IMAGE EVALUATfON TEST TARGET (MT-3) 7/ ^^ %p M^ 1.0 I.I 11.25 ^1^ 2.2 — A" i^ llllii.6 w rnoiDgmpmc Sciences Corporation 4^ iV A v #s ^9) \^^- «- 6"^ 33 WIST MAIN STRICT WiBSTIR.NY MSSO (716) 872-4)03 4,. .A CiHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHM/ICMH Collection de microfiches. Canadian InHtitute for Historical Microreproductioni / Institut Canadian da microraproductiont historiquaa EB Technical and Bibliographic Uotes/Notes techniques et bibiiographiques The Institute has attempted to obtain the best original copy available for filming. Features of this copy which may be bibliographically unique, which may alter any of the images in the reproduction, or which may significantly change the usual method of filming, are checked below. E D D u D Coloured covers/ Couverture de couleur I j Covers damaged/ Couverture endommagee □ Covers restored and/or laminated/ Couverture restaurde et/ou pellicul^e re manque □ Cover title missing/ Le titre de couvertui □ Coloured maps/ Cartes g^ographiquas en couieur Coloured ink (i.e. other than blue or black)/ ere de couleur (i.e. autre que bleue ou noire) I ~| Coloured plates and/or illustrations/ Planches et/ou illustrations en couleur Bound weth other material/ ReliA avec d'autres documents Tight binding may causa shadows or distortion along interior margin/ Lareliure serree peut causer de I'ombre ou de la distorsion le long de la marge intdrieure Blank leaves added during restoration may appear w-thin the toxt. Whenever possible, these Have been omitted from filming/ II se peut que certai'/ies pages b'anches ajouties lors d'une restauration apparaissent dans le texta, mais, lorsque cela Atait possible, ce9 pages n'ont pas iti filmAes. Additional comments;/ Commentaires supplAmentaires: L'Institut a microfilme le meilleur exemplalre' qui! !ui a eti possible de se procurer. Las ditailt de cet exemplaire qui sont peut-^tre uniques du point de vue bibliographique, qui peovent modifier une image reproduite, cu qui peuvent exiger une modification dans la m^thode normale de filmage sont indiqu^s ci-dessous. □ Coloured pages/ Pages de couleur □ Pages damaged/ Pages endommag^es I I Pages restored and/or laminated/ The to 1 Pages restaurdes et/ou pellicuiies Pages discoloured, stained or foxed/ Pages ddcolor^es, tachetees ou piquAet □Pages detached/ Pages d^tachees 0Shov Tran Showthrough/ sparence □ Quality of print varies/ Qualiti in^gale de I'impression □ Includes supplementary material/ Comprend du materiel supplimentaire r~~! Only edition available/ D Seule Edition disponible Pages wholly or partially obscured by orrata slips, tissues, etc., have been refilmad vo ensure the best possible image/ Les pages totalement ou partiallemeni obscurcies par un feuillet d'errata, une pelure, etc., cnt iti film^es d nouveau de facon A obtenir la meilleure imege possible. Thi po< oft filn Oil bn( the sioi oth firs sioi or I Th« sha Tl^ wh M.3 difi ont be{ rigl req me This item is ilmed at the reduction ratio checked below/ Ce document est filme au taux da reduction indiqui ci-dessous, 10X 14X 18X 22X / 12X 16X 20X 26X 30X 24X 28X 32X The copy filme^ hare has been reproduced thanks to the genorosity of: Seminary of Quebec Library L'axamplaira film6 fut reprodult gr&ce d la g6n6rosit6 de: S^minaire de Quebec Bibliothique The images appearing here are the best quafity possible considering the condition and legibility of the original copy and ir. keeping with the filnning contract specifications. Las images suivantes ont 6ti reproduites avec le plus grand soin. compte tenu de la condi\*ion et de la netteti de rexemtnlaire filmA, et en conformity avec les.conviitio..» du contrat de filmage. Oiiginal copies in printed paper covers are filmed beginning with the front cover and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated impres- sion, or the back cover when appropriate. All other original copies are filmed beginning on the first page with a printed or illustrated impres- sion, and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated impression. Les exemplaires originaux dont la couverture en papier est ImprimAe sont fiSmAs en commen9ant par le premier plat et en terminant soit par la derni^re page qui comporte une emprointe d'impression ou d'illustration, soit par le second plat, selon le cas. Tous les autres exemplaires originaux sont film^s en commen^ant par la premiere page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration et en terminant par la derniire page qui comporte une telle empreinte. The last recorded frame on each microfiche shall contain the symbol — »- (meaning "CON- TINUED"), or the symbol V (meaning "END"), whichever applies. Un des symboles suivants apparaitra sur la dernlAre image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbole — ^»- signifie "A SUIVRE", le symbola V signifie "FIN". Maps, plates, charts, etc.. may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent dtre filmAs A des taux de riductlon diffirents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour Atre reproduit en un seul cliche, il est filmd i partir de Tangle supArieur gaucho, de gauche A droite, et de heut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images nicessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mAthode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 L jy^4^ iC^^ THE 11 Y OF THE so&s© QS'wa^as. >^*,_ . A LECTURE DELIVEEED BY TK2 ON 6 CAl!fiOLlC YOUNG MfiN'S §1 PUBJl-ISHED BY J. B. LANE, 21 BH MONTREAL. PaiKT«D FOR PtTBUSHla BY ThOS. ,-' f..' ■. *^ , .''-V . Vf-. THE INFALLIBILITY OF THE QM.'smQ,'SitQ aswm@; 'jm « '<• » I A LECTURE DELIVERED BY THE ..■♦ EEV. J. E. HErama, o. s. a., {Pcistor of St. Patrick's Church, Quebec,) IN MONTREAL ON 6th FEBRUAK BEFORE THE CATHOLIC YOUNG MEN'S PUBLISHED BY J. B. LANE, 21 BLEURY STREET, MONTREAL. Printed for Publisher by Thus. Larkin. H€ Fe Ca tn ab ni M Bt cr M 08 E oi I THE INFALLIBILITY OF THE CHURCH. A Lecture on this exceedingly interest- ing subject was delivered by Father Henning, on the evening of the 6th F'ebruary, 1878, under the auspices of the Catholic Young Men's Society of Mon- treal, before a most intelligent and respect- able audience, and one which in point of numbers has been seldom exceeded in the Mechanics' Hall. Over the rear of the stage was the Banner of the Society, bearing on it a gilt cross and the motto '' Catholic Young Men's Society, established A.D. 1864, for the greater glory of God." Shortly after eight o'clock the lecturer came on the platform, accompanied by the Rev. Fathers Callaghan (Spiritual Director of the Society), O'Reilly, ailligan and Mitchell, of St. Patrick's Church ; D. Barry, Vice-President of the St. Patrick's Society ; Wm. Wilson, St. Patrick's National As- sociation ; D. Murney, St. Patrick's Benevo- lent Society ; M. Kelly, St. Bridget's Tem- perance Society; P. Kennedy, St. Ann's Temperance Society ; J. Murray, Young Irishmen's Literary and Benefit Associ- ation ; A. Brogan, St. Patrick's Temper- ance Society. The rev. lecturer was received with prolonged applause. In introducing Father Henning, the Chairman (Mr. Doran, President of the C. Y. M. Society,) said :— Ladies and Gentlemen : It is a very pleasant duty to introduce the rev. lec- turer, to hear whom, you nave assembled to-night. Although it is scarcely neces- sary to introduce the Rev. Father Henning to a Montreal audience, still it is a matter of pride for me, as President oi the Catholic Young Men's Society of Montreal, to make this formal introduction, and to present this distinguished clergyman as a lecturer on this platform and for the benefit of our Socieiy. We cannot but feel grateful, that by his ready consent to deliver this lecture, he has given his ap- probation to the objects for which our Society was established. These objects are as you are aware, to promote a truly Catholic spirit amongst young men and the mutual improvement of the members. # * * * ** * * I will now introduce to you the Eevd. Father Henning, who will lecture, as ad- vertised, on "The Infallibility of the Church." ■1 y / I The Revd. gentleman then spoke as follows : — Eevd. Fathers, Ladies and Grentlemen : The great theme which has at all times agitated the non-Catholic mind, is the claim which the Holy Catholic Church has made to infallibility. If the Church placed herself on a level with the sects, and as- serted that she i& a fallible institution just as they are, I daresay she would meet with no opposition ; I am certain the Church would meet with no persecution. But the hue and cry is raised against her ; it is taken up in public discussions and private conversation ; it is repeated in books, pamphlets and daily journals. The Church is maligned and cried down as a tyrant. Her children are threatened with extermination ; and why all this ? Simply because the Church dares to stand forward and to say to the world, " I am infallible." She appeals to all men, and she says to them : " Come to me and I will teach you, I will lead you into the way of truth. You need not fear me ; you need not be afraid, for I will not lead you into error ; for I cannot lead you into error — I am infallible." To-night it is my intention to sift, with you, this claim of the Church. If I suc- ceed, as I hope I shall, in proving to you that the Church is infallible, I see no use in raising a hue and cry about it. If the Church is infallible, why not admit it ; why not embrace truth and become child- ren of that Church, which alone ensures us our eternal salvation V The readiness which you have shown, ivnd the kindly feeliltg with which 1 have been welcomed by you, ensures for me an intelligent and impartial hearing, [Ap- plause]. Before I proceed to the argumen- tative part of my discourse, I would wish to give you a correct definition of" infalli- bilfty." We may look upon the Church as the body of Christ, leading a supernatu- ral life on this earth, and we may look upon the Church in her active intercourse with the world, in other words, we may regard it as active and passive ; hence arfses a distinction between passive and active infallibility. By passive infallibility we mean, that there can enter no error contrary to the revelation made by Jesus Christ, in the body of the Church ; in other words, the Church cannot believe that to be true which is not true. The Church cannot belicA^e that to be right which is not right. This is what is called passive infallibilitv of the Church. By the active infallibility of the Church we mean, that when the Church teaches the world what the world must believe and must it do to gain the end for w^hich it was created, it cannot make r I r 5 a mistake. The Church cannot tell you that such and such a thing is revealed by Christ, and must be believed, if it is not so ; neither can the Church teach you that such and such a thing must be done if Jesus Christ has not tausrht us that it must be done, You see at once that infal- libility has nothing at all to do with sin- lessness. When we speak of infallibility, there are some who may think that we begin to teach sinlessness. Infallibility is not sinlessness. These are two different ideas altogether. The Church has always held, and will always hold, that thei^ is only one person who is absolutely sinless, and that one person, Jesus Christ. If the Church attributes actual sinlessness to any one, it is to the Blessed Virgin Mary, because she, in view of the merits of Christ, was abso- lutely free from any stain of original and actual sin. "VYhen, therefore, we say that the Church is infallible, we do not mean that the Pope cannot commit sin ; we do not mean that the archbishops, bishops and priests cannot commit sin When we sav that the Church is infallible we do not say that they cannot commit sin. The Church has never claimed sinlessness for her popes, bishops and priests. Again, infallibility does not mean insDiration. When we say that the Church is infallible W3 do not mean that the Church is in- spired by the Holy Grhost; we do not mean that the popes, bishops and priests, or individuals belonging to the Church, are under a special inspiration. The Church has never claimed such an in- spiration ; but she has claimed infallibility. What, then, do we mean when we say that the Church is infallible ? We mean that the Church is under the special pro- tection of God, and we know He has promised His protection, because it is so Iramed that it cannot err in what it believes or in what it teaches. [Ap- plause.] The principle upon which I intend to base my argument is the principle an- nounced by St. Paul of the Apostles and by Jesus Christ himself. That prin- ciple is: "Without faith it is impossible to please God." Therefore, without faith it is impossible to gain our last end. " He that does not believe shall be condemned." What do we mean by faith ? Faith, my dear friends, is the acceptance, without doubt, without hesitation, of all that, which God has revealed to us, no matter how He has revealed it : it is the acceptance without dovibt of that which He has revealed to us. If you look at the faith as it is proclaimt'd by Christianity, you will find that there are things which we are required to \ ; believe but which we cannot understand. There are doctrines that transcend the sphere of human reason ; for example, the doctrine of the Divinity of Christ, or the Resurrection of the Body. Now we are asked to believe these things, to accept them without hesitation. When we are required to submit to these doctrines, ana made to accept this supernaturoi teaching* as true, we must have a voucher, and that voucher is no other than the veracity of Grod Himself If you come to me and say : " Here is a doctrine which you must be- lieve." My first question will be, why must I believe it ? Why must I accept it unquestioned ? I do not understand it ; I cannot comprehend it by my reason, why must I accept it ? If you answer me : "You must believe it, because God has revealed it," my reason has nothing more to say, for my common sense tells me that the reason of Grod is superior to my reason. His reason is infinite, mine is finite. There are many things which the reason of God does comprehend which mine does not understand. If, then, I am assured that God has revealed such and such a truth, whether it comes into the limits of my reason or not, I accept it, and my faith is reasonable faith. My faith is based on this principle, that man's reason is inferior to the reason of God. 8 Supposing such a revelation has been made, a revelation that speaks to us of supernatural truth ; of doctrines we can- not comprehend ; how am I to discover that such a revelation was ever made ? I answer, if Grod has given me a witness to this revelation, then I must accept the revelation of that witness on the following conditions : If that witness be universal ; if that witness be unmutakable ; if that witness be infallible. The witness of the revelation may be God. I say mnst be universal ; it must be a witness whose testimony must be good for me and for everv individual on the face of th'? earth ; because faith is to save not this nor that individual, it is to save the whole world. Grod came, not to redeem one nation, lie came to redeem the whole human race ; consequently, the witness given us by God to reveal, must be a universal wit- ness. That witness must be unmistakable'^ that is, in other words, a man with ordin- ary prudence must have it in his power to discover that witness. Kevelation was given not only to the men of letters, not only to those who had it in their'power to investigate by reading books, but to the peasant as well as to the philosopher ; to tiit: I'KjkjX as wK:ii us lu iiit^ ri( a. nyv. I' inereiore, ordinary i)rudence must suffice to discover that that revelation is a witness that can \ '<;• 9 ^^;' be discovered by using the ordinary rules of prudence. That witness must be infair hble. If that witness could tell me that such and such a doctrine is revealed when It is not revealed, he leads me astray. Where then is the certainty that excludes all doubt or hesitation ? But I need not justify the reason of acceptance without hesitation of whatever God has revealed to man. The moment we suppose that this wit- ness can make a mistake, can profess as revealed what is not revealed, in that moment we make faith impossible, and "without faith it is impossible to be saved." It is not the view that this man or that man may have of that truth ; it is a reasonable acceptance of that truth without the least doubt. Not only is it necessary that we should have a witness of revelation, but an interpreter, so that in case a doubt should arise, I seek an in- terpreter w^ho is infallible. The revelation IS proposed to us in intellig-ible proposi- tions. Now it is possible for a man to make a mistake in the meaning- of these propositions ; it is possible that you or I, or any other individual, may not under- stand it in the sense which God wishes it to be understood. How can faith be possible under such circumstanc-es ? I answer: only then < an faith be possible 10 if G-od has appointed not only a witness to this revelation, but an interpreter who cannot make a mistake, so that if any doubt arise in my mind, all that I have to do is to state my doubts. This interpreter must be infallible, for if otherwise my doubt will not be removed, but my faith will be taken away ; it remains as it was before. Again, we all know that man's heart is driven hither and thither by passion, and that the majority of errors have their origin, not in the intellect, but in the heart. Therefore, it is possible that men will rise to deny that revelation ; it is possible that men will rise and en- deavor to lead their fellowmen astrav in the revelation which Grod has given to us. In that case, how is faith possible ? If men can lead us astray, where is our certainty, and, if we have no certainty, wh<^re is our faith ? Besides the witness, then, to iii.orpret what revelation we must necessarily accept, we must have a judge whose decision is iinal, tVoui whose decision there is no appeal— a judge that removes all uncharitableness — a judge that makes it possible for Christians to live in harmony and brotherhood with each other. If this judge were fallible, faith vvOUid liO iiiipjOssiblo ; bccausc no controversy would be settled, no final decision could be given, charity could not t ■i" 11 by reign, and the empire of the devil would be supreme. [Applause.] Jesus Christ, then, not only gave us a revelation, but he gave us, also, a witness of that reve- lation and a judge of that revelation, and this witness, this interpreter, this judge, as I have proved to you, must be infal- lible. Therefore, my first proposition is proved— there must be an authority on earth. Now I come to the second. Where is that authority to be found ? Where shall we find this interpreter, this judge of the revelation ? Either it is the human reason or it is the Bible, or it is private inspiration, or it is an organic Church. I do not know of any other. One of these four it must be. Can it be Reason ? I answer, it cannot be the reason of man. The reason of man, my dear friends, is infallible in some things. For instance, when my reason proposes to me a fact of my own cons 4ous- ness, when my reason proposes to me a principle upon which a proposition in mathematics is based, my reason is infal- lible. When my reason tells me that a circle cannot be squared, my reason is infallible; when it t.ils me that twice two are four, my reason does not deceive me, it is infallible. In some things i say, then, that reason is infallible; but only 12 within its own sphere. The moment it steps beyond, it becomes an nncertain guide. Reason cannot go out of its own sphere — that is, higher — ;just as a man cannot take himself by his boot-straps and lift himself over a fence. When reason speaks to me about the existence of a God — when reason speaks to me about eternity and the immortality of the soul — I may safely follow it as a guide. But when reason goes beyond this, and tries to teach me about the natiire of Grod, or something about the union of the human and divine nature in Christ, I say to reason : " You are going back ; you are getting beyond your sphere ; you cannot go into the supernatural order ; you may be a good judge so far as knowledge goes, but the moment you go further, you can- not be my guide." Perhaps the Bible is this interpreter, this judge of the revelation made by Grod. The Bible, my friends, is not — it is a dead book. The Bible, without any interpre- tation, has no meaning ; it does not speak. To adopt the Bible as an infallible witness would be making it the judge of reve- lation. It is a witness that cannot give testimony, and we cannot understand a judge that r-an pass^. no decision. If, then, men speak ot the Bible as a witness, they mean the Bible interpreted by themselves. V 13 *. V Now I ask yon, how can tho Bible, inter- preted by individual reason, be a safe interpreter? It is absolutely impossible, and I can prove it to you in a very few words. There is the Episcopalian. He takes the Bible as his witness and his judge and his interpreter. He opens his Bible and he reads there that Jesus Christ is the 8on of the Living (rod— that He is True God and True Man — that He came down from Heaven and died for the salvation of the world. Then the Unitarian, who is just as good a Protestant as the Episcopalian, takes his Bible and opens it to the w^orld. He reads that Jesus Christ is not Clod ; that Jesus Christ did not come from Heaven ; that Jesus Christ did not die on the Cross for the salvation of the world ; that Jesus Christ was nothing but a political schemer, and grasping as any other political schemer would be. The Methodist, he proclaims in tones of thunder to the world his interpretation, his judge. He would rather die a thousand deaths than give up his Bible. He reads, that after this life there is a place for the w icked, wljere they shall be punished for all eternity. He thundc^rs these v/ords of eternal damnation in the ears of his hear- ers. The Universalist says : " Take care, 14 there ; I have the Bible, it tells me there is no such place as hell." Each one interprets the Bible according to his own view and his own private judgment. We have a beautiful illustration of this. Not many weeks ago, there was a certain Protestant minister, of the City of Brook- lyn, well known all over the country, who proclaimed from the pulpit and through the Press that he did not believe in the eternity of hell. As soon as he uttered this doctrine, there was a hue and cry all through the country. Some sided with him, others preached against him, each one quoting the Bible as his authority. One said the words of the Bible are clear. Another just as learned, talented and popular, said : " Here are the words of the Bible." Of course if you look at them with your prejudiced eyes they seem to teach otherwise. The Bible, must be taken in the metaphorical sense ! When Christ says : ' Depart from m v\ ye wicked.' He means the opposite. Others, again, prove from the Bible that Grod could not, owing to His great mercy, punish His wicked creatures ; and at last, that the Bible does not suit the IDth Century ; that its ideas are too antiquated, and that* that old- fashioned book needs revision. Here vou have a living example of how those who set tip the Bible as their interpreter do not \^^ \ 15 believe one word of what they read. If each man's own individual judgment is to be the interpreter and the judge of reve- lation, what confusion they would be in. If all these different conflictions are the teaching of Grod, He can be Grod no longer. Grod admits of no confliction. Therefore, the Bible interpreted by the private judg- ment cannot be the interpreter of revel- ation. If it is not Reason and not the Bible, it is the private inspiration of the mind of each and every individual, telling him what he must believe and what he must do to save his soul, revealing what God has revealed to the whole ]\ ^ world — then I would say the Holy Grhost is a queer Spirit. If I go to the Western States, I find a man there, by the name of Brigham Young, and I say: "Brigham, how many wives have you got ?" " Oh, something like forty or fifty." And I say : "Why, man, you are living in concubi- nage !" He will answer : " No, my man ; every man can have as many waves as he can support." "Why, the Bible teaches that in the beginning it was not so, that God created only one man for ' one . woman." " But it is the Holy Ghost that vrr,:-jriix..,7 iiiv, rv7 vtvf il. xiiCi" VV il.rt Vb UUl LlUn man living in the City of Miinster, in Germany, who took it into his head that 16 the Holy Ghost inspired him to run throuirh the streets without any covering*. This he proclaimed to the whole world. Would you believe it — he had a host of followers in his footsteps, giving themselves up to every kind of excess and impurity and rapine and plunder, and they all said they were imjdred by the Holy Ghost. The Quaker goes to his meeting and sits down, folds his arms, and " mum's " the word until one or the other of the brethren feels like saying something -Grod knows what nonsense he was talking about — they all rise, go home, and consider them- selves inspired by the Holy G-host. Private inspiration is nothing but an hallucination of the mind. You will say to me : prove it. I will say : "I feel it ; I feel that I am also inspired, and my in- spiration tells me you are a fool." It cannot, then, be private inspiration. If it is not Reason ; if it is not the Bible ; if it is not Private Inspiration, it must be an Organic Church ; there is no other con- clusion left for us. Now, I ask you : Did Christ found such an. organic Church ? I open the 8acred Scriptures but as any other history that is given by the writers of history. Now we do find in that book that Jesus Christ, after His baptism, after He entered into public life, picked out certain men, who, 11 by His preac^hing, folio n^od Him into the desert ; and out of all these hundreds and thousands, the historian tells me that He picked out seventy- two, whom He sent into the different parts of Judea, giving them power to preach and work miracles. He was not satisfied with this. Out of these seventy-two He chose twelve, and to these tw^elve He gave powers He did not give the seventy-two. Again, out of these twelve He chose one to whom He gave yet higher powers. Having thus organ- ized His Church, He sent them into the world to preach the Grospel to every one. " Teach them all things that I have com- manded you; he who receives the Sacra- ment of Baptism from you, he shall be saved. He that does not believe shall be condemned." Here we have the organi- zation of the Church. He calls it the Church. This Church is composed of the faithful, of the disciples and of the apostles, and that Church still exists. [Applause. Look at the Catholic Church of the presen ] day w^hich Jesus Christ established, and you will find that, the same organization. Even if the bishops and priests con- spired to mislead the faithful and establish another Church, they could "^ L succeed; therefore the organization of ^*'» Catholic Church to-day is undoubtedly the organization established by Jesus 18 Christ. [Applause.] If this reasoning- do not suffice, I would appeal to history. I would ask myself: Whence comes it that the present Pope is called Pius IX. ? The answer would be : Because there were eight Popes before him who were called Pius. If his predecessor, Grregory XVI., was called the sixteenth, it is because there w^ere fifteen Gregorys before him. What would be the end of such enquiries ? I would come to St. Peter, whom Jesus Christ appointed as head of the Apostles, as head of the whole Church as estab- lished by himself. This is plain. I would prove once more that the Catholic Church of to-day w^as established by Jesus Christ. The Catholic Church then as such or- ganic body is the witness of the revelation. Now in the first place, it is a universal witness ; it is a witness, not for one or the other tribe or nation, but for all nations in the whole world. For the sun never sets upon the Catholic Church. It extends to the north and to the south. It holds the east and the w^est in its embrace. It will continue to the end of all time, univertsal in its membership ; universal in its mor- ality ; in cne word, it has the stamp of universality rpon its brow. It is an un- mistakable v;aK»v;s. A man that is blind can find the Catholic Church. It needs no extraordinary talent to discover where the 19 Catholic Church is. If you pass through any city or town, ask any boy where the Catholic Church is. No matter if that boy be a Protestant or a Jew ; he will not take you to the Episcopalian Church ; he will take you to the Church of which the Pope is the head ; but even if that building looks like a barn, it bears upon it the universal impress. [Cheers]. That Church is an infallible witness, interpreter and judge. Infallible by right, because the Catholic Church alone has the consciousness of being infallible. Gro to any Protestant, I care not to what sect he belongs, and ask him in plain terms : " Is your religion infallible ; do you guarantee me that it cannot err in what it teaches." He will answer, if he be honest with you, it is possible for him to err. Gro to the Catholic Church, and you ask her : " Can you deceive me." What will the Church answer ? " It is impossible for me to err, because I am under the protection of Jesus Christ, and I am under the protection of the Holy Ghost ; I cannot deceive you ; I cannot lead you astray." Even if all the priests in the world conspired to do so, they could not succeed in doing it ; because God's protection is extented over the Church. [Applause]. Now, how does this infallibility mani- fest itself? If you look at the empires, 20 kingdoms and republics of the world, you will find that each one of these empires and kingdoms and republics has what they call a " Kepresentative " body, or Legislative Assembly. In this Represen- tative body or Legislative Assembly, the laws are made that govern them. This body represents the spirit, the life of Jie empire. In the German Empire it is called the Reichstadt, in the British Em- pire it is the Parliament, in the United States it is called the Congress. These men who form the assemblies of the Em- pire, are the representatives of the people ; and the power that is given to them, is given to them through the people. The Church is also a kingdom, and as a king- dom it also has its LegislatiA^e Assemblies. The Legislative Asseml)lies of the Church are called Ecumenical Councils. A coun- cil of this kind is called altogether by the Pope, as the head of the Church. When- ever he calls a council he sends an invita- tion to every bishop and archbishop in the world, appointing the place and the day ; and when the Legislation of that Council has received his approval, it is. called a General Ecumenical Council. Now such a Council represents the whole Catholic Church. When the l^ishon«