The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-08-27

I0fiY, &la U6atSIs AH 1HtClcSsaut shAY "a - 0Hu
may proclaim the weird and lie and man as
allsnfIicient for themselves. But the sad |
DAYS OF caimer thought and riper expert
ence must and do come, when pride and
seIf-sufficiency betrgy their deceptiveness,
when the misleading allurements OF sense
have lost tbeir charm, and when mans natu-
ral and essential need OF religion begins to
torment them like craving hunger. For
all ages and races bear testimony to the uni
yersal conviction and experience that man
is not sufficient for himself; that this life
and this world are not sufficient for them
selves that man needs Divine light and
Divine aid to guide and help him to q better
life than it is in himself to lead, and to
better destiny than he can find In this world.
The foolish clarnor OF the few who at any
time have denied this is drowned aud lost
in the mighty cry OF all mankind: 20,
God thou art our first beginning and our
last end, and we find no rest till we rest in
Thee" Towards God the eyes OF mankind
ever have turned, and ever must turn, for
He is s.the Father OF lights, from whom
every best gift and every perfect gift must
Gomez danes, 1. III Religion is not only
the first commandment OF God, but also the
first need OF the human heart.
The Bishop pictured the fearful con-
dition OF the human soul robbed by
false philosophy and sophisticaI science OF
the divine guidance and aid which 1t needs
and Graves, and said
With this sad picture before your eyes,
beloved brethren, turn now and see the
blessed contrast. See how our holy Churcn,
the divinely established and dlvnely pro-
tected teacher and guide Of the world. sat
isfIes every need OF the human mind and
heart, giving a certainty which no candid
investigation can ever stagger, because it ls
Gods infallible truth that she teaches with
divine authority, and bestowlng such peace
as the world cannot give, because it is the
strengthening. and comforting, and saving
grace of the Paraclete, tie comforter, that
she pours into your hearts in her sacred
ministrations. See how she is
ALL IN ALL TO MAN
from childhood to old age, from the simplest
to the most perfect development OF his in
| tellect.
The Bishop argued that the Catholic
Church for the child, for the youth. and for
the man OF learned study is all sufficient
" the pillar and ground OF the truth."
O, how glorious is this certainty OF 4
Catholics fath-a certainty which every
stage OF candid and enlightened inquiry
only makes clearer and more manifest. How
|
able to eyclam with st. Paul: Il knotc
whom have believed, and am certain that
He is able to keep that which have CON-
mitted to Him." or. Timothy, l, 12)
True, Divine Providence has permitted,
for our warning and still fuller instruction,
that some should have closed their eyes to
this blessed radiance OF truth, and wandered
from it, to become sneering monStrosltieS
like Voltaire, or gloomy, dcspairing souls
like Joutfroy. But, to the candid mind,
these are only evidences OF the truth
proofs OF its absolute necessity to the real
worth and beauty OF the human character,
and to the real peace and happiness OF the
human heart. And no truer word has ever
been spoken than Bacon's assertion that a
little philosophy may lead one away from
religion, but great deal must bring one
back again.
The Bishop declared that
THE INSPEAKABLE BLESSING
of absolute and immovabIe certainly in the
faith is tie first blessing which the Catholic
Church bestows upon her people. But this
is only the prelude to Il still greater bless
inr. "Our faith" said lie, g is our guide
to grace and salvation" Those outside OF
the Church are greatly mistaken who i'm
agine that tue Catholic Church Is set OF
contrivanccs to take the place OF our Lord ;
that her authority is q substitute for His
guidance; that her SacramcntS are sub.
stitute for the immediate approach OF the
soul to Him.
Here he showed in detail how the Church's
work is all the work OF Christ Himself, and
her mini>tratlons the d:SpenSations OF the
merits OF His precious blood, through the
sacramento chanAels appointed by Himself.
And you see, also, from what has been
said, how strangely and uncharitably they
err who represent the Church rs a mighty
mower, dragging men into It's clutches, III
order to use them for its own ends.
The Church has no use for men. no
end or aim whatever, except to bless
them and save their immortal souls a;
except to guard them from the abyrinlhine
Wanderings OF
DOUBT AND ERROR,
from the ways OF sin and destruction; eX-
cent to guide them to Heaven in the path
way marked out by our Lord Jesus Christ !;
except to make every human soul a temple
of The Holy Ghost U. Corinthians. ILL.,. lG) 4;
a partaker of the fulness Of Him whom 81.
John declares to have been "fuIl OF grace
and TRUTH (Jobn. l., 14.) This is the only
reason OF the Cnlrch's existence in this
world-the only end and object for which
there are priests, and bishops, and popeS-
that every human soul may have certain
| knowledge Of and easy access to the means
OF salvation. The Church is that mighty
tree. planted by God himself, towering
aloft proof against all the bGncting OF the
storms, stretching out its branches to the
ends of the car;h and inviting TO their
shelter all the birds Of hcaven-not for any
rood that the birds can do it. but to give
them shelter and to nouriSh them with the
fruit OF life eternal. (AIatthew, xiii, g.
| Thus, in whatever way we consider the
Church-ln her iniallblc teaching, in her
| sacred mniStrtiOns, in the end that ami
mates her, in the motive that she breathcs
| into all her ministers, in the blessings that
she necessarily pourS upon the worid-how
| trulv do we see in her the creation OF The
wisdom and the mercy OF God, and in her
work the dispensation Of Gods loving be-
! ncticcnce to the sons OF men. How per-
fcctly, in word, does she fulfil the
requirement Of the Holy Apostle already
quoted, her words being indeed "the words
OF Cod" her ministrations Gas from the
power which God administered" and her
aim "that in all things God may be hon
orcd through Jesus Christ"
The Bishop asked for and counted upon
the
PRAYERS AND COOPERATION
Of clergy and people. "Let us rcsolveol
stand together, to pray together, to strive
together for the glory OF God for the ditlu-
sion OF the faith, for the maintenance OF
sound principles, for the increase OF indi-
vidual and social virtue, and for the spread
OF the kingdom Of our Lord Jesus" and
prove to n-Catholcs "that our religion