Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1826-10-28
s SATURDAY. OCTOBER %, 1926.
From the United States Catholic Miscellany
LETTER V.


10 the Catholics Of the United States Of .4Hasrea,
Ny Friends-The occupations OF men are Of
such nature, as generally TO require from each
individual his principal, il not his exclusive al,
tention, to some one study or empioyhen.' anu
as the human mind is extremely limited In It's
faculties. it must generally happen that they
who are deeply engaged in any one department.
can be onlyimperfectly acquainted WIN all ON
ers The common sense OF mankind, & The eApe-
fpnce of ages and of nations, has therefore eS-
tabished the general maxim, that the oes' Judge
of any science or art, is person who has mace
that science, or that art, his principal study
The great body of mankind VIII observe any
olarinc defect, or monstrous irreguiariiy, In
nublic building; others will frequently ieei, even
where no palpable erroris seen, that something
IS amiss in the appearance, though they cannon
nar,icula.ize the fault; but skiitul architect
NOT only perceives the want oil symmetry, Out
can specify the exact seat, and the extent, oil
the biunder; and few. if any, save they who are
coyersant with the object OF The structure, and
The "details of the business Tor which II is TO be
employed, can say whether It's apartments are
;udiciously and conveniently laid out Proba-
bly. upon this principle, we may excuse the
commentators of Blanco White, except for
their uncalled for interference.
Bishop Kemp and his associates, are pleased
10 call our religion a wonderful system. -
And SO itis-Itis sys,em deriving It's origin
from the Deity, who frs, planted it in the hu-
man heart: he enabled our great parent, IN the
first developement of his understanding, to dis
cover the only principle which this whole sys-
tenn comprises,-MAN IS BOUND TO A
DORE HIS CREATOR. Yes, my friends!
this is the only principle OF our church: this is
the summary Of our religion. This was disco
yered by Adam in the day of his innocence;
and IL was recollec,ed by Adam in The midst OF
The Gloom which succeeded TO his fall; it was
transmitted BY him as the most valuable lega-
CIV to his children. Patriarchal tradition pre-
served il to the DAYS of the deluge. Ii remain
ed with Noah in the ark; and j, came forth to
cheer him in the midst Of the desolation with
which he was surrounded upon the hills OF Ar
menia: he beheld its calm and peaceful beauty
in the rainbow; it preserved his faith at the
bloody sacrifice, and enkindled his hope when
the holocaus, was consumed upon the blazing
altar II was misapphed and mlsdlrected at
Babel: and the roaming outcasts who were
snread over the face oil the earth, still, III their
MIGRATION, preserved the principle, though they
mistook the object, of alteration But the
Young Chadean, who came out from his fathers
house and from his kindred, brought 1t with
him in purity to the land OF strangers, which
was to be given as an inheritance 10 his desoen-
dants in the valley of vision and upon the hill
of car r;fice he convessed with the God of his
fathers who gave 10 him ordinances calculal-
ed TO preserye the principle from the corrup-
tions of human speculation. That Coz went
down with Joseph inlo Egypt, and after exhib-
iting his might by the hand Of Moses, he bro't
his people through the yawning valley OF the
Red Sea. Tn the midst of wonders ne proclaim
ed his law, and gave its sanction at Sinai. lie
established them priesthood and TRIBUNAL
for the careful pre- servation OF that original
principle, which the varying speculatons oil
restless men had so disguised through the world,
as 10 make the objects Of their alteration every
real vice and every imaginary virtue; as well
as every material being, from the glorious sun
of Persia 10 the pu,rid leek OF Egypt. Again,
at the appointed Anne, the Heavens were rent;
the great Teacher descended; an incarnate God
wrought wonders in Judea; the sun OF justice
succs eced to that ora which had only announ-
ced his elories by reflection: the "a mixing pro-
phets were lost in the brilliancv of his light.
The ne " trihnn..,. is establi,hed-that tribunal
whose commission was extended TO every ma
ton. and all days 10 the end oil time. In won
ders, the Apostles go forth to victory, and TO
death--in wonders, the world is convinced that
God has directed how The great principle should
be carried into practice. But the human
mind is restless, and speculation again miseads
from the evidence Of fact: man begins to en-
quire how can God do those things! instead oil
enquiring whether he has proof OF GODS decia-
ration that he has done them Separations are
made. nations fall away, new nations are con-
yerted. empires are overturned, kingdoms are
DESTROYED; death sweeps dynas,ies from their
thrones. their monuments vanish at the touch
of time. oblivion bots their names from the
memories Of men: ages have passed away,
every thing else is new save that system
which in the midst of wonders the Bon OF
God has permanently established: all the old
separa,ists have dwindled to almost shadows;
but others of a different kind have succeeded,
every civilized nation has embraced the system,
and in every civilized nation has IL been oppo-
sed and prosecuted; and still in every age Its
adheren,s form the vast majority OF the civil
izrd portion Of the human race. IL began IN
wonders, IL has been established by wonders
Il has been psopagated BY wonders, lis wonders