The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1868-03-29
uoaxuo Star AND CATHOLIC MESSENGER.
NEW ORLEANS, SUNDAY, MARCH %, 1885,
TIE CONFESSIONS OF ST. AUGUSTINE.

the Contemporary Reriew 1t is the more
striking from the fact of its einanating from
q periodical whose proclivities are anything
but favorable to our holy religion
There are few books in the world which
present attractions TO SO many dlHerehI
classes of readers gs the Confessions Oh Au-
gustine. In this, more fully thah IN uliy
other among bis voluminous prouuctlohs, ~
reflected "tfiat mixture OF passion anu gen
tleness, ofauthority, and sympa,,,ny, oi i"rSe
ness Of mind and logical rlgor, whlcM mas
riye1 him such rare influence IN the Cnrls-
tim Church. The man of letters finds III II
the very specimen OF those revelations Oh IN
inner life utterly unknown to classical anti
uuity, which have an especial charm ZOE Tue
modern spirit. He recognizes in 1t a style rus
ing mt times into flights which human oratory
has never surpassed, whose antitheses are
more than utoned for by touches Oflrreslstlble
tenderness, and by those occasional utter
ances which become lodged Ill the memory
Of the human race, those one OF Two "oIis
engraved by the hand of genius upon the
rock, which are better than Thousand
written upon the sand. The psychologist
who turns Over>the pages, is startled ny
some subtle piece of mental analysis, ny
speculatiOns on Creation, Time, EternityI
MemOry, which seem to anticipate n9t 0nly
Reid and Jouffroy, but even Kant and Des-
cartes, The preacher who understands his
art NAV find in the Confessions, not, indeed,
/reatiy-made weapons for the nineteenth
century, but materials which may be forged
into weapons that will reach the soul OF
every man in every age. inc greatest
original than when they were borrowing Ju-
diciously from the Confessions. The theo-
lorinu of our own Church will discover III
the book expressions which may be tfitm-
phantly quoted by the Roman Catholic con-
troversiaiist. Nor among the readers OF this
H. IL IN
whose appreciation it's author most valued,
the men who give place among the books
which they read before or after they nave
knelt in their SaviOur's presence, who feel
in it. across the gulf OF years, the very
heart pulse of it's sanity authors religious
affections, who bless him for wise warnings
and undying hopes We may, we think, go
even further than this. 1t is true OF Angus
tines Confessions more than OF most unln-
spired books, ca est quar- crescd cum pd'rMt's;
it grows with our growth. Each age OF hu-
man life finds in it Il peculiar line of attrac-
ton. In youth it charms by its delinea-
ton of passion, by those living sentences
which vibr;te as we touch them, and OF
which, as MOntnigne has said, we feel that
if they were cut, would bleed.
The question which naturally arises Is
upon the exact meaning of the title. Au-
cuisine has answered it elsewhere. 1t has
ii double Specification. Confession Is the
voice of alteration as well us penttcnce. Thls
two-fold acceptatiOn gives It's significance
St,ams bo va written memoirs. autobiogra-
plies, religious lives: Augustine alone has
written Confessions.
~ ~ us thin "S He nsnired to poctical as
well as rhetorical distinction, and was pos
snss.,l with an unrovernablc desire to- oh
tain theatrical prlze poem. His iilid low,
il beautiful. All ages have loved to see hin
Estnn;nr with Monica to Ambrose, mt Milan
nr SMILING gently at the frugal fare whicl
She nrovi.iei for his. birthday feast on tina
soft November day in the meadow of Cassi
.,acnm
The words of Augustine need no crit,
ua Who 10 mnmoved by them wants not s
,,,,.h :, cr;t;cal iudgment as n human hear
HIS suscentihle nntt1re was especially forme
.tAS -, ~, L.. Of III, i,ont;s,,