The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1875-06-27
From tho St. Louis Republican ] :

to understand the secrets OF the greatness
and the permanence of the Roman Catho-
lie church. Setting aside entirely, as for
eigu to the purpose of the present article.
the claims which it puts. forth to a divine
origin. that church ia the most perfect
piece of machinery which the ingenuity OF
man has ever devised. In design and IN
execution it is simply matchfess, aud no
effort of the Imagination can conceive OF
combination of means more exqulsitely mt
ted to the accomplishment &C of an end The
bed plate, so to speak, of this machinery is
the idea that the vast majority OF men de-
sire, first of all tbings in religious matters
stability. Immersed in the cares OF busi-
ness and the pursuit of pleasure envel-
oped In that atmosphere of ambition, ankle
ty, and alternating hope and fear which
surrounds them from the cradle to the
grave, they have neither the leisure or the
inclination to vex themselves with the In
vestigation Of those momentous and 10 y ste
rious problems which can never be dtfini-
tely settled save by the crucial test of the
great Hereafter. Yet, feeling the need of
religions support, they look around for a
creed upon which they can lean with an
absolute assurance that 1t will never
change. They see in the creed of Rome
that quality of endurance aud unchanga
bieness they want. That creed is necessa-
rily despotic. 1t demands from those who
would enjoy it's benefits implicit and un-
questioning belief. 1t permits no interro-
CATION points behind it's formulas. 1t
allows no scsPtical eye to probe it's myste-
ries. 1t assumes to embrace within itself
all theological knowledge vouchsafed to
mortal beings and tolerates neither sub,
fractions from nor additions to the sacred
store. In exchange for this belief and con-
6dence it gives an absolute guaranty.
Those who believe and trust are declared
safe in this world and safer in the next.
There is no perhaps" no "peradventure"
it lie certainty immutable, indestructi-
BILE certainty. With such inducements
offered, inducements which can be felt and
priced by the dullest comprehension, is it
any wonder that Catholicism is the haven
in which SO many restless, weary souls
drop anchorf And can there ever come q
time, as long a. human nature retains it's
present shape, when these Inducements
will cease to charmq Those intelltcts
which are so constructed that every reason .
ing faculty must be fully satisfied befor"
belief can arise; which recognize no er
cathedra edcts as binding upon them !;
which respect no shadow until they have
confronted the substance which maintain
that religious theories form no exception to
the rule of development and progress that
prevails throughout the universe of mind
and matter-these must seek elsewhere for
congepia faith. But such intellects are
not in the majority.
The stability and assurance of Catholic
ism are accompanied and immeasurably y
strengthened by an uuequalled discipline,
This discipline, gradually evolved through
the processes of observation and experience
during many hundreds of yeara, stood ttil
long ago-because it was complete. The
laity belong to the Catholic church and
support it, but they do not manage it. The
legislative, judicial aud executive power
is concentrated and lodged in the clergy.
They rule--it is for the rest to obey. Yet
the clergy. from the Pope in the Vatican
to the humblest parish priest in Missouri,
are linked To a common cause by common
obedience. No man ever rises to an eleva-
tion where he can afford to disobey the
commands of the constituted authorities.
No man ever becomes so influential that he
can venture to dictate terms to his supe-
riors. No man is too high to be reached,
and no man is too low to be watched.
Omnipotence aud Omnipresence come very
near being realized in the governing de
partment of the Catholic church. Nor is
any estimate of that church correct which
fails to take into proper account the tre-
mendous increase in effectiveness gained
by the ceii6acy of the clergy. Supremefy
wise was Pope Hildebrand when he achiev
ed that triumph over the fercest of human
passions and the strongest of human affec.
tions. The vows of priesthood lift HIM
who proDoUnces them out of the groove OF
ordinary humanity. Thenceforth he 10 in
the world, but not of it. He is married
but his bride is q church. He loves hel
with devotion which nothing can che cs
or cLill. No mortal spouse divides his af
fection with the heavenly spouse. No ties
of kindred blood, however near and dear
draw him away even for an instant from
the sole object of his idofatry. He lives
works, if need be, dies for that object
He is not q mere attRche of the church-he
is q part and parcel of it. 1t is the be all
and the end all of his existence-tbe sum
and substance of all his thoughts and as.
pirations for this life and that which is t.
come. For the service he is ready at q
moments warning to go anywhere and dc
anything. His identity is lost and forgot
ten in the grander identity to which he hat
dedicated himself. He is proud to be q liv-
ing sacrifice upOu that celestial altar where
SO many noble victims have bled.
Yet while in some respects the Catholic it
the most rigid of despotisms, it ia also tn,
most liberal: of demOcracies. 1t has ar
aristocracy, but it has an aIistocracy OF
brains. The highest rank is within the
grasp of him who deserves it best, whether
he be the son of a prince or the son of {
beggar. If he has ability in any special di
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