Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-02-24
lI{R TO GIBBONS.
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OF truth and to an eVer-Wldenlng scope
of public well-being whatsoever helps
toward the progress of learning and
benefit, nay, to have a real existence
and growth, can only be on the condi-
ton of recognizing the wisdom and au-
thority of the church.
Coming now to speak of the conclu-
sions which have been deduced 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 superfu-
Gus, or, indeed, not useful 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 teaches and guides
them by some hidden instinct OF his
own Yet it is the sign of no small
over-confidence to desire to measure
and determine the mode of the divine
communication to mankind, since it
wholly depends upon his own good
pleasure and he is a most generous dis
penser of his own gifts. "The spirit
breatheth whereso he listeth." John
Ill s.
"And to each one of us grace is CIV
en- according to the measure Of the CIV
ing of Christ. "-Eph. iv. 7.
And shall any one who recalls the
history of the apostles, the faith of the
Nascent church, the trials and death
of the martyrs-and, above all, those
olden times, so fruitful in Saints-dare
to measure our age with these, or af-
firm that they received less of the
divine outpouring 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 a 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 unavailing.
For if any persuades 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 hold, such an one is de-
ceived by heretical spirit. From
the Second Council of Orange, Canon 7.
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 AUTHOR
ITY.
To quote st. Augustine: HE (thc
holy spirit co-operates to the fruit
gathered from the good trees, since He
externally waters and cultivates them
by the outward ministry of men, and
yet of himself bestows the inward in
crease."-De Gratia Christi, Chapter
XIX.
This, indeed, belongs to the ordinary
law of Gods loving providence that as
He 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 Of
holiness should be led thereto by men;
hence St. ChrysostOm declares We are
taught of God through the instrument
tally of men-Homily I in inscrib al
tar. OF this a striking example is Civ
en- us in the very first days of the
church.
For though Saul, intent upon blood
and slaughter, had heard the voice of
our Lord himself and had asked:
what dost thou wish me to do?" Yet
was he hidden to enter Damascus and
search for Ananias. Acts tx: Enter
the city and it shall be there told thee
what thou must do"
Nor can we leave out of cOnsidera-
ton the truth that those who are striv-
ing after perfection, since by that fact
they walk in no beaten or well-knoWn
path are the most liable to stray, and
hence have greater need than others
of a teacher and guide. Such guidance
has ever obtained in the church; it
has been the universal teaching of
those who throughout the ages have
been eminent for wisdom and sanctity
and hence to reject it would be to
commit ones sell to a belief at once
rash and dangerous.
A thorough consideration of this
point in the supposition that no exter-
ior guide is granted such souls, will
make us see the difficulty Of locating or
determining the direction and applica-
ton of that more abundant influx Of
the holy spirit so greatly extolled by
innovators.
TO PRACTICE VIRTUE
there is absolute need of the assistance
of the holy spirit yet we find those
who are fond of novelty giving an I'M
warranted Importance to the natural
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