The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1870-05-08
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Tried And Ies.a venting.
No whereas System, does Professionalism
show it's Inherent defects 90 prominently as
when it attempts to deal with the poor. To
be sure, there is some diversity In this re-
spect, as the action of the separate scots are
viewed distinctively. But the result In
the aggregate is inevitable and acknOwiedg-
ed. The Protestant Church Reviec in
late number has q most remarkable article,
under the caption I" More Churches, butWhere
are the Poorf" 1t is very interesting ar
ticle, but we can only give an extract,
agreeing with contemporary upon what
it says about superstition, that there is
more superstition in any one Old-fashioned
country village in England, than In all
Catholic countries put together:
The Protestant comforts himself with
| the thought that in other CommuniOns the
lAoor 90 to church out of superstition, but |
such comfort is extremely hypOcritical in
the minds of those who are conscious OF
having thrown the poor away altogether.
The guilt of those who have made Chris
tianity attractive by the help OF supersti-
ton is infinitely smaller than their guilt y
who have entirely destroyed the attractive-
ness of Christianity. In fSct, Superstition be-
comes a credit and virtue. II protestant
ism be Christianity, the inference is In
y thing to retain q hold upon the masses of
the people without the aid of superstition
and in that case to use the aid OF supersti-
ton is the host course that q Church can
adopt, in proportion as it is better TO be SUI
perstitiOus than unbelieving. Protestants
7 will allow that the Roman Catholic dovotee
does hear something of God, and of Heaven
and of his soul when he goes to chapel,
and at least he does pray and lift up his
t thoughts to an ideal higher than himself;
: but the neglected Protestant parishioner
d never hears of God at all, except when He
0 is blasphemed; or of future condition,
q except when he strengthens his assevera-
y tions by profane illusions to the portion of
: the lost or of his soul, except when he in
d vokes q curse upon his neighbor or his wife.
Q All this is an argumentuns ad h0,ninern, and
e it is unassailable, although Catholics know
y while Christianity is almost sure to con-
:. tract some superstitiOus customs when it is
!, the poor mans religion, yet that It does not
a enough. Very likely other Communions
l. sin grievously in not discouraging super
1t stitiOn-which Communion has motif special
"a sin yet it ia not from superstition only
"a or chiefly that they derive their power Over
y the vulgar. Superstition must have liv-
70 ing framework as it's basis, aud, in fact, the
is existence of superstition i'll some degree
~ and in some minds, is proof that the liv.
lie ing framework is also present. 1t is the
e. condemnation of Professionalism that it can
he that it leads only to GOODNESS, naturalism
8, and unbelief. Christianity is liable to SUI
OF perstition, and is endowed with power owe
II. indiscriminate masses of men, by virtue o
is one and the same quality, namely, its being
1t, the teaching and presence of the super
ne natural; and it is simply this presenc
H. with all it's means and agencies-the hand
lie which it is continually putting forth from
CHI the invisible into the visible-which i
mt called "the Church." Whenever we d.
is not see occasional traces of superstition
OF there we may be sure the religion protesse'
to is only partial presentation of Chris
e" tiapity, impregnated with the seeds of Ra
O. tionalism, naturalizlng the supernatural il
. a tbe form of . system OF logical theorie
in called doctrines, and wholly untitled to b.
ny q universal bond of union for man simpl,
on as man. Why has the Church of EDglan,
;e- lost the peopleq Why is it natural that
as when church is built, the poor shout
be never think of crowdipg into it, or eve
an think 80 much that it is built for them
m Why are poor men never communicate
or why is it n matter of difficulty to get
M hearing from the poor. why is it IL matter {
my course that children taught in Sunda
ne, School SO rarely keep within the fold a
My young men-why is it nearly all formalis,
It a on the one side, and nearly all discourage
mt, ment, .all rolling Sisyphean stone, a
avs hopeless dreary waste upon the otherP
yer These are the questions to be replied
ed, pari passm with the building of mol
ex- churches. A Northern Dean recently CAV
BON prize for the best reply to the question
IN How the Protestant spirit of the nation ca
esi- be most effectually rousedf To /whic
it; question the best answer that could be d,
Gle vised would be worse than rubbish. Nel
or might as reasonably have issued a prize fl
it. the best dissertation upon the fiddle viii
MT /; the fire of Rome wanted putting out. WI
hat cares for the Protestant spirit while mi
inst lions of domestic heathens wait to be col
ted, verified to the Christian name, and VIII
my estimate OF his wisdom can Church di
Sc nitary expect people to form when he cs
lied so on prating about his Professionalism, al
God inviting others to prate about it, KNOWN
all the time that it is under the ruled
am Professionalism that these souls have be-
zen lost, and that Professionalism has Prov
'een itself by abundant experience quite unab
ses, to recover themf
lore
seen