The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-04-26
Mornlng Star and Catholic Messenger.
NRw ORLEANS. SUNDAY. APRIL GO 1874.

9nOulu nOG rise on tho morrow, Uhnkluu Wou"
fall into chronic frensy of terror"
"If," cried a shrill voice-that of the child
Caligula -" If the sun shines and ono cannot
zee, 1t is no use! l know what / would do
with the tomorrow morning, unless
recover the use of my eyes"
"Whatf Z" asked Dopysius.
"Pd blow it outw cried the dear boy, tearing
of his bandage stamping his feet, and turning
toward his interrogation face neither beau''-
full in feature nor mild in expression.
"The sun is in good keeping" said the Ath-
enian.
Augustus turned, after a short, bioodihS look
At Caligula TO HatcrIus, and sad,
"What think you, my 3n'ntus has our
Athenian made good his thcor'esT"
Gle has presented them like rocks OF ida
mant,v responded Hatcrius. "Dionysius has
convinced me perfectly that tho universe has
been produced and is governed by the great
being of whom he has so earnestly and so lu-
mnously spoken"
"Yet ono word with you, young philosopher
said Aptistius Labio, sending n glance all
round the circle, aud finally contemplating
intently the broad, candid brow and kindly
blue eyes of the Athenian; one word! 1on
remarked that you could prove all things to
terward mentioned that the or love in
question could be exercised by none save the
stupendous king spirit whose existence
confess, you almost persuade me TO believe
But now solve me n difficulty. You have al
luded to the moral law. You maintain, al
though this has not been subject Of our
debate tonight the Immortality of our souls.
Finally-none can forget it-you limited that
ln, Il hp.
tween right and wrong, virtue and vice, were
there not one sovereign God. Does this mean,
or does 1t not, that morality is that which
plcases his eternal and therefore unchanging
viewsi"
"Ahw said Dionysius, 81 perceive your
drift. You land me amid real cnigmas. Bat
20 on answer honestly-les"
"Then," pursued I.abio, off the ghost
within us be immortal, it will be happy after
death, provided it shall have pleased this
being, and miserable should it have offended
him."
dyes"
"Now, Augustus" persisted Labo, what
would you think of the justice of monarch
who proclaimed rewards for conforming with
his will, and punishments for thwarting it, but
at the same time would not make it known
what his will was, nor afford any protection to
those who might be DESTROYS. of giving it
eiectf
"Can Dionysius of Athens or any body else
tell us what are the special desires of this great
being in our regardH Does he imagine that
unlettered, mechanical, toilng men have her
understandings or the leisure to arrive at the
conclusions which his own splendid intellect
has attained Then why is there not some
authoritative Teacher sent down nmOup men
from heaven y
Diony sius answered not Labio continued {:
al speak roughly and plainly transiiX
him with his own principles. lie is too honest
not to feel the force Of what say. lie cannot
reply. Mark next: we live but short while
in this world aud if we be immortal, our
state here is downright contemplate in i'm
portance compared with that which has TO
come; and yet he tells lis that this contempt
BILE point Of time, this mere dot of existence,
is to determine lot for everlasting ages,
and he that says this proclaims the being
whose existence he certainly has demonstrated
to be tho very principle of love itself Yet
this being who will establish our destinies
according wo please him, tells us not how to
do it,"
Again the Athenian RETAINED from breaking
the expeotant silence which ensued
"Would not one imagine" said Strabo
that the most particular instructions would
DO given to us how to regulate conduct upon
which much depends ?"
Eyes" observed Labio; " and not instruc-
tions alone, but instructors, to whom occa-
sional reference would be always possible"
All eyes turned toward Dionysus. He
blushed, hcsitated, and Mt last said:
"Iou only echo thoughts long familiar to
my mind l cannot answer; am not capable
of solving these difficulties. Time is not
completed think, like the Sibyls, that some
special light is yet to come down from heaven"
Here the conversation ended.
Half an hour aftorward, Donysius, who had
begged to be excused for that night from en-
tering upon the second of the two doctrines
which he had been challenged to sustain, was
walking part of the way with Paulus toward