Hence, I soon saw that what I already had of truth and light; what my best nature and conscience and my clearest natural knowledge told me was truth; was but elevated and lifted up beyond all conception by these and other doctrines of the Church.

From this I was soon in a position to appreciate the Church's claim to authoritative teaching.

If she, and she alone, had taught such things, she must possess God's teaching authority.
[* Reference is here made to the Catholic doctrine of the Communion of Saints.] "When, therefore, I went into Boston and saw Bishop Fitzpatrick (who is now, I hope, in the kingdom of heaven), he had little to do with me in the way of instruction.

The Trinity and other fundamental doctrines I accepted readily on the authority of the Church.

He was very anxious to argue with me about socialistic theories, on account of my having been at Brook Farm and Fruitlands.