Sermons on Ecclesiastical Subjects (Volume 1) (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1873. Excerpt: ... is of the world illuminated by the faith and Church of Jesus Christ, it is self-evidently false. They who have not the truth whole and perfect, must be always inquiring, always doubting. Not so they who are 'taught of God.' Tertullian4 tells us that the heretics of his day were perpetually repeating, 'Quasrite, et invenietis; Seek, and ye shall find.' He answered: Why seek what we have already? We have the truth; what should we seek for? It is our inheritance; it is the gift of God; it comes to us unsought; it precedes all inquiry. We know it without finding it, for we have it from our baptism. But, in addressing these that are out of its unity, indeed, the Church appeals to inquiry, and uses the same words as our divine Lord. 'Search the Scriptures; for you think in them to have life everlasting; and the same are they that give testimony of Me.'5 It does not there 4 Tcrtul. da Prescript, adv. Hareticos, cap. ix. 'There is, then, one certain truth established by Christ, which all nations ought to believe, and therefore to seek, that when they have found it, they may believe it. But the inquiry after this one and certain truth cannot go on for ever. You must seek until you find, and believe when you have found it. And then nothing remains to be done, but to hold fast that which you have believed; forasmuch as you believe, moreover, that nothing else is to be believed. And therefore nothing else is to be sought after, when you have found and believed that which has been established by Him.' 'No man seeks save ho that has not, or has lost that which he had.' Cap. xi - St. John v. 39. by put its own divine certainty and its own divine authority at stake; but being conscious that the Scriptures testify of itself, as they testify of Jesus, of the Body as w...