The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-08-28
Rev. c. ]. Lucas Tells the
Catholic Summer School
of the Failure of
AgnosticiSm.
THE MIGHTY PRINCIPLE or PROGRESS
Ancient and Modern Civilizations
Comparsd-News from City
Churches

80
the Catholic Summer School on "Agnos-
ticism and the Charch," Rev. George J.
Lucas, DID, said
Agnosticism has failed, and it behooves
US TO see what spirit has vanquished
her. 1t behooves US, it concerns us, to
look at the Church and 10 admire the
majestic vision, One fair morning, TWEEN
ty centuries ago, the spirit of God de-
scended upon a small society, composed
OF twelve poor fishermen, and babe 1t go
and conquer the world. This baby So
ciety, clad in human infirmity, but still
endued with the power OF the Invisible
Spirit, goes forth to recreate reclv-
ilize humanity. 1t presents itself before
the walls of the greatness of imperial
Rome, and it finds that august common
wealth, politically, socially and morally
hideous. To the proud. imperious and
corrupt city she proclaims the unwelccme,
the ''un-Roman," principle of universal
brotherhood, and a new political civillza-
ton is inaugurated-a civilization in prin-
cIple democratic, which has been con-
stantly, though silently, all the way up
the ages. and, despite innumerable diff
c~ulties, making the world democratic; and
which will make it entirely democratic
before the twentieth and twenty-hrst
centuries shall have rolled on the wheel
of time. For democracy alone is true
liberty, and in true liberty alone can the
Church of God move with full untram-
meled wing. Before she anne there
were men. there were nations; now there
is humanity. She proclaims the princi-
augurates a new social civilization. She
proclaims the law of liberty, of con-
science; not the State, but God, is the
supreme rule of right and wrong, and
she inaugurates a ney religious civiliza-
tion. Three centuries of silent prayer in
the Catacombs, three centuries of holo-
cshsts of martyrs blood, crying to hea-
ven, not for vengeance, but for mercy,
and the triple blessing of political, social
and religious civilization and liberty,
which we enjoy in such full, unstinted
and erected a perpetual dwelling place in
the hearts of men.
But this three-fold civilization would
have been incomplete had not the Church
implanted in modern society the mighty
principle of progress. The empire of the
Caesars. was but in the infancy of prog
Iess and yet it thought itself at the
height of all human endeavor. In the
Pagan civilization all is perfect, COM
plete, stationary; it built it's temples,
considered them as ideal. The Chris
tan civilization, neither in philosophy,
nor in i poetry oe t nor in art, has anything It !
feet" The ancient civilization cannot
rrisse above the , earth, It deies its heroes,
" bliss. It's deni-gods are away in the
Elysian fields, crowned, rewarded, but
unhappy. Achilles longs to return to
earth, he pines after his lost strength,
his ancient prowess. He is only a shade,
and all the defied heroes are only shades.
Ancient civilization has nothing higher
ton has heaven. The Pagan civilization
was cloyed an satisfied; the Christian
civilization has infinite aspirations, it's
through the village of this life.
The Church has impressed its image on
the modern world-or rather Jesus Christ.
progress-has impressed His image on it
through her.
The Church panoplied in divine armor
draws swords with agnosticism. sExul-
tant The agnostic leaders rush to storm
the religious and scientific fortresses. No
oracle of Delphi, no heaven-sent prophet,
ever spoke with such infallible voice as
those scientific Popes of the nineteenth
century. There is no religion, no God
put eud science eninneie is snner,Sa cry; and the religious
the awfulness of the crisis. She hears
the strange doctrine preached and par
into existence by chance, the sport of an
accident. And she knows full well, and
she teaches in reply to agnosticism, that
if the world be the work of chance all
c'0 NAAS
are two irreconcilables. and that the de-
voices of science when they blindly
preach such a doctrine as this. while they
bring to science her own destruction.
The Church on its human side has
made mistakes g II the pa past; on its human
in the future. The %agnostic writer's have
laid such errors on the shoulders of the
Church. This to Catholics seem a pitt
ful display of weakness. Why should &C.
clesiastical abuses and corruptions,
which certainly have had a parallel in
the apostolic twelve, be taken from the
human side of the Church, where they
rightly belong, and be transferred to
her divine side? Why should opinions of
individuals, or individual bodies in the
Church, but not speaking in her name,
be arrayed against her. as if she were
responsible for them? But if the Church
Of God has ever taught a wrong doctrine
from the beginning and agnosticism can
prove it, may the torch of light be dashed
from her hand, and may she be stricken
by her enemies.
have to be fought and won by her. We
already see the two great armies mass
ing their forces and moving toward the
two poles of human thought, Here
stands the Church, the visible society
founded by Jesus Christ; toward her are
moving, all those Christian bodies now
SO much longing for unity and certainty.
Tho invention of printing has accelerate
ed the march of the Church a thousand
years, though up to now, unfortunately,
/ Git Al4c " q SUN t3OtSA AsS III u
The advance of democracy and of demo-
cratic forms of government are bringing
a corresponding increase of civil and re-
ligious liberty. which means the propor-
tionate spread of Catholicism. Already
Japan has opened herself to democratic
ideas: and. as time moves on. the curses
of despotism and social caste will be lift
ed from the necks of those vast Eastern
peoples. and they shall rise to enjoy the
Incompatible gifts of civil and religious
freedom. The rapid facilities of modern
locomotion and travel are more and more
bringing men together and nearer to one
another. Democratic freedom of the
cratic liberty of speech and opinion-with
these what a glorious future for the
Church of Christi
New heresies shall rise. false science
shall grid the sword. But as an Albert
the Great, a Saint Thomas. a Duns SEQ
tus. wrote -Surnmas.r condensing all the
truths of Divine revelation and exhibit
ply. so new doctors shall arise id The
twentieth and twenty-ilrst centuries and
shall construct new SuInmas in which
Catholic dogma shall be illumined with
all the brightness of science. l await
that hour, and J weep at the thought
that / shall not he present.
The Church has fulfilled this mission
up to now. And now. overshadowed by
the same spirit and ohedient to the be-
hest of the same voice. she marches into
the future. All the good men and true
are turned toward her. and she is point
ing to them to como. The Divine Mas
ter sa~id:-sThere shall be one fold and
future: all peoples in her. and IN unity
and in harmony. Harmony of faith. har-
mony of science. OF poets song.
We can distinguish the voices Of scien-