LECTURE I. THE OBJECT AND METHOD OF THE LECTURES ON THE RULE OF FAITH. Brethren, we exhort you that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.” 2 Corinthians, vi. 1. IT is difficult to say, my brethren, whether the church of God, in proposing to the meditation of the faithful the epistle read in the liturgy of this day, from which these words are taken, had you principally in view, or us, to whom is committed the ministry of his word. For, on the one hand, you are exhorted, not only that ye receive not the grace of God in vain, but, further, that you give offence to no man, lest thereby our ministry should be blamed. But while these words seem intended to exhort you, especially at this holy season, to attend to those instructions which are delivered for your edification, it must be owned that the greater portion of the epistle is mainly directed to teach us what are the qualities whereby the word of God should be recommended, and our ministry distinguished. And, in the first place, we are commanded to show ourselves worthy ministers of Christ in the word of truth, in the power of God, by the armor of justice, on the right hand and on the left; that is to say, that clothing ourselves, as in mail of proof, with the conviction we feel of the truth of all those doctrines which we deliver, we should stand forth, ready to encounter any opposition which they may meet; that we should urge, with all our strength, and with that innáte energy which the word of God must always possess, those doctrinal truths which it has committed to our charge. But, while we are commanded thus to preach with power, it is expressly enjoined us, also, to preach in sweetness, and in long suffering, and in the Holy Ghost; that is, to avoid any thing, in what we deliver, which could, in any wise, hurt the interests of virtues dearest to the Son of God. Whatever may be the strength and energy with which we endeavor to deliver our doctrines, they should be so tempered with meekness and gentleness as to wound and hurt the individual feelings of no man. But there is yet a third quality in our ministry, prescribed by the apostle, which seems most particularly adapted to the circumstances of VOL. 1.-1. these times; and it is, that we should preach our doctrines, through good report, and through evil report, through honor and dishonor; as deceivers, and yet true; as unknown, and yet known; that is to say, we must expect that while some, indeed, will listen to us in the spirit of sincerity, and kindness, and liberality, we must expect from others only an evil report of that which we shall say. With many, our preaching will gain for us rather dishonor than credit; however conscientious we are in delivering doctrines, of whose truth we are firmly convinced, we must expect to be treated by many, perhaps even by those that hear us, as merely prac-、 tised and cunning deceivers of men. It is, therefore, thus prepared, and having fully before me these consequences, which the apostle of God has enumerated, and whereof he has forewarned us, that I open, this evening, a course of instruction, whereunto that which I am delivering may serve as a general introduction. I have, for the present, undertaken to confine myself to one point only to examining, in a series of evening lectures, the fundamental principles of the Catholic and Protestant religions; in other words, the essential ground of separation between our church, and those friends and fellow-countrymen whom we would gladly see cemented with us in religious unity. For this purpose, I will explain, in the simplest manner possible, the grounds whereupon we found the very principle of faith; on what we build the doctrines which we profess; I will examine, in other words, whether we are justified in admitting, as the ground work of all that we believe, an authority, a living authority, established by Christ in his church, with his security against error-in contradistinction to that principle which admits of no supreme, infallible authority in doctrine, save the written word of God. It is, therefore, merely to this course-which may occupy, perhaps, six or seven lectures-that I wish, this evening, to preface some remarks upon the object it will have in view, and the method in which they will be conducted. First, as to the object which I propose to discuss. If you ask any of our brethren who are separated from us, why it is that they are not Catholics, undoubtedly you would receive a multiplicity of answers, according to the peculiar character of each one whom you interrogated. But I have no doubt that the essence and substance of each reply would be this-that the Catholic church is infected with innumerable errors, having engrafted upon the revelations of . |