Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-12-17

and low, as we see by reflection upon the |
immense difficulties of the times. IL more |
had not bsen done, it is because it was |
simply imp ossible TO do more before the |
invention of printing. Luther wan lucky |
in maay respects. Had ne lived before |
Guttenbarg, this principle of individual |
reading of tho Blbie should have appeared |
so ridiculous that even Luther would rot |
have dared give ubter&nee to it. The in
vention of Catholic ages, the printing |
press, made universal instruction pcs
sible, and when more general attention |
was gwen 10 Is Catholics were not behind /
their Protestant neighbors. Indeed, az far /
as ii has gone IN Protestant countries, i |
has been the work Of the state lar mere !
than OF the ch1rch. It's greatest advances |
are Of recent dates. Fifty years ago q |
Protestant, Lsing, wrote: 'In Catholic /
GermalY, in France and even
in Italy, the education OF |
the common people IN reading, writing, |
arithmetic, music, manners and morals is |
at leasl as generally ditfased and as faith |
fully promoted, by tbs clerical body ss IN |
Scotland. Il IS by their own ad7ancs, and |
not By keeping back the advance OF the |
people that the popish priesthood of the |
present day seek to keep ahead of the in
tellecsual progress OF the community in
Catholic lands. They might retort on our
Presbyterian clergy and ask If they too, in
their countries are at the head of the in
telIectual movement of the age. Rome,
with population of 1850 souls, has
372 primary Rchools, and 14,O0O children
attending them. Has Edinburgh as many
schools for heinstruction of those classes?
l doubt it. Berlin, with population
double that of Rome,h only 264 schools
TIIV
have no time to pass il lengthy review
the intellectual movement of the world in
the last three centuries. A few statements
will suffice to show that the part belong
ing to the Lutheran revolution is far from
being equal to that assigned to it in she
popular belief.
A feature OF the movement in moro
modern times as com pared with that Of
earlier ages, is that in both Catholic and
Protestant countries the development Of
the natural order is LETT very largely to
that order itself, where indeed it properly
belongs. Individuals or governments,
without reference to church organizations,
or withou. waiting for aid or encourage
ment from them, push forward literature
and science. The natural Or
der is now able to take care
of itself,es it was not in other ageg, and the
church withdraw5 that fostering protection,
which at one time absolutely necessary,
is now more or less snperfuous.
This being the fact, when lit
erary or scientific progress is made in
country, Catholic or Protestant, it does
nos follow that the glory belongs to Prot
estantism or Catholicism. Neither is the
blame to be awarded 10 one or the other,
if people through apathy or from bad
government shows itself Indifferent to
progress.
Great names are recorded in ths annals
of progress from Protestant countries.
Were those VINO bore them INSPIRED by
Professionalism? Germany boasts of Grot-
iu5 and Leionitz, They were Catholics in
belief and often On the point &c emitting
publicly their profession Of faith, Geo5-
lns, according to Hailam, EaiDg prevented
from 80 doing by sudden deGth. EnQland's
Shakespeare 2as ia ali probability a Gath
Ole. Would klopstoc1 hays been q worse
poet IL he h. noB been Protestant? DID
Protes tanLism suggest Inc discoveries Of
Isaac Newton? Catholic countries have
surely given their portion of literary and
scientific men 10 the world and proven
thereby thai intellectual assent to the
truths of Catholic faith was no i'm padi-
ment 10 progress. VIII quote the opinions
"Frauoa alone has produced moro distin-
guishea nen than all the Prot
estant universities of Europe"
Gibben says: "a moQastery of bene-
diobines has given to the world more
books OF science than all the universities
OF England wide Hauleville(. Italy re-
tanned the palm for literature during the
18th century. "Italy," says HallaM, 1.-The
genial soil where the literature Of aRtiqui-
ty had been first cultivated, still retained
her superiority in the fine perception of
its beauties, and in the power of retracing
them by spirited imitation. It was the
hand of taste and sensibility never more
so than in the age of Raphael rs we'll as of
Areosto." The same century was a mort
brilliant one for Spain, where Cardinal
Ximenes was the powerful patron of learn
ing. Cervantes, Lopa de Vega, Cslderon,
, SPANS literary sons, would grace the an
nails of any nation. Hallam tells US that
learning was lower in Eogland under Eliz-
abeth than in Spain at the same perisd.
. SIN most branches of crudition it ia IN
deniable that Spain, under Philip II, held
q higher statio= than England under Eliz-
abeth." The age of Louis the Great, in
France, during the seventeenth century,
the age of Bossuet. Pascal, Male
branche, Racine, Moliere certainly will nos
suffer bycomparison with the age of Queen
Anne IN England, however bright the
= names thatits records present to US. Des-
cartes is not inferior 10 Bacon in philoso-
ply, and his writings while profound are
ineligible, what cannot be said of Kant and
Fichte. In all branches of science Catho-
lie names appear az numerous and as
brilliant IS Protestant names. In discoy-
cries and voyages Catholic navigators
manned The vessels OF even Protestant
= powers. Tho relations of Catholic mis-
sionaries are the most valuable monum snts
we possess TO day of the early history OF
cur own continent.
Professionalism has had very slight direct
influence upon literature or science. 1t
built up some universities, nos as many as
had destroyed, and contributed literally
0 Biblical lore. But little more can be
.iscribed to it. Nor could 1t we'll be other
wise, since Professionalism has no strong
Organization and can never act except
through individual efforts. Professionalism
s indiYidualism i'll religion, and will con
equently never exercise much power in
he world.