The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-12-14
OF
EVIL IN
THE WORLD
Rev. Fr. Stang Delivered an
Interesting Lecture at the
Cathedral Last Night.

A very large gathering attended the
lecture OF Rev. DR.. Stang, the pastor or
ST. Edwards church, in the cathedral
last evening. the subject OF which was:
.The Origin and significance of Evil In
the World"
DR.. Stang spoke briefly at the be-
ginning Of his lecture Of the discomfort
that exists today In modern society and
said in part;
.'1'he angry gravity OF the present
state OF things fills wise men with dis
may. Statesmen are looking into the
gloomy future with painful apprehen-
sion. All sorts OF schemes are devised
to avert the threatening calamities OF
social revolutions. The cause or wide
spread wrstchedness is investigated and
afficacous remedies are proposed at
popular meetings in legislatures and
through the press.
Inequality of wealth is being pointed
out az the chief cause OF social unrest
On next Sunday we shall allude more
specifically to the various plans that
have been proposed for the removal OF
evil. This evening we will examine the
real cause OF evil. 1t would be un-
worthy of thinking men TO merely ex-
anime the surface; we must go down TO
the bottom and find the root OF all evil"
EVIL COMES FROM MAN.
Continuing DR.. Stang said; Sin veiled
the countenance OF God. and threw man
into a nameless abyss OF moral and
rxx3v, 1,a MIR Of m
degraded by pride and his flesh by con-
cupiscence. And when man ceased to be
the servant of God he ceased to be the
lord of the earth and all creation turned
against him. The evil comes from man
and exists In man; II exists. however. as
an accident, ana not In substantial
manner Those who ignore the first sin
will never be able To explain the nature
and cause OF suffering In the world. They
turn In blasphemy against God and make
Him responsible for whatever they con-
slider TO be evil. God In the absolute
and supreme good; whatever He does Is
good He cannot give to anything the
evil, for He does not possess IL: nor can
He give to anything the absolute good,
which He alone must needs possess. All
things which God has created are good;
hell itself is good, as the place OF divine
justice"
..All evil Is from man and has Its origin
in the use, or rather abuse. which man
has made OF his greatest natural gitt. lib
erty. Sin is the only thing which God
has not made; sin. therefore. Is the only
thing that causes Him kofro-. Sin is
the negation OF the supreme good; there
fore, sin Is the supreme and only evil.
Although God abhors sin with an infinite
horror, yet He permitted It, 80 that He
might make II serve as the occasion of a
new manifestation OF Ais justice end
mercy.
God draws order from disorder. good
from evil. God alone can do this. He
Offers suffering as a penny which. IL
willingly accepted, turns into a great
blessing to man; 1t beoomas his medicine
and cure Pain has the power os produc-
ing a radical change In mans character;
IL can make the proud humble, the vol
uptuous chaste, the violent patient. the
weak strong. the heart-hardened merciful.
the avaricious generous.
Those who pass through the furnace
OF suffering come out OF II purified from
the corrosive poison Of selfishness. While
pleasure and sensual delights carry with
them the germs OF death and tend 10 en-
eryate and corrupt man, pain has an ex-
plating and sanct1fying effect on the
human character.
A SOURCE OF FEAR
ITO be free from pain and hard toll and
poverty In the present condition OF man
ehop be to him a source OF fear and
trembling rather than Joy and welcome
expectation To be rich or to be living in
sensual pleasures means to be dwelling In
a house OF glass and I'm danger OF being
wrecked eternally.
I'm the fallen condition Of human race,
labor il compulsory on all. and the pain
full expiation of mans disobedience.
Those who dream OF a state OF things in
1atx - kA <xn abn ~
man and his delight. ignore the great his
torical fact OF Adams sin. and the pun
ishment OF the All Holy God who said:
Cursed be the earth In thy work: In thy |
labor tnou shalt eat OF II all the days OF
thy life The pains and hardships OF life |
end only with death. To suffer and TO en-
dure. therefore. Is the lot OF humanity. |
When Christ redeemed up with plentiful |
redemption. He did not Danish pain and |
sorrow from this world but He has |
sweetened and sancthed human suffering |
by His example and His copious grace. /
We must follow the blood-stained foot
prints OF the blessed Savious II we hope
TO see and enjoy Him. we shall also reign /
with Him Poverty. sickness and the 9TH
er Ills OF life are no evil: 10 a Christian
they are the proofs OF a divine mercy and |
the opportunities OF an eternal reward
II there are so many among US dis /
satisfied with the world in general and
ular, u 10 sign that many have lost
the Christian spirit and are drifting into /
Paganism. for Pagans hated and stunned 4
labor and suffering The Catholic church |
alone can save the great social problems 4
by tracing the evil 10 its source: 10 her
alone the Redeemer conhded the pssyer OF
continuing His work and destroying sin.
the cause OF every evil. by the grace OF /
sacramental absolution. II IN her mis-
sion not 20 change existing forms OF gov
eminent. but of changing the hearts and
minds OF men by recreating them IN tie
love and hope OF the divine Saviour
DR.. Stangs' lecture was one of series
of which the following are 20 follow.
Dec %. "various Schemes for the Re-
u1ovai OF Evil" Dec. q, Christ the Re
deemer:" Jan. 2 1904. The Church
on the Church for the People" Jan. II.
"The False Theories I'm Modern Society,"
Jan. a. "The Christian Family" Jan. n.
Good Citizenship:" Feb. Z, "A True and /
Perfect Woman"