The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1870-04-02

see how the solemn VOWS of poverty
chastity, and obedience must be develoI
ment or consequences of the manners nm
customs Of the primitive Christians. Eve
IN Justln's time, community of goods wa
the prevailing practice among Christians
but as the faith spread itself widely, and .
whole nations were converted, the grea
majority were incapable of that intense Yea
and OF those aspiring sentiments that ma
achieve perfection. Those who aimed .
high were in a small nority when coun
ted apart from the total population; an,
they found it necessary to seek freedom
and escape persecution by rcsorting +
solitude, or to fortify themselves against th,
general lllewarmnsss by solemn vows, o
70 resist he inauence of the world b,
separate association. Hence, at first. thos,
who sought TO- attain perfection, fed to tn,
desert, imitatiag the ancient, prophets
They were the Thsban hermits or anchor
its Then appeared companionship il
modification in the initial homes OF tht
cenobites and monks. Then, long after
wasd, came rthe companies of militant
charity: the Jesuits, Sisters Of Charity
Lazarists, and many others.
Persons who wish to rise above the ordi
nary degree Of Fiety, above the common
level Of Catholic practice, generally attempt
full perfection. Animated by the spirit ol
selfsacri6ce and an ardent desire to initiate
our Lord, they not only devote themselves
to poverty and obedience, but also to
chastity. They are not content with less
than three vows, the fullness Of perfection.
Just here, we wish the readers attention
to an important point. through which We ex.
pect to arrive at solution Of the questions
in the beginning Of the article.
1t is that, though generally we see the
I" three vows" praoticed together, we
would be in error if we supposed that they
are inseparabie, and that Catholicity ad-
nits only Of the two extremes common
evcl or triple perfection. On the contrary,
lmong the wonders and beauties Of Catho-
icity, there is the wonder and the beauty Of
,er myri-multiform adaptability to the holy
wants of all dispositions, tastes and nation
llities. The Elasticity with which Catbo-
icity suits herself (without deterioration
Ind with always an upward tendency) to
very degree and variety, Of practical vir
ue, is marvellous. She is, indeed, all
hings to all men without ceasing to be the
pouse Of Christ. Hence, within her fold
here are, besides the common law Of faith
md discipline. multitudes Of approved
orms of devotion. giving egress and ex-
eriority to every peculiarly Of good impulse
he soul may experience. There are saints
# every trade, occupation, habitude, and
condition to be initiated. There are many
Linds of confraternities, sOdalities, so
ieties, and orders-both lay and clerical
formed to accomplish every good work.
The number of these ways, rules, methods,
orms, and associations is so great, a de-
cription of them all fills volumes.
Sometimes number Of laymen combine
o do charitable work without forming
my VOW. Often they make only simple
'ows; but may engage themselves by
Olema vows In some cases, the counsel
4 chastity is followed without that of
,overty; the secular priesthood is an ex-
nple sf fsthis- kind. Semetimss ths- vow
L poverty has been made without that Of
elibacy, as in the case Of Ananias and
'aphira.
St. Barnabas, in the first century Saints
Iustin, Julian, and Lucian, in the second
entury; Saint Clement, Of Alexandria,
rertullian, Origen, and St. Cyprien, in
he third century; and Arnobius and
.actantius, in the fourth century, say
Bergier, vol. j. p. 3S0) that between
christians all things were in common
ut we easily gather from other statements
nd illusions in their works, that they
id not mean a community by virtue Of
ny positive RIGHT or precept They
,eant the generous liberality, the voluntary
that characterized the man
ers and customs of the Christians. None
sserted coDjoint ownership or other title
} their neighbor's property, nor did any
retend to demand authoritatively, as the
litigation of contract, participation or
Sc exigible by virtue of the membership
Christ but all, sctuated by Christian
gave spontaneously and free
', 80 that none were allowed tc suffer
rom want of subsistence. The effect was
be same, or better, than if all things were
D common by virtue Of legal obligation
r contract. It was the same as if all
christians had made a solemn VOW to de-
rive themselves, in order to be able to re-
ieve all cases Of suffering poverty they
new Of The vow of poverty has no
ther temporal object. Its theory is the
octrine Of charity, not that Of any natural
ocial right
Gradually this unmeasured charity ap-
eared to diminish; for the whole empire
eing theoretically, though not practically
onverted to Christianity, the Christians
heart were lost in the immense crowd
{ merely nominal believers, and were but
artially able to know each other and
At the same time, so wide
= and deeply corrupt were the people,
ven the poor, that charity herself was
orced to be cautious. In fact, the num-
er of sincere Christians, and therefore Of
haritable persons, had not diminished !;
'ut was SO small in proportion to the
lumber Of the distressed, that even by be-
towing their all, they could produce no
ensible diminution Of the general misery,
The situation was almost identical with
hat of the present time and the plainest
emedy would have been then, as Il scould
e nos0. great augmentation Of the num-
YER of Christians imbued with the spirit Of
harity and disposed to selfsacri6ced.
The Catholic Church made many glorious
fforts to effect this cure BY increasing the
lumber Of the faithful and true, and by
her charitable agencies. She
ave birth to those missions and institu-
ions BY which the spiritual nature and in
ention Of Christianity was preserved,
,erpetuated, and disseminated, even
trough barbarian conquest and feudal op-