Saint Justin, Saint Justin whom we celebrate today, never really ended his
quest for religious truth even when he was converted to Christianity after
years of studying various pagan philosophies. As a young man, he was
attracted to the school of Plato. However, he found that the Christian religion
answered the great questions about life and existence, you know, even better than
the philosophers.
Upon his
conversion he continued to wear the philosophers mantle.
He became the the first Christian philosopher, he combined the Christian
religion with the the best element of Greek philosophy,
something that St. Thomas Aquinas would do centuries later. In his view,
you know,
sound philosophy was an educator that would lead to Christ. And actually, it's a bad philosophy
that leads to bad theology. And now, in today's gospel, it's taken for granted that the question
the Jewish leaders asked our Lord is a reasonable demand. Namely, tell us by what authority you do
these things and who's given you this authority. The reasonableness of the demand, our Lord often
acknowledged in other places, declaring that if by his doctrine and works,
he had not confirmed the divinity of his authority, it would be no sin to disbelieve or reject him.
And this principle, which presupposes in pastors the necessity of a lawful mission, was formerly
and may still be,
argued against Luther, and Calvin, and Tyndall, and Cranmer, and all the so-called reformers of the
Catholic Church. Just where did these rebels derive their mission? Who sent them to preach? Who gave
them the authority to change God's church? Now, let them show their commission for this purpose.
Unless they can do this, we shouldn't have anything to do with these usurpers or intruders.
Especially the dissenters within the Catholic Church today.
You know, the only contact we should have is to lead them back to the truth in love.
Now, you know, don't get me wrong. I'm not talking about the good non-Catholics of today, you know,
that are in good faith, who love Jesus and strive to get to the top.
And strive to keep his commandments, you know.
But if the dissenters of today, or the dissenters of old, you know, claim that theirs is an extraordinary
mission, you know, immediately derived from God, then, you know, why didn't they show their credentials
stamped with the unmistakable seal of heaven?
That is, you know, why did they not, you know, by clear and evident miracles, such as our Lord and His Apostles
worked in order to indicate their being extraordinarily commissioned, you know, for the founding of their churches?
It was our Lord who was telling His opponents that, you know, if you don't believe me, believe the works that I do.
You know, without such proofs as these, you know, no claims to an extraordinary mission, in opposition to the
ordinary church authority, can be allowed.
Otherwise, you know, every fanatic or dissenter, you know, following his own warped faith and morality, you know,
may pretend to have a call from heaven.
And upon this foolish claim, you know, preach up his own dreams, you know, in place of the pure,
word of God, you know, in contempt of all authority of church or state.
Now, if it be said that the missions of the first dissenters were ordinary, and were given them by the
ministry of men, then it obliges them to point out what men, you know, these were from.
Whom they received this ordinary power.
You know, were they Catholics or Protestants?
Well, they weren't Protestants, for they can't name anyone who commissioned them to preach.
And they certainly weren't Catholics, because the religion which Luther and his rebellious brothers
endeavored to spread was a new religion.
A new religion directly opposed to that of Catholicism.
And therefore, you know, couldn't be taught in any virtue of a commission from Catholics.
You know, we read in St. Paul's letter to the Romans, how can they preach, you know, unless they be sent?
You know, some claim that, uh,
Luther,
had received his orders in the Catholic Church.
But, um, you know, it's easily answered that, uh,
this could not authorize him to, uh, to begin the preaching and teaching of another religion
any more than a soldier's orders permit him to open fire on his own men.
You know.
Um,
Our Lord, uh, refuses to answer the Jewish leaders because they refuse to acknowledge or own, uh,
what they already know to be true.
That our Lord's miracles are testimony enough.
And, uh, St. Justin was so convinced of the truths of the Catholic Church,
that he would prefer being cut up into pieces than to deny them.
And, uh, by the way, that's not how he was martyred.
But, uh, he did write those very words in, in one of his letters.
Now, I say, I want you to know
that the preceded letters you have
read.
These are the letters of
St. –
case
4.