ays, this is what the words of Our Lord in
His law signify, no one who is a true Christian can refuse to believe,
or can appeal from his decision.

*130 Q. How is the Church holy?
A. The Church is holy because its founder, Jesus Christ, is holy;
because it teaches a holy doctrine, invites all to a holy life, and
because of the eminent holiness of so many thousands of its children.

Protestant religions have not holy doctrines if we examine them closely.
They teach, for example, that faith without good works will save us, and
thus take away the motives for doing good; that marriage is not binding
for life--the husband and wife may for some causes separate, or get a
divorce, and marry again. This would leave the children without the care
of their proper parents, sometimes without a home, and nearly always
without religious instruction. The same persons might separate again and
marry another time, and thus there would be nothing but confusion and
immorality in society. Again, some of their doctrines teach that we
cannot help sinning; so everyone could excuse himself for his sins by
saying he could not help them, which you can easily see would lead to
the worst of consequences. Lastly, their doctrines have never made one
saint--acknowledged as such from miracles performed. Protestants are so
called because, when their ancestors rebelled against the Church about
three hundred years ago, the Church made certain laws and they protested
against them, separated from the Church, and formed a new religion of
their own.

*131 Q. How is the Church catholic or universal?
A. The Church is catholic or universal because it subsists in all ages,
teaches all nations, and maintains all truth.

"Subsists" means to have existence.

"Catholic." The word catholic signifies universal. The Church is
universal in three ways, viz.: in time, in place, and in doctrine. It is
universal in time; for from the day Our Lord commissioned His Apostles
to preach to the whole world down to the present, it has existed,
taught, and labored in every age. It is universal in place; that is, it
is not confined to one part of the world, but teaches throughout the
entire world. It is universal in doctrine, for it teaches the same
doctrines and administers the same Sacraments everywhere; and its
doctrines are suited to all classes of men--to the ignorant as well as
the learned, to the poor as well as the rich. It teaches by the voice of
its priests and bishops,