The Irish standard., 1908-08-01

would still less like having St. Peter
there, because he would want them
to be a little more definite in their
announcements, and that is the one
thing that people dread above all 9th.
ers-logic. You see, it compels them
to define their position; it compels
them to be accurate in their state
ments. At present they are like the
negro preacher.
And there they were, my bredren.
Five thousand loaves and five thous.
and fishes. and only twelve people
eat them. That's whar de miracle
come in!'-
LET US sit down minute and chat,
and I'll tell you some of the STUPID
questions that Society considers itself
justified in putting to. a Jesuit priest.
"A man said to me the. other day,
How on earth can a nan be at one
and the same moment a Jesuit priest
and an astronomer, q Sacredotalist
and Scientist?'
"Well, my dear friend" replied,
80 far as I am concerned, the more
science I know the better l can an.
preciate God, from whom all science
comes. The Church-at least, my
Church. don't know about that one,"
he continued, with sly smile, point
ing to the Albert Hall, crammed with
Pan-Anglicans. cleaning in the dis.
tance-"the Church is never down on
science. 1t was not the Pope who
condemned Calico; 1t was the con.
gregations and the Protestant Univer-
stiles. But when you talk of the in.
compatibility Of reconciling creed and
science, I must ask you what you
mean by science. Driesch, one of the
greatest scientific anatomists of the
day, declares that Darwin belongs.
like Hegel, to past history, and yet
each contrived to lead whole gen.
GRAFTON by the nose. Now the Church
objects to her children being led by
the nose; she prefers them to be led
by the mind. For my own part, can
see no opposition between science and
religion. On the contrary, I feel with
Pasteur the more we know of each
the more we know of God. And then
again, last week fashionable lady
came to me in rage-and, my dear
fellow, can't they rage?-and she
said: Father Vaughan. why do you
only attack the West End in your ser.
mons at Farm Street?'
Because, my dear madam I re.
piled, II am. not such fool as look.
When preach, IA West End congre.
cation, ! attack West End follies.
What would be the good of my saying
to a poor girl at Mile End, why did
you wear that smart hat sent home
on approval atagAscot on Thursday,
and then return iero the mil1fner next
day as unsuitable?': The poor creature
has never heard Of Ascot, and. under
any circumstances, would never dream
of doing such a mean thing. But when
I am in the East End, assure you
do not mince matters there either.
know East and West thoroughly, and
prefer the East. The priests real
place is with the sick and suffering;
though God knows there is misery and
wretchedness to spare here in the
West End. The hopeless materialism
Of fashionable people, their criminal
neglect of children, servants and
home is rapidly bringing disaster upon
the land. And yet SO lost and aban-
doned are they to all decency that
when man stands up under the Cross
Of Christ to cry the horror of their
lives and point out the way Of life,
they simply say he does it for adver-
usement.
"And what has Jesuit priest, vow.
ed to poverty, with nothing on earth
that he can call his own, except, per.
haps, the shoes on his feet, to gain
by self-advertisement?
"But for such critics one has not
a word. The more one cares for
Christ the less one minds the silly
jibes of silly souls. And as to any
difficulty about mediaevialism not har-
monizing with modernism, you might
just as we'll say that q monk would
be incapable of using the telephone,
because his dress is thousand years
old and the telephone Is of yester.
day. And how Science and Revcla
ton, both coming from God, are to
contradict one another is bigger
puzzle than ever can hope to solve"