St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-01-19
SOCIETY ANDRELIGION.
Bishop Ireland's Lecture on the Rela-
ton of the Social Body to
the Church.

tDC
The topic of Bishop Ireland's discourse
last evening was ''Civic Virtue, or the obi
CATION of the Citizen to Society,"" an alb
stract of which is appended:
What is the basis of our obligations to So
ciety, what the motive that induces US to full
fiji thems The existence of society implies
obligation to the social body, but all do not
agree as to the basis. Too many eliminate
religion from society. They put it before us
without relation to religion. This is a most
false and unfortunate notion. Religion and
civic society are closely connected. Society
derives It's life and spirit from religion. It
is admitted everywhere that society is essen
tial to man. He cannot exist without COM
munion with his fellows. The family is re-
quisite that he may partake of life. The
various powers of the mind are developed
only by contact with fellow men. The needs
and instincts of his nature are not such that
he may live alone by himself. In every So
ciety it is necessary that there be some sort
of rule, organization and leadership. Men
cannot come together without leadership.
To be effective the authority must have in it
moral power.
Modern theorists tell us that communities
are formed as a result of voluntary agree
ment, that men agree to live together as a
society, that society has no authority except
that which it derives from the members
themselves. THIS theory is contradicted by
reason. Reason says society is necessarily
the result Of mans nature. 1t is ordained
by God himself. He constituted man for
society and gave him power. The authority
of society cannot be delegated by its mem
and without him it could not exist. Mere
men, bound by no holy tie, would be free to
leave it. There would be no authority to
bind them. The holy scriptures bring out
the teachings . of our own reason. 1t
is omuipotent power that causes kings
and princes to decree just laws. In st.
PauPs Epistle to the Romans we read that
powers of men are ordained of God. The
same truths are constantly re-echoed. Indi~
viduals are not born free from social obliga-
tons. Men are born subject to the laws Of
society, of the family, and while all men are
by nature equal in society we find that they
are not Of equal station. There are superiorS
and interiors, rulers aud subjects.
The power which rulers WELD is Gods own
power, given them for the good of society.
Through him princes decree just things.
Civil rulers rule by the authority OF God. II
not by His authority, by whose? for there is
but one Supreme Master. None govern ex-
cept by delegation of power from Him. Men
rule by divine right, but God does not make
form of government. There is in all Il
human and divine element. The power
itself is divine. The selection of the
form of government and the man
to rule is the human element. These things
men may themselves determine. The peo-
pie choose a special form of government, and
at times are forced by circumstances to
change it; but when forms are agreed upon,
Almighty God grants participation in His
power. This is taught by reason and By the
scriptures, and if it were not for this divine
power no civil society could exist. It is this
grand principle that enables society to pre-
serve itself. Without it what cohesiveness
cordant elements! Society is threatened to-
day by com munity, an organization, in
America and in foreign lands, known as
socialists. They aim at the destruction of
the frame work OF society. Their leading
principle is that each individual is supreme,
that each has right to seek personal ag-
grandizement ana to ayenge his grievances,
imaginary or real. They urge that when
rulers interfere, they have the right to wage
war against them. These are the doctrines
they give utterance % in their meetings, ana
we tiud them Increasing. The thinkers Of
the land are in despair, and are asking the
questions, ''Whither are we driftiug!"
"What is TO become of usr' No sane man
should be deceived by these people. They
can lead to nothing but anarchy and chaos.
Their principles are engrafted upon the body
polite, ana the whole fabric Of society is torn
to shreds. The world becomes field of wild
beasts who dcvour each other, and passion
rules supreme. These are the logical results
OF urging that God has nothing to do with
society.
Take God away, and what motor is there
left 10 make society livei The poet, the his
torian and the philosopher may say that
patriotism, love OF country, may bind men
together, but the multitude does not see 1t in
this light. An appeal 10 patriotism has no
effect on the impoverished millions. You
urge that self interest would bind, but they
tell You at once that this Is their plea-self
interest self preservation. Neither will IL do
- appeal to physical force. 1t will not do to
crush out Il minority, for to-morrow's cir
cumStances may place It in a majority, and
the power will change. All this results from
putting God away, and allowing men TO fol-
low their passions, each narrowly seeking
self interest.
Sod is in the highest sense the life and
soul Of the moral and social world. Put him
away and death and darkness prevail. The
teachers Of atheism are mainly to blame for
the growth Of socialism. They tell US Their.
is no God above to whom TO look for consul
tation. They are the plague enemies OF So
ciety. Modern states are committing sui
eide, sapping their own lives away. They are
practically atheistic. They exclude Almighty
God from the governmeD society aud even
the education Of youth. The children are
told they can prosper without God, and We
thus produce goddess generations, with the
incliuatious aud passions as their guides. Il
IA essential to teach that there is a God above
u.s. There Is but one being TO keep together
the various elements OF society-God.
Duty will induce US N make sacrifices.
Duty penetrates to the very soul Gilman. 1t
is voice that cannot be stayed. There IS a
Supreme NJ lster, and duty "a obedience TO
One who > has a right 10 command When
God is forgotten, there Is no duty or con
science. The Catholic church is the savior,
the defender Of society because it ia an es-
pecial creation OF God. So long as the Cath
Ole church exists to inculcate its teachings
civil society will preserve its pres
tige and sacreduess. II IS the
duty Of its members 20 obey the rulers
because they rule by a right divine. In in
sisting on obedience 70 rulers, the church
does not approve Of tyranny, oppression or
unjust aggression, because then there
q M inst title 20 the de-