On The Way Back Home - Chapter 9

Today we have the Anglican Church, the Baptist Church, the Lutheran Church, the Presbyterian Church, the Congregational Church and so many others representing themselves as the Church of Christ that the claim is now made, in view of the fact that all these denominations claim to be the Church of Christ, that it is impossible to discover the true Church Christ founded.  It can not be impossible however for Christ would not found His Church and command all men to enter it unless it were possible for it to be known as such.  In this 20th century, surrounded by so many Christian sects it is not easy to find the one, true Church as it was in the 10th century when all Europe possessed the one true Faith.  Though it is not as easy, still, it is not impossible.

I say 'though it is not as easy nowadays to find the one True Church as it was formerly' and I think we can all admit that, in the present state of things, for many people it is not as easy.  When a child has been brought up from its tenderest years in a belief and a practice different from that of the Catholic Church, it is not so easy for him to find his way back home.  For I may live in a false religion, and may not know it to be a false religion.  It may never occur to me to investigate the position in which I find myself and the means of investigation may not be within my reach.  I may be what is termed-invincibly ignorant-of the truth.  If I am, no blame may be attached to me for not knowing the truth.  God does not expect the impossible of anyone.  But in these days of widespread education, when books, periodicals and other means of enlightenment are within the easy reach of all, no intelligent well-eaning man need be invincibly ignorant of the Church Christ founded.  A man's religion is his most important possession upon earth, since religion is the means God has instituted to help save his soul.  Whether then we be Lutherans or Episcopalians or Catholics, we are convinced on reasonable grounds that the Lutheran religion or the Episcopalian religion or the Catholic religion is the religion Christ Himself founded and the one in which He intended us to work our our salvation and no other.

But are there any distinguishing marks by which a person living in the 20th century can know with certainty which religion is the true religion?  Yes, there are.  There are four great signs or marks, trademarks as it were of Christ, stamped on the true religion to make it stand out as the Church of Christ.  The true religion should be Apostolic;  it should be One;  it should be Catholic;  it should be Holy.  Let us examine these separately in order to see if the Catholic religion possesses them in their entirety.  

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