The faith of our fathers - Carmel Apologetics

"HOLINESS OF THE CHURCH. 45Publicans and Sinners that He might make them thefriends of God. And they clung to Him, knowingHis compassion for them.The Church, walking in the footsteps of her divineSpouse, never repudiates sinners, nor cuts them offfrom her fold, no matter how grievous or notoriousmay oe their moral delinquencies ; not because sheconnives at their sin, but because she wishes to reclaim them. She bids them never to despair, andtries, at least, to weaken their passions, if she cannot altogether reform their lives.Mindful also of the words of our Lord : The poorhave the Gospel preached to lthem," the Churchhas a tender compassion for the victims of poverty,which has its train of peculiar temptations and infirmities. Hence, the poor and the sinners cling tothe Church, as they clung to our Lord during Hismortal life.We know, on the other hand, that sinners who areguilty of gross crimes which shock public decency,are virtually excommunicated from Protestant Communions. And as for the poor, the public pressoften complains that little or no provisionis madefor them in Protestant Churches. A gentleman informed me that he never saw a poor person enter aiiEpiscopal Church which was contiguous to his residence.These excluded sinners and victims of penuryeither abandon Christianity altogether, or find1Matt. xi. 5.