The sun., 1891-06-09

| and bring mon 10 act from motive OF duty. te
| resist their passions and sppetites TO love God
and their fellow-men with alove thatis UNIQUE
and supreme. and couraecously to break down
every barrier which stands In the wsy OF vir-
| tuous life.
On this subject We need only recall for one
| moment the examples written down In history
| OF these things there cannot be tho shadow
| Of doubt: for instance, that civil society
| was renovated In every part by the teach
| ines OF Christianity; that In the atrsnRth
| OF that renewal the human race was lifted M
| to bettor things-nay. that II was brought back
from death to life. and to so excellent life
| that nothing moro perfect had been known be-
fore. or will come to pass In the ages that have
ret to be. or this b,nefcent transformation
Jesus Christ was at once the first cause and
the final purpose; ns from Him nil came. so to
Him all was to be referred. For whom. by the
light OF the Gospel message. The human race
came to know the grand mystery OF the incar-
nation Of the Word aud tho redemption oi
man the life OF Jesus Christ. God and Man,
penetrated every race and nation. and I'm
pregnated them with Iii. faith, His precepts
and His laws. And II society Is TO 10 cured
now. in no other way can II be cured but by a
return to the Christian life and Christian
Institutions. When society Is perishine. the
true advice to give to tnose who would restore
II H. to recall Il to the principles from which It
sprung for the purpose md perfection nf nm
association is to aim at and to attain that for
which 1t was formed: and its operation should
be put In motion and inspired by the end and
object which originally gave It its being. So
that to fall away from its primal constitut tion
10 disease: to go back to it is recovery. And
this may be inserted with tho utmost truth
both Of the State In general and OF that body
OF It's cltlzens-by far the greater number
who sustain life BY labor.
Neither must It be supposed that the sollc-
tude OF the Church Is 30 occu pied With the
spiritual concerns OF its children ns to neglect
their interests TEMPORAL and earthly. Its de.
sire is that the poor. for example. should rise
above poverty and wrotchedness. and should
better their condition In life: aud for this 1t
strives. By tho very fact that It calls men to
virtue and forms thom to Its practice. It pro.
notes this In no slight degree. Christian mo-
rality. when It Is adequately and completely
practiced. conduces OF itself to temporal pros
perity, for its merits the blessing OF that God
who IL tho source OF all blessings: It power-
fully restrains the lust OF possession and tho
lust OF pleasure--twin plaques which
too often mako man without SELF
restraint miserable In the midst Of
abundances 1t mikes mon supply by econ
omy for the want OF means, teaching them 10
be content with frugal living. and keeping them
out OF the reach Of those vices which cat up
not merely small incomes. but large fortunes.
and i!ssipate many n goodly Inheritance.
Moreover. the Church intervenes directly in
tho interest Of the Door. BY so,tinR on foot and
keeping up many things which 1t sees to be
efilcacious In the relief OF poverty. Here again
1t has always succeeded 80 we'll that 1t has
even extorted the praise OF its enemies. Such
was the ardor Of brotherly love among the
earliest Christians that numbers Of those who
were better of deprived themselves Of their
possessions In order to relieve their brethren: {:
whence neither nas there any needy
among then.t To the order OF deacons. insti-
tnted for that very purpose. was committed BY
tho Apostles the charge Of the daily distribu-
buttons: aud the Apostle Paul. though bur-
dsned with tho soicituds OF all the churches.
besitated not to undertake lnborious journeys
in order to carry the aims Of the faithful to tho
poorer Christians Tertullian calls these con-
tributtons, given voluntarily by Christians In
their assemblies. deposits Of pietv: because. to
cite his words. they were employed in feeding
the needy. in burvino them. IN the support Of boys
and girls destitute Of means and deprived
of their parents. in the care Of the aged. and
in the relief of the ship,oreckedt
Thus by degrees came into existence the
patrimony which the Church has guarded with
religious caro- as the Inheritance OF the poor.
Nay. to spare than the shame OF begging. the
common Mother OF rich and poor has exerted
herself to gather together funds for the sup
port Of the needy. Tho Church has stirred up
everywhere the heroism of charity. and has
established congregations OF religious and
many other useful institutions for help and
mercy so that there might be hardly any kind
OF. suffering which was not visited and re-
iieved. At tho present day there are many who.
Ike tho heather OF old, blame and condemn
the Church for this beautiful charity. They
would substitute in its place q system Of State
organized relief But no human methods will
ever supply for the devotion and self-sacriflce
Of Christian charity. Charity. as a virtue. be.
longs to the Church: for It is no virtue unless
1t is drawn from the Sacred Heart OF Jesus
Christ: and he who turns bis back on the
Church cannot be near to Christ
1t cannot. however. he doubted that. to attain
tho purpose OF which we treat. not only the
Church. but all human means must conspire.
All who are concerned In the matter must be
OF ono mind and must act together 1t is in
this. ms in the Providence which governs the
world; resnlts do not hapI on Rave whore all
tho Causes cooperate.
Lot us. now. therefore. inquire what part the
State should play In tho work OF remedy and
relief
by mo CthIe Wo HoT0 uuu6TbtHuu, NOT tue
particular form Of government which prevails
in this or that nation. but the state as rightly
understood: that is to fav. any Government
conformable In Its institutions TO light. renson.
aud natural law. and TO those dictates Of tho
Divine wisdom which we hnvo expounded In
the encyclical on the Christian constitute OF
tho S'nte. The first duty therefore. OF the
rulers OF the State should he to make sure that
the laws md Institutions. the general charnc.
ter and administration Of the commonwealth.
shall lie such as 10 roduce of themselves pub
lie we'll boing and private prosperity. This is
the proper office OF wiso statesmanship and
the work OF Tho heads OF the State.
Now state chiefly prospers and 1ourishes
by morality. by well.regulated family life. by
respect for religion and Justice. by the nodera.
tton and equal distribution OF public burdens.
by the progress Of tho arts and OF trade. by the
abundant yield Of the land-by everything
which makes the citizens better and happier.
Here then. 1t Is in the power Of a ruler TO ben-
eft every order OF the State and among the
rest TO promote In the highest degree the inter-