The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-29
THE VOICE OF THE PULPIT
LIFE, LIBERTY, HAPPINESS; MANS
INALIENABLE BIRTHRIGHTs.
BY Rt. Rev. George Montgomery,
Catholic Bishop OF Monterey and
Los Angeles, Los Angeles, Cal.
1.-THE fear of the Lord is the beginning
of wisdom. "-Ps. cxi: 10.

1.-THE fear of the Lord is the beginning
of wisdom. "-Ps. cxi: 10.
God has offered to the people Of the
United States the fairest field on earth for
working out successfully the problems Of
social life In extent of territory ana
rieties of soil and climate; in wood, coal and
the useful and precious metals; in it's ocean
frontage and magnificent harbors, its water
courses, great lakes and rivers, no country
surpasses it.
In fits institutions, civil and religious lib
erty are guaranteed to every citizen. TIE
Declaration of Independence, a sort Of ire
amble to our Constitution, declares that life.
liberty and the pursuit of happiness are
mans inalienabe birthrights. When that
declaration was made good by seven years
of successful revolution, and form of gov
eminent had to be framed Tor the new ma
tionality, we embodied in our constitutions,
state and federal, the principle that this is
a government of the people, oy the people,
for the peopL
Are we equal to the task of doing cur part
to realize the opportunities afforded by
beneficent Providence and by wise legisla-
tive enactment? 1t is an important ques-
ton. Our ship of state must have karbor
and must have an anchorage. Storms arise
on the most pacific seas, and without this
harbor and this anchorage the ship Will
founder or be driven upon the rocks. That
harbor is in religion; chat anchorage is in
the hearts or consciences of men.
Gentlemen, L speak plain truth. It is
borne out by every page Of human history.
am not speaking at this moment as dog
matist, but as a common citizen and a
student of history. am not speaking as a
ipa list lint mite iner col
proposition. Society is not mere human
compact between men to live together after
a certain form of civil government, such as
two or more men enter into in forming a
partnership to carry on a stated business.
The forms that shall govern in civil life are
left to the free choice Of Iaen TO determine,
but society itself is heavy-born. 1t is as
divine in its origin as is religion itself. BY
nature and by destiny man is at one and the
same time social being and n religious
being, and it is God that has made him so.
WORK LEFT FOR MAN.
While God has revealed and ordained GER
tain things in the religious requirements of
life, he has left man to frame the laws
that suit him best or please him best in
civil life. But so intimately are his relig-
ious life and his civil life allied to each
other, that the principles which shall enable
him to carry out successfully a civil code to
secure to man the protection of life, liberty
and character, come from and are anchored
in religion In a word, God is the author Of
civil society, he is the author of the re-
ligious society; but while giving the form
OF the religious society, he has left man free
to choose whatever form he prefers for
civil hfe-monarchical royal or republican.
The end of civil society, however, no matter
what it's form, is the same-to secure man
his civil rights, life, liberty and the pursuit
of happiness.
Man, therefore, can make laws in civil
life. But he cannot make principles. God
gives these; and, in forming these two So
cieties, he lays down the principles under
lying both. All the elements of civil life
existed in germ when there were but two
people on the earth. The two societies were
then and there formed. And God who
placed men there provided fully for their
life, liberty and happiness when he started
them on their term Of earthly existence. He
laid down a code of laws that should en-
brace even their two-fold life, civil and re-
ligious. 1 am concerned at present with the
civil only, but 1 speak of the two in connec-
tion, because we canunot separate absolute
ly what God hath joined together.
The code embraces the principle that must
underIe every civil government-else the
government is a sham and a snare. And
not only must the principles of the code
inhere III the civil state, but the civil state
cannot enforce it's own enactments without
them and without the author of them-God
The code in question is known to the world
as the Ten Commandments" The home
the family, is the unit of society. 1t is sa-
cred. The true man lives in and for his
home. Society is to protect him in this
There is the field wherein he is to labor
for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness
in their fullness. For this, property is neces-
sary. Property therefore, is sacred. For
this happiness, his honor and his good name
are the highest species of possession. He
must be protected in them. All this was
ordained by God when He made man. See
how He provides for it.
A DIVINE ORDINANCE.
After asserting his own absolute right and
dominion, and declaring that His name must
not be profaned, God commands that one
day in seven be consecrated to Him. in
religious rest. Thus, by divine ordinance
the weary, toil-laden workingman is Sc
cured one day in seven to spend with wife
and family, and recruit his wasted strength
Workingmen of america, say to you do
not SET lIllS SlOT6 OIl lIllS Qlyln6 law. IL a
public sentiment in America declares that
by right divine you are entitled to this day
of rest it has grown out of this command
ment Do not be too ready to say Hands
off, we want no religious legislation" When
greed and gold rule this land entirely you
shall have no day of rest. Human life is
abundant and consequently cheap. See to it
that you recognize the power that is your
friend.
The remaining commandments specifically
provide for the security of life liberty and
happiness. if their spirit be theoretically and
practically migrated upon civil law Honor
thy father and thy mother establishes the
home, the normal condition of man The
home is the cradle and the nursery of So
ciety. The nations strength consists in the
number and the independence of it's homes,
in their comfort, their peace, their happi-
ness. For the success of this home a sane
tity must Surround it and enshrine ii in
the hearts Of the children and the esteem
Of men, and for this end God, in another
commandment, provides that husband and
wife shall be faithful to each other. Blight
that sanctity, cast even suspicion upon it,
and the light and happiness have gone out
from it; one Of the pillars Of the nation is
shaken, for you corrupt society in its source