Page:SermonsFromTheLatins.djvu/288

 Hence, it  follows  that  if  my  Church,  the  Catholic Church, is  the  one  true  Church,  I,  professing  her  doctrines and  living  up  to  them,  will  be  saved,  and  my brother  denying  her  doctrines  in  his  teaching  and practice will  be  lost. And because  truth  is  one,  so must  the  true  Church  be  one  and  one  only. For, as there  is  but  one  God  and  one  Christ,  so  can  there  be but  one  true  Church,  one  true  faith,  one  true  Baptism. For the  true  Church  is  Christ's  living  representative on  earth,  and  hence,  she  is  one  even  as  He is  one. He called  her  His  Church,  He  founded  her  on one  rock,  He  gathered  His  disciples  into  her  as  into one fold,  under  one  Shepherd,  and  His  last  prayer  for her was  that  she  might  ever  continue  one  even  as  the Father and  He  are  one. Christ clothed  her  with  His own personality,  giving  to  her  all  power  in  heaven and on  earth  even  as  the  Father  gave  to  Him.

Hence, just  as  the  apostolic  delegate  can  say:  "  I am  the  Pope,"  so  the  true  Church  can  stand  up  before the  world  and  say:  "  I  am  Christ." For, sending her  into  the  world  He  said:  "  Go  preach  the  gospel to  every  creature,  and  whosoever  shall  believe and  be  baptized  shall  be  saved,  but  whosoever  shall not  believe  shall  be  condemned.  Amen,  I  say  to  you, it  shall  be  more  tolerable  in  the  day  of  judgment  for Sodom  and  Gomorrha  than  for  whosoever  shall  not receive  or  hear  you.  Let  such  an  one  be  to  you  as  a heathen  and  a  publican.  For  who  denies  you,  denies Me,  and  who  denies  Me  before  men  I  will  deny  him before  My  Father  in  heaven." Thus, you  see,  that so close  is  the  connection  between  the  Father  and