The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1876-09-24
MIR. FROUDE'S TRIBUTE TO THE. ROMAN
CATHOLIC CHURCH.

The following is from a public address of
Mr.. Anthony Froude, which appeared in
the Manchester Times and Examiner:
"Never in all history, in ancient and
| modern times, that the world knew of, had
mankind known out Of themselves any thing
| so useful, beautiful as the Catholic Church
once was. In these our times, we'll repu-
| lated sel6shness was the recognized rule of
action-every one was expected to look out
for himself and take care of his own inter-
| ests. At the time he spoke of, the Church
| ruled the State with the authority of con-
science, and self interest as q motive of ac-
ton was only named TO be abhorred. Wis
dom, justice, self-denial, nobleness, purity,
high mindedness-these were the qualif1ca
lions before which the free. born races of
Europe had been contented to bow, and in
no order of men were such qualities to be
found as were found six hundred years
ago in the clergy of the Catholic Church
They called themselves the successors of
the Apostles, they claimed in their Masters
name universal spiritual authority, but they
made good their pretentions by the holiness
OF their lives. They were allowed to rule,
because they deserved to rule, and in the
fulness of reverence kings and mobiles rent
bstole power which was nearer to God
than their own. Over prince and subject,
chieftain and serf, body of unarmed and |
deteDceless men reigned supreme by the in |
nuence of sanctity. He did not pretend tbs |
the clergy was perfect-they were very far |
from being perfect at the best of times, and |
the European nations were never compile |
teiy submissive to them; it would not have
been we'll if they had been. The business |
of human creatures in this planet was not |
summed up in the most excellent of priestly |
catechisms; the world and its concerns con- |
tlnued to interest men, though priests insist |
on their nothingRess. They could not pres |
vent kings from quarreling with each other; |
they could not hinder disputed SUGGESTIONS, |
ana CIVIL feuds, wars, and political conspir- |
acles; what they did was to shelter the weak |
from ire the strong. In the eyes of the clergy, |
sne sert and his lord stood on the common |
!eVel OF sinful humanity. Into their ranks |
nigh birth was no passport. They were for
the most part children of the people, and
the son of the artizan and peasant rose to [
the mitre and the triple crown, just as now
q days, the rail-splitter and tailor, became
President of the Republic of the West. The
monasteries of the Catholic Church are
another vast feature of the Middle Ages,
when they were inhabited by fraternities of
men who desired to devote themselves to
goodness, and who, in order to do so, took
vows of poverty, that they might not be en-
tangled with the pursuit of money and of
chastity, that they might not be distracted
with the cares of a family. Their days
were spent in hard bodily labor, in study,
or in visiting the sick at night they were
on the stone floors of their chapels, holding
up their withered hands to heaven, inter-
ceding for the poor souls in purgatory. The
system spread to the farthest limits of Chris
tendon. The religious houses became
places of refuge, whore men of noble birth,
kings and queens, and emperors, and war
rioTs, and statesmen retired to lay down
their splendid cares and end their days in
peace. Those with whom the world had
dealt hardly and those whom it had
surfeited with it's unsatisfying pleasures, ,,
those who were disappointed with earth
and those who were filed with passionate
aspirations after heaven alike found a
haven of rest in the quiet cloisters. Grad
ually lands came to them, and wealth and :
social dignity-sll gratefully extended to
men who deserved we'll Of their follows