cration of the first and most essential principles whereon society is based. For the social union tends to merge the feelings of each individual in the general mass, and leads him to embrace all mankind, rather than individual men. And in like manner does the principle of religious unity tend to excite your love towards them, no longer as brethren in the flesh, but as connected with you by a holier and diviner tie, and assists towards inspiring every member of the community with all that can be reciprocally felt, in the nearest ties and connexions of our nature. And if we find that the very idea of a republic, or government in which men were united by such real or ideal bonds, as that they fought side by side, or contributed their wealth towards the common weal, did seem to them of old so beautiful and heavenly, that the very conception of such a state, embodied under outward symbols, should have been deified and worshipped, what shall we say of that sacred union which holds men together, not merely as constituents of a community, but as members of one mystical body; not cemented together by the sense of mutual want, or strung one unto another by the ties of the flesh, or the interests of the world, but firmly united by the headship of One in whom the sublimest flight of thought reposes, as in its proper sphere; and inly communicating through the circulation of vital inflences passing from one unto the other; not contributing to the common stock, the gifts or qualities of earth, but the fairest virtues, and the most precious ornaments of our nature; not directed, in their views, towards a worldly aggrandizement or a passing glory, nor linked in battle-field by a bond of hatred against a human foe, but looking upwards for their trophies and rewards to the peaceful smile of heaven, after they shall have contended together in the gentle strife of mutual and universal love. Then add the reflection, how this influence stretches beyond the reach of any other known sentiment among mankind; for, outstripping all the motives of sympathy among men of different countries, it flies over mountains, and seas, and oceans, and puts into the mouths of nations the most remote and the most dissimilar, one canticle of praise, and into their minds one symbol of belief, and into their hearts one sentiment of charity. And thus professing alike, they kneel in countless multitude before one altar, and from the soul of each proceeds the golden bond, which joins them unto it, which God collects together and holdeth in his hand, for in Him is the centre towards which the faith of all converges, and in His truth is it blended into uniformity and oneness of thought. Surely this is the idea,

which you would wish to conceive, of the efficiency and of the effects of that rule which has been given by God, to produce unity of belief; and such you will find it existing and acting in the Catholic Church.

This idea too is beautiful to the mind of the Catholic, from its obvious tendency to equalize and level the minds and understandings of men, when brought before the searching eye of God. Not to him is religion a deep well to which comes each one furnished with his own vessel, and draws and carries away a different proportion, according to its capacity or his strength; but it is a living and ever-gushing fountain, springing up unto eternal life, where all may drink, to equal refreshment, who put their mouths to its quickening stream. Not with him is that distinction granted in the inward, which St. James condemns in the outward man; that of a higher place being allotted to him that hath the ring upon his finger, and the costly robe upon his shoulders, while the poor in intellect sitteth at his footstool. But he on the contrary sees all minds attuned to the same feelings, and all understandings brought down to the same simplicity of belief, till the intellectual and the rude, the wise and the foolish, stand on an equal ground. Brought down did I say? Rather are both caught up and borne on the wings of the same sacred truth, to a conception so lofty above all human wisdom, as that the distance between the two, when standing here below, shall seem but an infinitesimal element in the height.

But this idea of religious unity does not merely by its beauty satisfy the imagination of the Catholic, but meets all the notions which his reason could suggest of the character of truth. For this, in its own nature, must seem to be one and indivisible, the reflection of that knowledge which exists in the Godhead, communicated through the one mediator, the incarnate Word and wisdom of the Father. And thus, by the idea of only one faith secured by an unerring authority, he establishes the existence in religion of real objective truth, instead of the subjective in each one's mind;-he conceives the eye to be fixed on the correct prototype, rather than on its image, broken, and refracted, and distorted through the imperfect medium of individual examination.

And the consideration of this aptness and conformity of such a system to the idea of truth, will be further enhanced to the Catholic's reason, when he considers wherefore it has been given. For assuredly they who are to be guided are one in nature and feelings, have the same passions to conquer, the same perfection to attain, and the same crown to

win. And therefore should it seem no less reasonable that the road whereon they travel should be equal, and the food and remedy supplied should be the same, and the guide that conducts them be only one.

But then also is this unity of faith subservient to another great end, to the evidence of our blessed Saviour's true religion. For he was pleased to declare, that the unity observable among his followers should be among the strongest evidence of his heavenly mission. And not for them only," he exclaimed, "do I pray, but for them also, who, through their word shall believe in me: that they all may be one, as the Father in me and I in thee, that they also may be one in us, that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.”* And that this unity is not merely of the heart through love, but also of the mind in faith, his blessed apostle hath abundantly declared. For, according to him, if we wish to walk worthy of the vocation wherein we have been called, it must be not only by "humility, and mildness, and patience, supporting one another in charity," but we must be "careful to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace," so as to be "one body," as well as "one spirit," and to have " faith," as much as one lord and one baptism."+ Not surely that charity, the beautiful and the perfect, steps not beyond the circumscribing line of religious unity, or that her genial influences, like a flower's sweet odour, spread not abroad far beyond the plant which first produces it; but universal as must be our love of men, this will be ever its noblest exercise, to wish and to strive that all be brought to that closer union and unity, which is in, and through faith. Our charity should ever lead us to labour with others, that they may see, like ourselves, how complete and perfect unity can only be based upon this profession of a common faith: and that no rule, no principle, can attain this great object save that which the Catholic Church holds, and proposes, the institution whereof by God's authority, shall form, under the divine blessing, the subject of our next disquisition.

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"And the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, be with your spirit, brethren. Amen."

* John, xvii. 20, 21.

† Ephes. iv. 2, 4.

+ Gal. vi. 18.

LECTURE IV.

AUTHORITY OF THE CHURCH.

"And after six days, Jesus taketh unto him Peter, and James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into a high mountain apart, and he was transfigured before them."-Matthew, xvii. 1.

THE incident of our Saviour's life, which is recorded in this day's Gospel, must be a subject of consolation to every Christian. To see our blessed Lord,--whose doctrines were indeed listened to with avidity by crowds, and whose miracles filled the world with wonder and curiosity, but, yet, whose doctrines were so little followed, and whose cause was espoused by so few, retired, on this occasion, though but for a moment, into the happy society of those who really loved and honoured him; to see him receive the willing homage of his chosen ones on earth, and of the spirits of the just made perfect in heaven; to see him, moreover, obtain that glory from the Father which his sublime dignity deserved, is assuredly some consolation to our feelings, and some compensation for that bitter sympathy, which we must feel towards him through his neglected career.

But yet, my brethren, there is a circumstance, of much greater importance than such feelings, connected with this cheering and consolatory narrative. For, you will observe, on the one hand, who are chosen to be the witnesses of this glorious scene. They are the most favoured of his apostles, the representatives in a manner, and deputies on this important occasion, of those who were to preach his doctrines with most especial authority, and to give their commission the strongest sanctions of its truth: James, who was destined to be the first of the twelve, to seal his preaching and doctrines with his blood; John, who was intended to prolong the age of the apostles almost beyond its natural duration, by its protracted life, and thus, as it were, to dovetail their authority and evidence into the teaching of those that succeeded them; and, above all, Peter, who was expressly appointed, after his fall and conversion, to confirm his brethren, to open the gates of

salvation to Jews and Gentiles, and be the solid foundation of the entire Church.

Thus, therefore, we may easily imagine, with what awful strength and power the testimony must have been presented to their minds, which was given on this solemn occasion; and we find that by the apostles themselves, it was considered as giving the most solemn sanction to the teaching of their divine Master. For Peter expressly says, "We have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known to you the power and presence of our Lord Jesus Christ, but having been made eye-witnesses of his majesty. For he received from God the Father honour and glory, this voice coming down to him from the excellent glory; This is my beloved Son, in whom I have pleased myself, hear ye him.' And this voice we heard brought from heaven, when we were in the holy mount."*

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It is to the testimonies, then, given upon this occasion, that St. Peter appeals, as some of the strong ground-work on which he builds his authority to preach. And what were the testimonies there given? They were manifestly of a twofold character. For, in the first place, there appeared, beside our Saviour, Moses and Elias, the two most eminent and divinely gifted men of the olden time,--bearing homage and giving testimony unto him, resigning all the privileges and pledges of the law into his hands, who was come to perfect and complete it. For, my brethren, not merely by the words of the law are we taught; but we all understand, that, whatever happened unto the Fathers was done unto them in figure; so that not merely in their writings, but in their persons and actions, we may find a certain allusion and certain prophetic foreboding of that which was later to be fulfilled. And besides theirs, was another and incomparatively mightier testimony, here given unto Christ, that of the eternal Father, commanding the apostles to lend implicit credence to whatever they should hear from his mouth. "This is my beloved. Son, in whom I have well pleased myself, hear ye him." Judge, therefore, my brethren, how solemnly the authority of our divine Saviour must have been impressed on the minds of these apostles; and if ever afterwards, they heard him transfer to them that authority which on this occasion he received -if ever afterwards they heard him say, that "as the Father had sent him, so did he also send them,"-that "all who heard them, heard also him--that whosoever despised them,

* 2 Peter, i. 16, 19.