The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-11-05
thoughts Of toiling mon to God; bat, alas, th'


| Sll0lS brook That nOWel
| Fast by the orHcles OF God
had been perturbed by hasty and misguided
hands. Although the doctrine which was
Christ himself remained sound, unmoved and
strong, the moss and the lichens of centuries
gathered on the rock Of st. Peters. The
ancient Church was too often made to seem
the ally Of oppressive kings and stumbling
block in the way of scientific and political
progress.
But. al last, after the long tribulations Of the
Dark and the Middle Ages, fresh light begins
to dawn upon the Catholic mission and upon
humanity. AS pious and imaginative dwellers
by the Rhine believe that Charlemagne is yet
to arise from bis tomb and by the sign Of the
crucfx upon the llilt Of his sword Of old reuown
restore united Christian empire over all the
West, so do many who are earnest and sincere
believe that they behold in the events just
occurring in Europe the resuscitation Of the
grand Church Universal In more than its pris-
tine beauty. And the aspect Of the hour
fully warrants this impression. The unity,
the perseverance, the combined intelligence Of
every part in the grand total which is called
the Catholic body, and which now controls
one hundred and fifty millions of our race,
are telling rapidly upon the endless divi-
sions Of religious opinion that constitute
the unwieldy bulk Of Professionalism even
in its safest strongholds. The Roman Catholic
system, which is sort of imperial republic
to employ seeming but not real paradox
has thrown aside the hampering weight of
middle-age encumbrances, and now advances
into the full blaze of all the intellectual illumi-
nation of our time, adopting what is useful and
rejecting what is dangerous in modern ideas,
retaining the sanctity of home, of parental
authority, Of the marriage tie and of the duty
OF the subject and denouncing and resisting
all ''higher law" that is not Of Christ In the
presence Of such rival, armed at all points
and claiming to be hallewcd by long tradition
and precept alike directly flowing from Zion
and from Calvary, the Protestant body has
no certain triumph but in restored purity of
doctrine, revived force in unfolding the
sacraments of God, md redoub!ed
and unsparing zeal in good works. If it will
not discharge its task faithfully and COM
pletely, behold One approaching whose feet
are ''beautiful upon the mountains" as the
bearer Of good tidings to all the earth. The
harvest is ripe in the fields and the reapers
are abroad. America, the land of youth, of
hope, of faith. of prophecy, Of atonement and
rehabilitation, stirs in all her borders with the
impending second birth of what shall become
the true Church of Emanuel. AS liberty, be-
trayed and lost in Europe, revived again upon
these favored shores, to travail, for time,
indeed, but to conquer at last, and to conquer
for all nations, some of whose children are
gathered here as pledges and hostages for
them, so may the purified Church of Christ,
whose spires begin to uphold the sign of safety
upon every hilltop in our land, rise higher to
the light with us, and, chastened by the past,
endow ills future with full fruition Of Gods
grace to man, and ''broaden and brighten
unto perfect day!"