The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1893-09-23
itself only in mans spiritual or moral
welfare, and of forgetting his physical

of the emperors and erected temples of a
degraded worship in honor of some of the
most depraved monsters who have dis
honored our common humanity, by the
loathsomeness OF their vicious lives.
Human dignity was an unknown term.
The unhappy Victims Of human depravity
had been "giyen mp to areprobate sense.
Gods image il the human soul had been
forgotten and man was honored or feared
according to the position he held or the
power he might exercise, and not because
of his manhood, Gods noblest work.
The philosoph rs and sages Of paganism
proved themselves incapable of finding a
remedy for this deplorable condition of
human society. In fact they must ac-
cept the censure which mankind has
passed pom them, and the verdict of q
brighter and truer civiiisation condemns
these leaders of pagan thought for their
contempt Of humanity.
Plato advocated the murder of inno-
cent children. Seneca commended the
suicide, and other pagan philosophers
and moralists the commission of any
crime that might bring profit or tempo
rary advantage. Virtue was not a reality,
simply convenience, in the estimation
of the wieest among pagans. The Church
began at once to assert the dignity of the
individual and to reestablish in human
society true principles of human rights.
mo man may outrage with impunity
that human dignity which God Himself
treats with reverence, nor stand in the
way of that higher life which is the prep
aration for tie eternal life Of heaven" !" >
This is tho teaching Of Pope Lso in our
age of Christian civilization, and the
same was the teaching Of Peter at Rome
and Paul at Corinth. ''It is certain
says Cardinal Manning, "that in the
measure in which these truths pervade
the minds of a people in that measure
they are elevated, refined aud independ-
ent. In the measure in which they are
lost people becomes animal, gross and
intractable, or, it may be, slavish. ITO
consent to any treatment which is calcu-
lated to defeat the end and purpose OF
his being, is beyond mans right. He
cannot give up his soul to servitude; for
it is not mans own rights which are here
in question, but the rights of God" This
teaching of Leo IN the nineteenth century
consoled and ennobled the lowly at
Ohristianity's dawn, go that the slave in
bondage could say to the proudest pa
trician of Rome: my life belongs to you,
and 80 does all else that ends with life,-
time, health, vigor, body and breath. All
this you have bought with your gold, and
it has become your proper y. But ! still
hold as my own what NO emperor's wealth
can purchase, no chains Of slavery fetter,
no limit of life contain soul" The
hitherto despised and ill-trsated slave,
with heart throbbing under the power OF
Christian emotions could now, in the
comforting hope OF Immortality, appeal
to the intelligent Judgment Of the cul-
tured pagan, "whether po slave, who
holds an unquenchable consciousness
OF possessing within her spiritual and
living intelligence, whose measure Of OK
ietence is Immortality, whose only true
place Of dwelling is above the skies,
whose only ,rightful prototype is the
Deity, can hold herself inferior in moral
dignity, or lower in sphere Of thought,
than one who, however gifted, owns that
she claims no higher destiny, recognizes
in herself no sublimer end, than what
waits the pretty irrational songsters, that
beat wi hout hore of liberty, against the
gllded bars of their cage"
The first duty incumbent on the
Christian teacher was to make known
the dignity and to establish the inalien-
able rights Of man. It became religions
mission to guide the human soul, to de-
fend it's rights, to guard it's liberties, to
teach it's exalted worth, to show forth it's
immortal life and lead it to it's eternal
home. Religion thus, while proclaiming
Gods praises and paying fitting homage
TO mans Creator, became at the same.
time humanity y's greatest benefactor. It
only to lead man to heaven,
but studied with devoted zeal the best
and truest interests of man on earth.
The earth, and the fullneas thereof, was
Gods bountiful gift to man. The re-
ligion Of Gods only beeotten Son would
fail in it's mission to man, Il it did not APP
ply every sublime force at it's command
Ia aiding humanity to enjoy the Creators
bounteous gifts, ]avished upon the world
With impartial beneficence. God created
mon free and equal. God stamped upon
IN alike the impress Of Hiss own face.