The Labors of the Apostles, and the Origin of the Christian Religion
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This is a reproduction of a library book that was digitized by Google as part of an ongoing effort to preserve the information in books and make it universally accessible. http://books.google.com @BORS OF mfilvosngs Q 'BlBLIOTHECA s. J. Maison Saint-Augustin ENGHIEN I14! ,3 > h ‘\i ii. Yul»! Siiilghnks .i Y“\ III I It ‘- _--.-__ -—>--_- a“ .vulnH-Erlumwwuwhvlt rill! l'l'l'llll 3 . :v114 HM» .v? “Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My Church.” ST. MATTHEW xvi. 18. THE ' LABORS OF THE APOSTLES: Their Teacbirgg oY the Nations. BY RIGHT REV. LOUIS DE GOESBRIAND, D.D., BISHOP 0F BURLINGTON, Authoer “ Chris: on the Altar." “ History of Confession," etc. NEW YORK, Cmcmmn, Cchco BENZIGER BROTHERS, Print”: t0 the Holly Apostalic Sa. [893. / COPYRIGHT, 1893, BY Banzmmz BROTHERS. PREFACE. IN WHICH I SPEAK OF MY LIFE AND OF WHAT WAS THE OCCASION OF WRITING THIS LITTLE WORK. TINTEND, dear reader, to write regarding the labors of the apostles, and the origin of the Christian religion. I invite you to follow me to Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Nazareth, and other points in the Holy Land, as well as to Tarsus, An tioch, Ephesus, Corinth, Athens, Rome, Alexan dria, and many otner places. I have travelled much in the United States and in other countries, and have always noticed that fellow-travellers are anxious, when they first meet, to learn where their companions come from, whither they are going, and what is the nature of their business or avocation. I will therefore tell you something about myself. I am a bishop of the Catholic Church, and I think one of the oldest bishops of the world. I was born in the western part of France which is called Little Britanny. My parents and all my relatives were very good Christians. Among them, or indeed among any of the people of the country, I never heard of religious discussion. They acknowledged and venerated the Pope as the Vicar of Jesus Chris; upon earth, the dioce 4 PREFACE. san bishop as the head of the diocese, and the parish priest as the spiritual father of the con gregation. They obeyed their prelates, knew and observed the commandments of God, accept ed and recited at their prayers the Apostles’ Creed as the synopsis of revealed truth, and worshipped their Creator by daily morning and evening prayers on week-days, and by attending Mass on Sundays and holy-days. My parents always spoke of‘ the Bible with the greatest respect. I remember to have seen at home one of the books of Solomon, written in its entirety in the hand of one of my grandfathers; and when I was leaving home to come to America, one of my uncles, who had been a distinguished servant of his country, wrote to me, recommending that I should always carry a copy of the New Testament about me, remarking that such had been his own practice, and that often amidst great dangers he had found immense consolation in reading the sacred Book, particularly the chap ter of St. John regarding the Holy Eucharist, the discourse of the Saviour after the Last Supper, and the Sermon on the Mount. When I had finished my classical studies, I lived at home for some time, undecided as to the career which I should embrace. Ithought serious ly for a time of entering on a military career, for I much admired the virtues which characterize the good soldier, and there had been many military men in our family. For many months after com ing from college I remained in this state of inde cisiveness, until one day all my aversion to the PREFACE. 5 ecclesiastical state was changed into a determina tion to embrace it. My preparation for the priesthood lasted five years; part of the time I spent in the seminary of my native diocese, and the rest in the cele brated house of St. Sulpice in Paris. During my stay in that house I became acquainted with some students from Boston, among them Rev. J. B. Fitzpatrick, who, four years after leaving St. Sulpice, became third bishop of Boston. But the real occasion of my leaving France for the missions of America was the presence of Right Reverend ]. B. Purcell at the Seminary. He was returning from Rome on his way to Cincinnati, and I went to see him, and volunteered to become one of his missionaries. There are probably still living in New York many who remember the packet boat Iowa and its excellent commander, Captain Pell. On this ship I embarked at Havre, on July 17, 1840, and reached New York forty-five days after. This was a long voyage, but I rather enjoyed it, for I was always, and am still, fond of the sea. Among the passengers on board the Iowa two particularly attracted my attention. They were an elderly gentleman from one of our great cities, and his daughter, a lady of about 15 or 16. They were returning from Paris, where Miss — had spent some time in a school. The old gentleman was very kind and affable, though sometimes out of humor when we happened to be tossed by the storm, or prevented from going ahead by dead calm. His remarks on those occa 6 PREFACE. sions were rather amusing, and he evidently felt that there is no place like home. The good old gentleman had evidently paid hitherto more attention to money-making than to religion, and I used to wonder at his religious views. It was new to me to hear such statements as: all religions are good ,- it matters not wizat a man believes, provided lee does night. He had car ried into practice what he held in theory, and when, on a former trip to Europe, he had left his daughter in a boarding-school in Paris, he had de clared to the master that “ his daughter must be taught some religion. She might be a Catholic, she might be something else, but she must have religion." What the result of such training must be is evident to every thinking person. I soon found out, after spending some time in the northern part of Ohio, that indifferentism, doubt, and ignorance about religious matters were prevalent in the land. Bibles, however, were not wanting; they were to be seen on the parlor tables of ships, of steam and canal boats, on the shelves of steam cars, on the mantle-pieces of hotels. More than fifty-two years have elapsed since I landed in New York as a priest, desirous of helping men to save their souls. Since that time, editions upon editions of Bibles and New Testaments have been printed and distributed broadcast through the land, new religious denominations have been started, church edifices or meeting-houses with out number have been erected, ministers are not wanting ; there is no lack of Sunday-schools, prayer PREFACE. 7 or camp meetings, communion services, and so on, but where is true religion, where is unity of belief, where is uniformity in the worship of God ? During my long life as priest and bishop I have been frequently asked by non-Catholics to permit them to marry Catholic ladies, members of my dio cese. My experience in that matter is that the greater part of those applicants never prayed to God, never went to a house of worship, or if they did go, it was sometimes to one, sometimes to an other; that they were totally ignorant about God, their own soul, and the way to save it. They were, however, what are known as good fel laws; they acknowledged that they ought to serve and honor God, but the way to do it they did not know. They had seen enough of the Bible, but if they attempted to read it they soon let it alone, not knowing where it came from, nor what it meant. I must be pardoned when I say that what I found to be true of the lay people I found to ap ply in great measure to the ministers. Although they speak of the Bible, recommend it to be read by all as the only rule of faith and morals; although they explain it in their own way—they are well aware that their explanations may be false, they cannot tell upon what authority the Bible rests, and they feel that their comments and rec ommendations result only in dissension and un belief. It has therefore occurred to me to write this lit tle work regarding the labors of the apostles and the origin of the Christian religion. I write 8 PREFACE. for the sake of men of good will, and all must ac knowledge that a very simple and easy way to find the truth is to see how the early Christians were converted. Was it by reading the New Testament or by the teaching of those whom Christ had commis sioned to preach the Gospel? The way to the truth must be the same now as it was eighteen hundred years ago. Those who have doubts regarding religion I earnestly recommend to read the following charm lng trait in the life of Our Lord Jesus Christ. “ There was in Jericho a man named Zacheus, who Was the chief of the publicans, and he was rlch. And he sought to see Jesus who He was; and he COuld not for the crowd, because he was 10“: 0f stature. And running before, he climbed fig; Eto a Sycamore tree that he might see Him: com e was to pass that way.