Page:SermonsFromTheLatins.djvu/407

 far from  wrecking  her,  they  only  serve  to  settle  her more solidly  on  her  foundation — the  immovable rock of  Peter. Were even  Satan  with  all  his  demon hosts to  assault  her  she  would  easily  withstand  their attack, for  by  her  side  stands  Satan's  master,  Jesus Christ. " Behold,"  He  says  to  her,  "  behold  I  am with  you  all  days,  even  to  the  consummation  of  the world."

Brethren, it  would  seem  almost  superfluous  to multiply  arguments  in  behalf  of  so  self-evident  a truth. For, after  all,  why  did  Christ  institute  His Church? His purpose  appears  from  His  commission to His  Apostles. " Go  ye  forth,"  He  says,  "  into  the whole  world  and  preach  the  Gospel  to  every  creature, and  he  that  believeth  and  is  baptized  shall  be  saved, but  he  that  believeth  not  shall  be  condemned." As long, therefore,  as  there  remains  a  soul  on  earth,  so long  must  the  Church  continue  to  be  the  way  by leading  men  to  salvation,  the  truth  by  preaching  the Gospel, and  the  life  by  administering  the  sacraments.

Brethren, since,  as  is  evident,  the  Church  Christ founded cannot  be  destroyed,  and  since  it  is  His  expressed desire  that  she  should  be  as  one  fold  under one shepherd,  it  is  the  sacred  duty  of  every  Christian to inquire,  Where  is  that  Church  now? To establish the apostolicity  of  Protestantism  its  adherents  are forced to  the  gratuitous  assertion  that  the  true Church in  her  progress  through  the  ages  has  at  times so denuded  herself  of  her  material  parts  as  to  have become practically  invisible. Such a  theory  is  preposterous. Being a  society  of  men  instituted  for