The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1868-03-29

to the persecution at present raging against
the Holy Father, and his call upon the faith
full for their prayers and spiritual aid. The
peculiar form of the devotion recommended,
that of the Forty Hours -Adoration,-Of
course, drew especial attention to the
Blessed Eucharist, and gave rise to explana-
In the evening, the altar was beautifully
illuminated at the benediction, and the ser
mon was preached by Rev. Father Duncan.
On this occasion Father Duncan took the
opportunity of expounding the doctrine of
the Church as to the Real Presence, and of
examining the reasons for, and the objections
raised against it. The reasons for belief in
that most beautiful doctrine of Christianity
are: First--Its plain, unambiguous, and re-
peated enunciation by our Saviour himself,
taking his language in a literal sense and,
secondly, the uninterrupted acceptance of
this truth by the whole Church from its ear
lest records to the present time, with the
exception of Professionalism, within the last
three hundred years.
The only argument of Protestants
against this truth is that the language of
our Saviour is to be taken as fgurative-
not literal. But this is altogether an as
sumption on their part; they give no reason
for it. Every use of language is taken prima
facie as literal; if not SO, that must be
shown. The burden of proof rests upon the
party asserting that we must not believe
what we are told on good authority. The
mere arbitrary construction of language as
figurative, according to the fancy of each
one,-results in the denial of the Trinity, of
eternal punishment, of the Divinity of
Christ, etc. Each of these great revealed
truths can be construed away as being
merely fgurative or symbolical expressions.
The rules of construction of language must
be adhered to, and expressions not purport-
ing on their face to be figurative must be
taken as literal, unless inconsistent with rea-
son or revelation. The doctrine of the Real
Presence is, of course, above human reason,
but not contradictory to it. There is no i'm
possibility in the Saviour's being in many
different places at once in His human nature,
or in his communicating Himself to his be-
loved children as such. His doing so looks
highly improbable, however, to the ordinary
human intelligence; and that is the real diff
ficulty. It is one of those miracles of love
SO foreign to our selfish nature; one of those
transports of pure sentiment so incompre
henaible to our cold worldliness, that$we
take refuge from our establishment in the
assumption that He did not mean what He
said. This is but little better than the
course of the Jews, who, having no chance
for such snbterfuge, simply left Him.
This theme was resumed by Rev. Father
Smith in his sermon of Tuesday evening, at
the closing of the Iridium. He viewed it.
however, in n different aspect-that of the
effects of the Holy Sacrament on society.
He considered it US the great civilizing ele-
, ment of modern society. Its influence COM
< mences with the dawn of reason and ends
only with death. The preparation for its
reception teaches the child all those virtues
of justice and charity, of forbearance and
obedience, SO necessary to the worthy MEM
Der either of the family or of society. In
later life it is the inspiration of every heroic
deed of virtue. The sister of charity, the
missionary, the martyr, live life of exalta-
ton, maintained by constant recourse to this
bread of strength. The arts and sciences,
the love and extension of knowledge, have
all been kept alive by divinely inspired
zeal when human effort had abandoned
them to destruction. All true, all stable, all
enduring exertion for progress and perfec-
ton is the result of this sacramental union
with the Author of all perfection, and the
effect of His grace then impaired.
Other eloquent discourses were delivered
during the course of the exercises, which we
had not, however, the opportunity of hear
ing. The nacst gratifying results &C this de-
q.