The St. Louis Republic., 1904-12-26
Father Conway Says Ministerial
Slavery Al.rnatrS II From tie
Hibic of Tradition.
NAMES '.FOURF0LD EVIL"
81. Louis University I'rof,sso.
Says Ay"rIg" American is
an Atheist ard Il
Pagan.


where Z" dissensions. recriminatious. here
sizes. splits and discorls upon tho most
elementary t"n"ts of revealed religion
and tn" commonest principle of the
! moral law
With theS" pungent words. aimed ..t the
/ pulpit. which he said was delivered oyer
10 the sensational. the Reverend Father j.
!. conway. :. J.. c,oscI = fprcifIe sermon
"n tn" "Fonrfold Evil Of the Day" at St
/ Naviers college, Church Yesterday
morning
Father Conway stands in tho foremost
/ rank aS philosopher aud occupies tho
/ chair Of ethics and political economy At
| III" St. Louis University.
/ His text was taken from tho seroni
chapter of st Luke. verse 81. "E"holI this
child is set frr tn. fiIl and Tor tho resur-
rection of man in l.rael ana FOR It sign
that shall be contradict.d."
! Th" world has "i,vrvs and every !,o...
| contraGirted Christ Yet the rorort ae.,i,,--
rs auth"r.ty appears to Hn more w;,i"-
! SPt''I1 ana radical IN our t5rIr and IN orr
! country than elsewhere ut any tlrur. 10
| All appearan- O.. CE:lgt j. or is fs.t Ln-
coming. sign flit - e!.-yp. llrr... contra
Hlttr.. tiy tn" masses uf lIr uc1rl, Tho
| dI"Stdsy Of tn" nation II. III I'M. srIu..r-
| natural and moral teachings uf Chrfst il,
! rs privai" an: pubic III" is oao Of tn.
most aIpSliiNS signs OF the tines. Vet
( the fact has become 80 cmph4e:z,d tI.f
an optimism Cf the most crcjiu.nus rr.,rlf
yanngt IAN to be impressed with tho
u"ititnpS uprising of the moral Vori1 i'm
! me I int"i states agaiuS; tn. authority nf
,hrist and OF his law. II como nom. Ia
rs with special force and uuiv.rs;tlliv In
! the fuUrfOld evil of ~ the l-lIe' -, t;,,.
rheater.' w Va '"4
WhilG 1t is not for me to assign
ciuSGs. cannot hut Ioint ou: that. as Il
people, We are Ircy tu the uunritII.d arrC
Eaic" of Reason. Even th,. rIrli,ft.r.T
:tmohg US constitute their iud!viGuaI in
1elnsehces the criterion ot truth In every
M III %o @ @a,a"lsal. rms evil assumption
puts the average American mind 0ut nf
Joiit with the Principles OF authority in
TeIlSlon, philosophy. science ethics. ana
,,,.,I 50 inuch SO. indeed have we strayed
nWay from Christ that. where Catho-
ticiy mas not convinced him. or his af-
iinIties preserved him an orthodox Prot
esttht, IN" Ame Tican. as an average spsci-
mon of his tribe. j. a theoretic Pgrtii.,st
q downriEht la@an. or "a practical, cvnI-y-
day atheist. iI philosophy, he eifEsr
treats al! things with the contempt of a
T,.Iii,S .iS,St. og ne IS an eclectic, more from
wilin than CON- ction. lie is a one time
Il Shtn'ic. al another AN idaalist nov. :,
transccndental:st, and :;..fn an e;rI,5-
uIhiSt' rAhihiilng a tribal or national
n"tcHp.nrl "rii'h IS hopeless anarchy. or
pitsh"ofk OF theories, contradictions.
myterie$ ana fads. in science. n. is p
tn;ll"rIalist. He denies the existence of On
dtf'Lhiatcrih,' IN AZ vital force. the Immortality
"i me soul and mind distinct from sense
ana instinct. And his ethics is a code
IN winch the supreme law IS the stato in
"hich that which is legal is moral. whore
oDiiSdtlnn 10 90 good and avoid evil fs
the police force. ana the sanction, nf tho
law Is the scafIoId or tho county it:I.
me Evils Of the Den When further
we follow the average American into the
spheiH nj his domestic life We realize win
stiii greater force To what extent the
pf!nrip.es Of cnrist's authority have bea1
invaded hy the evils Of the househeid,
For Ii $ Impossible to ignore. fi1o error
anH eor:"siv" evil of divorce. Error. for
IT Is not only a rcpudiltiun Of faith mr. i:
Is wicked IN principle.
-. E-v:L. for It d:1Tuits the family. shocks
ihe moral sense. makes III" child name
nss. prostitutes woman and trutalizes
man. corrosiva. because II Is 4 rot In the
social fabric. germ that kills the family
anu stehch IN the puhl!c nostrilH. And
""HlaHh"od. we a's witnessing a still
NOR" psrnic!0us attack upon Chris; and
nature tn tho appalling growth OF Nco-
haithuSanIsm. which has come to legal
Ne tho practic" Of chiii-murdsr to Justify
marital infImy and to promote the sub
ttSt ana most "pWd-dlE form Of treason
= ,r3S"n which Ignores the r.Ght Of the
'ii!H to uEs. which eliminates the gp-rcl
canon against aGu,tcr.-. invades the s,r..i- |
mental RIGHTS nf religion AMI i!7f9c,i.s th,.
natural growth Of = necessary population. !
~ 80 =
the life of the In.u5trial world. that we
come nearer 70 th" fate Of Suprrnatti |
and moral AUTHORITY Of the Christian Lax |
in our land. For there Is nothing. in ufIr-
OF right and our ideas of virtue than the
gigantic and dcspo;ic imperialism If cap /.
ltll. apparent everywhere in the increase |
Gf mrnCpo!lZIiE policies in every field Of |
enterprise. In the ver0lity and CiasS char
ncter of indu legislation and in the |
ar3itrarE huctnat;"n of labor and wages. !
ms atutGH, oi 'flitaI Is offset on the |
Other hand by the ubiquitous conspiracy |
of labor.
1T has been long since enGenderei hv a |
widespread discomfort with and distrust |
of government. by a lOuc-l0st hope in |
legislation. and is fostprel and prospered |
more and more every day 10y the power !
it feels 70 paralyze trade. bankrupt capt. |
tel and defy the public opinion and will of |
the nation. Meanwhile. through aad /
through the industrial activity Of tho land
there grows an ever-increas!nC disregard |
steal We see it paradcd before thH"oun-
try in the unscrupulous character of the
most gigantic deals. in tho widespread
existence OF private and corporate Gis-
tion of acts of the most unparalleled rob
berries and desperate brigandage. For
with our people. the uugodiy worship and
overrcaching pursuit of money has been
erected into n dogma of practical public
morality.
EVILS OF THEATER."
Yet. If we must snudder ct the oprozi-
tion to Christ and his law in the market
the 'Gen. and the tribe what i,.Ist be
our sensations and our convictions when
We pass in review the still more alarming
evils OF the American th"atsr or the
growing menace To. Chr:Sts authority
daily exhibited upon the stage of ATncrf-
car public opinion. From the schoolroom |
the very cradle Of this opinion religion
is haEished. or. which is tantarnount. ig-
norei by law. and neral principles are
divorced from all foundation in the SUPER
natural conscience. in religion and in God
and human liberty is thus emancipatsd
from every restraint except that of pub
lie propriety. the police court. the iail or
the sCaffold. The press the mirror ut
once and mold Of public opinion. teens
with a journalism that G!ories in an easy
flow of magnificent mendacity. of multi
tudinous scurrility. and OF all sorts Of
criminal fact and fiction: while il boasts
4 chartered aufacity to penetrate the !
issue or any extravaganza. and to father
any alteration from fetichism to the mil
ennium
1T is moreover glutted with a periodical! {
'teratUre which furnishes an organ for !
'nything that the human mind may rave |
bout. or in which the heart of man NAV
iisspate. and 1T pours out books without /
md or license Oh every subject in heaven |
N earth anG in he'll. by authors untold |
whether they hold their mission to write j
rom God. from the angels or from the I
levil himself. Meanwhile the pulpit
which ought to be the guide OF conserva (
md heart. Is being farther ard farther de- 7
ivered over to the sensational. the popu- :
ar. or, at least, the entertaining IT fs s
Henated more and more every day from c