The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-06-30

homestead, no moro hearth; but the frantic
euds OF the world more sweepIng denunoia.
| tion: No more religion, no moro altars NO
| moro priests, no more churches, no moro ritual,
no more oelasion, no more ceremonies, no moro
| religious festivals. The like has never before
been econ In history 10 could not have been
| conceived. This public attempt to drive out
all religion from humanity Ia ths name Of pro-
non, not only within buS bsyond Christianity.
II 10 monster In human history, the deforni-
" OF the nineteenth century. Oar age will
appear before history with this shameful In
scription Its forehead, which viii 90 fio oient-
~ brand it In the opinion of after ages: ."
THE NINETEENTH CENTURY,
have proclaimed by the voice Of million OF
atheists. as the law and condition Of all pro-
gress, the abolition of ali religion"
Add yet you win fnd religion attending the
birth OF every new society you will meet is
at the source OF every growing society, and
will perceive IL shining and triumphins whom
and perfection, for q great heather writer has
truly called 10 the motive force Of all thinRs:
Onania reigioae Iaocentsr. Religion 10 TO the
world of men what sap 10 to the plant, blood
to the animal. electricity 10 the system OF
nature-an indispensable condition Of life, Of
motion. of fruitfulnesa Who would dare un-
dertake to drive from the earth aud uproot
from the soul of man this divine link between
God and human nature. this boundary Of hu-
man life. this vivifying foroe which permeates
all, IertiliEes ell. directs and controls alif
not pluck electricity from nasure. sap from
the plant. and blood from our veinaf For 10
10 true that IL were easier for the tree TO live
without sap, the plant without root, the body
without blood, than II 10 for the human soai
to exlst without religion-religiop, that need
OF sonethipg divine, that longing after come
sn,ang ss, durable, that step towsrds she Infinite;
the eir 10 Of the body, that attraction heaven
wards which corresponds to the physical At
traction esrthwards Of our body
MYSTERIOUS BUT VERY sENsIBLE roRcs
draws us towards our ply sical centre OF gravi-
sible, and, above ell, moro powerful, draws us
tow ards our heavenly, our spiritual osntre;
md while We are physicslly bound by chain
sxistepce. yet spiritually We soar by % ire
,istible an impulse towards the place OF spirits,
tha etern al and the infinite.
The fagrant antagonism between the social
ct idea and the religions idea is easily ex-
'lained.. Socialism knows by instinct that in
'eligion, and especially in Christianity, Ms
.sligion above oil Others. exists the divine
oupdstion is not shaken the social polity can
iever be thoroughly destroyed; that religion,
wen stripped OF direct and, as it were, official
influence in the political and social order IL
till the last bulwark that interposes between
ooislism and Its avowed object In Q word,
hat there rests the supreme force, the insur-
nountable obstacle to the new ideas. there the
ruth that repudiates the new errors, there the
,oiinees that repudiates the new oorruption,
here the authority that repudiates the new
narohy, there tho divine Might which Gays to
be idea Of devastation what God the Creator
sys to the ocean {: =" So far shalt thou 20, and
% further "-"hve Ssqss ventes."
TO SUM UP,
here 10 DISASTROUS idea prowlinR through the
lodern world-tho secialist idea. This Idea,
1hich ct fret wes only chat Of social Saf6rR,
nd later became that Of social fraaefersaetios,
as developed at present into that of social
And whereas every social structure rests on
hree foundationR-Pfoperty, the Family ana
:eligion-so the socialist Idea moro OF lees
irectly attacks these three foundations. The
ooialist idea, or socialism looked upon &c Q
heory, pushes its Anti-social aggression MP to
his climax; 1t stands there In radical and fear
al opposition, threatening all that 10 most
itsl and most fundamental in society.
Therefore we are bound to resist IL face to
zoe, every where and always, aud do battle
Zainst the socialist idea-that is, the idea of
P5tructfUu, disaster End ruin. I tmPF65s upon
ou the necessity of, and claim your help in,
'ctriDal resistance to this idea, q defence Of
1t attacks an assertion of all IL denies; o
nrdy repetition of the credo of universal affie-
alton, and not only o repetition, bat pub.
,atiou, q trump phsnt challenge TO the socisl-
idea which embodies in itself q universal
gatioB.