The church and the age...

Preface

Cardinal Nkwman wrote of Father Hecker shortlyafter his death, in a' letter to Father Hewit, these words : ' 1 I have ever felt that there was a sort of unity in our lives — that we both had begun a work of the same kind, he in America and I in England. It is not many months since I- received a vigorous and striking proof of it in the book he sent me" ( The Church and the Age ).

In this book Father Hecker gives his reasons for believing that there is coming a notable spiritual awakening, that in the religious life of the American people this awakening will be strikingly manifested, and that the Catholic Church will have no small part in it, not only in fostering it, but particularly in reaping the fruit of it. The fullest exposition of these great life-thoughts is found in this volume.

The original essay received many warm commendatory approbations from dignitaries high in authority at Rome, and from the late distinguished Jesuit, Pere Ramiere. The first edition of the book received a very full and favorable review, endorsing all its principles, from the English Jesuit magazine, The Month.

This present volume is made up of twelve articles, which fall into five general divisions. The first division, consisting of five articles, treats of the Catholic Church in relation to races, nations, and epochs, dealing with the subject at first in general, and then more particularly of Church and State in America, Italy, and France. The second general division, beginning with the sixth article, is mainly devoted to the concord of the interior action of the Holy Spirit in each particular soul with His exterior action in

Preface.

the public authority of the Church ; it embraces the articles entitled respectively "St. Catherine of Genoa," " Catholicity and the Tendencies of the Age," and "The Experiment of Protestantism." The fourth division — articles ix. and x. — treats of orthodox and historical Protestantism, and the fifth — articles xi. and xii.— of Unitarianism and Transcendentalism. But as the same general principles run through them all, the articles have not been marked off into these general divisions, but are numbered consecutively from first to last.

Intelligence and liberty are not a hindrance but a help to religious life ; only false religion has reason to fear the spread of enlightenment and the enjoyment of our free civil institutions ; while intellectual development and civil liberty have accelerated more than anything else the decay of Protestantism, they are calculated more than any other human environments to advance at the present time the progress of true supernatural life among men.

The main purpose of this volume is to show that the liberty enjoyed in modern society, in so far as it is true, and the intelligence of modern society, in so far as it is guileless, are inestimable helps to the spread of Catholicity and the deepening of that interior spirit which is the best result of true religion.

The office of divine external authority in religious affairs, in providing a safeguard to the individual soul and assisting it to a freer and more instinctive co-operation with the Holy Spirit's interior inspirations, is often treated of in this book ; and the false liberty of pride and error is plainly pointed out.

Contents

i.

The Church, in view of the Needs of the Age 7

The Question Stated — Remote Cause of Present Difficulties — Proximate Cause — Is there a Way out ? — Mission of the Holy Spirit — The Men the Age demands — The Church has entered on this Way — Twofold Action of the Holy Spirit — New Phase of the Church — Mission of Races — Some of the Causes of Protestantism — Present Saxon Persecutions —Return of the Saxon Races to the Church — Mixed Saxons Returning — Transition of the Latin-Celts— Perspective of the Future.

II. Relation of Church and State in America 64

The Motive of Columbus and early Explorers — Freedom of Conscience in Colonial Days — The Principles of American Freedom are Catholic — Protestantism is opposed to them — Protestants are true Americans at the expense of their Creed — The Catholic Spirit favors Civil Liberty — The Financial State of the Church here proves that she is in accord with our civil and social status — The American principles logically tend to make men Catholics.

III. Cardinal Gibbons and American Institutions 100

Text of the Cardinal's Address on taking possession of his Titular Church in Rome — His Office makes him our Representative — He has rightly interpreted our Institutions to the Old World, as Benjamin Franklin did during the struggle for Independence — St. Augustine on the dominion of Man over Man — The Church can flourish anywhere, but the civil Liberty of the United States is especially favorable to her — Civil Liberty as related to Man's co-operation with Divine Guidance — Testimony of the Martyrs — Why Europeans do not understand us — The incompetency of the American State in Ecclesiastical Affairs — Cardinal Gibbons's discourse suggests the power for good of a College of Cardinals constituted according to the will of the Council of Trent.

Cojttents.

IV. Catholicity and the Italian People 115

A perplexing Problem — The Unity of Italy — The Mission of the Latin Race — The Church not dependent on any Race — Authority and Liberty in Catholic Life — Italy and the Holy See — Impending Danger.

V. The Church and France - 147

Two Movements in the World — The Result of the Battle — Errors of Modern Philosophy — A new, united Christendom — The Kingdom of God on Earth — Promises False and True — Strange Destiny of France.

VI

St. Catherine of Genoa 170

She was an Example of the Concord of the inner and outer Action of the Holy Spirit upon the Soul — Her Soul was sanctified by the spirit in which she performed the Duties of the Secular State of life.

VII. Catholicity and the Tendencies of the Age 181

Science and Philosophy, and not Biblical Research, must shape our Polemics in future — This will continue the great work of the Schoolmen — Pope Leo's Statement : " Christ is the Restorer of the Sciences" — The healthful Tendencies of Modern Thought are towards Catholic Truth — Misconceptions of Catholic Authority — Obedience not the only Virtue — Different Virtues conspicuous in different Ages and among different Races — To say that the Essence of Christianity is Authority is an Error — What the Essence of Christianity really is.

VIII. The Experiment of Protestantism 209

The original doctrinal Basis of Protestantism is now rejected by Protestants — Luther's Appeal from Organic Christianity to Subjective Christianity — His view of Personal Judgment was distorted and irrational — The rational view of the competence of Personal Judgment — The Christian View of personal Holiness — Guidance of the Holy Spirit — The ideal Christian Church— The Divine and Human Sides of the Church — The Church can and does reform the Human Side — Luther was, in religious affairs, an Anarchist, not a Reformer.

C 071 tents.

IX. Protestantism vs. the Church 234

Is the Church made by Christians or by Christ?— Does Christ use the Church to make Christians? — The Office of the Bible in the making of the Christian — The Seeds of Fanaticism — An Organic Christianity is the logical sequence of the Incarnation — The Church is the Body of Christ — Explanation of the Sacramental Life of the Christian.

X. The Spiritual World and the Rule of Faith 258

Connection between the Natural and Supernatural World— Not properly understood or even known by many intelligent Protestants— False Mysticism and Spiritism fruits of the Reformation— The Protestant Rule of Faith discussed.

XI. Unitarianism and the Fatherhood of God 279

Unitarian View that the Christian Church is still not properly organized : they believe that the)- have the task of its organization — The true Church does not borrow Truth from Races and Civilizations, but imparts it — " What is the Unitarian Church for ? "—The Natural Man is not a Child of God — How he is made so — Relation of the inner and outer Action of God upon Man.