The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1869-08-29
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There are none Of our non C,atho1ic en-
changes that we read with more pleasure
than the Savannah RepablicGa. we could
wish that its tone, example, and Intelligent
management were more generally followed
by journals North and South, It's Paris
correspondence is decidedly the most
comprehensive, readable and interesting
of any which comes under our observation.
In his last letter the talented writer thus
refers to the Catholic Church, and its efforts
to save the world from the consequences of
Infidelity: "a II :. ts=st---A
1t IS greatly to the credit of both Catholics
and Protest ants in France that at this time
they are united against Rationalism, which,
under the form of Liberalism, has sought in
the colleges and schools of the government TO
substitute itself to q belief in the divinity of
our Saviour. The public men of Holland and
Northern Germany are nearly aIl Rationalists.
The majority of the Cabinet of Gen. Grant are
stated to be of the same persuasion. Ono of
this sect breaches regularly in the Church of
Geneva, over which Calvin once presided. All
through Germany it has gained snch hold
upon the Protestant Churches that IN actual
terror at its rapid progress last year. q sincere
and simple-niinded minister of the orthodox
sect asserted his faith in every word and
sentence Of the Bible, in its most liberal serse,
Gwen to the sun rising and moving about the
earth rather than yield the slightest ground
for these Liberalists to explain away the most
Important doctrines of the Bible, In Anstria,
under the appearance of attacking the Catholic
religion, they SO evidently warning against
all religions, that recently Baron Beust, who
is a sincere Protestant, walked in u great fete
of the Catholics to show to the, people his
belief in the divinity of Christ. The religious
papers state that agencies exist in America us
well MS all over Europe, for this irreligious
propaganda, and that the influences at work
! are so powerful that the great question now to
be decided in Europe is, not one ofgovernment,
but OF Christianity. Democracy has become
synonymous with Pantheisn, and its leaders
are either open Inffdels like Garibaldi, OF free
thinkers who, protesting to believe III Christi
anity, seek to betray it by discarding the
essential dogma OF the Atonement recent
article in one of the English reviews refers to
De Tocqueville's assertion in his Democracy
that this was the tendency of religious thought
in New England twenty years ago, ands
that the doctrines then taught by Emerson and
Barker have now become the sentiment of the
daily press. Grund, who wrote o. book upon
America in 1874, said, speaking of the same
tendency, that the jury for tho moot Courts in
Harvard Law School. that were formerly taken
from the students of the Theological School,
were at that date taken from the undergraduates
| in the Theological School twelve men who
believed in the existence of God, This, of
course, was only intended hit Mt the
| prevailing theology of that day, but, according
to tho English writer, the late war of the
North against the South, and the present de-
moralization of the government has been the
natnral result. In CONTINUATION Oh This opinion
| he quotes from an article in q late number OF
the North American Rerieip, published in Bos-
ton, which states that it can see "no solution
to the great religious and political problems Of
| the day, except in the blind drift of events, OIL
the brute force of numbers" In England the
| tendency of this exhibition of events, of want
of faitls, in Germany and New England, Pro-
testantisns is TO drive people into High Church
doctrine and Catholicism.
The human mind is SO constituted that il
must have something to lean upon, and it turns
| towards whatever seems substantial and liked
| The very doctrine of infallibility, which to
the Protestant is the most objectionable dogma
in Catholicism, from circumstances, is thus
made its most proselyting principle. The
forms, too, that at first We're least attractive
grow on the wearied mind. 1t seems to give
present peace, and by the celebration OF
masses for the dead it creates link between
them and the living, which is q strong hold
| upon the human heart More than any Other
sect too, it identifies itself with the changing
seasons of the year, and invites to meditation
by the observance of rites ut stated periods
intended to keep in mind the acts of holy
men. However little one may be disposed to
sympathize in its doctrine, and however much
| one may deplore its corruptions, impartial
observer of events in Europe fail to
recognize the fact that at this time it is fighting
| q great battle against Infidelity.