The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1872-02-26
BISHOP WHELAN's LEcrURE.-The

would deliver q lecture yester-
day afternoon on the subject of the
" Moral turpitude Of calumny and the
crime of abettipg it." at St. James
Cathedral, filed every seat in that
large ediice with attentive listeners. We
Judged that there were about as many
Protestant as Catholic citizens present.
We present the following abstract.
The Bishop said:
Dsarly Belovsd-And by that term /
include all, Catholic and Protestant,
unjust accusers, their councillors and
abeltors, all who hear me, for for all
Christ died and prayed, to all truth
and mercy proclained-l invite your
attention this afternoon, not tor the
purpose OF creating excitement, not to
create i'll will, not to awaken in the
breast Of any one a thought Of retalia-
ton, but for the purpose OF instruction,
and of explanation and for our
guidance.
1t is right for us 10 defend ourselves
from vile charges which have been
ma ic against us. 1t is defense OF the
cause OF God and of the honor Of the
Christian body. The occasion calls for
such a defense. Atrocious charges
Rave been made against US as Catho-
lies Vile insinuations have been made
against every inmate OF religious
house; charges and insinuations that
affect every priest, that are aimed at
every Catholic, and deeply affect the
Church in her approved institutions. II
these charges are true they demand
redress. Every soul to be saved de-
mands an exposure Of the atrocity. If
these charges are true religion is pros
lituted and made pretext Tor abomina-
bic practices and Gods majesty bias
phemously appealed to to discredit
Christian testimony. Such is the
effect of these charges, say, if true.
10 understand calumny, take the
case of Joseph. lie was accused Of
infidelity and thrown into a prison,
from which he was only rescued by
Divine interposition and protection.
Thus by the power of God was his inno-
cence shown and his calumniation
defeated. In his case, too, the accuser
was a guilty woman. How suggestive !
Calumny works most grievous injus-
tce. 1t destroys not merely perishable
goods, but inalienable rights, robs us
OF the adornments of the soul, such
Jewels as Heaven prizes and the upright
hold most precious. 1t is a robbery,
too, useless to the calumEiator. Cal.
jimmy is malicious. 1t is necessarily
associated with falsehood, and is as
utterly opposed to charity as light is
different from darkness Charity
thinketh no evil rejoiceth not
in iniquity, but Iejoiceth with the
truth"
But malice often works special in
iuries, injuries all chargeable to the
caluminator, and among them are loss
of property and position; injury to
others than him eliminated; disgrace
is often brought upon his family and
friends, and much suffering may be oc'
casioned. In the ctse OF Joseph, just
cited. through the malice OF the woman
he suffered imprisonment, and worse
fate awaited him but for Divine inter
position. But the calumny We are con-
sidering is an attack upon the rights
and purposes of God. 1t is an obstruc-
ton to mercy. The Divine command
is So let your light shine DC. Dare
we disobey that command? Mark the
contrast! In Josephs case there was
but one victim. Now there are tens OF
thousands. Then stranger slave was
the illuminated. Now the liveried
servants OF Christ.
The charge made against the church
is retrospective, extending back over
centuries. 1t attacks fathers as sacri-
ticing to the Moloch Of lust their
daughters; it brands mothers and sisters
as dead to all the instincts Of womanly
purity; it proclaims brothers as indit-
ierent to the honor Of their sisters; it
pronounces as false to their oaths and
duties all the civil rules Of the world,
and proclaims as base and corrupt all
the ecclesiastical authorities, for in the
charges made against lis Catholics all
these are involved.
TO her religious houses the Church
has always pointed, saying, These are
my Jewels" Following the command
of Christ, eff thou wilt he perfect 90
and sell that thou hast and give to the
poor, and thou shalt have treasure in
heaven; and come and follow me; the
orders OF the Church renounce worldly
goods, sacrificing self and the incIina-
tons OF nature. Being unmarried, as
recommended 10y st. Paul, in | Cor,
vii chap, they bring to the work of
Christ an undivided heart. The Sisters
are Amazonian recruits for the warfare
of Heaven, acting under obedience
to the orders Of their Divine
commander. BY them the Catholic is
inspirited. He feels encouraged by
their faith and devotion, and his lack
Of zeal is reproved by their good works.
Unbelievers are invited to notice the
fruits of Christian faith as exhibited in
their daily lives, and when they under,
stand they admire. They wonder at
women born in atiluence being content
with coarse food, happy in rough
clothing, engaged in protracted labors
and in repulsive occupations, doing
good for the sake Of doing it, and when
it is understood they feel that all is
effected by the grace Of Christ. Can it
be that women go devoted are but
hypocrites? Can it be that they are
given to lust? When we see a Sister
standing by the bedside Of an unknown
suffering man, bathing the aching brow,
combining in her person the tenderness
of a sister with the ready, kind hand OF
a mother, can we say this is some tiend
from the lowest hell?