The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-02-24

lhose as bis outfit. man becomes both moro
Ieaoy TO act and more strenuous in action
~ Is nor easy to understand how persons
t for OF christian wisdom can either pre-
iei natural to supernatural virtues or at
trlpute to them greater efficacy and fruit
Iuiness Can it be that nature. conioinad
h WIN grace, is weaker than when left to
lerseH Can 1t be that those men ilIus
trious for sanctity whom the chI,rnb ~ Ji
Gingulshes and openly pays homage To were
uenc1ent, came short in the order If nature
ana us endowments, because they exce1,ed
IN christian strngth? And althouet n 10
aiioWed at times to wonder at acts wortbIy
OF admiration which are the outcome of
natural virtue. is there any one ~ ali an
tU%eu sinhy with an outfit of natural viz
Tue: is there anyone not tried bv mental
anxiety, and this In no light deg-ee7 Vet to
master such, as also to preserve in its en-
urety the law Of the natural order. rouires
an assistance from on high
inese single notable acts to which we have
ailuueu VIII frequently, upon closer inyes-
tlsat on be found to exhibit the appearance
f :. than the reality of virtue Grant that
II IS virtue, unless we would run in VAIN
ana be unmindful of that eternal bliss which
good God in His mercy has destined for us
u what avail are natural virtues unless sec
onded by the gift of divine grace? Hence St
Ausugstne well saws: "Wonderfn1 &c tbo
strength and swift the course but outside the
True path for as the nature of man nwing
TO the primal fault, is inclined to evil and
dlshonor, yet by the help of grace is raisad
up. is borne along with greatness and
strength. so, too. virtue which is not The
proouct OF nature alone, but of grace also
Is hlaue fruitful unto everlasting life and
acter." e'"t
ACTIVE AND PASSIVE VIRTUE.
This esteem of natural virtues finds a
method of expression in assuming to divide
all virtues into active and passive. and it is
alleged that whereas passive virtues found
better place in past times, our age is to he
characterized by the active That such q di
vision and distinction cannot be maintained
is patent, for there is not, nor can there be
merely passive virtue
Virtue" says St. Thomas Aquinas "desfe-
nate the perfection of some faculty. but the
end of such faculty is an act, and an act Of
virtue Is naught else than the good use n,
free WILL acting. that is to say. under the
grace of God, If the acts are Of supernatural
virtue. Everyone could wish that such su
peTnatural VIRTUES could be adapted Ia cer-
tain times and different ones for other times
VINO IS unmindful of the apostles words :
That these whom He foreknew He pr5des-
timed to be made conformable to the ina ge
OF His Son. Romans viii. 30 Christ is the
teacher and the exemplar of all sanctty and
to His standard must all those conform who
wish for eternal life. Nor does Christ know
any change as the ages pass for '.He is yes
terday and today and the same forever
Hebrews kill, g. To the men of all ages was
the precept given: Learn of Ne because
am meek and humble of heart Matt.
xii, 20.
To every age has He besn made manifest to
US as obedient even unto death In every
age the apostles dictum has It's force: "Thosa
who are Christ's have crucifed their flesh
with its vices and concupiscences.' Would
to God that more nowadays practiced these
VIRTUES in the degree of the saints of past
times, who in humility obedience and self
restraint were powerful '1n word and in
deeI''-to he utaC O
religion, but of the state and OF the public
welfare. From this disregard of the evan
gelical virtues. enormously styled passive, the
step was short one to q contempt of reli-