Page images
PDF
EPUB

ON THE

DOCTRINES AND PRACTICES

OF THE

ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH,

DELIVERED AT ST. MARY'S, MOORFIELDS, DURING THE LENT OF 1836.

[ocr errors][merged small][merged small]

Rector of the English College in Rome, and Professor of
Oriental Languages of that City.

LONDON:

PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY J. S. HODSON,

112, FLEET STREET.

HARYARB COLLEGE LIBRARY

1860, Jan. 31 Lift p James Halker,

Preet of Harvard Boliege (Classy 1814.)

HARVARD
UNIVERSITY

LIBDARY
FEB 7 1969

[blocks in formation]

LECTURE I.

THE OBJECT AND METHOD PROPOUNDED.

2 CORINTHIANS VI. 1.

"Brethren, we exhort that you receive not the word of God in vain."

THESE words are taken from the epistle for this day. It is difficult to say, my brethren, whether the church of God, in proposing the epistle which we read in the liturgy for this day, to the meditation of the faithful, had you principally in view, or those to whom is committed the ministry of God's word; for, on the one hand, you are exhorted, not only that you receive not the word of God in vain, but also, that you give offence to no man, lest thereby our ministry should be blamed. But while these words seem directly to exhort you, especially at this holy season, to attend to those instructions which are proposed for your edification, it must be owned, that the greater portion of the epistle is mainly directed, to point out to us what are those qualities wherewith we should announce to you the word of God - what are the characteristics whereby our ministry should be distinguished.

And, in the first place, we are commanded to show ourselves worthy ministers of Christ in the word of God, in the power of God, and in the armour of justice, on the right hand and on the left; that is to say, that, clothing ourselves with the conviction which we have of the truth of those doctrines which we deliver, we should stand forth ready to meet any opposition which may be proposed to them; that we should inculcate with all power, and with that strength which the word of God must always possess, those truths and those doctrines which are committed to our charge. But while we are commanded thus to

B

« PreviousContinue »