The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-03-15

and to decisively refute modern forms
OF sophistry by putting to the test of
keenest logic the premises and con-
illusions of the Church's adversaries.
But many of you will pursue secu-
lar avocations. During your stage of
preparation at non-Catholic institu-
lions and later in the exercise of your
profession your faith will be exposed
to many dangers. Today, more than
ever, the spirit of irreligion runs
rampant through the reviews, popular
periodicals, attractive novels, and
newspapers Hundreds, incapable of
grasping a philosophical argument,
will blindly admit its conclusions.
The sceptical temper spreads through
high and low, till the social atmos-
phere has become so charged with
doubt that only robust faith can
breathe it with impunity The poison,
however, proves far more insidious
and fatal when, in the 1ecture-room
of university, this spirit becomes
condensed into system of agnosti-
cism, into a philosophy of negation.
Hence, the ardent desire of all those
who are deeply interested in your
spiritual welfare is to inspire you with
a love for the Church which cannot
be weakened, and a confidence in her
wisdom which cannot be shaken.
Limitation of Secular Teachers.
There are three main causes for loss
of faith among our Christian youth at
tending the higher institutions of
secular learning. The first | would
call an exaggerated opinion, on the
part of the student-body, concerning
the competence of their teachers to
pass irrevocably upon all philosophy
cal and religious problems. These
men may be animated with the best
Intentions; they may have become
authorities of great renown in some
department of science, as physics,
chemistry, medicine or law, and yet
be utterly unqualified to discuss criti-
cally the simplest theological ques-
tions. And the students, in their
naive admiration for the learning of
their master on the subject in which
he has for years specialized, will
credit him with the gift of universal
wisdom and enthusiastically adopt his
religious views and his philosophy of
life to the great detriment of their
faith. But in matters of religion, in
matters pertaining to the salvation of
your soul, it is a wise rule to trust
no one but Gods appointed teachers
Presumption of Youth.
Another danger is the fatuous pre-
sumption of youth, weakness alarm
ingly prevalent in our day. How often
do we see young men of immature
minds, of superficial knowledge and
limited experience, daring to settle
off-hand, with fmperturbable assur-
ance, questions bearing on God,
Christ, His Church, religion in gen.
eral-questions which an Augustine
and st. Thomas would approach
only with hesitation and after long
reflection and painstakfng investiga-
ton. If want of respect for authority,
and ignorant contempt of tradition
have borne evil fruit in many fields
both speculative and practical, they
have brought havoc and ruin in the
religious and moral spheres.
Want of Moral Stamina.
The third danger to which faith is
exposed arises from the want Of
moral self-restraint Impiety is often
born of vice. The depraved will read
lily believe the theories which favor
license. How is it that this young
man, hardly out of Catholic college,
loudly proclafms his independence
from God and His holy law? Has he
fathomed theological and phfTosophi-
cal questions? Has he tried them
critically and found them wanting?
No, he is but struggling with a mere
textbook on Common Law or on
Medicine and still he is without faith,
he has abandoned all religious prac-
tees, he cares little for God and his
immortal SOUL The paradox, how
ever, is easily solved. Religion is
forsaken because found too exactfng.
He will pretend sceptfcism or unbe-
lief that he may be free from the
obligation his faith imposes of living
a noble and Christian life. Some one
has wisely said that if the PROPOSE
lions of Euclid were at the time moral
precepts they would have long since
been denied.
We trust that you, the students of
this college dedicated to st. Thomas,
the Angelic Doctor, who united in his
life, in such high degree, profound
learning, unbounded faith in God,
deepest respect for the authority of
the Church and genuine humility, will
be so wildly impressed by his exam
pie that at no time shall even one of
you be found in the ranks of those
who have rejected their priceless in
heritance to follow the false prophets
of new age, by giving credence to
the delusive promises of an intellec-
tual and moral license which will
bring you nothing but spiritual desola-
ton and death