, 1875-09-26

l
pnts forward some views OF his o"n, that thin
were quite uncalled for. If tho case was wort
| an article in THE TRIBUNE den.lns the TACT, !
certainly WAS worth one reaf1irning IT.; and thi
is just what No. i did. They are both no doubt
good Catholics; though some opinions OF th
Inter are little at variance with his position.
Truth, in theology as in 1ther things, Aes II
the mean; error ia the extremes. 70 attach 81
| undue importance to thing is SUPERSTITION
not to give enough. OF none at al, Is skepttc1s1
| The Catholic Church does NOT require baAe1
| in any miracles save those recorded in Scrip
ture bur she does require the belief that thl
| power to work them still exists in her To-day.
| am far from being over-credulo0E, but fall x
see that believing in IN instance OF snpernag
! u1.l phenomenon iB more evidence OF : WeAl
mind than believing 10 tue VARIOUS and unex'
planned phenomena OF Nature. d tendency to
| attribute everything that cannot be explained
| by natural CAUSES to supernatural agency ~ IF
mischieyous as to deny all such ageccy. But when
4 thing is shown to be- both by its nature aod
| effects, an impossiuity in the natural order, it
would be blindness In Christian and CATHOLIC
to deny its supernatural character any more than
| any other well-authenticated fact. The cruct-
| fxion and death Of the humanity of our
Lord Was An ordinary natural occurrence
such as took place in the persons OF the two
thieves, and in hundreds Of other criminals exc
cuted in Jerusalem; bne His resurrection after
having laid for three days Ia grave ras an i'm
possibility in tho order OF Nature, and therefore
Was God. In this connection [ must say that
the authoritative tribunal Of the Church does
not countenanca deception. Not long ago there
happened case in California where young girl
was said to haye received the stigmeta on her
hands. She deceived TWO noted physicians; but
tho Archbishop lad her shut up III convent
and closely watched, by which it wss discovered
that abe produced the nlarks On herself. Equal
ly careful ia the Church, in casos where extraor-
diuary occurrences mar be attributed to .'dia-
running after tho supernatural is the result OF
ignorance, The better educated Catholic
is and the more be knows Of the intellectual
grounds Of his faith, the less he requires the
aid OF such things. An instance is given in
the life Of st. Louis Of France. This pious but
to see some marvellous occurrence, said to be
taking place during mass. *'Let those go," he
said. ''who do not believe in the real presence;
believe, and do not require any Euch aid to my
Catholic, and such, I do not doubt, No. 2 pos
sesses. Hc, however, goes too far, and speaks
too disparagingly OF miracles in general. He
also pulls forward some views that are not ten
able even on broad Christian g1ounds.
may mp2ess @ the ien5sant but It. viii ' only AWAKE s
smiles in the enlightened" dc. Docs he include
the miracles wrought BY our Lord and His
Apostles: II not, lis ho aware that
there is q class OF ''enlightened" men
Who ridicule these, as he docs other
against them that he does against s'those
pseudo MIRACLES: This passage ia not easily
understood when taken in connection with the
one Immediately following. He SAYS: "Per-
haps, in the days when the Church had to deal
with : rude and uncultlvated people, it WIGS nec-
essary to call On the aid Of the supernatural, ~
etc. Docs ho think that manifestation Of
Gods power, exercised to convert barbarians to
the faith Of Christ, is ft subject of ridicule or
calculated to ''awake smiles in the enlight-
ened"? I hardly think 60; yet his words, as
they stand, would seem to indicate that he did.
AS regards 'tblnd belief" thero are lots OF SEN
lghtened" men Who swallow all the vagaries OF
scleutlsts with as much avidity and want OF
Judgment rs ignorant Catholics swallow mira
eles. I do neither. 4 thing, wheEher natural
u supernatural, must be proved before be-
eve it.
No. thinks that if all that is claimed OF
Louise Lateau bo true, it proves no supernatural
nterposition OF Providence. Here entirely
1isagree with him. It Is no isolated case. There
ire many and well-authentlcated instances Of |
he saints Of Gods Church who bore on their !
PERSONS the marks OF the passion of Christ |
notably st. Francis Of Assissi. Granting that |
here Ia no deception praciced-to suppose that |
my natural cause whatever could produce these
marks only on Friday, aud only on the hands. I
eet, side, and forehead, In exact imitation Of !
1hrists passion, with other notable features un-
necessary to mention, does not show high de- |
rec OF enlightenment As regards the utility
hsckle the infinirude of God. or dictate to Him
shat He shall do. The arguments used by No.
against these miracles apply with equal force
sn9se OF our nota ano us apostles. lhey
;ords nsa6 hr KIM "a snecies ~
npglerv nr;te unworthy ~ tha fsLr;a+;so,.
;od." Viii be, then, say that they were wrought
, vain? The Whole plan Of redemption Was
to tho enlightened" OF those
singing A criminal On . crnss .rss not var1
eli calculated to impress men as "the One who
lies the Heavens and holds creation in the hol-
;" 81 o. nls - hnna so "ohaer' IL We can believe
r. u.1.e, ,.Jns tlas suuss @ WIZ o3s 40" 1ooet
I must not be misuuderetood Is holding that
'ese modern miracles are necessary to confirm
athohc faith nor rs believing all the humbug
.a.,;s ,as mes p's. ps4uao .s ~ ~ tne puqAo as