The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1897-09-25

pei now, to the generation of which we
form a part, and to world not only |
estranged from Christianity, but on the
way to forget even its essential and pri-
mary teaching?
This trouble has kept some of us in
tent upon it during past years; and now
when we look across the channel sig
niticant change appears to be at hand.
heralded. as was inevitable, by much
eager talk, some vehement discussion,
and the emergence, here and there, Of
protests against a too severe algebraic
and abstract setting forth Of the Catho-
lie creed, especially when addressed to
unbelievers. 1t is not question of
watering down the truth, Or of turning
away from st. Thomas and the schools,
waxen sea Of a literature which would
choke them to death; but it is ques-
tfon of beginning our controversy at
the right end, and of putting it clearly
before us that when we set about per-
suading anyone we must know whom
we have to persuade. Now, the inno-
vators in method say truly that our au-
dience is neither medieval. nor Luth-
eran, nor Calvinist; that is has broken
with all this; that it is not even Of the
last century, but has way of measuring
the universe unknown to Votaire as to
Descartes; that, starting from the sept
icism of Kant, it has arrived In the
presence of doctrine much more akin
to mysticism than was hitherto sup
posed; and that we ought to take these
things into our calculations and direct
our proceedings accordingly. The faith
Is Interchangeable, OF course; but the act
of faith is free, deliberate, individual
act; it Is mine, and not yours, and I
come to elicit that act in my own way,
even while submitting to the dogmas
OF the church on ner authority. The
school system is excellent and unim-
peachable; but 1t is science not life,
how shall we give 1t the living touch.
add the prometkean spark. and kinde,
or help to kindle. the light within? Tho
answer is, by an infusion of the personal
clements that systems can neither give
nor contain. Life Is action; we must
speak to the real man who is In front
of us if we would win his heart and
so lead him on to assent. But the real,
the individual, when language attempts
to deal with him, is the very form and
pressure, not of science, but of the man
ner of depicting and handling the world
which we call literature. Yes; and now
comes the serious consideration that we
have to amentablc extent. lost our
hold upon literature. We triumph in
the schools of theology; but it is be-
hind closed DOORS We cannot there
come within range Of the men and wo-
men whom it would reward us most of
all to enlghten, to attract, to make.
II not disciples yet admirers of Cathol-
icism. Hence we are told, and not by
enemies but by independent critics like
M. Huysmans, that we live in a cloister:
that our religion despises talent with
an immeasnreable contempt: that it
hates and fears men of genius; that it
can speak only with the frozen tones
Of a superannuated rhetoric; that it mas
no means of graphing with the realities
OF life, and can neither see nor describe
things as they are. l think 1t well we
should hear this language: it comes
from a man who is no fool, who has
seen both sides, and who knows what Is
the impression made upon his cOntem-
poraries when they chance to open q
volume of Catholic origin, such az in
France circulate by tens of thousands.
1t does not in the least signify whether
M. Huysmans Is right or wrong In his
Judgment if he is right. so much the
more have we to amend: and If he Is
wrong, at once we are confronted with
the problcm: How shall we set him
right?
There is but one way conceivable. We
must acquire what an admirable priest
of the French Oratory, NJ. T1aberton-
Mere, calls "the concrete living know,
edge" of our own generation. Such is,
likewise. the upshot of NJ. Blondcl's
profound philosophical writings, which
have reused into activity the squadrons
of the old guard. but, il one may ca
press an opinion. have not only s,l;:-
tanned the charge without loss, but have
driven back and scattered his assail-
ants. NJ. Blondel is a young French
layman, we'll skilled in the philosophy
now reigning on both sides of the
: Rhine, and curiously enough, unaware
of the many and strong afflnities which
connect his views with those Of Cardinal
Newman in the Grammar of Assent"
He desires to establish a rational sys-
tenn wherein all the riches Of the pres
ent aAe may find q home. And his Ora
torian ally speaks boldly. but yet ac-
cording to received Catholic principles.
of "the soul of truth" which is latent
even in modern philosophy. Natural
and supernatural are not opposed. but
DIVERSE and they were never meant to
be separated from one another. Why.
then, should we begin with a fixed de-
termination to see nothing that is good
in the great social, literary, artistic or
economical movements of the day ana