The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-02-20
-oIg 1 90
LETTER FROM A. PRIEST.

LETTER FROM A. PR|EsT. n
He Takes Issue WithqMr. dDonnelly.s
Idea Of Christianity,
To the Editor: st
In the Representative I6f JAN. is, under
the caption, 1.-The Death Sentence" Mr.
Donnelly gave expression to ,sound views,
mingled. as it seems to me, with one or two
serious errors. You picture Christ merely
as social reformer; man who came to
comfort the masses and to scourge the aris-
tocrats Surely He wass more than that.
II the Goldman came onfy as a social re-
former, why did he not teachs men a cor
rect system of politically ecoaomy, or lay
Gown an elaborate scheme of social justice?
The humanitarian spirit abroad in the
world today insists that Chyist's religion
was merely human service, HIS gospel hui
man brotherhood. This is a yery made
quate conception of His mission. His fun
damentai purpose" was not the betterment
or human conditions on earth, but the open
ing of heaven to all men. He was the
prophet of the eternal, not of the earthly
Kingdom OF this no man can be doubt
full who will study His gospel Nor did He
come to the poor rather than to the rich;
His doctrine was intended for all. In fact,
the rich needed His teaching more than
did the poor; but His truths were to them
intolerable, while to the poor they were
full of comfort and hope.
Has Christianity, then, nothing to do
with the social question? Is it's gospel of
brotherhood no more than a symbol for a
sort of supernatural affinity? Let us an
sWer that the very meaning of Christ's
command: "Thou shalt love thy neighbor
as myself the plain deduction from His
teaching and the inevitable logic of his ex-
ample, all point to a social ideal where
peace should be triumphant and poverty
unknown. Men are to observe the law of
love and justice in time, if they would
merit beatitude In eternity. Social Justice
is thus included in, but not identical with
the scope of Christ's mission; it is an in
dlspensable condition to the attainment of
mans final destiny. What stronger in
ducement could any man have to the prac-
tice of altruism? Place the vague and
sentimental ideals of humanity beside
the practical conception of mans duty to
man, and note the difference. If men have
no greater incentives to altruistic life than
those furnished by the so-called humani-
tarlan1sm then must social equality re-
main an impossible dream; for until we
shall have reached that impracticable stage
OF evolution where, according to Herbert
Spencer, there will be "a balance between
egolsm and altruism," man will not love
ms ne1ghbor as himself, unless he is forced
to it by the sanctions of religion The
brotherhood of man without the father
mood of God is but an empty sentiment
and an idle shibboleth.
Why, then, is Christianity silent while
n
erhood is more honored in the breach
than In the observance?' 1 answer it is
not silent; Christianity speaks in anathe-
mas against all forms of social wrong; the
difficulty is that it's interpreters and min
listers have not yet learned to apply the
principles of Christianity to our economic
conditions Those conditions are something
unique in human history, and we should
not be too hasty to condemn churches be-
cause they do not yet understand the in
tricacies of the social question. Environ
ment and conservatism are forces which
most sincere of men. Fat the same time
it is of the utmost importance to religion
and to humanity that the churches should
identify themselves Xith[the struggle of
the masses for justice; for Christianity
alone can furnish a.true land permanent
nomic problem that vexesSthe world today
is, in it's last analysis a. problem of NOR
ality, and must be Settled on that basis
The masses demand simple justice, not con-
descending charity nor shallow sentimental
ism. A very good presentation of the eth
les of the social question of today is to be
found in w. S. Silly's volume ION Right
and Wrong The chapter 1.-The Ethics
of Property" gives the teaching of the
Catholic church substantially as laid down
by Pope Leo Kill in his Evangelical on
Labor | inclose extracts from this chap
ter for publication if you see fit. Sincerely
| yours. ]. r. G.
st. Paul, MINI.
Gin Difference to the request of our CORE
| spondent we give place to the following ex-
| tracts from Mr. Lilly's work. They show a
| wonderful accord with the radical doctrines
| of the reformers of this country.-Ed Rep
The moral law is the rule of economies
the life of legislation, the tutor of phlan-
| thropy. the foundation of civilization the
discipline of sentiment and the curb OF
| selfishness. These are not the hourishes OF
| rhetoric They the words of truth and
soberneSs The moral law is supreme. Rea-
son ruling over all intelligent existence
| throughout the universe, either by it's man
| dates or by its penalties; sovereign over
| society, as over the individuals of whom
society is composed; to obey it, the grea,
good of nations of men; to violate it. the
| chief evil If the moral law is this-and il
it is not this it is nothng-to it, in the last
instance, must the appeal be made, in the
great controversy concerning property now
agitating the world. Why not appeal to il
| in the first instance?
| Aquinas (St. Thomas of Aquin) goes tc
| the heart of the matter in a few pregnant
| words which, though written six centuries
| ago, are applicable now as they were
| then, for the truth which they express is
| not of age, but for all time. The pos
| session of riches is not, in ITSELF unlawful
| if the order of reason be observed; that is
| to say, that a man possess justly what he
| owns, and that he use it in a proper man.
| ner for himself and Others Contra Gentes
| lib. 3. 1879 Let US consider little what
| this dctum involves To render property
| lawful that is, ethical, rightful, a mar
must possess justly what he owns. Justly
| what does that mean? Does it mean thai
| a man is warranted by the moral law il
| any gain which he may make, wthou
| bringing himself into the police court? Tha
| is very common view, and is very gen
| orally acted upon. To get out o.
| men the utmost exerton of which they ar,
| capable, for the smallest wages which they
can be induced to accept, is very widel.
| supposed to sum up the whole duty of al
| employer to his hands We have forgotten
| that these hands are men. We have
| treated them as merely animated machines
| Well, I say, unhesitatingly, that to put
| destitute man against his destitute fellows
| and to wiring from him his labor for til,
| scantiest pittance to which he can b.
| ground down. is wrong The necessity o
the seller does not make it right to under
| pay him. If I give him less than JUSTIN
| pretium, an equitable price, for his work,
| do in fact rob him. And this is at once tn
| most common and the most disgracefu
| form of theft; the most common, for it il
| found in all departments of life; the mos
| disgraceful, because it is the most coward
ly. 1t is a duty of strict justice for thu
employer to give his work-people a JUSTIN
pretium. The violation of this duty is reck
oned by the Catholic Church among tn
sins that cry to heaven. And the measur,
| of the justum pretium Gust price, is the
| means Of living decent life, morally and
materially which includes not merely food
and clothing, house and home, but leisure
and spiritual cultivation. But the very no