The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-11-20

humanity are not mechanical but vital. Tho
Catholic religion is organic force of this kind.
Professionalism. he continues. has yelled its crest
and NO longer even processes to interfere with con-
efcctualities many amable persons are inclined to
take the Church at its word. That the Church has
refused to fraternze with the modern spirit is no
longer its crime, but its credentials and it can be
encountered only by spiritual convictions Of the
nature as itself, which face it on its own
ground
Better to believe in the Virgin Mary and the
saints than in the almighty dollar week days and
Sundays. in a religion which has rule OF life
to ofier ana rattes In ITS old dress ike shriveied
nothing to be surprised at in this. mans life
does not consist in the abundance OF tho things
which he possesses. He must set some higher am
bition before himself IL existence is to continue
tolerable. This ambition Professionalism has failed
to satisfy and he turns back in despair to the old
community which his fathers deserted.
''PgoTEsrANTIsM HAS FAILED"
Professionalism has failed. 1t is q hard saying.
Professionalism when it began was revolt AGAINST
lies. 1t was q fierce declaration that men would no
longer pretend to believe what in their hearts they
did not and could not believe. In this sense Protes-
tGntsm has not failed. and never can fail AS long
there is an honest man left upon the globe But We
cannot live upon negations must have convictions
of positive sort if voyage through earthly exist
cnce is to be an honorable and successful one. And
no Protestant community has ever succeeded in
laying down char. of human life with any definite
sailing directions. In every corner of the world
ished religions. In Catholic countries as we'll as in
Protestant, nay, among Mohammedans, Jews, Bud
dhists, Brahmans, Evolutionary creeds los
ing their hold. An intellectual revolution is
sweeping the world, breaking down cstab-
lished opinions, dssolving tho foundations
which historical faiths have been built up. Science.
history philosophy have combined to create univcr
nal uncertainty and Catholic France and Italy
better of in this respect than Germany England
America Yet christianity retains powerful
hold. especially over the Anglo-Saxon race When
positive reasoning fails, conclusion may DO cstab
lished by proving that the absurdity of its contra
dctory and destructive criticism has been pushed to
q point where IL issues in what our instincts
ject. Modern sceptcism has been arrived ut by
the application Of those principles of reason
which were appealed to at the Reformation to lib
crate from Rome. II it leads to something which
tied from the beginning The average Engishman
and American is not philosophic but he Is consti
tutionally reverent. That Christianity in some
shape is true his innermost conscience assures him.
He knows the weak points OF the forms of it in
which he has been brought up. With the weak
points Of Catholicism lie has not the acquaint
ance. and, when rationalism tells him to abandon
Christianity. he replies by falling back into the
Roman communion.
ENGLISH PROsELYTEs
Among the men OF the middle classes the move
ment has not gone far. They too busy for
speculation. There are few inndels among them,
and therefore few Romanists. The conversions in
England have been chiefly among peers, women and
clergy; ana among them. perhaps, they would have
been less heard of. and there might have been no
conversion at all had not political cooperated
with the intellectual; and thus come round
again to the Irish question. with which our article
began.