Indeed, anyone familiar with history should have no difficulty in identifying the Catholic Church with the Church founded by Christ. The preceding talks have shown that His Church is an organism, the Mystical Body of which He is the Invisible Head, and that in accordance with the wish of that Head, this Body is One, Holy and Catholic. There remains for discussion the fourth characteristic of that Body, perhaps the most important of all—the Apostolicity of Christ's Church. When we use the term apostolicity, we mean to indicate that the Church which claims to be the one founded directly by Christ—the First Christian Church,—should be able to prove conclusively that she, and she alone, is the Church which Christ establish. ed under the supremacy of St. Peter in other words, prove that she is apostolic in origin in doctrine and in ministry.
A mere cursory reading of the New Testament reveals the salient fact that the Church which Christ established was decidedly apostolic. He Himself chose the twelve Apostles, made St. Peter their head, and commissioned them to transmit infallibly all His divine revelation to all nations till the end of the world, "As the Father hath sent Me, I also send you" He told them. (John XXI/21) "AIL power is given to Me in heaven and in earth. Going therefore, teach ye all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them io observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and behold, I am with you all days, even to the Consummation of the world" (Matt. XXVITI/18-20),
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.