The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1845-10-06
THE SERMONS YESTERDAY.
Charity Obligatory upon Christlans, and Es-
sentlal to Salvation.

SERMON PREACHED IN AID OF THE BROOKLYN Or
PHAN ASYLUM, IN ST. PAUL's CHURCH, ON SUNDAY,
OCTOBER 5, 1916, BY REV. DR.. PIsE
ov then is be supposed, 10 be said that they
Code fhe chadeans themselves dishonor them They
cannot restore The blind man to his sight nor deliusr man
from distress They shall NOT pity the cidoO. do good
10 the taheriess -BARAx, chap vi YER 80, 81 49, 49,
In order to impress the minds of the people Of God,
with regard to the worship they owe to the true
Gods Of the pagans and particularly in the instance
OF the Chaideans, the text points out. especially
this characteristic attribute of the God of Israel
that, he not only can perceive the wants OF his
people, but at the same time that he has the power
TO remedy those wants, and the mercy to carry out
that intention, and power to pity the fatherless and
take care of the widow. This Is, as 1t were, made
the characteristic distinction by the Prophet, and
the same distinction we may make on occasions
like the present, between the worship OF the idol of
mammon and the worship of the true God of Chris
anity and OF Cathocity. The idol which is
worshpped BY The former is that Of gold and IL
and these treasures they prefer to the worship of
the true God The fulflnent Of their duty pre-
scribed by the Christian religion, by the Mosai-
cal religion. and even by the law OF nature ITSELF
/ came this morning, my beloved brethren, at
the request OF your respected pastor, TO bring be-
fore your consideration the wants Of the orphans,
who have found refuge in the institution connect
ed with the church. came to plead the cause of
the fatherless, the homeless the helpless. | do not
come to plead the cause of those children, who,
though deprived of their parents, are provided with
ence itself. But stand here for the purpose of
dlcatlng the cause of those poor children who, be-
ing deprived OF their parents and protectors, look to
you as christians and catholics, whose duty 1t is to
supply the places OF those taken from them. 1t will
be my purpose, this morning, to show you that you
are called upon, not merely for the performance of
work OF charity, to assert and sustain this orpean
asylum, but called upon as to the peform-
ance of personal duty-nOt merely as a work of
supererogation, but as to perform absolute duty
on the present occasion. SHALL therefore, briefly
and famllarly too, deyelope these two propositions
In the first place, that 1t Is your duty TO come for
ward to the assistance of the orphans, and partcu
lary to the support OF the Orphan Asylum connected
with your church. Secondly, that this performance
of duty will be abundantly rewarded IN the present,
and also In future life. To these two propositions,
now call your attention. First, then, it Is the duty
of the Christian it is the duty Of the Catholic
tribute TO the support and the education OF the or
phans. 1t is not, as have just remarked. mere
worship OF supererogaton,a mere act OF charity but
positive Commandment given by our divine legsla-
tor by the leader of the Jewish people, and in
scribed by natures hand the tablet of the human
heart, demanding from all, as far as in their power
to afford some assistance towaids the protection,
the education, and support OF the helpless and Ia
therless orphan First, it is duty prescribed by
the law of nature ITSELF that the helpless and unpro
tected shall be taken care of. This find carried
out not merely in the rational, but in the irrational
world Ii, then, we lind II respected among the
irrational, how much more ought 1t to be carried
out and observed IN the rational world! The phi
respects, least, acted up to this law OF nature for
some OF their greatest Legislators, some of their
most famous and wlsest men-Plato, tor Instance
gave it as his opinion that where children were edu
Gated and trained up under the influence OF proper
discipline, the laws and DEGREES would be almost
useless in the State; but that where education is
neglected. and children permitted 10 grow up
deprived OF the salutary influence of discipline, no
DEGREES laws would prove sufficient to restrain
them, and make them useful to the State Lycurgus,
the legislator OF the Lacedemonians, incucated the
same. truth, and IN such manner expressed It,
that for the delinquencles committed by the chill
dren, he made not the children themselves, but their
parents or their guardians responsible, and also for
their errors and even for their crimes. They per
ceived, and they acted upon this law of nature.
They felt that all mankind compose but one and the
same family, and that as In an individual family all
are entitled to be provided for; in the great hu
man family, those who are not, have a claim on
those who in affuence; and even those no,
having suiciency, have right to be provided fol
according 10 the means of those who are placed by
Providence as their protectors and guardians. Bu
this law oil nature became in the process Of time
very much effaced, and II became necessary thai
this law should be revived and enforced under the
most solemn circumstances, and with the sanction
OF the Omnipoent himself, in order that the people
OF Israel might the Necessity OF carrying 1t into
effect Hence we find in Deuteronomy, 18th chap
ter the following decree given to Moses by the ON
nIpotent from Mount Sinai: eff there be among you
poor of one of thy brethren within any OF thy
gates, in thy land, which the Lord thy God givetl
hand from thy poor brothers but thou shalt open
thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely leno
him sufficient for his need, in that which he want
eth" This is the explicit, and solemn Law
given by God himself to the Jewish people
that they should be charitable to the poor
relieve their wants and give them all things
necessary for their support-remlnding them that as
long they should be people, there must necessa
rlly be poor brother; and SO long as there should
be poor brother among them-so long the law re-
quired that they should extend their charity and be
nevoence to him. And IT this be the case In respec
to the poor In general, ask you II the law Is no
still more binding, and having greater claims, wher
there is question not merely OF the poor at large
but OF the helpless orphan-the child that has beer
lett from his very cradle fatherless and In destltu
ton and misery! Unless you become their fathers
relieve their mlserles and contribute towards thel
education, support and protection, you do not obey
the law Hence we find that in virtue of this law
charity was practlsed by some OF the most dis
tingulshed-sOne OF the most venerable men OF thei
tlmes--among whom, Pope Plus stands peculiarly
distinguished. For we find in the book OF Tobias
that he In the habit OF visiting the poor and re
Ieving the distress OF the miserable and wretched-
OF giving money to even those who stood in need o
it, the person OF Capllas, who was in wait,
when he found any IN misery, he relieved them ant
comfored lhen-he fed the hungry and gave clothes
TO the naked, and was careful to bury the dead Ii
then, those who under the cloud, according t
81. Paul, were influenced 81 such sublime charity
such dsnerested charity kindness Of heartsucl
sympathy, how much more are we not bound to exer
else these virtues We who have passed from under tina
cloud and enjoy the meridian sunshine of truth and jus
tice not merely followers Of christianity but
cples and members of the Catholic church. Yes, W,
especially bound to be charitable to all but parcu
lsrly toward the orphan by the law OF grace by thu
command given by Jesus Christ, and by the obligations
of holy church. The religion Of Christ is religion
OF love. It built upon love and established charity
All lis preceps, allt doctrines, to blend in thi
one precept: Love another" ." This is my pre-
cep" says Jesus Christ to the beloved disciple John
that you love another" And was by this Chart,
that the primitive christians, ancestors in the faith
were, as you know peculiarly and universally disin
gnished You remember the exclamation Of the Pa
gans, OF the Romans Of the Greeks who beheld the ex
traordnsry love and charity OF the primitive Christians
See how they love one another Even the apostles
established an especial minstrationor the widows they
were objects Of their peculiar charity And the obi
CATION extended toward Them how much more SHOULD
ours be extended towards the orphans who are unable
to take care Of themselves to provide for themselves
towards the orphan depending entirely upon charity
benevoleDce, and sympathy men, as christians, bi
above all as Catholics Hear the requirement which
divine Saviour has made through Tho EunnunIisf 81