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Dedication.
Dedication.
Affectionately Dedicated To The Clergy and Laity Of The Archdiocese And Province Of Baltimore. The first edition of “The Faith of Our Fathers” was issued in December, 1876. From that time to the present fifty thousand copies of the work have been disposed of in the United States, Canada, Great Britain and Ireland, and in the British Colonies of Oceanica. This gratifying result has surpassed the author's most sanguine expectations, and is a consoling evidence that the investigation of religious t
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Preface To The Eleventh Edition.
Preface To The Eleventh Edition.
It is very gratifying to the author to note the large increase in the sale of “The Faith of Our Fathers.” Apart from personal considerations, it is pleasing to know that the popular interest in the Catholic Church and whatever pertains to her doctrines and discipline, is growing more widespread and earnest. Since 1879, when the eleventh revised edition was given to the public, there have been thirty-five editions, and the number of copies sold reaches nearly a quarter of a million. This desire t
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Preface To The Forty-Seventh Edition.
Preface To The Forty-Seventh Edition.
The object of this little volume is to present in a plain and practical form an exposition and vindication of the principal tenets of the Catholic Church. It was thought sufficient to devote but a brief space to such Catholic doctrines and practices as are happily admitted by Protestants, while those that are controverted by them are more elaborately elucidated. The work was compiled by the author during the uncertain hours which he could spare from the more active duties of the ministry. It sub
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Preface.
Preface.
The new edition of “The Faith of Our Fathers” has been carefully revised, and enriched with several pages of important matter. It is gratifying to note that since the first edition appeared, in 1876, up to the present time, fourteen hundred thousand copies have been published, and the circulation of the book is constantly increasing. The work has also been translated into nearly all the languages of Europe. Baltimore , May 1st, 1917....
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Preface To Eighty-Third Revised Edition.
Preface To Eighty-Third Revised Edition.
My Dear Reader :—Perhaps this is the first time in your life that you have handled a book in which the doctrines of the Catholic Church are expounded by one of her own sons. You have, no doubt, heard and read many things regarding our Church; but has not your information come from teachers justly liable to suspicion? You asked for bread, and they gave you a stone. You asked for fish, and they reached you a serpent. Instead of the bread of truth, they extended to you the serpent of falsehood. Hen
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Introduction.
Introduction.
It is not uncommon for a dialogue like the following to take place between a Protestant Minister and a convert to the Catholic Church: Minister .—You cannot deny that the Roman Catholic Church teaches gross errors—the worship of images, for instance. Convert .—I admit no such charge, for I have been taught no such doctrines. Minister .—But the Priest who instructed you did not teach you all. He held back some points which he knew would be objectionable to you. Convert .—He withheld nothing; for
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Chapter I. The Blessed Trinity, The Incarnation, Etc.
Chapter I. The Blessed Trinity, The Incarnation, Etc.
After having led a life of obscurity for about thirty years, chiefly at Nazareth, He commenced His public career. He associated with Him a number of men who are named Apostles, whom He instructed in the doctrines of the religion which He established. For three years He went about doing good, giving sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, healing all kinds of diseases, raising the dead to life, and preaching throughout Judea the new Gospel of peace. 6 On Good Friday He was crucified on Mount Cal
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Chapter II. The Unity Of The Church.
Chapter II. The Unity Of The Church.
Unity of government is not less essential to the Church of Christ than unity of doctrine. Our Divine Saviour never speaks of His Churches, but of His Church . He does not say: “Upon this rock I will build my Churches,” but “upon this rock I will build My Church,” 19 from which words we must conclude that it never was His intention to establish or to sanction various conflicting denominations, but one corporate body, with all the members united under one visible Head; for as the Church is a visib
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Chapter III. The Holiness Of The Church.
Chapter III. The Holiness Of The Church.
The example of our Divine Founder, Jesus Christ, the sublime moral lessons He has taught us, the Sacraments He has instituted—all tend to our sanctification. They all concentre themselves in our soul, like so many heavenly rays, to enlighten and inflame it with the fire of devotion. When the Church speaks to us of the attributes of our Lord, of His justice and mercy and sanctity and truth, her object is not merely to extol the Divine perfections, but also to exhort us to imitate them, and to be
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Chapter IV. Catholicity.
Chapter IV. Catholicity.
When our Savior gave commission to his Apostles He assigned to them the whole world as the theatre of their labors, and the entire human race, without regard to language, color, or nationality, as the audience to whom they were to preach. Unlike the religion of the Jewish people, which was national, or that of the Mohammedans, which is local, the Catholic religion was to be cosmopolitan, embracing all nations and all countries. This is evident from the following passages: “Go ye, therefore, and
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Chapter V. Apostolicity.
Chapter V. Apostolicity.
The Church, says St. Paul, is “built upon the foundation of the Apostles,” 70 so that the doctrine which it propagates must be based on Apostolic teachings. Hence St. Paul says to the Galatians: “Though an angel from heaven preach a Gospel to you beside that which we have preached to you, let him be anathema.” 71 The same Apostle gives this admonition to Timothy: “The things which thou hast heard from me before many witnesses the same commend to faithful men who shall be fit to teach others also
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Chapter VI. Perpetuity Of The Church.
Chapter VI. Perpetuity Of The Church.
In the last words recorded of our Redeemer in the Gospel of St. Matthew the same prediction is strongly repeated, and the reason of the Church's indefectibility is fully expressed: “Go ye, teach all nations, ... and behold I am with you all days , even to the consummation of the world.” 103 This sentence contains three important declarations: First—The presence of Christ with His Church— “Behold, I am with you.” Second—His constant presence, without an interval of one day's absence— “I am with y
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Chapter VII. Infallible Authority Of The Church.
Chapter VII. Infallible Authority Of The Church.
God loves us as much as He loved the primitive Christians; Christ died for us as well as for them and we have as much need of unerring teachers as they had. It will not suffice to tell me: “We have an infallible Scripture as a substitute for an infallible apostolate of the first century,” for an infallible book is of no use to me without an infallible interpreter, as the history of Protestantism too clearly demonstrates. But besides these presumptive arguments, we have positive evidence from Scr
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Chapter VIII. The Church And The Bible.
Chapter VIII. The Church And The Bible.
From this clear sentence you perceive that God does not refer the Jews for the settlement of their controversies to the letter of the law, but to the living authority of the ecclesiastical tribunal which He had expressly established for that purpose. Hence, the Priests were required to be intimately acquainted with the Sacred Scripture, because they were the depositaries of God's law, and were its expounders to the people. “The lips of the Priest shall keep knowledge, and they (the people) shall
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Chapter IX. The Primacy Of Peter.
Chapter IX. The Primacy Of Peter.
From this passage it is evident that in the Hebrew Church the High Priest had the highest jurisdiction in religious matters. By this means unity of faith and worship was preserved among the people of God. Now the Jewish synagogue, as St. Paul testifies, was the type and figure of the Christian Church; for “all these things happened to them (the Jews) in figure.” 154 We must, therefore, find in the Church of Christ a spiritual judge, exercising the same supreme authority as the High Priest wielde
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Chapter X. The Supremacy Of The Popes.
Chapter X. The Supremacy Of The Popes.
First—Take the question of appeals . An appeal is never made from a superior to an inferior court, nor even from one court to another of co-ordinate jurisdiction. We do not appeal from Washington to Richmond, but from Richmond to Washington. Now, if we find the See of Rome from the foundation of Christianity entertaining and deciding cases of appeal from the Oriental churches; if we find that her decision was final and irrevocable, we must conclude that the supremacy of Rome over all the churche
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Chapter XI. Infallibility Of The Popes.
Chapter XI. Infallibility Of The Popes.
Second—Infallibility does not mean that the Pope is impeccable or specially exempt from liability to sin. The Popes have been, indeed, with few exceptions, men of virtuous lives. Many of them are honored as martyrs. Seventy-nine out of the two hundred and fifty-nine that sat on the chair of Peter are invoked upon our altars as saints eminent for their holiness. The avowed enemies of the Church charge only five or six Popes with immorality. Thus, even admitting the truth of the accusations brough
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I. How The Popes Acquired Temporal Power.
I. How The Popes Acquired Temporal Power.
During the first three hundred years the Pastors of the Church were generally incapable of holding real estate in Rome; for Christianity was yet a proscribed religion, and the faithful were exposed to the most violent and unrelenting persecutions that have ever darkened the annals of history. The Christians of Rome worshiped for the most part in the catacombs. These catacombs are subterranean chambers and passages under the city of Rome. They extend for miles in different directions, and are vis
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II. The Validity And Justice Of Their Title.
II. The Validity And Justice Of Their Title.
The object is not to aggrandize or enrich the Pope. He ascends the Papal chair generally an old man, when human passion and human ambition, if any did exist, are on the wane. His personal expenses do not exceed a few dollars a day. He eats alone and very abstemiously. He has no wife, no children to enrich with the spoils of office, as he is an unmarried man. The Popedom is not hereditary, like the sovereignty of England, but elective, like the office of our President, and the Holy Father is succ
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III. What The Popes Have Done For Rome.
III. What The Popes Have Done For Rome.
Such was the case at the return of the Pope, in 1418, from Avignon, which had been the seat of the Sovereign Pontiffs during the preceding century. On the Pope's return the city of Rome had a population of only 17,000 188 and Avignon, which, during the residence of the Popes in the fourteenth century contained a population of 100,000, has now a population of only 36,407 inhabitants. Such, also, was the case in the beginning of the present century, when Pius VII. was an exile for four years from
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Chapter XIII. The Invocation Of Saints.
Chapter XIII. The Invocation Of Saints.
I might easily show, by voluminous quotations from ecclesiastical writers of the first ages of the Church, how conformable to the teaching of antiquity is the Catholic practice of invoking the intercession of the Saints. But as you, dear reader, may not be disposed to attach adequate importance to the writings of the Fathers, I shall confine myself to the testimony of Holy Scripture. You will readily admit that it is a salutary custom to ask the prayers of the blessed in heaven, provided you hav
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I. Is It Lawful To Honor Her?
I. Is It Lawful To Honor Her?
We would seem, indeed, to draw near to Jesus, if we had the happiness of only conversing with the Samaritan woman, or of eating at the table of Zaccheus, or of being entertained by Nicodemus. But if we were admitted into the inner circle of His friends—of Lazarus, Mary and Martha, for instance—the Baptist or the Apostles, we would be conscious that in their company we were drawing still nearer to Jesus and imbibing somewhat of that spirit which they must have largely received from their familiar
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II. Is It Lawful To Invoke Her?
II. Is It Lawful To Invoke Her?
The influence of Mary's intercession exceeds that of the angels, patriarchs and prophets in the same degree that her sanctity surpasses theirs. If our heavenly Father listens so propitiously to the voice of His servants, what will He refuse to her who is His chosen daughter of predilection, chosen among thousands to be the Mother of His beloved Son? If we ourselves, though sinners, can help one another by our prayers, how irresistible must be the intercession of Mary, who never grieved Almighty
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III. Is It Lawful To Imitate Her As A Model?
III. Is It Lawful To Imitate Her As A Model?
St. Ambrose gives us the following beautiful picture of Mary's life before her espousals: “Let the life,” he says, “of the Blessed Mary be ever present to you in which, as in a mirror, the beauty of chastity and the form of virtue shine forth. She was a virgin not only in body, but in mind, who never sullied the pure affection of her heart by unworthy feelings. She was humble of heart, serious in her conversation, fonder of reading than of speaking. She placed her confidence rather in the prayer
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Chapter XV. Sacred Images.
Chapter XV. Sacred Images.
Constantine Copronymus prosecuted the vandalism of Leo, his predecessor. Stephen, an intrepid monk, presented to the Emperor a coin bearing that tyrant's effigy, with these words: “Sire, whose image is this?” “It is mine,” replied the Emperor. The monk then threw down the piece of money and trampled it. He was instantly seized by the imperial attendants and soon after put to a painful death. “Alas!” cried the holy man to the Emperor, “if I am punished for dishonoring the image of a mortal monarc
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Chapter XVI. Purgatory And Prayers For The Dead.
Chapter XVI. Purgatory And Prayers For The Dead.
Is it not strange that this cherished doctrine should also be called in question by the leveling innovators of the sixteenth century, when we consider that it is clearly taught in the Old Testament; that it is, at least, insinuated in the New Testament; that it is unanimously proclaimed by the Fathers of the Church; that it is embodied in all the ancient liturgies of the Oriental and the Western church, and that it is a doctrine alike consonant with our reason and eminently consoling to the huma
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Chapter XVII. Civil And Religious Liberty.
Chapter XVII. Civil And Religious Liberty.
Her doctrine is, that as man by his own free will fell from grace, so of his own free will must he return to grace. Conversion and coercion are two terms that can never be reconciled. It has ever been a cardinal maxim, inculcated by sovereign Pontiffs and other Prelates, that no violence or undue influence should be exercised by Christian princes or missionaries in their efforts to convert souls to the faith of Jesus Christ. Pope Gregory I. in the latter part of the Sixth Century, compelled the
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I. The Spanish Inquisition.
I. The Spanish Inquisition.
We should also bear in mind that the Spaniards were not the only people who have proscribed men for the exercise of their religious belief. If we calmly study the history of other nations our enmity towards Spain will considerably relax, and we shall have to reserve for her neighbors a portion of our indignation. No impartial student of history will deny that the leaders of the reformed religions, whenever they gained the ascendency, exercised violence toward those who differed from them in fait
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II. What About The Massacre Of St. Bartholomew?
II. What About The Massacre Of St. Bartholomew?
Sismondi, a Protestant historian, tells us that the Pope's nuncio in Paris was purposely kept in ignorance of the designs of Charles; and Ranke, in his History of the Civil Wars , informs us that Charles and his mother suddenly left Paris in order to avoid an interview with the Pope's legate, who arrived soon after the massacre; their guilty conscience fearing, no doubt, a rebuke from the messenger of the Vicar of Christ, from whom the real facts were not long concealed. Fourth—It is scarcely ne
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III. Mary, Queen of England.
III. Mary, Queen of England.
First—Mary reigned only five years and four months. Elizabeth's reign lasted forty-four years and four months. The younger sister, therefore, swayed the sceptre of authority nearly nine times longer than the elder; and the number of Catholics who suffered for their faith during the long administration of Elizabeth may be safely said to exceed in the same proportion the victims of Mary's reign. Hallam asserts that “the rack seldom stood idle in the tower for all the latter part of Elizabeth's rei
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Chapter XIX. Grace—The Sacraments—Original Sin—Baptism—Its Necessity—Its Effects—Manner Of Baptizing.
Chapter XIX. Grace—The Sacraments—Original Sin—Baptism—Its Necessity—Its Effects—Manner Of Baptizing.
The grace of God is obtained chiefly by prayer and the Sacraments. A Sacrament is a visible sign instituted by Christ by which grace is conveyed to our souls. Three things are necessary to constitute a Sacrament, viz.—a visible sign, invisible grace and the institution by our Lord Jesus Christ. Thus, in the Sacrament of Baptism, there is the outward sign, which consists in the pouring of water and in the formula of words which are then pronounced; the interior grace or sanctification which is im
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Chapter XX. The Sacrament Of Confirmation.
Chapter XX. The Sacrament Of Confirmation.
Frequent mention is made of this Sacrament in the Holy Scripture. In the Acts it is written that “When the Apostles who were in Jerusalem had heard that Samaria had received the Word of God they sent unto them Peter and John, who, when they were come, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Ghost; for He was not yet come upon any of them, but they were only baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.” 354 It is also relat
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Chapter XXI. The Holy Eucharist.
Chapter XXI. The Holy Eucharist.
I shall select three classes of arguments from the New Testament which satisfactorily demonstrate the Real Presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. The first of these texts speaks of the promise of the Eucharist, the second of its institution and the third of its use among the faithful. To begin with the words of the promise. While Jesus was once preaching near the coast of the Sea of Galilee He was followed, as usual, by an immense multitude of persons, who were attracted to Him by the mira
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Chapter XXII. Communion Under One Kind.
Chapter XXII. Communion Under One Kind.
From this passage it is evident that whoever partakes of the form of bread partakes of the living flesh of Jesus Christ, which is inseparable from His blood, and which, being now in a glorious state, cannot be divided; for, “Christ rising from the dead, dieth now no more.” 378 Our Lord, in His words quoted, makes no reference to the sacramental cup, but only to the Eucharistic bread, to which He ascribes all the efficacy which is attached to communion under both kinds, viz., union with Him, spir
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Chapter XXIII. The Sacrifice Of The Mass.
Chapter XXIII. The Sacrifice Of The Mass.
When Jehovah delivered to Moses the written law on Mount Sinai He gave His servant the most minute details with regard to all the ceremonies to be observed in the sacrifices which were to be offered to Him. He prescribed the kind of victims to be immolated, the qualifications of the Priests who were to minister at the altar, and the place and manner in which the victims were to be offered. Hence, it was the custom of the Jewish Priests to slay every day two lambs as a sacrifice to God, 392 and i
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Chapter XXIV. The Use Of Religious Ceremonies Dictated By Right Reason.
Chapter XXIV. The Use Of Religious Ceremonies Dictated By Right Reason.
Genuine piety cannot long be concealed in the heart without manifesting itself by exterior practices of religion; hence, though interior and exterior worship are distinct, they cannot be separated in the present life. Fire cannot burn without sending forth flame and heat. Neither can the fire of devotion burn in the soul without being reflected on the countenance and even in speech. It is natural for man to express his sentiments by signs and ceremonies, for “from the fulness of the heart the mo
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Chapter XXV. Ceremonials Of The Mass.
Chapter XXV. Ceremonials Of The Mass.
Before Mass begins the Priest sprinkles the assembled congregation with holy water, reciting at the same time these words of the fiftieth Psalm: “Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be cleansed; Thou shalt wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow.” The practice of using blessed water dates back to a very remote antiquity, and is alluded to by several Fathers of the primitive Church. As we advance up the aisle you observe lying open on the altar a large book, which is called a Mi
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I. The Divine Institution Of The Sacrament Of Penance.
I. The Divine Institution Of The Sacrament Of Penance.
For, if Jesus had contented Himself with healing the maladies of our body without attending to those of our soul, He would deserve, indeed, to be called our Physician, but would not merit the more endearing titles of Savior and Redeemer. But as sin was the greatest evil of man, and as Jesus came to remove from us our greatest evils, He came into the world chiefly as the great Absolver from sin. Magdalen seems to have a consciousness of this. She casts herself at His feet, which she washes with h
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II. On The Relative Morality Of Catholic And Protestant Countries.
II. On The Relative Morality Of Catholic And Protestant Countries.
Rev. Mr. Seymour gives the following list of the number of murders in England, France and Ireland: Ireland: 19 homicides to the million of inhabitants France: 31 England: 4 The reader of the above might well draw back in astonishment and exclaim, “Truly moral atmosphere of England!” But how do these statements compare with the official records which I submit to the unprejudiced reader? Recent returns from the “Hand-Book” for France, and “Thom's Official Directory for England and Ireland, 1869,”
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Chapter XXVII. Indulgences.
Chapter XXVII. Indulgences.
Nathan, the prophet, announced to David that his crimes were forgiven, but that he should suffer many chastisements from the hand of God. 471 That our Lord has given to the Church the power of granting Indulgences is clearly deduced from the Sacred Text. To the Prince of the Apostles He said: “Whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound also in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed also in heaven.” 472 And to all the Apostles assembled together He made the same
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Chapter XXVIII. Extreme Unction.
Chapter XXVIII. Extreme Unction.
Several of the ancient Fathers allude to this Sacrament. Origen (third century) writes: “There is also a remission of sins through penitence, when the sinner ... is not ashamed to declare his sin to the Priest of the Lord, and to seek a remedy ... wherein that also is fulfilled which the Apostle James saith: ‘ But if any be sick among you, let him call in the Priests of the Church, and let them impose hands on him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord .’ ” 484 St. Chrysostom (fourth c
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Chapter XXIX. The Priesthood.
Chapter XXIX. The Priesthood.
Not only does Jesus empower His ministers to preach in His name, but he commands their hearers to listen and obey. “Whosoever will not receive you, nor hear your words, going forth from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet. Amen, I say to you, it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment than for that city.” 494 “He that heareth you heareth Me; and he that despiseth you despiseth Me; and he that despiseth Me despiseth Him that sent Me.” 49
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Chapter XXX. Celibacy Of The Clergy.
Chapter XXX. Celibacy Of The Clergy.
St. Paul gives the reason why our Savior declares continency to be a more suitable state for His ministers than that of matrimony: “He who is unmarried careth for the things of the Lord—how he may please God. But he who is married is solicitous about the things of the world—how he may please his wife—and he is divided.” 516 Jesus Christ manifestly showed His predilection for virginity, not only by always remaining a virgin, but by selecting a Virgin-Mother and a virgin-precursor in the person of
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Chapter XXXI. Matrimony.
Chapter XXXI. Matrimony.
The Fathers, Councils and Liturgies of the Western and the Oriental Churches, including the Coptic, Jacobite, Syriac, Nestorian and other schismatic bodies, which for upwards of fourteen centuries have been separated from the Catholic communion, all agree in recognizing Christian marriage as a Sacrament. Hence the Council of Trent, speaking of Matrimony, says: “Christ Himself, the Institutor and Perfector of the venerable sacraments, merited for us by His passion the grace which might perfect th
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