The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-11-30

% the LADY who has the honor Of
toun-.ag IT,
So that this latest century and this
latest land may claim the privilege IL
giving to the world the authority and
tle habitation % these two rell.ions
Z may pass by the many others
Waich, as cXoucs. live f-r t.e day.
and then. like the latest novel dis
appear 10 mako room for some other
religious novelty
But as We roI back the pages
other names arise. eighteenth cen-
fury. Mr>Campoeu and his followers
and church. seventeenth century.
John Wesley. earlier stll. Luther and
Calvin. and with them Tho churches
Wesleyan, Lutheran. CalvlaIstic.
called after fhcir founders. may
not discuss their merits now o~ de-
merits fhey are the facts thar lis-
tory give as, and these the men who
gave them name and concrete
rea..t.). nor Go care 20 dis .uss the
mon who founded them. neither mos
lives nor their morals.
The Fatal Objection.
~ am willing to admit that they
We're men az power. for il requires men
ol power % project great movements
e. control countless minds and lives.
O. set IN motion Influences which ceu-
turtles OF time have not abated All
this I am wilIng 20 admit. but the
fatal objection I raise-the all-sufiicleut
charge ! bring against them is that
they We're men. Fatal ! say. because
Whilc men may create PHILOSOPHERS and
build empires and weigh tue stars. they
are utterly Incompetent 90 found le-
lison capable o. lifting men To- God.
or bringing God 70 men. For as YOU
know. il is the purpose OF religion 10
llit m1n up. % bind him Roy chains OF
gold to the throne OF the Infinite. Now
that one may bee lifted. t.- +uIcruu oc
the lever must be outside the body
lifted. We cannot lift ourselves. We
cannot unaided climb to heaven Once
man tried TO do so. even as the builder
'woUId. but the tower OF confusion that
once stood on Shinar's plain marks for
ever mans folly and utter incompe-
tency. No. ] cannot believe I'm a MAN.
made religion. il may serve for the
here and now. il may assume the re-
Elected light Of a religion that is divine;
10 may please the fancy Of some. and
fiatter the vanity Of more, but our
souls our lives. are TO US too sacred
10 bind them. with the finite to limit
them with the tomb.
But you ask, that while have non'ed
yet TO give the name that stands AZ
the beginning OF our church. its
founder and efficient cause You may
say that as history gives the names Of
the men whom ! have named already.
II must also give the name OF tie man
Who gave the Catholic Church its
place its name, its potency. Some
suggested its origin back in
the Middle Ages in the great
Pontfs Boniface and Gregory. who
brought the church to the heights
OF power and VINO commanded the
obedience OF Christendom: / Woald say.
no. the church's power they may have
augmented. but to augment does not
mean TO create Catholicity bore an
honored name and commanded the love
and obedience Of millions long before
tnese great ponufis reigncd.
III not these. then you say it may be
credited to Thomas of Aquin. who for
mulated her theology and gave tho
form 20 the church's intellectual life:
but this, for similar reasons. is equally
untrue. Thomas systematzed what
the fathers taught before HIM Nor
did these fathers. his teachers. the
Augustinos. Amhroscs or Chrvsostorns
found the church. for they but repe9t
what they heard: they but preserve
the heritage given 20 them. Roll
back your pages; you have passed IN
tho flight OF time nearly two thous-
and years; yOu have reache,. the amos
tolic age. You hear there tho recital
OF your creed. you see there the
church, weak. Il may be. in outward
form. but strong IN the faith and
spirit that Is within, and not as yet