The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-02-24
ON AMERlCANISM..

|. ON AMERlCANISM.
Continued From First Page.
ward the progress OF learning and vlr-
tue. Yet all this. to be OF any solid
benefit, nay. to have real existence
and growth, can only be on the condi-
ton of recognizing the wisdom and au-
thority of the church.
Open to Suspicion.
Coming now TO speak Of the conclu-
sIons which have been adduced from
the above opinions, and for them. we
readily believe there was no thought Of
wrong or guilt, yet the things them
selves certainly merit some degree OF
suspicion. First, all external guidance
is set aside for those souls who are
striving after Christian perfection as
being superiuous, or. Indeed, not use
full in any sense-the contention being
that the Holy Spirit pours richer and
| more abundant graces than formerly
| upon the souls OF the faithful. so that
without human intervention He teach
es and guides them by some hidden In
stinct Of his own. Yet 1t Is the sign
of no small over-contidence to desire 10
| measure and determine Tie mode OF the
divine communication to mankind since
it wholly depends upon his own good
pleasure and he Is q most generous dis
penser of his own gifts. 1.-The spirit
breatheth wheresoever he listeth."-
John III. 5. IS
"And to each one OF us grace Is given
according to the measure OF the giving
Of Chrlst.-Eph. ", Z. =
And shall anyone who recalls the MS
tory OF the apostles, the faith or the
nascent church, the trials and death OF
| the martyrS-and, above all. those ofdeh
| times, SO fruitful In salnts-dare to
measure our age with these, or affirm
| that they received less OF the divine
ourpourlng from the spirit OF holiness?
| Not TO dwell upon this point, there Is no
one who calls In question the truth that
the holy spirit does work by secret
descent into the souls of the just. and
that He stirs them alike by warnings
and impulses, since unless this were the
case all outward defense and authority
would be unavaillng. For IL any per-
suades himself that he can give assent
to saving. that Is, to gospel truth when
proclaimed. without any illumination OF
the holy spirit, who gives unto all
sweetness both to assent and to mold,
such an one is deceived by heretical
spirit. From the Second Council of
Orange, Canon I.
Moreover as experience shows, these
monitions and impulses of the holy
spirit are for the most part felt through
the medium of the aid and light OF an
external teaching authority.
To the men of all ages was the precept
given: Learn OF me, because am
meek and humble of heart."-Matt XII,
90.
To every age has He been made mani
fest to US as obedIent even unto death;
in every age the apostles dictum has It's
force: those who are Christ's have cru
Gifted their flesh with its Vices and con-
cuplscences." 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 'ln word and In deed
to the great advantage not only OF re-
ligion but Of the state and the public
welfare.
Religious Vows.
From this disregard of the evangel-
lcal virtues, enormously styled passive,
the step was short one to n contempt
of the religious life which has In some
degree taken hold of minds. That such
a value Is generally had by the uphold
ers of new views, we infer from certain
statements concerning the VOWS which
religious orders take. The say VOWS are
oil To I'm, S.,,iri. nf firppG In tho
they limit the bonds OF human liberty:
that they are more suitable 10 weak
than TO strong minds; that so far from
making for human perfection and the
good of human organization they are
hurtful to both, but that this Is as false
as possible from the practice and the
doctrine OF The church Is clear since she
has always given the Very highest ap-
prevail to the religious methods of life:
nor without good cause for those who
under the divine call have freely en-
braccd that state OF life, did not content
themselves with the observance of pre-
ccpts, but, going forward 10 the evan
gelical counsels. showed themselves
ready and valiant soldiers of Christ.
Shall we judge this to be character
istic of weak minds, or shall we say
that it Is useless or hurtful to more
perfect state of life?
Those who so bind themselves by the
VOWS of religion, far from having suf-
fered loss of liberty, enjoy more fuller
and frcer kind, that liberty, namely. by
which Christ hath made US free. And
this further view of theirs, namely, that
the religious life is entirely useless or of
little service TO the church, besides be-
ing injurious TO the religious orders,
cannot be the opinion of anyone who
has read the annals of the church. Did
not your country, the United States, de-
rive the beginning both of faith and OF
culture from the children of these re-
ligious families? To one of whom but
very lately, Il thing greatly to your
praise. YOU have dccreed that a statue
be publicly erected. And even at the
present time. wherever religious families
are found. how speedy and yet how
fruitful a harvest of good work do they
not bring forth! How very many leave
home and seek strange lands to impart
the truth of the gospel and to widen the
bounds of civilizations: and this they do
with the greatest cheerfuness amid
manifold dangers, Out OF their num-
Der. not less, indeed. than from the rest
OF the clergy. the Christian world finds
the preachers of Gods word, the direct
ors of conScienccs. the teachers of youth
and the church Itself the examples of
all Sanctity.
Nor should any difference of praise
be made between those who follow the
active state of life from those others
who. charmed with solitude, give them
selves to prayer and bodily mortlflca-
ton. And how much. indeed. Of good
report these have mcritcd. and do merit,
is known surely to all who do not for
get that the continual prayers Of the
just man" avails to placatc and bring