The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1912-01-27

dHu OUJ0CLlVep alCOgGCner OUTSIDE the
mental concept of the hearer, as much
so as the most positive propositions
or mathematics, or the most notable
occurrences narrated in history. Sub
jective experience substituted for OBJ
Jective reality, the individual instead
of Jesus, becomes the revealer: the
human soul, instead OF the eternal
God, becomes the Sovereign, the SUI
preme Legislator.
Jesus spoke, and one one title of his
words will pass away. Salvation was
offered in his name, and under his
guidance-and, today as yesterday,
tomorrow as today, no other name is
there than the name of Jesus whereby
men may be saved. Again, objections
to the Catholic Church drawn from it's
dogmatic infiexibiIity are the proof Of
the divine life that is within it, of the
divine authority under which it
teaches.
Most Needed Today, the Message Of
Christ.
The need of the divine message,
clear in it's announcements, positive
and authoritative in it's appeal to the
intellectual assent of men, is most
apparent in present-day Christendom.
AS the logical result of the disintegra-
ton of creeds, following upon the
proclamation of the right of each one
and of every one to take or leave at
discretion, the truths of the super
natural either have been totally oblit-
Grated, or have been made so vague
and nerveless as to be no longer an
inspiration or motive to conduct.
The portals of Heaven are closed to
human vision: men are thrust back
to themselves and to the earth be-
meath their feet, in questioning whence
they come, whittier they go, what the
pathways they must tread. 1t is pure
naturalism, the paganism of Athens
and Rome-if not worse than the olden
paganism which still spoke tremb-
lingly of Olympus and Tartarus. En-
lightened selfinterest, the ultimate
welfare of humanity, such the mo-
tives to moral heroism and to the sac
rifices it requires that are put forth to
the bridling of pride and lust, to the
upbuilding of society, to the giving Of
mind and heart in the service of fell
lowmen. Merest straws, all such mo-
tives, when invoked as levers upon
which to uplift human souls above the
mire of groveling concupiscences into
the pure and serene regions of set
victories over sin and temptation 70
sin! Conduct without dogma-we
have it with vengeance in the shat
tered private morals, in broken family
hearthstone, in ferocious grasping of
earth's possessions without thought of
charity or of justice, in deadly wars
launched against the battlements of
society and of country. Motives of
action drawn from life upon earth
motives subject to the individual in
depreciation Of the individual man,
are powerless in the combat against
human passion. The downfall from
the high moral plane, wherein Chris
tian civilization has hitherto thriven,
is on all sides visible: he who runs
may read. And swifter yet will the
downfall be, as Christian traditions
and habits of which the modern world
has not yet lost total grasp, vanish
more and more through the constantly
increasing forgetfulness of the princi-
pies of the Christian revelation, to
which those traditions and habits owe
their original sustenance. Nought but
Jesus and His immortal teaching will
save men and society. Today as when
St. Peter preached in Jerusalem,
"There is no other name given to
men whereby we must be saved" but
the name of Jesus.
Yet the modern world is not with
out it's consciousness of it's woes and
miseries: it is the opening of the
way to hope and salvation. The in
ventory of losses once taken-and
thoughtful people are taking 1.-THE
causes will be looked into. The causes,
it will seem, are in the going away
from the message given out by Jesus:
IuS 1SSulL WILL lOllOW-LA0 SOluS UdCh
to the olden moorings. The sign Of
the times augurs a return to Chris
tianity: and Christianity once serious
ly called for, no vague, uncertain
heraldings will give satisfaction.
Clear, authoritative, statements alone
will gain hearing. To be possessed
Of saving power, the message must be,
as Jesus first gave it, plenary and
self-confident, realizing in the fullness
of its vigor the commission spoken
on Oliyet-"All power is given to me
in Heaven and in earth, going, there
fore, teach We all nations :.
teaching them to observe all things
whatsoever / have commanded you
and behold am with you all days,
even unto the consummation of the
world"
Mission of Priests and Bishops.
Priests and Bishops of the Catholic