The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1870-07-17

The Moral Law Among Pagan Nations
TCentiausd.J
For the Emanationist or Pantheist, q
for his modern imitator, the Calvinist 0
Puritan, there exists no moral law to b
observed, since law implies freedom q
Ichoice, and without this freedom there ca,
be no responsibility. There is this differ
ence, however, betwixt the Puritan -whon
We propose to dissect hereafter-and hi
Oriental prototype at present under exami
nation; that while the latter honestly lived
and acted ont the frsgmentary tradition
which In process Of time were cemented
together and made to assume the shape OF
lreligious belief, the former rejects all legiti.
mate traditions, denies all human accounta-
bility, and draws up for himself code Of
practice by which he il steadily guided
until some money can be made by its vio-
lation. With the genuine unsophisticated
emanationist the case is different; for him
money is equally valueless with the life, to
the wants, comforts and Injuries OF which
the legitimate use of money consists in
contributing. He regards life as burden
Of which he cannot rid himself any too
soon, and for this he practises the most
frightful austerities, macerates his flesh
until every feeling or sense is deadened,
subjects himself to the most excruciating
fortunes, and outdoes the most fervid
Christian in his rigorous self-denial not,
however, to expiate his sims OF acquire adj
ditional merits, like the Christian, nor out
of spite against human nature in others,
with the Puritan, for such notions are
foreign to Pantheism, but as timely hy-
gienic process to give him foretaste of the
blissful humiliation which is at once the
term Of his destiny and the goal of his de-
sires. Averse to action, he is patient
rather than brave, although even his pa
tience is of that counterfeit sort which.re-
signs itself materially to pain, while there
may be no pain at all to be suffered, and
whatever strength it boasts of is strength
to endure but not to act: it's very activity
is neither more nor less than inertia, and
may properly be termed the aaesthesia Of q
soul too torpid to strive for clearly de-
fined and Discriminate end. Hence for the
Pantheist earthly life has no moral signifi-
canoe it is not, as Christian philosophy
teaches, state Of probation, or, as it were,
gymnasium in which virtue develops its
muscles, but purposeless, wearisome
ordeal to be finished with as lazily and
speedily as possible. He pines for death.
not as the Christian, to enjoy the presence
of God, but solely to have done with an
idle and objeetless phenomenal life. 1t is
clear that such q system as this, being as
unnatural as it is exaggerated, is, taken
Vigorously, simply impracticable, and that
when followed out to its logical conse-
quences leads to excuses destructive of all
morality. These excuses received a time
II check in the Catholic Church by the
Pontifcal condemnation of Quietism, but |
In Protestant communities, where there ia |
no central authority, they 60 on bearing
their deadly fruit, and in the regions of |
Puritanism, whittier they have been trans |
planted, after yielding an early crop of
f@ticide and infanticide, they are now
already ripe in the shocking harvest of free
ioye. Such philosophy could never be-
come incarnate in the life of any society, if /
its repulsive crudity was not coated over
with certain palliating qualifications, and
to this social requirement we owe the
two distinct sets Of doctrines which are
known to every philosophical student, one
Of which was unadulterated, esoteric and
peculiar to privileged few, and the other
exoteric, common to the many, and modi-
fed as occasion required to suit the taste
OF the tickle multitude or screen the pur-
poses of the ruling castles. But with all
these precautions, the false dogma will
stamp its form on public life, and the prin-
ciples by which is governed the head will
percolate every member of soci-
ETY.. Human governments, neglectiDg their
proper functions, which consist in protect
ing the life and property, and defending
The honor of the citizen, will betow all
heir patronage on some available supersti-
ion. To it the press, the pulpit, the
desk, art and literature,
will be prostituted, and magnificent monu- ]
nents will be raised, carved out of the {
pbstance and cemented with the life-sweat ,
f an oppressed and long suffering people. 1
swarms of lazy dervises,
'onzes, etc., will cluster in every direction, G
nd the monastic life, which wisely regu- t
rAr.9 = II