The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-09-06

qu6tre travers &c d0iQt au m0ins. Je revenals
voir 10 lendemain penfant pour rechercher les
causes de ce rapide Development du foie quand,
trouvant sa mere pres du it je rengageai prendre
chez ellie Il. e., home from schooD &c petit malade
don't Petat me paraisait serieux en- raison du
volume anormal du foie. Dr. E. COFFIN.
"PARIs, le 20 mars 1873"
or course Dr. Comm would have q remarkably
unfortunate name II he were an English doctor;
but then that does not happen to be the case and
French and English words have different signinca-
ions, although they may chance to resemble each
other.
Beneath, also. is the certificate Of the incum.
srE MARIE DIES sATIGNOLLEs,
the parish in which Armand Wallet and Alfred
F0ntes reside and who, upon the faith OF minis
ter of the Gospel, declares that the narrative OF
their cure Is exact:-
"PARIsH OF STE. MARIE,
"SEvENTEENTH ARR0NDEssEMKNT,{
"DIOCEsE AND Town OF PARIS
81 certify that the narrative OF these two mira
cles Is most scrupulously exact and 1t Is as cure
say rector OF st. Marys that believe 1t my duty
to affirm the perfect truth OF them.
"HEUGNEvILLE, Cure"
II is only fair to add that
NOBODY HAS MADE ANY MONEY
by the miraculous cures OF these children. No
human being has gained any advantage from
turning them to account in any manner whatso-
ever.
II think you will agree with me,n said the eccle-
siastical lawyer, with wry smile, after he had
placed the narrative and proof above mentioned
before me, "that the evidence upon which the
Batignones miracles rest would be quite sufdcient
to hang man by the body though 1t may not be
strong enough to save his SOUL"
The Vicar General. with whom had dned the
day before, then happened to call on the lawyer
upon some business connected with his diocese,
and ne asked me If l had satisfied my doubts. I
answered that there was no question Of my belief
or disbelief What desired was to submit
A SATISFACTORY STATEMENT
to the readers OF the NEW YORK HERALD "Ah"
said the priest, TRANQUILITY seating himself for an
argument III they were only here we might dis
cuss disputed points with them in o friendly way.
But as we poor clergymen seldom venture into the
open lists OF journalism. let me talk to them
through you, and do you make such use OF my
words as you may think kind and COURTHOUSE
"Good Catholics" he began, generally believe
in the possibility and in the convenience Of
miracles Must add that good Professionals do not
believe in their propriety, at any rate, and per-
haps not in their possibility They are as far or
from each other as the Antipodes. Nevertheless,
the human voice is heard from Pole to Pole, and
there may be means Of making our
selves mutually understood. Those who doubt
Of miracles have probably excellent reasons
on their side, and we should rejoice TO hear them.
We, upon our part, have facts and arguments
which may not be wholly without interest to Them
We Roman Catholics sometimes read little, and
we are not altogether unaccustomed to think. We
should have been too stupid II we had allowed
ourselves to be maltreated by votaire, while wait
ing to be burned hereafter, II we had not now and
then given some attention to our present position
and future prospects, which were decidedly alarm
ing when viewed exclusively in the light by which
they had been placed before US at the Reformation
We are not stuck up people; we do not claim mir
acles peculiar property--as things which re-
Meet any especial glory on the Roman Catholic
Church On the other hand, We DO not feel humil-
lated by miracles, as some seem to suppose that
we ought to be.
'sThe glory of miracle is not due to man, but to
God. 1t merely attesls His presence and HIS power,
which the natural course Of things would do equally
we'll Now the majority OF modern thinkers do not
take up the position either Of atheists or Of pure
materialists. They admit the existence OF "a nrst
cause, or commanding power
UN DIEU ORD0NNATEUR.
"They acknowledge that there is "a something
which governs the stars and places them in their
order in the heavens, which regulates the seasons
in due time Of succession, and which has made
that beautiful machine, the universe, which goes
SO well and which has lasted so long with
out repairs Surely these admissions should make
the Almighty quoted above par in the commercial
world, and business men might consent to show
Him some respect even, in accordance with their
own usages. For 1t cannot be contested that God
Is the promoter Of successful speculation. He is
great architect at all events. He is great pro-
ducer He pays more than cent per cent interest
for no n n no FL me NJ ochO
You, Monsieur for instance (the Vicar General
bowed), are about to write to
THE NEW YORK HERALD
with materials which will not cost you ten SOUS
presume that you will be paid fair return for
your outlay. Who gives you that return Who
gave TO you the means OF laboring You might
have been blind or smitten down with paralysis Of
the mind or body and If so might not have had
the pleasure Of seeing you here to-day. Suppose.
just for the sake OF argument, we agree to inier
that
THE MYSTERIOUS SOMETHING
the unknown God OF the Athenians, Is at the bot
tom Of these things Will that be very extrava-
CANT superstition Who else can be at the bottom
OF thems Few people are prepared to deny the ex-
istence Of Supreme Power or to compare them
selves with 1t (say when they have the toothache)
or to contest its omnipotence. The supreme
Power must do something. What does 1t dor
Business men answer that they do not know
But
THE UNKNOWN GOD,
whose acquaintance they are too Indifferent to
make, does not despise them, for they are His
creatures. Having made them, He can nave no de-
sire to leave them in the immense night and degra-
dation Of ignorance without any knowledge OF their
Creator. God keeps school as well as the emil
nent philosopher who is rather disposed to make
light OF Him and to set up god Of himself, price
one penny per copy, at the news agents.. The
Almighty is for compulsory and gratuitous educa-
ton, and in that respect more Of radical reformer
than the eminent philosopher with his cheap print.
The materalists should really consider this the
apostles Of cheap education should understand by
this time that
GOD Is ONE OF THE PARTY.
He has ordained that his Church shall obstinatev