The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-03-01
BRUNETIERE'S ADDRESSES.
THE ACADEMICIAN As A CHRIS
TIAN APOLOGJST.

Catnsiicism Can Admit 81 No Cancellation
with science--st win Accept what
ever OF Modern Science NJ. Rrune.
there REGARDS % Durable and Ortho.
ROME, Feb. i2.-with his rapid and con-
ndent gait, N. Ferdinand Brunetiere is
winning his way among apologists, and
every one attaches q rare value to this
benehoent intrusion. We win not cay that
his method makes the impression Of being
the best and the only one there are various
ways Of defending Christianity. as many
a there are different classes OF minds and
states Of conscience. but We will venture to
declare that NJ Brunstiere's method ao-
cords with present conditions. The
science OF divinity In divided into many
branches. Joined by an interior thread;
apologetics and theology comprehend
them all In higher synthesis.
His last hume Of Addresses brings
nut clearly NJ. Brunetiere's style Of work.
Not that he Introduce any innovation In
the tierarchy OF intellectual studies; his
originality lies only on the surface and In
the manner OF combining things. Until
now tQe oQltOT Oh Inc hcVbt ueS bee&
Aondss has stopped just at what should
call the preparation to apologetics and
to theology. This preparation II may
Use the word. implies above all, two move
ments Of the mind, concordance and the
method OF construction. In all works OF
the intellect this form Of exposition has
never been lacking. 0flate, above the rapid
succession Of systems, philosophers and
apologists. have taken too much delight.
a. think, In the Cancellation Of faith and
science. To conciliate the supernatural
with the mobility Of the modern spirit has
been the part thit some writer's have pre-
TERED.
A vain and dangerous method, believe.
Just a. 20 divorce can exist between faith
and reason, 90 do these intellectual oon-
oordats seem to Re fruitless and In q certain
degree compromising. Modern scion CO
Ia sometimes condensed into systems whose
necessary looseness is equalled by their
insufficiency. How many authorization
solutions have been proposed to mems
minds every one knows. Born from the
breath Of curiosity or arrogance. they have
disappeared as rapidly 1s they blossomed.
Several apologisrs have endeovored to
unite these ephemeral fictiops with
Christianity. The apology OF "ooncilia-
ton has seduced the strongest minds.
Even Father Hogan has yielded some
what to this passion.
There IL not and there cannot be any CON
citation between Catholicism and philo-
sophie systems. Cancellation" implies a
constant and equal relation between the
two parties, II means an intellectual di-
p.omacy negotiating between two COM
retnt powers and authorities. Now. this
relation, this negotiation, in my mind, is a
fancy OF the Imagination. philosophic
system is relative, divinity Ia absolute;
the system Is ephemeral and fragmentary
divinity il immutable and harmonious;
the system represents a lower faculty Of
the Intellect, divinity Ia the Incompatible
mastery Of the mind. Who can tell what
men have "conciliated' when the tenn
porary edifices Of philosophers were already
crumbiing? Vast graveyards where rest
side by side the fossils Of intelllgenoei
Skil,sd In intellectual gymnastics and sure
Of tho perishabilty Of systems. NJ Ferdi-
nand Brunet.e-e has always scorned these
attempts at Cancellation" His recent book
shows with more pertinaciot assurance
the ClTPttlOD Oh nIs cuOTts' lib e2Ill ID 10
prepare souls for the faith, To show the
concordance between Christianity and the
correct and fruitful portions Of phlosophic
systems; to make the latter enter IKE new
building stones into the ever-unfnished
structure of apclog stics; preparation. con-
cordance and CO Q ruction--in this the char
acter OF his conquering genius is shown.
Here there is nothing hazardous or awk-
ward. no compromise OF minimizing; il is
the conveyance toward the truth Of the
legitimate and permanent -conquests' Of
science, or rather Of successive human
thought.
Thus NJ Brinetiere satisfies at once
faultless methods and the requirements Of
the intellectual movement. At the dawn
Of Christianity. when the republic Of let
tiers lived under the rule of all kinds Of con-
trasts. the fathers at once created the
human-divine PREPARATIONS concord
ances" and -const ructions. Between AL
exanG rlnism.' an intellectual fashion. and
-Africanism,' a narrower and aggressive
method. between the comprehension Of
Clement and the structures Of Tertullian.
Q mean proportion Of religious defe!c vas
forn,ed. OF which Melito OF Sardis wac t,c
esvt representative He and his succcs-
sors. foreseeing t.ir,pared the alliance q
Christianity with the empire. II il ia"
preparatory .concording. constructive meth h
cd which amid all the tempcsts Of human
thought has always Lccn preferred by
Popes and doctors
Between imposs bl Cancellation and r,
psis Z exclusivenrss, u has marked tho
sci.Btifc tradition % Catholicism with H.,
Characteristic sdAplAbilty varying lie NJ .
bringing function according TO the suo
oessiv. movements aud the ever ren"~ru
needs Of the mind The Accident "a
book shows clearly ~.th what f-rlilo os'e
and noe appropriateness this method o
apology sdAp,s ltssii 10 our lnteilsctuai
circumstances. Ihus, Ia opposition 4"
'sstsrnal' philosophy NJ AuE.s'ins. ~.
Thomas and Bosssrt sslss uboouissisa
mss,sn-hsvs dihdplinsd aud loi th'
dsfehdsw ~ tia tuih Nrith"f Afr.'a