The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1875-02-28
Catholic Writers.

Catholic writer's in this age, debates with
himself their usefulness after the following
manner: ave are sometimes tempted to
doubt whether we do any good at all. 1t
is true that we have work to do, accord,
ing to the measure of our faculties, and
that we are not wholly without encourage
ment in doing it. But to know how little
we can do is the primary condition of dong
even that little. We may refute a f1ippant
hereto, put an unbeIiever to shame, ex
pose calumny, detect fiction, or rebuke
a lie. To do this is within the compass of
our gifts, but the work has always to be
begun again To morrow the hereto is
spouting once more, the calumniator shoot
ing out his adder's tongue, the liar lifting
up his forehead of brass. They beat us,
and we are obliged to confess it Every
week has its own record of the trium phs
OF grace and the miracles of conversion,
but 1T is not we who produce them. We
are under no delusion on that point. They
who gain such victories are of loftier stature
than the poor cubt which sn tfices to mea-
sure our modest growth. They are nearer
to God than we are, though not nearer than
we wish to be. Some devout priest has
been offering with victorious fervor the
| Holy Sacrifice some lOwIy Religious has
been suing before the Tabernacles; some
| obscure servant girl, known to God though
uDknewn to the world, has pierced the
clouds with her fervent, effectual prayer; !
| and the newspapers announce with disgust
another conversion. They did not hear the
voice which went up from earth to heaven,
nor the answer either. Their ear is too
dull to catch such sounds.
care onr writer's, then, only wasting
their timef Not SO Even such poor work
as theirs may bear fruit. One of the APP
| ostolc Mlssiouers of our day, who has
| taken a large draught of fishes in his own
country, and worn out his life in the toll,
addressed an English writer who thought
he was only laborlng in vain, and talked of
giving up the improbable work, in these
words: You will not please God if you
do. You know many converts whom your
writings have won there are many more
whom you will not know till you reach the
other world and my own observation has
shown me that many whom you have not
converted, yOu have disarmed. They may
not have become children of the Church,
but they have ceased to be her enemies.
Work on, and leave the rest to God. No,
writing is a poor instrument compared with
prayer, but 1t ia not always quite barren.
We have seen lately what it can do. The
example, indeed, may seem to prove moth
| ing, because the illustrio1s writer to whom
We refer Is of unrivalled intellectual power,
and it is easier 10 admire than to initiate
him. Yet, in fact it proves a great deal
1t is not easy to say whether the success OF
the failure of such man, the most gifted +,
perhaps, whom the world has seen since
Bossaet, conveys tue more instructive
lesson.
1T the logic of ST. Thomas. united with
the tenderness of FenelOn, sufliced to pro
duce intellectual conviction, how should
this man fail Yet he has failed. He tells
ia so himself. Referring TO his lectures or
Difficulties felt by Anglicans, he observer
that they have produced little practica
effect upon those for whom they were in
tended The power to enforce truth il
, neutTalized where there Is no disposition t,
\ receive it. HE latest work, 80 far as w
q can judge at present, and without pretend
:, ing to forecast its ultimate effect, is both
, success and failure. But its success,
is to be feared, is limited to the understand
ing, and does not reach the will. The com
ments of the Pail Mall Gdsetts appear t
9 prove this. Admiration finds a voice i
i them, but conviction lags behind. Th
k Letter TO the Duke Of Norfolk, our contem
u porary says, is reply to the unworthy al
g tack of an influential opponent And it
e so overwhelmingly complete, the Pail Ma
), Gdsette adds, especially on the questio
It of Catholic allegiance, that mo candi
J. reader will hesitate to admit it,
e GAS to the practical question-if Their
= ever was one," our contemporary continue,
2 "between Mr.. Gladstone and the Roma
a Catholics, we consider it is closed by thi
}. reply of DR.. Newman's. 1t is, or shout