The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1892-03-05

Now, the Catholic Church never taught
that no one is saved who dies out of her
communion by invincible necessity--tor
instance, person who did not belong to
that communion, became sensible of his
error, and earnestly desired to be recon
ciled or admitted to the true Church, but
had no opportunity, and thus died before
the minister of God could reach him.
It is needless, I trust, to say right here
that as to the state Of conscience of this
or that individual we have no right at
any time to hazard conjecture or make
a judgment, and all through this paper
! wish to be thus understood; but we may
Judge of body Or class of men from
their principles and their fruits; and the
| Judgment of the Son of God and of His
Church, on men and principles and
methods, we must accept and may ra-
affirm. Farther than this no man is JUS
| tilted in Judging. The reproach OF un-
charitableness is often made against
Chr -tians and the Church, as ] remarked
in the beginning. because Of their atti-
tude towards infdels and unbelievers
Would they have us prefer Barabbas to
Christ? Won]d they have us stand with
the Jewish rabble and Cry out, Away
with Christ, we have no king but
C@sar?" would they have us forgive and
approve the teachings and blasphenaies
of Voltaire, Tom Payne, and Bob Inger-
soil? Would they have us compromise
between truth and error, light and dark
ness, forsooth, because the skeptic is
gentle and the unbeliever may be at
times refined and cultured? Would they
have us believe through charity, but
against truth and reason, that they can
not know God with their limited powers,
their intellectual faculties? They are too
Intelligent 10 expect lis to admit these
suppositions. Oh No, we cannot admit
invincible ignorance, nor consequently
good faith, in any reasonable man who
asserts that he cannot know God There
are men so narrow as to say that no soul
among the heathen can be saved, while
they say nothing of the modern agncstic
or educated unbeIiever. The perfections
of God, the attributes Of mercy, love,
tenderness, justice and equity, all rise uli
I in array against SO dark theology
! There never yet was soul born into
the world, that had not the light OF rea-
son and the light Of conscience--that is,
the light Of God shining in his soul,
These are the words Of the late sanity
and learned Cardinal Manning The
reason and the conscience, rightly exer-
cised, can SEQ and read the existence Of
God, His glory, His Godhead in the
works of His hands. The Psaltnist says:
''He hath set His Tabernacle in the sun"
That is, the glory and the majesty and
the love of God fill the whole world, per-
wade all things, and all men are enconn-
passed by it, Every living soul, there
fore, has an illumination in the order ot
nature by the light of conscience and by
the light Of reason, and by the working
! " LIIo 5pilAG VI A1oA LII Ills licdA aAA LIE
his heart. leading him, if he will, TO be.
lieve in God and to obey Hin. would.
not wish to be understood to say or imply
in this lecture that because of the infinite
mercy of God for His creatures it is not
of Importance whether one worship Him
as an actual member Of the true Church,
or serve Him Gin spirit and III truth"
outside. No. conld Dot in justice say
this. For although there may be many
byeways, there is but one true and royal
highway leading to heaven, the way
which the Man God trod and traced out
for those who would follow Him and be.
saved. It is the way Of the Church of
Christ which is sure and safe. and guar
antees the pilgrim light, support, and
unerring guidance, until he enters into
the home of his eternal rest. 1t still re-.
mains true that Gods mercies, unknown
to us, are over all His works, and the in
finite merits of the Redeemer Of the world
are before the mercy y-seat Of Our Heavenly
Father for the salvation OF all, even OF
those who follow the little light which
in the order OF nature they receive.
Eugene Davis Married.
| n, 7or1,or1, OO<b Nr T,,norn