The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-09-05

A man or treadmiu moves, but not progress
Progress is a movement from one point 10 an
other Therefore there is no progress in God
He is perfect, therefore there Is no progress in
him. Therefore the word cannot be used in
regard to the creator, but only the created
The fixed point from which we start to pro-
is God. No other theory OF progress can be
evolved. This is an age OF natural progress
man is-vindicating his right to govern things
made for him and which he is given the privi-
lege of controlling.
It is exclusively Christian idea that man is
progressive. No pagan ever dreamed of prog
ress either of the individual or the state
With them the light was in the past and the
darkness in the future. Dogmatic protesta-
ton, as it was elaborated'in the brain of its
founder, could not establish theory OF prog
ress-because il was founded on the destruction
of the very principles of progress. The Protes-
tant nations have attained to a high order
OF progress since the reformation, but no man
to-day in the Protestant church believes in
the doctrines of Protestantism as laid out by
its founders.
This lay be sign of progress, but I am
not pronounclng judgment People must
think for themselves.
There are two elements of progress in this
century. First, the sense of personal indie
pendence-man's value q man, not as a
member of society. The doctrine of all men
being equal before God laid the foundation
for the declaration that all men have political
rights. ! am not going to speak about woman
suffrage. I will say that have read a great
deal about 1t, but have not read single argu-
ment against it that was worth considering
About the strongest argument that l have
heard against giving woman the privilege of
voting is that she cannot become policeman
as though to become policeman is the high
est object of mans ambition and anybody who
could not be q policeman should not vote
There was no dignity OF labor before the
dawn of Chris tianity. Christ was the first
white man TO take slave by the hand and
Hberate him from his chains, and at that mo-
ment the abolition of slavery was proved 10 ba
a fundamental principle OF the Christi re-
ligion.
The Catholic church is the great exemnlar
of true democracy, because all the offices in
Its gift, including that OF the Pontiff at Rome
are within the reach of the very lowest in
the social scale. European progress really
commenced with the teachings of those noble
men who went all over Europe and founded
monasteries, for it was within the monastery
walls that the progress OF this age was fos-
tered and made possible. The Catholic
church, with Its democratic teachings, is
leavening society, because it is teaching that
men are equal here on earth as well as before
God.
Now comes the second element All poll
teal government comes Immediately from the
people sand all political honor is in trust
to be secured for the good of the country
Liberty Is the monopoly of no class. This is the
greet acquisition of the nineteenth century.
The Catholic church has nothing antagonistic
TO this principle. l contend that this is the
doctrine that has been promulgated by the
Catholic church. The principle is coeval with
Christianity The Catholic church abolished
servility and made patriotism Christian duty
This has been proclaimed by the church from
the time of the earliest fathers Magma
Charta, TO which we have addsd hardly any
thing, was forced upon an unwilling king by
the Catholic barons. The great seven princi-
pies of our constitution, with the exception of
the religious privileges, were brought about
by Magma Charta. To its six provisions we
have added but one-religiou freedom. This
is all the progress made in constitutional
liberty since Runnymede.
tlWriters should not forget that the Catholic
church was always employed for the poor
against the rich, and during the middle ages
the only check on the despotic power Of royalty
was that OF the church. The thunder OF the
Vatican and the dread OF excommunication
were the great preservers OF the liberty and
equality of man. The principles of liberty
were gradually developed during the middle
Roman Pontiff. To the principles of Magma