His revealed teaching and the agency through which He would have it safeguarded from error, than about our attitude towards His moral laws contained in the Commandments, for whose observance the same agency is held responsible. (5) But was the Reformation not a blessing to man- kind in a material way? Emphatically no. Even if it had been that while it was disastrous in a spiritual way, what Christian could approve of it? But the late World War proved the powerlessness of a divided Protestantism against the hateful and jealous nationalism it had engen- dered in many countries. Under the internationalism of Catholicism a World War would be almost an impossi- bility. The religious ties, the mutual Christian friendli- ness on the part of all the people of Europe, the recogni- tion of a common spiritual authority and of a common arbiter of disputes on the part of all, would have pre- vented such a cataclysm. 26 AN HOUR WITH A SINCERE INQUIRER THE BEST RELIGION IN WHICH TO DIE (1) Those who relinquish membership in the Cath- olic Church are usually slaves of sensuality, ignorant of her true teachings or are cut off by forbidden marriages. (2) You do not wonder when you hear of very learned persons becoming mentally deranged. Neither have you any reason to wonder, if you hear of a person, well instructed in the Catholic religion, having ceased to believe as a Catholic. It is the effect of a spiritual de- rangement following God’s withdrawal of the light of faith. Always remember, that to be a child of the true Church is a special gift of God, which no one can merit , and which, once received, can be lost again. (3) It becomes daily more evident, that since the so-called Reformation of the sixteenth century, history has been one uninterrupted conspiracy against truth; it was invented to furnish a plausible pretext for what was done by the so-called reformers and their willing abettors, the temporal princes. Even non-Catholic, but honest his- torians admit this fact, and quite a number of them — with God’s grace, have been brought to the true Church by their study of history. (4) Experience proves that the more Protestants study the doctrines of Protestantism the more they be- come immersed in doubts and perplexities. On the con- trary, the more Catholics study the doctrines of the Cath- olic religion the more confirmed they become in their religion and the more attached to their Church. (5) If the Catholic Church were a human institution she would doubtlessly have disappeared long ago from the face of the earth; for there can scarcely be imagined any force that has not been employed against her ; but instead of bringing on her ruin, every trial and persecution has proved to be a sure forerunner of one more glorious triumph over her enemies. AN HOUR WITH A SINCERE INQUIRER 27 (6) You will never hear of a Catholic who, at the approach of death, in order to secure his eternal salva- tion, has become a Protestant. Innumerable, on the con- trary, are the instances of Protestants who, when about to leave this world, have asked to be received into the Catholic Church. (7) Neither will you ever hear that converts to the Catholic Church, who have faithfully lived up to her teaching, have ever regretted their submission to her au- thority; but, on the contrary, they for the most part abound in feelings and expressions of gratitude for what they are convinced was the greatest favor bestowed upon them by the goodness of God. (8) Whilst the Catholic Church ever swells her ranks with the very cream of what can be found among the most learned, most honest, best instructed, most in- telligent, and, for their morals, highly estimable persons, Protestantism gathers none such from Catholicism. (9) Oliver Wendell Holmes was once asked by a clergyman, what effect religious beliefs had on the minds of the dying. His reply was : “So far as I have observed persons nearing the end of life, the Roman Catholics un- derstand the business of dying better than Protestants. I have seen a good many Roman Catholics on their death- bed ; and it always appeared to me that they accepted the inevitable with a composure which showed that their be- lief, whether or not the best to live by, was a better one to die by.” Innumerable non-Catholics have had the same experience, and many of them have expressed it in words similar to those of Dr. Wendell Holmes. The logical con- clusion to be drawn from it must necessarily be this : “If the Roman Catholic Church is the best one to die in , it must be also the best one to live in” (10) There can be no action more unworthy of a man, than to live, troubled in mind with serious doubts, without taking pains to have them cleared up; and still 28 AN HOUR WITH A SINCERE INQUIRER more to continue to be in his bad faith after having ar- rived at the knowledge that the Catholic Church is the Church founded by Christ. This is like the conduct of a man who, wishing to arrive in a certain city, enters a rail- road car. Soon doubts arise in his mind whether the car is the right one or not. He then is told that the car does not go to the city he wishes to reach ; yet instead of leav- ing it at once to go to the right one, he begins to consider how comfortably he is seated, and how inviting every- thing is that meets his eye. Admonished to leave, he ans- wers, without bestirring himself : “All right ; I don’t care whether the car goes to the city or not. I wish to remain in it; I find it too comfortable and too pleasant to leave it.” (11) Do not repeat after others that foolish saying : “God will not ask of men to what church they have be- longed, but whether they have led a good, honest, and moral life” ; for God would cease to be God if, after hav- ing made known a religion, and after having founded a Church, He should be indifferent as to whether men should profess His religion and belong to His Church or not. In the second place, a good, honest life includes the perfect fulfillment of God’s holy will ; it includes, conse- quently, the observance of all the commandments of God and the firm belief in whatever Jesus Christ has sent the Apostles to teach ; it includes submission to the prelates of the true Church as successors of the Apostles, to whom Jesus has said: “He that heareth you, heareth Me; and he that despiseth you, despiseth Me” (St. Luke x. 16). If a man fulfils all the other commandments of God, but fails in this, he toils and lives in vain. There are many who have, like you, led good and edifying lives ; but hav- ing come to the knowledge of truth they were fully con- vinced that all would avail them nothing, unless they sub- mitted to the authority of the Catholic Church and lived according to her doctrine and precepts. This was the rea- son why they gave up, and continue daily to give up, all AN HOUR WITH A SINCERE INQUIRER 29 that this world can offer, in order to cling to the mother of all the saints, the holy Catholic Church. The approval of their conscience and the consolation of the Holy Ghost make their sacrifices light and even delightful. (12) Be not troubled on account of the promise which you have made to live and die in the religion of your childhood. When you made this promise you thought that yours was the true religion ; but having become con- vinced of its falsity, your promise is no longer binding. It would even be sinful to think one’s self obliged to keep a promise to do what is displeasing to God. (13) Now, my dear friend, let me take leave of you by recalling to your mind the words of our Lord : “What doth it profit a man if he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul” (St. Matt. xvi. 26). What will it profit you to have treasured up all the goods of this world ; to have won by your honesty, by your kindness, by your condes- cension and generosity, the affection and esteem of all who ever approached you, if you have not at the same time fulfilled the great commandment of Jesus Christ, to “hear His Church” and to submit to her authority and direction ! Be not like those foolish persons who, in ex- change for some little passing earthly honor and comfort are willing to renounce the hope of an eternity of bliss and happiness. Be not like those weak-minded and un- grateful people who prefer to ignore God, their greatest Benefactor, rather than suffer the sneer of a friend or to grieve a family, blinded by ignorance and prejudice ! Imi- tate St. Paul, and say with him : “Lord, what dost Thou wish me to do?” ’despising all earthly and vain things to secure those which will last for ever. But, rely not on yourself alone. The knowledge of the true religion and the embracing it must both be the work of God. Ask of Him without ceasing, especially through the intercession of His Virgin Mother, to enlighten your mind and to strengthen your will, and you will one day increase the happy number of those who will praise God for the un- 30 AN HOUR WITH A SINCERE INQUIRER speakable grace of having brought them out of darkness into the splendor of “HIS ADMIRABLE LIGHT!” PRAYER FOR GUIDANCE INTO TRUTH. % (This prayer was written by the Rev. Mr. Thayer of Boston, a minister of the Congregational Church, when he was in doubt and uncertainty, and in the use of which he was assisted in obtaining that grace which ultimately led him to the gift of faith, and the reception into the one fold of the one Shepherd.) God of all goodness ; Almighty and eternal Father of mercies, and Saviour of Mankind ; I implore Thee, by Thy sovereign goodness, to enlighten my mind and to teach my heart, that by means of true faith, hope, and charity T may live and die in the true religion of Jesus Christ. I confidently believe that, as there is but one God, there can be but one faith, one religion, one only path to salvation, and that every other path opposed thereto can lead but to perdition. This path, 0 my God, I anxiously seek after, that I may follow it and be saved. Therefore I protest before Thy Divine Majesty, and I swear by all Thy divine attributes, that I will follow the religion which Thou shalt reveal to me as the true one, and will abandon, at what- ever cost, that wherein I shall have discovered errors and falsehoods. I confess that I do not deserve this favor for the greatness of my sins, for which I am truly penitent, seeing they offend a God who is so good, so holy, and so worthy of love; but what I deserve not, I hope to obtain from Thine infinite mercy; and I beseech Thee to grant it unto me through the merits of that precious blood which was shed for us sinners by Thine only Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth, God, world without end. Amen.