The Faith of Our Fathers

by James Gibbons

Publishers:

John Murphy Company; R. & T. Washbourne

, 1904

Overview

In The Faith of Our Fathers, James Gibbons presents a plain and practical exposition and vindication of the principal tenets of the Catholic Church. He briefly defines Catholic doctrines and practices agreed upon by Protestants, and launches into discussion of the practices and beliefs in which Catholicism and Protestantism differ. Gibbons writes with the intention of establishing the truths of the Catholic faith to Protestants—who generally accepted Scripture as the only source of religious authority, so his writings draw heavily from Scripture.

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Key Features

• Presents shared beliefs of Catholics and Protestants
• Draws from Scripture to create a defense of Catholicism
• Uses Protestant beliefs as a foundation for understanding Catholic practices

Contents

Top Highlights

“And lest we should be mistaken in distinguishing between the true Church and false sects, which our Lord predicted would arise, He was pleased to stamp upon His Church certain shining marks, by which every sincere inquirer could easily recognize her as His only Spouse. The principal marks or characteristics of the true Church are, her Unity, Sanctity, Catholicity, and Apostolicity,³ to which may be added the Infallibility of her teaching and the Perpetuity of her existence.” (Page 4)

“BY unity is meant that the members of the true Church must be united in the belief of the same doctrines of revelation, and in the acknowledgment of the authority of the same pastors. Heresy and schism are opposed to Christian unity. By heresy, a man rejects one or more articles of the Christian faith. By schism, he spurns the authority of his spiritual superiors. That our Savior requires this unity of faith and government in His members is evident from various passages of Holy Writ.” (Page 5)

“It will not suffice to tell me: ‘We have an infallible Scripture as a substitute for an infallible apostolate of the first century,’ for an infallible book is of no use to me without an infallible interpreter, as the history of Protestantism too clearly demonstrates.” (Page 64)

“Hence, it is clear that Jesus Christ intended that His Church should have one common doctrine which all Christians are bound to believe, and one uniform government to which all should be loyally attached.” (Page 8)

“The Catholic Church is persistently misrepresented by the most powerful vehicles of information.” (Page xi)

Praise for the Print Edition

The Faith of Our Fathers. . . by James Cardinal Gibbons, Catholic archbishop of Baltimore. . . sold more than 2 million copies in more than a hundred editions during its first forty years in print.

—The Cambridge History of Christianity, c.1815 – c.1914

. . .whatever differences of opinion may exist relative to the work as a vindication of the Catholic Church, there can be none in respect of the exposition of its tenets; for the reverend bishop has given a very clear, lucid and intelligible résumé of Roman Catholic doctrines and belief, symbols, forms of worship, etc., which no one can read without profit to one’s self and increased respect for the Church of which it is an exponent

—The National Quarterly Review, vol. 44

The secret of its success appears to be contained in its being thoroughly actual—that is to say, brought close up to the reason and thoughts of men of the present day. It is written in a plain and pleasing style, and is homely in its explanations. One of the most beautiful chapters is on the Blessed Virgin, a subject of special difficulty to Protestants, and it is handled in a way eminently likely to smooth away Protestant prejudice.

—The Dublin Review, Third Series, vol. 4

Product Details

• Title: The Faith of Our Fathers
• Author: James Gibbons
• Publisher: John Murphy Company
• Publication Date: 1904
• Pages: 410

About James Gibbons

James Gibbons (1834–1921) was appointed as cardinal in 1886, the second American to reach that rank in the Catholic Church. Before that, he served as the archbishop of Baltimore, MD. He was the author of numerous works, including The Faith of Our Fathers, Our Christian Heritage, and The Ambassador of Christ.