The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1877-10-28
THE SOPHOMORE YEAR OF THE WoRLD
Southwestern Presbyterian


"The world" says Joseph Cook, SIS
now in the Sophomore year of its history"
And he made q profound observation, as
we'll as a brillient epigram, when he said
30.
Our Greek professor, in bygone times,
was one of the gentlest and most harmless
of men. Bat he had one little joke, which
he never failed to produce when the occa-
sion offered. With humorous gleam of
his dark eye, he would say "Young gen.
tlemen, you are aware that the word " So
phomore" is a compound of the Greek
words Soph0s and m0rOS, meaning a aCise
fool" Sage and venerable seniors are of
the opinion that the word is we'll devised
20 represent the exaggerated sense of self,
Importance " hich overwhelms youth just
passing from the semi chaotic condition of
freshman, intellectual life and, according
iy, it is rather fashionable than other ise
to disparage Sopnomoric speech and Sopho-
moric thapght.
It s in some such sense that Joseph Cook
speaks of the world in this nineteenth CEN
tury Of the Christian era, as being just ar
rived ut it's Sophomore year. There is a
gushing self suficency, CHARACTERISTIC of
modern speculative thoaght, which chal-
ienges the attention of reading men, re-
| calling very forcbly the features of col
! lege Caye. We do not perceive that the
popular ear demands any moro capacity to
discuss ethics or political economy, than to
illustrate the doings of q base ball club.
And the third rate newspaper reporter,
who should suspect himself incompetent to
criticise the theology of q discourse, would
probably feel that he is unworthy of his
| position.
The thing is noticeable in more exalted
and wider spheres. Cook, who is New
England man, probably had Boston in bis
eye more than any other locality. But he
did well to make his generalization en-
brace the world.
Itwould be well if we could be equally
| snre in respect to the inference, which the
phrase implies; After the Sophomore comes
| the Junior and Senior year, end then the
| diploma. 1t all follows logically by an es-
tablished process of development. The
idea and the hope that the world itself is
moving by a similar process into the pure
and blessed light of spiritual truth, is a
thought to charm a poet, and warm the
heart of the most callous worldling.
But the wisdom of the wise has not yet
discovered such law, and we. fear that
| neither Nature nor philosophy controls TIE
subtle alchemy which can transmute the
snld,d worldliDess of fallen race into tue
perfect gold Of q heavenly life.
With respect to tho trnth, the world has
al~ay hseu ia the Sopho more yeav-"ever
seeking and never arliSing at tie knowl-
| edge # it," And w!Iie 1t is always OUT
growing it's modes of thought, however
| much tho mode may change tie Cha! acte I
Of its thought remains essentially the same.
| It does not progress; it mGves IN circle
always; and Lsnce tho world by wisdom
does pOr find out God.
1t ceaseIessly delvcs and spins, weaving
only new eophistres to entrap the unwary,
and accumu ulsting new resources of obsta-
cles against The truth. In this respect,
donbtlees it has mission. A sinful world
may perform the most important function
in aggrandzing the truth. Its desperate
and perpetual hostility s that very trine
which affords constant and ever varying
occasions of truths highest triumpns, ano
of the diVinest displsys of it's Immortal
beauty. And when the utmost capacity OF
a race naturally hostile to God, to deny
and counterwork His grace, is defeated
transformed into good, and swallowed uE
in victory, the world shall then emerge
from it's Sophomore year, since none shal
henceforth need to say to his Deighoor
Know the Lord!" for all shall know Him
from the least to the greatest.