The Catholic bulletin., 1920-05-22
THE BACHELOR ARRAlGNED.

A man may come to discover that
the state in which he finds himself
placed is not the one for which he
was evidently intended by the Maker
We do not all receive the same gifts
because our callings are different;
each Of us is endowed in accordance
and in harmony with the ends of the
Creatorse in making us. Some men
should marry, others may not; for the
state of celibacy is for the few, and
not for the many, these few depend
ing solely on an abundant grace OF
God, writes Rev. John StapletOn.
Again, one may become alive to the
fact that to remain in an abnormal
position means to seriously jeopardiZe
his souls salvation; celibacy may, as
for. many it does, spell out for him,
clearly and plainly, eternal damna-
tion. 1t is to no purpose here to eX-
anime the causes of, and reasons for
such a condition of affairs.
eign coin, and on one side Of it he
traced the mark of a spent bullet. Rob
crt and Billy looked at him with re-
Cpectful eyes.
Dick slipped the coin back into his
breast pocket and went home. He was
very thoughtful all the way back.
Staying away from a fire and being in
the thick Of battle seemed very, very
different; but all the same he was glad
he had stuck to his post
We take the fact as it stands, plain
and evident, a stern, hard fact that
will not be downed, because it is sup
ported by the living proof of habit
and conduct; living and continuing to
live celibate, taking him as he is
and as there is every token of his
remaining without any reasonable
ground for expecting a change, this
man is headed for perdition. His pas
sions have made him their slave; he
cannot, it is morally impossible for
him to do so, remain continent
Suppose again that the Almighty
has created the state Of wedlock for
just such emergencies, whereby a man
may find a remedy for his weaknesses,
an outlet for his passions, reg
ulator for his life here below and
a security against damnation here
after; and this is precisely the case,
for the ends of marriage are not only
to perpetuate the species, but also to
furnish a remedy for natural concupi-
scence and to raise a barrier against
the flood of impurity.
The effects of profligate celibacy
are farther-reaching than many of us
would suppose at first blush. The
culprit bears the odium of it in his
soul But what about the state of
those-or rather of her, whoever she
may be, known or unknown-whom he,
in the order of Providence, is des-
tined to save from the precariousness
take a wife, whose salvation as well
as his own, perhaps depends on the
fulflment Of that duty, and if he
shirks his duty, shall he not be held
responsible for the results in her as
we'll as in himself, since he could and
she could not, ward off the evil?
1t has come to such a pass nova
days that celibacy, as a general thing,
is a misnomer for prodigacy. Making
all due allowance for honorable eX
ceptions, the unmarried male who is
not we'll saturated with spirituality
and faith is notoriously gallinaceous
in his morals. In certain classes, he
is expected to SOW his wild oats be-
fore he is out of his teens; and by
this is meant that he will begin young
to tear into shreds the sixth Com
mandment so as not to be bothered
with it later in life. If he married he
would be safe.
Finally what kind Of an existence