The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1905-06-24
CATHOLICISM AND AMERI
CANISM.
Continued from Page I

work God gives a man 10 do he is not
forced to seek; it will seek him. He
requires no telescope to look for it in
Mars or the Milky Way. no micro
scope to find it among germs OF bacilli.
The fuSSy people who are always mis-
taking their vocations and getting into
one another's way NEEDLE in every
body else's business precisely because
they will not attend to their own. There
is certainly and always was work for
each one o. them to do. and it is cer-
tainly and always right before his eyes.
But it may it probably will be, or at
least look. hard and dismal and un-
Niting; and so he tries not to see where
1t is. and searches for it painfully
where he knows well it is not
To every suggested field of energy
and effort / would apply the Gospel
test-judge of the tree by its fruits
not by its branches. or leaves, or flow
ers, not by outward bulk and show of
foliage or promise Of pleasure to the
eye but by the plain. practical con-
slderation: VIII its products be gold
10 eat? VIII your labors make your
fellow men stronger and drawer and
happier and more useful? If Won are
sure they will, no matter in how small
measure and after how long a time.
You have found your appointed task.
II may be little thing ct first. but
II Il deserves 10 live and grow il 1yiU
live and grow. Only one acorn out of
a thousand becomes an oak but that
one WAS once as small as any among its
less fortunate fellows
/ Ncntured TO point out how impor-
tdnt-nay, how vital-it was to the suc-
cess and credit of the Church TO have
her children truly believe. and show
Ierth by their lives how truly they do
believe. that no man can be good
catholic who is not also a good citizen;
that the obligations Of loyal obedience
T. constituted civil authority of faith
1Ul and jealous fulfillment Of the Soy
Crai duties imposed upon each MEM
Der or the society by the law Of the
land-oDiigatlOnS which have been eyer
ana everywhere unequiVoCally recog-
nized and emphaticalIy proclaimed nv
the Church-rest Sacredly uDon eycrX-
freeman ~ q. self-governing republic.
ANA forbid any surrender to selfish
ness or COWardice or sIoth. anv com
promise with iniquity or dishonor. in
me work which his country demands
OF him. IT is not enough that this doc
trine be affirmed in our catecbis,rs m.
declared by our preachers: il must be
recognized in our lives When there
snail be no unworthy citizen who is
also IN name a Catholic. the Catholic
huFch IN America win have no enemy
whom any good man could wish to be
her friend.
Do not tell me that things such as
these concern not the Church. A
hiaStian cannot draw a sponge over
iiis record As A member of civil society:
that record VIII avail to fx his des-
tiny: and if IL does This it concerns
Inc Church Even if she would she
caUnot limit her mission. cannot cscape
ueailug with the evils by closing her
eyes to their existence For be well
assured that il this field be given I'M
10 the enemy, his tares will spread 70
those adjacent. You cannot abandon
a heart 10 sordid passions in the forum
and hope that II viii be pure and hon
orable and generous at the fresida
burke has Well said; There never yet
MAS long corrupt government of a
Nirtuous people.
Ihe Catholic Church knows indeed. !
n9I hlns about tariffs or currencies: it
IS lor Caesar to say whether his trib-
ute shall be heavy or light. be paid in
gold or paid IN silver II politics means
those matters of public concern re
EardiQg which honest men may hon
estly differ, then, as l have already
SAID, she has no interest IN politics, |
But she is Vitally interested in politics |
for systematic rascality. Maccaulay
10 say of Charles l., He was a |
good man. but a bad king. involved /
contradiction in terms No man who. |
IN any relation of life, persistently dis |
the dictates of conscience and
honor could be, he argued fairly called |
a good man. Surely this is no less true /
Of an American citizen than of an Eng /
Iish king: organized fraud, open or
secret bribery official perjury. or
breach Of public trust-these things
can never be pifing nor indifferent to
any agency that makes for righteous
ness.
And If the Church OF Christ exists
among men, she exists as such an
agency. The votary Of BaaI or Zeus
or Wooden might consistently enough
share with his deity in the fruits of |
slaughter anr pillage. There was in
this, perhaps. less of gratitude for
past favors than a lively sense OF IA
Vors to come; for If he failed to divide