The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-02-24

according to the measure Of the giving
Of Christ.''-Eph. ", Z.
And shall any one, who recalls the his
tory Of the Ap4stles the 1 1ditn ea 81 tn ot
the martyrs, and above all, those Older
times, SO fruitful in saints, dare TO meas,
ure our age, with these, or aIii riit, tnal
ing from the spirit of holiness! NOT &c
dwell upon this point, there is no one
who calls In question the trus re+ dasce ent
into the souls of the just, and that he
stirs them alike by. warnings and I'm,
pulses, since unless this were the case 81
outward defense and authority would be
FOR il any persuades himself that he
can give assent to saying thar t y 1 anv
illumination of the Holy Spirit, who gives
unto all sweetness both to assent and 70
hold such one Is decel oond by con nni Of
Moreover. as experience shows, these
ontions and impulses Of the tb1o oiy Sp HE
medium of the aid and light of an eGter.
nal teaching authority. To quote saint
rates to t3'- the fruit gathered from the good
trees since he externally waters and Gull
tivates them by the outward ministry OF
men Snq gse or f Gratia Christi chap
This. indeed, belongs to the ordinary
law of Gods loving providence that as ne
has decreed that men for the most part
shall be saved by the ministry also OF
men, so has he wished that those Whom
he calls to the higher planes or holiness
should be led thereto by men; hence st:
Chrysostom declared we are taught OF
God through the fundamentally OF men
(Homily u. OF this a striking example
is given us in the very first days OF me
church. For though Saul, intent upon
blood and slaughter, had heard the voice
of our Lord himself and had asked,
What dost thou want me to dor Yet
was he hidden to enter Acts iR Enter a
the city and it shall be there told TO thee
what thou must do.
Nor can we leave out of consideration
the truth that those who are striving
after perfection, since by that fact they
walk in no beaten or Well-knoWn pain,
are the most liable to stray, and hence
have greater need than others OF teach
er and guide. Such guidance has ever
obtained in the church, it is the unlVer-
sal teaching of those who throughout the
ages have been eminent for wisdom ana
sanctity, and hence to reject 1t would be
to commit ones self to Delle1 at once
rash and dangerous
thorough consideration Of this point,
In the supposition that no exterior guide
Is granted such souls, will make US see
the difficulty of locating or determining
the direction and application of that most
abundant influx of the Holy Spirit SO
greatly extolled by innovators. To prac-
tiCe virtue there IS absolute Heeu VI Tie
assistance of the Holy Spirit, yet we IND
those who are fond Of novelty giving an
unwarranted importance to the natural
virtues as they better responded TO the
customs and necessities of the times, and
that having these as his OUTFIT man De-
comes both more ready to act and more
strenuous in action. 1t is not easy to
understand how persons possessed OF
Christian wisdom can either prefer natu-
raj or supernatural virtues or attribute
to them a greater efficacy and fruitful
ness. Can it be that nature conjoined
with grace is wearier than when ieft to
herself?
Can it be that those men illustrious for
sancttty. whom the church distinguishes
and openly pays homage to, were DELI
Client. came short, in the order OF nature
and its endoWments because they excelled
in Christian strength? And although 1t
be allowed at times to wonder at acts
worthy of admiration which are the out
come of natural virtues there any one
at all endowed simply with an outfit OF
by mental anxiety, and this in no nght
degree? Yet ever to master such, as also
TO preserve in It's entirety the law or
the natural order, requires an assistance
from on high These single notable acts
RI which we have alluded will frequently
upon a close investigation be found TO
exhibit the appearance. rather than the
reaIitv of virtue Grant that it is virtue
unless we would run in vain ana De
,Inn1indful of that. eternal bliss which a
GOOD God in his mercy destined for us,
e. what avail are natural virtues unless
Seconded by the gift of divine grace
Hence st. Augustine well says: Wonder-
FIJI is the strength and swift the course,
but outside the true path. For as the