The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1915-07-10

s1o AA0c VI AAOIal ActlOu Lh0C COrr08.s.
pond with the designs Of divine provi- (
dence.
Every action, however. that is op-
posed to the positive will of God, Is
nevertheless permissively willed for
ends worthy of His infinite wisdom; no )
number of such actions can defeat the
final end God has in view; indeed, the ]
very misuse of mans free-will which
such actions imply serves indirectly at
least to further the final end intended
by the Creator in regard to the gen.
eral good Of the human race.
All the actions of men are willed by
God, either positively or permissively,
with view to the external manifesta-
tior Of His internal perfection.
The corollary to this law Isl: All
rulers and administrators in church
and state should work in harmony for
the material, social, and moral we'll
being of the people over whom they
have authority. For this purpose they
should cooperate as partners in
common task in the upbuilding and
maintenance of those social institu-
tions and organizations that have for
their object the promotion of civil or
der In the state, and the conservation
OF the true religious interests of the
people.
The manifold contingencies that
arise in the history of all peoples In
volving the countless variations Of in
dividual purposes and modes Of per-
sonal action; the complex racial, ma
ttonal, and social relations that have
sprung up with the ever-changing con-
ditions Of historical environment; In q ]
word, all that has been thought out and
wrought into the experience Of the
human race since its advent upon this
earth comes under the operation Of I
this law of divine providence.
In the relations which came to be
established between the popes and the
emperors under the Romano! !Teutonic
polity. evidences of provldential
guidance can be found in the fact that
the scheme Of government as contem.
plated by its founders and promoters, i
recognized the moral principles Of
wisdom and justice as being the essen
tial bases of the dual authority WELD
ed by the ruler. Good order in the
state and the moral progress of the
people were to be secured under the
conjoint action of the head of christ
endom and the head of the empire; the
former was acknowledged as the su-
preme authority in all matters relating
to the welfare of the church and its
members, while the latter was to have
an equally plerary authority and juris-
dictton in respect of the purely polit-
ical concerns Of the empire and the
well.being of It's subjects.
The doctrine that the church Is q
divinely founded institution of which
the pope, as the successor of Saint
Peter Is the supreme guide and ruler,
gives the key to the understanding Of!
the historical crisis which brought the
church into direct relation with the
new empire that was built upon the
ruins of the old pagan empire Of the
Caesars. This same doctrine likewise
explains how these relations issued In
an enlarged conception Of the ropes
power as the chief conservator Of the
civil order of the Roman state. as we'll
as the proper guardian Of its moral and
religious interests. The people and;
their rulers, from the emperor down
to the meanest Of his subjects knew
quite well that 1t was due to- the
church that the empire had not been
buried in hopeless ruin.
Thus 1t came about that the head
Of so beneficent an institution was ~
garded by all classes with the deepest
veneration and gratitude; in conse.l
quence Of this regard, he was invested
in thought at least, with dignity ana
prerogative superior even to that Of
the imperial Office. Why It was thus
may be gathered from study Of the
conditions under which the church
was originally established and hers
doctrines propagated. IssSs
The spectacle Of an institution that,
grew in power and influence the more
1t was prescribed; that drew to$ lt65
bosom constantly augmenting numb
despite the most cruel persecntio
must have impressed the pagan ~
mans with q strong sense OF its re1ists
less power. The failure Of the pFoss.
scriptive policy to check the 'strang1
superstition" was no doubt oneof tlS
chief reasons why the Christians WSfS
allowed some respite at times, fhom
the torments to which they wers
ually condemned. Thus Ia the rstgn
Of AntonioGs, Alexander ssverus, q n
Nerva. the fury Of the prosecutors sll1ii1 4
abated, but only TO break ont aloiN
/ with redoublsd severity. n
j Finally. after more than two A ~ q
turtles q cruel y sl'ulilse erins, tas chascas g