The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1875-07-11

duce. 1t is marked throughout with the |
great force and scathing sarcasm of this |
polished writer:
Modern thought is a vapor which is
not easily condensed. If by any process of
mental chemistry it could be forced to
precipltate itself 80 as to yield even the |
| miDutest solid residaam, it might be posi-. !
BILE to analyz it, and tell with some ap-
proach to certainty of what it is composed. |
But this is an operation beyond human
sk'li. The mathematician may be able to
deal with both negative and unknown
quantities, but even the subilest analyst
can do nothing with mists and shadows
Their form is too unde fined, and they do
not keep it long enough. While the spec
tator looks at such objects they have al
ready become something else. We are in
| the same difficulty in judging the products
OF what is called modern thought. They
have no shape nor substance. They are for
the most part purely negative. In all
which touches the life and concerns the real
| interests either of nations or individuals,
| the only formula in which "modern ideas"
! seemed to have clothed themselves, is this,
that nothing is true, and nothing is false,
and it does not in the least matter whether
| any thing is either one or the other. The
only positive conclusion of modern thought
| since that catacysm of the sixteenth CEN
tury, at least as respects religion and phil
| osophy, may be thus expressed; whathever
tuo uundu COnSclence anu lDLollecG accept
ed in past ages as undeDiably true may be
safely assumed to be undeniably false.
Every rythng else is doubtful, but not that.
Amid the general wreck of first principles
| that is the only one which the modern
world thinks it important to retain. By its
society and begin bnman life again, with
very curious results, as yet only partially
developed, both In philosophy and legisia-
! ton.
This fundamental axiom of modern
thought is as violently opposed to Pagan
as to Christian ideas, but perhaps that is
only an additional merit. 1t was almost as
mere truism with Plato, Socrates and
Cicero as with St. Augustine and St. Thom-
as that the ''commoa sentiment" of human
ity is the evidence of an eternal and neces-
sary truth. All the sages of past generations
would have accepted the statement of a
modern unbelever, who observes in book
entitled lie -Four Apres la Mort: "A tradi-
tion which has a Uniform and universal ex-
istence has all the weight of scientific
testimony To the great heathen philoso-
piers, in spite of the obscurity which over
shadowed in their day all the traditions of
the primitive revelation, this would have
seemed elementary. Plato proposes to use
it, as far as it would serve, until some new
revelation, of which he admitted the ne
cessity, should supply man with the lost
clue to all the mysteries of human life aud
destiny. 1t was reserved for modern
thought to Quench even the feeble glimmer
of light which revealed, but did not illu-
mine, the darkness of Paganism. The Pa
gan wanted to see, but could not penetrate
the mist which surrounded him the Apos-
tate hates the very light in which he lives
and curses it's beams. Since the Incarnation
changed the conditions of human life this
was the inevitable lot of all who refuse to
come to the light The Gospel brought
death with it as we'll as light. 1fit tannounced
that "he that believeth shall be saved, it
taught that man is as responsible for his
faith as for his actions adding Immediately,
'he that believeth not shall be damned ,
There is no middle term. And that man
might know aUhat to believe, He who
alone could tell him founded the Christian
Church, to be forever "the pillar and grour d
| of the truth Whoever declines to follow
3 this guide must live without one. There
is no other, because God has given no
| other. And therefore Plus TX spoke lately
, of Professionalism, in all its forms, as revolt
against Cod 1t ia an attempt to substi
tute human for Divine authority, and a
declaration of the creatures Independence
, of the Creator. And what is called modern
thought is simply Professionalism applied,
with unshrnklng logical consistency,
throughout the whole wIdesphere of human
action. The creed of the Apustate has only
one action. Ii God, it proca'ms, chose to
found Church without consulting NAV, it
: without consulting God.
1T is true that man can not abolish the
Church, do what he will, because God will
not let him. Ever since she was founded
he has tried to lott, weary of her eternal
counses and admonitioDs, but has never
succeeded, and never will. Even in the
days of Autichrist, of which the shadow
seems alIeady to daIken wide provinces of
the earth, there will stll be remnant
like the seven Thousand of Israel who did
not bow the knee to Baet, for whom Christ's
Vicar will be still the center of unity, and
the pastor both of sheep and lambs. The
Church Will always be visible, and always
the porch of Heaven. The products of
modern thought in the field OF legtslation
are quite as notable as in that of religion
and morals. And they are as uniform in
partially Protestantized States,' !. e !,
States where the Government acts on Pro-
testant principles-as in those'of which the
population is mainly Lutheran, Anglican
or Calvinist. The exaltati"n of the civil
| ~. M nth thnr intnI-