,,the ,,life ,,of ,,father ,,hecker     
,,by ,,rev4 ,,walter ,,elliott   ,,new  
,,york3 ,,the ,,columbus ,,press #ahia  
,nihil obstat3 ,,augustinus ,f4 ,,hewit1
 ,censor ,deputatus4  ,imprimatur3 ,m4  
,a4 ,,corrigan1 ,archiepiscopus         
,neo-,ebor4   ,,author',s ,,preface     
,,the reader must indulge me with what  
,i cannot help saying1 that ,i have felt
 the joy of a son in telling the        
achievements and chronicling the virtues
 of ,father ,hecker4 ,i loved him with  
the sacred fire of holy kinship1 and    
love him still--only the more that lapse
 of time has deepened by experience1    
inner and outer1 the sense of truth and 
of purity he ever communicated to me in 
life1 and courage and fidelity to       
conscience4 ,i feel it to be honor      
enough and joy enough for a life-time   
that ,i am his first biographer1 though 
but a late born child and of merit      
entirely insignificant4 ,the literary   
work is1 indeed1 but of home-made       
quality1 yet it serves to hold together 

what is the heaven-made wisdom of a     
great teacher of men4 ,it will be found 
that ,father ,hecker has three words in 
this book to my one1 though all my words
 ,i tried to make his4 ,his journals1   
letters1 and recorded sayings are the   
edifice into which ,i introduce the     
reader1 and my words are the hinges and 
latchets of its doors4 ,i am glad of    
this1 for it pleases me to dedicate my  
good will and my poor work to swinging  
open the doors of that new ,house of    
,god that ,isaac ,hecker was to me1 and 
that ,i trust he will be to many4       
,,walter ,,elliott   ,,contents         
,,chapter      ,i4--,,childhood         
,,ii4--,,youth    ,,iii4--,,the         
,,turning-,,point     ,,iv4--,,led ,,by 
,,the ,,spirit      ,v4--,,at ,,brook   
,,farm     ,,vi4--,,inner ,,life ,,while
 ,,at ,,brook ,,farm                    
,,vii4--,,struggles                     
,,viii4--,,fruitlands                   
,,ix4--,,self-,,questionings            
,x4--,,at ,,home ,,again                

,,xi4--,,studying ,,and ,,writing       
,,xii4--,,the ,,mystic ,,and ,,the      
,,philosopher   ,,xiii4--,,his ,,search 
,,among ,,the ,,sects    ,,xiv4--,,his  
,,life ,,at ,,concord     ,,xv4--,,at   
,,the ,,door ,,of ,,the ,,church        
,,xvi4--,,at ,,the ,,door ,,of ,,the    
,,church--7,continued7                  
,,xvii4--,,across ,,the ,,threshold     
,,xviii4--,,new ,,influences            
,,xix4--,,yearnings ,,after             
,,contemplation     ,,xx4--,,from ,,new 
,,york ,,to ,,st4 ,,trond               
,,xxi4--,,brother ,,hecker              
,,xxii4--,,how ,,brother ,,hecker ,,made
 ,,his ,,studies ,,and ,,was ,,ordained 
,,priest  ,,xxiii4--,a ,,redemptorist   
,,missionary   ,,xxiv4--,,separation    
,,from ,,the ,,redemptorists            
,,xxv4--,,beginnings ,,of ,,the         
,,paulist ,,community                   
,,xxvi4--,,father ,,hecker',s ,,idea    
,,of ,a ,,religious ,,community         
,,xxvii4--,,father ,,hecker',s          
,,spiritual ,,doctrine ,,xxviii4--,,the 

,,paulist ,,parish ,,and ,,missions     
,,xxix4--,,father ,,hecker',s ,,lectures
    ,,xxx4--,,the ,,apostolate ,,of     
,,the ,,press   ,,xxxi4--,,the ,,vatican
 ,,council  ,,xxxii4--,,the ,,long      
,,illness ,,xxxiii4--,,the ,,exposition 
,,of ,,the ,,church  ,,xxxiv4--,,in     
,,the ,,shadow ,,of ,,death             
,,xxxv4--,,conclusion  ,,appendix       
,,introduction  ,,by ,,most ,,rev4      
,,john ,,ireland1 ,d4,d41 ,archbishop of
 ,st4 ,paul4  ,,life is action1 and so  
long as there is action there is life4  
,that life is worth living whose action 
puts forth noble aspirations and good   
deeds4 ,the man's influence for truth   
and virtue persevering in activity1 his 
life has not ceased1 though earth has   
clasped his body in its embrace4 ,it is 
well that it is so4 ,the years of       
usefulness between the cradle and the   
grave are few4 ,the shortness of a life 
restricted to them is sufficient to     
discourage many from making strong      
efforts toward impressing the workings  

of their souls upon their fellows4 ,the 
number to whose minds we have immediate 
access is small1 and they do not remain4
 ,is the good we might do worth the     
labor8 ,we cannot at times refuse a     
hearing to the question4 ,fortunately1  
it is easily made clear to us that the  
area over which influence travels is    
vastly more extensive than at first     
sight appears4 ,the eye will not always 
discern the undulations of its spreading
 waves2 but onward it goes1 from one    
soul to another1 far beyond our         
immediate ranks1 and as each soul       
touched by it becomes a new motive      
power1 it rolls forward1 often with     
energy a hundred times intensified1 long
 after the shadows of death have settled
 around its point of departure4  ,isaac 
,thomas ,hecker lives to-day1 and with  
added years he will live more fully than
 he does to-day4 ,his influence for good
 remains1 and with a better             
understanding of his plans and ideals1  
which is sure to come1 his influence    

will widen and deepen among laymen and  
priests of the ,church in ,america4 ,the
 writing of his biography is a tribute  
to his memory which the love and esteem 
of his spiritual children could not     
refuse2 it is1 also1 a most important   
service to generations present and      
unborn1 in whose deeds will be seen the 
fruits of inspirations gathered from it4
 ,we are thankful that this biography   
has been written by one who from closest
 converse and most intimate friendship  
knew ,father ,hecker so thoroughly4 ,he 
has given us in his book what we need to
 know of ,father ,hecker4 ,we care very 
little1 except so far as details may    
accentuate the great lines of a life and
 make them sensible to our obtuse touch1
 where or when a man was born1 what     
places he happened to visit1 what houses
 he built1 or in what circumstances of  
malady or in what surroundings he died4 
,these things can be said of the ten    
thousand4 ,we want to know the thoughts 
and the resolves of the soul which made 

him a marked man above his fellows and  
which begot strong influences for good  
and great works1 and if none such can be
 unfolded then drop the man out of      
sight1 with a ,requiescant in pace      
engraven upon his tombstone4 ,few       
deserve a biography1 and to the         
undeserving none should be given4  ,if  
it be permitted to speak of self1 ,i    
might say that to ,father ,hecker ,i am 
indebted for most salutary impressions  
which1 ,i sorrowfully confess1 have not 
had in me their due effect2 the         
remembrance of them1 however1 is a proof
 to me of the usefulness of his life1   
and its power for good in others4 ,i am 
glad to have the opportunity to profess 
publicly my gratitude to him4 ,he was in
 the prime of life and work when ,i was 
for the first time brought to observe   
him4 ,i was quite young in the ministry1
 and very naturally ,i was casting my   
eye around in search of ideal men1 whose
 footsteps were treading the path ,i    
could feel ,i1 too1 ought to travel4 ,i 

never afterwards wholly lost sight of   
,father ,hecker1 watching him as well as
 ,i could from a distance of two        
thousand miles4 ,i am not to-day without
 some experience of men and things1 won 
from years and toils1 and ,i do not     
alter one tittle my estimate of him1    
except to make it higher4 ,to the       
priests of the future ,i recommend a    
serious study of ,father ,hecker's life4
 ,to them ,i would have his biography   
dedicated4 ,older men1 like myself1 are 
fixed in their ways1 and they will not  
receive from it so much benefit4        
,father ,hecker was the typical         
,american priest2 his were the gifts of 
mind and heart that go to do great work 
for ,god and for souls in ,america at   
the present time4 ,those qualities1     
assuredly1 were not lacking in him which
 are the necessary elements of character
 of the good priest and the great man in
 any time and place4 ,those are the     
subsoil of priestly culture1 and with   
the absence of them no one will succeed 

in ,america any more than elsewhere4    
,but suffice they do not4 ,there must be
 added1 over and above1 the practical   
intelligence and the pliability of will 
to understand one's surroundings1 the   
ground upon which he is to deploy his   
forces1 and to adapt himself to         
circumstances and opportunities as      
,providence appoints4 ,i do not expect  
that my words1 as ,i am here writing1   
will receive universal approval1 and ,i 
am not at all sure that their expression
 would have been countenanced by the    
priest whose memory brings them to my   
lips4 ,i write as ,i think1 and the     
responsibility must be all my own4 ,it  
is as clear to me as noon-day light that
 countries and peoples have each their  
peculiar needs and aspirations as they  
have their peculiar environments1 and   
that1 if we would enter into souls and  
control them1 we must deal with them    
according to their conditions4 ,the     
ideal line of conduct for the priest in 
,assyria will be out of all measure in  

,mexico or ,minnesota1 and ,i doubt not 
that one doing fairly well in ,minnesota
 would by similar methods set things    
sadly astray in ,leinster or ,bavaria4  
,the ,saviour prescribed timeliness in  
pastoral caring4 ,the master of a house1
 ,he said1 bringeth forth out of his    
treasury new things and old1 as there is
 demand for one kind or the other4 ,the 
apostles of nations1 from ,paul before  
the ,areopagus to ,patrick upon the     
summit of ,tara1 followed no different  
principle4  ,the circumstances of       
,catholics have been peculiar in the    
,united ,states1 and we have unavoidably
 suffered on this account4 ,catholics in
 largest numbers were ,europeans1 and so
 were their priests1 many of whom--by no
 means all--remained in heart and mind  
and mode of action as alien to ,america 
as if they had never been removed from  
the ,shannon1 the ,loire1 or the ,rhine4
 ,no one need remind me that immigration
 has brought us inestimable blessings1  
or that without it the ,church in       

,america would be of small stature4 ,the
 remembrance of a precious fact is not  
put aside1 if ,i recall an accidental   
evil attaching to it4 ,priests foreign  
in disposition and work were not fitted 
to make favorable impressions upon the  
non-,catholic ,american population1 and 
the ,american-born children of ,catholic
 immigrants were likely to escape their 
action4 ,and1 lest ,i be misunderstood1 
,i assert all this is as true of priests
 coming from ,ireland as from any other 
foreign country4 ,even priests of       
,american ancestry1 ministering to      
immigrants1 not unfrequently fell into  
the lines of those around them1 and did 
but little to make the ,church in       
,america throb with ,american life4 ,not
 so ,isaac ,thomas ,hecker4 ,whether    
consciously or unconsciously ,i do not  
know1 and it matters not1 he looked on  
,america as the fairest conquest for    
divine truth1 and he girded himself with
 arms shaped and tempered to the        
,american pattern4 ,i think that it may 

be said that the ,american current1 so  
plain for the last quarter of a century 
in the flow of ,catholic affairs1 is1   
largely at least1 to be traced back to  
,father ,hecker and his early           
co-workers4 ,it used to be said of them 
in reproach that they were the ,yankee  
,catholic ,church2 the reproach was     
their praise4  ,father ,hecker          
understood and loved the country and its
 institutions4 ,he saw nothing in them  
to be deprecated or changed2 he had no  
longing for the flesh-pots and          
bread-stuffs of empires and monarchies4 
,his favorite topic in book and lecture 
was1 that the ,constitution of the      
,united ,states requires1 as its        
necessary basis1 the truths of ,catholic
 teaching regarding man's natural state1
 as opposed to the errors of ,luther and
 ,calvin4 ,the republic1 he taught1     
presupposes the ,church's doctrine1 and 
the ,church ought to love a polity which
 is the offspring of her own spirit4 ,he
 understood and loved the people of     

,america4 ,he recognized in them        
splendid natural qualities4 ,was he not 
right8 ,not minimizing in the least the 
dreadful evil of the absence of the     
supernatural1 ,i am not afraid to give  
as my belief that there is among        
,americans as high an appreciation and  
as lively a realization of natural truth
 and goodness as has been seen in any   
people1 and it seems as if ,almighty    
,god1 intending a great age and a great 
people1 has put here in ,america a      
singular development of nature's powers 
and gifts1 both in man and out of       
man--with the further will1 ,i have the 
faith1 of crowning all with the glory of
 the supernatural4 ,father ,hecker      
perceived this1 and his mission was to  
hold in his hands the natural1 which    
,americans extolled and cherished and   
trusted in1 and by properly directing   
its legitimate tendencies and growth to 
lead it to the term of its own instincts
 and aspirations--,catholic truth and   
,catholic grace4 ,protestantism is no   

longer more than a name1 a memory4 ,the 
,american has fallen back upon himself1 
scorning the negations and the doctrinal
 cruelties of ,protestantism as utterly 
contrary to himself1 as utterly         
unnatural2 and now comes the opportunity
 of the ,catholic ,church to show that  
she is from the ,god who created nature1
 by opening before this people her      
treasures1 amid which the soul revels in
 rational liberty and intelligence1 and 
enjoys the gratification of its best and
 purest moral instincts4 ,these         
convictions are the keynote of ,father  
,hecker's controversial discourses and  
writings1 notably of two books1         
,aspirations of ,nature and ,questions  
of the ,soul4 ,he assumed that the      
,american people are naturally          
,catholic1 and he labored with this     
proposition constantly before his mind4 
,it is the assumption upon which all    
must labor who sincerely desire to make 
,america ,catholic4  ,he laid stress on 
the natural and social virtues4 ,the    

,american people hold these in highest  
esteem4 ,they are the virtues that are  
most apparent1 and are seemingly the    
most needed for the building up and the 
preservation of an earthly commonwealth4
 ,truthfulness1 honesty in business     
dealings1 loyalty to law and social     
order1 temperance1 respect for the      
rights of others1 and the like virtues  
are prescribed by reason before the     
voice of revelation is heard1 and the   
absence of specifically supernatural    
virtues has led the non-,catholic to    
place paramount importance upon them4   
,it will be a difficult task to persuade
 the ,american that a church which will 
not enforce those primary virtues can   
enforce others which she herself        
declares to be higher and more arduous1 
and as he has implicit confidence in the
 destiny of his country to produce a    
high order of social existence1 his     
first test of a religion will be its    
powers in this direction4 ,this is      
according to ,catholic teaching4 ,christ

 came not to destroy1 but to perfect    
what was in man1 and the graces and     
truths of revelation lead most securely 
to the elevation of the life that is1 no
 less than to the gaining of the life to
 come4 ,it is a fact1 however1 that in  
other times and other countries the     
,church has been impeded in her social  
work1 and certain things or customs of  
those times and countries1 transplanted 
upon ,american soil and allowed to grow 
here under a ,catholic name1 will do her
 no honor among ,americans4 ,the human  
mind1 among the best of us1 inclines to 
narrow limitations1 and certain         
,catholics1 aware of the comparatively  
greater importance of the supernatural1 
partially overlook the natural4  ,then1 
too1 casuists have incidentally done us 
harm4 ,they will quote as our rule of   
social conduct in ,america what may have
 been tolerated in ,france or ,germany  
during the seventeenth century1 and     
their hair-splitting distinctions in the
 realm of abstract right and wrong are  

taken by some of us as practical        
decisions1 without due reference to     
local circumstances4 ,the ,american     
people pay slight attention to the      
abstract2 they look only to the concrete
 in morals1 and we must keep account of 
their manner of judging things4 ,the    
,church is nowadays called upon to      
emphasize her power in the natural      
order4 ,god forbid that ,i entertain1 as
 some may be tempted to suspect me of   
doing1 the slightest notion that        
vigilance may be turned off one single  
moment from the guard of the            
supernatural4 ,for the sake of the      
supernatural ,i speak4 ,and natural     
virtues1 practised in the proper frame  
of mind and heart1 become supernatural4 
,each century calls for its type of     
,christian perfection4 ,at one time it  
was martyrdom2 at another it was the    
humility of the cloister4 ,to-day we    
need the ,christian gentleman and the   
,christian citizen4 ,an honest ballot   
and social decorum among ,catholics will

 do more for ,god's glory and the       
salvation of souls than midnight        
flagellations or ,compostellan          
pilgrimages4  ,on a line with his       
principles1 as ,i have so far delineated
 them1 ,father ,hecker believed that if 
he would succeed in his work for souls1 
he should use in it all the natural     
energy that ,god had given him1 and he  
acted up to his belief ,i once heard a  
good old priest1 who said his beads well
 and made a desert around his pulpit by 
miserable preaching1 criticise ,father  
,hecker1 who1 he imagined1 put too much 
reliance in man1 and not enough in ,god4
 ,father ,hecker's piety1 his assiduity 
in prayer1 his personal habits of       
self-denial1 repel the aspersion that he
 failed in reliance upon ,god4 ,but my  
old priest--and he has in the church    
to-day1 both in ,america and ,europe1   
tens of thousands of counterparts--was  
more than half willing to see in all    
outputtings of human energy a lack of   
confidence in ,god4 ,we sometimes rely  

far more upon ,god than ,god desires us 
to do1 and there are occasions when a   
novena is the refuge of laziness or     
cowardice4 ,god has endowed us with     
natural talents1 and not one of them    
shall be1 with ,his permission1         
enshrouded in a napkin4 ,he will not    
work a miracle1 or supply grace1 to make
 up for our deficiencies4 ,we must work 
as if all depended on us1 and pray as if
 all depended on ,god4  ,god never      
proposed to do by ,his direct action all
 that might be done in and through the  
,church4 ,he invites human co-operation1
 and abandons to it a wide field4 ,the  
ages of most active human industry in   
religious enterprises were the ages of  
most remarkable spiritual conquests4    
,the tendency to overlook this fact     
shows itself among us4 ,newman writes   
that where the sun shines bright in the 
warm climate of the south1 the natives  
of the place know little of safeguards  
against cold and wet4 ,they have their  
cold days1 but only now and then1 and   

they do not deem it worth their while to
 provide against them3 the science of   
calefaction is reserved for the north4  
,and so1 ,protestants1 depending on     
human means solely1 are led to make the 
most of them2 their sole resource is to 
use what they have2 they are the anxious
 cultivators of a rugged soil4          
,catholics1 on the contrary1 feel that  
,god will protect the ,church1 and1 as  
,newman adds1 we sometimes forget that  
we shall please ,him best1 and get most 
from ,him1 when1 according to the fable1
 we put our shoulder to the wheel1 when 
we use what we have by nature to the    
utmost1 at the same time that we look   
out for what is beyond nature in the    
confidence of faith and hope4 ,lately a 
witty ,french writer pictures to us the 
pious friends of the leading ,catholic  
layman of ,france1 ,de ,mun1 kneeling in
 spiritual retreat when their presence  
is required in front of the enemy4 ,the 
,catholic of the nineteenth century all 
over the world is too quiet1 too easily 

resigned to the will of ,god1           
attributing to ,god the effects of his  
own timidity and indolence4 ,father     
,hecker rolled up his sleeves and       
pitched in with desperate resolve4 ,he  
fought as for very life4 ,meet him      
anywhere or at any time1 he was at work 
or he was planning to work4 ,he was ever
 looking around to see what might be    
done4 ,he did with a rush the hard labor
 of a missionary and of a pastor1 and he
 went beyond it into untrodden pathways4
 ,he hated routine4 ,he minded not what 
others had been doing1 seeking only what
 he himself might do4 ,his efforts for  
the diffusion of ,catholic literature1  
,,the ,,catholic ,,world1 his several   
books1 the ,catholic tracts1 tell his   
zeal and energy4 ,a ,catholic daily     
paper was a favorite design to which he 
gave no small measure of time and labor4
 ,he anticipated by many years the      
battlings of our temperance apostles4   
,the ,paulist pulpit opened             
death-dealing batteries upon the saloon 

when the saloon-keeper was the hero in  
state and church4 ,the ,catholic        
,university of ,america found in him one
 of its warmest advocates4 ,his zeal was
 as broad as ,st4 ,paul's1 and whoever  
did good was his friend and received his
 support4 ,the walls of his parish1 or  
his order1 did not circumscribe for him 
,god's ,church4 ,his choice of a patron 
saint--,st4 ,paul--reveals the fire     
burning within his soul4 ,he would not1 
he could not be idle4 ,on his sick-bed1 
where he lay the greater part of his    
latter years1 he was not inactive4 ,he  
wrote valuable articles and books1 and  
when unable to write1 he dictated4  ,he 
was enthusiastic in his work1 as all are
 who put their whole soul into what they
 are doing4 ,such people have no time to
 count the dark linings of the silvery  
clouds2 they realize that ,god and man  
together do not fail4 ,enthusiasm begets
 enthusiasm4 ,it fits a man to be a     
leader2 it secures a following4 ,a      
bishop who was present at the ,second   

,plenary ,council of ,baltimore has told
 me that when ,father ,hecker appeared  
before the assembled prelates and       
theologians in advocacy of ,catholic    
literature as a missionary force1 the   
picture was inspiring1 and that the     
hearers1 receiving a ,pentecostal fire  
within their bosoms1 felt as if ,america
 were to be at once converted4 ,so would
 it have been if there had been in      
,america a sufficient number of         
,heckers4 ,he had his critics4 ,who ever
 tries to do something outside routine  
lines against whom hands are not raised 
and whose motives and acts are not      
misconstrued8 ,a venerable clergyman one
 day thought he had scored a great point
 against ,father ,hecker by jocosely    
suggesting to him as the motto of his   
new order the word ,paulatim4 ,the same 
one1 no doubt1 would have made a like   
suggestion to the ,apostle of the       
,gentiles4 ,advocates of ,paulatim      
methods have too often left the wheels  
of ,christ's chariot fast in the mire4  

,we rejoice1 for its sake1 that         
enthusiasts sometimes appear on the     
scene4 ,the missions of the early       
,paulists1 into which went ,father      
,hecker's entire heart1 aroused the     
country4 ,to-day1 after a lapse of      
thirty or thirty-five years1 they are   
remembered as events wherever they were 
preached4  ,his was the profound        
conviction that1 in the present age at  
any rate1 the order of the day should be
 individual action--every man doing his 
full duty1 and waiting for no one else  
to prompt him4 ,this1 ,i take it1 was   
largely the meaning of ,father ,hecker's
 oft-repeated teaching on the work of   
the ,holy ,ghost in souls4 ,there have  
been epochs in history where the        
,church1 sacrificing her outposts and   
the ranks of her skirmishers to the     
preservation of her central and vital   
fortresses1 put the brakes1 through     
necessity1 from the nature of the       
warfare waged against her1 upon         
individual activity1 and moved her      

soldiers in serried masses2 and then it 
was the part and the glory of each one  
to move with the column4 ,the need of   
repression has passed away4 ,the        
authority of the ,church and of her     
,supreme ,head is beyond danger of being
 denied or obscured1 and each ,christian
 soldier may take to the field1 obeying 
the breathings of the ,spirit of truth  
and piety within him1 feeling that what 
he may do he should do4 ,there is work  
for individual priests1 and for         
individual laymen1 and so soon as it is 
discovered let it be done4 ,the         
responsibility is upon each one2 the    
indifference of others is no excuse4    
,said ,father ,hecker one day to a      
friend3 ,there is too much waiting upon 
the action of others4 ,the layman waits 
for the priest1 the priest for the      
bishop1 and the bishop for the pope1    
while the ,holy ,ghost sends down to all
 the reproof that ,he is prompting each 
one1 and no one moves for ,him4 ,father 
,hecker was original in his ideas1 as   

well as in his methods2 there was no    
routine in him1 mental or practical4  ,i
 cannot but allude1 whether ,i          
understand or not the true intent of it1
 to what appears to have been a leading 
fact in his life3 his leaving an        
old-established religious community for 
the purpose of instituting that of the  
,paulists4 ,i will speak so far of this 
as ,i have formed an estimate of it4 ,to
 me1 this fact seems to have been a     
,providential circumstance in keeping   
with all else in his life4 ,i myself    
have at this moment such thoughts as ,i 
imagine must have been running through  
his mind during that memorable sojourn  
in ,rome1 which resulted in freeing him 
from his old allegiance4 ,the work of   
evangelizing ,america demands new       
methods4 ,it is time to draw forth from 
our treasury the new things of the      
,gospel2 we have been long enough       
offering old things4 ,those new methods 
call for newly-equipped men4 ,the       
parochial clergy will readily confess   

that they cannot of themselves do all   
that ,god now demands from ,his ,church 
in this country4 ,they are too heavily  
burdened with the ordinary duties of the
 ministry3 instructing those already    
within the fold1 administering the      
sacraments1 building temples1 schools1  
and asylums--duties which must be       
attended to and which leave slight      
leisure for special studies or special  
labors4 ,father ,hecker organized the   
,paulist community1 and did in his way a
 great work for the conversion of the   
country4 ,he made no mistake when he    
planned for a body of priests1 more     
disciplined than usually are the        
parochial clergy1 and more supple in the
 character of their institute than the  
existing religious orders4  ,we shall   
always distinguish ,isaac ,thomas       
,hecker as the ornament1 the flower of  
our ,american priesthood--the type that 
we wish to see reproduced among us in   
widest proportions4 ,ameliorations may  
be sought for in details1 and the more  

of them the better for religion2 but the
 great lines of ,father ,hecker's       
personality we should guard with jealous
 love in the formation of the future    
priestly characters of ,america4        
,,the ,,life ,,of ,,father ,,hecker     
,,chapter ,i  ,,childhood  ,,towards the
 close of the eighteenth century a      
,german clockmaker named ,engel ,freund1
 accompanied by his wife and children1  
left his native town of ,elberfeld1 in  
,rhenish ,prussia1 to seek a new home in
 ,america4 ,there is a family tradition 
to the effect that his forefathers were 
,french1 and that they came into        
,germany on account of some internal    
commotion in their own country4 ,the    
name makes it more probable that they   
were ,alsatians who quietly moved across
 the ,rhine1 either when their province 
was first ceded to ,france1 or perhaps  
later1 at the time of the ,revocation of
 the ,edict of ,nantes1 in #afhe4 ,when 
,engel ,freund quitted ,germany the     
disturbing influences of the ,french    

,revolution may have had a considerable 
share in determining his departure4 ,he 
landed at ,new ,york in #agig and       
established himself in ,hester ,street1 
between ,christie and ,forsyth4  ,his   
wife1 born ,ann ,elizabeth ,schneider1  
in #agfd1 was a native of ,frankenburg1 
,hesse ,cassel4 ,she became the mother  
of a son and several daughters1 who     
attained maturity and settled in ,new   
,york4 ,as his girls grew into womanhood
 and married1 ,engel ,freund1 who was a 
thrifty and successful tradesman in his 
prime1 dowered each of them with a house
 in his own neighborhood1 seeking thus  
to perpetuate in the new the kindly     
patriarchal customs of the old land4    
,to the ,new-,yorker of to-day1 or1     
indeed1 to any reputable and industrious
 immigrant1 the notion of settling a    
family in ,hester ,street could not seem
 other than grotesque4 ,it is now the   
filthy and swarming centre of a very low
 population4 ,the ,jewish pedlar par    
eminence lives there and thereabouts4   

,signs painted in the characters of his 
race1 not of his accidental nationality1
 abound on every side4 ,here a synagogue
 occupies the story above a shop2 there 
,masonic symbols are exhibited between  
the windows in a similar location4      
,jewish faces of the least prepossessing
 type look askance into eyes which they 
recognize as both unfamiliar and        
observant4 ,women1 unkempt and slouchy1 
or else arrayed in dubious finery1 brush
 against one4 ,at intervals fast growing
 greater the remains of an extinct      
domesticity and privacy still show      
themselves in the shape of old-fashioned
 brick or wooden houses with ,dutch     
gables or ,queen ,anne fronts1 but for  
the most part tall tenement-houses1     
their lower stories uniformly given up  
to some small traffic1 claim exclusive  
right of possession4 ,the sidewalks are 
crowded with the stalls of a yet more   
petty trade2 the neighborhood is full of
 unpleasant sights1 unwholesome odors1  
and revolting sounds4  ,but the ,hester 

,street of seventy years ago and more   
was another matter4 ,when a canal flowed
 through ,canal ,street1 and tall trees 
growing on either side of it sheltered  
the solid and roomy houses of retired   
merchants and professional men1 ,hester 
,street was a long way up town4 ,seven  
years before the subject of the present 
biography was born1 that elegantly      
proportioned structure1 the ,city ,hall1
 which had then been nine years         
a-building1 was finished in material    
much less expensive than had been       
intended when it was begun4 ,marble was 
very dear1 reasoned the thrifty and     
far-sighted ,city ,fathers of the day1  
and as the population of ,new ,york were
 never likely to settle to any extent   
above ,chambers ,street1 the rear of the
 hall would be seen so seldom that this 
economy would not be noticeable4 ,what  
is now ,fourteenth ,street was then a   
place given over to market-gardens4     
,rutgers ,street1 ,rutgers ,place1      
,henry ,street1 were fashionable        

localities1 and the adjacent quarter1   
now so malodorous and disreputable1 was 
eminently respectable4 ,freund's        
daughters1 as they left the parental    
roof for modest houses of his gift close
 by1 no doubt had reason to consider    
themselves abundantly fortunate in their
 surroundings4  ,one of these daughters1
 ,caroline ,sophia ,susanna ,henrietta  
,wilhelmina1 born in ,elberfeld on the  
#b;d of ,march1 #agif1 was still a babe 
in arms at the time of the family       
emigration4 ,she was a tall1 fair1      
handsome girl1 not long past her        
fifteenth birthday when she became a    
wife4 ,her husband1 ,john ,hecker1 was  
nearly twice her age1 having been born  
in ,wetzlar1 ,prussia1 ,may #g1 #aghb4  
,he was the son of another ,john        
,hecker1 a brewer by trade1 who married 
the daughter of a ,colonel ,schmidt4    
,both parents were natives of ,wetzlar4 
,their son learned the business of a    
machinist and brass-founder1 and        
emigrated to ,america in #ahjj4 ,he was 

married to ,caroline ,freund in the ,old
 ,dutch ,church in the ,swamp1 ,july    
#ba1 #ahaa4 ,he died in ,new ,york1 in  
the house of his eldest son1 ,july #aj1 
#ahfj4  ,events proved ,john ,hecker to 
have been equally fortunate and         
sagacious in his choice of a wife4 ,at  
the time of their marriage he was       
thrifty and well-to-do4 ,at one period  
he owned a flourishing brass-foundry in 
,hester ,street1 and during his early   
married life his prosperity was         
uninterrupted4 ,but before many years   
had passed his business declined1 and   
from one cause and another he never     
succeeded in re-establishing it4 ,this  
misfortune1 occurring while even the    
eldest of the sons was still a lad1     
might easily have proved irreparable in 
more senses than one4 ,but the very fact
 that the ordinary gates to learning    
were so soon closed against these       
children caused the natural tendency    
they had toward knowledge to impel them 
all the more strongly in that shorter   

road to practical wisdom which leads    
through labor and experience4 ,the      
,hecker brothers were all hard at work  
while still mere children1 and before   
,john1 the eldest1 had attained to legal
 manhood1 they had fixed the solid      
foundations of an enduring prosperity1  
and all need of further exertion on the 
part of their parents was over for ever4
  ,isaac ,thomas ,hecker1 the third son 
and youngest child of this couple1 was  
born in ,new ,york at a house in        
,christie ,street1 between ,grand and   
,hester1 ,december #ah1 #ahai1 when his 
mother was not yet twenty-four4 ,he     
survived her by twelve years only1 she  
dying at the residence of her eldest    
son's widow in #ahgf1 in the full       
possession of faculties which must have 
been of no common order4 ,from her1 and 
through her from ,engel ,freund1 who was
 what is called a character1 ,father    
,hecker seems to have derived many of   
his life-long peculiarities4 ,i never   
knew a son so like his mother1 writes to

 us one who had an intimate acquaintance
 with both of them for more than forty  
years4 ,she adds3  ,mrs4 ,hecker was a  
woman of great energy of character and  
strong religious nature4 ,her son1      
,father ,hecker1 inherited both of these
 traits1 and there was the warmest      
sympathy between them4 ,he was her      
youngest son1 her baby1 she called him1 
but with all her tender love she had a  
holy veneration for his character as    
priest4  ,she deeply sympathized with   
him through the trials and anxieties    
that were his in his search after truth1
 and when his heart found rest1 and the 
aspirations of his soul were answered in
 the ,holy ,catholic ,church1 her noble 
heart accepted for him what she could   
not see for herself4 ,she said to a lady
 who spoke to her on the subject and who
 could not be reconciled to the         
conversion of a daughter3 ',no1 ,i would
 not change the faith of my sons4 ,they 
have found peace and joy in the         
,catholic ,church1 and ,i would not by a

 word change their faith1 if ,i could4' 
,she had a very earnest temperament1 and
 what she did she did with all her      
heart4 ,the last years of her life she  
was a great invalid1 but from her sick  
room she did wonders4 ,family ties were 
kept warm1 and no one whom she had loved
 and known was forgotten4 ,the poor were
 ever welcome1 and came to her in       
crowds1 never leaving without help and  
consolation4 ,she had a very cheerful   
spirit1 and a bright1 pleasant1 and even
 witty word for every one4  ,but the    
strongest trait in her character was her
 deeply religious nature4 ,with the     
,catholic faith it would have found     
expression in the religious life1 as she
 sometimes said herself4 ,the faith she 
had made her most earnest and devout1   
according to her light4  ,mrs4          
,georgiana ,bruce ,kirby1 who spent a   
month at the house in ,rutgers ,street  
just after ,isaac finally returned from 
,brook ,farm1 when ,mrs4 ,hecker was in 
the prime of middle life1 speaks of her 

as a lovely and dignified character1    
full of 'humanities4' ,she was fair1    
tall1 erect1 a very superior example of 
the ,german house-mother4 ,hers was the 
controlling spirit in the house1 and her
 wise and generous influence was felt   
far beyond it4 ,she was a life-long     
,methodist1 and took me with her to a   
',love ,feast1' which ,i had never      
witnessed before4  ,to the good sense1  
good temper1 and strong religious nature
 of ,caroline ,hecker her children owed1
 and always cordially acknowledged1 a   
heavy1 and in one respect an almost     
undivided1 debt of gratitude4 ,neither  
,engel ,freund nor ,john ,hecker        
professed any religious faith4 ,the     
latter was never in the habit of        
attending any place of worship4 ,both   
were ,lutheran so far as their          
antecedents could make them so1 but     
neither seems to have practically known 
much beyond the flat negation1 or at    
best the simple disregard1 of           
,christianity to which ,protestantism   

leads more or less quickly according as 
the logical faculty is more or less     
developed in those whose minds have been
 fed upon it4 ,however1 there was       
nothing aggressive in the attitude of   
either toward religious observance4 ,the
 grandfather especially seems to have   
been a gentle sceptic1 an agnostic in   
the germ1 affirming nothing beyond the  
natural1 probably because all           
substantial ground for supernatural     
affirmations seemed to him to be cut    
away by the fundamental training        
imparted to him4 ,he was a kindly1      
virtuous1 warm-hearted man1 with a life 
of his own which made him incurious and 
thoughtful1 and singularly devoid of    
prejudices4 ,when his daughter ,caroline
 elected to desert the ,reformed ,dutch 
,church in which the family had a pew1  
and to attach herself to another sect1  
he had only a jocular word of surprise  
to say concerning her odd fancy for     
those noisy ,methodists4 ,he had a true 
,german fondness for old ways and       

settled customs1 and to the end of his  
days spoke only his own vernacular4     
,why don't you talk ,english8 somebody  
once asked him toward the close of his  
life4  ,i don't know how1 he answered4  
,i never had time to learn4  ,why1 how  
long have you been here8  ,about forty  
years4  ,forty years6 ,and isn't that   
time enough to learn ,english in8  ,what
 can one learn in forty years8 said the 
old man1 with an unanswerable twinkle4  
,between him and the youngest of his    
,hecker grandchildren there existed a   
singular sympathy and affection4 ,the   
two were very much together1 and the    
little fellow was allowed to potter     
about the workshop and encouraged to    
study the ins and outs of all that went 
on there1 as well as entertained with   
kindly talk that may at first have been 
a trifle above his years4 ,but he was a 
precocious child1 shrewd1 observant1 and
 thoughtful4 ,it was in the old         
watchmaker's shop that the boy1 not yet 
a dozen years old1 and already hard at  

work helping to earn his own living1    
conceived the plan of making a clock    
with his own hands and presenting it to 
the church attended by the family1 which
 was situated in ,forsyth ,street       
between ,walker and ,hester4 ,the clock 
was finished in due time and set up in  
the church1 where it ticked faithfully  
until the edifice was torn down1 some   
forty years later4 ,then it was returned
 to its maker in accordance with a      
promise made by the pastor when the gift
 was accepted4 ,in #ahgb the opening    
number of the third volume of ,the      
,young ,catholic contained a good       
engraving of it1 accompanied by a sketch
 descriptive of its career4 ,although   
,father ,hecker did not write the little
 story1 it is so true both to fact and  
to sentiment that we make an extract    
from it4 ,the clock hung in the ,paulist
 sacristy for about ten years4 ,then1   
for some reason1 it was taken to the    
country house of ,mr4 ,george ,hecker1  
where it was accidentally destroyed by  

fire3  ,there were points of resemblance
 in my own and my boy maker's nature4   
,in him1 regularity1 order1 and         
obedience were fixed principles2 and    
with us both1 ,time represented         
,eternity4 ,as the days of his young    
manhood came his pursuits and tastes in 
life changed4 ,deep thought took        
possession of his mind1 and with it a   
tender love for souls and a             
heart-hungriness for a further knowledge
 of what man was given a soul for1 and  
the way in which he was to save it4 ,as 
these thoughts were maturing in his mind
 ,i often noticed his troubled look4    
,one ,sunday in particular1 he lingered 
behind the congregation and stood before
 me1 with a new expression in his keen  
gray eye2 and amid the silence of the   
deserted aisles he thus apostrophized   
me3 ',farewell1 old friend6 fashioned by
 these hands1 thou representest ,truth1 
the eternal4 ,what man is ever seeking1 
through me thou hast found4 ,here ,i    
stand1 not man's but ,god's noblest     

work1 as yet not having repaid my ,maker
 with one act of duty or of service4    
,thou hast faithfully performed thy     
mission2 henceforth ,i labor to perform 
mine4' ,with a grave and sad look my boy
 maker1 now a young man1 left me4 ,i    
felt then that we had looked our last   
upon each other in this place2 but      
little did either of us dream of where1 
when1 and how we would meet again4 ,for 
thirty-five years ,i labored on         
unchanged1 though ,i must own to having 
had some ailments now and then4 ,about  
this period of my existence ,i overheard
 straggling remarks1 as the worshippers 
passed out of the church1 which led me  
to conclude that some change was        
contemplated1 and my suspicions were    
confirmed by the rector proposing from  
the pulpit the erection of a new church 
edifice in another part of the city1 to 
be fashioned after a more modern style  
of architecture4 4 4 4 ,in accordance   
with the promise made my boy maker1 ,i  
was to go back to him4 ,my heart bounded

 at the prospect4 ,never in all those   
years had ,i seen him4 4 4 4  ,in a     
short time ,i learned that the author of
 my existence1 after many hard struggles
 and trials1 had at last found truth and
 light1 peace and rest1 in the bosom of 
the ,holy ,catholic ,church4 ,he had    
returned1 when he found me1 from the    
,plenary ,council of #ahfg4 ,he is now a
 priest1 and the head of a religious    
community4 ,need ,i assure those who    
have been interested in my history that 
,i also have found a home in the same   
community1 where ,i am consecrated to   
its use8 ,i am no longer alone now2 ,i  
am busy from morning until night1       
helping to regulate the movements of the
 community4 ,there is not an hour in the
 day when ,i do not see my boy maker4   
,we have established sympathies in      
common2 ,i call him to prayers1 to his  
meals1 to his matins1 and to his rest4  
,many a time1 when he finds me alone1 he
 gives me some spiritual reading1 or    
says aloud some prayers4 ,every time ,i 

strike1 he breathes an aspiration of    
love and thanksgiving4 ,in short1 we    
have found our glorious mission in our  
new birth4 ,we are both apostles3 ,i    
represent ,time2 he preaches of         
,eternity4  ,there can be little doubt1 
however1 that the chief formative       
influence in the ,hecker household was  
that which came directly through the    
mother4 ,young as she was when an unduly
 heavy share of the domestic burdens    
fell to her portion1 she took it up with
 courage and bore it with dignity and   
fidelity4 ,what aid her father could    
give her was doubtless not lacking1 but 
we may well suppose that1 as age crept  
on ,engel ,freund1 his business began to
 slip away from him into younger hands4 
,he was probably no longer in a position
 to endow daughters or to undertake the 
education of grandchildren4 ,what is    
certain is that ,caroline ,hecker's     
boys1 after very brief school-days1 were
 put at once to hard work4 ,what decided
 their choice of an occupation is not so

 sure1 but in all probability they      
consulted with their mother and then    
took the common-sense view that as there
 is a never-failing market for food     
staples1 even poverty1 if mated with    
diligence and sagacity1 may find there a
 fair field for successful enterprise4  
,john1 the eldest1 upon whom the mother 
soon began to rely as her right hand1   
went to learn his trade as a baker with 
a ,mr4 ,schwab1 whose shop was on the   
corner of ,hester and ,eldridge         
,streets4 ,george1 who was some three or
 four years younger1 as the only girl1  
,elizabeth1 came between them1 presently
 followed his brother to the same       
business4  ,as for ,isaac1 whom hard    
necessity1 or1 more probably1 a mistaken
 thrift1 likewise forced away from      
school when not much more than ten years
 old1 his earliest ventures bear a      
curious symbolic likeness to his latest4
 ,he earned his first wages in the      
service of a religious periodical1 the  
,methodist publication still known as   

,zion's ,herald1 whose office was       
situated in ,crosby ,street near        
,broadway4 ,from there he went to learn 
a trade in the type foundry in ,great   
,thames ,street4 ,but as it was already 
apparent that the family road to        
prosperity was identical with that      
chosen by his elder brothers1 we find   
him working away beside them in the     
bake-house by the time he was eleven4   
,they had already established the bakery
 in ,rutgers ,street1 between ,monroe   
and ,cherry1 where the family lived for 
so many years4 ,they had another shop in
 ,pearl ,street1 to which ,isaac used to
 carry bread every morning4  ,this was a
 part of his life to which he was fond  
of recurring in his last years4 ,thanks 
be to ,god6 he said on the first day of 
#ahhf1 how hard we used to work         
preparing for ,new ,year's ,day6 ,three 
weeks in advance we began to bake ,new  
,year's cakes--flour1 water1 sugar1     
butter1 and caraway seeds4 ,we never    
could make enough4 ,how ,i used to work 

carrying the bread around in my baker's 
cart6 ,how often ,i got stuck in the    
gutters and in the snow6 ,sometimes some
 good soul1 seeing me unable to get     
along1 would give me a lift4 ,i began to
 work when ,i was ten and a half years  
old1 and ,i have been at it ever since4 
,and again1 a few days later1 as a poor 
woman carrying a heavy basket passed him
 in the street1 he said to the companion
 of his walk3 ,i have had the blood     
spurt out of my arm carrying bread when 
,i was a baker4 ,a lady asked me once   
for a hundred dollars to help her send  
her only son to college4 ,i answered her
 that my mother had four children and   
got along without begging1 and that ,i  
would not exchange one year of those ,i 
spent working for several at college4   
,less than a month before his death he  
fell into conversation with a newsboy on
 the corner near the ,paulist church in 
,fifty-ninth ,street4 ,it interested me 
very much1 he said afterwards4 ,i found 
out that he is one of five little       

brothers1 and their mother is a widow4  
,she is trying to bring them up1 poor   
thing6 ,it reminds me of my own mother4 
,it is plain that there could not have  
been much room for formal study in a    
life of hard physical labor1 so soon    
begun and so unremittingly continued    
during the years usually given up to    
school work4 ,an ordinary boy1 placed in
 such circumstances1 would doubtless    
have grown up ignorant and unformed4    
,but while none of the ,hecker boys was 
quite of the ordinary stamp1 ,isaac was 
distinctly sui generis and individual4  
,he has said of himself that he could   
remember no period of his life when he  
had not the consciousness of having been
 sent into the world for some especial  
purpose4 ,what it was he knew not1 but  
expectation and desire for the withheld 
knowledge kept him pondering and        
self-withdrawn4 ,once in his childhood  
he was given over for death with a bad  
attack of confluent small-pox1 and his  
mother came to his bedside to tell him  

so4 ,no1 mother1 he answered her1 ,i    
shall not die now4 ,god has a work for  
me to do in the world1 and ,i shall live
 to do it4  ,such instruction as ,isaac 
obtained before beginning to earn his   
own bread was given him in ,ward ,school
 ,no4 #g4 ,a ,dr4 ,kirby was then its   
principal1 and the time was just        
previous to the introduction of the     
present system4 ,the schools were not   
entirely free1 a small payment being    
required from the parents for each      
pupil1 to supplement the grant of public
 funds4 ,no doubt the boy1 who had an   
ardent thirst for knowledge1 regretted  
his removal from his desk more deeply   
than he was at the time willing to      
express4 ,still1 it may be questioned   
whether he ever had any natural aptitude
 for close1 continuous book-work1 at    
least on ordinary and prescribed lines4 
,he was always studying1 indeed1 as he  
sometimes said in speaking of his early 
life1 but the thoughts of other men1    
whether written or spoken1 do not seem  

to have been greatly valued by him1     
except as keys which might help him to  
unlock those mysteries of ,god and man1 
and their mutual relations1 which       
tormented him from the first4 ,he was to
 the last an indefatigable reader1 but  
yet it would be true to say that he was 
never either a student or a scholar in  
the ordinary sense4 ,it is a curious    
question as to how a thorough education 
might have modified ,father ,hecker4 ,it
 is possible--nay1 as the reader may be 
inclined to believe with us as the story
 of his inner life goes on1 it is even  
probable--that the more he was taught by
 ,god the less he was able to receive   
from men4  ,it is certain1 however1 that
 he seriously regretted and soon set    
himself to rectify the deficiencies of  
his early training4 ,this was one of the
 reasons which took him to ,brook ,farm4
 ,in the first entry of the earliest of 
his diaries which has been preserved he 
thus speaks of his hidden longing after 
knowledge4 ,he was twenty-three when    

these sentences were written1 and he had
 been at ,brook ,farm for several       
months3  ,if ,i cast a glance upon a few
 years of my past life1 it appears to me
 mysteriously incomprehensible that ,i  
should be where ,i am now4 ,i confess   
sincerely that1 although ,i have never  
labored for it1 still1 something in me  
always dreamed of it4 ,once1 when ,i was
 lying on the floor1 my mother said to  
my brother ,john1 without anything      
previously being spoken on the subject1 
and suddenly1 in a kind of unconscious  
speech1 ',john1 let ,isaac go to college
 and study4' ,these words went through  
me like liquid fire4 ,he made some      
evasive answer and there it ended4      
,although to study has always been the  
secret desire of my heart from my youth1
 ,i never felt inclined to open my mind 
to any one on the subject4 ,and now ,i  
find1 after a long time1 that ,i have   
been led here as strangely as possible4 
,his childhood seems to have been a     
serious one4 ,in recurring to it in     

later life1 as he often did1 he never   
spoke of any games or sports in which he
 had shared1 nor1 in fact1 of any       
amusements before the time when he began
 to attend lectures and the theatre4 ,it
 was the childhood of what we call in   
,america a self-made man--one in which  
the plastic human material is rudely    
dealt with by circumstances4 ,his mother
 taught him his prayers1 the            
schoolmistress his letters1 necessity   
his daily round of duties1 and for the  
rest he was left very much to himself   
and to that interior ,master of whose   
stress and constraint upon him he grew  
more intimately conscious as he grew in 
years4 ,the force of this inward        
pressure showed itself in many ways4    
,outwardly it made his manner           
undemonstrative1 and fixed an intangible
 yet very real barrier between him and  
his kindred1 even when the affection    
that existed was extremely close and    
tender4 ,from infancy he exhibited that 
repugnance to touching or being touched 

by any one which marked him to the end4 
,even his mother refrained from         
embracing him1 knowing this singular    
aversion4 ,she would stroke his face1   
instead1 when she was pleased with him1 
and say1 ,that is my kiss for you1 my   
son4  ,the mutual respect for each      
other's personalities shown in this     
closest of human relations was          
characteristic of the entire family1 as 
will be seen later1 when the nature of  
the business connections between ,isaac 
and his brothers has to be considered4  
,far from weakening the natural ties1 or
 impairing their proper influence1 it   
seems to have strengthened and perfected
 them4 ,asked once towards the close of 
his life how it was that he had never   
used tobacco in any form1 he answered3  
,mother forbade it1 and that was enough 
for ,george and me4 ,i was never ruled  
in any way but by her affection4 ,that  
was sufficient4 ,the parallel fact that 
he never in his life drank a drop of    
liquor at a bar or at any public place  

was probably due to a similar           
injunction4 ,the children were brought  
up1 too1 with exceedingly strict ideas  
about lying and stealing1 and all petty 
vices4 ,throughout the family there     
prevailed an extreme severity on such   
faults4 ,i have never forgotten1 said   
,father ,hecker1 the furious anger of an
 aunt of mine and the violent beating   
she gave one of my cousins for stealing 
a cent from her drawer4 ,that training  
has had a great and lasting effect upon 
my character4  ,in such antecedents and 
surroundings it is easy to see the      
source of that abiding confidence in    
human nature1 and that love for the     
natural virtues which marked ,father    
,hecker's whole career4 ,they had kept  
his own youth pure4 ,he had been        
baptized in infancy1 however1 as the    
children of orthodox ,protestants more  
commonly were at that period than at    
present1 and in all probability validly1
 so that one could never positively say 
that nature in him had ever been unaided

 by grace in any particular instance4   
,it is the conviction of those who knew 
him best that he had never been guilty  
of deliberate mortal sin4 ,one of these 
writes3  ,during all the intimate hours 
,i spent with him1 speaking of his past 
life he ever once said that he had been 
a sinner in a sense to convey the idea  
of mortal sin4 ,and on the other hand he
 said much to the contrary2 so much as  
to leave no manner of doubt on my mind  
that he had kept his baptismal          
innocence4 ,he was deeply attached to an
 edifying and religious mother2 he was  
at hard work before the dawn of sensual 
passion1 and his recreation1 even as a  
boy1 was in talking and reading about   
deep social and philosophical questions1
 and listening to others on the same    
themes4 ,he expressly told me that he   
had never used drink in excess1 and that
 he had never sinned against purity1    
never was profane1 never told a lie2 and
 he certainly never was dishonest4  ,the
 influence of his mother was of the most

 powerful kind4 ,he told me that the    
severest punishment she ever inflicted  
on him was once or twice 7once only1 ,i 
am pretty sure7 to tell him that she was
 angry with him2 and this so distressed 
him that he was utterly miserable1 sat  
down on the floor completely overcome1  
and so remained till she after a time   
relented and restored him to favor4     
,such a relationship is quite           
instructive in reference to the original
 innocence of his life4       ,,chapter 
,,ii  ,,youth  ,it has been said        
already1 in speaking of ,father         
,hecker's childhood1 that he had been   
consciously under the influence of      
supernatural impressions from a very    
early period4 ,it seems probable1       
therefore1 that at least during the few 
years which preceded his juvenile plunge
 into politics he must have been devout 
and prayerful1 though doubtless in his  
own spontaneous way4 ,such were his     
mother's characteristics1 and we find   
her son writing to her1 when his        

aspirations after the perfect life had  
led him to the threshold of the church1 
that she1 of all persons1 ought most to 
sympathize with him1 for he is about    
doing that which will aid him to be what
 she has always desired to see him4 ,but
 his devotions probably bore small      
resemblance to those of the ordinary    
religiously minded boy1 either ,catholic
 or ,protestant4 ,he has said that often
 at night1 when lying on the shavings   
before the oven in the bake-house1 he   
would start up1 roused in spite of      
himself by some great thought1 and run  
out upon the wharves to look at the     
,east ,river in the moonlight1 or wander
 about under the spell of some          
resistless aspiration4 ,what does ,god  
desire from me8 ,how shall ,i attain    
unto ,him8 ,what is it ,he has sent me  
into the world to do8 ,these were the   
ceaseless questions of a heart that     
rested1 meanwhile1 in an unshaken       
confidence that time would bring the    
answer4  ,but these were early days1    

days when the influence of his mother1  
never wholly shaken off1 was still      
dominant and pervasive in all that      
concerned him4 ,there came a period1    
however1 beginning in all likelihood    
about his fourteenth1 and lasting until 
his twentieth year or thereabouts1 in   
which he certainly lost hold on all     
distinctively ,christian doctrines4     
,with such a mind as his1 and such a    
training1 this was almost inevitable4   
,his intellect1 while it hungered       
incessantly after supernatural truth1   
kept nevertheless a persistent hold upon
 the verities of the natural order1 and 
could not rest until it had synthetized 
them into a coherent whole4 ,that was   
his life-long characteristic4 ,during   
the years of painful ill health which   
preceded his death1 he often said that  
he was unlike the ,celt1 who takes to   
the supernatural as if by instinct4 ,but
 ,i am a ,saxon and cling to the earthy 
he would say2 ,i want an explicit and   
satisfactory reason why any innocent    

pleasure should not be enjoyed4 ,he     
attributed this to his racial           
peculiarities4 ,others may differ with  
him and credit it to his nature1 taken  
in its human and rational integrity4    
,furthermore1 he was always singularly  
independent and self-poised4 ,he could  
not endure being hindered of anything   
that was his1 except by an authority    
which had legitimated to his            
intelligence its right to command4 ,he  
could obey that readily and entirely1 as
 his life from infancy clearly          
witnesses2 but he never knew a merely   
arbitrary master4  ,such a nature1 fed  
on the mingled truth and error          
characteristic of orthodox              
,protestantism1 was certain to reject it
 sooner or later1 impelled by hunger for
 the whole ,divine gift of which that   
teaching contains fragments only4 ,the  
soul of ,isaac ,hecker was one athirst  
for ,god from the first dawn of its     
conscious being4 ,upon ,him1 its        
,creator and ,source1 it never lost     

hold1 and never ceased to cry out for   
,him with longing and aspiration1 even  
during that bitter and protracted period
 of his youth when his mind1 entangled  
in the maze of philosophic subjectivism1
 seemed in danger of rejecting theism   
altogether4 ,but the underpinning of his
 faith1 so far as that professed to be  
,christian and to come by hearing--to   
have an intellectual basis1 that        
is--began to slip away almost as soon as
 he left his mother's knee4 ,it is      
possible that very little stress was    
ever laid upon distinctively ,christian 
doctrines in her teaching4 ,to adore    
,god the ,creator1 to listen to ,his    
voice in conscience1 to live honestly   
and purely as in ,his sight--the        
heritage she transmitted to him probably
 contained little more than this4 ,like 
most others reared in heresy who        
afterwards attain to the true knowledge 
of the ,incarnation1 he had to seek for 
it with almost as great travail of mind 
as if he had been born a pagan4 ,it     

cannot be too strongly insisted on1     
however1 that his struggles were merely 
intellectual1 and1 when they began to   
take a definite turn1 shaped themselves 
into the natural result of a metaphysic 
as repugnant to common sense as it is to
 ,christian philosophy4 ,to this fact1  
so important in certain of its bearings1
 we have ample testimony in the private 
diaries kept before his conversion1 from
 which we shall make extracts later on4 
,they find a later confirmation in some 
most interesting memoranda1 jotted down1
 after conversation with him at         
intervals during the last years of his  
life1 by one whom he admitted to an     
unusually close intimacy4 ,he was always
 singularly reserved concerning matters 
purely personal2 his confidences1 when  
they touched his own soul1 seldom seemed
 entirely voluntary1 and were quickly   
checked4 ,occasionally they were taken  
by surprise1 as when the course of talk 
insensibly turned toward internal ways2 
and again they were deliberately angled 

for with a hook so well concealed that  
it secured a prize before he was aware4 
,from these notes we shall here make a  
few quotations bearing on the point made
 above--i4e41 that his difficulties     
prior to his entrance into the church   
were neither moral nor spiritual1 but   
intellectual4 ,of him1 if of any man1 it
 was always true that his heart was     
naturally ,christian4 ,the first of     
these extracts1 bearing as it does on a 
topic constantly in his thoughts1       
affords a good enough example of what   
was meant in saying that his confidences
 were sometimes taken by surprise3      
,there are some for whom the predominant
 influence is the external one1         
authority1 example1 precept1 and the    
like4 ,others in whose lives the        
interior action of the ,holy ,spirit    
predominates4 ,in my case1 from my      
childhood ,god influenced me by an      
interior light and by the interior touch
 of ,his ,holy ,spirit4  ,at another    
time he said3  ,while ,i was a youth1   

and in early manhood1 ,i was preserved  
from certain sins and certain occasions 
of sin1 in a way that was peculiar and  
remarkable4 ,i was also at the same     
time1 and1 indeed1 all the time1        
conscious that ,god was preserving me   
innocent with a view to some future     
providence4 ,mind1 all this was long    
before ,i came into the church4  ,and   
again3  ,many a time before my          
conversion ,god gave me grace to weep   
over those words3 ',and all those who   
love ,his coming4' ,i did not believe in
 ,his coming1 but ,i loved it honestly  
and longed to believe it4 ,i had learned
 much of the ,bible from my mother and  
had read it often and much myself4      
,this consciously supernatural character
 of his inner life from the first1      
should be kept closely united in the    
reader's mind with that other idea of   
his adhesion to guileless nature which  
was such a favorite theme with ,father  
,hecker4 ,no one could be more emphatic 
than he in asserting the necessity of   

the supernatural for the attainment of  
man's destiny4 ,how could it be         
otherwise1 when he considered that      
destiny to be the elevation of man above
 all good merely human1 and by means far
 beyond the compass of his natural      
powers8 ,still1 this was undoubtedly a  
conclusion of his riper years1 a result 
arrived at after a certain intense if   
not very prolonged experience in        
contemporary ,utopias1 in futile        
endeavors to raise man above his own    
level while remaining on it1 whether by 
socialistic schemes or social politics4 
,in an article called ,dr4 ,brownson and
 the ,workingman's ,party ,fifty ,years 
,ago1 published in ,the ,catholic ,world
 of ,may1 #ahhg1 ,father ,hecker has    
himself made some interesting references
 to his experiences in the latter field1
 and upon these we shall draw heavily   
for our own account of this period of   
his life1 supplementing them with       
whatever bears upon the subject in the  
memoranda already referred to4          

,concerning the inception of this party1
 to which all three of the young        
,heckers belonged in #ahcd1 we have a   
better statement in ,dr4 ,brownson's    
,convert than we know of elsewhere4     
,brownson was for a time actively       
interested in it1 and in #ahbi          
established a journal in support of its 
principles somewhere in ,western ,new   
,york4 ,from him we learn that it was   
started in #ahbh by ,robert ,dale ,owen1
 ,robert ,l4 ,jennings1 ,george ,h4     
,evans1 ,fanny ,wright1 and a few other 
doctrinaires1 foreign-born without      
exception1 in the hope of getting       
control of political power so as to use 
it for establishing purely secular      
schools4 ,their advocacy of             
anti-,christian and free-love doctrines 
had so signally failed among adult      
,americans that the slower but surer    
method of educating the children of the 
country without religion had dawned upon
 them as more certain to succeed4  ,we  
hoped1 writes ,dr4 ,brownson1 by linking

 our cause with the ultra-democratic    
sentiment of the country1 which had had 
from the time of ,jefferson and ,tom    
,paine something of an anti-,christian  
character2 by professing ourselves the  
bold and uncompromising champions of    
equality2 by expressing a great love for
 the people and a deep sympathy with the
 laborer1 whom we represented as        
defrauded and oppressed by his employer2
 by denouncing all proprietors as       
aristocrats1 and by keeping the more    
unpopular features of our plan as far in
 the background as possible1 to enlist  
the majority of the ,american people    
under the banner of the ,workingman's   
party2 nothing doubting that1 if we     
could once raise that party to power1 we
 could use it to secure the adoption of 
our educational system4  ,this party1   
however1 both as an engine in politics  
and as a fitting embodiment of his      
private views1 ,dr4 ,brownson soon      
abandoned4 ,he was not truly radical1 in
 the evil sense of that word1 at any    

period of his career1 and the theories  
of the leaders soon became insupportable
 to his moral sense4 ,but he remained   
true to the cause of the workingmen     
while abandoning the organization which 
assumed to voice their needs and their  
wishes4 ,probably these more ulterior   
aims of their leaders were never fully  
appreciated by the rank and file of     
those who followed them4 ,yet the       
genesis of the present purely secular   
school system1 against whose workings   
and results nearly all ,christian       
denominations are too late beginning to 
protest1 is clearly traceable to the    
propaganda carried on half a century ago
 by men and women whose only half-veiled
 warfare against ,christianity1         
property1 and marriage was then an      
offence in the nostrils of our people at
 large4 ,it is fair to predict that this
 generation1 or another which shall     
succeed it1 will yet have the good sense
 to regret1 and the courage to atone    
for1 the fact that hatred to the        

,catholic ,church1 and a desire to      
cripple her hands where her own children
 were concerned1 should have been a more
 powerful agent in dragging them and    
theirs into the abyss of secularism than
 was their love of ,christianity in     
deterring them from it4  ,father        
,hecker's account of his own youthful   
connection with the ,workingman's       
,democracy1 although written with the   
direct intention of placing his estimate
 of ,dr4 ,brownson on record1 has too   
many strictly autobiographic touches in 
it to be here omitted4 ,such passages1  
bearing on long past personal history1  
are fewer than we could wish them among 
his papers1 published or unpublished4   
,the five articles on ,dr4 ,brownson1   
beginning in ,the ,catholic ,world of   
,april1 #ahhg1 and concluding in        
,november of the same year1 contain     
almost the only matters relative to his 
personal history which he ever put into 
print4 ,concerning the party1 of which  
,dr4 ,brownson says that he had ceased  

to be a recognized leader at this time1 
although he still threw his influence as
 a speaker into all its projects for    
social reform1 ,father ,hecker writes3  
,we called ourselves the genuine        
,democracy1 and in ,new ,york ,city were
 for some years a separate political    
body1 independent of the 'regular'      
,democracy1 and voting our own ticket4  
,i have before me the files of our      
newspaper organ1 the ,democrat1 the     
first number of which appeared ,march   
#i1 #ahcf1 published by ,windt  ,conrad1
 #aa ,frankfort ,street4 ,in its        
prospectus the ,democrat promises to    
contend for ',equality of ,rights1 often
 trampled in the dust by ,monopoly      
,democrats1' to battle 'with an         
aristocratic opposition powerful in     
talent and official entrenchment1 and   
mighty in money and facilities for      
corruption4' ',in the course of this    
duty it will not fail fearlessly and    
fully to assert the inalienable rights  
of the people' against 'vested rights'  

and 'vested wrongs4' ,it claims to be   
the 'instructive companion' of the      
mechanics' and workingmen's leisure1    
'the promotion of whose interests will  
ever form a leading feature of the      
,democrat4' ,and in the editorial       
salutatory it speaks thus3  ',we are in 
favor of government by the people4 ,our 
objects are the restoration of equal    
rights and the prostration of those     
aristocratical usurpations existing in  
the state of monopolies and exclusive   
privileges of every kind1 the products  
of corrupt and corrupting legislation4 4
 4 4 ,at this moment we are the only    
large nation on the face of the earth   
where the mass of the people govern in  
theory--where they may govern in        
reality1 if they will--where the real   
taxes of government1 although too heavy1
 are but trifling1 and where a majority 
of the population depend on their own   
labor for support2 yet such is the      
condition of that large class that the  
fruits of their toil are inadequate to  

sustain themselves in comfort and rear  
their families as the young citizens of 
a republic ought to be reared4  '4 4 4  
,he is very shortsighted1 however1 who  
thinks that a majority of the people1   
where universal suffrage exists1 will   
submit long to a state of toil and      
mendicity4 ,the majority would soon     
learn to exercise its political rights1 
and command its representatives to carry
 the laws abolishing primogeniture and  
entails one step further1 and stop all  
devises of land and prohibit it from    
being an article of sale4 7,in a        
foot-note of the editorial37 ,we        
actually heard these and several such   
propositions discussed by a number of   
apparently very intelligent mechanics1  
after the adjournment of a meeting      
called to consider the subject of wages1
 rents1 etc4'  ,at that time the main   
question was the condition of the public
 finances1 and our agitation was        
directed chiefly against granting       
charters to private banks of            

circulation4 ,we condemned these as     
monopolies1 for we were hostile to all  
monopolies--that is to say1 to the use  
of public funds or the enjoyment of     
public exclusive privileges by any man  
or association or class of men for their
 private profit4  ,we interrupt our     
direct quotation from this article in   
order to relate one of the humors of the
 period1 so far as these brothers were  
concerned1 in the words of the late ,mr4
 ,george ,hecker3  ,when we were bakers 
the money in common use was the         
old-fashioned paper issued by private   
banks under ,state charters4 ,we were   
regularly against it4 ,so we bought a   
hand printing-press and set it up in the
 garret of our establishment4 ,all the  
bills we received from our customers1   
some thousands sometimes every week1 we 
smoothed out and put in a pile1 and then
 printed on their backs a saying we took
 from ,daniel ,webster 7though ,i       
believe it was not quite authentic73    
',of all the contrivances to impoverish 

the laboring classes of mankind1 paper  
money is the most effective4 ,it        
fertilizes the rich man's field with the
 poor man's sweat4' ,they tried to      
punish us for defacing money1 but we    
beat them4 ,we didn't deface it2 we only
 printed something on the back of it4   
,isaac and ,i often worked all night    
putting up handbills for our meetings1  
for in those days there were no         
professional bill-posters4  ,father'    
,hecker's acquaintance with ,dr4        
,brownson1 which had so powerful an     
effect upon his future career1 began in 
#ahcd1 when ,brownson was invited to    
lecture in ,new ,york in favor of the   
principles and aims of this party4      
,isaac was then in his fifteenth year4  
,among the conversations recorded in the
 memoranda we find this reference to    
their earliest interview3  ,i first met 
,dr4 ,brownson in ,new ,york1 in our    
house4 ,i was then reading the          
,washington ,globe1 ,benton's speeches1 
,calhoun's1 etc4 ,the elder ,blair was  

its editor2 its motto was1 ',the world  
is governed too much'--a motto in whose 
spirit there could be no great movement 
except in the way of revolution4 ,after 
the establishment of the ,american      
,government the principle expressed in  
that motto could only be abandoned or   
pushed into revolution and anarchy4  ,i 
put this question to ,brownson3 ',how   
can ,i become certain of the objective  
reality of the operations of my soul8'  
,he answered3 ',if you have not yet     
reached that period of mental life1 you 
will do so before many years4'  ,it is a
 great humiliation for me to admit that 
,i was ever in a state in which ,i      
doubted the actual validity of the      
testimony of my own faculties1 and the  
reality of the phenomena of my mental   
existence4 ,i had begun my mental life  
in politics1 and in a certain sense in  
religion2 but to my philosophical life  
,i was yet unborn4  ,in the article on  
the ,workingman's ,party1 already quoted
 from1 ,father ,hecker1 after mentioning

 that ,dr4 ,brownson continued to       
lecture before the ,new ,york members of
 the party for several years1 goes on as
 follows3  ,if it be asked why a man    
like ,dr4 ,brownson1 a born philosopher1
 should have thus busied himself with   
the solution of the most practical of   
problems by undertaking to abolish      
inequality among men1 the answer is     
plain4 ,the true philosopher will not   
confine himself to abstract theories4   
,but1 furthermore1 ,brownson at this    
epoch of his life had lost his grip on  
the philosophy that leads men to trust  
in a supernatural happiness to be       
enjoyed in a future state2 and the man  
who does not look to the hope of a      
future state of beatitude for the chief 
solace of human misery must look to this
 life as its end4 ,if a man does not    
seek beatitude in ,god he seeks it in   
himself and his fellow-men--in the      
highest earthly development of our      
better nature if he becomes a socialist 
of one school1 and in the lusts of the  

animal man if he becomes a socialist of 
the brutal school4 ,the man who has any 
sympathy in his heart and is not guided 
by ,catholic ethics1 if he reasons at   
all on public affairs1 will become a    
socialist of some school or other4 ,says
 ,dr4 ,brownson in ,the ,convert1 p4    
#aja3  ,the end of man1 as disclosed by 
my creed of #ahbi1 is obviously an      
earthly end1 to be attained in this     
life4 ,man was not made for ,god1 and   
destined to find his beatitude in the   
possession of ,god his ,supreme ,good1  
the ,supreme ,good itself4 ,his end was 
happiness--not happiness in ,god1 but in
 the possession of the good things of   
this world4 ,our ,lord had said1 ',be   
not anxious as to what ye shall eat1 or 
what ye shall drink1 or wherewithal ye  
shall be clothed2 for after all these   
things do the heathen seek4' ,i gave    
,him a flat denial1 and said1 ,be       
anxious2 labor especially for these     
things1 first for yourselves1 then for  
others4 ,enlarging1 however1 my views a 

little1 ,i said1 ,man's end for which he
 is to labor is the well-being and      
happiness of man in this world--is to   
develop man's whole nature1 and so to   
organize society and government as to   
secure all men a paradise on the earth4 
,this view of the end to labor for ,i   
held steadily and without wavering from 
#ahbh till #ahdb1 when ,i began to find 
myself tending unconsciously towards the
 ,catholic ,church4'  ,the reader will  
have seen by the extracts given that we 
were a party full of enthusiasm4 ,i was 
but fifteen when our party called ,dr4  
,brownson to deliver the lectures above 
mentioned4 ,but my brothers and ,i had  
long been playing men's parts in        
politics4 ,i remember when eleven years 
of age1 or a year or two older1 being   
tall for my years1 proposing and        
carrying through a series of resolutions
 on the currency question at our ward   
meetings4 ,as our name indicates--      
',workingman's ,democracy'--we were a   
kind of ,democrats4 ,as to the ,whig    

party1 it received no great attention   
from us4 ,at that time its chances of   
getting control of this ,state or of the
 ,united ,states were remote4 ,our      
biggest fight was against the 'usages of
 the party' as in vogue in the so-called
 regular ,democracy embodied in the     
,tammany ,hall party4 ,this organization
 undertook to absorb us when we had     
grown too powerful to be ignored4 ,they 
nominated a legislative ticket made up  
half of their men and half of ours4     
,this move was to a great extent        
successful2 but many of us who were     
purists refused to compromise1 and ran a
 stump ticket1 or1 as it was then       
called1 a rump ticket4 ,i was too young 
to vote1 but ,i remember my brother     
,george and ,i posting political        
handbills at three o'clock in the       
morning2 this hour was not so           
inconvenient for us1 for we were bakers4
 ,we also worked hard on election day1  
keeping up and supplying the ticket     
booths1 especially in our own ward1 the 

old ,seventh4 ,i remember that one of   
our leaders was a shoemaker named ,john 
,ryker1 and that we used to meet in     
,science ,hall1 ,broome ,street4  ,if   
this was the high state of my           
enthusiasm1 so was it that of us all4   
,our political faith was ardent and     
active4 ,but if we had been tested on   
our religious faith we should not have  
come off creditably2 many of us had not 
any religion at all4 ,i remember saying 
once to my brother ,john that the only  
difference between a believer and an    
infidel is a few ounces of brains4 4 4 4
 ,we were a queer set of cranks when    
,dr4 ,brownson brought to us his        
powerful and eloquent advocacy1 his     
contribution of mingled truth and error4
 ,he delivered his first course of      
lectures in the old ,stuyvesant         
,institute in ,broadway1 facing ,bond   
,street--the same hall used a little    
afterwards by the ,unitarian ,society   
while they were building a church for   
,mr4 ,dewey in ,broadway opposite       

,eighth ,street1 the very same society  
now established in ,lexington ,avenue1  
with ,mr4 ,collyer as minister4 ,the    
subsequent courses were delivered in    
,clinton ,hall1 corner of ,nassau and   
,beekman1 the site now occupied by one  
of our modern mammoth buildings4 ,i     
forget how much we were charged         
admission1 except that a ticket for the 
whole course cost three dollars4 ,there 
was no great rush1 but the lectures drew
 well and abundantly paid all expenses  
including the lecturer's fee4 ,the press
 did not take much notice of the        
lectures1 for the ,workingman's party   
had no newspapers expressly in its      
favor1 except the one ,i have already   
quoted from4 ,but he was one of the few 
men whose power is great enough to      
advertise itself4 ,wherever he was he   
was felt4 ,his tread was heavy and he   
could make way for himself4  ,dr4       
,brownson was then in the very prime of 
manhood4 ,he was a handsome man1 tall1  
stately1 and of grave manners4 ,his face

 was clean-shaved4 ,the first likeness  
of him that ,i remember appeared in the 
,democratic ,review4 ,it made him look  
like ,proudhon1 the ,french ,socialist4 
,this was all the more singular because 
at that time he was really the ,american
 ,proudhon1 though he never went so far 
as ',la propriete1 c'est le vol4' ,as he
 appeared on the platform and received  
our greeting he was indeed a majestic   
man1 displaying in his demeanor the     
power of a mind altogether above the    
ordinary4 ,but he was essentially a     
philosopher1 and that means that he     
could never be what is called popular4  
,he was an interesting speaker1 but he  
never sought popularity4 ,he never      
seemed to care much about the reception 
his words received1 but he exhibited    
anxiety to get his thoughts rightly     
expressed and to leave no doubt about   
what his convictions were4 ,yet among a 
limited class of minds he always        
awakened real enthusiasm--among minds1  
that is1 of a philosophical tendency4   

,he never used manuscript or notes2 he  
was familiar with his topic1 and his    
thoughts flowed out spontaneously in    
good1 pure1 strong1 forcible ,english4  
,he could control any reasonable mind1  
for he was a man of great thoughts and  
never without some grand truth to       
impart4 ,but to stir the emotions was   
not in his power1 though he sometimes   
attempted it2 he never succeeded in     
being really pathetic4  ,it must be     
remembered that although ,dr4 ,brownson 
was technically classed among the       
reverends1 he was not commonly so       
called4 ,it may be said that he was     
still reckoned among the ,unitarian     
ministry1 owing mostly to his connection
 with ,dr4 ,channing1 of ,boston1 who   
took a great interest in the            
,workingman's party4 ,but ,i do not     
think he was advertised by us as        
reverend or publicly spoken of as a     
clergyman4 ,he may have been yet hanging
 on the skirts of the ,unitarian        
movement4 ,but his career had become    

political1 and his errand to ,new ,york 
was political4 ,he had given up         
preaching for some years1 and embarked  
on the stormy waves of social politics1 
and had by his writings become an       
expositor of various theories of social 
reform1 chiefly those of ,french origin4
 ,so that the dominant note of his      
lectures was not by any means religious1
 but political4 ,he was at that time    
considered as identified with the       
,workingman's party1 and came to ,new   
,york to speak as one of our leaders4   
,the general trend of his lectures was  
the philosophy of history as it bears on
 questions of social reform4 ,at bottom 
his theories were ,saint-,simonism1 the 
object being the amelioration of the    
condition of the most numerous classes  
of society in the speediest manner4     
,this was the essence to our kind of    
,democracy4 ,and ,dr4 ,brownson         
undertook in these lectures to bring to 
bear in favor of our purpose the        
life-lessons of the providential men of 

human history4 ,of course1 the life and 
teachings of our ,saviour ,jesus ,christ
 were brought into use1 and the upshot  
of the lecturer's thesis was that       
,christ was the big ,democrat and the   
,gospel was the true ,democratic        
platform6  ,we interpreted ,christianity
 as altogether a social institution1 its
 social side entirely overlapping and   
hiding the religious4 ,dr4 ,brownson set
 out to make1 and did make1 a powerful  
presentation of our ,lord as the        
representative of the ,democratic side  
of civilization4 ,for ,his person and   
office he and all of us had a profound  
appreciation and sympathy1 but it was   
not reverential or religious2 the       
religious side of ,christ's mission was 
ignored4 ,christ was a social ,democrat1
 ,dr4 ,brownson maintained1 and he and  
many of us had no other religion but the
 social theories we drew from ,christ's 
life and teaching2 that was the meaning 
of ,christianity to us1 and of          
,protestantism especially4  ,in penning 

the reminiscences just given ,father    
,hecker probably had in mind the whole  
period lying between his fourteenth year
 and his twenty-first4 ,in the autumn of
 #ahcd1 when he first made acquaintance 
with ,orestes ,brownson1 ,isaac ,hecker 
was not yet fifteen1 while the reform   
lecturer was in his early thirties4 ,but
 the boy who began at once1 as he has   
told us1 to put philosophical questions1
 and to seek a test whereby to determine
 the validity of his mental processes1  
was already well known to the voters of 
his ward1 not merely as an overgrown and
 very active lad1 always on hand at the 
polling booths1 and ready for any work  
which might be entrusted to a boy1 but  
also as a clear and persuasive speaker  
on various topics of social and         
political reform4  ,politics of the kind
 into which the young ,heckers threw    
themselves so ardently were not very    
different in their methods fifty years  
ago from what they are to-day4 ,reform  
politics are always the reverse of what 

are called machine politics4 ,the       
meetings of which ,father ,hecker speaks
 were spontaneous gatherings of         
determined and earnest men1 young and   
old1 held sometimes in public halls1    
sometimes1 when elections were close at 
hand1 in the open street4 ,often they   
were dominated by leaders better able to
 formulate theories than to bring about 
practical remedial measures4 ,the       
inception of all great parties has      
something of this character4 ,it        
generally happens that principles are   
dwelt upon with an exclusive devotion   
more or less prejudicial to immediate   
practical ends4 ,this is why young men1 
and even striplings1 provided they are  
energetic and persuasive1 will be       
listened to with attention at such eras4
 ,men are seeking for enlightenment1 and
 hence views are taken for what they    
seem to be worth rather than out of     
respect for the source they spring from4
 ,imagine1 then1 this tall1 fair1       
strong-faced boy of fourteen1 mounted1  

perhaps1 on one of his own              
flour-barrels1 dogmatizing the          
principles of social democracy1 posing  
as a spontaneous political reformer     
before a crowded street full of men     
twice and thrice his years1 but bound   
together with him by the sympathies     
common to the wage-earning classes4 ,it 
is true that ,isaac ,hecker and his     
brothers1 of whom the eldest had but    
recently attained to the dignity of a   
voter1 although still poor and          
hard-working1 had already1 by virtue of 
sheer industry and pluck1 passed over to
 the class of wage-payers4 ,but they    
were not less ardent reformers after    
than before that transition4 ,isaac at  
all events1 was consistent and unchanged
 throughout his life in the political   
principles he adopted among the         
apprentices and journeymen of ,new ,york
 over half a century ago4 ,there was    
little room for vulgar self-conceit in a
 nature so frank and sincere as his4    
,what he had to learn1 as well as what  

he had to teach1 always dwarfed merely  
personal considerations to their        
narrowest dimensions in his mind4 ,hence
 his impulsive candor1 the clearness of 
his views1 and the straightforward      
simplicity of his speech at once        
attracted notice1 and although so young1
 he went speedily to the front in the   
local management of his party4 ,in the  
article already quoted from1 he tells us
 that after #ahcd the managers left all 
future engagements of lecturers to his  
brother ,john and himself4 ,it was      
doubtless this fact which led directly  
to that lasting and fruitful intimacy   
with ,dr4 ,brownson which then began4   
,his was the strongest purely human     
influence1 if we except his mother's1   
which ,isaac ,hecker ever knew4 ,and    
these two were on planes so different   
that it is hardly fair to compare them  
with each other4       ,,chapter ,,iii  
,,the ,,turning-,,point  ,a ,,brief     
consideration at this point of a certain
 permanent tendency of ,father ,hecker's

 mind will be of present and future     
value to the student of his life4 ,it   
has been said already that he never     
changed the principles he had adopted as
 a lad among the apprentices and        
journeymen of ,new ,york2 principles    
which1 for all social politics1 he      
summarized in the homely expression1 ,i 
am always for the under dog4 ,thus1 in  
the article quoted in the preceding     
chapter1 he had the right to say of     
himself and his associates3  ,we were   
guileless men absorbed in seeking a     
solution for the problems of life4 ,nor1
 as social reformers at least1 were we  
given over to theories altogether wrong4
 ,the constant recurrence of similar    
epochs of social agitation since then1  
and the present enormous development of 
the monopolies which we resisted in     
their very infancy1 show that our       
forecast of the future was not wholly   
visionary4 ,the ominous outlook of      
popular politics at the present moment  
plainly shows that legislation such as  

we then proposed1 and such as was then  
within the easy reach of ,state and     
national authority1 would have          
forestalled difficulties whose          
settlement at this day threatens a      
dangerous disturbance of public order4  
,we dwell on his political consistency1 
however1 only because it affords an     
evidence of that unity of character     
which was always recognized in ,father  
,hecker by those who knew him best4     
,change in him1 in whatever direction it
 seemed to proceed1 meant primarily the 
dropping off of accidental excrescences4
 ,there was nothing radical in it4 ,what
 he once held with the settled          
allegiance of his intelligence he held  
always1 adding to or developing it      
further as fast as the clouds were blown
 away from his mental horizon4 ,from the
 standpoint of personal experience he   
could fairly criticise1 as he did in    
conversation some few years before his  
death1 ,cardinal ,newman's dictum that  
conversion is a leap in the dark4 ,i    

say1 he went on1 that it is a leap in   
the light4 ,into the light1 but through 
the dark1 was suggested in reply4  ,no1 
he answered4 ,if one arrives at a       
recognition of the truth of ,catholic   
doctrine through one or other form of   
,protestant orthodoxy1 then the         
difficulties of ordinary controversy    
will indeed leave him to the very end in
 the dark4 ,but if he comes to the      
,church through the working and the     
results of natural reason1 it is light  
all the way1 and to the very end4 ,i had
 this out with ,cardinal ,newman        
personally1 and he agreed that ,i was   
right4  ,it is true that his views were 
rectified when he entered the ,church1  
and that when once in it he was ever    
acquiring new truth and new views of    
truth4 ,but his character never changed4
 ,he was a luminous example of the truth
 of the saying that the child is father 
to the man1 so often apparently         
falsified by experience4 ,boy and man1  
the prominent characteristic of his mind

 was a clear perception of fundamentals 
and a disregard of non-essentials in the
 whole domain of life4 ,to reverse a    
familiar maxim1 ,take care of the       
dollars and the cents will take care of 
themselves1 might describe his plan of  
mental economy4 ,to the small coin of   
discussion in any field of inquiry he   
paid little attention4 ,one who knew him
 many years has often heard him say1    
,emphasize the universal always4  ,he   
was a teacher by natural vocation4 ,no  
sooner was he satisfied that he knew    
anything of general moment than he felt 
pressed to impart his knowledge4        
,contact with him could never be simply 
for acquaintance' sake2 still less for  
an idle comparison of views4 ,while no  
man could be more frank in the admission
 of a lack of data on which to base an  
opinion in matters of fact1 or a lack of
 illumination on affairs of conduct or  
practical direction1 when such existed1 
yet to be certain was1 to him1 the      
self-luminous guarantee of his mission  

to instruct4 ,but until that certainty  
was attained1 in a manner satisfactory  
to both the intellectual and the ethical
 sides of his nature1 he was silent4    
,as a priest1 though he undertook to    
teach anybody and everybody1 yet he     
could seldom have given the impression  
of desiring to impose his personal      
views1 simply as such4 ,his vital       
perception that there can be nothing    
private in truth shone through his      
speech too plainly for so gross a       
misconception to be easily made by      
candid minds4 ,the fact is that the     
community of spiritual goods was vividly
 realized by him1 and in good faith he  
credited all men with a longing like his
 own to see things as they really are4  
,as he had by nature a very kindly      
manner1 benignant and cheerful1 the     
average man readily submitted to his    
influence4 ,in his prime he was always a
 most successful and popular preacher   
and lecturer1 from the combined effect  
of this earnestness of conviction and   

his personal magnetic quality4 ,men     
whose mental characteristics resembled  
his became1 soon or late1 his           
enthusiastic disciples1 and as to       
others1 although at first some were     
inclined to suspect him1 many of them   
ended by becoming his warm friends4  ,it
 is in this light that we must view the 
precocious efforts of the young         
politician4 ,nothing was further from   
his thoughts at any time than to employ 
politics as a means to any private end4 
,although we have already quoted him as 
saying that he always felt bound to     
demand some good reason why he should   
not use all things lawfully his1 and    
enjoy to the full every innocent        
pleasure1 yet that demand was made      
solely in the interests of human        
freedom1 never in that of               
self-indulgence4 ,he seems to have been 
ascetic by nature--a ,stoic1 not an     
,epicurean1 by the very make-up of his  
personality4 ,the reader will see this  
more clearly as we pass on to the       

succeeding phases of ,father ,hecker's  
interior life4 ,but we cannot leave the 
statement even here without explaining  
that we use the word ascetic in its     
proper sense1 to connote the rightful   
dominance of reason over appetite1 the  
supremacy of the higher over the lower2 
not the jurisdiction of the judge over  
the criminal4 ,in his case1 during the  
greater part of his life1 the adjustment
 of the higher and lower1 the restraint 
he placed upon the beast in view of the 
elevation due to the man1 was neither   
conceived nor felt as punitive4 ,we     
shall see later on how ,god finally     
subjected him to a discipline so        
corrective as to be acknowledged by him 
as judicial4  ,isaac ,hecker threw      
himself into public questions1 then1    
because1 being a workman1 he believed he
 saw ways by which the working classes  
might be morally and socially elevated4 
,he wanted for his class what he wanted 
for himself4 ,to get his views into     
shape1 to press them with all his force 

whenever and wherever an opportunity    
presented itself1 was for him the       
inescapable consequence of that belief4 
,like his great patron1 ,st4 ,paul1     
,what wilt ,thou have me to do8 was     
always his first question after his own 
illumination had been granted4 ,there is
 a note in the collection of private    
memoranda that has been preserved1 in   
which1 alluding to the painful struggles
 which preceded his clear recognition   
that the doctrines of the ,catholic     
,church afforded the adequate solution  
of all his difficulties1 he says that   
his interior sufferings were so great   
that the question with him was whether  
,i should drown myself in the river or  
drown my longings and doubts in a career
 of wild ambition4 ,still1 to those who 
knew him well1 it is impossible to think
 of him as ever capable of any ambition 
which had not an end commensurate with  
mankind itself4 ,to elevate men1 to go  
up with them1 not above them1 was1 from 
first to last1 the scope of his desire4 

,the nature of his surroundings in      
youth1 his personal experience of the   
hardships of the poorer classes1 his    
intercourse with radical socialists1    
together with the incomplete character  
of the religious training given him1    
made him at first look on politics as a 
possible and probable means to this     
desirable end4 ,but he was too sensibly 
impelled by the ,divine impulse toward  
personal perfection1 and too inflexibly 
honest with himself1 not to come early  
to a thorough realization1 on one hand  
of the fact that man cannot1 unaided1   
rise above his natural level1 and1 on   
the other1 that no conceivable          
amelioration of merely social conditions
 could satisfy his aspirations4 ,and if 
not his1 how those of other men8  ,one  
thing that becomes evident in studying  
this period of ,isaac ,hecker's life is 
the fact that his acquaintance with ,dr4
 ,brownson marks a turning-point in his 
views1 his opinions1 his whole attitude 
of mind toward our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4

 ,until then the ,saviour of men had    
been represented to him exclusively as a
 remedy against the fear of hell2 ,his  
use seemed to be to furnish a ,divine   
point to which men might work themselves
 up by an emotional process resulting in
 an assurance of forgiveness of sin and 
a secure hope of heaven4 ,christianity1 
that is to say1 had been presented to   
him under the form of ,methodism4 ,the  
result had been what might have been    
anticipated in a nature so averse to    
emotional excitement and possessing so  
little consciousness of actual sin4     
,drawn to ,god as he had always been by 
love and aspiration1 he was not as yet  
sensible of any gulf which needed to be 
bridged between him and his ,creator2   
hence1 to present ,christ solely as the 
,victim1 the ,expiatory ,sacrifice      
demanded by ,divine ,justice1 was to    
make ,him1 if not impossible1 yet       
premature to a person like him4         
,meantime1 what he saw and heard all    
around him1 poverty1 inequality1 greed1 

shiftlessness1 low views of life1       
ceaseless and poorly remunerated toil1  
made incessant demands upon him4 ,these 
things he knew by actual contact1 by    
physical1 mental1 and moral experience1 
as a man knows by touch and taste and   
smell4 ,men's sufferings1 longings1     
struggles1 disappointments had been     
early thrust upon him as a personal and 
most weighty burden2 and the only relief
 yet offered was the ,christ of         
emotional ,methodism4 ,to a nature more 
open to temptation on its lower side1   
and hence more conscious of its radical 
limitations1 even this defective        
presentation of the ,redeemer of men    
might have appealed profoundly4 ,but    
,isaac ,hecker's problems were at this  
time mainly social2 as1 indeed1 to use  
the word in a large sense1 they remained
 until the end4 ,now1 ,protestantism is 
essentially unsocial1 being an          
extravagant form of individualism4 ,its 
,christ deals with men apart from each  
other and furnishes no cohesive element 

to humanity4 ,the validity and necessity
 of religious organization as a moral   
force of ,divine appointment is that one
 of the ,catholic principles which it   
has from the beginning most vehemently  
rejected4 ,as a negative force its      
essence is a protest against organic    
,christianity4 ,as a positive force it  
is simply men1 taken one by one1 dealing
 separately with ,god concerning matters
 strictly personal4 ,true1 it is a      
fundamental verity that men must deal   
individually with ,god2 but the external
 test that their dealings with ,him have
 been efficacious1 and their            
inspirations valid1 is furnished by the 
fact of their incorporation into the    
organic life of ,christendom4 ,as ,st4  
,paul expresses it3 ,for as the body is 
one1 and hath many members2 and all the 
members of the body1 whereas they are   
many1 are yet one body1 so also is      
,christ4 ,for in one ,spirit were we all
 baptized into one body1 whether ,jews  
or ,gentiles1 whether bond or free1 and 

in one ,spirit have we all been made to 
drink499  99 ,i ,cor4 #ab3ab1 #ac4  ,it 
is plain1 then1 that a religion such as 
,protestantism1 which is unsocial and   
disintegrating by virtue of its         
antagonistic forces1 can contribute     
little to the solution of social        
problems4 ,even when not actively       
rejected by men deeply interested in    
such problems1 it is tolerably sure that
 it will be practically ignored as a    
working factor in their public relations
 with their fellows4 ,religion will     
remain the narrowly personal matter it  
began2 chiefly an affair for ,sundays2  
best attended to in one's pew in church 
or at the family altar4 ,probably it may
 reach the shop1 the counter1 and the   
scales2 not so certainly the factory1   
the mine1 the political platform1 and   
the ballot4 ,if ,christianity had never 
presented itself under any other aspect 
than this to ,isaac ,hecker1 it is      
certain that it would never have        
obtained his allegiance4 ,yet it is     

equally certain that he never rejected  
,christ under any aspect in which ,he   
was presented to him4  ,even concerning 
the period of his life with which we are
 now engaged1 and in which we have      
already represented him as having lost  
hold of all distinctively ,christian    
doctrines1 we must emphasize the precise
 words we have employed4 ,he lost hold2 
that was because his original grasp was 
weak4 ,while no authoritative dogmatic  
teaching had given him an even          
approximately full and definite idea of 
the ,god-man1 ,his personality1 ,his    
character1 and ,his mission1 the        
fragmentary truths offered him had made 
,his influence seem restrictive rather  
than liberative of human energies4 ,yet 
even so he had not deliberately turned  
his back upon ,him1 though his tendency 
at this time was doubtless toward simple
 ,theism4 ,he had begun to ignore       
,christianity1 simply because his own   
problems were dominantly social1 and    
orthodox ,protestantism1 the only form  

of religion which he knew1 had no social
 force corresponding to its pretensions 
and demands4  ,now1 upon this state of  
mind the teaching of ,dr4 ,brownson came
 like seed upon a fallow soil4 ,like    
that which preceded it1 it erred rather 
by defect than by actual or1 at any     
rate1 by wilful deviation from true     
doctrine4 ,isaac ,hecker met for the    
first time in ,orestes ,brownson an     
exponent of ,jesus ,christ as the great 
,benefactor and ,uplifter of the human  
race in this present life4 ,dr4         
,brownson has himself given a statement 
of the views which he held and          
inculcated between #ahcd and            
#ahdc--which includes the period we are 
at present considering--and it is so    
brief and to the point that we cannot do
 better than to quote it3  ,i found in  
me1 he writes 7,the ,convert1p4 #aaa71  
certain religious sentiments that ,i    
could not efface2 certain religious     
beliefs or tendencies1 of which ,i could
 not divest myself4 ,i regarded them as 

a law of my nature1 as natural to man1  
as the noblest part of our nature1 and  
as such ,i cherished them2 but as the   
expression in me of an objective world1 
,i seldom pondered them4 ,i found them  
universal1 manifesting themselves1 in   
some form1 wherever man is found2 but ,i
 received them1 or supposed ,i received 
them1 on the authority of humanity or   
human nature1 and professed to hold no  
religion except that of humanity4 ,i had
 become a believer in humanity1 and put 
humanity in the place of ,god4 ,the only
 ,god ,i recognized was the divine in   
man1 the divinity of humanity1 one alike
 with ,god and with man1 which ,i       
supposed to be the real meaning of the  
,christian doctrine of the ,incarnation1
 the mystery of ,emmanuel1 or ,god with 
us--,god manifest in the flesh4 ,there  
may be an unmanifested ,god1 and        
certainly is2 but the only ,god who     
exists for us is the ,god in man1 the   
active and living principle of human    
nature4  ,i regarded ,jesus ,christ as  

divine in the sense in which all men are
 divine1 and human in the sense in which
 all men are human4 ,i took him as my   
model man1 and regarded him as a moral  
and social reformer1 who sought1 by     
teaching the truth under a religious    
envelope1 and practising the highest and
 purest morality1 to meliorate the      
earthly condition of mankind2 but ,i saw
 nothing miraculous in his conception or
 birth1 nothing supernatural in his     
person or character1 in his life or     
doctrine4 ,he came to redeem the world1 
as does every great and good man1 and   
deserved to be held in universal honor  
and esteem as one who remained firm to  
the truth amid every trial1 and finally 
died on the cross1 a martyr to his love 
of mankind4 ,as a social reformer1 as   
one devoted to the progress and         
well-being of man in this world1 ,i     
thought ,i might liken myself to him and
 call myself by his name4 ,i called     
myself a ,christian1 not because ,i took
 him for my master1 not because ,i      

believed all he believed or taught1 but 
because1 like him1 ,i was laboring to   
introduce a new order of things1 and to 
promote the happiness of my kind4 ,i    
used the ,bible as a good ,protestant1  
took what could be accommodated to my   
purpose1 and passed over the rest1 as   
belonging to an age now happily         
outgrown4 ,i followed the example of the
 carnal ,jews1 and gave an earthly sense
 to all the promises and prophecies of  
the ,messias1 and looked for my reward  
in this world4  ,the passages we have   
italicized in this extract may go to    
show how far ,dr4 ,brownson himself was1
 at this period1 from being able to give
 any but the evasive answer he actually 
did give to the searching philosophical 
questions put by his youthful admirer4  
,but it is not easy1 especially in the  
light of ,isaac ,hecker's subsequent    
experiences1 to overestimate the        
influence which this new presentation of
 our ,saviour had upon the development  
of his mind and character4 ,for reasons 

which we have tried to indicate by a    
brief description of some of his        
life-long interior traits1 the ordinary 
,protestant view1 restricted and narrow1
 which represents ,jesus ,christ merely 
as the appointed though voluntary       
,victim of the ,divine wrath against    
sin1 had been pressed upon him          
prematurely4 ,now ,he was held up to    
him1 and by a man who was in many ways  
superior to all other men the boy had   
met1 as a great personality1 altogether 
human1 indeed1 but still the most       
perfect specimen of the race2 the       
supremely worshipful figure of all      
history1 whose life had been given to   
the assertion of the dignity of man and 
the equality of mankind4 ,that human    
nature is good and that men are         
brethren1 said ,dr4 ,brownson1 was the  
thesis of ,christ1 taught throughout    
,his life1 sealed by ,his death4 ,the   
,name which is above all names became   
thus in a new sense a watchword1 and the
 ,gospels a treasury for that social    

apostolate to which ,isaac ,hecker had  
already devoted himself with an         
earnestness which for some years made it
 seem religion enough for him4  ,so it  
has seemed before his time and since to 
many a benevolent dreamer4 ,though the  
rites of the humanitarian cult differ   
with its different priests1 its creed   
retains everywhere and always its narrow
 identity4 ,but that all men are good1  
or would be so save for the unequal     
pressure of social conditions on them1  
is a conclusion which does not follow   
from the single premise that human      
nature1 inasmuch as it is a nature and  
from the hand of ,god1 is essentially   
good4 ,the world is flooded1 just at    
present1 with schemes for insuring the  
perfection and happiness of men by      
removing so far as possible all         
restraints upon their natural freedom2  
and whether this is to be accomplished  
with ,tolstoi1 by reducing wants to a   
minimum and abolishing money2 or by     
establishing clubs for the promotion of 

culture and organizing a social army    
which shall destroy poverty by making   
money plenty1 appears a mere matter of  
detail--at all events to dreamers and to
 novelists4 ,but to men who are in hard 
earnest with themselves1 men who have   
not taken their souls in vain nor sworn 
deceitfully1 either to their neighbor or
 about him1 certain other truths        
concerning human nature besides that of 
its essential goodness are sure to make 
themselves evident1 soon or late4 ,and  
among these is that of its radical      
insufficiency to its own needs4 ,it is a
 rational nature1 and it seeks the      
,supreme ,reason1 if only for its own   
self-explication4 ,it is a nature which1
 wherever found1 is found in the        
attitude of adoration1 and neither in   
the individual man nor in humanity at   
large is there any ,divinity which      
responds to worship4  ,it is impossible 
to say just when ,isaac ,hecker's       
appreciation of this truth became       
intensely personal and clear1 but it is 

easy to make a tolerable approximation  
to the time4 ,he went to ,brook ,farm in
 ,january1 #ahdc1 rather more than eight
 years after his first meeting with ,dr4
 ,brownson4 ,it was by the advice of the
 latter that he made this first decisive
 break from his former life4 ,from the  
time when their acquaintance began1     
,isaac appears to have taken up the     
study of philosophy in good earnest1 and
 to have found in it an outlet for his  
energies which insensibly diminished his
 absorption in social politics4 ,we have
 a glimpse of him kneading at the       
dough-trough with ,kant's ,critique of  
,pure ,reason fastened up on the wall   
before him1 so that he might lose no    
time in merely manual labor4 ,fichte and
 ,hegel succeeded ,kant1 all of them    
philosophers whose mother-tongue was    
likewise his own1 and whose combined    
influence put him farther off than ever 
from the solution of that fundamental   
doubt which constantly grew more        
perplexing and more painful4 ,we find   

him hiring a seat in the ,unitarian     
,church of the ,messiah1 where ,orville 
,dewey was then preaching1 and walking  
every ,sunday a distance of three miles 
from the foot of ,rutgers ,street1      
because he was a smart fellow1 and ,i   
enjoyed listening to him4 ,did ,i       
believe in ,unitarianism8 ,no6 ,i       
believed in nothing4  ,his active       
participation in local politics did not 
continue throughout all these years4    
,his belief in candidates and parties as
 instruments to be relied on for social 
purification received a final blow very 
early--possibly before he was entitled  
to cast a vote4 ,the ,workingmen had    
made a strong ticket one year1 and there
 seemed every probability of their      
carrying it4 ,but on the eve of the     
election half of their candidates sold  
out to one of the opposing parties4     
,what other results this treachery may  
have had is a question which1           
fortunately1 does not concern us1 but it
 dispelled one of the strongest of      

,isaac ,hecker's youthful illusions4 ,he
 continued1 nevertheless1 to prove the  
sincerity with which his views on social
 questions were held1 by doing all that 
lay in his power to better the condition
 of the men in the employment of his    
brothers and himself4 ,after he passed  
his majority his interest in the        
business declined rapidly1 and it is    
impossible to doubt that one of the     
chief reasons why it did so is to be    
sought in his changing convictions as to
 the manner in which business in general
 should be carried on4  ,although in    
accepting ,christ as his master and     
model he had as yet no belief in ,him as
 more than the most perfect of human    
beings1 yet1 even so1 ,isaac ,hecker's  
sincerity and simplicity were too great 
to permit him to follow his leader at a 
purely conventional distance4 ,do you   
know1 he said long afterwards1 the      
thought that first loosened me from the 
life ,i led8 ,how can ,i love my        
fellow-men and yet get rich by the sweat

 of their brows8 ,i couldn't do it4 ,you
 are not a ,christian1 and can't call   
yourself one1 ,i said to myself1 if you 
do that4 ,the heathenish selfishness of 
business competition started me away    
from the world4  ,if he had received a  
,catholic training1 ,isaac ,hecker would
 soon have recognized that he was being 
drawn toward the practice of that       
counsel of perfection which ,st4 ,paul  
embodies to ,st4 ,timothy in the words3 
,having food and wherewith to be        
covered1 with these we are content499   
,could he have sought at this time the  
advice of one familiar with internal    
ways1 he must have been cautioned       
against that first error to which those 
so drawn are liable1 of supposing that  
this call is common and imperative1 and 
can never fail to be heard without some 
more or less wilful closing of the ears4
 ,though the ,hecker brothers were1 and 
ever continued to be1 men of the highest
 business integrity1 and though there   
existed between them a cordial          

affection1 which was intensified to an  
extraordinary degree in the case of     
,george and ,isaac1 yet the unfitness of
 the latter for ordinary trade grew     
increasingly evident1 and to himself    
painfully so4 ,the truth is1 that his   
ideas of conducting business would have 
led to the distribution of profits      
rather than to their accumulation4 ,if  
he could make the bake-house and the    
shop into a school for the attainment of
 an ideal that had begun to hover1      
half-veiled1 in the air above him1 he   
saw his way to staying where he was2 but
 not otherwise4  99 ,i ,timothy #f3h4   
,in the autumn of #ahdb there came upon 
him certain singular intensifications of
 this disquiet with himself and his     
surroundings4 ,in the journal begun the 
following spring1 he so frequently and  
so explicitly refers to these           
occurrences1 now speaking of them as    
dreams which had a great effect upon my 
character2 and again1 specializing and  
fully describing one1 as something not  

dreamed1 but seen when awake1 which left
 an indelible impression my mind1       
weaning it at once and for ever from all
 possibility of natural love and        
marriage1 that the integrity of any     
narrative of his life would demand some 
recognition of them4 ,his own comment1  
in the diary1 will not be without       
interest and value1 both as bearing on  
much that follows1 and as containing all
 that need be said in explanation of the
 present reference to such experiences3 
,april #bd1 #ahdc4--4 4 4 ,how can ,i   
doubt these things8 ,say what may be    
said1 still they have to me a reality1 a
 practical good bearing on my life4     
,they are impressive instructors1 whose 
teachings are given in such a real      
manner that they influence me whether ,i
 would or not4 ,real pictures of the    
future1 as actual1 nay1 more so than my 
present activity4 ,if ,i should not     
follow them ,i am altogether to blame4  
,i can have no such adviser upon earth2 
none could impress me so strongly1 with 

such peculiar effect1 and at the precise
 time most needed4 ,where my natural    
strength is not enough1 ,i find there   
comes foreign aid to my assistance4 ,is 
the ,lord instructing me for anything8  
,i had1 six months ago1 three or more   
dreams which had a very great effect    
upon my character2 they changed it4     
,they were the embodiment of my present 
in a great degree4 ,last evening's was a
 warning embodiment of a false activity 
and its consequence1 which will preserve
 me1 under ,god's assistance1 from      
falling4 4 4 4 ,i see by it where ,i am2
 it has made me purer4  ,in addition to 
these peculiar visitations1 and very    
probably in consequence of them1        
,isaac's inward anxieties culminated in 
prolonged fits of nervous depression1   
and at last in repeated attacks of      
illness which baffled the medical skill 
called to his assistance4 ,towards      
,christmas he went to ,chelsea to visit 
,brownson1 to whom he partially revealed
 the state of obscurity and distress in 

which he found himself4 ,brownson1 who  
had been one of the original promoters  
of the experiment in practical sociology
 at ,west ,roxbury1 advised a residence 
at ,brook ,farm as likely to afford the 
young man the leisure and opportunities 
for study which he needed in order to   
come to a full understanding with       
himself4 ,he wrote to ,george ,ripley in
 his behalf and later undertook to      
reconcile the ,hecker household with    
,isaac's determination to go thither4   
,it was during his stay at ,chelsea that
 ,isaac first began plainly to acquaint 
his family with the fact that his       
departure meant something more important
 than the moderately prolonged change of
 scene and circumstances which they had 
recognized as essential to his health4  
,we shall make abundant extracts from   
the letters which begin at this date1   
convinced that his own words will not   
only afford the best evidence of the    
strength of the interior pressure on    
him1 but will show also its unique and  

constant bent4  ,our purpose is to show1
 in the most explicit manner possible1  
first1 how irresistibly he was impelled 
toward the celibate life and the        
practice of poverty2 and second1 that in
 yielding to this impulse1 he was also  
drawn away from his former view of our  
,saviour1 as simply the perfect man1 to 
the full acceptance of the supernatural 
truth that ,he is the ,incarnate ,god4  
,it is at this period of ,father        
,hecker's life that we first meet with a
 positive interference of an            
extraordinary kind in the plans and     
purposes of his life4 ,many men who have
 outlived them1 and settled down into   
respectable but in nowise notable       
members of society1 have felt vague     
longings and indefinite aspirations     
toward a good beyond nature during the  
,storm and ,stress period of their      
youth4 ,the record of their mental      
struggles gets into literature with     
comparative frequency1 and sometimes    
becomes famous4 ,it has always a certain

 value1 if merely as contributing to    
psychological science2 but in any       
particular instance is of passing       
interest only1 unless it can be shown to
 have been instrumental in shaping the  
subsequent career4 ,the latter was the  
case with ,father ,hecker4 ,the         
extraordinary influences already        
mentioned continued to dominate his     
intelligence and his will1 sometimes    
with1 oftener without1 explicit         
assignment of any cause4 ,it is plain   
enough that1 up to the time when they   
began1 he had looked forward to such a  
future of domestic happiness as honest  
young fellows in his position commonly  
desire4 ,he was the life of the family  
circle1 says one who knew the ,hecker   
household intimately2 he loved his      
people1 and was loved by them with great
 intensity1 and his going away must have
 been most painful to him as well as to 
them4  ,on this point the memoranda1 so 
often to be referred to1 contain some   
words of his own to the same purport4   

,they were spoken early in #ahhb3 ,you  
know ,i had to leave my business--a good
 business it was getting to be1 too4 ,i 
tell you1 it was agony to give          
everything up--friends1 prospects in    
life and old associates2 things for     
which by nature ,i had a very strong    
attachment4 ,but ,i could not help it2  
,i was driven from it4 ,i wanted        
something more2 something ,i had not    
been able to find4 ,yet ,i did not know 
what ,i wanted4 ,i was simply in        
torment4  ,the truth is that1 while he  
had always cherished ideals higher than 
are usual1 still they were not such as  
need set him apart from the common life 
of men4 ,but now he became suddenly     
averse from certain pursuits and        
pleasures1 not only good in themselves1 
but consonant to his previous           
dispositions4 ,the road to wealth lay   
open before him1 but his feet refused to
 tread it4 ,he was invincibly drawn to  
poverty1 solitude1 sacrifice2 modes of  
life from which he shrank by nature1 and

 which led to no goal that he could see 
or understand4 ,there is no name so     
descriptive of such impulses as         
supernatural4       ,,chapter ,,iv      
,,led ,,by ,,the ,,spirit  ,,the        
earliest of the letters so fortunately  
preserved by the affection of ,isaac    
,hecker's kindred is addressed to his   
mother1 from ,chelsea1 and bears date   
,december #bd1 #ahdb4 ,after giving some
 details of his arrival1 and of the     
kindly manner in which he had been      
received1 he writes399  99 ,we have     
corrected some slight errors of         
orthography and punctuation in these    
early letters4 ,they were of the sort to
 be expected from a self-trained youth1 
as yet little used to the written       
expression of his thoughts4 ,they soon  
disappear almost entirely4  ,but as     
regards your advice to write my thoughts
 to you1 that is an impossibility which 
,i cannot govern or control4 ,this ought
 not to be so1 but so it is4 ,am ,i to  
blame8 ,i feel not4 ,and what if ,i     

could tell8 ,it might be only a deep    
dissatisfaction which could not be made 
intelligible1 or at least not be felt as
 it is felt by me4 ,let us be untroubled
 about it4 ,a little time1 and1 ,i hope1
 all will pass away1 and ,i be the same 
as usual4 ,we all differ a little1 at   
least in our characters2 hence there is 
nothing surprising if our experiences   
should differ4 ,i feel that a little    
time will be my best remedy1 which ,i   
trust we will await without much        
anxiety4 ,resignation is taught when we 
cannot help ourselves4 ,take nothing ,i 
have said discouragingly4 ,turn fears   
into hopes and doubts into faith1 and we
 shall be better if not happier4 ,there 
is no use in allowing our doubts and    
fears to control us2 by fostering them  
we increase them1 and we want all our   
time for something better and higher4   
,two days later he writes more fully1   
and this letter we shall give almost    
entire3  ,chelsea1 ,december #bf1       
#ahdb4--;,,brothers3 ,i want to write to

 you1 but what is the use of scrawling  
on paper if ,i write what ,i do not     
feel--intend8 ,it is worse than not     
writing4 ,and yet why ,i should be      
backward ,i don't know4 ,the change that
 ,i have undergone has been so rapid and
 of such a kind2 that may be the reason4
 ,i feel that as ,i now am perhaps you  
cannot understand me4 ,i am afraid lest 
your conduct would be such that under   
present circumstances ,i could not stand
 under it4 ,do not misunderstand me4 ,if
 ,i have ever appreciated anything in my
 life1 it is the favor and indulgent    
treatment you have shown me in our      
business4 ,i know that ,i have never    
done an equal share in the work which   
was for us all to do4 ,i have always    
been conscious of this4 ,i hope you will
 receive this as it is written1 for ,i  
am open4 ,daily am ,i losing that       
disposition which was attributed to me  
of self-approval4 4 4 4 ,there is no    
reason why ,i should distrust your      
dispositions toward me but my own       

feelings1 and it is these that have kept
 me back1 that and the change my mind is
 undergoing4 ,this is so continuous1 and
 at the same time so firmly fixed1 that 
,i am unable to keep back any longer4 ,i
 had hopes that my former life would    
return1 so that ,i would be able to go  
on as usual1 although this tendency has 
always been growing in me4 ,but ,i find 
more and more that it is not possible4  
,i would go back if ,i could1 but the   
impossibility of that ,i cannot express4
 ,to continue as ,i am now would keep me
 constantly in an unsettled state of    
health1 especially as my future appears 
to be opening before me with clearness4 
,i say sincerely that ,i have lost all  
but this one thing1 and how shall ,i    
speak it8 ,my mind has lost all         
disposition to business2 my hopes1 life1
 existence1 are all in another          
direction4 ,no one knows how ,i tried to
 exert myself to work1 or the cause of  
my inability4 ,i was conscious of the   
cause1 but as it was supposed to be a   

physical one1 the reason of it was      
sought for1 but to no purpose4 ,in the  
same circumstances now ,i should be     
worse4 ,when ,i say my mind cannot be   
occupied as formerly1 do not attribute  
it to my wishes4 ,this is what ,i fear2 
it makes me almost despair1 makes me    
feel that ,i would rather die than live 
under such thoughts4 ,i never could be  
happy if you thought so4 ,my future will
 be my only evidence4 ,my experience1   
which is now my own evidence1 ,i cannot 
give you4 ,to keep company with         
females--you know what ,i mean--,i have 
no desire4 ,i have no thought of        
marrying1 and ,i feel an aversion to    
company for such an end4 ,in my whole   
life ,i have never felt less inclined to
 it4 ,if my disposition ran that way1   
marrying might lead me back to my old   
life1 but oh6 that is impossible4 ,to   
give up1 as ,i have to do1 a life which 
has often been my highest aim and hope1 
is done with a sense of responsibility  
,i never imagined before4 ,this1 ,i am  

conscious1 is no light thought4 ,it lies
 deeper than myself1 and ,i have not the
 power to control it4 ,i do not write   
this with ease2 it is done in tears1 and
 ,i have opened my mind as ,i have not  
done before4 ,how all this will end ,i  
know not1 but cannot but trust ,god4 ,it
 is not my will but my destiny1 which   
will not be one of ease and pleasure1   
but one which ,i contemplate as a       
perpetual sacrifice of my past hopes1   
though of a communion ,i had never felt4
 ,can ,i adopt a course of life to      
increase and fulfil my present life8 ,i 
am unable to give this decision singly4 
,you will1 ,i hope1 accept this letter  
in the spirit ,i have written it4 ,i    
speak to you in a sense ,i never have   
spoken to you before4 ,in this letter ,i
 have opened as far as ,i could my      
inmost life4 ,my heart is full and ,i   
would say a great deal more4 ,truly1 a  
new life has opened to me1 and to turn  
backward would be death4 ,not suddenly  
has it undergone this change1 but it has

 come to that crisis where my decision  
must be made2 hence am ,i forced to     
write this letter4 ,for its answer ,i   
shall wait with intense anxiety4 ,hoping
 you will write soon1 my love to        
all4--,,isaac4  ,the next letter1 though
 addressed to his brothers1 was         
apparently intended for the whole       
family1 and begins with more than       
,isaac's customary abruptness3          
,chelsea1 ,december #bh1 #ahdb4--;,i    
will open my mind so that you can have  
the materials to judge from as well as  
myself4 ,i feel unable to the task of   
judging alone correctly4 ,i have given  
an account of my state of mind in my    
former letter1 but will add that what is
 there said describes a permanent state1
 not a momentary excitement4 ,you may   
think that in a little time this would  
pass away1 and ,i would be able to      
resume my former life2 or1 at least1 you
 could so adapt things at home that     
although ,i should not precisely occupy 
myself as then1 still it might be so    

arranged as to give me that which ,i    
feel necessary in order to live somewhat
 contented4  ,i am sorry to say ,i can  
in no way conceive such an arrangement  
of things at home4 ,why8 ,i hate to say 
it1 yet we might as well come to an     
understanding4 ,i have grown out of the 
life which can be received through the  
accustomed channels of the circle that  
was around me4 ,i am subject to thoughts
 and feelings which the others had no   
interest in2 hence they could not be    
expressed4 ,there can be no need to tell
 you this--you all must have seen it4   
,how can ,i stop my life from flowing   
on8 ,you must see the case ,i stand in4 
,do not think ,i have less of the       
feelings of a brother and a son4 ,my    
heart never was closer1 not so close as 
it is now to yours4 4 4 4  ,do not think
 this is imagination2 in this ,i have   
had too much experience4 ,the life that 
was in me had none to commune with1 and 
,i felt it was consuming me4 ,i tried to
 express this in different ways         

obscurely1 but it appeared singular and 
no one understood me4 ,this was the     
cause of my wishing to go away1 hoping  
,i would either get clear of it or      
something might turn up1 ,i knew not    
what4 ,one course was advised by the    
doctor1 and you all thought as he       
did--that was to keep company with the  
intention of getting married4 ,this was 
not the communion that ,i wanted or that
 was congenial to my life4 ,marrying    
would not1 ,i am convinced1 have had any
 permanent effect4 ,it was not that     
which controlled me1 then or now4 ,it is
 altogether different2 it is a life in  
me which requires altogether different  
circumstances to live it4 ,this is no   
dream2 or1 if it is1 then have ,i never 
had such reality4 4 4 4  ,when ,i wrote 
last it struck me ,i might secure what  
,i need at ,brook ,farm1 but that would 
depend greatly upon how you answer my   
letter4 ,if you do as perhaps you may1  
,i will go and see whether ,i could be  
satisfied and how it is1 and let you    

know4  ,so far had ,i written when your 
letter came4 4 4 4 ,you appear to ask   
this question3 ,what object have you in 
contemplation8 ,none further than to    
live a life agreeable to the mind ,i    
have1 which ,i feel under a necessity to
 do4  ,chelsea1 ,december #cj1          
#ahdb4--,,to ,,mother3 ,i am sorry to   
hear that you feel worried4 ,my health  
is good1 ,i eat and sleep well4 ,that my
 mind is not settled1 or as it used to  
be1 is no reason to be troubled1 for ,i 
hope it is not changing for the worse1  
and ,i look forward to brighter days    
than we have seen in those that are     
gone4 ,i was conscious my last letter   
was not written in a manner to give you 
ease2 but to break those old habits of  
our accustomed communion was to me a    
serious task1 and done under a sense of 
duty1 to let you know the cause of the  
disease ,i was supposed to labor under4 
,that is past now1 and ,i hope we shall 
understand each other1 and that our     
future will be smooth and easy4 ,the ice

 has been broken4 ,that caused me some  
pain but no regret1 and instead of      
feeling sorrow1 you will1 ,i hope1 be   
contented that ,i should continue the   
path that will make me better4          
,concerning ,isaac ,hecker's residence  
at ,brook ,farm1 which was begun about  
the middle of the following ,january1 we
 shall have more to say hereafter4 ,at  
present our concern is chiefly with     
those explanations of his conduct and   
motives which the anxieties of his      
family continually forced him to        
attempt4 ,there is1 however1 among the  
papers belonging to this period one     
which1 although found with the letters1 
was evidently so included by mistake1   
and at some later date4 ,it is an       
outpouring still more intimate than he  
was able to make for the enlightenment  
of others1 and is the first vestige of a
 diary which has been found4 ,but it    
seems plain that his longing for what he
 continually calls communion1 and the   
effort to divine the will of ,providence

 in his regard1 must frequently have    
urged him to that introspective         
self-contemplation so common to natures 
like his before their time for action   
has arrived4 ,we make some brief        
extracts from this document which       
illustrates1 still more plainly than any
 of the letters1 the fact that the      
interior pressure to which he was       
subjected had for its uniform tendency  
and result his vivid realization of the 
,incarnation of ,god in ,jesus ,christ4 
,it is written in a fine1 close hand on 
a sheet of letter-paper1 which it       
entirely covers1 and bears date ,january
 #aj1 #ahdc3  ,could ,i but reveal      
myself unto myself6 ,what shall ,i say8 
,is life dear to me8 ,no4 ,are my       
friends dear to me8 ,i could suffer and 
die for them1 if need were1 but yet ,i  
have none of the old attachment for     
them4 ,i would clasp all to my heart1   
love all for their humanity1 but not as 
relatives or individuals4 4 4 4 ,lord1  
if ,i am to be anything1 ,i am1 of all1 

most unfit for the task4 ,what shall ,i 
do8 ,whom shall ,i cry to but ,him who  
has given me life and planted this      
spirit in me8 ,unto ,thee1 then1 do ,i  
cry from the depths of my soul for light
 to suffer4 ,if there is anything for me
 to do1 why this darkness all around me8
 ,i ask not to be happy4 ,i will forego1
 as ,i always had a presentiment ,i must
 do1 all hopes which young men of my age
 are prone to picture in their minds4   
,if only ,i could have a ray of light on
 my present condition6 ,o ,lord6 open my
 eyes to see the path ,thou wouldst have
 me walk in4 4 4 4  ,jan4 #aa4--,true   
life is one continuous prayer1 one      
unceasing aspiration after the holy4 ,i 
have no conception of a life insensible 
to that which is not above itself lofty4
 ,i would not take it on myself to say  
,i have been 'born again1' but ,i know  
that ,i have passed from death to life4 
,things below have no hold upon me      
further than as they lead to things     
above4 ,it is not a moral restraint that

 ,i have over myself1 but it is such a  
change1 a conversion of my whole being1 
that ,i have no need of restraint4      
,temptations still beset me--not        
sensual1 but of a kind which seek to    
make me untrue to my life4 ,if ,i am not
 on my guard ,i become cold4 ,may ,i    
always be humble1 meek1 prayerful1 open 
to all men4 ,light1 love1 and life ,god 
is always giving1 but we turn our backs 
and will not receive4 4 4 4  ,who can   
measure the depths of ,christ's         
suffering--alone in the world1 having   
that which would give life everlasting1 
a heaven1 to those who would receive it1
 and yet despised1 spit upon1 rejected  
of men6 ,oh6 how sweet must it have been
 to ,his soul when ,he found even one   
who would accept a portion of that      
precious gift which ,he came to the     
world to bestow6 ,well could ,he say1   
',father1 forgive them2 they know not   
what they do4' ,he would give them life1
 but they would not receive4 ,he would  
save them1 but they rejected ,him4 ,he  

loved them1 and they despised ,him4     
,alas6 who has measured even in a small 
degree the love of ,christ and yet      
denied ,his superiority over man6 ,his  
love1 goodness1 mercy are unbounded4 ,o 
,lord6 may ,i daily come into closer    
communion with ,thy ,son1 ,jesus        
,christ4  ,on the #bb;d of ,february he 
addresses both of his parents in reply  
to a letter sent by his brother ,john1  
detailing some of their troubles on this
 head4 ,he writes3  ,it is as great a   
difficulty for me to reconcile my being 
here with my sense of duty towards you4 
4 4 4 ,since ,i must speak1 let me tell 
you that ,i have at present no          
disposition to return4 ,neither are the 
circumstances that surround me now those
 which will give me contentment2 but ,i 
feel that ,i am here as a temporary     
place1 and that by spring something will
 turn up which ,i hope will be for the  
happiness of us all4 ,what it will be ,i
 have not the least idea of now4 ,it is 
as impossible for me to give you an     

explanation of that which has led me of 
late as it would be for a stranger4 ,all
 before me is dark1 even as that is     
which leads me now and has led me       
before4 ,one sentiment ,i have which ,i 
feel ,i cannot impart to you4 ,it is    
that ,i am controlled4 ,formerly ,i     
could act from intention1 but now ,i    
have no future to design1 nothing in    
prospect1 and my present action is from 
a present cause1 not from any past4     
,hence it is that while my action may   
appear to others as designed1 to me it  
is unlooked-for and unaccountable4 ,i do
 not expect that others can feel this as
 ,i do4 ,i am tossed about in a sea     
without a rudder4 ,what drives me       
onward1 and where ,i shall be driven1 is
 to me unknown4 ,my past life seems to  
me like that of another person1 and my  
present is like a dream4 ,where am ,i8  
,i know not4 ,i have no power over my   
present1 ,i do not even know what it is4
 ,whom can ,i find like myself1 whom can
 ,i speak to that will understand me8   

,this makes me still1 lonely2 and ,i    
cannot wish myself out of this state4 ,i
 have no will to do that--not that ,i   
have any desire to4 ,all ,i can say is  
that ,i am in it4 ,what would be the    
effect of necessity on me1 ,i know not1 
whether it would lead me back or lead me
 on4 ,my feeling of duty towards you is 
a continual weight upon me which ,i     
cannot throw off--it is best1 perhaps1  
that ,i cannot4 ,all appears to me as a 
seeming1 not a reality4 ,nothing touches
 that life in me which is seeking that  
which ,i know not4  ,,to ,,george       
,,hecker4--,brook ,farm1 ,march #f1     
#ahdc4--,what was the reason of my      
going1 or what made me go8 ,the reason  
,i am not able to tell4 ,but what ,i    
felt was a dark1 irresistible influence 
upon me that led me away from home4     
,what it was ,i know not4 ,what keeps me
 here ,i cannot tell4 ,it is only when  
,i struggle against it that a spell     
comes over me4 ,if ,i give up to it1    
nothing is the matter with me4 ,but when

 ,i look to my past1 my duty toward you 
all1 and consider what this may lead me 
to1 and then attempt to return1 ,i get  
into a state which ,i cannot speak of 4 
4 4  ,by attempt to return ,i mean an   
attempt to return to my old life1 for so
 ,i have to call it--that is1 to get    
clear of this influence4 ,and yet ,i    
have no will to will against it4 ,i do  
not desire it1 or its mode of living1   
and ,i am opposed to its tendency4      
,what bearing this has upon the question
 of my coming home you will perceive4   
,as soon as ,i can come1 ,i will4 ,if ,i
 should do so now1 it would throw me    
back to the place from which ,i started4
 ,is this fancy on my part8 ,all ,i can 
say is that if so the last nine or ten  
months of my life have been a fancy     
which is too deep for me to control4    
,after paying his family a visit in     
,april1 he writes to them on his return3
  ,brook ,farm1 ,april #ad1             
#ahdc4--;,here ,i am alone in my room   
once more4 ,i feel settled1 and begin to

 live again1 separated from everything  
but my studies and thoughts1 and the    
feeling of gratitude toward you all for 
treating me so much better than ,i am   
aware of ever having treated you4 ,may  
,i ever keep this sense of obligation   
and indebtedness4 ,my prayer is1 that   
the life ,i have been led to live these 
few months back may prove to the        
advantage of us all in the end4 ,i      
sometimes feel guilty because ,i did not
 attempt again to try and labor with    
you4 ,but the power that kept me back1  
its hold upon me1 its strength over me1 
all that ,i am unable to communicate1   
makes my situation appear strange to    
others1 and to myself irreconcilable    
with my former state4 ,still1 ,i trust  
that1 in a short period1 all things will
 take their peaceful and orderly course4
  ,,to ,,george ,,hecker4--,brook ,farm1
 ,may #ab1 #ahdc4--;,how much nearer to 
you ,i feel on account of your good     
letter you cannot estimate--nearer than 
when we slept in the same bed4 ,nearness

 of body is no evidence of the distance 
between souls1 for ,i imagine ,christ   
loved ,his mother very tenderly when ,he
 said1 ',woman1 what have ,i to do with 
thee8'  ,i have felt1 time and again1   
that either ,i would have to give up the
 life that was struggling in me1 or     
withdraw from business in the way that  
we pursue it4 ,this ,i had long felt1   
before the period came which suddenly   
threw me involuntarily out of it4 ,here 
,i am1 living in the present1 without a 
why or a wherefore1 trusting that       
something will shape my course          
intelligibly4 ,i am completely without  
object4 ,and when occasionally ,i       
emerge1 if ,i may so speak1 into actual 
life1 ,i feel that ,i have dissipated   
time4 ,a sense of guilt accompanies that
 of pleasure1 and ,i return inwardly    
into a deeper1 intenser life1 breaking  
those tender roots which held me fast   
for a short period to the outward4 ,in  
study only do ,i enter with wholeness2  
nothing else appears to take hold of my 

life4 4 4 4 ,i am staying here1         
intentionally1 for a short period4 ,when
 the time arrives 7for leaving7 heaven  
knows what ,i may do4 ,i am now         
perfectly dumb before it4 ,perhaps ,i   
may return and enter into business with 
more perseverance and industry than     
before2 perhaps ,i may stay here2 it may
 be that ,i shall be led elsewhere4 ,but
 there is no utility in speculating on  
the future4 ,if we lived as we should1  
we would feel that we lived in the      
presence of ,god1 without past or       
future1 having a full consciousness of  
existence1 living the 'eternal life4' 4 
4 4  ,george1 do not get too engrossed  
with outward business4 ,rather neglect a
 part of it for that which is immortal  
in its life1 incomparable in its        
fulness4 ,it is a deep1 important truth3
 ',seek first the kingdom of ,god1 and  
then all things will be added4' ,in     
having nothing we have all4  ,,to ,,mrs4
 ,,hecker4--,brook ,farm1 ,may #af1     
#ahdc4--;,,dear ,,mother3 ,you will not 

take it unkind1 my not writing to you   
before8 ,i am sure you will not1 for you
 know what ,i am4 ,daily ,i feel more   
and more indebted to you for my life1   
especially when ,i feel happy and good4 
,how can ,i repay you8 ,as you1 no      
doubt1 would wish me to-by becoming     
better and living as you have desired   
and prayed that ,i should1 which ,i     
trust1 by ,divine assistance1 ,i may4   
,mother1 ,i cannot express the depth of 
gratitude ,i feel toward you for the    
tender care and loving discipline with  
which you brought me up to manhood4     
,without it1 oh6 what might ,i not have 
been8 ,the good that ,i have1 under     
,god1 ,i am conscious that ,i am greatly
 indebted to thee for2 at times ,i feel 
that it is thou acting in me1 and that  
there is nothing that can ever separate 
us4 ,a bond which is as eternal as our  
immortality1 our life1 binds us together
 and cannot be broken4  ,mother1 that ,i
 should be away from home at present no 
doubt makes you sorrowful often1 and you

 wish me back4 ,let me tell you how it  
is with me4 ,the life which surrounds me
 in ,new ,york oppresses me1 contracts  
my feelings1 and abridges my liberty4   
,business1 as it is now pursued1 is a   
burden upon my spiritual life1 and all  
its influence hurtful to the growth of a
 better life4 ,this ,i have felt for a  
long time1 and feel it now more         
intensely than before4 ,and the society 
,i had there was not such as benefited  
me4 ,my life was not increased by       
theirs1 and ,i was gradually ceasing to 
be4 ,i was lonely1 friendless1 and      
without object in this world1 while at  
the same time ,i was conscious of a     
greater degree of activity of mind in   
another direction4 ,these causes still  
remain4 4 4 4  4 4 4 ,i feel fully      
conscious of the importance of making   
any change in my life at my present     
age--giving up those advantages which so
 many desire2 as well as the necessity  
of being considerate1 prudent1 and slow 
to decide4 ,i am aware that my future   

state here1 and hence hereafter1 will   
greatly depend upon the steps ,i now    
take1 and therefore ,i would do nothing 
unadvised or hastily4 ,i would not      
sacrifice eternal for worldly life4 ,at 
present ,i wish to live a true life1    
desiring nothing external1 seeing that  
things external cannot procure those    
things for and in which ,i live4 ,i do  
not renounce things1 but feel no        
inclination for them4 ,all is           
indifferent to me--poverty or riches1   
life or death4 ,i am loosed4 ,but do not
 on this account think ,i am sorrowful2 
nay1 for ,i have nothing to sorrow for4 
,is there no bright hope at a distance  
which cheers me onward and beckons me to
 speed8 ,i dare not say4 ,sometimes ,i  
feel so--it is the unutterable4 ,yet ,i 
remain contented to be without spring or
 autumn1 youth or age4 ,one tie has been
 loosened after another2 the dreams of  
my youth have passed away silently1 and 
the visions of the future ,i then beheld
 have vanished4 ,i feel awakened as from

 a dream1 and like a shadow has my past 
gone by4 ,with the verse at the bottom  
of the picture you gave me1 ,i can say3 
',oh6 days that once ,i used to prize1  
,are ye forever gone8 ,the veil is taken
 from my eyes1 ,and now ,i stand alone4'
  ,but ,i would not recall those by-gone
 days1 nor do ,i stand alone4 ,no6 ,out 
from this life will spring a higher     
world1 of which the past was but a weak1
 faint shadow4       ,,chapter ,v  ,,at 
,,brook ,,farm  ,,the famous though     
short-lived community at ,west ,roxbury1
 ,massachusetts1 where ,isaac ,hecker   
made his first trial of the common life1
 was started in the spring of #ahda by  
,george ,ripley and his wife1 ,nathaniel
 ,hawthorne1 ,john ,s4 ,dwight1 ,george 
,p4 ,bradford1 ,sarah ,sterns1 a niece  
of ,george ,ripley's1 ,marianne ,ripley1
 his sister1 and four or five others    
whose names we do not know4 ,in         
,september of the same year they were   
joined by ,charles ,a4 ,dana1 now of the
 ,new ,york ,sun4 ,hawthorne's residence

 at the ,farm1 commemorated in the      
,blithedale ,romance1 had terminated    
before ,mr4 ,dana's began4 ,the ,curtis 
brothers1 ,burrill and ,george ,william1
 were there when ,isaac ,hecker came4   
,emerson was an occasional visitor2 so  
was ,margaret ,fuller4 ,bronson ,alcott1
 then cogitating his own ephemeral      
experiment at ,fruitlands1 sometimes    
descended on the gay community and was  
doubtless ,orphic at his leisure4 ,the  
association was the outcome of many     
discussions which had taken place at    
,mr4 ,ripley's house in ,boston during  
the winter of #ahdj-da4 ,among the      
prominent ,bostonians who took part in  
these informal talks were ,theodore     
,parker1 ,adin ,ballou1 ,samuel         
,robbins1 ,john ,s4 ,dwight1 ,warren    
,burton1 and ,orestes ,brownson4 ,each  
of these men1 and1 if we do not mistake1
 ,george ,ripley also1 presided at the  
time over some religious body4 ,mr4     
,ballou1 who was a ,universalist        
minister of much local renown1 was1     

perhaps1 the only exception to the      
prevailing ,unitarian complexion of the 
assembly4  ,the object of their         
discussions seems to have been1 in a    
general way1 the necessity for some     
social reform which should go to the    
root of the commercial spirit and the   
contempt for certain kinds of labor so  
widely prevalent2 and1 in a special way1
 the feasibility of establishing at     
once1 on however small a scale1 a       
co-operative experiment in family life1 
having for its ulterior aim the         
reorganization of society on a less     
selfish basis4 ,they probably considered
 that1 a beginning once made by people  
of their stamp1 the influence of their  
example would work as a quickening      
leaven4 ,they hoped to be the           
mustard-seed which1 planted in a        
congenial soil1 would grow into a tree  
in whose branches all the birds of the  
air might dwell4 ,it was the initial    
misfortune of the ,brook-,farmers to    
establish themselves on a picturesque   

but gravelly and uncongenial soil1 whose
 poverty went very far toward compassing
 the collapse of their undertaking4     
,not all of the ministers whose names   
have just been mentioned were of one    
mind1 either as to the special evils to 
be counteracted or the remedies which   
might be tentatively applied4 ,three    
different associations took their rise  
from among this handful of earnest      
seekers after better social methods4    
,mr4 ,ballou1 who headed one of these1  
believed that unity and cohesion could  
be most surely obtained by a frank      
avowal of beliefs1 aims1 and practices1 
to which all present and future         
associates would be expected to conform4
 ,mrs4 ,kirby1 whose interesting        
volume99 we have already quoted1 says   
that the platform of this party bound   
them to abolitionism1 anti-orthodoxy1   
women's rights1 total abstinence1 and   
opposition to war4 ,they established    
themselves at ,hopedale1 ,massachusetts1
 where1 so far as our knowledge goes1   

some vestige of them may still remain1  
though the analogies and probabilities  
are all against such a survival4 ,a     
second band of come-outers1 as people   
used to be called in that day and       
region1 when they abandoned the common  
road for reasons not obviously          
compulsory1 went to ,northampton in the 
same ,state1 and from there into        
corporate obscurity4  99 ,years of      
,experience4 ,new ,york3 ,g4 ,p4        
,putnam's ,sons1 #ahhg4  ,mr4 ,ripley's 
scheme was more elastic1 and if the     
money basis of the association had been 
more solid1 there seems no reason on the
 face of things why this community at   
,brook ,farm might not have enjoyed a   
much longer lease of life4 ,it seems to 
have left a most pleasant memory in the 
minds of all who were ever members of   
it4 ,in matters of belief and of opinion
 no hard-and-fast lines were drawn at   
any point4 ,in matters of conduct1 the  
morality of self-respecting             
,new-,englanders who were at a farther  

remove from ,puritanic creeds than from 
,puritanic discipline1 was regarded as a
 sufficient guarantee of social decorum4
 ,of the earliest additions to the      
co-operative household1 a sprinkling    
were already ,catholic2 others1         
including the wife and the niece of the 
founder1 afterwards became so4 ,some    
attended orthodox ,protestant churches2 
the majority were probably ,unitarians4 
,discussion on all subjects appears to  
have been free1 frank1 and              
good-tempered4  ,there was no attempt   
made at any communism except that of    
intellectual and social gifts and       
privileges4 ,there was a common table1  
and ,mrs4 ,kirby has given us some      
attractive glimpses of the good feeling1
 and kindly gayety1 and practical       
observance of the precept to bear one   
another's burdens which came into play  
around it4 ,for many months1 as no one  
could endure to have his equal serve    
him1 and all were equals1 there was a   
constant getting up and down at table so

 that each might help himself4          
,afterwards1 when decline had already   
set in1 so far as the material basis of 
the undertaking was concerned1 and those
 who had its success most at heart had  
begun to study ,fourier for fruitful    
suggestions1 the first practical hint   
from that quarter resulted in ,mr4      
,dana's organizing a group of servitors4
 ,these1 writes ,mrs4 ,kirby199         
comprised four of the most elegant      
youths at the community--the son of a   
,louisiana planter1 a young ,spanish    
hidalgo1 a rudimentary ,free-soiler from
 ,hingham1 and1 if ,i remember rightly1 
,edward ,barlow 7the brother of         
,francis74 ,these1 with one accord1     
elected as chief their handsome and     
beloved teacher4 ,it is hardly necessary
 to observe that the business was       
henceforth attended to with such courtly
 grace and such promptness that the new 
regime was applauded by every one1      
although it did appear at first as if we
 were all engaged in acting a play4 ,the

 group1 with their admired chief1 took  
dinner1 which had been kept warm for    
them1 afterwards1 and were themselves   
waited upon with the utmost             
consideration1 but ,i confess ,i never  
could get accustomed to the new         
regulation4  99 ,years of ,experience1  
pp4 #agh1 #agi4  ,the watchword of the  
place was fraternity1 not communism4    
,people took up residence at ,brook     
,farm on different terms4 ,some paid a  
stipulated board1 and thus freed        
themselves from any obligatory share in 
either domestic or out-door labor4      
,others contributed smaller sums and    
worked out the balance4 ,some gave labor
 only1 as was the case with ,mrs4       
,kirby1 then ,georgiana ,bruce1 an      
,english girl of strong character4 ,she 
says she agreed to work eight hours a   
day for her board and instruction in any
 branches of study which she elected to 
pursue4 ,as an illustration of the      
actual poverty to which the community   
were soon reduced1 and1 moreover1 of the

 low money value they set on domestic   
labor1 we give another characteristic   
passage from her book4 ,the price of    
full board1 as we learn from a bill sent
 by ,mr4 ,ripley to ,isaac ,hecker after
 the latter's final departure from the  
,farm1 was five dollars and fifty cents 
a week3  ,when a year had elapsed ,i    
found my purse empty and my wardrobe    
much the worse for wear4 ,as ,i was     
known to be heartily interested in the  
new movement1 my case was taken under   
consideration1 and1 with the            
understanding that ,i was to add two    
more hours to my working day1 ,i was    
admitted as bona-fide member of the     
association 7which included only a      
dozen71 and was allowed to draw on the  
treasury for my very moderate           
necessities4 ,forty dollars a year would
 cover these1 writing-paper and postage 
included4 ,the last item was no         
unimportant one1 as each letter cost    
from ten to fifty cents1 and money      
counted for more then than now4  ,i     

should explain that for the whole of one
 winter there remained but two bonnets  
fit for city eyes among six of us4 ,but 
the best of these was forced on whomever
 was going to town4 ,as for best        
dresses1 a twenty-five cent delaine was 
held to be gorgeous apparel4 ,the       
gentlemen had found it desirable to     
adopt a tunic in place of the more      
expensive1 old-world coat499  99 ,years 
of ,experience1 p4 #acb4  ,the income of
 the association was derived from       
various sources other than the prices   
paid for board4 ,there was a school for 
young children1 presided over by ,mrs4  
,ripley1 assisted by various            
pupil-teachers1 who thus partially      
recompensed the community for their own 
support4 ,fruit1 milk1 and vegetables1  
when there were any to spare1 were sent 
to the ,boston markets4 ,now and then   
some benevolent philanthropist with     
means would make a donation4 ,no one who
 entered was expected to contribute his 
whole income to the general purse1      

unless such income would not more than  
cover the actual expense incurred for   
him4 ,when ,isaac ,hecker went to ,west 
,roxbury the establishment included     
seventy inmates1 who were distributed in
 several buildings bearing such poetical
 names as the ,hive1 the ,eyrie1 the    
,nest1 and so on4 ,the number rose to   
ninety or a hundred before he left them1
 but the additions seem occasionally to 
have been in the nature of subtractions 
also1 taking away more of the           
cultivation1 refinement1 and general    
good feeling which had been the         
distinguishing character of the place1  
than they added by their money or their 
labor4  ,isaac ,hecker was never an     
actual member of that inner community of
 whose aspirations and convictions the  
,farm was intended as an embodiment4 ,he
 entered at first as a partial boarder1 
paying four dollars a week1 and         
undertaking also the bread-making1 which
 until then had been very badly done1 as
 he writes to his mother4 ,it should be 

understood that whatever was received   
from any inmate1 either in money or     
labor1 was accepted not as a mere return
 for food and shelter1 but as an        
equivalent for such instruction as could
 be imparted by any other member of the 
collective family4 ,and there were many 
competent and brilliant men and women   
there1 whose attainments not only       
qualified them amply for the tasks they 
then assumed1 but have since made them  
prominent in ,american letters and      
journalism4 ,mr4 ,ripley lectured on    
modern philosophy to all who desired an 
acquaintance with ,spinoza1 ,kant1      
,cousin1 and their compeers4 ,george ,p4
 ,bradford was a thorough classical     
scholar4 ,charles ,a4 ,dana1 then fresh 
from ,harvard1 was an enthusiast for    
,german literature1 and successful in   
imparting both knowledge and enthusiasm 
to his pupils4 ,there were classes in   
almost everything that any one cared to 
study4 ,french and music1 as we learn   
from one of ,isaac's letters home1 were 

what he set himself to at the first4    
,the latter was taught by so            
accomplished a master as ,john ,s4      
,dwight1 who conducted weekly           
singing-schools for both children and   
adults4  ,to what other studies ,isaac  
may have applied himself we hardly know4
 ,it will be noticed that ,mr4 ,george  
,william ,curtis1 in the kindly         
reminiscences which he permits us to    
embody in this chapter1 says that he    
does not remember him as especially     
studious4 ,the remark tallies with the  
impression we have gathered from the    
journal kept while he was there4 ,his   
mind was introverted4 ,philosophical    
questions1 then as always1 interested   
him profoundly1 but only in so far as   
they led to practical results4 ,it might
 be truer to say that philosophy was at 
no time more than the handmaid of       
theology to him4 ,at this period he was 
in the thick of his struggle to attain  
certainty with regard to the nature and 
extent of the ,christian revelation1 and

 what he sought at ,brook ,farm was the 
leisure and quiet and opportunity for   
solitude which could not be his at home4
 ,lead me into ,thy holy ,church1 which 
,i now am seeking1 he writes as the     
final petition of the prayer with which 
the first bulky volume of his diary     
opens4 ,with the burden of that search  
upon him1 it was not possible for such a
 nature as his to plunge with the       
unreserve which is the condition of     
success into any study which had no     
direct reference to it4 ,we find him    
complaining at frequent intervals that  
he cannot give his studies the attention
 they demand4 ,nor were his labors as   
the community baker of long continuance4
 ,they left him too little time at his  
own disposal1 and in a short time he    
became a full boarder1 and occupied     
himself only as his inclinations        
directed4  ,it may occur to some of our 
readers to wonder why a man like        
,brownson1 who was then fast nearing the
 certainty he afterwards attained1      

should have sent a youth like ,isaac    
,hecker to ,brook ,farm4 ,it must be    
remembered that ,brownson's road to the 
,church was not so direct as that of his
 young disciple1 nor so entirely free in
 all its stages from self-crippling     
considerations4 ,as we shall presently  
see1 by an abstract of one of his       
sermons1 preached in the spring of      
#ahdc1 which was made by ,isaac ,hecker 
at the time1 ,brownson thought it       
possible to hold all ,catholic truth and
 yet defer entering the ,church until   
she should so far abate her claims as to
 form a friendly alliance with orthodox 
,protestantism on terms not too         
distasteful to the latter4 ,he was not  
yet willing to depart alone1 and hoped  
by waiting to take others with him1 and 
he was neither ready to renounce wholly 
his private views1 nor to counsel such a
 step to young ,hecker4 ,he was in      
harmony1 moreover1 with the tolerant and
 liberal tendency which influenced the  
leading spirits at ,brook ,farm4        

,although he never became one of the    
community1 he had sent his son ,orestes 
there as a pupil1 and was a frequent    
visitor himself4 ,their aims1 as        
expressed in a passage which we subjoin 
from ,the ,dial of ,january1 #ahdb1 were
 assuredly such as would approve        
themselves to persons who fully accepted
 what they believed to be the social    
teaching of our ,lord1 but who had not  
attained to any true conception of the  
,divine authority which clothes that    
teaching3  ,whoever is satisfied with   
society as it is2 whose sense of justice
 is not wounded by its common action1   
institutions1 spirit of commerce1 has no
 business with this community2 neither  
has any one who is willing to have other
 men 7needing more time for intellectual
 cultivation than himself7 give their   
best hours and strength to bodily labor 
to secure himself immunity therefrom4 4 
4 4 ,everything can be said of it1 in a 
degree1 which ,christ said of ,his      
kingdom1 and therefore it is believed   

that in some measure it does embody ,his
 idea4 ,for its ,gate of ,entrance is   
strait and narrow4 ,it is1 literally1 a 
pearl hidden in a field4 ,those only who
 are willing to lose their life for its 
sake shall find it4 4 4 4 ,those who    
have not the faith that the principles  
of ,christ's kingdom are applicable to  
this world1 will smile at it as a       
visionary attempt4  ,brook ,farm has an 
interest for ,catholics because1 in the 
order of guileless nature1 it was the   
preamble of that common life which      
,isaac ,hecker afterwards enjoyed in its
 supernatural realization in the        
,church4 ,it was a protest against that 
selfishness of the individual which is  
highly accentuated in a large class of  
,new-,englanders1 and prodigiously      
developed in the economical conditions  
of modern society4 ,against these ,isaac
 had revolted in ,new ,york2 at ,brook  
,farm he hoped to find their remedy4    
,and in fact the gentle reformers1 as we
 may call these ,west ,roxbury          

adventurers into the unexplored regions 
of the common life1 were worthy of their
 task though not equal to it4 ,there is 
no doubt that in small numbers and with 
a partial surrender of individual       
prerogatives1 well-meaning men and women
 may taste many of the good things and  
be able to bear some of the hardships of
 the common life4 ,but to compass in    
permanent form its aspirations in this  
direction1 as in many others1 nature is 
incompetent4 ,the terrible if wonderful 
success of ,sparta is what can be       
attained1 and tells at what cost4 ,the  
economy of the bee-hive1 which kills or 
drives away its superfluous members1 and
 the polity of ,sparta1 which put the   
cripples and the aged to death1 are     
essential to permanent success in the   
venture of communism in the natural     
order4 ,sweetness and light are enjoyed 
by the few only at the sacrifice of the 
unwholesome and burdensome members of   
the hive4  ,brook ,farm1 however1 was   
not conceived in any spirit of cruelty  

or of contempt of the weaker members of 
humanity2 the very contrary was the     
case4 ,sin and feebleness were capable1 
thought its founders1 of elimination by 
the force of natural virtue4 ,the men   
and women who gathered there in its     
first years were noble of their kind2   
and their kind1 now much less frequently
 met with1 was the finest product of    
natural manhood4 ,of the channels of    
information which reach us from ,brook  
,farm1 and we believe we have had access
 to them all1 none contains the         
slightest evidence of sensuality1 the   
least trace of the selfishness of the   
world1 or even any sign of the          
extravagances of spiritual pride4 ,there
 is1 on the other hand1 a full          
acknowledgment of the ordinary failings 
of unpretentious good people4 ,nor do we
 mean to say that they were purely in   
the natural order--who can be said to be
 that8 ,they were the descendants of the
 baptized ,puritans whose religious     
fervor had been for generations at white

 heat4 ,they had1 indeed1 cut the root1 
but the sap of ,christian principle     
still lingered in the trunk and branches
 and brought forth fruit which was      
supernatural1 though destined never to  
ripen4  ,christ was the model of the    
,brook-,farmers1 as ,he had become that 
of ,isaac ,hecker4 ,they did not know   
,him as well as they knew ,his doctrine4
 ,they knew better what ,he said than   
why ,he said it1 and that defect        
obscured ,his meaning and mystified     
their understandings4 ,that all men were
 brethren was the result of their study 
of humanity under what they conceived to
 be ,his leadership2 that all labor is  
honorable1 and entitled to equal        
remuneration1 was their solution of the 
social problem4 ,while any man was      
superfluously rich1 they maintained1 no 
man should be miserably poor4 ,they were
 reaching after what the best spirits of
 the human race were then and now       
longing for1 and they succeeded as well 
as any can who employ only the selvage  

of the ,christian garment to protect    
themselves against the rigors of nature4
 ,saint-,simon was a far less worthy man
 than ,george ,ripley1 but he failed no 
more signally4 ,frederic ,ozanam1 whose 
ambition was limited in its scope by his
 appreciation of both nature and the    
supernatural1 succeeded in establishing 
a measure of true fraternity between    
rich and poor throughout the ,catholic  
world4  ,there can be no manner of doubt
 that although ,father ,hecker in after 
life could good-naturedly smile at the  
singularities of ,brook ,farm1 what he  
saw and was taught there had a strong   
and permanent effect on his character4  
,it is little to say that the influence 
was refining to him1 for he was refined 
by nature4 ,but he gained what was to   
him a constant corrective of any        
tendency to man-hatred in all its       
degrees1 not needed by himself to be    
sure1 but always needed in his dealing  
with others4 ,it gave to a naturally    
trustful disposition the vim and vigor  

of an apostolate for a cheerful view of 
human nature4 ,it was a characteristic  
trait of his to expect good results from
 reliance on human virtue1 and his whole
 success as a persuades of men was      
largely to be explained by the subtle   
flattery of this trustful attitude      
towards them4 ,at ,brook ,farm the mind 
of ,isaac ,hecker was eagerly looking   
for instruction4 ,it failed to get even 
a little clear light on the more        
perplexing problems of life1 but it got 
something better--the object-lesson of  
good men and women struggling nobly and 
unselfishly for laudable ends4 ,brook   
,farm was an attempt to remove          
obstructions from the pathway of human  
progress1 taking that word in the       
natural sense4  ,even afterwards1 when  
he had known human destiny in its       
perfect supernatural and natural forms1 
and when the means to compass it were in
 his possession and plainly competent   
for success1 his memory reproduced the  
scenes and persons of ,brook ,farm in an

 atmosphere of affection and admiration1
 though not unmingled with amusement4   
,he used not infrequently to quote words
 heard there1 and cite examples of      
things done there1 as lessons of wisdom 
not only for the philosopher but also   
for the ascetic4 ,he was there equipped 
with the necessary external guarantee of
 his inner consciousness that man is    
good1 because made so by his            
,creator--inclined indeed to evil1 but  
yet a good being1 even so inclined4     
,nothing is more necessary for one who  
is to be a teacher among a population   
whose ,catholicity is of blood and      
family tradition as well as of grace1   
than to know that there is virtue1 true 
and high in its own order1 outside the  
visible pale of the ,church4 ,especially
 is this necessary if ,catholics in any 
age or country are to be fitted for a   
missionary vocation4 ,that this is the  
vocation of the ,church of his day was  
,isaac ,hecker's passionate conviction4 
,he was able to communicate this to     

,catholics of the old stock as well as  
to influence non-,catholics in favor of 
the ,church2 perhaps even more so4 ,more
 than anything else1 indeed1 ,brook     
,farm taught him the defect of human    
nature on its highest plane2 but it     
taught him also the worthiness of the   
men and women of ,america of the        
apostle's toil and blood4 ,the gentle   
natures whom he there knew and learned  
to love1 their spirit of self-sacrifice 
for the common good1 their minds at once
 innocent and cultivated1 their devotion
 to their high ideal1 the absence of    
meanness1 coarseness1 vulgarity1 the    
sinking of private ambitions1 the       
patience with the defects of others1    
their desire to establish the communism 
of at least intellectual gifts--all this
 and much more of the kind fixed his    
views and affections in a mould which   
eminently fitted him as a vessel of     
election for apostolic uses4  ,before   
passing to the study of ,isaac ,hecker's
 own interior during the period of his  

residence at ,brook ,farm1 it is our    
pleasant privilege to communicate to our
 readers the subjoined charming         
reminiscence of his personality at the  
time1 from one who was his associate    
there3  ,west ,new ,brighton1 ,s4,i41   
,february #bh1 #ahij4--;,,dear ,,sir3 ,i
 fear that my recollections of ,father  
,hecker will be of little service to    
you1 for they are very scant4 ,but the  
impression of the young man whom ,i knew
 at ,brook ,farm is still vivid4 ,it    
must have been in the year #ahdc that he
 came to the ,farm in ,west ,roxbury1   
near ,boston4 ,he was a youth of        
twenty-three1 of ,german aspect1 and ,i 
think his face was somewhat seamed with 
small-pox4 ,but his sweet and candid    
expression1 his gentle and affectionate 
manner1 were very winning4 ,he had an   
air of singular refinement and          
self-reliance combined with a half-eager
 inquisitiveness1 and upon becoming     
acquainted with him1 ,i told him that he
 was ,ernest the ,seeker1 which was the 

title of a story of mental unrest which 
,william ,henry ,channing was then      
publishing in the ,dial4  ,hecker1 or1  
as ,i always called him and think of    
him1 ,isaac1 had apparently come to     
,brook ,farm because it was a result of 
the intellectual agitation of the time  
which had reached and touched him in    
,new ,york4 ,he had been bred a baker1  
he told me1 and ,i remember with what   
satisfaction he said to me1 ',i am sure 
of my livelihood because ,i can make    
good bread4' ,his powers in this way    
were most satisfactorily tested at the  
,farm1 or1 as it was generally called1  
'the ,community1' although it was in no 
other sense a community than an         
association of friendly workers in      
common4 ,he was drawn to ,brook ,farm by
 the belief that its life would be at   
least agreeable to his convictions and  
tastes1 and offer him the society of    
those who might answer some of his      
questions1 even if they could not       
satisfy his longings4  ,by what         

influences his mind was first affected  
by the moral movement known in ,new     
,england as transcendentalism1 ,i do not
 know4 ,probably he may have heard ,mr4 
,emerson lecture in ,new ,york1 or he   
may have read ,brownson's ,charles      
,elwood1 which dealt with the questions 
that engaged his mind and conscience4   
,but among the many interesting figures 
at ,brook ,farm ,i recall none more     
sincerely absorbed than ,isaac ,hecker  
in serious questions4 ,the merely       
aesthetic aspects of its life1 its      
gayety and social pleasures1 he regarded
 good-naturedly1 with the air of a      
spectator who tolerated rather than     
needed or enjoyed them4 ,there was      
nothing ascetic or severe in him1 but ,i
 have often thought since that his      
feeling was probably what he might have 
afterward described as a consciousness  
that he must be about his ,father's     
business4  ,i do not remember him as    
especially studious4 ,mr4 ,ripley had   
classes in ,german philosophy and       

metaphysics1 in ,kant and ,spinoza1 and 
,isaac used to look in1 as he turned    
wherever he thought he might find       
answers to his questions4 ,he went to   
hear ,theodore ,parker preach in the    
,unitarian ,church in the neighboring   
village of ,west ,roxbury4 ,he went into
 ,boston1 about ten miles distant1 to   
talk with ,brownson1 and to ,concord to 
see ,emerson4 ,he entered into the      
working life at the ,farm1 but always1  
as it seemed to me1 with the same       
reserve and attitude of observation4 ,he
 was the dove floating in the air1 not  
yet finding the spot on which his foot  
might rest4  ,the impression that ,i    
gathered from my intercourse with him1  
which was boyishly intimate and         
affectionate1 was that of all 'the      
apostles of the newness1' as they were  
gayly called1 whose counsel he sought1  
,brownson was the most satisfactory to  
him4 ,i thought then that this was due  
to the authority of ,brownson's         
masterful tone1 the definiteness of his 

views1 the force of his 'understanding1'
 as the word was then philosophically   
used in distinction from the reason4    
,brownson's mental vigor and            
positiveness were very agreeable to a   
candid mind which was speculatively     
adrift and experimenting1 and1 as it    
seemed to me1 which was more emotional  
than logical4 ,brownson1 after his life 
of varied theological and controversial 
activity1 was drawing toward the        
,catholic ,church1 and his virile force 
fascinated the more delicate and        
sensitive temper of the young man1 and1 
,i have always supposed1 was the chief  
influence which at that time affected   
,hecker's views1 although he did not    
then enter the ,catholic ,church4  ,he  
was a general favorite at ,brook ,farm1 
always equable and playful1 wholly      
simple and frank in manner4 ,he talked  
readily and easily1 but not             
controversially4 ,his smile was         
singularly attractive and sympathetic1  
and the earnestness of which ,i have    

spoken gave him an unconscious personal 
dignity4 ,his temperament was sanguine4 
,the whole air of the youth was that of 
goodness4 ,i do not think that the      
impression made by him forecast his     
career1 or1 in any degree1 the          
leadership which he afterwards held in  
his ,church4 ,but everybody who knew him
 at that time must recall his charming  
amiability4  ,i think that he did not   
remain at ,brook ,farm for a whole year1
 and when later he went to ,belgium to  
study theology at the seminary of ,mons 
he wrote me many letters1 which ,i am   
sorry to say have disappeared4 ,i       
remember that he labored with friendly  
zeal to draw me to his ,church1 and at  
his request ,i read the life and some   
writing of ,st4 ,alphonse of ,liguori4  
,gradually our correspondence declined  
when ,i was in ,europe1 and was never   
resumed2 nor do ,i remember seeing him  
again more than once1 many years ago4   
,there was still in the clerical figure1
 which was very strange to me1 the old  

sweetness of smile and address2 there   
was some talk of the idyllic days1 some 
warm words of hearty good will1 but our 
interests were very different1 and1     
parting1 we went our separate ways4 ,for
 a generation we lived in the same city1
 yet we never met4 ,but ,i do not lose  
the bright recollection of ,ernest the  
,seeker1 nor forget the frank1 ardent1  
generous1 manly youth1 ,isaac ,hecker4  
,very truly yours1  ,,george ,,william  
,,curtis4       ,,chapter ,,vi  ,,inner 
,,life ,,while ,,at ,,brook ,,farm      
,,the private journals from which we are
 about to quote so largely were an      
unhoped-for addition to the stock of    
materials available for ,father         
,hecker's biography4 ,until after his   
death not even their existence1 still   
less the nature of their contents1 was  
suspected4 ,with the exception of two   
important documents1 one written while  
he was in ,belgium1 in obedience to the 
requirements of his director2 the other 
in ,rome1 for the consideration of the  

four venerable religious whose advice he
 sought before founding his community1  
no records of his interior life have    
been discovered which are at all        
comparable in fulness to those made     
during the eighteen months which        
preceded his admission to the ,church4  
,in his years of health and strength he 
lived and worked for others2 and in     
those weary ones of illness which       
followed them1 he thought and wrote and 
suffered1 but apparently without making 
any deliberate notes of his deeper      
personal experience4  ,on those of our  
readers whose acquaintance with ,father 
,hecker dates1 as our own does1 from his
 intensely active and laborious prime1  
these revelations of the period when he 
was being passively wrought upon and    
shaped for his work by the hand of ,god1
 may produce an effect not unlike that  
we have been conscious of in studying   
the greater mass from which our extracts
 are taken4 ,they will1 perhaps1 be     
struck1 in the first place1 by the      

unexpectedly strong witness they bear to
 the wholly interior and mystical       
experience of the man4 ,they testify1   
moreover1 to the real and objective     
character of that leading which he was  
constrained to follow2 and not only     
that4 ,they do so in a way which        
furnishes a convincing reply to a very  
plausible doubt as to whether the narrow
 and uncongenial surroundings of his    
early life might not1 by themselves1 be 
sufficient to explain the discontent of 
a poetic and aspiring nature such as    
his4  ,he was at ,brook ,farm when that 
community was at its pleasantest4 ,the  
shadow of care and the premonition of   
failure were1 indeed1 already looming up
 before those who bore the chief        
responsibilities of the undertaking1 but
 the group by virtue of whose presence  
it became famous had hardly begun to    
dwindle4 ,and besides those whose names 
have since become well known1 there were
 others1 young1 gay1 intelligent1 and   
well bred1 acquaintance and familiarity 

with whom were in many ways attractive  
to a susceptible youth like ,isaac      
,hecker4 ,what impression he made upon  
the circle he entered1 how cordially he 
was received and held in high esteem1   
our readers already know4 ,and if he    
gave pleasure1 he received it also4 ,at 
first the new circumstances were a      
little strange and embarrassing to him4 
,after a fortnight1 or thereabouts1 we  
find him noting that he is not one of   
their spirits4 ,they say ',mr4 ,hecker' 
in a tone they do not use in speaking to
 each other4 ,but the strangeness soon  
wore off and he yielded to the influence
 of the place with a wholeness which    
would have been entire but for the      
stronger drawing which never let him    
free4  ,on this point1 too1 the witness 
of the journal is peremptory4 ,so it is 
as to the unity and consistence of his  
interior experiences from first to last4
 ,child1 and boy1 and man1 there was    
always the same ardent sincerity of     
purpose in him1 the same docility to the

 ,voice that spoke within1 the same     
attitude toward the life that now is    
which ,mr4 ,curtis1 in the letter given 
in the preceding chapter1 has described1
 with so fine an insight1 as one of     
reserve and observation4 ,he was the    
dove floating in the air1 not yet       
finding the spot on which his foot might
 rest1 writes ,mr4 ,curtis of ,isaac    
,hecker at that period of his youth when
 his surroundings and companions were   
for the first time1 and very possibly   
for the last1 wholly congenial to his   
natural inclinations4 ,and again3 ,there
 was nothing ascetic or severe in him2  
but ,i have often thought since that his
 feeling was probably what he might have
 afterward described as a consciousness 
that he must be about his ,father's     
business4  ,these words are significant 
testimony to the nobility of the        
impression made on others by ,father    
,hecker's personality in early manhood4 
,even if our only addition to such      
scanty knowledge of his life at ,brook  

,farm as could be gathered from his own 
conversations in later years were this  
happily-touched sketch1 it could hardly 
be more interesting than it is4 ,but1   
fortunately1 it does not stand alone4   
,its fine recognition of the lofty      
purity of his nature is everywhere borne
 out by the unpremeditated and candid   
self-revelations of the diary4 ,their   
characteristic trait is everywhere      
aspiration--a sense of joy in elevation 
above the earthly1 or a sense of        
depression because the earthly weighs   
him down4 ,then come eager glances of   
inquiry in every direction for the      
satisfaction of his aspirations1 little 
by little narrowing down to the         
,catholic ,church1 wherein the dove of  
,mr4 ,curtis's image was finally to rest
 his foot for ever4 ,and in all this he 
scarcely at all mentions a dread of the 
,divine wrath as a motive for his       
flight4 ,it is not out of the city of   
destruction1 but toward the celestial   
city that he goes4 ,he is drawn by what 

he wants1 not hounded by what he fears4 
,always there is the reaching out of a  
strong nature toward what it lacks--a   
material for its strength to work on1 a 
craving for rational joy1 coupled with  
an ever-increasing conviction that      
nature cannot give him such a boon4 ,men
 who knew ,father ,hecker only in his   
royal maturity1 sometimes cavilled at   
his words of emphatic faith in guileless
 nature2 but they had only to know him a
 little better to learn his appreciation
 of the supernatural order1 and his     
recognition of its absolute and         
exclusive competency to satisfy nature's
 highest aspirations4 ,reading these    
early journals1 we have constantly      
recalled the later days when he so      
often1 and sometimes continually1       
repeated1 ,religion is a boon6 ,no one  
could know that better than he who had  
so deeply felt the want it satisfies4   
,the diary was begun in the middle of   
,april1 #ahdc1 when ,isaac had just     
returned to ,brook ,farm after a        

fortnight spent at home4 ,it opens with 
a prayer for light and direction1 which 
is its dedication to the uses not only  
of an earnest but a religious seeker4   
,he addresses himself directly to ,god  
as ,father1 not making either appeal or 
reference to our ,lord4 ,but there is in
 it an invocation to those that are in  
heaven to intercede and plead for him1  
which recalls the fact1 so often        
mentioned by him1 that it was the       
teaching of the ,catechism of the       
,council of ,trent on the ,communion of 
,saints which cleared away his final    
clouds and brought him directly to the  
,church4 ,there is a note1 too1 among   
his later papers1 in which1 speaking of 
the phenomena of modern spiritualism1 he
 says that the same longing for an      
assurance of personal immortality which 
leads so many into that maze of mingled 
truth and error1 had a great share in   
disposing his mind to accept the        
authoritative doctrine of the ,church1  
which here as elsewhere answered fully  

the deepest longings of his soul4  ,we  
shall not attempt to follow the         
chronological order of the journal with 
exactness1 but in making our extracts   
shall pursue the order of topics rather 
than of time4 ,by the middle of ,april  
the question of the ,church had         
presented itself so unmistakably to     
,isaac ,hecker1 as the necessary        
preliminary to further progress--to be  
settled in one way or another1 either   
set definitely aside as unessential or  
else accepted as the adequate solution  
of man's problems1 that his struggles   
for and against it recur with especial  
frequency4 ,faber has said somewhere    
that the ,church is the touchstone of   
rational humanity1 and that probably no 
adult passes out of life without having 
once1 at least1 been brought squarely   
face to face with it and made to        
understand and shoulder the tremendous  
responsibility which its claims impose4 
,there would be no need of a touchstone 
if there were no alloy in human nature1 

no feebleness in man's will1 no darkness
 in his understanding4 ,were that the   
condition of humanity1 the call to the  
supernatural order would be simply the  
summons to come up higher1 its symbol a 
beacon torch upon the heights4 ,as it   
is1 the path may be mistaken4 ,he whose 
feet have been set in it from birth by  
,christian training may wilfully forsake
 it4 ,he whose heart is pure and whose  
aspirations noble1 may be so surrounded 
by the mists of inherited error and     
misapprehension that the light of truth 
fails to penetrate them when it first   
dawns4 ,the road is always strait which 
leads any son of ,adam to supernal joy  
in conscious union with his ,creator1   
even when his will is good and his      
desire unfeigned4  ,we shall find1      
therefore1 that ,isaac ,hecker's        
struggles were many and painful before  
he fully recognized and attained the    
necessary means to the end he craved4   
,they were characteristic also4 ,he was 
looking for the satisfaction of his     

rational aspirations rather than for the
 solution of historical problems1       
although his mind was too clear not to  
see that the two are inextricably bound 
up together4 ,but inasmuch as at the    
period of which we are writing1 which   
was that of the ,oxford ,tracts1        
controversy turned mainly on questions  
of historical continuity and of ,divine 
warrant in the external revelation of   
holy ,scripture1 it follows that he1 and
 such as he1 must have taken a lonely   
and unfrequented road towards the truth4
 ,every time he looked at the ,church he
 was greeted with the spectacle of unity
 and uniformity1 of discipline and      
order4 ,these are elements which always 
have been1 and probably always will be1 
most attractive to the classes called   
educated1 to men seeking for external   
notes of truth1 flying from disorder1   
fearful of rebellion4 ,but to ,isaac    
,hecker1 the only external note which   
deeply attracted him was that of        
universal brotherhood4 ,if he were to   

bow his knee with joy to ,jesus ,christ1
 it would be because all1 in heaven and 
earth or hell1 should one day bend in   
union with him4  ,it takes an intimate  
knowledge of ,catholicity to perceive   
the interior transformation of humanity 
by its supernatural aids4 ,on the one   
hand1 the influence of ,isaac ,hecker's 
,brook ,farm surroundings was to        
persuade him to confide wholly in       
nature1 which there was very nearly at  
its unaided best4 ,on the other hand1   
the treasures of ,catholicity for the   
inner life were hidden from him4        
,religion1 in his conception of it--in  
the true conception of it--must be the  
binding of all things together1 natural 
and supernatural4 ,hence we find him at 
times complaining that the ,church is   
not sufficient for his wants4 ,if it    
were not personal in its adaptation to  
him1 it was little that it should be    
historical this1 hierarchical that1 or  
biblical the other4 ,it must be his     
primarily1 because he cannot live a     

rational and pure life without it4 ,an  
ordinarily decorous life1 if you will2  
free from lust or passion1 and without  
gross unreason1 but nevertheless tame1  
unprogressive1 dry and unproductive1    
without any absolute certainty except   
that of the helplessness of man4 ,such a
 life seemed to him hardly more than a  
synonym for death4 ,the fact is1 as he  
writes on a page now lying before us1 ,i
 want to live every moment4 ,i want     
something positive1 living1 nourishing4 
,i negative only by affirming4  ,the    
earliest entry in this diary has been   
already quoted in the first    ,,chapter
 of the present biography4 ,on its      
second page occurs the following account
 of his impressions while in church on  
,easter ,sunday3  ,monday1 ,april #ag1  
#ahdc4--,yesterday ,i went to the       
,catholic church at ,west ,roxbury4 ,it 
was ,easter ,sunday4 ,the services were1
 to me1 very impressively affecting4    
,the altar-piece represented ,christ's  
rising from the tomb1 and this was the  

subject-matter of the priest's sermon4  
,in the midst of it he turned and       
pointed to the painting1 with a few     
touching words4 ,all eyes followed his1 
which made his remarks doubly affecting4
 ,how inspiring it must be to the       
priest1 when he is preaching1 to see    
around him the ,saviour1 and the goodly 
company of martyrs1 saints1 and fathers6
 ,there may be objections to having     
paintings and sculptures in churches1   
but ,i confess that ,i never enter a    
place where there is either but ,i feel 
an awe1 an invisible influence1 which   
strikes me mute4 ,i would sit in        
silence1 covering my head4 ,a sanctified
 atmosphere seems to fill the place and 
to penetrate my soul when ,i enter1 as  
if ,i were in a holy temple4 ',thou     
standest in a holy place1' ,i would say4
 ,a loud word1 a heavy footstep1 makes  
me shudder1 as if an infidel were       
desecrating the place4 ,i stand         
speechless1 in a magical atmosphere that
 wraps my whole being1 scarcely daring  

to lift my eyes4 ,a perfect stillness   
comes over my soul2 it seems to be      
soaring on the bosom of clouds4         
,tuesday1 ,april #ah4--;,i confess that 
either the ,church is not sufficient for
 my wants or ,i have not seen it in its 
glory4 ,i hope it may be the latter4 ,i 
do not want to say it1 but ,i must own  
that it fills me no more4 ,i contemplate
 it1 ,i look at it1 ,i comprehend it4   
,it does not lead me to aspire4 ,i feel 
that either it has nothing to give1 or  
that what it has is not that for which  
my soul is aching4 ,i know it can be    
said in reply that ,i cannot know what  
the ,church has until ,i am in communion
 with it2 that it satisfies natures     
greater than mine2 that it is the true  
life of the world2 that there is no true
 spirituality outside of it1 and that   
before ,i can judge it rightly my life  
must be equal to it in purity and       
elevation4 ,much more might be said4    
,but1 after all1 what is it8 ,the       
,catholic shows up the ,anglican2 the   

,anglican retorts with an accusation of 
corruption1 and even a want of purity2  
the ,protestant1 the ,presbyterian1     
claim their own mission at the expense  
of consistency and good logic4 4 4 4    
,the whole fact1 ,i suppose1 is that if 
there is anything in ,succession1       
,tradition1 ,infallibility1 ,church     
organism and form1 it is in the         
,catholic ,church1 and our business will
 be to stop this controversy and call an
 ,ecumenical ,council which shall settle
 these matters according to the ,bible1 
,tradition1 and the light of the        
,church4  ,there is a touch of          
unconscious humor in the final paragraph
 which clamored for quotation4 ,but it  
was plainly written in profound earnest4
  ,thursday1 ,april #bj4--,my soul is   
disquieted1 my heart aches4 4 4 ,tears  
flow from my eyes involuntarily4 ,my    
soul is grieved--for what8 ,yesterday1  
as ,i was praying1 the thought flashed  
across my mind1 ,where is ,god8 ,is ,he 
not here8 ,why prayest thou as if ,he   

were at a great distance from thee8     
,think of it4 ,where canst thou place   
,him--in what locality8 ,is ,he not here
 in thy midst8 ,is ,his presence not    
nearest of all to thee8 ,oh1 think of   
it6 ,god is here4 4 4 4  ,am ,i impious 
to say that the language used in        
,scripture for ,christ's expresses the  
thoughts of my soul8 ,oh1 could we but  
understand that the kingdom of heaven is
 always at hand to the discerner1 and   
that ,god calls upon all to ',repent1   
for ye shall not all disappear until it 
shall open4 ,this generation shall not  
pass away4'  ,then follows a page of    
philosophizing on time and eternity1    
immensity and space1 and monads who may 
develop or fulfil their destiny in other
 worlds than this1 a reminiscence1      
perhaps1 of the lectures on such topics 
at which ,mr4 ,curtis says ,isaac used  
to look in1 hoping to find an answer to 
his questions4 ,such speculations are a 
trait throughout the diary1 though they 
are everywhere subordinate to the       

practical ends which dominantly interest
 him4 ,a day or two later comes a       
passage1 already given in a preceding   
chapter1 in reference to certain        
prophetic dreams which it has been given
 him to see realized4 ,and at once this 
follows3  ,april #bd1 ,noon4--,the      
,catholic ,church alone seems to satisfy
 my wants1 my faith1 life1 soul4 ,these 
may be baseless fabrics1 chimeras dire1 
or what you please4 ,i may be laboring  
under a delusion4 ,yet my soul is       
,catholic1 and that faith responds to my
 soul in its religious aspirations and  
its longings4 ,i have not wished to make
 myself ,catholic1 but that answers on  
all sides to the wants of my soul4 ,it  
is so rich1 so full4 ,one is in harmony 
all over--in unison with heaven1 with   
the present1 living in the natural body1
 and the past1 who have changed4 ,there 
is a solidarity between them through the
 ,church4 ,i do not feel controversial4 
,my soul is filled4  ,from this point he
 speedily recedes4 ,by the next day he  

is lost almost in the flesh2 fallen into
 an identity with my body1 and notes    
that for some time he has done little in
 study1 but feel that ,i have lived very
 much4 ,what hinders him he supposes to 
be contemplating any certain amount of  
study which ,i ought to                 
accomplish--looking to it as an end4    
,why should ,i not be satisfied when ,i 
am living1 growing8 ,did ,christ and    
,his apostles study languages8 ,i have  
the life--is not that the end8  ,april  
#bh4--,what shall ,i say8 ,am ,i wrong8 
,should ,i submit and give myself up to 
that which does not engage my whole     
being8 ,to me the ,church is not the    
great object of life4 ,i am now out of  
it in the common meaning4 ,i am not     
subject to its ordinances4 ,is it not   
best for me to accept my own nature     
rather than attempt to mould it as      
though it were an object8 ,is not our   
own existence more than this existence  
in the world8  ,i read this morning an  
extract from ,heine upon ,schelling     

which affected me more than anything ,i 
have read for six months4 ,the ,church1 
says ,schelling in substance1 was first 
,petrine1 then ,pauline1 and must be    
love-embracing1 ,john-like4 ,peter1     
,catholicism2 ,paul1 ,protestantism2    
,john1 what is to be4 ,the statement    
struck me and responded to my own dim   
intuitions4 ,catholicism is solidarity2 
,protestantism is individuality4 ,what  
we want1 and are tending to1 is what    
shall unite them both1 as ,john's spirit
 does--and that in each individual4 ,we 
want neither the authority of ,history  
nor of the ,individual2 neither         
,infallibility nor ,reason by itself but
 both combined in ,life4 ,neither       
,precedent nor ,opinion1 but            
,being--neither a written nor a preached
 ,gospel1 but a living one4 4 4 4  ,it  
is only through ,christ we can see the  
love1 goodness1 and wisdom of ,god4 ,he 
is to us what the telescope is to the   
astronomer1 with this difference3 ,he so
 exalts and purifies us that our subject

 becomes the power to see4 ,the         
telescope is a medium through which the 
boundaries of our vision are enlarged1  
but it is passive4 ,christ is an active 
,mediator who begets us if we will1 and 
gives us power to see by becoming one   
with ,him4  ,may #c4--,we all look upon 
this world as suits our moods1          
assimilating only such food as suits our
 dispositions--and no doubt there is    
sufficient variety to suit all4 4 4 4   
,every personality individualizes the   
world to himself not subjectively but   
truly objectively4 4 4 4 ,every         
individual ought1 perhaps1 to be        
satisfied with his own character4 ,for  
it is an important truth of ,fourier's  
that attractions are in proportion to   
destinies4 ,fear in proportion to hope1 
pain in proportion to pleasure1 strength
 in proportion to destiny1 etc4 ,but it 
is mysterious that we know all this4    
',man has become as one of us4' ,we are 
all dead4  ,ah1 mystic6 dost thou show  
thyself in this shape8 ,but now1 being  

dead1 shall we receive life and         
immortality 7for ,i imagine immortality 
the solidarity of life--i4e41 the union 
of the two lives1 here and heaven7      
through ,jesus ,christ1 the ,son of the 
living ,god1 and so lose 'the knowledge 
of good and evil4' ,for as in ,adam all 
died1 so shall ye all be made alive     
through ,jesus ,christ4' ,the effect of 
the fall was literally the knowledge of 
good and evil4 ,god knows no evil1 and  
when we become one with ,him1 through   
the ,mediator1 we shall regain our      
previous state4 ,knowledge is the effect
 of sin1 and is perhaps destined to     
correct itself4 ,consciousness and      
knowledge go together4 ,spontaneity and 
life are one4 ,knowledge is no gain1 for
 it gives nothing4 ,i can only know what
 has been given through spontaneity4    
,spontaneity is unity1 one2 knowledge is
 division of being4 ,if ,adam had not   
been separated he would doubtless not   
have sinned4 ',the woman that ,thou     
gavest me said unto me1 ,eat1 and ,i did

 eat4' ,still1 through the seed of the  
woman1 which will be the union restored1
 is the serpent to be bruised4  ,may    
#d4--,the real effect of the theory of  
the ,church is to isolate men from the  
outward world1 withdraw them from its   
enjoyments1 and make them live a life of
 sacrifice of the passions4 ,this is one
 statement4 ,another would be this3 all 
these things can and should be enjoyed1 
but in a higher1 purer1 more exalted    
state of being than is the present      
ordinary condition of our minds4 ,the   
only opposition to them arises when the 
soul becomes sensual1 falls into their  
arms1 and becomes lost to higher and    
more spiritual objects4 4 4 4  ,all is  
dark before me1 impenetrable darkness4  
,i appear to live in the centre4        
,nothing seems to take hold of my soul1 
or else it seeks nothing4 ,where it is  
,i know not4 ,i meet with no one else   
around me4 ,i would that ,i could feel  
that some one lived in the same world   
that ,i now do4 ,something cloudy       

separates us4 ,i cannot speak from my   
real being to others4 ,there is no      
mutual recognition4 ,when ,i speak1 it  
is as if a burden accumulated round me4 
,i long to throw it off1 but ,i cannot  
utter my thoughts and feelings in their 
presence2 if ,i do1 they return to me   
unrecognized4 ,shall ,i ever meet with  
one the windows of whose soul will open 
simultaneously with mine8  ,on the first
 ,sunday of ,may ,isaac went into       
,boston to hear ,brownson preach1 and a 
day or two later made the subjoined     
shrewd comments on the sermon in a      
letter to his mother3  ,may #i1         
'#dc4--;,his intention is to preach the 
,catholic doctrine and administer the   
,sacraments4 ,how many of them1 ,i      
suppose1 depends on circumstances4 ,he  
justifies himself on the ground that he 
that is not against us is for us1 and   
that in times of exigency1 and in       
extraordinary cases1 we may do what we  
could not be excused for doing          
otherwise4 ,and he thinks by proclaiming

 the ,catholic faith and repudiating the
 attempt to build up a ,church1 that in 
time the ,protestant world will become  
,catholic in its dispositions1 so that a
 unity will be made without submission  
or sacrifice4 ,under present            
circumstances it would be impossible1   
even if the ,protestant churches should 
be willing to unite with the ,catholic1 
that the ,catholic could even supply    
priests for forty millions of           
,protestants1 the ,protestant priests   
being most of them married1 etc4  ,i    
confess the sermon was wholly           
unsatisfactory to me1 un-catholic in its
 premises1 and many of his arguments and
 facts chimerical and illusive4 ,if you 
grant that the ,roman ,catholic ,church 
is the true ,church1 there is1 to my    
thought1 no stopping-place short of its 
bosom4 ,or even if it is the nearest to 
the truth1 you are under obligations to 
join it4 ,how any one can believe in    
either one of those propositions1 as #j4
 ,a4 ,b4 does1 without becoming a       

,catholic in fact1 ,i cannot conceive4  
,this special pleading of exceptions1   
the necessity of the case1 and          
improbable suppositions1 springs more1  
,i think1 from the position of the      
individual than from the importance or  
truth of the arguments made use of4     
,therefore ,i think he will give up in  
time the ground upon which he now       
supports his course--not the object but 
his position4 4 4 4 ,i have bought a few
 ,catholic books in ,boston which treat 
upon the ,anglican claims to            
,catholicity1 and ,i think ,i can say1  
so far1 ,i never shall join a           
,protestant ,church--while ,i am not    
positive on the positive side1 nor even 
in any way as yet decided4              
,,chapter ,,vii  ,,struggles  ,,the     
citations thus far made from ,isaac     
,hecker's youthful diary1 although      
penned at ,brook ,farm1 bear few traces 
of that fact4 ,they might have been     
written in a desert for all evidence    
they give of any special influence      

produced upon him by personal contact   
with others4 ,it is not until the middle
 of ,may1 #ahdc1 that he begins to make 
any reference to his actual             
surroundings4  ,before following him    
into these more intimate                
self-confidences1 and especially before 
giving in his own words an account of   
that peculiar occurrence which so       
permanently affected his future1 some   
preliminary remarks seem necessary4  ,it
 has been said already1 in an earlier   
chapter of this biography1 that but for 
some special intervention of ,divine    
,providence1 it is more than probable   
that ,isaac ,hecker would have led the  
ordinary life of men in the world1      
continuing1 indeed1 to cherish a high   
ideal of the duties of the citizen of a 
free country1 but pursuing it along     
well-beaten ways4 ,there is no doubt    
that1 unless some such event as he has  
narrated1 or some influence equivalent  
to it in effect1 had supernaturally     
drawn him away1 he would of his own     

volition have sought what he was        
repeatedly advised to seek by his most  
attached friends1 a congenial union in  
wedlock4 ,he was naturally susceptible1 
and his attachments were not only firm1 
but often seemed obstinate4 ,of celibacy
 he had1 up to this time1 no other idea 
than such as the common run of          
non-,catholics possess4 ,at home1       
indeed1 when afterwards pressed to seek 
a wife1 he had answered1 truly enough1  
though holding fast to his secret1 that 
he had no thought of marrying and felt  
an aversion to company for such an end4 
,and again he writes to his mother1     
anxious and troubled for his future1    
that the circle which surrounded him in 
,new ,york oppressed and contracted him1
 and abridged his liberty4 ,there was no
 one in it who increased his life4  ,but
 at ,brook ,farm he met some one1 as is 
revealed by his diary and               
correspondence1 who deeply attracted    
him1 and who might have attracted him as
 far as marriage had he not already     

received the ,holy ,spirit's prevenient 
grace of virginity4 ,that is to say1 he 
found a being1 to use his impersonal    
term1 whose name and identity he is     
careful to veil1 awkwardly enough at    
times with misleading pronouns1 whose   
charm was so great as to win from him   
what would have been1 in his normal     
state1 a marital affection4 ,but he was 
no longer normal4 ,although still beyond
 the visible pale of that garden of     
elect souls1 ,god's holy ,church1 he was
 already transformed by the quickening  
grace which reaches from end to end     
mightily and orders all things sweetly4 
,our next quotations afford explicit    
proof on this point3  ,tuesday1 ,may    
#af4--,life appears to be a perpetual   
struggle between the heavenly and the   
worldly4  ,here at ,brook ,farm ,i      
become acquainted with persons who have 
moved in a higher rank in society than  
,i--persons of good education and fine  
talents2 all of which has an improving  
influence on me4 ,and ,i meet with those

 to whom ,i can speak1 and feel that1 to
 a great degree1 ,i am understood and   
responded to4 ,in ,new ,york ,i am alone
 in the midst of people4 ,i am not in   
any internal sense en rapport with them4
  ,i suppose the reason why ,i do not1  
in my present state1 feel disposed to   
connect myself with any being1 and would
 rather avoid a person whom ,i was      
conscious ,i might or could love1 is    
that ,i feel my life to be in a rapid   
progress1 and that no step now would be 
a permanent one4 ,i am afraid the choice
 ,i would have made some time since 7if 
there had not been something deeply     
secret in my being which prevented me7  
would now be very unsatisfactory4 ,i    
feel conscious there could not have been
 an equal and mutual advance1 because   
the natures of some are not capable of  
much growth4 ,and ,i mistrust whether   
there would not have been an inequality1
 hence disharmony and unhappiness4  ,to 
be required to accept your past is most 
unpleasant4 ,perhaps the society with   

which ,i was surrounded did not afford a
 being that unified with mine own4 ,and 
,i have faith that there are spiritual  
laws beneath all this outward framework 
of sight and sense1 which will1 if      
rightly believed in and trusted1 lead to
 the goal of eternal life1 harmony of   
being1 and union with ,god4 ,so ,i      
accept my being led here4 ,am ,i        
superstitious or egoistic in believing  
this8 ,this is1 no doubt1 disputed      
territory4 ,have we any objective rule  
to compare our faith with which would   
give us the measure of our superstition8
 ,how much of to-day would have seemed  
miraculous or superstitious to the past8
 ,i confess ,i have no rule or measure  
to judge the faith of any man4  ,the    
past is always the state of infancy4    
,the present is an eternal youth1       
aspiring after manhood2 hoping          
wistfully1 intensely desiring1 listfully
 listening1 dimly seeing the bright star
 of hope in the future1 beckoning him to
 move rapidly on1 while his strong heart

 beats with enthusiasm and glowing joy4 
,the past is dead4 ,wish me not the dead
 from the grave1 for that would be death
 re-enacted4 4 4 4  ,oh1 were our wishes
 in harmony with heaven1 how changed    
would be the scenes of our life6 4 4 4  
,this accordance would be music which   
only the angels now hear--too delicate  
for beings such as we are at present4   
,list6 hast thou not heard in some      
bright moment a strain from heaven's    
angelic choirs8 ,oh1 yes6 ,in our sleep 
the angels have whispered such rich     
music1 and the soul being then passive1 
we can hear4 ,and the pleasure does not 
leave us when passion and thought take  
their accustomed course4  ,o man6 were  
thy soul more pure1 what a world would  
open to thy inner senses6 ,there would  
be no moment of thy existence but would 
be filled with the music of love4 ,the  
prophet said3 ',in that day my eyes were
 opened4' ,and behold what he saw6 ,he  
saw it4 ,could we but hear6 ,the word of
 the ,lord is ever speaking--alas6 where

 is one that can hear8 ,where are our   
,isaiahs1 our ,ezekiels1 our ,jeremiahs8
 ,oh6 thou shrunken-visaged1 black1     
hollow-eyed doubt6 hast thou passed like
 a cloud over men's souls1 making them  
blind1 deaf and dumb8 ,ah1 ha6 dost thou
 shudder8 ,i chant thy requiem1 and     
prophets1 poets1 and seers shall rise   
again6 ,i see them coming4 ,great       
heaven6 ,earth shall be again a         
paradise1 and ,god converse with men6   
,the next entry is undated1 but it was  
probably made on the last day of ,may4  
,it has served to fix the proximate time
 of the illness and disquiet which led  
to his first withdrawal from business   
and home4  ,wednesday4--,about ten      
months ago--perhaps only seven or       
eight--,i saw 7,i cannot say ,i dreamed2
 it was quite different from dreaming2  
,i was seated on the side of my bed7 a  
beautiful1 angelic being1 and myself    
standing alongside of her1 feeling a    
most heavenly pure joy4 ,it was as if   
our bodies were luminous and gave forth 

a moon-like light which sprung from the 
joy we experienced4 ,i felt as if we had
 always lived together1 and that our    
motions1 actions1 feelings1 and thoughts
 came from one centre4 ,when ,i looked  
towards her ,i saw no bold outline of   
form1 but an angelic something ,i cannot
 describe1 though in angelic shape and  
image4 ,it was this picture that has    
left such an indelible impression on my 
mind4 ,for some time afterward ,i       
continued to feel the same influence1   
and do now so often that the actual     
around me has lost its hold4 ,in my     
state previous to my vision ,i should   
have married ere this1 for there are    
those ,i have since seen who would have 
met the demands of my mind4 ,but now    
this vision continually hovers over me  
and prevents me1 by its beauty1 from    
accepting any one else2 for ,i am       
charmed by its influence1 and conscious 
that1 should ,i accept any other1 ,i    
should lose the life which would be the 
only one wherein ,i could say ,i live4  

,those of our readers who are either    
versed in mystical theology or who have 
any wide knowledge of the lives of the  
,church's more interior saints1 with    
neither of which ,isaac ,hecker had at  
this time any acquaintance1 will be apt 
to recall here ,st4 ,francis of ,assisi 
and his bride1 the ,lady ,poverty1 the  
similar occurrences related by ,henry   
,suso of himself1 and the mystic        
espousals of ,st4 ,catharine4 ,we have  
in this relation not only the plainly   
avowed reason why he accepted the       
celibate life1 even before entering the 
,church or arriving at any clear        
understanding of his duty to do so1 but 
we have something more4 ,not yet certain
 of his own vocation1 the dream of a    
virginal apostolate1 including the two  
sexes1 had already absorbed his         
yearnings1 never again to be forgotten4 
,neither priest nor ,catholic1 save in  
the as yet unrevealed ordinance of ,god1
 he was no longer free to invite any    
woman to marriage1 no matter how deeply 

he might be sensible of her feminine    
attraction4 ,the union of souls8 ,yes2  
for uses worthy of souls4 ,the union of 
bodies8 ,no2 that would only clip his   
wings and narrow his horizon4           
,thenceforward the test of true kinship 
with him could only be a kindred        
aspiration after union in liberty from  
merely natural trammels1 in order to    
tend more surely to a supernatural end4 
,this may seem to some a strange        
beginning to a life so simply and       
entirely set apart from the active1 or1 
at least1 public union of the sexes in  
apostolic labors4 ,strange or not1 the  
reader will see it to be more true as   
this biography proceeds1 and its writer 
is not conscious of any reluctance to   
make it known4 ,such an integral        
supernatural mission to men was what he 
ever after desired and sought to        
establish1 though he only attained      
success on the male side4 ,we cannot    
deny that this diary1 surprising to us  
in many ways1 was most so in this       

particular1 although in this particular 
we found the explanation of many words  
spoken by ,father ,hecker in his        
maturity and old age1 words the most    
sober and the most decided we ever heard
 from him4 ,he never for an hour left   
out of view the need of women for any   
great work of religion1 though he       
doubtless made very sure of his auditor 
before unveiling his whole thought4 ,he 
never made so much as a serious attempt 
to incorporate women with his work1 but 
he never ceased to look around and to   
plan with a view to doing so4 ,among the
 personal memoranda already mentioned   
are found evidences of this so direct1  
and corroborated by such recent facts1  
that they cannot be used until the lapse
 of time shall have made an extension of
 this life as well possible as          
necessary4  ,june #a4--,one cannot live 
a spiritual life in the world because it
 requires so much labor to supply food  
and clothing that what is inward and    
eternal has to be given up for the      

material and life in time4 ,if one has  
to sustain himself at ,brook ,farm      
without other means to aid him1 he must 
employ his strength to that degree that 
he has no time for the culture of the   
spiritual4 ,i cannot remain and support 
myself without becoming subject to the  
same conditions as existed at home4 ,i  
cannot expect them to be willing to     
lessen their present expenses much for  
the sake of gaining time for spiritual  
culture2 nor do ,i see how ,i can at    
home live with my relatives and have the
 time which ,i require4 ,i see no way   
but to give up the taste for fine       
clothing and variety in food4 ,i would  
prefer the life of the monastery to that
 of the external world4 ,the advantages 
for my being are greater4 ,the harmony  
of the two is the full and perfect      
existence2 but the spiritual should     
always be preserved at the expense of   
the other1 which is contrary to the     
tendency of the world1 and perhaps even 
to that of this place4 ,i would prefer  

going hungry in body than in soul4 ,i am
 speaking against neither1 for ,i       
believe in the fulness of life1 in amply
 supplying all its wants2 but the       
kingdom of ,god is more to me than this 
world4 ,i would be ,plato in love1 ,zeno
 in self-strength1 and ,epicurus in     
aesthetics2 but if ,i have to sacrifice 
either1 let ,epicurus go4  ,june        
#ab4--;,at times ,i have an impulse to  
cry out1 ',what wouldst ,thou have me to
 do8' ,i would shout up into the empty  
vault of heaven3 ',ah1 why plaguest     
,thou me so8 ,what shall ,i do8 ,give me
 an answer unless ,thou wilt have me    
consumed by inward fre1 drying up the   
living liquid of life4 ,wouldst ,thou   
have me to give up all8 ,i have4 ,i have
 no dreams to realize4 ,i want nothing1 
have nothing1 and am willing to die in  
any way4 ,what ties ,i have are few1 and
 can be cut with a groan4'  ,monday1    
,june #bf4--,solomon said1 after he had 
tasted all the joys of the world1       
',vanity of vanities1 all is vanity4'   

,i1 my friend1 who have scarcely tasted 
any of the pleasures of the world1 would
 say with ,solomon1 'all is vanity4' ,i 
see nothing in which ,i can work4 ,all  
are vanities1 shadows2 beneath all there
 is nothing4 ,great ,god6 what is all   
this for8 ,why torment and pain me so8  
,why is all this action a profanity to  
me8 ,and even holiness1 what is it8     
,oh6 ,i am dumb2 my soul is             
inarticulate4 ,there is that in me which
 ,i would pour out4 ,oh6 why is it that 
the noblest actions of humanity speak   
not to my soul8 ,all life is            
inadequate--but not in the sense of the 
world4 ,i would joyfully be silent1     
obscure1 dead to all the world1 if this 
alone which is in me had life4 ,i ask   
not for name1 riches1 external          
conditions of delight or splendor4 ,no2 
the meanest of all would be heaven to   
me1 if this inward impulse had action1  
lived itself out4 ,but no2 ,i am        
imprisoned in spirit4 ,what imprisons8  
,what is imprisoned8 ,who can tell8     

,you say1 good adviser1 ',you must      
accept things as they are--be content to
 be2 have faith in ,god2 do that work   
which your hands find to do4' ,good2 but
 it is taken for granted we know what   
things are--which is the question4 ',be 
content to be4' ,be what8 ',have faith  
in ,god4' ,yes4 ',work8' ,yes2 but how8 
,like others4 ,but this is not work to  
me2 it is death2 nay1 worse--it is sin2 
hence1 damnation--and ,i am not ready to
 go to hell yet4 ,your work gives me no 
activity2 and to starve1 if ,i must1 is 
better than to do the profane1 the      
sacrilegious labor you place before me4 
,i want ,god's living work to do4 ,my   
labor must be a sermon1 every motion of 
my body a word1 every act a sentence4   
,my work must be devotional4 ,i must    
feel that ,i am worshipping4 ,it must be
 music1 love1 prayer4 ,my field must be 
the kingdom of ,god4 ,christ must reign 
in all4 ,it must be ,christ doing in me1
 and not me4 ,my life must be poetical1 
divine4 ,head1 heart1 and hands must be 

a trinity in unity2 they must tone in   
one accord4 ,my work must be work of    
inspiration and aspiration4 ,my heart   
cannot be in heaven when my head and    
hands are in hell4 ,i must feel that ,i 
am building up ,christ's kingdom in all 
that ,i do4 ,to give ,christ room for   
action in my heart1 soul1 and body is my
 desire1 my aim1 purpose1 being4 4 4 4  
,it is not he who goes to church1 says  
his prayers1 sings psalms1 says ',lord1 
,lord1' who is in ,god and establishing 
,his kingdom4 ,no2 it is he who is doing
 it4 ,the earth is to be ,his kingdom1  
and your prayers must be deeds1 your    
actions music ascending to heaven4 ,the 
,church must be the kingdom of ,god in  
its fulness4 4 4 4  ,are we ,christians 
if we act not in the spirit in which    
,christ acted8 ,shall we say3 ',what    
shall we do8' ,follow the spirit of     
,christ which is in you4 ',unless ye are
 reprobates1 ye have it in you4' ',be ye
 faithful1 as ,i am1' said ,jesus4      
',love one another as ,i have loved     

you4' ,take up your cross and follow    
,him4 ,leave all1 if the ,spirit leads  
you to leave all4 ,do whatever it       
commands you4 ,there will be no lack of 
action4 ,care not for the world2 give up
 wealth1 friends1 those that you love1  
the opinions of all4 ,be willing to be  
despised1 spit upon1 crucified4 ,be     
silent1 and let your silence speak for  
you4  ,it is plain that what ,isaac     
,hecker is here condemning is the life  
of the world1 wholly ordinary in its    
aims and motives4 ,it is not to be      
understood as a condemnation of the     
common lot of men1 or of that life in   
itself4 ,it was only as he saw it over  
against his own vocation to something   
higher that it became repulsive1 nay    
guilty to him4 ,nor was he even yet so  
settled in his view of the contrasted   
worth of the two careers between which  
he had to choose1 as to be quite free   
from painful struggles4 ,in the entry   
made on the day preceding this outburst1
 he once more recurs to the subject of  

marriage3  ,monday ,evening1 ,june      
#bf4--,this evening the same advice that
 has been given me before1 first by the 
doctor who attended me1 next by my      
dearest friend1 was given me again by a 
man who now resides here4  ,tuesday     
,morning1 ,june #bg4--,rather than      
follow this advice1 ,i would die4 ,i    
should be miserable all my life4 ,nay1  
death before this4 ,these men appear to 
me as natural men1 but not in the same  
life as mine4 ,they are older1 have more
 experience and more judgment than ,i1  
perhaps2 but considering the point of   
view from which their judgment is       
formed1 their advice does not appear to 
be the counsel for me4 ,i never can1 nor
 will1 save my health or life by such   
means4 ,if that is the only remedy1 then
 unremedied must ,i remain4  ,but the   
cause of my present state of mind is not
 what they suppose4 ,it is deeper1      
higher1 and1 ,o ,god6 ,thou knowest what
 it is6 ,wilt ,thou give me hope1       
strength1 guidance8 4 4 4  ,friday1     

,june #bi4--;,am ,i led by something    
higher to the life to which ,i am       
tending8 ,sometimes ,i think it is most 
proper for me to return home1 accept    
things as they are1 and live a life like
 others--as good1 and as much better as 
possible4 ,if ,i can find one with whom 
,i think ,i can live happily1 to accept 
such a one1 and give up that which now  
leads me4  ,my friends would say this is
 the prudent and rational course--but it
 appears this is not mine4 ,that ,i am  
here is one evidence that it is not     
mine4 ,a second is that ,i struggled    
against what led me here as much as lay 
in my power1 until ,i became weak1 sick1
 and confined to my bed4 ,farther than  
that ,i could not go4  ,they tell me    
that if ,i were married it would not be 
so with me4 ,i will not dispute this1   
although ,i do not believe it4 ,but1 my 
good friends1 that is the difficulty4   
,to marry is to me impossible4 ,you tell
 me this is unnatural4 ,yes1 my         
brethren1 it may be unnatural1 but how  

shall ,i be natural8 ,must ,i commit    
that which in my sight is a crime1 which
 ,i feel would make me miserable and be 
death to my soul8 ',but this is foolish 
and one-sided in you4 ,you are          
wrong-minded4 ,you will lose your       
health1 your youthful joy1 and the      
pleasure which ,god has1 by human laws1 
designed you to enjoy4 ,you should give 
up these thoughts and feelings of yours 
and be like those around you4  ,yes1 my 
friends1 this advice ,i accept with     
love1 knowing your kindness to me4 ,but1
 alas6 ,i feel that it comes from such a
 source that ,i cannot receive it4      
,july #e4--,my brother ,george has been 
here2 he stayed three days4 ,he told me 
he had often talked with my brother     
,john about living a life higher1       
nobler1 and more self-denying than he   
had done4 ,it appears from his          
conversation that since ,i left home    
they have been impressed with a deeper  
and better spirit4 ,to me it is of much 
interest to decide what ,i shall do4 ,i 

have determined to make a visit to      
,fruitlands4 ,to leave this place is to 
me a great sacrifice4 ,i have been much 
refined in being here4  ,to stay        
here--to purchase a place for myself--or
 to go home4 ,these are questions about 
which ,i feel the want of some friend to
 consult with4 ,i have no one to whom ,i
 can go for advice4 ,if ,i wish to be   
self-denying1 one would say at home is  
the best1 the largest field for my      
activity4 ,this may be true in one      
sense4 ,but is it wise to go where there
 are the most difficulties to overcome8 
,would it not be better to plant the    
tree in the soil where it can grow most 
in every direction8 ,at home1 to be     
sure1 if ,i have strength to succeed1 ,i
 may1 perhaps1 do the most good1 and it 
may be the widest sphere for me4 ,but   
there are many difficulties which have  
such a direct influence on one to       
injure1 to blight all high and noble    
sentiments1 that ,i fear to encounter   
them1 and ,i am not sure it is my place4

 ,perhaps it would be best for me not to
 speculate on the future1 but look to   
,him who is above for wise direction in 
all that concerns my life4 ,sacrifices  
must be made4 ,i must expect and accept 
them in a meek1 humble1 and willing     
spirit4       ,,chapter ,,viii          
,,fruitlands  ,,what influenced ,isaac  
,hecker to leave ,brook ,farm1 a place  
so congenial in many ways to his natural
 dispositions1 was1 plainly enough1 his 
tendency to seek a more ascetic and     
interior life than he could lead there4 
,the step cost him much1 but he had     
received all that the place and his     
companions could give him1 and his      
departure was inevitable4  ,his next    
move in pursuit if his ideal took him to
 ,fruitlands4 ,this was a farm1 situated
 near ,harvard1 in ,worcester ,co41     
,massachusetts1 which had been bought by
 ,mr4 ,charles ,lane1 an ,english       
admirer of ,amos ,bronson ,alcott1 with 
the hope of establishing on it a new    
community in consonance with the views  

and wishes of the latter4 ,perhaps      
,fruitlands could never1 at any stage of
 its existence as a corporate home for  
,mr4 ,alcott's family and his scanty    
following of disciples1 have been truly 
described as in running order1 but when 
,isaac ,hecker went there1 on ,july #aa1
 #ahdc1 it was still in its incipiency4 
,he had paid the ,fruitlanders a brief  
visit toward the end of ,june1 and      
thought that he saw in them evidences of
 a deeper life4 ,it speaks volumes for  
his native sagacity and keen eye for    
realities1 that less than a fortnight's 
residence with ,mr4 ,alcott should have 
sufficed to dispel this illusion4       
,bronson ,alcott seems to have been by  
nature what the ,french call a poseur2  
or1 as one of his own not unkindly      
intimates has described him1 an innocent
 charlatan4 ,although not altogether    
empty1 he was vain2 full of talk which  
had what was most often a false air of  
profundity2 unpractical and incapable in
 the ordinary affairs of life to a      

degree not adequately compensated for by
 such a grasp as he was able to get on  
the realities that underlie them2 and   
with an imposing aspect which           
corresponded wonderfully well with his  
interior traits4 ,that1 in his prime1   
his persuasive accents and bland        
self-confidence1 backed by the          
admiration felt and expressed for him by
 men such as ,emerson1 and some of the  
community at ,brook ,farm1 should have  
induced an open-minded youth like ,isaac
 ,hecker to take him for a time at his  
own valuation1 is not strange4 ,the     
truth is1 that it was one of ,father    
,hecker's life-long traits to prove all 
things1 that he might find the good and 
hold fast to it4 ,there was an element  
of justice in his make-up which enabled 
him to suspend judgment upon any        
institution or person1 however little   
they seemed to deserve such             
consideration1 until he was in a        
condition to decide from his own        
investigations4 ,we shall see1 later on1

 how he tried all the principal forms of
 ,protestantism before deciding upon    
,catholicity1 strong as his tendency    
toward the ,church had become4 ,we have 
never known any other man who1 without  
exhibiting obstinacy1 could so          
steadfastly reserve his judgment on     
another's statement1 especially if it   
were in the nature of a condemnation4   
,when ,isaac ,hecker first made his     
acquaintance1 ,mr4 ,alcott had but      
recently returned from ,england1 whither
 he had gone on the invitation of ,james
 ,p4 ,greaves1 a friend and             
fellow-laborer of the great ,swiss      
educator1 ,pestalozzi4 ,mr4 ,alcott had 
gained a certain vogue at home as a     
lecturer1 and also as the conductor of a
 singular school for young children4    
,among its many peculiarities was that  
of carrying moral suasion to such       
lengths1 as a solitary means of         
discipline1 that the master occasionally
 publicly submitted to the castigation  
earned by a refractory urchin1 probably 

by way of reaching the latter's moral   
sense through shame or pity4 ,this was1 
doubtless1 rather interesting to the    
pupils1 whether or not it was           
corrective4 ,mr4 ,alcott's peculiarities
 did not stop here1 however1 and ,boston
 parents1 when he began to publish the  
,colloquies on the ,gospels which he    
held with their children1 concluded1 on 
the evidence thus furnished1 that his   
thought was too advanced to make it     
prudent to trust them longer to his     
care4 ,miss ,elizabeth ,p4 ,peabody1    
since so well known as an expositor of  
the ,kindergarten system1 had been his  
assistant4 ,she wrote a ,record of ,mr4 
,alcott's ,school which attracted the   
attention of a small band of educational
 enthusiasts in ,england4 ,they gave the
 name of ,alcott ,house to a school of  
their own at ,ham1 near ,london1 and    
hoped for great things from the personal
 advice and presence of the ,concord    
,plato4 ,he was petted and feted among  
them pretty nearly to the top of his    

bent2 but his visit would have proved a 
more unalloyed success if the hard      
,scotch sense of ,carlyle1 to whom      
,emerson had recommended him1 had not so
 quickly dubbed his vaunted depths      
deceptive shallows4  ,on his return he  
was accompanied by two ,englishmen who  
seemed to be like-minded with himself1 a
 ,mr4 ,h4 ,g4 ,wright and ,mr4 ,charles 
,lane1 both of whom returned within a   
year or two to their own country1 wiser 
and perhaps sadder men4 ,lane1 at all   
events1 who was a simple and candid soul
 for whom ,isaac ,hecker conceived a    
long-enduring friendship1 sunk all his  
private means irrevocably in the futile 
attempt to establish ,fruitlands on a   
solid basis4 ,to use his own words in a 
letter now at our hand1 though referring
 to another of ,mr4 ,alcott's schemes1  
his little fortune was buried in the    
same grave of flowery rhetoric in which 
so many other notions have been         
deposited4  ,lying before us there is an
 epistle--,mr4 ,alcott's most ordinary  

written communications with his friends 
must have demanded that term in         
preference to anything less stately--in 
which he has described his own ideal of 
what life at ,fruitlands ought to be4   
,no directer way of conveying to our    
readers a notion of his peculiar faculty
 of seeming to say something of singular
 importance occurs to us1 than that of  
giving it entire4 ,though found among   
,father ,hecker's papers1 it was not    
addressed to him but to one of his      
most-valued ,brook ,farm associates3    
,concord1 ,mass41 ,february #ae1        
#ahdc4--;,,dear ,,friend3 ,in reply to  
your letter of the #abth1 ,i have to say
 that as until the snow leaves the      
ground clear1 the ,family cannot so much
 as look for a locality 7which then may 
not readily be found71 it seems         
premature to talk of the conditions on  
which any association may be formed4    
,nevertheless1 as human progress is a   
universally interesting subject1 ,i have
 much pleasure in communicating with you

 on the question of the general         
conditions most conducive to that end4  
,i have no belief in associations of    
human beings for the purpose of making  
themselves happy by means of improved   
outward arrangements alone1 as the      
fountains of happiness are within1 and  
are opened to us as we are preharmonized
 or consociated with the ,universal     
,spirit4 ,this is the one condition     
needful for happy association amongst   
men4 ,and this condition is attained by 
the surrender of all individual or      
selfish gratification--a complete       
willingness to be moulded by ,divinity4 
,this1 as men now are1 of course        
involves self-renunciation and          
retrenchment2 and in enumerating the    
hindrances which debar us from          
happiness1 we shall be drawn to         
consider1 in the first place1 ourselves2
 and to entertain practically the       
question1 ,are we prepared for the      
giving up all1 and taking refuge in     
,love as an unfailing ,providence8 ,a   

faith and reliance as large as this     
seems needful to insure us against      
disappointment4 ,the entrance to        
,paradise is still through the strait   
gate and narrow way of self-denial4     
,eden's avenue is yet guarded by the    
fiery-sworded cherubim1 and humility and
 charity are the credentials for        
admission4 ,unless well armed with valor
 and patience1 we must continue in the  
old and much-trodden broad way1 and take
 share of the penalties paid by all who 
walk thereon4  ,the conditions for one  
are conditions for all4 ,hence there can
 be no parley with the tempter1 no      
private pleas for self-indulgence1 no   
leaning on the broken reed of           
circumstances4  ,it is not for us to    
prescribe conditions2 these are         
prescribed on our natures1 our state of 
being--and the best we can do1 if       
disqualified1 is either to attain an    
amended character1 or to relinquish all 
hopes of securing felicity4  ,our       
purposes1 as far as we know them at     

present1 are briefly these3  ,first1 to 
obtain the free use of a spot of land   
adequate by our own labor to our        
support2 including1 of course1 a        
convenient plain house1 and offices1    
wood-lot1 garden1 and orchard4          
,secondly1 to live independently of     
foreign aids by being sufficiently      
elevated to procure all articles for    
subsistence in the productions of the   
spot1 under a regimen of healthful labor
 and recreation2 with benignity towards 
all creatures1 human and inferior2 with 
beauty and refinement in all economies2 
and the purest charity throughout our   
demeanor4  ,should this kind of life    
attract parties towards us--individuals 
of like aims and issues--that state of  
being itself determines the law of      
association2 and the particular mode may
 be spoken of more definitely as        
individual cases may arise2 but1 in no  
case1 could inferior ends compromise the
 principles laid down4  ,doubtless such 
a household1 with our library1 our      

services and manner of life1 may attract
 young men and women1 possibly also     
families with children1 desirous of     
access to the channels and fountain of  
wisdom and purity2 and we are not       
without hope that ,providence will use  
us progressively for beneficial effects 
in the great work of human regeneration1
 and the restoration of the highest life
 on earth4  ,with the humane wish that  
yourself and little ones may be led to  
confide in providential ,love1  ,i am1  
dear friend1 very truly yours1  ,a4     
,,bronson ,,alcott4  ,it must be        
admitted that there is something        
delightful in the naivete of this       
undertaking to be sufficiently elevated 
to live independently of foreign aids1  
after first getting the free use of a   
spot of land1 4 4 4 including1 of       
course1 a convenient plain house1 and   
offices1 wood-lot1 garden1 and orchard4 
,establishments which would tolerably   
approximate to this description1 and to 
the really essential needs of its       

prospective founder1 have long existed  
in every civilized community4 ,there are
 certain restrictions placed upon their 
inmates1 however1 and ,mr4 ,alcott's    
desire was to make sure of his basis of 
earthly supplies1 while left entirely   
free to persuade himself that he had    
arrived at an elevation which made him  
independent of them4 ,still1 though a   
charlatan1 it must not be forgotten that
 he was an innocent one4 ,he was plainly
 born great in that way1 and had no need
 to achieve greatness in it4 ,as ,father
 ,hecker said of him long afterwards1   
,diogenes and his tub would have been   
,alcott's ideal if he had carried it    
out4 ,but he never carried it out4      
,diogenes himself1 it may be supposed1  
had his ideal included a family and an  
audience as well as a tub1 might finally
 have come to hold that the finding of  
the latter was a mere detail1 which     
could be entrusted indifferently to     
either of the two former or to both     
combined4 ,somebody once described      

,fruitlands as a place where ,mr4       
,alcott looked benign and talked        
philosophy1 while ,mrs4 ,alcott and the 
children did the work4 ,still1 to look  
benign is a good deal for a man to do   
persistently in an adverse world1       
indifferent for the most part to the    
charms of divine philosophy1 and ,mr4   
,alcott persevered in that exercise     
until his latest day4 ,he was           
unquestionably one of those who like to 
sit upon a platform1 wrote1 at the time 
of his death1 one who knew ,alcott well1
 and he may have liked to feel that his 
venerable aspect had the effect of a    
benediction4 ,but with this mild        
criticism1 censure of him is well-nigh  
exhausted4 ,there was nothing of the    
,patriarch of ,bleeding ,heart ,yard    
about him except that venerable aspect1 
for which nature was responsible1 and   
not he4  ,fruitlands was the caricature 
of ,brook ,farm4 ,just as the fanatic is
 the caricature of the true reformer1 so
 was ,alcott the caricature of ,ripley4 

,this is not meant as disparaging either
 ,alcott's sincerity or his             
intelligence1 but to affirm that he     
lacked judgment1 that he miscalculated  
means and ends1 that he jumped from     
theory to practice without a moment's   
interval1 preferred to be guided by     
instinct rather than by processes of    
reasoning1 and deemed this to be the    
philosopher's way4  ,in the memoranda of
 private conversations with ,father     
,hecker we find several references to   
,mr4 ,alcott4 ,the first bears date     
,february #d1 #ahhb1 and occurs in a    
conversation ranging over the whole of  
his experience between his first and    
second departures from home4 ,we give it
 as it stands3  ,fruitlands was very    
different from ,brook ,farm--far more   
ascetic4  ,you didn't like it8  ,yes2   
but they did not begin to satisfy me4 ,i
 said to them3 ',if you had the ,eternal
 here1 all right4 ,i would be with you4'
  ,had they no notion of the hereafter8 
,no2 nothing definite4 ,their idea was  

human perfection4 ,they set out to      
demonstrate what man can do in the way  
of the supremacy of the spiritual over  
the animal4 ',all right1' ,i said1 ',i  
agree with you fully4 ,i admire your    
asceticism2 it is nothing new to me2 ,i 
have practised it a long time myself4   
,if you can get the ,everlasting out of 
my mind1 ,i'm yours4 ,but ,i know' 7here
 ,father ,hecker thumped the table at   
his bedside7 'that ,i am going to live  
for ever4'  ,what did ,alcott say when  
you left8  ,he went to ,lane and said1  
',well1 ,hecker has flunked out4 ,he    
hadn't the courage to persevere4 ,he's a
 coward4' ,but ,lane said1 ',no2 you're 
mistaken4 ,hecker's right4 ,he wanted   
more than we had to give him4'  ,mr4    
,alcott's death in #ahhh was the        
occasion of the reminiscences which     
follow3  ,march #e1 #ahhh4--;,bronson   
,alcott dead6 ,i saw him coming from    
,rochester on the cars4 ,i had been a   
,catholic missionary for ,i don't know  
how many years4 ,we sat together4       

',father ,hecker1' said he1 'why can't  
you make a ,catholic of me8' ',too much 
rust here1' said ,i1 clapping him on the
 knee4 ,he got very angry because ,i    
said that was the obstacle4 ,i never saw
 him angry at any other time4 ,he was   
too proud4  ,but he was a great natural 
man4 ,he was faithful to pure1 natural  
conscience4 ,his virtues came from that4
 ,he never had any virtue beyond what a 
good pagan has4 ,he never aimed at      
anything more1 nor claimed to4 ,he      
maintained that to be all4  ,i don't    
believe he ever prayed4 ,whom could he  
pray to8 ,was not ,bronson ,alcott the  
greatest of all8  ,did he believe in    
,god8  ,not the ,god that we know4 ,he  
believed in the ,bronson ,alcott ,god4  
,he was his own ,god4  ,you say he was  
,emerson's master3 what do you mean by  
that8  ,he taught ,emerson4 ,he began   
life as a pedler4 ,the ,yankee pedler   
was ,emerson's master4 ,whatever        
principles ,emerson had1 ,alcott gave   
him4 ,and ,emerson was a good pupil2 he 

was faithful to his master to the end4  
,when did ,i know him first8 ,hard to   
remember4 ,he was the head of           
,fruitlands1 as ,ripley was of ,brook   
,farm4 ,they were entirely different    
men4 ,diogenes and his tub would have   
been ,alcott's ideal if he had carried  
it out4 ,but he never carried it out4   
,ripley's ideal would have been         
,epictetus4 ,ripley would have taken    
with him the good things of this life2  
,alcott would have rejected them all4   
,how did he receive you at ,fruitlands8 
,very kindly1 but from mixed and selfish
 motives4 ,i suspected he wanted me     
because he thought ,i would bring money 
to the community4 ,lane was entirely    
unselfish4  ,alcott was a man of no     
great intellectual gifts or             
acquirements4 ,his knowledge came       
chiefly from experience and instinct4   
,he had an insinuating and persuasive   
way with him--he must have been an ideal
 pedler4  ,what if he had been a        
,catholic1 and thoroughly sanctified8   

,he could have been nothing but a hermit
 like those of the fourth century--he   
was naturally and constitutionally so   
odd4 ,emerson1 ,alcott1 and ,thoreau    
were three consecrated cranks3 rather be
 crank than president4 ,all the cranks  
look up to them4  ,beside these later   
reminiscences we shall now place the    
contemporary record of his impressions  
made by ,isaac ,hecker while at         
,fruitlands4 ,our first extract1        
however1 was written at ,brook ,farm1 a 
few days before going thither3  ,july   
#g1 #ahdc4--;,i go to ,mr4 ,alcott's    
next ,tuesday1 if nothing happens4 ,i   
have had three pairs of coarse pants and
 a coat made for me4 ,it is my intention
 to commence work as soon as ,i get     
there4 ,i will gradually simplify my    
dress without making any sudden         
difference1 although it would be easier 
to make a radical and thorough change at
 once than piece by piece4 ,but this    
will be a lesson in patient perseverance
 to me4 ,all our difficulties should be 

looked at in such a light as to improve 
and elevate our minds4  ,i can hardly   
prevent myself from saying how much ,i  
shall miss the company of those whom ,i 
love and associate with here4 ,but ,i   
must go4 ,i am called with a stronger   
voice4 ,this is a different trial from  
any ,i have ever had4 ,i have had that  
of leaving kindred1 but now ,i have that
 of leaving those whom ,i love from     
affinity4 ,if ,i wished to live a life  
the most gratifying to me1 and in       
agreeable company1 ,i certainly would   
remain here4 ,here are refining         
amusements1 cultivated persons--and one 
whom ,i have not spoken of1 one who is  
too much to me to speak of1 one who     
would leave all for me4 ,alas6 him ,i   
must leave to go4  ,in this final       
sentence1 as it now stands in the diary 
and as we have transcribed it1 occurs   
one of those efforts of which we have   
spoken1 to obliterate the traces of this
 early attachment4 ,him was originally  
written her1 but the r has been         

lengthened to an m1 and the e dotted1   
both with a care which overshot their   
mark by an almost imperceptible         
hair's-breadth4 ,if the nature of this  
attachment were not so evident from     
other sources1 we should have left such 
passages unquoted2 fearing lest they    
might be misunderstood4 ,as it is1 the  
light they cast seems to us to throw up 
into fuller proportions the kind and    
extent of the renunciations to which    
,isaac ,hecker was called before he had 
arrived at any clear view of the end to 
which they tended4  ,fruitlands1 ,july  
#ab4--,last evening ,i arrived here4    
,after tea ,i went out in the fields and
 raked hay for an hour in company with  
the persons here4 ,we returned and had a
 conversation on ,clothing4 ,some very  
fine things were said by ,mr4 ,alcott   
and ,mr4 ,lane4 ,in most of their       
thoughts ,i coincide2 they are the same 
which of late have much occupied my     
mind4 ,alcott said that to ,emerson the 
world was a lecture-room1 to ,brownson a

 rostrum4  ,this morning after breakfast
 a conversation was held on ,friendship 
and its laws and conditions4 ,mr4       
,alcott placed ,innocence first2        
,larned1 ,thoughtfulness2 ,i1           
,seriousness2 ,lane1 ,fidelity4  ,july  
#ac4--,this morning after breakfast     
there was held a conversation on ,the   
,highest ,aim4 ,mr4 ,alcott said it was 
,integrity2 ,i1 ,harmonic being2 ,lane1 
,progressive being2 ,larned1            
,annihilation of self2 ,bower1          
,repulsion of the evil in us4 ,then     
there was a confession of the obstacles 
which prevent us from attaining the     
highest aim4 ,mine was the doubt whether
 the light is light2 not the want of    
will to follow1 or the sight to see4    
,july #ag4--;,i cannot understand what  
it is that leads me1 or what ,i am      
after4 ,being is incomprehensible4      
,what shall ,i be led to8 ,is there a   
being whom ,i may marry and who would be
 the means of opening my eyes8          
,sometimes ,i think so--but it appears  

impossible4 ,why should others tell me  
that it is so1 and will be so1 in an    
unconscious way1 as ,larned did on      
,sunday last1 and as others have before 
him8 ,will ,i be led home8 ,it strikes  
me these people here1 ,alcott and ,lane1
 will be a great deal to me4 ,i do not  
know but they may be what ,i am looking 
for1 or the answer to that in me which  
is asking4  ,can ,i say it8 ,i believe  
it should be said4 ,here ,i cannot end4 
,they are too near me2 they do not      
awaken in me that sense of their high   
superiority which would keep me here to 
be bettered1 to be elevated4 ,they have 
much1 very much4 ,i desire ,mr4         
,alcott's strength of self-denial1 and  
the unselfishness of ,mr4 ,lane in money
 matters4 ,in both these they are far my
 superiors4 ,i would be meek1 humble1   
and sit at their feet that ,i might be  
as they are4 ,they do not understand me1
 but if ,i am what my consciousness1 my 
heart1 lead me to feel--if ,i am not    
deceived--why then ,i can wait4 ,yes1   

patiently wait4 ,is not this the first  
time since ,i have been here that ,i    
have recovered myself8 ,do ,i not feel  
that ,i have something to receive here1 
to add to1 to increase my highest life1 
which ,i have never felt anywhere else8 
,is this sufficient to keep me here8 ,if
 ,i can prophesy1 ,i must say no4 ,i    
feel that it will not fill my capacity4 
,o ,god6 strengthen my resolution4 ,let 
me not waver1 and continue my life4 ,but
 ,i am sinful4 ,oh1 forgive my sins6    
,what shall ,i do1 ,o ,lord6 that they  
may be blotted out8 ,lord1 could ,i only
 blot them from my memory1 nothing would
 be too great or too much4  ,july       
#ah4--;,i have thought of my family this
 afternoon1 and the happiness and love  
with which ,i might return to them4 ,to 
leave them1 to give up the thought of   
living with them again--can ,i entertain
 that idea8 ,still1 ,i cannot conceive  
how ,i can engage in business1 share the
 practices1 and indulge myself with the 
food and garmenture 7sic7 of our home   

and city4 ,to return home1 were it      
possible for me1 would most probably not
 only stop my progress1 but put me back4
  ,it is useless for me to speculate    
upon my future4 ,put dependence on the  
spirit which leads me1 be faithful to   
it2 work1 and leave results to ,god4 ,if
 the question should be asked me1       
whether ,i would give up my kindred and 
business and follow out this            
spirit-life1 or return and enjoy them   
both1 ,i could not hesitate a moment1   
for they would not compare--there would 
be no room for choice4 ,what ,i do ,i   
must do1 for it is not ,i that do it2 it
 is the spirit4 ,what that spirit may be
 is a question ,i cannot answer1 ,what  
it leads me to do will be the only      
evidence of its character4 ,i feel as   
impersonal as a stranger to it4 ,i ask1 
,who are you8 ,where are you going to   
take me8 ,why me8 ,why not some one     
else8 ,i stand amazed1 astonished to see
 myself4 ,alas6 ,i cry1 who am ,i and   
what does this mean8 and ,i am lost in  

wonder4  ,saturday1 ,july               
#ba4--,yesterday1 after supper1 a       
conversation took place between ,mr4    
,alcott1 ,mr4 ,lane1 and myself2 the    
subject was my position with regard to  
my family1 my duty1 and my position     
here4 ,mr4 ,alcott asked for my first   
impressions as regards the hindrances ,i
 have noted since coming here4 ,i told  
him candidly they were3 #ast1 his want  
of frankness2 #b;d1 his disposition to  
separateness rather than win            
co-operators with the aims in his own   
mind2 #c;d1 his family1 who prevent his 
immediate plans of reformation2 #dth1   
the fact that this place has very little
 fruit on it1 while it was and is their 
desire that fruit should be the         
principal part of their diet2 #eth1 my  
fear that they have too decided a       
tendency toward literature and writing  
for the prosperity and success of their 
enterprise4  ,my relations with my      
family are very critical at this        
period--more so than they have ever     

been4 ,it is the crisis of the state we 
have been in for this past year4 ,if    
,god gives me strength to be true to the
 spirit1 it is very doubtful how far    
those at home will be willing to second 
it4 ,i have written them a letter asking
 for their own aims and views of life1  
and ,i am anxious for their answer4 ,the
 question of returning is not a wilful  
one with me1 for it is the spirit which 
guides me4 ,if it can live there1 ,i go 
back4 ,if not1 ,i am governed and must  
follow where it leads1 wherever that may
 be4  ,the letter referred to in this   
entry of the diary is too long1 and     
covers too much ground already          
traversed1 to be quoted in full1 but it 
contains some striking passages4 ,it was
 written at ,fruitlands1 ,july #ag1     
'#dc4 ,after inquiring with his         
customary directness what are their aims
 in life and what they are doing to     
attain them1 he goes on to say3         
,although the idea or aim which each one
 aspires toward and tries to realize    

will be colored by his own peculiar     
tendencies1 still1 in substance1 in     
practice1 they will agree if they are   
inspired by the self-same spirit4  ,here
 we have the practical good sense which 
reined in and directed ,isaac ,hecker   
throughout his life1 making it finally  
impossible for him not to see and       
recognize the visible ,church1          
notwithstanding his mystical tendency1  
his want of thorough education1 and his 
birthright of heresy4  ,again he writes3
  ,there are all the natural ties why we
 should not be separated1 and no reasons
 why we should1 unless there exists such
 a wide difference in the aims we seek  
to realize that it would be injurious or
 impossible for us to live in family1 in
 unity1 in love4 ,i do not believe this 
difference exists1 but if it does1 and  
we are conscious of being led by a      
higher spirit than our own1 we should   
and would sacrifice all that hinders us 
from the divine calling4 ,that demands  
implicit1 uncompromising obedience4 ,it 

speaks in the tone of high authority4   
,the dead must bury their dead4 ,that   
which offends it must be got rid of at  
all costs1 be it wife1 parents1         
children1 brothers1 sisters1 or our own 
eye or hand4 ,i do not contemplate a    
sacrifice of either of these2 still1 it 
is well to consider whether1 if such a  
demand should be made of us1 we are in  
such a state of mind that we would be   
willing to give one or all up1 if they  
should stand in the way of our progress 
toward ,god4 4 4 4  ,if you desire to   
continue the way of life you have and do
 now lead1 be plain1 frank1 and so      
express yourselves explicitly4 ,if not1 
and you have any desire or intention in 
your minds to alter or make a radical   
change in your external circumstances   
for the sake of a higher1 better mode of
 life1 be equally open1 and let me know 
all your thoughts and aspirations which 
are struggling for expression1 for real 
life4 4 4 4  ,we have labored together  
in union for material wealth2 can we now

 labor in the same way for spiritual    
wealth8 ,if there are sufficient points 
of accord in us in this higher life1 we 
must come together and live in harmony4 
,since my departure from home there has 
been a change in my mind1 or1 perhaps   
more truly1 a sudden and rapid growth in
 a certain direction1 the germs of which
 you must have heretofore perceived in  
my conduct and life4 ,on the other hand1
 ,i suppose there has been a progress in
 your minds1 and ,i feel that the time  
has arrived when we should see where we 
are1 so that we may either come together
 or separate4 ,our future relation      
cannot be a wilful one4 ,it must be     
based on a unity of spirit1 for the     
social1 the humane instincts cannot bind
 us together any longer4 4 4 4 ,have we 
the spiritual as well as the natural    
brotherhood8 this is the question which 
deeply concerns us now4 4 4 4 ,i do not 
know what the spirit has done for you   
since my departure4 ,if it has led you  
as it has led me1 there is no reason why

 ,i should be amongst strangers by      
birth1 although not altogether strangers
 in love 4 4 4 ,think seriously upon    
your answer4 ,act true4 ,life is to me  
of serious import1 and ,i feel called   
upon to give up all that hinders me from
 following this import wherever it may  
lead4 ,but do not let this influence you
 in your judgments4 ,we have but a short
 life to live here1 and ,i would offer  
mine to some worthy end3 this is all ,i 
desire4 ,my health is very good4 ,i am  
still at ,fruitlands1 and will remain   
here until something further happens4   
,accept my deepest love4  ,while waiting
 for an answer to this letter1 the diary
 shows how continuously ,isaac's mind   
was working over this problem of a final
 separation from his kindred4 ,it seems 
probable that it was1 on the whole1 the 
deepest emotional one that he had to    
solve4 ,both filial duty and natural    
affection were strong sentiments with   
him4 ,one notices in these letters how  
courteous and urbane is the tone he     

uses1 even when insisting most on the   
necessity which lies upon him to cut all
 the ties which bind him4 ,this was a   
family trait4 ,in a letter written to us
 last ,september in answer to a         
question1 ,mr4 ,charles ,a4 ,dana       
incidentally refers to a visit he paid  
,isaac ,hecker at his mother's house4   
,it was a very interesting family1 he   
writes1 and the cordiality and sweetness
 of the relations which prevailed in it 
impressed me very greatly4  ,the entry  
we are about to quote opens with an odd 
echo from a certain school of mysticism 
with which ,isaac about this time became
 familiar3  ,july #bb1 #ahdc4--,man     
requires a new birth--the birth of the  
feminine in him4  ,the question arises  
in my mind whether it is necessary for  
me to require the concurrence of my     
brothers in the views of life which now 
appear to demand of me their            
actualization4  ,can ,i not adopt simple
 garmenture and diet without their doing
 so8 ,must ,i needs have their          

concurrence8 ,can ,i not leave results  
to themselves8 ,if my life is purer than
 that of those around me1 can ,i not    
trust to its own simple influence8  ,but
 if there is a great difference of      
spirit1 can we live together8 ,does not 
like seek like8 ,in money matters things
 must certainly be other than they have 
been4 ,we must agree that no accounts   
shall be kept between ourselves1 let the
 consequences be what they may4 ,i would
 rather suffer evils from a dependence  
on the spirit of love than permit that  
of selfishness to exist between us4 ,i  
ask not a cent above what will supply my
 immediate1 necessary wants4 4 4 ,they  
may demand ten times more than ,i1 and  
it would be a happiness to me to see    
them use it1 even if ,i thought they    
used it wrongfully4 ,all the check ,i   
would be willing to employ would be that
 of love and mutual good feeling4 ,if ,i
 remain as ,i now am1 ,i shall require  
very little1 and that little would be   
spent for the benefit and help of       

others4  ,july #bc4--;,i will go home1  
be true to the spirit with the help of  
,god1 and wait for further light and    
strength4 4 4 4 ,i feel that ,i cannot  
live at this place as ,i would4 ,this is
 not the place for my soul4 4 4 ,my life
 is not theirs4 ,they have been the     
means of giving me much light on myself1
 but ,i feel ,i would live and progress 
more in a different atmosphere4  ,on the
 #beth of ,july ,isaac finally departed 
from ,fruitlands1 and after remaining   
for a few days at ,brook ,farm1 he      
returned to his home in ,new ,york4     
,before following him thither1 it may be
 well to give at once such further      
references to this period of his life as
 are contained in the memoranda4 ,the   
following extract is undated3  ,a propos
 of ,emerson's death1 ,father ,hecker   
said3 ',i knew him well4 ,when ,i       
resolved to become a ,catholic ,i was   
boarding at the house of ,henry         
,thoreau's mother1 a stone's-throw from 
,emerson's at ,concord4'  ,what did     

,thoreau say about it8  ',what's the use
 of your joining the ,catholic ,church8 
,can't you get along without hanging to 
her skirts8' ,i suppose ,emerson found  
it out from ,thoreau1 so he tried his   
best to get me out of the notion4 ,he   
invited me to tea with him1 and he kept 
leading up to the subject and ,i leading
 away from it4 ,the next day he asked me
 to drive over with him to the ,shakers1
 some fifteen miles4 ,we stayed over    
night1 and all the way there and back he
 was fishing for my reasons1 with the   
plain purpose of dissuading me4 ,then   
,alcott and he arranged matters so that 
they cornered me in a sort of interview1
 and ,alcott frankly developed the      
subject4 ,i finally said1 ',mr4 ,alcott1
 ,i deny your inquisitorial right in    
this matter1' and so they let it drop4  
,one day1 however1 ,i was walking along 
the road and ,emerson joined me4        
,presently he said1 ',mr4 ,hecker1 ,i   
suppose it was the art1 the             
architecture1 and so on in the ,catholic

 ,church which led you to her8' ',no1'  
said ,i2 'but it was what caused all    
that4' ,i was the first to break the    
,transcendental camp4 ,brownson came    
some time after me4  ,years later1      
during the war1 ,i went to ,concord to  
lecture1 and wanted ,emerson to help me 
get a hall4 ,he refused4  ,alcott       
promised that he would1 but he did not1 
and ,i think ,emerson dissuaded him4    
,after a time1 however1 a priest1 a     
church1 and a congregation of some six  
or seven hundred ,catholics grew up in  
,concord1 and ,i was invited to lecture1
 and ,i went4 ,the pastor attended      
another station that ,sunday1 and ,i    
said the ,mass and meant to give a      
homily by way of sermon4 ,but as ,i was 
going to the altar1 all vested for the  
,mass1 two men came into my soul3 one1  
the man who lived in that village in    
former years1 a blind man1 groping about
 for light1 a soul with every problem   
unsolved2 the other a man full of light1
 with every problem solved1 the universe

 and the reason of his existence known  
as they actually are4 ,well1 there were 
those two men in my soul4 ,i had to get 
rid of them1 so ,i preached them of to  
the people4 ,some wept1 some laughed1   
all were deeply moved4 ,that night came 
the lecture4 ,it rained pitchforks and  
pineapples1 but the hall1 a large one1  
was completely filled4 ,multitudes of   
,yankees were there4 ,emerson was       
absent1 but ,alcott was present4 ,i had 
my lecture all cut and dried4 ',why ,i  
became a ,catholic' was the subject4    
,but as ,i was about to begin1 up came  
those two men again1 and for the life of
 me ,i couldn't help firing them off at 
the audience1 and with remarkable       
effect4 ,next day ,i met ,emerson in the
 street and we had a little talk        
together4 ,none of those men are        
comfortable in conversation with an     
intelligent ,catholic4 ,he avoided my   
square look1 and actually kept turning  
to avoid my eyes until he had quite     
turned round6 ,such men1 confronted with

 actual1 certain convictions are        
exceedingly uncomfortable4 ,they feel in
 subjection to you4 ,they cannot bear   
the steadfast glance of a man of certain
 principles any better than a dog can   
the look of his master4 ,like a dog1    
they turn away the head and show signs  
of uneasiness4  ,from the memoranda1    
also1 we take this reminiscence of      
,george ,ripley1 the man whom ,father   
,hecker loved best of all the           
,transcendental party3  ,january #bc1   
#ahhe4--,seeing my perplexity at ,brook 
,farm1 ,george ,ripley said1 ',mr4      
,hecker1 do you think we have not got   
true religion8 ,if you think so1 say so4
 ,if you have views you think true1 and 
which we ought to have1 let us hear     
them4' ,i answered1 ',no2 ,i haven't the
 truth1 but ,i am trying to get it4 ,if 
,i ever succeed1 you will hear from me4 
,if ,i don't1 you never will4 ,i am not 
going to teach before ,i am certain     
myself4 ,i will not add myself to the   
list of humbugs4'  ,ripley was a great  

man2 a wonderful man4 ,but he was a     
complete failure4 ,i loved him dearly1  
and he knew it1 and he loved me2 ,i know
 well he did4 ,when ,i came back a      
,redemptorist from ,europe1 ,i went to  
see him at the ,tribune office4 ,he     
asked me1 ',can you do all that any     
,catholic priest can do8' ',yes4' ',then
 ,i will send for you when ,i am drawing
 towards my end4'  ,indeed1 if one could
 have gone to ,ripley1 at any time in   
his later years1 and said1 ',you will   
never return again to the society of    
men1' and persuaded him it was true1 he 
would have said at once1 ',send for     
,father ,hecker or some other ,catholic 
priest4' ,i am persuaded that the fear  
of facing his friends hindered ,george  
,ripley from becoming a ,catholic4 ,he  
sent for me when taken down by his last 
illness1 but his message was not        
delivered4 ,as soon as ,i heard that he 
was ill ,i hastened to his bedside1 but 
his mind was gone and ,i could do       
nothing for him4  ,and now1 having given

 so fully such of his own impressions as
 remain of the persons and places which 
helped to shape ,father ,hecker in early
 manhood1 we will terminate the record  
of this period with two letters1 one    
from each community1 which were written 
him soon after his return to ,new ,york4
 ,no words of our own could show so well
 the hearty affection and implicit trust
 which he awakened and returned3  ,brook
 ,farm1 ,september #ah1 #ahdc4--,,my    
,,dear ,,friend3 ,i was rejoiced to hear
 from you1 though you wrote too short a 
letter4 ,your beautiful fruit1 enough to
 convert the direst sceptic to          
,grahamism1 together with the pearled   
wheat1 arrived safely1 although a few   
days too late to be in perfectly good   
order4 ,we distributed them to all and  
singular1 men1 women1 and children1 who 
discussed them with great interest1 ,i  
assure you2 many1 no doubt1 with silent 
wishes that no good or beautiful thing  
might ever be wanting to you4 ,i am glad
 to learn that you are so happy in ,new 

,york1 that you find so much in your own
 mind to compensate for the evils of a  
city environment1 and that your         
aspirations are not quenched by the     
sight of the huge disorders that daily  
surround you4 ,i hardly dare to think   
that my own faith or hope would be      
strong enough to reconcile me to a      
return to common society4 ,i should pine
 like an imprisoned bird1 and ,i fear ,i
 should grow blind to the visions of    
loveliness and glory which the future   
promises to humanity4 ,i long for action
 which shall realize the prophecies1    
fulfil the ,apocalypse1 bring the new   
,jerusalem down from heaven to earth1   
and collect the faithful into a true and
 holy brotherhood4 ,to attain this      
consummation so devoutly to be wished1  
,i would eat no flesh1 ,i would drink no
 wine while the world lasted4 ,i would  
become as devoted an ascetic as         
yourself1 my dear ,isaac4 ,but to what  
end is all speculation1 all dreaming1   
all questioning1 but to advance         

humanity1 to bring forward the          
manifestation of the ,son of ,god8 ,oh1 
for men who feel this idea burning into 
their bones6 ,when shall we see them8   
,and without them1 what will be         
phalanxes1 groups and series1 attractive
 industry1 and all the sublime words of 
modern reforms8  ,when will you come    
back to ,brook ,farm8 ,can you do       
without us8 ,can we do without you8 ,but
 do not come as an amateur1 a           
self-perfectionizer1 an aesthetic       
self-seeker1 willing to suck the orange 
of ,association dry and throw away the  
peel4 ,oh6 that you would come as one of
 us1 to work in the faith of a divine   
idea1 to toil in loneliness and tears   
for the sake of the kingdom which ,god  
may build up by our hands4 ,all here1   
that is1 all our old central members1   
feel more and more the spirit of        
devotedness1 the thirst to do or die1   
for the cause we have at heart4 ,we do  
not distrust ,providence4 ,we cannot    
believe that what we have gained here of

 spiritual progress will be lost through
 want of material resources4 ,at        
present1 however1 we are in great       
straits4 ,we hardly dare to provide the 
means of keeping warm in our pleasant   
nest this winter4  ,just look at our    
case4 ,with property amounting to       
#cj1jjj1 the want of two or three       
thousands fetters us and may kill us4   
,that sum would free us from pecuniary  
embarrassment1 and for want of that we  
work daily with fetters on our limbs4   
,are there not five men in ,new ,york   
,city who would dare to venture #bjj    
each in the cause of social reform1     
without being assured of a ,phalanx for 
themselves and their children for ever8 
,alas6 ,i know not4 ,we are willing to  
traverse the wilderness forty years2 we 
ask no grapes of ,eshcol for ourselves2 
we do not claim a fair abode in the     
promised land2 but what can we do1 with 
neither quails nor manna1 with raiment  
waxing old1 and shoes bursting from our 
feet8  ,forgive me1 my dear ,isaac1 for 

speaking so much about ourselves4 ,but  
what else should ,i speak of8 ,and who  
more sympathizing with our movement than
 yourself8  ,do not be surprised at     
receiving this letter so long after     
date4 ,not less than four times have ,i 
begun it1 and as often have been        
interrupted4 ,pray write me now and     
then4 ,your words are always sweet and  
pleasant to my soul4 ,believe me1 ever  
yours truly1  ,,george ,,ripley4        
,harvard1 ,mass41 ,november #aa1        
#ahdc4--;,,dear ,,friend3 ,your kind    
letter of the #ast came duly to hand1   
and we are making arrangements to enjoy 
the benefit of your healthful bequest4  
,please to accept thanks for your       
sympathy and the reports of persons and 
things in your circle4 ,they have       
interested me much but ,i am about to   
make you the most incongruous return    
conceivable4 ,for pleasure almost       
unqualified which you have conferred on 
me1 ,i fear ,i shall trouble you with   
painful relations2 in return for a      

barrel of superfine wholesome           
wheat-meal1 ,i am going to submit to you
 a peck of troubles4 ,out of as many of 
these as you lovingly and freely can1   
you may assist me2 but1 of course1 you  
will understand that ,i feel ,i have no 
claim upon you4 ,on the contrary1       
indeed1 ,i see that ,i run the hazard of
 forfeiting your valued friendship by   
thus obtruding my pecuniary concerns    
into our hitherto loftier communings4   
,you know it to be a sentiment of mine1 
that these affairs should never be      
obtruded between aesthetic friends1 but 
what can one do in extremity but to     
unburden candidly to the generous8      
,when ,i bought this place1 instead of  
paying the whole #a1hjj1 as ,i wished1  
#cjj of my money went to pay old debts  
with which ,i ought to have had nothing 
to do2 and ,mrs4 ,alcott's brother1     
,samuel ,j4 ,may1 joined his name to a  
note for #cjj1 to be paid by instalments
 in two years4 ,and now that the first  
instalment is due1 he sends me word that

 he declines paying it4 ,as all my cash 
has been expended in buying and keeping 
up the affair1 ,i am left in a          
precarious position1 out of which ,i do 
not see the way without some loveful    
aid1 and to you ,i venture freely to    
submit my feelings4 ,above all things ,i
 should like to discharge at once this  
#cjj note1 as unless that is done the   
place must1 ,i fear1 fall back into     
individuality and the idea be suspended4
 ,now1 if as much cash is loose in your 
pocket1 or that of some wealthy friend1 
there shall be parted off as much of the
 land as will secure its return1 from   
the crops alone1 in a few years2 or1 ,i 
would sell a piece until ,i can redeem  
it2 or1 ,i would meet the loan in any   
other secure way1 if ,i can but secure  
the land from the demon usury4 ,this    
mode seems to me the most desirable4    
,but ,i could get along with the        
instalment of #ge1 and would offer like 
security in proportion4 ,or1 if you can 
do it yourself1 and would prefer the    

library as a pledge1 you shall select   
such books as will suit your own reading
 and would cover your advance in cash   
any day you choose to put them up to    
auction1 if ,i should fail to redeem    
them4 ,or1 ,i would give my notes of    
hand that ,i could meet by sales of     
produce or of land4 ,if ,i had the      
benefit of your personal counsel1 we    
could contrive something between us1 ,i 
am sure1 but ,i have no such aid about  
me4 ,the difficulty in itself is really 
light1 but to me1 under present         
circumstances1 is quite formidable4 ,if 
at your earliest convenience you        
acquaint me with your mind1 you will    
much oblige4  ,i have another trouble of
 a personal nature4 ,i suffer already   
this winter from the inclemency of the  
weather1 so much that my hands are so   
chapped that ,i can scarcely hold the   
pen4 ,if ,i could find employment in a  
more southern position that would       
support me and the boy1 and leave a     
little to be applied to the common good1

 ,i would undertake it4 ,i think ,i     
could at the same time be of some mental
 and moral service to the people where  
,i might be located4  ,another trouble4 
,young ,william has been very ill for   
the last month1 brought on1 ,i believe1 
by excessive work4 ,he is still very    
weak1 and has not sat up for three      
weeks4  ,all these1 besides sundry      
slighter plagues1 coming upon me at     
once1 have perhaps a little disconcerted
 my nerves1 and the advice and          
assistance of a generous friend at such 
a juncture would be indeed serviceable4 
,if the journey were not so long and so 
costly ,i would ask you to come4 ,be    
assured that whatever may be your       
decision in any of these relations1 my  
esteem for you cannot be thereby        
diminished4 ,my only fear is that such  
encroachments on your good nature will  
reduce your estimation of1 dear friend1 
yours most sincerely1  ,,charles ,,lane4
  ,regards to the ,doctor and all       
friends4 ,the ,shakers have kindly      

inquired for you1 and they still take   
much interest in our life4 ,have you    
seen the last ,dial8 ,the ,present is   
good1 but surely not good enough4 ,i    
hope to write a more universal letter in
 response to your next1 for which ,i    
wait4  ,poor ,lane1 failing to find any 
equally confiding and generous friend to
 shoulder with him the personal debts of
 the founder of ,fruitlands1 was        
compelled at last to let the farm lapse 
into individuality and to see the idea  
suspended4 ,in his next and more        
universal letter he announces that the  
experiment is ended in consequence of   
,mrs4 ,alcott's refusal to remain on the
 place through the winter4 ,lane went   
over to the neighboring ,shaker         
community1 and from there to ,england1  
where ,father ,hecker met him during his
 own residence at ,clapham1 after his   
ordination4 ,his letters followed       
,father ,hecker for several years1 and  
breathe always the same unselfishness1  
the same simple trust in human goodness1

 and the same fondness for speculations 
on the universal4       ,,chapter ,,ix  
,,self-,,questionings  ,,not finding any
 solution of his spiritual difficulties 
at either ,fruitlands or ,brook ,farm1  
,isaac ,hecker turned his face once more
 toward the home from which he had      
departed nearly a year before4 ,he      
expected little from this step1 but his 
state of mind was now one in which he   
had begun to anticipate1 at any turn1   
some light on the dispositions of       
,providence in his regard which might   
determine his course for good and all4  
,and1 meantime1 as patient waiting was  
all that lay in his own power1 it seemed
 the wisest course to yield to the      
solicitations of his kindred and abide  
results in his own place4 ,he did not go
 there at once1 however1 after quitting 
,alcott's community1 but returned to    
,brook ,farm for a fortnight4 ,his      
journal during this period offers many  
pages worthy of transcription4  ,it is  
possible that we have readers who may   

deem us too copious in our quotations   
from this source4 ,but1 if wearisome to 
any1 yet they are necessary to those for
 whom this ,life is especially written4 
,the lessons to be learned from ,father 
,hecker are mainly those arising from   
the interaction between ,god's          
supernatural dealings with him1 and his 
own natural characteristics4 ,this fact1
 moreover1 is typical as well as        
personal1 for the great question of his 
day1 which was the dawning of our own1  
was the relation of the natural man to  
the regenerating influences of          
,christianity4 ,this being so1 it is    
plain to our own mind that no adequate  
representation of the man could be made 
without a free use of these early       
journals4 ,they seem to us one of the   
chief ,providential results of the      
spiritual isolation of his youth4 ,he   
was in a manner driven to this intimate 
self-communing1 on one hand by his      
never-satisfied craving for sympathetic 
companionship1 and on the other by his  

complete unacquaintance with a kind of  
reading which even at this point might  
have shed some light upon his interior  
difficulties4 ,in later years he        
enjoyed1 in the study of accredited     
,christian mystics1 that kind of        
satisfaction which a traveller          
experiences who1 after long wanderings  
in what had seemed a trackless desert1  
obtains a map which not only makes his  
whole route plain1 but assures him that 
he did not stray from well-known paths  
even during his times of most extreme   
bewilderment4  ,that the diary has the  
character we here claim for it1 and is  
not the mere ordinary result of a morbid
 and aimless introspection1 is plainly  
shown by the speedy cessation of        
excessive self-analysis on ,father      
,hecker's part1 after he had actually   
reached the goal to which he was at this
 period alternately sweetly led and     
violently driven4 ,but it is also shown 
by the deep humility which is revealed  
precisely by this sharp probing of his  

interior4 ,though he felt himself in    
touch with ,god in some special way1 yet
 it was with so little pride that it was
 his profound conviction1 as it         
remained1 indeed1 throughout his life1  
that what he had all had or might have4 
,but the study of his interior thus     
forced upon him was far from a pleasing 
task4 ,it is exceedingly oppressive to  
me to write as ,i now do1 we find him   
complaining2 continually does myself    
appear in my writing4 ,i would that my  
,i were wholly lost in the sea of the   
,spirit--wholly lost in ,god4  ,we      
preface the subjoined extract from the  
diary with the remark that ,father      
,hecker's reading of signs of the       
,divine will in men and events often    
brought him to the verge of credulity1  
over which he was prevented from        
stepping by his shrewd native sense4    
,though he insisted all his life on     
interpreting them as signal flags of the
 ,divine wisdom1 this did not hinder him
 from gaining a reputation for sound    

practical judgment3  ,brook ,farm1 ,july
 #ca1 #ahdc4--,man is the symbol of all 
mysteries4 ,why is it that all things   
seem to me to be instinct with prophecy8
 ,i do not see any more individual      
personalities1 but priests and oracles  
of ,god4 ,the age is big with a prophecy
 which it is in labor to give birth to4 
,my experience is different now from    
what it has been4 ,it is much fuller2   
every fibre of my being seems teeming   
with sensitive life4 ,i am in another   
atmosphere of sentiment and thought4 4 4
 4 ,i have less real union and sympathy 
with her1 and with those whom ,i have   
met much nearer heretofore4 ,it appears 
as if their atmosphere was denser1 their
 life more natural1 more in the flesh4  
,instead of meeting them on my highest1 
,i can only do so by coming down into my
 body1 of which it seems to me that ,i  
am now almost unconscious4 ,there is not
 that sense of heaviness1 dulness1      
fleshliness1 in me4 ,i experience no    
natural desires1 no impure thoughts1 nor

 wanderings of fancy4 ,still1 ,i feel   
more intensely1 and am filled to        
overflowing with love1 and with desire  
for union4 ,but there is no one to meet 
me where ,i am1 and ,i cannot meet them 
where they are4  ,all his life ,father  
,hecker was on the lookout for the great
 human influences which run across those
 of religion1 either to swell their     
volume or to lessen their force4 ,these 
are mainly the transmissions of         
heredity1 and the environments that are 
racial1 temporal1 epochal1 or local4    
,this enduring tendency is foreshadowed 
in the following extracts3  ,august #b1 
#ahdc4--;,i have been thinking much of  
late about the very great influence     
which nationality and the family        
progenitors have upon character4 ,men   
talk of universality1 impartiality1     
many-sidedness1 free judgment1 unbiased 
opinion1 and so on1 when in reality     
their national and family dispositions  
are the centre and ground of their      
being1 and hence of their opinions4     

,they appear to be most themselves when 
they show these traits of character4    
,they are most natural and earnest and  
at home when they speak from this link  
which binds them to the past4 ,then     
their hearts are opened1 and they speak 
with a glow of eloquence and a peculiar 
unction which touch the same chord in   
the breasts of those who hear them4 ,it 
is well for man to feel his indebtedness
 to the past which lives in him and     
without which he would not be what he   
is4 ,he is far more its creature than he
 gives himself credit for4 ,he          
reproduces daily the sentiments and     
thoughts of the dim and obscure before4 
,there are certain ideas and aspirations
 which have not had their fulfilment1   
but which run through all men from the  
beginning and which are continually     
reproduced4 ,there is a unity of race1  
called ,humanity2 one of place1 called  
,nationality2 one of birth1 called      
,kindred2 one of affinity1 called ,love 
and ,friendship4 ,by all these we are   

greatly influenced4 ,they all make their
 mark upon the man4  ,the faculties     
which take cognizance of the inner world
 have been awakened in only a few of the
 human race1 and these1 to distinguish  
them1 have been called prophets1        
miracle-workers1 ,providential men1     
seers1 and poets4 ,now1 their privilege 
is that of all men in a greater or less 
degree1 just as is the case with regard 
to the faculties which relate to the    
outward world4 ,for when men in general 
were as ignorant about the exterior     
world as they now are about the         
interior1 the men of science1 the       
astronomers1 the mathematicians1 the    
founders of the arts1 were held to be   
miraculous1 gods1 and they were deified4
 ,what any one man 7and this is a most  
comfortable and cheering thought7 has   
been or has done1 all men may in a      
measure be or do1 for each is a type1 a 
specimen of the whole human race4 ,if it
 is said in reply1 ',these miracles or  
great acts1 which you hold as actual1   

are mere superstitious dreams1' ,i care 
not4 ,that would be still more glorious 
for us1 for then they are still to be   
performed1 they are in the coming time1 
these divine prophetic instincts are yet
 to be actualized4 ,the dreams of       
,orpheus1 the inspired strains of the   
,hebrew bards1 and1 above all1 the      
prophecies of ,christ1 are before us4   
,the divine instincts will be realized  
as surely as there is a ,god above who  
inspires them4 ,it is the glory of ,god 
that they should be so2 it is ,his      
delight4 ,this world must become heaven4
 ,this is its destiny2 and our destiny1 
under ,god1 is to make it so4 ,prophecy 
is given to encourage and nourish our   
hopes and feed our joys1 so that we may 
say with ,job1 ',i know that although   
worms shall eat this flesh1 and my bones
 become dust1 yet at the latter day ,i  
shall see my ,redeemer face to face4'   
,the sentences which follow can be      
paralleled by words taken from all who  
have truly interpreted the doctrine of  

,christ by their lives or their         
writings3  ,to him that has faith all   
things are possible1 for faith is an act
 of the soul2 thy faith is the measure  
of thy power4  ,if men would act from   
the present inspiration of their souls  
they would gain more knowledge than they
 do by reading or speculating4  ,no man 
in his heart can ask for more than he   
has4 ,think of this deeply4 ,god is     
just4 ,we have what we ought to have1   
even according to our own sense of      
justice4  ,the desire to love and be    
beloved1 to have friends with whom we   
can converse1 to enter society which we 
enjoy--is it not best to deny and       
sacrifice these desires8 ,it may be said
 that1 gratified1 they add to life1 and 
the question is how to increase life1   
not how to diminish it4 ,but by denying 
them1 would not our life gain by flowing
 in a more heavenly direction8  ,we are 
daily feeding the demons that are in us 
by our wicked thoughts and sinful acts2 
these are their meat and drink4 ,i make 

them gasp sometimes4 ,my heart laughs   
quite merrily to think of it4 ,when ,i  
am hungry1 and there is something       
tempting on the table1 hunger1 like a   
serpent1 comes creeping up into my      
throat and laps its dry tongue with     
eagerness for its prey1 but it often    
returns chagrined at its discomfiture4  
,that which tempts us we should deny1 no
 matter how innocent it is in itself4   
,if it tempts1 away with it1 until it   
tempts no more4 ,then partake of it1 for
 it is then only that you can do so     
prudently and with temperance4  ,all our
 thoughts and emotions are caused by    
some agent acting on us4 ,this is true  
of all the senses and the spiritual     
faculties4 ,hence we should by all      
possible means purify and refine our    
organism1 so that we may hear the most  
delicate1 the sweetest1 the stillest    
sounds and murmurings of the angels who 
are about us4 ,how much fuller and      
richer would be our life if we were more
 acutely sensitive and finely textured6 

,how many exquisite delights nature     
yields which we are not yet aware of6   
,what a world surrounds us of which none
 but holy men1 prophets1 and poets have 
had a glimpse6  ,the soul is a plate on 
which the senses daguerreotype indelibly
 pictures of the outer world4 ,how      
cautious should we be where we look1    
what we hear1 what smell1 or feel1 or   
taste6 ,and how we should endeavor that 
all around us should be made beautiful1 
musical1 fragrant1 so that our souls may
 be awakened to a divine sense of life  
without a moment's interruption6  ,o    
,god1 be ,thou my helper1 my strength   
and my redeemer6 ,may ,i live wholly to 
,thee2 give me grace and obedience to   
,thy ,spirit4 ,may all self be put from 
me so that ,i may enter into the        
glorious liberty of the sons of ,god1   
,awaken me1 raise me up1 restore me1 ,o 
,jesus ,christ1 ,lord1 ,heavenly ,king6 
,in reading what next follows it must be
 remembered that at the time when it was
 written ,isaac ,hecker had absolutely  

no knowledge of ,catholic mystical      
theology4 ,it is since that day that    
,english-speaking ,catholics have had   
access to the great authorities on this 
subject through adequate translations4  
,but what little he had learned from    
other sources1 combined with his own    
intuitional and experimental knowledge  
of human capabilities for penetrating   
the veil1 had already furnished him with
 conclusions which nothing in his       
devoted study of ,catholic mystical     
writers forced him to lay aside3        
,belief in the special guidance of ,god 
has been the faith of all deeply        
religious men4 ,i will not dispute the  
fact that some men are so guided1 but   
will offer an explanation of it which   
seems to me to reconcile it with the    
regular order of laws established by    
,god4 ,my explanation would be that this
 guidance is not a miraculous power1    
specially bestowed upon some men1 but   
merely a higher degree of ordinary      
divine guidance4 ,our ordinary life is  

inspired2 the other is only a higher    
degree of what is common to all4 ,the   
evil which arises from the contrary     
opinion is this3 men who have received a
 higher degree of insight believe that  
it is a special miraculous gift1 and    
that all they may say is infallibly     
true1 whereas they still retain their   
own individuality though raised to a    
purer state of being4 ,they have not    
been so raised in order to found new    
sects1 or to cause revolutions1 but to  
fulfil the old1 continue and carry it on
 as far as they have been given light to
 do so4 ,in forming new sects they but  
reproduce their own individualities with
 all their errors4 ,so ,swedenborg did1 
and ,wesley1 men of modern times who    
were awakened in a greater degree than  
the mass of their fellows4 ,their       
mistake lay in their attempt to make    
universal ends out of their individual  
experiences4 ,in the ordinary state no  
man does this1 but these1 being lifted a
 little above the mass1 became          

intoxicated4 ,the only one1 so far as ,i
 have read1 who has had humility equal  
to his inspiration was ,jacob ,boehmen4 
,luther1 ,calvin1 ,fox1 ,penn1          
,swedenborg1 ,wesley1 had self in view4 
,selfism is mixed with their            
universalism4 ,none has spoken truth so 
pure and universal as ,boehmen4 ,he is  
the most inspired man of modern times4  
,he had more love and truth than all the
 other mystics put together1 and fewer  
faults than either one of them taken    
singly4       ,,chapter ,x  ,,at ,,home 
,,again  ,,it was the middle of ,august1
 #ahdc1 when ,isaac ,hecker once more   
took up his residence with his family in
 ,new ,york4 ,his first endeavor was to 
sink back again as far as possible into 
the old routine of business4  ,to-morrow
 ,i commence to work1 he writes on the  
evening of his return4 ,my interior     
state is quiet and peaceful4 ,i have not
 met any one yet4 ,my dear mother       
understands me better than any one else4
 ,how far business will interfere with  

my inner life remains to be seen4 ,o    
,lord6 help me to keep my resolution1   
which is not to let the world enter my  
heart1 but to keep it looking toward    
,thee6 ,my heart has been in a constant 
prayerful state since ,i have been at   
home4 ,it is busy in its own sanctuary1 
its own temple1 ,god4 ,o ,lord6 preserve
 it4  ,one of the first noteworthy      
things revealed by the diary--which from
 this time on was kept with less        
regularity than before--is that ,isaac  
not only maintained his abstemious      
habits after his return1 but increased  
their rigor4 ,for a robust man1 working 
hard for many hours out of every        
twenty-four1 and deprived of all the    
pleasant relaxations1 literary1         
conversational and musical1 to which he 
had been accustoming himself for many   
months1 the choice of such a diet as is 
described in the following sentences was
 certainly extraordinary3  ,august      
#cj4--;,if the past nine months or more 
are any evidence1 ,i find that ,i can   

live on very simple diet--grains1 fruit1
 and nuts4 ,i have just commenced to eat
 the latter2 ,i drink pure water4 ,so   
far ,i have had wheat ground and made   
into unleavened bread1 but as soon as we
 get in a new lot1 ,i shall try it in   
the grain4  ,he had evidently at this   
time a practical conviction of the truth
 of a principle which1 in after years1  
he repeated to the present writer in the
 form of a maxim of the                 
transcendentalists3 ,a gross feeder will
 never be a central thinker4 ,it is a   
truth of the spiritual no less than of  
the intellectual order4 ,a little later 
we come upon the following profession of
 a vegetarian faith1 which will be apt  
to amuse as well as to edify the reader3
  ,reasons for not eating animal food4  
,it does not feed the spirit4  ,it      
stimulates the propensities4  ,it is    
taking animal life when the other       
kingdoms offer sufficient and better    
increment4  ,slaughter strengthens the  
lower instincts4  ,it is the chief cause

 of the slavery of the kitchen4  ,it    
generates in the body the diseases      
animals are subject to1 and encourages  
in man their bestiality4  ,its odor is  
offensive and its appearance            
unaesthetic4  ,the apprehension under   
which he had labored1 that city life    
would present many temptations which he 
would find it difficult to withstand1   
appears to have been unfounded4 ,some   
few social relaxations he now and then  
permitted himself1 but they were mostly 
very sober-toned4 ,last evening ,i      
attended a ,methodist love-feast1 is his
 record of one of these4 ,in returning  
,i stopped at the ward political        
meeting4 ,then he notes that although   
the business he follows is especially   
full of temptations--as no doubt it was 
to a man keeping so tight a rein over   
his most natural and legitimate         
appetites--he feels deeply grateful     
that1 so far1 he has had no need to fear
 his being led away4 ,what yet remains8 
he adds4 ,my diet is all purchased and  

all produced by hired labor4 ,i suppose 
that slave labor produces almost all my 
dress4 ,and ,i cannot say that ,i am    
rightly conditioned until all ,i eat1   
drink1 and wear is produced by love4    
,it was a vivid recollection of these   
early efforts after an ascetic          
perfection which had neither guide nor  
definite plan1 which prompted the       
following vigorous self-appreciation1   
made by ,father ,hecker two years before
 his death4 ,he had been speaking of    
some of his youthful experiments in this
 direction1 and ended with an amused    
laugh and the ejaculation1  ,thank ,god6
 ,he led me into the ,catholic ,church4 
,if it hadn't been for that ,i should   
have been one of the worst cranks in the
 world4  ,here are two expressions taken
 from the diary of a permanent fact of  
,father ,hecker's individuality4 ,they  
help to explain why he was misunderstood
 by many in later years3  ,men have fear
 to utter absurdities4 ,the head is     
sceptical of the divine oracles of the  

heart1 and before she utters them she   
clothes them in such a fantastic dress  
that men hear the words but lose the    
life1 the thought4  ,we often act to be 
understood by the heart1 not by the     
head2 and when the head speaks of its   
having understood1 we deny its          
understanding4 ,it is the secret        
sympathy of the heart which is the only 
response that is looked for4 ,speech is 
cold1 profane4  ,this must recall1 to   
those who were intimate with ,father    
,hecker1 how often he arrived at his own
 convictions by discussing them with    
others while they were yet but partially
 formed4 ,it is a custom with many to do
 so1 mind assisting mind1 negation      
provoking affirmation1 doubt vanishing  
with the utterance of the truth4 ,in    
,father ,hecker's case his perfect      
frankness led him1 when among his own   
friends1 to utter half-formed ideas1    
sometimes sounding startling and        
erroneous1 but spoken with a view to get
 them into proper shape4 ,at such times 

it required patience to know just what  
he meant1 for he never found it the     
easiest to employ terms whose meaning   
was conventional4  ,by the first of     
,september such faint hopes as ,isaac   
had entertained of adapting himself to  
the conditions of his home in ,new ,york
 were well-nigh dissipated4 ,but a      
certain natural timidity1 joined with   
the still complete uncertainty he felt  
as to what his true course should be1   
made him dissemble his disquiet so long 
as it was bearable4 ,after a month or   
two1 by a mutual agreement between his  
brothers and himself which exonerated   
him from much of the manual labor which 
they still shared with the men in their 
employment1 he devoted himself to an    
occupation more accordant to his mind4  
,he set to work to make single beds and 
private rooms for the workmen1          
contriving various conveniences and     
means of occasional solitude for them1  
and in other ways doing all in his power
 to achieve for them the privileges he  

found so necessary for himself4 ,of     
these efforts we get occasional glimpses
 in the diary4 ,but it is1 in the main1 
devoted to more impersonal and larger   
topics1 and the facts of his daily      
employment1 as just given1 have been    
gained from other sources4  ,september  
#a4--,there are two ways in which the   
spirit may live itself out4 ,one is to  
leave all these conditions1 purchase a  
spot of ground1 and live according to   
its daily dictates4 ,the other is to    
make these conditions as harmonic as    
possible by giving the men 7workmen7 an 
associative interest in the             
accumulations of our associative labor4 
,both extremes require renunciation of  
property and of self4 ,love1 universal  
love is the ruler1 and only by it can   
the spirit find peace or be crowned with
 the highest happiness4  ,the mystery of
 man's being1 the unawakened capacities 
in him1 we are not half aware of4 ,a few
 of the race1 the prophets1 sages1 and  
poets1 give us a glimpse of his high    

destiny4 ,alas6 that men should be on   
the borders of such mighty truths and   
stand as blind and dumb as lower animals
 before them6  ,balaam sometimes1 but   
ignorantly1 utters true prophecies4 ,a  
remark ,i heard to-day leads me to say  
this4 ,speaking of diet a man said3     
',why1 what do you intend8 ,at last you 
will have men to live on ,god4' ,we must
 become ,god-like1 or ,god-full4 ,live  
as ,he lives1 become one with ,him4     
,until we are reconciled with our       
,father we are aliens1 prodigals4 ,until
 we can say1 ,my ,father and ,i are one1
 we have not commenced to be4 ,we must  
fulfil what the ,apostle said 7and it   
means1 perhaps1 more than we commonly   
imagine73 ',in ,god we live and move and
 have our being4'  ,the deeper and more 
profound a truth is1 the less proof can 
you give in its support4  ,september    
#h4--,on the evening of the #fth ,i went
 to see the ,french ,opera ,company in  
,auber's ',black ,domino4' ,it did not  
please me as well as some music ,i have 

heard1 though parts of it were very     
beautiful4 ,the hymns of the nuns were  
very sweet4 ,the thought occurred to me 
that if the ,church does not provide    
religious gratifications for the true   
wants of humanity1 she must be silent if
 men feed them profanely4 ,it is because
 the ,church has not done her duty that 
there are so many secular societies for 
,reformation1 ,temperance1 and so on4   
,the ,church has provided for the       
salvation of the sinner's soul by means 
of spiritual acts1 such as prayer1      
penance1 the ,eucharist and other       
sacraments4 ,but now she must provide   
terrestrial sacraments for the salvation
 and transfiguration of the body4  ,we  
should strive constantly to actualize   
the ideal we perceive4 ,when we do      
realize all the beauty and holiness that
 we see1 we are not called to deny      
ourselves1 for then we are living as    
fully on all sides as we have capacity  
to do4 ,are we not in this state8 ,then1
 if we are sincere1 we will give up     

lower and unnecessary gratifications for
 the sake of the ideal we have in view4 
,i would die to prove my immortality4   
,at times we are called to rely on      
,providence1 to be imprudent and        
reckless according to the wisdom of the 
world4 ,so ,i am willing to be thought4 
,each of us has an individual character 
to act out1 under the inspiration of    
,god1 and this is the highest and       
noblest we can do4 ,we are forms        
differing from one another1 and if we   
are acting under the inspirations of the
 ,highest1 we are doing our uttermost2  
more the angels do not4 ,what tends to  
hinder us from realizing the ideal which
 our vision sees must be denied1 be it  
self1 wealth1 opinion1 or death4  ,the  
,heart says1 ',be all that you can4'    
,the ,intellect says1 ',when you are all
 that you can be--what then8'  ,infinite
 love is the basis of the smallest act  
of love1 and when we love with our whole
 being1 we are in and one with ,god4    
,to love is to lose one's self and gain 

,god4 ,to be all in love is to be one   
with ,god4  ,when the ,spirit begets us1
 we are no more2 the ,spirit is1 and    
there is nothing else4  ,there is much  
debauchery in speaking wilfully4  ,every
 act of self is sin1 is a lie4  ,the    
,spirit will lead you into solitude and 
silence if it has something to teach    
you4  ,you must be born again to know   
the truth4 ,it cannot be inculcated4    
,to educate is to bring forth1 not to   
put in4 ,to put in is death2 to flow out
 is life4  ,lest the reader may have got
 an impression1 from any of the extracts
 already given1 that ,isaac ,hecker was 
puffed up by the pride of his own       
innocence1 we transcribe what follows4  
,it shows that he did not fall under the
 ,apostle's condemnation3 ,if we say    
that we have no sin1 we deceive         
ourselves1 and the truth is not in us4  
,it was written on the last ,sunday of  
,september1 and1 after this long        
outpouring of confession1 longing1 and  
weakness1 the diary was not again       

resumed for nearly a month4 ,the desire 
expressed in its second paragraph for   
the kind of spiritual refreshment which 
in after years he so often enjoyed under
 the name of a retreat1 seems           
noteworthy4  ,september #bd1            
#ahdc4--,the human heart is wicked above
 all things4 ,the enemy of man is subtle
 and watchful beyond conception4        
,instead of being on the way of         
goodness1 ,i am just finding out the    
wickedness of my nature1 its            
crookedness1 its impurity1 its darkness4
 ,i want deep humility and forgetfulness
 of self4 ,i am just emerging out of    
gross darkness and my sight is but dim1 
so that my iniquities are not wholly    
plain to my vision4  ,at present ,i feel
 as if a week of quiet silence would be 
the means of opening more deeply the    
still flowing fountains of divine life4 
,i would cut off all relations but that 
of my soul with the ,spirit--all others 
seem intrusions1 worldly1 frivolous4    
,the inpouring of the ,spirit is checked

 by so much attention to other than     
divine things4 ,in the bustle and noisy 
confusion its voice is unheard4  ,i feel
 that one of my greatest weaknesses1    
because it leads me to so much sin1 is  
my social disposition4 ,it draws me so  
often into perilous conversations1 and  
away from silence and meditation with   
the ,spirit4 ,lately ,i have felt almost
 ready to say that good works are a     
hindrance to the gate of heaven4 ,pride 
and self-approbation are so often mixed 
with them4 ,i feel that nothing has been
 spoken against the vain attempt to     
trust in good works which my soul does  
not fully accord with4 ,this is a new1 a
 very new experience for me4  ,the      
foregoing must be understood in the     
sense of good works hindering better    
works4 ,isaac ,hecker felt his noblest  
aspirations to be1 for the moment at any
 rate1 towards solitude and the passive 
state of prayer2 and in this he was     
hindered by the urgency of his zeal for 
the propagation of philanthropic schemes

 and his great joy in communing with men
 whom he hoped to find like-minded with 
himself4 ,the time came when he was able
 to ,join the two states1 the inner     
purifying the outer man and directing   
his energies by the instinct of the     
,holy ,spirit4 ,this entry goes on as   
follows3  ,by practice of our           
aspirations1 ideals1 and visions1 we    
convert them into real being4  ,we      
should be able to say1 ',which of you   
convinceth me of sin8' before we are fit
 to preach to others in such a way that 
our preaching may have a practical      
effect upon society4  ,did all our      
efforts flow into realizing the         
teachings of the ,spirit1 we should do  
much more good and be greater in the    
sight of ,god than we are now by so much
 speaking and writing4 ,but let us be   
watchful that the pride of good works   
does not take the place of that of      
speaking and writing4  ,by our sins and 
many weaknesses we are prevented from   
entering the ,promised ,land1 and must  

die just in sight of it4 ,instead of    
being humble1 willing1 and self-denying 
in our youth1 and being led by the      
,spirit of ,god1 we keep on in the      
spirit of the world and give all the    
substance of our being to its service4  
,and when we are nearly worn out we flee
 to ,god1 and die1 perhaps1 in sight of 
heaven1 instead of having been among its
 inhabitants1 living in it upon earth1  
in the full bloom of our youthful joy of
 life4 4 4 4  ,the ,lord has been good  
to me and my heart is filled with ,his  
warm love4 ,blessed be ,thou1 ,o ,god6  
for ,thou hast given me a taste of ,thy 
sweetness4 ,thou hast given me gratitude
 and thankfulness and an overflowing    
heart of praise4 ,i would stand still   
and shout and bless ,god4 ,it is ,god in
 us that believes in ,god4 ,without the 
light of ,god we should be in total     
darkness1 and ,he is the only source of 
light4 ,the more of ,god we have in us1 
the more we see beyond us4  ,thy        
inspiration1 ,o ,god6 is love and       

wisdom4 ,in ,thee they are one1 as light
 and warmth are in the fire4  ,thou art 
the true1 eternal food of life1 and he  
that has tasted ,thee can never be at   
rest until he is wholly filled with     
,thee4 ,lord1 when we are without ,thee 
we are lost1 dead1 in darkness4 ,it is  
in and by ,thy presence that we live and
 move and have our being4  ,ever more1  
,o ,lord1 increase ,thy ,spirit in us   
until between as there is no more we or 
,thee1 but ,thou1 ,o ,father1 art all6  
,like the fixed light in a crystal which
 flashes back the light of the sun1 so  
does the soul of man reflect ,god4  ,a  
good life consists in passive as well as
 active virtues4  ,o ,lord1 so fill me  
that nothing shall be left but ,thee1   
and ,i may be no more4  ,one would be   
tempted to believe that none but a      
master in the spiritual life could have 
written the sentences which immediately 
follow this outburst of love and praise4
 ,yet remember that ,isaac ,hecker was  
not yet twenty-four1 and that he knew   

nothing of the ways of the ,spirit      
except what the ,spirit ,himself had    
directly taught him3  ,the reason why   
men are perplexed and in darkness about 
their being and the questions which     
their being often asks1 is not that     
these are insoluble1 but that the       
disposition and spirit in which a       
solution is attempted is so contrary to 
that in which they may be solved1 that  
they appear as hidden mysteries4  ,when 
we come together to converse1 it should 
be to learn from each other what good we
 can and ought to do1 and so mingle the 
brightness of one with the dimness of   
the other4 ,our meetings should be such 
that we should go away feeling that ,god
 had been with us and multiplied our    
blessings4 ,the question should be1     
',brother1 can you teach me the way of  
the ,lord in a more perfect manner than 
that in which ,i tread it1 so that my   
soul may be increased and ,god abide in 
me more and more8' ,oh6 he is my        
brother1 my master1 who leads me to do  

more and more good and to love and live 
more of ,god4 ,he that does not increase
 my heart in love or my mind in true    
godly wisdom1 is unprofitable and       
negatively injurious to me4  ,wilfulness
 locks up while willingness 7docility7  
unlocks the portal to the divine        
mysteries of ,god4 ,i would not attempt 
to solve a mystery by intellect1 but by 
being4  ,october #ag4--;,it is some time
 since ,i have written in this book4    
,all my spare time has been occupied in 
writing letters to my friends1          
meditating1 feeling1 arranging matters  
with my brothers regarding our relations
 with each other1 and attending to the  
business4 ,i have had little time to    
read and to visit my friends4 ,since ,i 
have written my feelings have become    
more definite1 my thoughts clearer and  
more distinct1 and my whole mind more   
systematic4 4 4 4  ,the settlement which
 has been made with my brothers gives me
 the opportunity of doing what my spirit
 has long demanded of me4 ,this         

afternoon ,i have been working on their 
bedroom1 making it larger and more      
pleasant for their minds4 ,this is the  
first movement ,i have made toward      
ameliorating their condition4 ,i hope   
that ,god will give me strength to      
continue4  ,october #ah4--;,i feel this 
afternoon a deep want in my soul        
unsatisfied by my circumstances here1   
the same as ,i experienced last winter  
when ,i was led from this place4 ,it is 
at the very depth of my being4 ,ah1 it  
is deeply stirred6 ,oh1 could ,i utter  
the aching void ,i feel within6 ,could  
,i know what would fill it6 ,alas6      
nothing that can be said1 no1 nothing1  
can touch the aching spot4 ,in silence  
,i must remain and let it ache4 ,i would
 cover myself with darkness and hide my 
face from the light4 ,oh1 could ,i but  
call upon the ,lord6 ,could ,i but say1 
,father6 ,could ,i feel any             
relationship6  ,november #c4--;,all     
things considered1 could ,i1 under any  
circumstances1 have more opportunities  

for self-culture and for doing good than
 ,i have in my present position8  ,for  
one thing1 there is too much demand on  
me for physical action4 ,my heart and   
head have not their share of time4 ,but 
when ,i consider1 ,i am at a loss to    
know how we can possibly diminish our   
business in any way without a still     
greater demand on us for physical labor 
in consequence of diminishing it4       
,yesterday afternoon ,i went alone in my
 bedroom and ,i was led to pray1 and to 
think what more ,i can do for the       
friends around me than ,i now do4 ,this 
morning ,i arose and prayed1 and felt   
determined not to let any outward event 
disturb my inward life2 that nothing    
should ruffle my inward peace1 and that 
this day should be one of interior life1
 let come what would4  ,often ,i think  
of my past life and my present with such
 a strength of emotion that ,i would cry
 aloud1 ',o ,heaven help me from my     
course6 ,this is not the life ,i would  
lead1 but how shall ,i change it8 ,o    

,lord6 wilt ,thou guide me and lead me1 
no matter what pain or distress ,i may  
have to pass through1 to the true path  
,thou wouldst have me go in8 ,oh6 ,i    
thank ,thee for all ,thou hast in any   
way inflicted on me2 it has been to me  
the greatest blessing ,i could have     
received4 ,and1 ,o ,lord6 chasten me    
more1 for ,i need it4 ,how shall ,i live
 so that ,i may be the best ,i can be   
under any conditions8 ,if those in which
 ,i now am are not the best1 where shall
 ,i go or how shall ,i change them8     
,teach me1 ,o ,lord6 and hear my humble 
prayer4'  ,the following account of his 
curious inner experiences tells of the  
positive interference of ,god and ,his  
angels1 supplementing the calmer moods  
in which ,isaac longed for and struggled
 towards the settled condition only to  
be attained after his entering the      
,church4  ,november #e4--;,how is it and
 why is it that ,i feel around me the   
constant presence of invisible beings   
who affect my sensibility1 and with whom

 ,i converse1 as it were1 in thought and
 feeling1 but not in expression8 ,at    
times they so move me that ,i would     
escape them1 if ,i could1 by running    
away from where ,i am4 ,i can scarcely  
keep still2 ,i feel like beating1       
raving1 and grasping what ,i know not4  
,ah6 it is an unearthly feeling1 and    
painfully afflicts my heart4 ,how to get
 rid of it ,i do not know4 ,if ,i remain
 quietly where ,i am1 by collecting its 
scattered rays it burns more deeply into
 my soul1 bringing forth deep sighs1    
groans1 and at times demanding all my   
energy to repress an unnatural howl4    
,how shall ,i escape this8 ,by remaining
 here and trying to bear it1 or by      
travelling8 ,to do the latter has often 
occurred to me of late4 ,by such a cause
 ,i was driven from home last winter4   
,what the result will be this time ,i   
cannot tell2 but if ,i did know1 ,i     
would not wait1 as ,i did then1 until it
 came on me with such power as to be    
torturing in the extreme4 ,ah1 what     

nervous strength and energy ,i feel at  
such times6 ,if ,i speak of it to my    
brothers1 they cannot understand me1    
never having had the same experience4   
,my timidity1 which does not wish to be 
thought of as desiring anything extra on
 account of my life1 makes me bear it   
until it is unendurable4 ,hence ,i am   
silent so long as it does not speak for 
itself1 which extremity might be        
prevented were circumstances other than 
they are4 ,since they are not1 let it be
 borne with1 say strength and           
resignation united with hope4 ',tis this
 that is fabled in ,prometheus and      
,laocooen--and how well fabled1 too4    
,it is significant that after every     
extraordinary disturbance1 such as the  
above1 he experienced the impulse to    
study the credentials of claimants in   
the outer religious world1 the envoys of
 the ,deity to man2 and this especially 
concerning the ,catholic ,church4 ,he   
goes on at once to say3  ,of late ,i    
have felt more disposed to look into    

church matters than for six months past4
 ,last evening ,i made a visit to the   
,rev4 ,mr4 ,haight 7an ,episcopal       
clergyman7 and conversed with him about 
that subject for an hour and a half4 ,we
 differed very little in our opinions4  
,if the ,church of ,rome has fallen into
 corruptions from her over-warmth1 the  
,anglican has neglected some of her     
duties through her coldness4 ,and if the
 ,anglican receives the first five or   
six councils as legitimate and rejects  
the ,council of ,trent as not a full    
one1 still1 as an individual1 ,i think  
,rome did not establish or enjoin       
anything in those decrees 7the          
,tridentine7 which was not in harmony   
with the ,spirit of ,christ1 the        
,scriptures1 and tradition4 ,but the    
,anglican thinks she has1 and hence1 in 
his judgment1 they are unwarrantable and
 unnecessary4  ,november #ae4--;,how    
does ,jesus commune with ,humanity      
through the ,church8 ,does ,he now      
commune with the ,church8 ,was the life 

given by ,him to ,his immediate         
disciples all that has been given and   
transmitted to us1 or does ,he now      
commune with the visible ,church8 ,and  
how8 ,he promised to be with ,his       
disciples even unto the end of the      
world1 to send the ,comforter who should
 lead them into all truth1 and to       
intercede for us with the ,father4 ,the 
,church holds that its sacraments and   
forms are the visible means for         
communing with the invisible--that grace
 is imparted through them to the worthy 
receiver4 ,is it true that such grace is
 imparted8 ,if it is1 it will be shown  
by its fruits4 ,contrast the ,catholic  
who believes most in the sacraments with
 the ,quaker who does not believe in    
them at all as religious or moral       
forces4 ,certainly1 if the sacraments   
have any beneficial effect1 it should be
 shown in the contrast between those who
 totally deny their efficacy and those  
who religiously believe in them4 ,now1  
does this show what one would naturally 

expect to flow from faith in the        
sacraments8  ,november #bj4--;,i feel in
 better health than ,i have ever had1   
both mind and body1 having at the same  
time an increased sensitiveness1 so that
 the touch of any one ,i cannot bear4   
,also1 ,i am conscious of a more        
constant spiritual communion4 ,i feel   
more vividly and distinctly the         
influence and presence--spiritual       
presence--of others4  ,i lie down in my 
bed at night with the same feelings with
 which ,i rise in the morning4 ,i       
anticipate as much from one as from the 
other4 ,the events1 emotions1 and       
thoughts which come in my sleep are as  
much a part of my real life as those of 
the day4 ,waking and sleeping are two   
forms of existence4 ,to me the latter   
state is full of interest and           
expectation4 ,the two states mutually   
act upon each other4 4 4 4  ,hope1      
,faith1 ,wish1 are the presentiments of 
sight1 the evidences of becoming sight  
to the senses4 ,they are the forerunners

 of vision4 ,it is by them we know4 4 4 
4  ,to believe is to see1 not with the  
senses but with the higher faculties of 
the soul1 reason1 imagination1 hope4 4 4
 4  ,i believe that every faculty may be
 elevated to the state of prophecy4     
,reasoning is faith struggling with     
doubt4       ,,chapter ,,xi  ,,studying 
,,and ,,waiting  ,,that movable feast1  
,thanksgiving ,day1 gave ,isaac occasion
 for making this examination of         
conscience at five o'clock in the       
morning3  ,when ,i cast my eyes back1 it
 seems to me that ,i have made some     
progress--that ,i have grown somewhat   
better than ,i was4 ,thoughts1 feelings1
 and passions which were active in my   
bosom1 and which1 in truth1 were not to 
be well-spoken of1 have given place1 ,i 
hope1 to a better state of mind4  ,how  
am ,i now actualizing my spiritual life8
 ,it would be hard for me to answer at  
this moment4 ,am ,i less wilful8 ,do ,i 
sacrifice more than ,i did8 ,am ,i more 
loving8 ,i am afraid that ,i am doing   

nothing more than ,i did2 and therefore 
,i took up this book to give an account 
of myself4  ,study occupies the best    
part of my time most generally4 ,i      
recite lessons in ,latin and in ,german 
every day1 and now intend to study      
,english grammar again4 ,then ,i read   
considerable1 and write letters to my   
friends4 ,all this1 added to the hours  
,i have to spend in business1 leaves me 
not sufficient time to meditate2 and    
there is no opportunity here for me to  
go into a retired1 silent place1 where  
,i can be perfectly still1 which is what
 has the most internal effect on me1 and
 the best and most lasting4 ,two things 
,i should and must do for my own soul's 
sake3 speak less1 and think less of my  
friends4 ,to do this will give me a     
retired place and an opportunity for    
silence in the midst of all that is     
around me4  ,i feel that ,i am not doing
 anything to ameliorate the social      
condition of those around me who are    
under my influence and partial control4 

,just now there seems a stand-still in  
this direction4 ,the ,spirit promises to
 teach us in all things3 what more would
 it have me do in this way8 ,what should
 be my next step8 ,my mind has been     
partially drawn away from this by the   
present poor state of business1 which   
keeps us cramped in our funds4  ,i fear 
that to take less food than ,i now do   
would injure my health--else ,i should  
fast often4  ,to-day let me put in      
practice the two above-mentioned duties3
 silence1 and less thought upon my      
friends4  ,and now1 ,o ,god6 ,if ,thou  
helpest not ,i shall be worse than      
before4 ,heavenly ,father1 as the lower 
depends on the light and warmth of the  
sun for its grace and beauty1 so1 and   
much more1 do ,i depend on ,thee for    
life and progress4 ,o ,lord6 from the   
depths of my heart ,i would implore     
,thee to aid me in all good intentions4 
,my heart overflows with its fulness of 
gratitude for what ,thou hast done for  
me1 and ,i know ,thou wilt not shorten  

,thy hand4 ,thy beauty1 ,thy loveliness1
 ,o ,god6 is beyond our finite vision1  
far above our expression4 ,lord1 all ,i 
can utter is1 ,help my weakness4        
,december #b1 #ahdc4--,my heart1 these  
two days back1 has been filled with     
love4 ,oh1 had ,i some one to whom ,i   
could unbosom myself6 ,there is a       
something that affects my heart which is
 invisible1 and to me strange4  ,here he
 seems to intend the literal1 physical  
heart1 making it the scene1 at the same 
time1 of a spiritual emotion4 ,on the   
same day he writes3  ,i will not feed my
 body with impure food--is it not of    
infinitely more importance that ,i      
should not feed my spirit with deeds of 
impurity8 ,by this ,i mean my gaining a 
living by making and selling articles   
which1 in my judgment1 are injurious1   
being luxurious and altogether          
unnecessary4 ,should ,i cease from doing
 that which is contrary to my spirit1   
what else should ,i do8 ,o ,lord1       
enlighten ,thou my path6  ,with what    

zeal he still persisted in the practice 
of bodily mortification this entry bears
 witness3  ,december #f4--;,day before  
yesterday ,i fasted and took a cold     
shower-bath4 ,my diet is apples1        
potatoes1 nuts1 and unleavened bread4   
,no water--scarcely a mouthful a week4  
,then follow some thoughts on the       
solidarity of humanity1 which retards   
individual progress by weighting each   
with the burdens of all others4 ,he     
finds in this an explanation of the     
truth that our ,lord took all the sins  
of men upon ,himself and suffered for   
them on the cross4 ,the blind           
ingratitude with which this sacrifice   
has been repaid cuts him with anguish1  
from which he rises into this cry of    
love and adoration3  ,o ,lord6 my heart 
is choked from the utterance of its     
depth of thankfulness4 ,o dear ,christ6 
,o sweet ,christ6 ,o loving ,christ6 oh1
 more than brother1 friend6 oh1 more    
than any other being can be6 ,o ,son of 
,god6 oh1 ,thou who showest forth the   

pure love of ,god6 oh1 ,thou            
inexpressible ,love6 draw me nearer     
,thee1 let me feel more of ,thy purity1 
,thy love6 ,oh1 baptize me with ,thy    
,spirit and loosen my tongue that ,i may
 speak of ,thy love to men6 ,oh1 it     
cannot be spoken of1 nor can our hearts 
feel its greatness4 ,god6 what is ,thy  
mercy that ,thou sufferest us to live8  
,our ingratitude is too great to be     
uttered4 ,lord1 ,i am silent1 for who   
can speak in ,thy presence8 ,o ,father6 
,o ,love6 ,o ,loving-kindness6 ,my heart
 could fly away6  ,on his birthday1     
,december #ah1 #ahdc1 having finished   
his twenty-third year1 he puts down an  
account of conscience in the form of    
prayers and aspirations to ,god1        
breathing a deep sense of humility1     
expressing regret for his inactivity1   
his lack of gratitude for favors both   
spiritual and temporal1 and adding a    
fervent appeal for more light and       
greater courage4 ,in almost every entry 
of any length in the diary during this  

period he complains of his lack of      
solitude and of the means of obtaining  
it4 ,his mind1 after arriving home1 was 
tossed with many interior distresses    
which he could not communicate to his   
brothers1 nor even to his mother1 with  
any hope of assuagement1 but which      
silence and solitude enabled him to     
soothe by prayer4 ,on the last day of   
the year he reverts to the great changes
 which #ahdc had witnessed in his soul1 
and which1 he says1 were accompanied by 
bitter anguish4 ,twelve months before he
 had been with his dear friend1 #j1 ,a4 
,brownson1 filled with an unknown       
spirit1 driven from home by it1 and like
 one intoxicated1 not knowing who ,i was
 or wherefore ,i was so troubled--then  
to ,brook ,farm1 and to ,fruitlands1 and
 back again in ,new ,york for the       
previous five or six months1 the same   
spirit still in sovereign mastery over  
him1 and1 though regulated1 none the    
less powerful4 ,he says that he is not  
so restless nor his mind so chaotic1 but

 that he still has a pain at heart which
 he declares to be almost unbearable1   
joined to some nervous excitability4    
,meantime1 besides trying to employ     
himself actively in the business of the 
,hecker ,brothers1 he recited lessons   
daily in both ,german and ,latin1 and   
read much1 chiefly on topics suggested  
by the difficulties with which his life 
was beset1 such as philosophy1 religious
 controversy1 and the graver sorts of   
poetry1 of which that of ,goethe made a 
deep impression on him4 ,the melancholy 
unrest and longing which such poetry    
embodies sunk into his very heart4      
,often it gave perfect expression to his
 own doubting and distressed state of   
soul4 ,he also found some relaxation in 
an occasional visit to the theatre and  
heard nearly all the lectures given in  
the city4 ,one of the dreams of his     
life1 the amelioration of the social    
condition of the working people1 he     
found himself unable to actualize in any
 appreciable degree4 ,it is evident that

 his brothers shared his philanthropic  
views2 but when it came to set          
practically to work there was a lack of 
harmony4 ,john ,hecker was for attaining
 the object by stricter discipline1     
treating the men rather as servants2    
while we1 says ,isaac1 speaking of      
himself and ,george1 took the side of   
treating them with kindness1 and1 as far
 as possible1 as brethren4 ,in truth1 it
 was evidence of nobility of character  
in these three brothers that they could 
so much as dream of actualizing so      
radical a social reform in but one      
establishment amidst so many in ardent  
business competition with each other4   
,it may be said in passing that the     
practical charity of the ,hecker        
,brothers continued to do credit to the 
spirit which originally prompted their  
attempts at social reform4 ,during a    
period of general distress some years   
since they distributed bread free1      
sending their own wagons around the city
 for the purpose4  ,no small part of    

,isaac's distress arose from what the   
diary calls the ugliness1 vulgarity1 and
 discord everywhere to be met with in   
his daily round of duties4 ,he had one  
refuge from this in his domestic life--a
 pleasant1 pure1 and peaceful home2 and 
another in the inner chamber of his     
soul1 better fitted every day to be a   
sanctuary to which he could fly for     
solace4 ,but his heart fairly bled for  
the vast mass of men and of women about 
him1 only a few of whom had such an     
outer refuge1 and perhaps fewer still   
the inner one4 ,this sympathy he felt   
his life long4 ,he ever blamed the huge 
accretion of law and customs and        
selfishness which is called society for 
much of this misery of men1 this        
hindrance to a fair distribution of the 
goods of this world1 this guilty        
permission on the part of the fortunate 
few of the want and dirt and ugliness   
and coarseness which are the lot of     
almost the whole race of man4 ,yet he   
was not blind to individual guilt4      

,right here in his diary1 after         
lamenting his enforced inability to     
succor human misery1 he says that some  
words dropped by the workmen in         
conversation with him cause him to      
record his conviction that suffering and
 injustice1 together with the           
deprivation of liberty1 are due to one's
 own fault as well as to that of others3
  ,every evil that society inflicts upon
 me1 the germ of it is my own fault2 in 
proportion as ,i free myself from my    
vices will ,i free myself from the evils
 which society inflicts upon me4 ,be    
true to thyself and thou canst not be   
false to any one4 ,be true to thyself   
and it follows as night follows day that
 others cannot be false to thee4  ,of   
course this panacea offers only an      
inward healing1 for none more readily   
admitted than he who wrote these        
sentences that in externals the true    
heart is often the first victim of the  
malice of the false heart4  ,ever and   
again we find in the diary reflections  

on the general aspect of religion4 ,the 
,protestant churches seemed to him to   
fail to meet the aspirations of the     
natural man2 that is the burden of his  
complaint against them all4 ,some1 like 
the ,unitarians1 did but offer man his  
best self and hence added nothing to    
humanity1 while humanity at its best    
ceaselessly condemned itself as         
insufficient4 ,this insufficiency of man
 for himself1 ,calvinistic and ,lutheran
 ,protestantism in their turn condemned 
as a depravity worthy of the deepest    
hell1 making man a wretch maimed in his 
very nature so cruelly and fatally as to
 be damned for what he could not help   
being guilty of4 ,meantime the ,catholic
 ,church was seen by ,isaac ,hecker as  
having elements the most attractive4 ,it
 recognized in man his native dignity2  
it saw in him a being made ,god-like by 
the attribute of reason1 and called him 
to a state infinitely more ,god-like by 
a supernatural union with ,christ4 ,it  
understood his weakness1 pitied it1 and 

knew how to cure it4 ,true1 there are   
passages here in which his impatience   
with the public attitude of the ,church 
betrays that his view of it was yet a   
distant one2 they show1 also1 an undue  
concentration of his gaze upon social   
evils4 ,the ,church is a great almoner1 
he says1 but what is she doing to       
ameliorate and improve the circumstances
 of the poorer and more numerous        
classes8 ,she is more passive than      
active4 ,instead of the ,church being in
 the head and front of advancement1     
suffering martyrdom for ,christ1 she is 
in a conservative relation with society4
 ,yet he adds3 ,we speak of the ,church 
as she is exhibited by her bishops and  
clergy1 and only in this sense4  ,isaac 
,hecker's renewed experiment of engaging
 in business and following at the same  
time the lead of the peremptory ,spirit 
within him soon proved a failure4 ,he   
complains1 though not as bitterly as the
 year before when he felt the first     
agony of this suffering1 that the       

greater part of his true life is lost in
 his present position--the thoughts1    
feelings1 studies which are of supreme  
value to him1 getting entrance into his 
mind almost by stealth1 while1 at the   
same time1 he is not of much use in the 
business and of little benefit to others
 in any way4 ,on ,march #aj he wrote to 
,brownson that he was going to give up  
business totally and finally1 and asked 
his ,advice about a course of study for 
the field of the ,church1 not having yet
 fully settled as to whether it should  
be the ,roman or the ,anglican4 ,upon   
his determination to withdraw from the  
secular affairs of life he experienced  
such peace1 calmness1 and deep1 settled 
strength and confidence as never before4
 ,i feel the presence of ,god1 he       
writes1 wherever ,i am4 ,i would kneel  
and praise ,god in all places4 ,in ,his 
presence ,i walk and feel ,his breath   
encompass me4 ,my soul is borne up by   
,his presence and my heart is filled by 
,his influence4 ,how thankful ought we  

to be6 ,how humble and submissive6 ,let 
us lay our heads on the pillow of peace 
and die peacefully in the embrace of    
,god4  ,brownson answered his letter    
with one of encouragement to carry out  
his purpose4 ,yet1 there was a pang2    
,isaac laments the domestic comforts1   
the little offices of tender love which 
he should lose by going from home4 ,and 
well he might1 for tender love may well 
describe the bond uniting the dear old  
mother and her three noble sons4 ,the   
present writer had no personal          
acquaintance with ,john ,hecker1 but we 
never heard his name mentioned by       
,father ,hecker except with much        
affection4 ,george always seemed to us  
something like a perfect man4 ,he       
especially it was who all his life gave 
his entire unselfish love to his brother
 ,isaac4 ,the reader has noticed1 we    
hope1 that there has been no mention so 
far in the diary of difficulty in       
obtaining money for the expenses of his 
various journeyings and for his support 

when absent from home4 ,the two brothers
 in ,new ,york appear to have held these
 pilgrimages in search of the truth in  
such reverence as to make ,isaac their  
partner1 only in a higher sense than    
ever before4 ,and ,george ,hecker1      
especially1 seemed throughout his life  
to continue ,isaac a member of his great
 and rich firm1 lavishing upon his least
 wish large sums of money1 and these not
 only for his strictly personal         
expenditure1 but for any cause whatever 
he might have at heart4       ,,chapter 
,,xii  ,,the ,,mystic ,,and ,,the       
,,philosopher  ,,before summarizing and 
conveniently arranging ,isaac ,hecker's 
reasons for becoming a ,catholic and    
narrating the accompanying incidents1 we
 give the following profession of faith 
in the authority of the ,spirit speaking
 within4 ,it was written in the diary in
 the midst of his preparations for his  
baptism1 and is an early witness of a   
permanent characteristic of ,father     
,hecker's life4 ,it is1 besides1 a      

fitting introduction to the description 
of his state of mind when he entered the
 ,church1 showing better than anything  
we have found what kind of man became a 
,catholic in ,isaac ,hecker4  ,man is a 
mystic fact4  ,what is most interior is 
ever mystical1 and we should ever be in 
the centre of the circle of the mystic  
life4  ,we must unfold the mystical in  
all our expressions1 actions1 thoughts1 
and motions4  ,it is the mystic life    
only which can fully interest man4 ,this
 is deeper than all conditions1 behind  
all organs1 faculties1 and functions4   
,we must listen to those who speak to us
 in the interior world1 and hear the    
mystic man speak through us4  ,the      
mystic man is ever youthful1 fresh1 and 
new4  ,the mystic sphere is the kingdom 
of heaven within4  ,i can neither study 
nor sit down and read for any length of 
time4 ,the inner man will not permit me4
 ,ever he calls me from it to meditate  
and enjoy his presence4  ,he says3 ,i am
 all4 ,ask of me and ,i will give you   

more than has been written--more than   
you can ever find or dig out by study4  
,be my spokesman--this is your office4  
,submit to me--this is your glory4 ,i   
have taken up my abode in you on        
condition that you will be faithful and 
submissive4  ,you have no business to   
ask of me what ,i am going to set you   
about4 ,i am1 and you know it--and this 
is enough for you to know4  ,this is my 
condition of remaining with you--that   
you entertain me1 and me alone1 and no  
other on any pretext whatsoever4 ,i am  
all1 and this suffices4 ,you have       
nothing to say1 to do1 or to be troubled
 about4 ,do only as ,i bid you1 follow  
what ,i tell you1 and be still4  ,if you
 neglect me in any way1 or forget me for
 any other object1 now that you have    
enjoyed my confidence1 love1 and        
blessing1 ,i will not abide with you any
 longer4  ,i want all your time and to  
speak all that is to be said4 ,you have 
no right to speak a word--not a word--of
 your own4 ,you are not your own4 ,you  

have given yourself up to me1 and ,i am 
all4 ,i will not leave you unless you   
leave me first1 and even then ,i shall  
ever be the nearest to you1 but you will
 not know it4  ,i am your ,friend2 the  
,one who loves you4 ,i have discovered  
myself to you and will do so yet more4  
,but the condition of so doing requires 
from you even more faith1 tenderness1   
and submissiveness4  ,nothing is so     
real1 so near1 so full of enjoyment as  
,i am to you1 and you cannot leave me   
without giving up the greater for the   
less4  ,i talk to you at all times and  
am near you at all seasons1 and my joy  
is to be in your presence1 to love you  
and to take delight in this love ,i     
bestow upon you4 ,i direct your pen1    
speech1 thought1 and affections1 though 
you know it not sensibly4 ,but you shall
 know more clearly who ,i am1 and all   
respecting me1 if you but comply with my
 requirements4 ,you need not fear3 you  
cannot make any mistakes if you submit  
to be guided by me4  ,isaac ,hecker had 

now tried every form of philosophy4     
,whoever sailed with ,brownson on that  
voyage which ended on the shores of     
,catholic truth1 had explored the deep  
seas and sounded the shoal waters of all
 human reason2 and young ,hecker had    
been ,brownson's friend and sympathizer 
since the years of his own earliest     
mental activity4 ,pantheism1            
subjectivism1 idealism1 and all the     
other systems were tried1 and when at   
last he was convinced that ,life is     
,real it was only after such an agony as
 must attend the imminent danger of     
fatal shipwreck4  ,he had1 meantime1    
given a fair trial to philanthropy4     
,theoretically and practically1 ,isaac  
,hecker loved humanity2 to make men     
happy was his ever-renewed endeavor2    
was1 in truth1 the condition on which   
his own happiness depended4 ,for years  
this view of his life-task alternated   
with his search for exact answers to the
 questions his soul asked about man's   
destiny hereafter2 or1 one might rather 

say1 social questions and philosophical 
ones borrowed strength from each other  
to assail him till his heart throbbed   
and his brain whirled with the agony of 
the conflict4  ,in a series of articles 
in ,the ,catholic ,world published in   
#ahhg1 and before referred to1 ,father  
,hecker called ,dr4 ,brownson's road to 
the ,church the philosophical road4     
,finding that doctrines which his       
philosophical mind perceived to answer  
the deepest questions of the soul were  
taught only in one society1 and there   
taught with authority1 he argued validly
 that that society could lay claim to   
the right to teach4 ,from the doctrine  
to the teacher1 from the truth to the   
external authority that teaches it1 is  
an inference of sound reason4 ,this     
applies to ,father ,hecker's case also1 
for he was of a bent of mind truly      
philosophical1 and he has placed on     
record the similarity of his            
philosophical difficulties with those of
 ,brownson4 ,but in addition to         

philosophical questions1 and far more   
pressing1 were to ,isaac ,hecker the    
problems arising from the mystical      
occurrences of which his soul was the   
theatre4 ,were these real8 that is1 were
 they more than the vagaries of a       
sensitive temperament1 the wanderings of
 a sentimental imagination1 or1 to use  
,father ,hecker's own words1 the mere   
projections into activity of feelings   
entirely subjective2 mystical impulses  
towards no corresponding objective      
realities1 or1 at any rate1 with objects
 which it is not possible to bring into 
the field of the really knowable8 ,some 
will admit that religious feeling is as 
much a verity as any other part of human
 consciousness1 affirming1 however1 the 
subjectivity of all purely spiritual    
life2 and no more can be said1 they     
insist1 for the principles1 metaphysical
 and logical1 with which they are       
associated in the spiritual life of man4
 ,now1 such a theory never leaves the   
soul that is governed by reason at rest4

 ,the problem ever and again demands    
solution3 are these yearnings1          
aspirations1 unappeased desires1 or     
religious feelings--the ruling traits of
 the noblest men and women--are they    
genuine1 real1 corresponding to and     
arising from the reality of certain     
objects external to the soul8 ,i think  
that in the solution of this problem    
,dr4 ,brownson fought and won his       
greatest victory2 at any rate1 it was to
 me the most interesting period of his  
life4 ,no wonder1 since ,i had the same 
battle to fight myself1 and it was just 
at this epoch that ,i came into closest 
contact with him4 ,we fought this battle
 shoulder-to-shoulder4--,catholic       
,world1 ,october1 #ahhg1 pp4 #e-f4      
,brownson's heavy heart was due to      
philosophical difficulties1 and ,isaac  
,hecker's to the same2 but in addition  
the latter had a mystical experience to 
which ,brownson was at that time1       
certainly1 a stranger1 and1 as far as we
 know1 he remained so2 and these        

mystical difficulties demanded          
settlement far more imperatively than   
did the philosophical ones4 ,isaac      
,hecker's inner life must have an       
external adjunct of divine authority4   
,such aspirations of the soul for       
present union with ,god in love as he   
had1 are more peremptory in demanding   
satisfaction than those of the logical  
faculty in demanding the ascertainment  
of the certain truth4 ,philosophy       
outside the ,church is to the searcher  
after truth what ,st4 ,paul said the    
,law was to the ,jews1 a schoolmaster2  
but1 to a soul in the condition of      
,isaac ,hecker1 the ,holy ,spirit is a  
spouse demanding union4 ,both ,brownson 
and himself were men true to their      
convictions1 courageous and unselfish4  
,they were both firmly determined to    
have the truth and to have the whole of 
it1 whether spoken ex cathedra in the   
divine court of the innermost soul1 or  
ex cathedra by the supreme authority of 
,god in the organism of the ,christian  

,church4 ,brownson was firmly persuaded1
 says ,father ,hecker1 and so am ,i1    
that the great fault of men generally is
 that they deem the life of their souls1
 thoughts1 judgments1 and convictions1  
yearnings1 aspirations1 and longings to 
be too subject to illusion to be worthy 
their attentive study and manly         
fidelity2 that even multitudes of       
,catholics greatly undervalue the divine
 reality of their inner life1 whether in
 the natural or supernatural order4     
,the philosophical difficulty was far   
less serious than the spiritual one4 ,to
 the philosopher the fundamental truths 
of human reason are established as      
objective realities by processes common 
to every sane mind1 and are backed by   
the common consent of men2 and this is  
true also of the prime verities of      
ethics4 ,but when a man finds himself   
subject to secret influences of the     
utmost power over him1 able to cast him 
off or to hold him1 to sicken his body  
and distress his soul1 extending his    

views of the truth by flashes of light  
into vistas that seem infinite1 making  
his love of right an ecstasy1 his       
sympathy for human misery a passion1    
controlling his diet and his clothing1  
ordering him here and there at will and 
knowing how to be obeyed--when1 in a    
word1 a man finds himself treated by    
,god in a manner totally different from 
any one else he knows or ever heard of1 
it is plain that he must agonize for the
 possession of a divine sanction to     
which he can appeal in common with all  
men1 and which must therefore exist in  
the external order4 ,he longs1 above all
 things1 to test his secret in the light
 of day4  ,the problem that ,isaac      
,hecker had to solve1 as he described it
 himself1 was whether his life was      
real--using the word life to denote its 
truest meaning1 the interior life4 ,we  
have been careful to make the reader    
aware of how deep and continuous were   
the inner touches of the ,holy ,spirit  
which led him on4 ,before applying for  

admission to the ,church1 there was no  
truth that he could believe more firmly 
than that he was the temple of the ,holy
 ,ghost4 ,of that he had the certitude  
which is called personal and the        
teaching of ,god which is most direct4  
,yet something was lacking1 and therein 
lay his agony1 for he knew that his     
fellow-men were entitled to all that he 
had of truth and virtue4 ,the more      
distinct the ,voice which spoke within1 
the more perplexing it became to hear no
 echo from without4 ,he felt sure that  
what was true and holy for him must be  
so for all1 and yet he could not so much
 as make himself understood if he told  
his secret to others4 ,to the born      
,catholic there is no such difficulty4  
,he is so fully accustomed to the       
verification of the inner action of     
,god1 enlightening his mind and stinging
 his conscience1 by ,god's external     
action in the ,church1 that he often    
confounds the two4 ,he knows the ,voice 
better by its echo than by its own      

tones4 ,there are many good ,catholics1 
but few enlightened mystics4 ,this is   
not for lack of guidance1 so far as     
doctrine is concerned1 for accredited   
authors on such subjects are numerous   
and their teaching is uniform and       
explicit1 besides being of the most     
intense interest to those for whose     
instruction it is adapted4 ,these       
masters of spiritual doctrine not only  
dwell upon the interior life itself1 but
 also on the external order of ,god in  
,his ,church which brings ,his interior 
teaching into proper relation with the  
exterior4 ,the interior life thus made  
integral is alone worthy of the term    
real2 is alone worthy of the description
 of ,st4 ,paul when he calls it the     
witness of the ,spirit4 ,now1 as a      
witness who cannot be brought into open 
court to give his testimony might as    
well be dumb1 and is as good as no      
witness1 so the inner life1 lacking the 
true external order of ,god1 is cramped 
and helpless2 and cramped and helpless  

,isaac ,hecker was4 ,whatever he did1   
therefore1 toward investigating         
religious evidences was done primarily  
as a search for the external criterion  
which should guarantee the validity of  
the inspirations of ,god within him1 and
 at the same time provide a medium of   
union with his fellow-men4  ,those whose
 advertence is not particularly aroused 
to the facts of their interior life1    
have for their main task either the     
study of the ,church as a visible       
society1 claiming continuity with one   
established by ,christ2 or1 preceding   
that1 the question whether such a       
society was ever founded by ,god4 ,now1 
although such questions must be settled 
by all1 they are not the main task of   
men like ,isaac ,hecker4 ,in their case 
the problem transcending all others is  
where to find that divine external order
 demanded for the completion of their   
inner experience4 ,such men must say3   
,if there is no external order of ,god  
in this world1 then my whole interior   

life is fatally awry4  ,the captain     
whose voyage is on the track of the     
trade winds nevertheless needs more than
 dead reckoning for his course2 he needs
 to take the sun at noon1 to study the  
heavens at night1 and to con his chart4 
,to follow one's interior drift only is 
to sail the ocean without chart or      
compass4 ,the sail that is wafted by the
 impulses of the divine ,spirit in the  
interior life must have1 besides1 the   
guarantee of divine veracity in the     
external order to justify him4 ,this he 
needs1 in order to safeguard him in the 
interior life itself1 and to provide a  
common court of appeal between himself  
and his fellows1 or otherwise he is in  
danger of fanaticism1 and is certain of 
the mistrust of his fellow-men4 ,no man1
 unsupported by external miracles1 can  
claim to teach what is vouched for only 
by his own testimony2 and this          
especially applies to purely subjective 
experiences4 ,isaac ,hecker was a born  
teacher of men1 and to be shut off from 

them by an isolated experience was to be
 robbed of his vocation4 ,a soul like   
his1 led to the truth along the path of 
social reform1 will hail with delight a 
religion which organizes all humanity on
 a basis of equality1 and at the same   
time verifies and explains the facts of 
each one's particular experience4 ,such 
a religion is to be longed for1 not only
 because of its universal brotherhood1  
but also because it can decide between  
the inspirations of the ,holy ,spirit   
and the criminal conceits of passion or 
the dreams of an imaginative            
temperament4  ,many years afterwards    
,father ,hecker thus stated the harmony 
between the inner and outer action of   
,god in the soul's life3  ,in case of   
obscurity or doubt concerning what is   
the divinely revealed truth1 or whether 
what prompts the soul is or is not an   
inspiration of the ,holy ,spirit1       
recourse must be had to the divine      
teacher or criterion--the authority of  
the ,church4 ,for it must be borne in   

mind that to the ,church1 as represented
 in the first instance by ,st4 ,peter   
and subsequently by his successors1 was 
made the promise of her divine ,founder 
that 'the gates of hell should never    
prevail against her4' ,no such promise  
was ever made by ,christ to each        
individual believer4 ',the ,church of   
the living ,god is the pillar and ground
 of truth4' ,the test1 therefore1 of a  
truly enlightened and sincere ,christian
 will be1 in case of uncertainty1 the   
promptitude of his obedience to the     
voice of the ,church4  ,from the above  
plain truths the following practical    
rule of conduct may be drawn3 ,the ,holy
 ,spirit is the immediate guide of the  
soul in the way of salvation and        
sanctification2 and the criterion or    
test1 that the soul is guided by the    
,holy ,spirit1 is its ready obedience to
 the authority of the ,church4 ,this    
rule removes all danger whatever1 and   
with it the soul can walk1 run1 or fly1 
if it chooses1 in the greatest safety   

and with perfect liberty1 in the ways of
 sanctity4--,the ,church and the ,age1  
p4 #ce4  ,in transcribing the above we  
are reminded that ,st4 ,ignatius1 who   
was the divine instrument in            
establishing and perfecting ,god's      
authority in the external order1 yet    
left on record that so clearly had the  
,holy ,spirit shown him by secret       
teaching the truths of religion1 that1  
if all the ,scriptures had been         
destroyed1 his private revelations at   
,manresa would have sufficed him in     
their stead4  ,all that we have just    
been saying helps to answer the question
 why ,orestes ,brownson and ,isaac      
,hecker did not set up systems of their 
own1 and become ,carlyles and ,emersons 
or1 especially in ,father ,hecker's     
case1 ,emanuel ,swedenborgs or ,edward  
,irvings4 ,we find the following among  
the memoranda of conversations3  ,june  
#cj1 #ahhf4--,why didn't ,i switch off  
from ,christianity as ,carlyle did8     
,because ,i hope that ,i was truer to   

natural reason2 but chiefly because ,god
 had given me such an amount of infused 
lights and graces that ,i was forced to 
seek a guide or go off into extravagant 
fanaticism4 ,they were ready to         
encourage me in the latter4 ,george     
,ripley said to me1 ',hecker1 what have 
you got to tell8 ,tell us what it is and
 we will accept it4'  ,the impression a 
perfectly independent thinker made on   
him1 as typified in ,emerson1 is told in
 an entry in his diary1 dated ,april    
#bd1 #ahdd3  ,i have had a few words    
with ,emerson4 ,he stands on the extreme
 ground where he did several years ago4 
,he and his followers seem to me to live
 almost a purely intellectual existence4
 ,his wife ,i have understood to be a   
very religious woman4 ,they are heathens
 in thought1 and profess to be so4 ,they
 have no conception of the ,church3 out 
of ,protestantism they are almost       
perfectly ignorant4 ,they are the       
narrowest of men1 yet they think they   
are extremely 'many-sided'2 and1        

forsooth1 do not comprehend             
,christendom1 and reject it4 ,the       
,catholic accepts all the good they     
offer him and finds it comparatively    
little compared to that which he has4   
,that he recognized that the test of the
 character of his inner experiences1 for
 good or ill1 was to be finally found in
 what they led him to1 is shown by the  
following passage1 already quoted1 from 
the diary3 ,what ,i do ,i must do1 for  
it is not ,i that do it2 it is the      
,spirit4 ,what that ,spirit may be is a 
question ,i cannot answer4 ,what it     
leads me to do will be the only evidence
 of its character4 ,i feel as impersonal
 as a stranger to it4  ,the aid which   
fidelity to the light of reason and the 
cherishing and obeying the inspirations 
of the ,holy ,spirit lends to the       
discovery of the fulness of truth is    
shown by the following extract from an  
article by ,father ,hecker in ,the      
,catholic ,world of ,october1 #ahhg3    
,the man who establishes the historical 

identity of the ,church of to-day with  
the ,apostolic college says the         
doctrines now taught must be true2 the  
man who perceives the identity of the   
,church's doctrines with his own highest
 aspirations also proves them true4 ,the
 man who has become responsive to the   
primitive action of his reason says that
 the ,church1 which is its only         
authoritative exponent1 must be a       
divinely appointed teacher4 ,the        
infallible authority of the ,church in  
her past1 present1 and future teaching  
is established by the necessity of the  
truths which she teaches for the welfare
 of the human race1 by thus completing  
the outlines of natural truth drawn by  
the divine hand in human consciousness4 
,by this we see that1 if the divine     
inner life had need of the divine outer 
life for its integrity1 it is equally   
certain that in his case1 and also in   
that of ,dr4 ,brownson1 the intimate    
action of ,god within was a pointer to  
the true ,church of the ,divine ,word   

incarnate in the actual world of        
humanity3 for ,dr4 ,brownson chiefly in 
the intellectual order1 for ,isaac      
,hecker in both the intellectual and    
mystical4 ,we have no fear of wearying  
the reader with the length of an extract
 of such value as the following3  ,the  
one who reaches ,catholicity by the     
philosophical road1 as ,brownson did1 by
 no means pretends that the problem of  
human destiny can be solved by mere     
force of reason3 ,catholicity is not    
rationalism4 ,nor does he pretend that  
the product of reason's action1 the     
knowledge of human immortality and      
liberty and of the being of ,god1 place 
man apart from or above the universal   
action of ,god upon all souls by means  
of a visible society and external       
ordinances3 ,catholicity is well named2 
it is universal4 ,but he knows that when
 a man is persuaded of a truth          
philosophically he is not called upon by
 his intelligence or his conscience to  
base it upon historical evidence2 it is 

enough that he has one source of        
certitude in its favor4 ,it may be a    
truth first known by revelation1 but if 
the human intelligence is capable of    
receiving it in revelation it must have 
some element of kinship to the truths of
 pure reason4 ,as in the order of nature
 men are like unto ,god1 so is there a  
likeness between the truth of ,god      
naturally known and that known only by  
revelation4  ,as there is an appetite in
 the human heart which not all the      
treasures1 honors1 joys of nature can   
satisfy1 so there is a void in the mind 
which all the truth within reach of the 
unaided natural faculties leaves        
unfilled4 ,when a man without guile is  
brought face to face with truth he      
spontaneously desires union with it4    
,appetite proves the existence of food1 
and the food affirms itself by          
satisfying the appetite4  ,where there  
is question of a principle there is a   
class of minds which must study the part
 a principle has played in history1 and 

is mainly influenced for or against it  
from its effect on former generations of
 men4 ,this class follows the historical
 road4 ,another class is so profoundly  
moved by the truths of revelation as    
soon as known1 assimilates them so      
readily and perfectly1 becomes so       
absorbed and lost in them1 that the     
history of revelation is not of primary 
importance2 it is only necessary in     
order to establish necessary facts1 such
 as the divine institution of an        
external society1 and of other external 
aids4 ,but with this philosophical class
 of minds the truth stands sponsor for  
itself and is its own best witness4 ,the
 impression produced by revelation here 
and now upon the soul without guile is  
one of the best probable proofs to that 
soul of the historical claims of the    
society to which ,god entrusted it4     
',the ,church ,accredits ,itself' was   
the title of one of the most powerful   
articles ,dr4 ,brownson ever wrote for  
this magazine4  ,both the historical and

 the philosophical processes are        
necessary1 but each is more so to one   
class of minds than to another4 ,to the 
philosophical mind1 once scepticism is  
gone and life is real1 the supreme fact 
of life is the need of more truth than  
unaided reason can know4 ,the more this 
need is felt1 and the more clearly the  
deficiencies of natural reason are      
known1 the better capable one is to     
appreciate the truths of revelation     
which can alone supply these            
deficiencies4 ,in such a state of mind  
you are in a condition to establish     
revealed truth in a certain sense a     
priori1 and the method a posteriori is  
then outranked4 ,the philosopher        
outranks the historian4 ,in minds of a  
speculative turn the historian is never 
considered of primary importance4 ,the  
principles which its facts illustrate   
are furnished him by human reason in    
philosophy1 and by the divine reason in 
revelation4 ,the historical mind has    
never been considered in the world of   

thought as sovereign4 ,the philosopher  
is broad enough to study all ways       
leading to the full truth and joy of    
life1 whether logical or traditional2   
but he knows that the study of          
principles is higher than that of facts4
 4 4 4 ,no man can intelligently become 
a ,catholic without examining and       
deciding the historical question4 ,but  
back of this is the consideration that  
the truths the ,church teaches are      
necessarily in harmony with my          
reason--nay1 that they alone solve the  
problems of reason satisfactorily and   
answer fully to the wants of the heart4 
,to some minds the truths standing alone
 compel assent2 that is to say1 the     
truths standing alone1 and considered in
 themselves1 demand the submission of my
 reason4 ,among these truths1 thus      
imperative1 not the least is the need of
 the very ,church herself1 viewed in her
 action on men and nations--viewed quite
 apart from the historical and          
,scriptural proof of her establishment  

by ,christ4 ,once the mind is lifted    
above subjectivism and is face-to-face  
with the truth1 union with the ,church  
is only a question of time and of       
fidelity to conscience4--,catholic      
,world1 ,november1 #ahhg1 ,dr4 ,brownson
 and ,catholicity4       ,,chapter      
,,xiii  ,,his ,,search ,,among ,,the    
,,sects  ,,had ,protestantism possessed 
anything capable of attracting ,isaac   
,hecker he would certainly have found   
it1 for he made due and diligent search4
 ,he was1 in a manner1 bound to do so1  
for the atmosphere in which he had been 
born and nurtured had not yet cleared so
 fully that he could say to himself with
 positive assurance that there was no   
safe midway between no-belief and       
,catholicity4  ,all the natural         
influences of his surroundings were such
 as to draw him to one or other of the  
,protestant denominations4 ,the power of
 example and precept in his mother      
tended that way4 ,the power of public   
opinion1 in so far as it had any        

religious bearing1 was ,protestant4 ,the
 most intelligent and high-minded people
 he had enjoyed intimate acquaintance   
with were ,protestant by birth and      
training4 ,true1 most of these had      
fallen away from both the fellowship and
 the doctrines of orthodoxy2 but while  
they had not the heart to point him to  
what had been their ,egypt1 still they  
had no ,promised ,land to lead him into1
 and were confessedly in the ,desert4   
,yet their influence was indirectly     
favorable to ,protestantism as opposed  
to ,catholicity1 although no one but the
 ministers whom he consulted thought of 
urging him to identify himself with any 
variety of it until he showed signs of  
becoming a ,catholic4  ,to this rule    
,brownson may appear as a partial       
exception1 but until the summer of #ahdd
 he was so in appearance only4 ,it is   
true that ,isaac ,hecker had learned    
from him the claims of most of the great
 forms of ,protestantism1 and got his   
personal testimony as to the emptiness  

of them all4 ,brownson was a competent  
witness1 for he had been an accepted    
disciple of every school1 from sterile  
,presbyterianism to rank                
,transcendentalism4 ,although of a      
certain testiness of temper1 he bore    
malice to no man and to no body of men4 
,his testimony was in the presence of   
patent facts1 and his condemnation of   
all forms of orthodox ,protestantism in 
the end was unreserved4 ,but1 up to the 
date given above he still made a        
possible exception in favor of          
,anglicanism4 ,in the middle of ,april1 
#ahdc1 he wrote ,isaac a letter1        
motioning him toward this sect1 at the  
same time affirming that he could not   
quite accept it for himself4 ,such      
counsel was no better than motioning him
 away from it1 and was but a symbol of  
,brownson's own devious progress1       
swaying now to one side and again to the
 other1 but always going forward to     
,rome4 ,but young ,hecker would learn   
for himself4 ,of an abnormally inquiring

 mind by nature1 he never accepted a    
witness other than himself about any    
matter if he could help it4  ,in the    
early part of #ahdd the question of     
religious affiliation began to press for
 settlement with increasing urgency1    
casting him at times into an agony of   
mind4 ,it was not merely that he was    
impelled by conscience towards the      
fulness of truth1 but that truth in its 
simplest elements seemed sometimes to be
 lacking to him4 ,he was heard to say in
 after years that1 had he not found     
,catholicity true1 he would have been   
thrown back into a scepticism so painful
 as to suggest suicide as a relief4 ,yet
 those who have trodden any of the paths
 which lead from inherited heresy to    
true doctrine1 will appreciate the force
 of the influences1 both personal and   
social1 which induced him to reconsider1
 and make for himself the grand rounds  
of ,protestant orthodoxy before turning 
his back upon it for ever4  ,we find    
him1 therefore1 going diligently to all 

who claimed to be watchmen on the walls 
of ,sion1 to seek from each one         
personally that countersign which would 
tally with the divine word nature and   
grace were uttering in his own soul4 ,he
 interviewed ministers repeatedly4 ,not 
having had1 he wrote in this magazine   
for ,november1 #ahhg1 personal and      
experimental knowledge of the           
,protestant denominations1 ,i           
investigated them all1 going from one of
 them to another--,episcopal1           
,congregational1 ,baptist1 ,methodist1  
and all--conferring with their ministers
 and reading their books4 ,it was a     
dreary business1 but ,i did it4 ,i knew 
,transcendentalism well and had been a  
radical socialist4 ,all was found to be 
as stated above4 ,brownson's ripe       
experience and my own thoroughly earnest
 investigation tallied perfectly4       
,indeed1 the more you examine the       
,protestant sects in the light of first 
principles the more they are found to   
weaken human certitude1 interfere with  

reason's native knowledge of ,god and   
,his attributes1 and perplex the free   
working of the laws of human thought4   
,protestantism is no religion for a     
philosopher1 unless he is a             
pessimist--if you can call such a being 
a philosopher--and adopts ,calvinism4   
,why ,calvinism1 with its dread         
consistency of aversion for human       
nature1 did not attract him in these    
early inquiries was expressed by ,father
 ,hecker in after years by the saying1  
,heresy always involves a mutilation of 
man's natural reason4 ,the typical      
,calvinist foams against man's natural  
capacity for the true and the good1 and 
one of its representatives1 a           
,presbyterian minister1 had the         
consistency to say to our young disciple
 of nature1 ,unless you believe that you
 are totally depraved you will certainly
 suffer eternal damnation4 ,these words 
were spoken to one who felt some sort of
 apostleship growing into act within his
 bosom3 to preach the ,gospel to those  

who are totally depraved he perceived to
 be both vain and suicidal4             
,furthermore1 the consciousness of his  
own upright character1 his experience   
and observation of human virtue in      
others1 made abstract arguments needless
 to prove that ,calvinism is an outrage 
on human kind and a blasphemy against   
the ,creator4  ,anglicanism1            
too--uncleansed1 as it notoriously is1  
of a ,calvinistic taint1 broken up by   
absolute license of dissent1 maintaining
 a mere outward conformity to an        
extremely lax discipline--affronted     
,isaac ,hecker's ideal of the communion 
of man and ,god2 man seeking and ,god   
giving the one only revelation of divine
 truth1 unifying and organizing the     
,christian community3 and this in spite 
of an attraction for the beauty of the  
,episcopal service which he often       
confesses in his diary4  ,in the same   
scrupulous spirit he tried the          
,baptists1 though he must have known    
that they were1 almost without          

exception1 ,calvinists4 ,he had a       
conference with one of their ministers  
which1 from the account he gives of it1 
must have degenerated into something    
like a wrangle4 ,if1 said young ,hecker1
 you admit that baptism is not a saving 
ordinance1 why1 then1 do you separate   
yourselves from the rest of ,christendom
 on a mere question of ceremonial       
observance8 ,there could be no          
satisfactory answer to this question4   
,as to the ,methodists1 they made fifty 
years ago much less pretension to an    
intellectual footing in the religious   
world than at the present day4 ,one     
thing1 ,father ,hecker tells us1 drew   
his sympathetic regards their way--their
 doctrine of perfection4 ,he went to one
 of their ministers1 a ,dr4 ,crawford4  
,i have read in the ,bible1 said he1    
',if thou wouldst be perfect1 go and    
sell all thou hast'2 now1 that is the   
kind of ,christian ,i want to be4 ,the  
answer was3 ,well1 young man1 you must  
not carry things too far2 you are too   

enthusiastic4 ,christ does not require  
that of us in the nineteenth century4   
,after conversing with him for some     
time1 the minister told him to give up  
such ideas and study for the ministry4  
,a singular episode in his search was   
his meeting with two enthusiastic       
,mormon apostles1 and a long and careful
 examination1 under their guidance1 of  
the then newly-delivered revelations and
 prophecies of ,joseph ,smith4 ,he      
describes his ,mormon acquaintances as  
men of some intelligence1 but given     
over1 totally and blindly1 to ,smith's  
imposture4  ,but what cut under the     
claims of every form of ,protestantism  
was the error1 common to them all1      
concerning the rule of faith3 the       
private and independent judgment of the 
teaching of ,scripture made by each man 
for himself4 ,as the real owner of a    
homestead has most reason to dread a    
dealer in false titles1 so the truly    
free man has most reason to dread false 
liberty4 ,isaac ,hecker was the type of 

rational individual liberty1 hence the  
very man to abhor most the caricature of
 that prerogative in the typical        
,protestant4  ,five years before his    
death1 in an article in ,the ,catholic  
,world entitled ,luther and the ,diet of
 ,worms1 ,father ,hecker put the case   
thus3 ,it is a misapprehension common   
among ,protestants to suppose that      
,catholics1 in refusing the appeal of   
,martin ,luther at the ,diet of ,worms1 
condemn the use of reason or individual 
judgment1 or whatever one pleases to    
call the personal act which involves the
 exercise of man's intellect and free   
will4 ,the truth is1 personal judgment  
flows from what constitutes man a       
rational being1 and there is no power   
under heaven that can alienate personal 
judgment from man1 nor can man1 if he   
would1 disappropriate it4 ,the cause of 
all the trouble at the ,diet of ,worms  
was not personal judgment1 for neither  
party put that in question4 ,the point  
in dispute was the right application of 

personal judgment4 ,catholics           
maintained1 and always have and always  
will maintain1 that a divine revelation 
necessitates a divine interpreter4      
,catholics resisted1 and always will    
resist1 on the ground of its            
incompetency1 a human authority applied 
to the interpretation of the contents of
 a divinely-revealed religion4 ,they    
consider such an authority1 whether of  
the individual or the state1 in         
religious matters an intrusion4         
,catholics insist1 without swerving1    
upon believing in religion none but     
,god4 4 4 4 ,to investigate and make    
one's self certain that ,god has made a 
revelation is of obligation1 and        
consistent with ,christianity4 ,but as a
 divine revelation springs from a source
 above the sphere of reason1 it         
necessitates a divinely authorized and  
divinely assisted interpreter and       
teacher4 ,this is one of the essential  
functions of the ,church4  ,that the use
 of the ,scriptures is not1 and cannot  

be made the ordinary means for making   
all men ,christians1 was plain to ,isaac
 ,hecker for other reasons than the     
essential one thus clearly stated4 ,for1
 if such were the case1 ,god would      
bestow on all men the gift to read at   
sight1 or cause all to learn how to     
read1 or would have recorded in the     
,book itself the words1 ,unless a man   
reads the ,bible1 and believes what he  
reads1 he cannot enter into the kingdom 
of ,god1 or their plain equivalent2     
whereas the ,bible1 as we have it now1  
did not exist in the apostolic days1 the
 most glorious era of the ,christian    
,church4 ,such is ,father ,hecker's     
argument in a powerful article in ,the  
,catholic ,world for ,october1 #ahhc4   
,he continues3  ,but suppose that       
everybody knew how to read1 or all men  
were gifted to read at first sight2     
suppose that everybody had a copy of the
 ,bible within his reach1 a genuine     
,bible1 and knew with certitude what it 
means2 suppose that ,christ himself had 

laid it down as a rule that the ,bible1 
without note or comment1 and as         
interpreted by each one for himself1 is 
the ordinary way of receiving the grace 
of salvation--which is the vital        
principle of ,protestantism2 suppose all
 these evident assumptions as true4     
,would the ,bible even in that case     
suffice to make any one man1 woman1 or  
child a ,christian8 ,evidently not4 ,and
 why8 ,for that is a personal work1 and 
the personal work of ,christ2 for       
,christ alone can make men ,christians4 
,and no account of ,christ is ,christ4 4
 4 ,the contents of a book1 whatever    
these may be1 are powerless to place its
 readers in direct contact and vital    
relations with its author4 ,no man is so
 visionary as to imagine that the mental
 operation of reading the ,iliad1 or the
 ,phaedo1 or the ,divine ,comedy1       
suffices to put him in communication    
with the personality of ,homer1 or      
,plato1 or ,dante4 ,all effort is in    
vain to slake the thirst of a soul      

famishing for the ,fountain of living   
waters from a brook1 or to stop the     
cravings of a soul for the living       
,saviour with a printed book4 4 4 4 ,his
 words are ',come unto ,,me all that are
 weary and heavy laden1 and ,i will     
refresh you4' ,it was the attempt to    
make men ,christians by reading the     
,bible that broke ,christendom into     
fragments1 multiplied jarring ,christian
 sects1 produced swarms of doubters1    
filled the world with sceptics and      
scoffers at all religion1 frustrated    
combined ,christian action1 and put back
 the ,christian conquest of the world   
for centuries4 ,three centuries of      
experience have made it evident enough  
that1 if ,christianity is to be         
maintained as a principle of life among 
men1 it must be on another footing than 
the suicidal hypothesis invented in the 
sixteenth century after the birth of its
 divine ,founder4  ,his farewell        
interviews with exponents of the        
,protestant claims were mainly1 if not  

wholly1 with representatives of         
,anglicanism4 ,this did not arise from  
any grounded hope of getting all he     
wanted there1 but from an insensible    
drift of his mind upon those currents of
 thought set in motion by the great     
power of ,newman4 ,the air was full of  
promise of non-,roman ,catholicity1 and 
the voices which called the             
,english-speaking world to listen were  
the most eloquent since ,shakespeare4   
,it needed but a dim hope pointing along
 any road to induce the delicate        
conscience of ,isaac ,hecker to try if  
it might not be a thoroughfare4 ,but    
neither in his copious entries in the   
diary at this period1 nor in his        
articles in this magazine for the year  
#ahhg on ,dr4 ,brownson's               
difficulties--and these were much like  
his own--do we find any trace of his    
discovering in ,anglicanism a germ of   
,catholicity unfolding from the         
chrysalis of genuine ,protestantism and 
casting it off4 ,this was readily       

perceived in ,isaac ,hecker's bearing   
and conversation by acute ,episcopalians
 themselves1 as in the case of ,dr4     
,seabury1 who1 as ,father ,hecker       
relates in the articles above referred  
to1 prophesied ,brownson's conversion to
 ,catholicity1 and did so for reasons   
which ,seabury must have known would    
apply to young ,hecker also4  ,many at  
this time were being drawn by poetical  
sentiment to the beautiful and religious
 forms of ,episcopalian worship2 drawn  
and held rather by imagination and      
feeling than by any adhesion of their   
minds to distinctive ,anglican          
doctrines4 ,father ,hecker was1 indeed1 
more poetical in temperament than at    
first acquaintance he seemed to be1 but 
his mind was so constituted that he must
 have the main reasons of things1       
whether religious or not1 firmly settled
 before he could enjoy their use4 ,nor  
could he be content with fragments of   
revealed truth1 such as are found in all
 denominations of non-,catholics4 ,there

 is a large floating body of ,catholic  
truth in the world1 says ,newman2 it    
comes down by tradition from age to age4
 4 4 4 ,men outside the church take up  
and profess these scattered truths1     
merely because they fall in with them4  
,not so ,father ,hecker3 no flotsam and 
jetsam of doctrine for him1 unless some 
fragment would reveal to him the name of
 the ship from which it had been torn1  
and the port from which she had sailed1 
and so lead him to the discovery of the 
ship herself1 crew1 cargo1 port1 and    
owner4  ,yet he lingered long over the  
claim of ,anglicanism to be the         
,catholic religion4 ,of ,mr4 ,haight and
 of his interviews with him we have     
already spoken4 ,through him he came    
across a published letter of a ,mr4     
,norris1 ,episcopal minister in         
,carlisle1 ,pa41 which so pleased him   
for its ,catholic tendency that he wrote
 to him1 asking to be allowed to go to  
,carlisle and live there as the writer's
 pupil4 ,the answer1 though a refusal of

 this request1 was kind1 and contained a
 cordial invitation to visit ,mr4       
,norris after ,easter4 ,on his way to   
,concord1 in the following spring1      
,isaac made a long detour to the little 
town in southern ,pennsylvania1         
interviewed ,mr4 ,norris1 and came away 
no wiser than before4  ,the following   
words of the diary1 under date of ,march
 #cj1 #ahdd1 refer to an ,episcopal     
dignitary of higher grade3  ,mr4 ,haight
 gave me a note of introduction to ,dr4 
,seabury4 ,i called to see him two      
evenings ago and had a very pleasant    
conversation with him4 ,his sociableness
 and perfect openness of expression ,i  
was quite delighted with4 ,he frankly   
acknowledged that he thought that error 
had been committed on both sides in the 
controversy of the ,reformation between 
the ,pope and the ,anglican ,church4 ,he
 recommended me to examine those points 
which kept me from joining the ,anglican
 or ,roman ,church before ,i should do  
anything further1 as there was the      

charge of schism against the ,anglican  
,church and neglect of discipline among 
the members of her communion4 ,i told   
him that though the ,church of ,rome may
 commit errors in practice1 she had not 
committed any in principle1 and that it 
was easier to prune a luxuriant tree    
than to revivify a tree almost exhausted
 of life4 ,i left him with an earnest   
invitation to call again4  ,this        
half-confession of schism and frank     
avowal of lack of discipline on the part
 of a perfectly representative official 
of the ,anglican ,church was something  
singularly ,providential1 for it came   
within a fortnight after ,isaac         
,hecker's first interview with ,bishop  
,hughes1 described in the diary under   
date of ,march #bb4 ,that powerful man  
and great prelate was a type of the best
 form of ,catholicism at that day4 ,he  
was of the ,church militant in more     
senses than one2 and the military       
qualities which have inspired the public
 action of ,catholic champions for the  

past three centuries were strongly      
developed in him4 ,that it was for the  
good of religion that it should have    
such characters as ,john ,hughes to care
 for its public welfare there is no room
 to doubt4 ,since then the temper of    
,protestant ,americans has undergone a  
change which is almost radical4 ,it has 
grown infinitely more just and kindly   
towards ,catholics4 ,the decay of the   
,protestant bond of cohesion from lapse 
of time and from the unsettlement of    
belief in its chief doctrines2 the      
fighting of two wars1 one of them the   
great ,rebellion1 which fused the       
populations of ,states and acquainted   
men better with their neighbors2 the    
coming in of millions of ,catholic      
foreigners whose every breath was an    
aspiration for liberty2 the rise1       
culmination1 and collapse of the        
anti-,catholic movement termed          
,know-nothing-ism2 the polemical warfare
 of ,bishop ,hughes himself and of his  
contemporaries--these and other causes  

have made it possible1 nay necessary1 to
 treat non-,catholics in a different    
spirit from what wisdom dictated fifty  
years ago4  ,if ,dr4 ,seabury owned to  
schism and lack of discipline in        
,anglicanism1 ,bishop ,john ,hughes     
brought out to ,isaac ,hecker the very  
contrary as the attractive qualities of 
,catholicity4 ,he was questioned by the 
young inquirer about the latter's       
chances for studying for the priesthood 
should he decide on entering the        
,church1 and he answered according to   
rigid notions of the place of authority 
in religion4  ,he said1 are the words of
 the diary1 ending a summary of the     
interview1 that their ,church was one of
 discipline4 ,i thanked him for the     
information that he gave1 and told him  
that it was for just such instruction   
that ,i sought him4 ,he seemed to think 
that ,i had some loose notions of the   
,church4 ,so far1 this settles my       
present intention of uniting myself with
 the ,roman ,catholic ,church4 ,though  

,i feel not in the least disinclined to 
be governed by the most rigid discipline
 of any church1 yet ,i am not prepared  
to enter the ,roman ,catholic ,church at
 present4 ,it is not national with us1  
hence it does not meet our wants1 nor   
does it fully understand and sympathize 
with the experience and dispositions of 
our people4 ,it is principally made up  
of adopted and foreign individuals4  ,to
 us this is exceedingly instructive1 for
 it tells us how not to meet the earnest
 seeker after ,catholic truth4 ,even a  
good-natured dog does not show his teeth
 when caressed1 nor is an artillery     
salute the only show of amity between   
even warlike powers4 ,yet the repellant 
attitude of the great controversialist  
was that of very many representative    
,catholics of his time1 especially those
 holding his high office4 ,for although 
he really did know the ,american people1
 and although their country was fully   
his own1 and was by him deeply and      
intelligently loved1 yet he did not     

understand or sympathize with the       
religious movements of which his strange
 young visitor was the truest type4 ,he 
afterwards knew him better and loved    
him4  ,the toss thus given ,isaac       
,hecker by ,bishop ,hughes's catapult of
 discipline had the good effect of      
throwing him again upon a full and      
perfect and final investigation of      
,protestantism4 ,with what immediate    
result is shown by the ,seabury         
interview already related1 and with what
 honesty of purpose is shown by the     
following words written the same day3   
,if a low passion usurps the place of   
pure love1 if a blind prejudice usurps  
the place of ,catholic truth1 he who    
informs me of it1 though he had been my 
enemy 7if enemies it is possible for me 
to have71 ,i will receive him as an     
angel from heaven1 as an instrument of  
,god4 ,my honor1 my consistency1 my     
character consists in faithfulness to   
,god's love1 ,god's truth1 and nothing  
else4 ,let me be but true to ,him--how  

then can ,i be false to either man or   
the world8 ,it is ,him who knows our    
secret thoughts that we should fear 7if 
fear we must7 and obey4  ,thus it was   
,anglicanism that engaged ,isaac        
,hecker's last efforts to adjust a      
,protestant outside to his inward       
experience with the ,holy ,spirit2 and  
this for a reason quite evident4 ,that  
body pretended1 then as now1 to be the  
,catholic ,christian ,church1 assisting 
men to union with ,god by a             
divinely-founded external organism1 but 
not demanding the sacrifice of human    
liberty4 ,to an inexperienced observer  
such as he1 it seemed possible that     
,anglicanism might be the union of      
historical ,christianity with manly     
freedom4 ,closer observation proved to  
him not only the compatibility of       
,catholicity and liberty1 but that      
,anglicanism1 though assuming some of   
the forms of ,catholic unity1 is kept   
alive by the principle of individual    
separatism common to all ,protestant    

sects4 ,for a time1 or in a place1 it   
may have much or little of ,catholicity2
 but in no place can it live for a day  
without the ,protestant principle of a  
right of final appeal to the individual 
judgment to decide upon the verity of   
doctrine4       ,,chapter ,,xiv  ,,his  
,,life ,,at ,,concord  ,i ,,have been   
groping in darkness1 seeking where ,thou
 wast not1 and ,i found ,thee not4 ,but1
 ,o ,lord my ,god1 ,thou hast found     
me--leave me not4  ,these words are part
 of a long prayer written by ,isaac     
,hecker in his diary ,april #bc1 #ahdd1 
after his arrival at ,concord1 ,mass4   
,he appears to have gone directly there 
from ,carlisle1 ,pa41 where he had spent
 some days with the ,rev4 ,william      
,herbert ,norris1 whose published letter
 to ,a ,sincere ,enquirer had excited in
 the young man a hope that he might find
 in him a teacher whose deep inward     
experiences would be complemented by the
 adequate external guaranty that he was 
seeking4 ,we have already noted that he 

was disappointed4 ,he states the reason 
very suggestively in a letter written at
 the time3  ,alas1 that men should speak
 of those things they are most ignorant 
of6 ,what hopes did he not awaken in my 
bosom as ,i read his letter to a        
,sincere ,enquirer1 and how were they   
blasted when ,i met him and found that  
it was not he1 but ,hooker1 ,newman1    
,paul1 etc46 ,it is a sad fact that many
 believe1 but very few give themselves  
up to what they believe so that they may
 have the substance of their belief4    
,isaac ,hecker's business in ,concord   
had1 as usual1 two sides4 ,externally it
 meant going on with ,greek and ,latin1 
under the guidance of the lately        
deceased ,george ,p4 ,bradford1 a       
scholar of rare acquirements1 whose     
acquaintance he had made at ,brook ,farm
 the previous year4 ,the end he sought  
in this study was to fit himself for    
working in the field of the church4 ,but
 as the question of which church was not
 even yet fully settled in his mind1 his

 search for the true religion still     
remained his deepest and most inmost    
purpose4 ,nevertheless1 he was enjoying 
at this time one of his periods of      
profound interior and exterior peace4 ,i
 feel1 he writes1 that ,i am growing in 
,god's grace4 ,to ,him ,i look for      
support4 ,will ,he not impart wisdom as 
well as love8  ,his surroundings at     
,concord are so vividly described in the
 letters he wrote to his family that we 
cannot omit quotations from them4 ,the  
first of these is dated at ,brook ,farm1
 and describes his efforts to find a    
room after reaching the village4 ,he    
seems to have gone at once to ,mr4      
,bradford's house on his arrival4       
,april #bb1 '#dd4-4 4 4 ,after supper we
 sallied forth again4 ,we saw a room1   
and what do you imagine they charged for
 it8 ,seventy-five dollars a year66     
,this was out of the question4 ,we went 
further and found a room1 good size1    
very good people1 furnished1 and to be  
kept in order for eight dollars a       

quarter4 ,this seemed reasonable to me1 
and also to ,mr4 ,bradford4 ,i felt safe
 in telling the lady that ,i thought ,i 
should take it4 ,i requested ,mr4       
,bradford to keep a look-out for me     
while ,i was gone1 and if we could not  
find a better place before ,i returned  
,i would accept this4 ,this morning ,i  
left ,concord to come and see ,charles  
,dana concerning the books ,i shall     
require1 and to see some of my friends4 
,i got into ,boston at ten o'clock1 and 
walked out here by dinner-time4 ,all of 
the old set that are here were delighted
 to see me4 ,i have conversed with a few
 of them1 and find them more open to    
consider the claims of the ,church than 
,i had anticipated4  ,concord1 ,april   
#bd1 '#dd4--;,dear ,friends3 ,this      
evening ,i can say that ,i am settled1  
comfortably settled in every particular4
 ,all that is needed for my comfort is  
here3 a good straw bed1 a large table1  
carpet1 washstand1 book-case1 stove1    
chairs1 looking-glass--all1 all that is 

needful4 ,and this for seventy-five     
cents a week1 including lights2 wood is 
extra pay4 ,this is the inanimate about 
me4 ,the lady of the house1 ,mrs4       
,thoreau1 is a woman4 ,the only fear ,i 
have about her is that she is too much  
like dear mother--she will take too much
 care of me4 ,she has told me how she   
used to sit up nights1 waiting for a    
young man whom she had taken to board1  
to come home4 ,he was a stranger to her1
 but still she insists that she must    
treat all as she would her own1 and even
 with greater care4 ,if you were to see 
her1 mother1 you would be perfectly     
satisfied that ,i have fallen into good 
hands1 and met a second mother1 if that 
is possible4  ,april #be1 #a3cj         
,p4,m4--,i have just finished my dinner2
 it was ein herrliches ,essen4          
,unleavened bread 7from home71          
maple-sugar1 and apples which ,i        
purchased this morning4 ,previous to    
taking dinner ,i said my first lesson to
 ,mr4 ,bradford in ,greek and ,latin4   

,i am extremely well situated1 and feel 
contented in myself1 and deeply grateful
 to you all for your goodness in helping
 me to pursue the real purpose of my    
being4 ,all we can do is to be faithful 
to ,god and to the work ,he has given us
 to do1 and1 whatever end ,he may lead  
us to1 to have that central faith that  
'all is for the best4' ,there is only   
one life1 and that is life in ,god2 and 
only one death1 and that is separation  
from ,him4 ,and this life is not and    
cannot be measured by the external eye4 
,we must be fixed in ,god before we can 
do anything rightly--study1 labor1      
social1 political or of any kind4 4 4 4 
,i have written this letter full of     
nothingness2 ,i will be more settled the
 next time and do better4 ,send all your
 love to me--think more of heaven and we
 shall grow happier4 ,if once celestial 
love has touched us1 we cannot rest     
until it dwells and abides in our       
hearts4 ,to you all ,i send my warmest  
and purest love4--,,isaac4  ,concord1   

,may #b1 #ahdd4--;,dear ,friends3 ,it   
was my intention not to write home until
 ,i had received a letter from you2 but 
as none has yet come1 and ,i am in want 
of a few things1 ,i will write you      
immediately4  ,you can scarcely imagine 
how different my life is now from what  
it was at home4 ,it is like living in   
another world4 ,it is possible that you 
might not be suited with the conditions 
here1 but to me they are the very ones  
which are congenial to my present state 
of being4 ,i am alone from early dawn to
 late at night2 no one to intrude upon  
my quiet except ,mr4 ,bradford1 who     
occupies the hour between twelve and one
 to hear my recitations1 and ,mrs4      
,thoreau a few minutes in making my bed 
in the mornings4 ,the rest of my time is
 devoted to study1 communion1 and1 a    
little of it1 to reading4 ,how unlike   
the life at home6  ,the thought just    
occurs to me that if such a life seems  
desirable to you1 how easily you could  
obtain it4 ,what is it that costs so    

much labor of mind and body8 ,is it not 
that which we consume on and in our     
bodies8 ,then1 if we reduce the         
consumption there will be less need of  
production4 ,most of our labor is labor 
for the body4 ,we are treasuring up     
corruption for the day of death2 is this
 not so8 ,as we rise in spirit above the
 body we shall bring all its appetites  
into subjection to the moral law4 4 4 4 
,this is what ,i should like you to do  
for me4 ,all the food that ,i brought   
with me is gone1 and as ,i would like to
 have my razor sent on1 and as the      
articles you can give me would be better
 than any ,i can get here1 you will be  
so kind as to send with it the following
 list1 if you think best3 #a4 ,put in   
some hard bread4 #b4 ,a few unleavened  
wheat biscuits1 such as ,i used to make4
 #c4 ,some unleavened ,graham biscuits4 
#d4 ,a five-cent or ten-cent loaf of    
bread1 if you think it will keep good   
until it gets here4 #e4 ,get me a linen 
summer frock-coat such as are           

worn--those loose ones4 ,dunster has my 
measure and he can cut it for you4 ,let 
it be made4 ,i have only a summer jacket
 with me1 and that is ,john's4 #f4 ,do  
not forget the razor4 ,you can put in   
any other simple1 solid food1 if you    
wish to send any4 ,do ,i ask too much   
from you8 ,if so1 you must be kind      
enough to tell me4 ,your labor is       
already too great1 and ,i am burdening  
you with more4 4 4 4  ,how much my heart
 loves you all6 ,how unkindly ,i have   
spoken to you at times6 ,you will       
forgive me and love me none the less1   
will you not8 ,may we live together more
 and more in the unity of love4  ,may1  
#ahdd4--4 4 4 ,my studies are pursued   
with the same spirit in which they were 
commenced1 and there seems to me no     
reason to fear but that they will be    
continued in the same for some time to  
come4 ,however1 ,i would affirm what has
 been affirmed by me for these two years
 back1 the only consistency that ,i can 
promise is submission to the ,spirit    

that is guiding me1 whatever may be the 
external appearance or superficial      
consequences to others4 4 4 4  ,how our 
astonishment should be excited to       
perceive that we have been in such a    
long sleep1 and that even now we see but
 dimly4 ,let us each ask ourselves in   
whose business we are employed4 ,is it  
our ,father's1 or is it not8 ,if not1   
let us immediately turn to the business 
of our ,father1 the only object of our  
life4 ,let us submit wholly to the      
guidance of ,love4  ,,to ,,mrs4         
,,catherine ,j4 ,,hecker4 ,concord1 ,may
 #ca1 #ahdd4--,you speak of my situation
 as pleasant1 and so it is to me4       
,though the house is situated on the    
street of a village1 the street is      
beautifully arched with trees for some  
distance1 and my room is very pleasant4 
,one window is wholly shaded by sweet   
honeysuckle1 which is now in blossom1   
filling the room with its mild          
fragrance4 ,the little humming-birds    
visit its flowers frequently without    

being disturbed by my presence4  ,the   
diary1 which runs side by side with     
these letters1 was1 as usual1 the       
recipient of more intimate              
self-communings than could be shared    
with any friend4 ,it shows that although
 he was now well-nigh convinced of the  
truth of ,catholicity1 yet that he still
 felt a lingering indecision1 produced1 
perhaps1 by a haunting memory of the    
stern front of discipline he had        
encountered in ,bishop ,hughes4 ,this   
seemed like a phantom of terror to the  
young social reformer1 whose love of    
liberty1 though rational1 was then and  
ever afterwards one of the passions of  
his soul4 ,yet we rarely find now in    
these pages any statement of specific   
reasons for and against ,catholicity    
such as were plentiful during the period
 preceding his acquaintance with ,mr4   
,haight1 ,dr4 ,seabury1 and ,mr4        
,norris4 ,he seems to shudder as he     
stands on the bank and looks upon the   
flowing and cleansing stream2 but his   

hesitancy is caused not so much by any  
unanswered difficulties of his reason as
 by his sensibilities1 by vague feelings
 of alarm for the integrity of his      
manhood4 ,he feared lest the waters     
might cleanse him by skinning him alive4
 ,catholicity1 as typified in ,bishop   
,hughes1 her ,celtic-,american champion1
 seemed to him a fortified city1 and a  
pillar of iron1 and a wall of brass     
against the whole land4  ,now1 ,isaac   
,hecker was built for a missionary1 and 
the extreme view of the primary value of
 highly-wrought discipline which he     
encountered everywhere among ,catholics1
 though not enough to blind him to the  
essential liberty of the ,church1 was   
enough to delay him in his progress to  
her4 ,there can be little doubt that    
multitudes of men and women of less     
discernment and feebler will than his1  
have been and still are kept entirely   
out of the ,church by the same cause4   
,only at long intervals1 as we near the 
last pages of the large and             

closely-written book containing the     
first volume of his diary1 do we meet   
with those agonizing complaints of      
dryness1 the distress of doubt1 the     
weary burden of insoluble difficulties1 
so common heretofore4 ,he seems1 indeed1
 no longer battling2 be victory is won2 
but it remains to know what are the     
spoils and where they are to be         
gathered4 ,of course there are          
interludes of his irrepressible         
philosophizing on moral questions4 ,and 
at the very end1 under date of ,may #bc1
 #ahdd1 we find the following3  ,this   
afternoon brings me to the close of this
 book4 ,how different are the emotions  
with which ,i close it from those with  
which ,i opened it at ,brook ,farm1 now 
little more 7a month7 than a year ago6  
,how fruitful has this year been to me6 
,how strangely mysterious and beautiful6
 ,and now my soul foreshadows more the  
next year than ever it presaged before4 
,my life is beyond my grasp1 and bears  
me on will-lessly to its destined haven4

 ,like a rich fountain it overflows on  
every side2 from within flows           
unceasingly the noiseless tide4 ,the    
many changes and unlooked-for results   
and circumstances1 within and without1  
of the coming year ,i would no more     
venture to anticipate than to count the 
stars4 ,it is to me now as if ,i had    
just been born1 and ,i live in the      
,sabbath of creation4 ,every thing that 
,i see ,i feel called on to give a name2
 it has a new meaning to me4 ,should    
this life grow--what8 ,it is a singular 
fact that1 although conscious of a more 
interior and potent force at work       
within1 ,i am now more quiet and        
will-less than ,i was when it at first  
affected me4 ,i feel like a child1 full 
of joy and pliability2 and all ambition 
of every character seems to have left   
me4 ,i see where ,i was heretofore1 and 
the degree of externality which was     
mixed with the influences that ,i       
co-operated with1 an externality from   
which ,i now feel that ,i have been     

freed4 ,it does seem to me that all     
worldly prospect that ever was before me
 is gone1 and as if ,i were weak1 very  
weak1 in the sight of the world2 so ,i  
really am4 ,i feel no more potency than 
a babe4 ,yet ,i have a will-less power  
of love which will conquer through me1  
and which1 ,o gracious ,lord1 ,i never  
dreamt of before4  ,in the middle of the
 above entry he thus notes an           
interruption1 and records a lesson      
taught by the late ,new ,england spring3
 ,george and ,burrill ,curtis came in1  
and ,i have just returned from a walk in
 the woods with them4 ,may the buds     
within blossom1 and may their fruit     
ripen in my prayers to ,god4  ,he was   
now1 indeed1 very near his goal1 though 
even yet he did not clearly see it4 ,and
 once more all his active powers        
deserted him4 ,study became impossible4 
,his mind was drawn so strongly in upon 
itself that neither work nor play1      
neither books nor the renewed           
intercourse which at this period he     

sought with his old friends in ,boston  
and at ,brook ,farm1 could any longer   
fasten his attention4 ,he opens his new 
diary with a record of the trial he has 
just made in order to discover whether  
in mixing with the world ,i should not  
be somewhat influenced by their life and
 brought into new relations with my     
studies4 ,but it was to no purpose that 
,i went4 4 4 4 ,there was no inducement 
that ,i could imagine strong enough to  
keep me from returning4 ,ole ,bull1 whom
 ,i very much wished to hear again1 was 
to play the next evening2 and ,parley   
,pratt1 a friend whom ,i had not met for
 a great length of time1 and whom ,i did
 wish to see1 was to be in town the next
 day4 ,there were many other things to  
keep me1 but none of them had the least 
effect4 ,i could no more keep myself    
there than a man could sink himself in  
the ,dead ,sea1 and so ,i had to come   
home4  ,i feel a strong inclination to  
doze and slumber1 and more and more in  
these slumbers the dim shadows that     

appear in my waking state become        
clearer1 and my conversation is more    
real and pleasant to me4 ,i feel a      
double consciousness in this state1 and 
think1 ',now1 is not this real8 ,i will 
recollect it all1 what ,i saw and what  
,i said'2 but it flies and is lost when 
,i awake4 4 4 4 ,i call this sleeping1  
but sleep it is not2 for in this state  
,i am more awake than at any other time4
  ,a few days later1 on ,june #e1 he    
notes that  ,although my meals are made 
of unleavened bread and figs1 and my    
drink is water1 and ,i eat no more than 
supports my body1 yet do ,i feel        
sinfully self-indulgent4  ,he resolves1 
moreover1 to trouble himself no more    
about the fact that he cannot continue  
his studies4 ,on this subject1 and on   
the passivity to which he was now       
compelled1 he had written as explicitly 
as he could to his friend ,brownson1 and
 on ,june #g he received a response     
which had such an immediate result upon 
his future that we transcribe it entire3

  ,mt4 ,bellingham1 ,june #f1           
#ahdd4--,my dear ,isaac3 ,i thank you   
for your letter1 and the frankness with 
which you speak of your present interior
 state4 ,you ask for my advice1 but ,i  
hardly know what advice to give4 ,there 
is much in your present state to        
approve1 also much which is dangerous4  
,the dreamy luxury of indulging one's   
thoughts and ranging at ease through the
 whole spirit-world is so captivating1  
and when frequently indulged in acquires
 such power over us1 that we cease to be
 free men4 ,the power to control your   
thoughts and feelings and to fix them on
 what object you choose is of the last  
necessity1 as it is the highest aim of  
spiritual culture4 ,be careful that you 
do not mistake a mental habit into which
 you have fallen for the guidance of the
 ,all-wise4 ,is it not the very         
sacrifice you are appointed to make1 to 
overcome this spiritual luxury and to   
become able to do that which is         
disagreeable8 ,where is the sacrifice in

 following what the natural tendencies  
and fixed habits of our mind dispose us 
to do8 ,what victory have you acquired1 
what power to conquer in the struggle   
for sanctity do you possess1 when you   
cannot so far control your thoughts and 
feelings as to be able to apply yourself
 to studies which you feel are          
necessary8 ,here is your warfare4 ,you  
have not won the victory till you have  
become as able to drudge at ,latin or   
,greek as to give up worldly wealth1    
pleasures1 honors1 or distinctions4     
,but1 my dear ,isaac1 you cannot gain   
this victory alone1 nor by mere private 
meditation and prayer4 ,you can obtain  
it only through the grace of ,god1 and  
the grace of ,god only through its      
appointed channels4 ,you are wrong4 ,you
 do not begin right4 ,do you really     
believe the ,gospel8 ,do you really     
believe the ,holy ,catholic ,church8 ,if
 so1 you must put yourself under the    
direction of the ,church4 ,i have       
commenced my preparations for uniting   

myself with the ,catholic ,church4 ,i do
 not as yet belong to the family of     
,christ4 ,i feel it4 ,i can be an alien 
no longer1 and without the ,church ,i   
know1 by my own past experience1 that ,i
 cannot attain to purity and sanctity of
 life4 ,i need the counsels1 the aids1  
the chastisements1 and the consolations 
of the ,church4 ,it is the appointed    
medium of salvation1 and how can we hope
 for any good except through it8 ,our   
first business is to submit to it1 that 
we may receive a maternal blessing4     
,then we may start fair4  ,you doubtless
 feel a repugnance to joining the       
,church4 ,but we ought not to be ashamed
 of ,christ2 and the ,church opens a    
sphere for you1 and you especially4 ,you
 are not to dream your life away4 ,your 
devotion must be regulated and directed 
by the discipline of the ,church4 ,you  
know that there is a large ,roman       
,catholic population in our country1    
especially in ,wisconsin4 ,the bishop of
 that ,territory is a ,german4 ,now1    

here is your work--to serve this ,german
 population4 ,and you can do it without 
feeling yourself among foreigners4 ,here
 is the cross you are to take up4 ,your 
cross is to resist this tendency to     
mysticism1 to sentimental luxury1 which 
is really enfeebling your soul and      
preventing you from attaining to true   
spiritual blessedness4  ,i think you    
would better give up ,greek1 but command
 yourself sufficiently to master the    
,latin2 that you need1 and cannot do    
without4 ,get the ,latin1 and with that 
and the ,english1 ,french1 and ,german  
which you already know1 you can get     
along very well4 ,but don't be          
discouraged4  ,i want you to come and   
see our good bishop4 ,he is an excellent
 man--learned1 polite1 easy1 affable1   
affectionate1 and exceedingly           
warm-hearted4 ,i spent two hours with   
him immediately after parting with you  
in ,washington ,street1 and a couple of 
hours yesterday4 ,i like him very much4 
,i have made up my mind1 and ,i shall   

enter the ,church if she will receive   
me4 ,there is no use in resisting4 ,you 
cannot be an ,anglican1 you must be a   
,catholic or a mystic4 ,if you enter the
 ,church at all1 it must be the         
,catholic4 ,there is nothing else4 ,so  
let me beg you1 my dear ,isaac1 to begin
 by owning the ,church and receiving her
 blessing4  ,my health is very good1 the
 family are all very well2 ,i hope you  
are well4 ,let me hear from you often4  
,forgive me if ,i have said anything    
harsh or unkind in this letter1 for all 
is meant in kindness1 and be assured of 
my sincere and earnest affection4       
,yours truly1  ,o4 ,a4 ,,brownson4      
,,chapter ,,xv  ,,at ,,the ,,door ,,of  
,,the ,,church  ,,the first effect of   
,brownson's letter was to throw its     
recipient into a state of great though  
brief perplexity4 ,that final struggle1 
strange and painful1 in which the soul  
for the last time contends against its  
happiness2 in which it is drawn by an   
invincible attraction1 knowing that it  

will yield yet striving still to resist2
 is one that must remain but            
half-comprehended by most of those to   
whom ,catholic truth is an inheritance4 
,and yet there is an explanation which  
,father ,hecker himself would possibly  
have given4 ,do you know what ,god is8  
he said to the present writer in #ahhb1 
in that abrupt fashion with which he    
often put the deepest questions4 ,that  
is not what ,i mean1 he went on1 after  
getting a conventional reply3 ,i'll tell
 you what ,god is4 ,he is the eternal   
,lover of the soul4 ,that shudder of    
blind aversion which is a part of the   
experience of so many converts1 is an   
instinctive testimony that the call to  
the truth is more than natural1 while   
the overpowering attraction which       
attends it witnesses that nature must   
needs obey or perish4 ,the ,church1 too1
 is not heard by the soul merely as the 
collective voice of many men and ages of
 men agreed upon the truth1 but as a    
mystic personality which makes her the  

imperative ambassadress of ,christ4 ,for
 she is the ,spouse of the ,lamb1 and in
 her the ,incarnate ,word obtains a     
voice which is no less single in its    
personality than multitudinous in its   
tones4  ,much as ,isaac ,hecker had     
considered the matter1 studying1        
reading1 praying1 assuring himself from 
time to time that if any church were    
true this was the one1 and that to enter
 it was probably his duty1 now that     
,brownson's weight was likewise thrown  
into the scale and it went down with a  
warning thud1 he thrilled through with  
apprehension4 ,i feel like throwing all 
up1 he wrote in the diary on the day the
 letter reached him4 ,some cannot rest4 
,how much better would it have been     
could ,i have remained in quietness at  
my daily pursuits1 and not been led to  
where ,i now find myself4  ,then he     
questions himself3 ,what have ,i against
 the ,catholic ,church8 ,at this moment 
,i cannot say that ,i have anything that
 is essential4 ,and she meets my wants  

on every side4  ,oh1 this is the deepest
 event of my life6 ,i would have united 
myself to any one of the ,protestant    
sects if ,i had found any that would    
have answered the demands of my nature4 
,why should ,i now hesitate when ,i find
 the ,catholic ,church will do so8 ,is  
not this the self-will which revolts    
against the involuntary will of the     
,spirit8  ,the fundamental question is1 
,am ,i willing to submit my will to the 
guidance and direction of the ,church8  
,if she is the body of ,christ2 if she  
is the channel of the ,holy ,ghost2 if  
she is the inspired body illumined by   
,christ's ,spirit2 in a word1 if she is 
the ,catholic ,church2 if ,i would serve
 ,god and humanity2 if ,i would secure  
the favor of ,god1 and heaven hereafter2
 why should ,i not submit to her8  ,but 
however painful this final indecision   
may have been1 it was of short duration4
 ,brownson's letter reached ,concord on 
,friday morning1 and on ,saturday ,isaac
 ,hecker went into ,boston to see       

,bishop ,fenwick and put himself under  
instruction4 ,that done1 his peace not  
merely returned1 but he felt that it    
rested on more solid grounds than       
heretofore4 ,yet1 curiously enough1 it  
is at this point we come upon almost the
 first trace of his stopping seriously  
to consider the adverse sentiments of   
others with regard to any proposed      
action on his part4 ,now that he means  
to range himself1 he turns to look back 
at the disorderly host which he is      
quitting1 not so much1 or at least not  
primarily for the sake of the order and 
regularity and solidity of that to which
 it is opposed1 but because a true      
instinct has taught him that unity is   
the external mark of truth1 as          
equilibrium is the test of a just       
balance4 ,in his diary of ,june #aa1    
#ahdd1 after recording that he has just 
returned from ,boston1 where he has seen
 the bishop and his coadjutor1 ,bishop  
,john ,bernard ,fitzpatrick1 and        
received from the latter a note of      

introduction to the president of ,holy  
,cross ,college1 at ,worcester1 ,mass41 
he adds3  ,i intend to stay there as    
long as it seems pleasant to me1 and    
then go on to ,new ,york and there unite
 myself with the ,church4  ,i sigh1 and 
feel that this step is the most         
important of my life4 ,my highest       
convictions1 my deepest wants1 lead me  
to it2 and should ,i not obey them8     
,there is no room to harbor a doubt     
about it4 ,my friends will look upon it 
with astonishment1 and probably use the 
common epithets1 delusion1 fanaticism1  
and blindness4 ,but so ,i wish to appear
 to minds like theirs2 otherwise this   
would be unsatisfactory to me4 ,men call
 that superstition which they have not  
the feeling to appreciate1 and that     
fanaticism which they have not the      
spiritual perception to perceive4 ,the  
,protestant world admires1 extols1 and  
flatters him who will write and speak   
high-sounding and heroic words2 who will
 assert that he will follow truth       

wherever it leads1 at all sacrifices and
 hazards2 but no sooner does he do so   
than it slanders and persecutes him for 
being what he professed to be4 ,verily  
it has separated faith from works4      
,this is a heavy task2 it is a great    
undertaking1 a serious1 sacred1 sincere1
 and solemn step2 it is the most vital  
and eternal act1 and as such do ,i feel 
it in all its importance1 weight1 and   
power4 ,o ,god6 ,thou who hast led me by
 ,thy heavenly messengers1 by ,thy      
divine grace1 to make this new1         
unforeseen1 and religious act of duty1  
support me in the day of trial4 ,support
 me1 ,o ,lord1 in my confessions2 give  
me strength and purity to speak freely  
the whole truth without any equivocation
 or attempt at justification4 ,o ,lord1 
help ,thy servant when he is feeble and 
would fall4  ,one thing that gives me   
much peace and joy is that all worldly  
inducements1 all temptations toward     
self-gratification whatever1 are in     
favor of the ,anglican ,church and in   

opposition to the ,catholic ,church4    
,and on this account my conscience feels
 free from any unworthy motive in       
joining it4 ,the ,roman ,catholic       
,church is the most despised1 the       
poorest1 and1 according to the world1   
the least respectable of any2 this on   
account of the class of foreigners of   
which it is chiefly composed in this    
country4 ,in this respect it presents to
 me no difficulty of any sort1 nor      
demands the least sacrifice4 ,but the   
new relations in which it will place me1
 and the new duties which will be       
required of me1 are strange to me1 and  
hence ,i shall feel all their weight at 
once4  ,his premonitions were speedily  
fulfilled1 though probably not in the   
extreme form which he anticipated4 ,the 
spirit of courtesy which prevailed      
throughout his family doubtless         
prevented any but the mildest criticism 
on his action4 ,but even that had       
hitherto been spared him4 ,there had    
been anxiety and much questioning about 

his final course1 but that it would end 
in this way does not seem to have been  
seriously apprehended4 ,on the same day 
on which he made the entry just quoted  
he wrote the following letter to them3  
,june #aa1 #ahdd4--,on ,saturday last ,i
 went into ,boston and did not return   
until this morning 7,tuesday74 4 4 4 ,my
 purpose in going was to see ,bishop    
,fenwick of the ,roman ,catholic        
,church1 to learn what are the          
preliminaries necessary for one who     
wishes to be united to the ,church4 ,i  
saw the bishop and his coadjutor1 men of
 remarkable goodness1 candor1 and       
frankness4 ,i was chiefly interested    
with his coadjutor1 and spent some hours
 with him on ,monday4 ,and this is the  
result to which ,i have come3 ,that     
soon1 probably next week1 ,i shall go   
from here to ,worcester1 where there is 
a ,catholic college1 and stay there for 
a few days1 perhaps a fortnight1 to see 
the place1 become acquainted with their 
practical religious life and their      

system of intellectual instruction4     
,from there ,i shall go on home to ,new 
,york1 and1 after having gone through   
the requisite preliminaries1 be united  
to the ,roman ,catholic ,church in our  
city4 4 4 4 ,before ,i make any         
unalterable step1 ,i wish to see you all
 and commune with you concerning this   
movement on my part4 4 4 4  ,whatever   
theories and speculations may be        
indulged in and cherished by those      
opposed to the ,roman ,catholic ,church1
 their influence1 however important they
 may seem1 is not sufficiently vital to 
prevent me from being united to it4 ,it 
satisfies and meets my deepest wants2   
and on this ground1 setting aside any   
other for the moment1 ,i feel like      
affirming1 in the spirit of the man whom
 ,christ made to see499 ,i know not     
whether this ,church be or be not what  
certain men call it1 but this ,i know3  
it has the life my heart is thirsting   
for1 and of which my spirit is in great 
need4  99 ,john #i3bd3 ,we know this man

 is a sinner4 ,he said therefore to     
them3 ,if he be a sinner1 ,i know not2  
one thing ,i know1 that whereas ,i was  
blind1 now ,i see4  ,a case in point3   
,the sermon of ,dr4 ,seabury on the     
lamented death of ,arthur ,carey is as  
far from satisfying my heartfelt        
longings as ,platonism would be to the  
,christian4 ,read the doctrine of the   
,catholic ,church on the ,communion of  
,saints in the ,catechism of the        
,council of ,trent attentively and      
devoutly1 and you will see and feel the 
wide difference in doctrine and life    
between it and that held even by the    
high-church ,anglican4 ,it may be said  
in excuse for ,dr4 ,seabury1 that he has
 to be prudent and cautious on account  
of the state of mind of those whom he   
has to speak to4 ,well enough2 but why  
should one go to a weak and almost      
dried-up spring when there is one       
equally near1 fresh1 always flowing and 
full of life8 4 4 4 ,there may be those1
 and ,i do not question there are many  

such good persons1 who do not feel the  
deep demands of the spiritual nature as 
profoundly as others do1 and that the   
,anglican ,church fully satisfes all    
their needs4 ,but even in her bosom     
there are many who think that if the    
,oxford tendencies are ,anglican1 she is
 very idolatrous and exceedingly        
superstitious1 because they feel no need
 for so much discipline and ceremony1   
and such faith in the invisible 4 4 4   
all reasons that can tempt one in my    
position are in favor of the ,anglican  
,church1 and it is a source of much joy 
that there is no conceivable inducement 
of a worldly or mixed nature for me to  
join the ,roman ,catholic ,church4 ,if  
there were ,i should distrust myself 4 4
 4 ,it seems to me that the difference  
between my embracing the ,roman         
,catholic ,church and any other is the  
same as the difference between remaining
 as ,i am1 and selling all that ,i have 
and following ,christ4  ,his deference  
for his friends' opinions1 though he    

made their views no condition of his    
action1 is beautifully shown by the     
following words3 ,john1 and all who feel
 like giving me advice1 you will not    
hesitate in giving it freely and        
frankly4 ,there are many reasons for my 
present course2 it is impossible for me 
to put them all on paper4 ,but when ,i  
return home and meet you all again1 we  
will in love speak of this in common    
communion3 until then ,i will not take  
any decisive step4 ,i suppose you feel  
as little inclined to speak to others of
 the decision ,i have come to as ,i do  
to have it prematurely known4  ,to the  
brother whose heart was most his own he 
devotes the concluding words of the     
letter3  ,what is brother ,george's mind
 respecting the need of receiving this  
diviner life in order to bring us into a
 closer communion with ,god and make us 
inhabitants of heaven8 ,george1 shall we
 go arm-in-arm in our heavenly journey  
as we have done in our earthly one8     
,while awaiting an answer to this letter

 he began another1 in which he          
summarizes more explicitly such of his  
reasons for becoming a ,catholic as     
might appeal on ordinary grounds of     
controversy to his mother and his       
brother ,john1 the latter of whom had   
recently become an ,episcopalian4 ,our  
extracts1 however1 will be made from the
 passages more strictly personal and    
characteristic3  ,concord1 ,june #ad1   
#ahdd4--,until ,i hear from you ,i      
cannot say how you may view my          
resolution or feel regarding the        
decision ,i have come to1 and therefore 
,i am at a loss what to say to you      
respecting it4 ,one thing must strike   
you as inexplicable3 that ,i relinquish 
my studies here so suddenly4 ,this      
arises from the fact that ,i have not   
kept you perfectly informed concerning  
the change my mind has for some time    
been undergoing with regard to the      
object and end of study1 its office and 
its benefits4 ,i kept silent1 thinking  
that my views might be but temporary1   

and that it was unnecessary to trouble  
you with them4 ,my simple faith is1 in a
 few words1 that we must first seek the 
kingdom of ,god1 and then all necessary 
things will be given us4 ,and this      
kingdom is not found through nature1    
philosophy1 science1 art1 or by any     
other method than that of the ,gospel3  
the perfect surrender of the whole heart
 to ,god4  ,we stop here to remark that 
such expressions as these are neither to
 be taken as evidences of a passing     
disgust for the drudgery of text-book   
tasks1 nor as signs of an indolent      
disposition4 ,they are the assertion of 
a principle which ,father ,hecker       
maintained throughout his life4 ,he     
never felt the least interest in studies
 not undertaken as a result of some     
supernatural impulse1 or pursued in view
 of some supernatural aim4 ,he looked   
with the coldest unconcern upon such    
investigations of science as promise    
nothing toward solving the problems     
which perplex humanity on the moral     

side1 or which do not contribute to the 
natural well-being of men4 ,with the    
pursuit of any science which does       
promise such results he was in the      
fullest sympathy1 and was himself an    
unwearied student4 ,it was anything but 
intellectual indolence which caused him 
to put away his books4 ,he was naturally
 of a busy temperament3 if men who knew 
him but slightly might think him        
visionary1 no man could know him at all 
and consider him a sluggard4 ,we shall  
see in the sequel how1 under extremely  
critical circumstances1 the assertion of
 this principle was wrung from him by   
the constraining force of his interior  
guide4 ,much of what follows illustrates
 this trait of character4  ,the letter  
last quoted from had not yet been sent  
when the answer to his announcement of  
,june #aa reached him1 and he added a   
postscript4 ,the only point in it to    
which he alludes or makes any direct    
reply is the gentle expression of his   
mother's disapprobation of his purpose3 

,your letter and draft1 brother ,george1
 came this morning4 ,you say mother     
would prefer my joining the ,anglican   
,church4 ,the reasons why she prefers   
this are such as would doubtless govern 
me if ,i did not feel still deeper and  
stronger reasons to overcome them4 4 4 4
 ,my present convictions are deeper far 
than any ,i have ever experienced1 and  
are not hastily decided upon4  ,turning 
now to the diary1 the entries made at   
this time seem especially               
characteristic3  ,june #ac1 #ahdd4--;,i 
feel very cheerful and at ease since ,i 
have consented to join the ,catholic    
,church4 ,never have ,i felt the        
quietness1 the immovableness1 and the   
permanent rest that ,i do now4 ,it is   
inexpressible4 ,i feel that essential   
and interior permanence which nothing   
exterior can disturb1 and no act which  
it calls on me to perform will move in  
the least4 ,it is with a perfect ease   
and gracefulness that ,i never dreamed  
of that ,i shall unite with the ,church4

 ,it will not change but fix my life4   
,no external relations1 events1 or      
objects can disturb this unreachable    
quietness or break the deep repose in   
which ,i am4  ,the exoteric eye is      
double2 the esoteric eye is single4     
,the external world is divisional2 the  
internal world is unity4  ,the esoteric 
includes the exoteric1 but the exoteric 
excludes the esoteric4  ,the man can    
move all faculties1 organs1 limbs2 but  
they cannot move the man4  ,the ,creator
 moves the creature1 and the creature   
moves the created4  ,we know ,god by    
looking towards ,him with the single    
eye4  ,to-morrow ,i go with ,r4 ,w4     
,emerson to ,harvard to see ,lane and   
,alcott1 and shall stay until ,sunday4  
,we shall not meet each other1 for ,i   
can meet him on no other grounds than   
those of love4 ,we may talk             
intellectually together1 and remark1 and
 reply1 and remark again4  ,we give the 
reader from the diary the following     
estimate of a transcendentalist1 mainly 

to serve as a background for the picture
 which ,isaac ,hecker drew of his own   
mind in the succeeding pages3  ,june    
#ad4--;,a transcendentalist is one who  
has keen sight but little warmth of     
heart2 who has fine conceits but is     
destitute of the rich glow of love4 ,he 
is en rapport with the spiritual world1 
unconscious of the celestial one4 ,he is
 all nerve and no blood--colorless4 ,he 
talks of self-reliance1 but fears to    
trust himself to love4 ,he never        
abandons himself to love1 but is always 
on the lookout for some new fact4 ,his  
nerves are always tight-stretched1 like 
the string of a bow2 his life is all    
effort4 ,in a short period he loses his 
tone4 ,behold him sitting on a chair2 he
 is not sitting1 but braced upon its    
angles1 as if his bones were of iron and
 his nerves steel2 every nerve is drawn1
 his hands are closed like a miser's--it
 is his lips and head that speak1 not   
his tongue and heart4 ,he prefers       
talking about love to possessing it1 as 

he prefers ,socrates to ,jesus4 ,nature 
is his church1 and he is his own god4   
,he is a dissecting critic--heartless1  
cold4 ,what would excite love and       
sympathy in another1 excites in him     
curiosity and interest4 ,he would have  
written an essay on the power of the    
soul at the foot of the ,cross4 4 4 4   
,that the shaping of events is not      
wholly in our own hands my present      
unanticipated movement has clearly      
demonstrated to me4 4 4 ,i know of no   
act that ,i could make which would have 
more influence to shape my destiny than 
my union with the ,catholic ,church4 4 4
 4 ,it is very certain to me that my    
life is now as it never has been4 ,it   
seems that ,i live1 feel1 and act from  
my heart4 ,that reads1 talks1 hears1    
sees1 smells1 and all4 ,all is unity    
with me1 all love4 ,instead of exciting 
thoughts and ideas1 as all things have  
done heretofore1 they now excite love1  
cheerful emotion1 and gladness of heart4
  ,to the ,spirit within ,i address     

myself3 ,so long as ,i struggled against
 ,thee ,i had pain1 sorrow1 anguish1    
doubt1 weeping1 and distress of soul4   
,again and again have ,i submitted to   
,thee1 though ever reluctantly2 yet was 
it always in the end for my good4 ,oh6  
how full of love and goodness art ,thou 
to suffer in us and for us1 that we may 
be benefited and made happy4 ,it is from
 ,thy own pure love for us1 for ,thy    
happiness cannot be increased or        
diminished1 that ,thou takest upon ,thee
 all the suffering of the children4     
,lord1 if ,i would or could give myself 
wholly up to ,thee1 nothing but pure    
joy1 complete happiness1 and exquisite  
pleasure would fill all my spirit1 soul1
 and body4 ,the ,lord desires our whole 
happiness2 it is we who hinder ,him from
 causing it by our struggles against    
,his love-working ,spirit4  ,who is the 
,lord8 ,is ,he not our nearest friend8  
,is any closer to us than ,he when we   
are good8 ,is any further from us when  
we are wicked8 ,his simple presence is  

blessedness4 ,our marriage with the     
,lord should be so complete that nothing
 could attract our attention from ,him4 
,we shall speak best to men when we do  
not reflect on whom we are talking to4  
,speak always as if in the presence of  
,god1 where you must be if you would    
speak to benefit your neighbor4  ,if we 
are pure before ,god the eyes of men    
will never make us ashamed4  ,we must be
 blind to all things and have our single
 eye turned toward ,god when we would   
act in any manner upon earth--when we   
would heavenize it4  ,here ends the     
contemporary record of his life in      
,concord4 ,the next letters are dated at
 ,worcester2 the next entry in the diary
 at ,new ,york4 ,there remain1 however1 
some interesting allusions to it in the 
articles in this magazine of #ahhg      
concerning ,dr4 ,brownson1 and some     
conversations1 still more graphic1 in   
the pages of the memoranda4             
,,chapter ,,xvi  ,,at ,,the ,,door ,,of 
,,the ,,church--,,continued  ,,the first

 ,bishop of ,boston1 ,john ,louis de    
,cheverus1 who left that diocese to     
become successively the ,bishop of      
,montauban and the ,cardinal-,archbishop
 of ,bordeaux1 was1 in the strictest    
sense1 a missionary during his ,american
 episcopate4 ,thoroughly ,french in     
blood1 in training1 in manners1 and in  
zeal1 his penetrating intelligence not  
less than his saintly life and his      
tireless charity recommended him to men 
of all creeds and of none4 ,his         
departure from ,boston was regarded by  
all its citizens as a public misfortune1
 and by himself as cause for profound   
personal sorrow4 ,he had learned there a
 lesson of liberty which he found it    
hard to forget when he went away4 ,one  
of his biographers records that ,charles
 ,x41 whose offer to make him ,minister 
of ,ecclesiastical ,affairs ,cheverus   
had declined1 once questioned him       
concerning the liberty enjoyed by the   
,church in the ,united ,states4 ,there1 
said the archbishop in reply4 ,i could  

have established missions in every      
church1 founded seminaries in every     
quarter1 and confided them to the care  
of ,jesuits without any one thinking or 
saying aught against my proceedings2 all
 opposition to them would have been     
regarded as an act of despotism and a   
violation of right4 ,that people        
understand liberty1 at least1 returned  
the king2 when will it be understood    
among us8  ,we have spoken of ,bishop   
,cheverus because1 at the time of ,isaac
 ,hecker's acquaintance with his        
successors1 his influence was still felt
 in ,boston4  ,his immediate successor  
was ,benedict ,joseph ,fenwick1 a       
,marylander1 descended in direct line   
from one of the original ,english       
,catholic pilgrims who founded that     
colony under ,lord ,baltimore4 ,during  
his episcopate the diocese grew         
amazingly4 ,when he went to it1 in      
#ahbf1 although it comprised the whole  
of ,new ,england1 it contained but two  
churches fit for divine service1 and    

only two priests besides himself4 ,when 
he died1 in #ahdf1 he left behind him   
two bishoprics where there had been but 
one2 while in that of ,boston alone     
there were then fifty churches1 served  
by as many priests4 ,although           
conversions had not been rare1 the      
increase was mainly due to immigration1 
which the great famine in ,ireland was  
speedily to increase4 ,the efforts of   
,bishop ,fenwick and those of his       
coadjutor and successor were1 in the    
nature of things1 conservative rather   
than aggressive4  ,bishop ,fitzpatrick1 
also1 was ,american by birth and        
training4 ,a native of ,boston1 he was  
reared in its public grammar and ,latin 
schools until the age of seventeen1 when
 he began his studies for the           
priesthood1 which he finished in        
,france4 ,both of these prelates        
continued the tradition of ,cheverus so 
far as their own persons were concerned4
 ,but while they easily won and retained
 the respect of their more intelligent  

,protestant fellow-citizens1 the        
confidence they inspired as men was not 
ample enough to protect the ,church over
 which they ruled when once it began to 
show signs of solid prosperity4         
,cheverus was not wrong in counting with
 assurance upon ,american love for and  
understanding of true liberty1 but he   
doubtless owed more than he thought at  
the time to the insignificance and      
scanty numbers of his flock4 ,there came
 a period1 even in the career of his    
immediate successor1 when liberty itself
 seemed but a feeble sapling which a    
strong wind of stupid bigotry might     
avail to root out and cast away2 while  
the chronicle of ,bishop ,fitzpatrick's 
episcopate contains the record of       
convents invaded under forms of law1 and
 of both convents and churches sacked   
and burned by ,native ,american mobs1   
who were secure of their immunity from  
punishment4 ,such outrages1 witnessed by
 the second and third ,bishops of       
,boston1 and the incessant conflict to  

which they were compelled with the      
bigotry which caused them and which     
protected their perpetrators1           
predisposed both them and their clergy  
to a distrustful attitude toward        
converts like ,brownson and ,hecker1 in 
whom ,american traits of character were 
very conspicuous4 ,dr4 ,brownson has    
recorded in ,the ,convert1 p4 #cgd1 the 
fact that his entrance into the ,church 
was delayed for months by his fear of   
explaining to ,bishop ,fitzpatrick the  
precise road by which he had approached 
it4 ,he says3  ,i really thought that ,i
 had made some philosophical discoveries
 which would be of value even to        
,catholic theologians in convincing and 
converting unbelievers1 and ,i dreaded  
to have them rejected by the ,catholic  
bishop4 ,but ,i perceived almost        
instantly that he either was ignorant of
 my doctrine of life or placed no       
confidence in it2 and ,i felt that he   
was far more likely1 bred as he had been
 in a different philosophical school    

from myself1 to oppose than to accept4  
,i had1 indeed1 however highly ,i       
esteemed the doctrine1 no special       
attachment to it for its own sake1 and  
could1 so far as it was concerned1 give 
it up at a word without a single regret2
 but1 if ,i rejected or waived it1 what 
reason had ,i for regarding the ,church 
as authoritative for natural reason1 or 
for recognizing any authority in the    
bishop himself to teach me8 ,here was   
the difficulty4 4 4 4 ,my trouble was   
great1 and the bishop could not relieve 
me1 for ,i dared not disclose to him its
 source4  ,the reader will understand   
that we do not compare the course of    
,bishop ,fitzpatrick in ,brownson's case
 with that taken by him toward ,isaac   
,hecker4 ,the latter was a young man1   
unknown to the bishop save by what he   
may have said of his own antecedents1   
while ,brownson was a well-known        
publicist1 concerning whom some reserve 
was natural and prudent4  ,with ,bishop 
,fenwick1 who was already in failing    

health1 the new candidate for admission 
to the fold seems to have had very      
little intercourse4 ,as we have seen1   
the journal makes only a passing        
reference to him1 but is more explicit  
with regard to his coadjutor4 ,certain  
points in their interview which remained
 ever fresh in his memory were1 at the  
time1 cast into the shade by his deep   
preoccupation with what may1 perhaps1 be
 called the spiritual as distinguished  
from the intellectual side of the       
,church4 ,that in her which makes her   
the tender and bountiful mother of the  
simple was what chiefly attracted him1  
just as others are mainly drawn to her  
as the adequate teacher and guide of the
 intellect4 ,if he found the door at    
which he was knocking something hard in 
turning on its hinges2 if the vestibule 
into which he was ushered seemed a      
trifle narrower than he had expected at 
the entrance of a temple so world-wide2 
his satisfaction at having determined   
upon entrance made all other            

considerations for the moment dwindle4  
,but that the impressions he received   
were permanent1 in their suggestiveness 
at least1 is witnessed by an article in 
this magazine for ,april1 #ahhg1        
entitled ,dr4 ,brownson and ,bishop     
,fitzpatrick1 as well as by the several 
references to this period which occur in
 the memoranda4  ,in the article just   
named ,father ,hecker threw into a      
paragraph or two1 which we subjoin1 the 
substance of his first1 and perhaps at  
this time his only1 interview with      
,bishop ,fitzpatrick3  ,it was always   
difficult to detect how much of         
conviction and how much of banter there 
was in his treatment of men engaged in  
the actual intellectual movement of our 
times4 ,i found such to be the case in  
my own intercourse with him4 ,he always 
attacked me in a bantering way1 but1 ,i 
thought1 half in earnest too4 ,hence ,i 
never found it advisable to enter into  
argument with him4 ,how can you argue   
with a man1 a brilliant wit and an      

accomplished theologian1 who continually
 flashes back and forth between first   
principles and witticisms8 ,when ,i     
would undertake to grapple with him on  
first principles he would throw me off  
with a joke1 and while ,i was parrying  
the joke he was back again upon first   
principles4  ,an illustration of his way
 of treating men and questions was his  
reception of me when ,i presented myself
 to him1 some months before ,dr4        
,brownson did1 for reception into the   
,church4 ',what truths were the         
stepping-stones that led you here8' he  
would have asked if he had had the      
temperament of the apostle4 ,but instead
 of searching for truth in me he began  
to search for error4 ,i had lived with  
the ,brook ,farm ,community and with the
 ,fruitlands ,community1 and before that
 had been a member of a ,workingman's   
party in ,new ,york ,city1 in all which 
organizations the right of private      
ownership of property had been a prime  
question4 4 4 4 ,but1 as for my part1 at

 the time ,bishop ,fitzpatrick wanted me
 to purge myself of communism1 ,i had   
settled the question in my own mind1 and
 on principles which ,i afterwards found
 to be ,catholic4 ,the study and        
settlement of the question of ownership 
was one of the things that led me into  
the ,church1 and ,i am not a little     
surprised that what was a door to lead  
me into the ,church seems at this day to
 be a door to lead some others out4 ,but
 when the bishop attacked me about it1  
it was no longer with me an actual      
question4 ,i had settled the question of
 private ownership in harmony with      
,catholic principles1 or ,i should not  
have dared to present myself as a       
convert4 ,but ,i mention this because it
 illustrates ,bishop ,fitzpatrick's     
character4  ,his was1 indeed1 a         
first-class mind both in natural gifts  
and acquired cultivation1 but his       
habitual bearing was that of suspicion  
of error2 as man and prelate he had a   
joyful readiness to search it out and   

correct it from his own point of view4  
,he was a type of mind common then and  
not uncommon now--the embodiment of a   
purpose to refute error1 and to refute  
it by condemnation direct1 authoritative
 even if argumentative3 the other type  
of mind would seek for truth amidst the 
error1 establish its existence1 applaud 
it1 and endeavor to make it a basis for 
further truth and a fulcrum for the     
overthrow of the error connected with   
it4  ,it will be seen1 then1 what kind  
of man ,dr4 ,brownson first met as the  
official exponent of ,catholicity1 one  
hardly capable of properly understanding
 and dealing with a mind like his2 for  
he was one who had come into the        
possession of the full truth not so much
 from hatred of error as from love of   
truth4 ,brownson's soul was intensely   
faithful to its personal convictions1   
faithful unto heroism--for that is the  
temper of men who seek the whole truth  
free from cowardice1 or narrowness1 or  
bias4 ,he has admitted that the effect  

of his intercourse with the bishop was  
not fortunate4 ,he confesses that he    
forced him to adopt a line of public    
controversy foreign to his genius1 and  
one which had not brought him into the  
,church1 and perhaps could not have done
 so4  ,the memoranda contain a more     
familiar account of this interview3  ,i 
presented myself for instruction and    
reception into the ,church at the       
episcopal residence1 and was received by
 the old bishop1 ,fenwick4 ,he          
questioned me on the essential doctrines
 and found me as ,i was2 that is1 firm  
as a rock and perfectly clear in my     
belief4 ,then he said1 ',you had better 
see ,bishop ,john4' ,i did so4 ,he tried
 to get me started on questions of      
modern theology such as he suspected ,i 
might be 7as he would doubtless think1  
knowing my antecedents7 unsound on2 for 
example1 rights of property1 etc4 ,i    
refused to speak my sentiments on them4 
,i said ,i had no difficulties about    
anything to submit to him4 ,i knew the  

,catholic faith and wished to be        
received into the ,church at once4 ,i   
had come seeking the means to save my   
soul1 and ,i wanted nothing from him but
 to be prepared for baptism4  ,more     
interesting than either of these        
narrations is the following             
conversation1 recorded on ,july #d1     
#ahhd4 ,besides furnishing a very       
explicit answer to a question which may 
occur to some minds1 as to why a man who
 always took such a hopeful view of     
human nature as ,isaac ,hecker did1     
should not have been repelled from      
,catholicity by the doctrine of original
 sin1 it adds some further particulars  
to the meagre array of facts in our     
possession3  ,suppose1 he was asked1    
that the deliverances of the ,council of
 ,trent on original sin1 and the        
theories of ,bellarmine on that         
doctrine1 had been offered you during   
your transition period3 what would you  
have thought of them8  ,i would have    
received them readily enough4 ,why1 the 

book ,i took to ,concord to study was   
the ,catechism of the ,council of       
,trent1 which has the strongest kind of 
statement of that doctrine4             
,bellarmine's formula of nudus and      
nudatus would have opened my eyes       
amazingly to a solution of the whole    
difficulty499  99 ,reference is here    
made to a very famous saying of         
,bellarmine's in explanation of a       
prevalent teaching on original sin4     
,according to that teaching1 if ,adam   
had been originally constituted in a    
state of pure nature1 devoid of         
supernatural gifts and graces1 his      
spiritual condition might be described  
as naked--nudus4 ,on the other hand1 man
 as now born is nudatus1 stripped of    
those gifts and graces1 suffering the   
penal privation of them on account of   
,adam's sin4  ,the corruption of nature1
 says ,bellarmine1 does not come from   
the want of any natural gift1 or from   
the accession of any evil quality1 but  
simply from the loss of a supernatural  

gift on account of ,adam's sin4  ,the   
,catechism of the ,council of ,trent1 to
 which ,father ,hecker so often refers1 
was the very best book he could have had
 for learning just what ,catholicity is 
in doctrine and practice4 ,it is unique 
in ,catholic literature1 being the only 
authoritative expression of the ,church1
 in extended form1 on matters of        
pastoral theology4 ,outside the dogmatic
 circle of doctrinal definition it      
enjoys the fullest and most distinct    
authorization4 ,the express command of  
the council caused it to be prepared by 
a special congregation of prelates and  
divines1 and it was promulgated to the  
episcopate to be translated into the    
language of the people and expounded to 
them by all pastors4 ,it may be said of 
it that it is the only book which has   
the ,catholic ,church for its author4   
,it is a book which never can grow old2 
and in witness of that perennial        
quality1 it may be mentioned that       
,cardinal ,newman said that he never    

preached without using it in            
preparation4 ,it is an exponent of      
,catholic truth absolutely free from the
 danger of private1 or national1 or     
racial1 or traditional bias--the very   
book ,isaac ,hecker was in need of4 ,its
 plentiful use of ,scripture2 its       
confident appeal to antiquity2 its      
perfect clearness2 its completeness2 its
 tone of conviction no less than its    
attitude of authority2 make it to such  
minds as his the very all-sufficient    
organ of truth4 ,furthermore1 the entire
 system of doctrine and morals known to 
revealed religion finds here its        
adequate exposition4 ,we are glad of an 
occasion to say these words1 not merely 
to chronicle the usefulness of the book 
to ,father ,hecker1 but also to         
recommend its restoration to its proper 
place1 which both by merit and by       
authority is the first in the moral and 
pastoral literature of the ,church4     
,the truth is1 continue the memoranda1  
that original sin as taught by the      

,church would never have been a great   
difficulty to me3 of course the         
,calvinistic doctrine is quite a        
different affair4  ,i was led1 after ,i 
got to work at the ,catechism of the    
,council of ,trent1 in a way quite      
positive4 ,for example1 one thing ,i    
wanted was a satisfaction of that       
feeling and sentiment which has made so 
many persons ,spiritualists4 ,i found   
that in the ,church there was no        
impassable barrier dividing the living  
from the departed4 ,that was an intense 
delight to me499 ,the doctrine of       
penance1 and the forgiveness of sins in 
the ,sacrament of ,penance1 had a       
wonderful beauty as soon as ,i found    
them4 ,to be taught that ,god had       
somehow given men power to dispense ,his
 graces and mercies made me say1 ,oh1   
how delightful a doctrine that is1 if ,i
 only could believe it6 ,the doctrine of
 the ,communion of ,saints and that of  
the ,sacrament of ,penance were very    
pleasing to me4 ,hence1 ,i soon saw that

 what ,i already had of truth and light2
 what my best nature and conscience and 
my clearest natural knowledge told me   
was truth2 was but elevated and lifted  
up beyond all conception by these and   
other doctrines of the ,church4 ,from   
this ,i was soon in a position to       
appreciate the ,church's claim to       
authoritative teaching4 ,if she1 and she
 alone1 had taught such things1 she must
 possess ,god's teaching authority4  99 
,reference is here made to the ,catholic
 doctrine of the ,communion of ,saints4 
,when1 therefore1 ,i went into ,boston  
and saw ,bishop ,fitzpatrick 7who is    
now1 ,i hope1 in the kingdom of heaven71
 he had little to do with me in the way 
of instruction4 ,the ,trinity and other 
fundamental doctrines ,i accepted       
readily on the authority of the ,church4
 ,he was very anxious to argue with me  
about socialistic theories1 on account  
of my having been at ,brook ,farm and   
,fruitlands4 ,but ,i told him ,i had no 
such difficulties as he supposed2 that  

,i had only gone to these places in     
search of truth1 not because ,i had     
formed any such theories as they        
generally held4 ,he then asked me       
whether ,i would not prefer to be       
received into the ,church in ,new ,york1
 where my friends were4 ,i said ,i did  
not care2 if he would give me a letter  
,i would present it4 ,he gave me one to 
,bishop ,mc,closkey1 who was then       
coadjutor in this city4  ,the reader may
 be interested in the terms in which the
 ,catechism of the ,council of ,trent   
expresses the doctrine of the ,communion
 of ,saints4 ,so far as that doctrine   
concerns the spiritual side of man it is
 expounded in these words3  ,for the    
unity of the ,spirit1 by which the      
,church is governed1 establishes among  
all her members a community of spiritual
 blessings1 whereas the fruit of all the
 sacraments is common to all the        
faithful1 and these sacraments1         
particularly baptism1 the door1 as it   
were1 by which we are admitted into the 

,church1 are so many connecting links   
which bind and unite them to ,jesus     
,christ4  ,that it extends to the       
mystical and miraculous gifts so dear to
 ,father ,hecker1 was thus explained to 
him3  ,but the gifts which justify and  
endear us to ,god are not alone common3 
'graces gratuitously granted1' such as  
knowledge1 prophecy1 the gifts of       
tongues and of miracles1 and others of  
the same sort1 are common also1 and are 
granted even to the wicked2 not1        
however1 for their own1 but for the     
general good2 for the building up of the
 ,church of ,god4  ,that the doctrine is
 the foundation of a real though not a  
legal community of material goods1 was  
evident to our young social reformer    
from the following3  ,in fine1 every    
true ,christian possesses nothing which 
he should not consider common to all    
others with himself1 and should         
therefore be prepared promptly to       
relieve an indigent fellow-creature2 for
 he that is blessed with worldly goods1 

and sees his brother in want1 and will  
not assist him1 is at once convicted of 
not having the love of ,god within him4 
,besides giving him a letter to ,bishop 
,mc,closkey1 ,bishop ,fitzpatrick also  
furnished the young catechumen with one 
to the president of ,holy ,cross        
,college1 an institution which had been 
established at ,worcester1 ,mass41 in   
#ahdc by ,bishop ,fenwick1 and presented
 by him to the ,society of ,jesus1 of   
which he had been a member4 ,the        
following letter was written by ,isaac  
to his family after he had arrived      
there2 his stay was not long3           
,worcester1 ,mass41 ,june1              
'#dd--,respecting the purpose which     
leads me to ,new ,york ,i have scarcely 
a word to say4 ,quietly1 without        
excitement1 ,i come with an immovable   
determination to be joined to the ,roman
 ,catholic ,church4 ,there is a         
conviction which lies deeper than all   
thought or speech1 which moves me with  
an irresistible influence to take this  

step1 which arguments cannot reach1 nor 
any visible power make to falter4 ,words
 are powerless against it and           
inexpressive of it2 to attempt to       
explain1 or give to the intellectual    
mind the reasons why and wherefore1     
would be as impossible as to paint the  
heavens or to utter the eternal ,word1  
the centre of all existence4 ,it would  
be like asking1 ',wherefore is that     
which is8' the finite questioning the   
infinite2 an impossibility4 4 4 4  ,no  
man by his own wisdom can find out ,god2
 and it is only by the grace of ,heaven 
that we come to1 and by the heart       
perceive1 the true ,church of ,jesus    
,christ4 ,grace teaches us to feel and  
know that which before was unfelt1      
unknown1 invisible4 ,perfect submission 
to ,his love breaks open all seals1     
unlocks all mysteries1 and unfolds all  
difficulties4 4 4 4  ,no external event 
of any kind or character induces me to  
take this step4 ,if what does is        
delusion1 what to name my former life ,i

 am at a loss to know4 4 4  ,the heads  
of the college here appear to be men of 
good character1 devoted to the ,church1 
innocent of the ,protestant world of    
literature1 philosophy1 etc4 ,the       
president is a very social1 frank1      
warm-hearted man1 of more extensive     
acquaintance in the world of letters4   
,,chapter ,,xvii  ,,across ,,the        
,,threshold  ,,from ,worcester ,isaac   
went on to ,new ,york1 stopping on the  
way to make a brief visit to the        
,fourierite community in ,new ,jersey1  
known as the ,north ,american ,phalanx4 
,he probably had some personal          
acquaintances there whom he hoped to    
inoculate with his newly-found          
certitude4 ,he reached home ,june #bj1  
#ahdd1 and five days later presented his
 letter to ,bishop ,mc,closkey4         
,concerning the acquaintance then begun1
 which1 on the bishop's part1 soon took 
the form of a discerning and wise       
direction1 and eventually deepened into 
a life-long friendship1 we shall have   

more to say hereafter4 ,the diary       
chronicles their first meeting and gives
 the reason of the brief delay which    
ensued before ,isaac was admitted to    
conditional baptism4 ,the bulk of the   
entries made between this date and that 
of his formal reception into the        
,church1 the first of ,august1 contains 
spiritual doctrine of a kind so         
eminently characteristic of ,father     
,hecker throughout his life that we     
continue to make extracts from it3  ,new
 ,york1 ,june #be1 #ahdd4--,this morning
 ,i went to see ,bishop ,mc,closkey4 ,i 
found him a man of fine character1 mild 
disposition1 and of a broader education 
than any of the ,catholics ,i have had  
the pleasure of meeting4 ,he was        
acquainted with ,brownson's writings and
 ,emerson's1 and personally knew ,mr4   
,channing1 whom he had met at ,rome4 ,he
 loaned me some books on matters        
pertaining to the ,church4 ,he is to be 
gone for a fortnight from ,new ,york1   
and ,i am to wait until he comes back   

before ,i take any further steps toward 
being united with the ,church4  ,july   
#e1 #ahdd4--;,it is the duty of every   
man to do that which expresses the      
divine life which stirs within him1 and 
to do nothing which is inconformable to 
it4 ,so far as he falls short of this1  
so far he falls short of his duty1 his  
perfection1 and divine beauty4 ,i think 
we may say with very great certainty    
that this is the only way to obtain     
happiness in this world and eternal     
felicity in the world to come4 ,it is to
 this ,god calls us1 but we--no1 not    
truly we1 but the ,man of ,sin--flatter 
ourselves1 as he did ,eve1 that if we   
follow him we shall not die but become  
as gods4 ,we1 to-day1 have the same     
temptation to overcome that ,eve had4   
,oh1 how much greater ,god would have us
 be than we are1 and we will not6 ,we   
must cast out the ,man of ,sin and      
submit to the ,paradisiacal ,man4 ,this 
we are enabled to do1 blessed be        
,heaven1 by the grace of ,god through   

,jesus ,christ4  ,what are the          
temptations which hold men back from    
following ,god and leading a divine     
life8 ,in one word1 the ,world4 ,pride1 
love of praise1 riches1 self-indulgence1
 all that refers and looks to time      
instead of eternity1 heaven1 ,god4  ,we 
should encourage all that gives us an   
impulse heavenward1 and deny all that   
tends to draw us down more into the     
body1 sense1 time4 ,man1 alas6 is weak1 
powerless1 and unable to perform any    
good deed which will raise him to ,god  
without the free gift1 the blessed grace
 of ,god the ,holy ,spirit4 ,we all fail
 to act up to the divine grace which is 
given us4 ,o ,lord6 forgive my manifold 
transgressions1 and empower me to be    
more and more obedient to thy ,holy     
,spirit4 ,my inward man desires to      
follow ,thy ,spirit1 but the appetites  
of my members ever war against and often
 subdue him4 ,strengthen him1 ,o ,lord6 
and enable him to govern my whole       
three-sphered nature4 ,send down ,thy   

celestial love into my heart and quicken
 all my heavenly powers4  ,it is very   
true that no man can serve two masters4 
,between ,god and ,mammon there is no   
compromise1 no mediator4 ,lord1 make me 
fully sensible of this1 and strengthen  
my resolution to follow ,thee4 ,i do    
look to the ,church of ,christ for help4
 ,oh1 may ,i find in it that which the  
,apostles found in ,jesus6  ,we cannot  
refrain from reminding the reader of the
 immature age1 and almost total lack of 
education--in the ordinary meaning of   
the term--of the man who wrote these    
lofty and inspiring sentences4 ,he was  
ignorant of everything but the most     
rudimentary truths of ,catholicity2 had 
never read an ascetic work2 had never   
spoken on ascetical subjects with       
,catholics2 had never read the life of a
 saint2 and had no experience to draw   
from except his own4 ,yet mark the      
absolute certainty of his propositions  
and their uniform correctness4 ,it      
should also be made known that these    

doctrines and sentiments1 though written
 with the most evident haste1 follow    
each other1 page after page1 without an 
erasure or a correction4 ,the truths    
which had dropped upon his mind were1   
indeed1 rudimentary1 but so well adapted
 was the soil to receive the seed that  
the fruit was instant and mature4       
,seldom has spontaneity so well approved
 itself by its utterances4  ,july       
#f4-,the immediate effect of            
,christianity upon humanity has been to 
increase man's sensibility to the       
objects of the spiritual world4 ,poetry1
 music1 the fine arts1 are ennobling and
 spiritualizing only so far as they     
appeal to the nature of man divinized by
 the influence of the ,divinity4        
,previous to the coming of ,christ the  
tendency of the arts was1 on the whole1 
rather to encourage licentiousness and  
sin than to elevate and refine human    
nature4 ,the tendency of ,christianity  
was to restore man to his primitive     
gracefulness1 excellence1 and beauty4   

,hence the expression of man in art--or1
 rather1 of the divinity in man--became 
purer and more beautiful in its         
character4 4 4 4  ,in affirming ,jesus  
to be the basis and life of modern      
civilization1 nothing is detracted from 
the great and good men who preceded     
,him2 nor is it denied that they have   
left traces of their genius upon modern 
society4  ,when we speak of ,jesus as   
,god1 we affirm ,him to be the ,source  
of all inspiration1 from whom all1      
ancient and modern1 have derived their  
life1 genius1 goodness1 and divine      
beauty4  ,jesus quickened the spiritual 
powers of the soul which were deadened  
by the fall1 and man again saw heaven1  
and angels descending and ascending to  
the throne of ineffable ,love4  ,all the
 promises of ,jesus refer to gifts of   
spiritual power over inanimate matter1  
the animal creation1 and the ,man of    
,sin4  ,jesus came to give a spiritual  
life which would generate all knowledge 
and physical well-being4 ,he came1 not  

to teach a system of philosophy1 however
 useful that might be2 not to direct man
 how to procure food for his physical   
existence with the least possible       
exercise of physical strength1 however  
necessary this might seem4 ,but ,he came
 to give man a new nature which shall   
more than do all this2 which will not   
only secure his well-being here1 but his
 eternal felicity hereafter4  ,as we    
rise above our time nature1 and are     
united with our eternal nature1 we feel 
more and more our indebtedness to       
,christ4 ,it was to this ,he called us  
in all ,his words1 and now calls us in  
the ,spirit4 4 4 4  ,so long as low     
appetites are cherished1 and selfish    
passions harbored1 and vanity allowed a 
seat in our bosoms1 so long will men be 
slaves to their stomachs1 backs1 and    
business4 ,every quickening of our      
sensibility toward love1 heaven1 equity1
 will lead us to change our             
circumstances so as to make them        
conformable to our new inward life4  ,it

 is for us to be true to ,god1 however  
unlike the world we may seem4 ,it is in 
silence1 in private1 alone1 that deeds  
can be done which shall outstrip those  
of the ,alexanders and ,napoleons in    
their eternal effects4  ,july #g4--;,all
 that we contend for is that man should 
obey ,god1 and co-operate in ,his work  
with his will and not against it4       
,interior submission to the ,love       
,spirit is the answer to all questions  
concerning man's welfare1 here and      
hereafter4 ,whatever a man is led to do 
in obedience to it is well done and     
godlike1 though it lead him to offer up 
his only dear son4  ,we do say1 with    
great emphasis1 that nothing under      
heaven should prevent a man from        
following ,god4 ,unless a man can give  
up all and follow ,christ1 he is none of
 ,his4  ,every true man is a genius4    
,all genius is religious4  ,the         
objective forms of genius are the       
expressions of the beautiful1 the good1 
and the true2 in one word--,god4  ,he is

 a genius in whom the beautiful1 the    
good1 and the true permanently inhabit4 
4 4  ,the genius in every work of art is
 religious1 whatever the subject may be4
  ,we repeat that every man is called to
 give expression to the highest1 best1  
divinest in him2 and to this1 and to    
this only is he called4  ,we add that   
the ,catholic ,church is the medium of  
this divine life1 and that she has      
nurtured and encouraged men of genius in
 her bosom as a fond mother4  ,we do not
 mean to say that the ,church has       
converted men of ordinary stamp into    
geniuses1 but that she has given the    
highest inspiration to the inborn       
capacity of genius1 and so1 to men thus 
gifted1 has been the means by which they
 have become more than they could have  
been without her3 so1 also1 with the    
most ordinary men4  ,we affirm that the 
influence of ,protestantism upon the    
business world has been to make it much 
more unchristian than it was in the     
middle ages under the influence of      

,catholicism4  ,at this period1 when    
,isaac ,hecker's search had ceased1 but 
when he had not yet entered into        
complete and formal possession of the   
truth1 we find him looking back at his  
past almost as if it were a thing in    
which his interest was but curious and  
impersonal4 ,the thought of writing a   
history of it occurred to him1 and he   
jotted down some brief notes1 and made a
 partial collection of such letters and 
other memoranda1 apart from the diary1  
as he found to have been preserved by   
his family4 ,but this scheme was merely 
one of the occupations with which he    
beguiled the necessary delay imposed on 
him by ,bishop ,mc,closkey's absence4   
,one can easily believe that the plan he
 proposed to himself has deeply         
interested the present writer1 who1     
though regretting that it was not       
followed out by ,isaac ,hecker himself1 
has yet been enabled by the diary and   
the letters to measurably fulfil its    
purpose4 ,he divided it into five       

periods1 and1 with a reminiscence of    
,wilhelm ,meister1 called it his        
,wanderjahr3  ,the first should be named
 ,youth1 and give the ideal and the     
actual in youth4  ,the second should be 
the struggle between the ideal and the  
actual4  ,the third should be the       
mastery and supremacy of the ideal over 
the actual and material4  ,the fourth   
should give the absolute union of the   
ideal and the eternal-absolute in their 
unconditioned existence4  ,the fifth    
should give the eventual one-ness of the
 ideal-absolute with humanity and       
nature4  ,under these five heads ,i have
 in mind materials sufficient to make a 
volume1 but lack the close application  
necessary to connect them4 ,i do not say
 it would be readable when done4 ,it    
would be the esoteric and exoteric      
history of my own life for ten years4 4 
4  ,i would open the first chapter thus3
 ,let men say what they will1 ,god above
 us1 the human soul1 and all surrounding
 nature1 are great realities1 eternal1  

solemn1 joyous facts of human           
experience4  ,in the fine passage that  
follows we have an anticipation of the  
prominent modern conception of          
,christianity1 as a developing force in 
the history of man--closing an epoch and
 introducing a new species2 or1 as      
,father ,hecker would have said in later
 years1 raising man from his natural    
position as a creature of ,god to true  
sonship with ,him through affiliation   
with ,jesus ,christ4 ,the thought1 as it
 stands in the diary1 is eminently      
characteristic of ,isaac ,hecker1 who   
always felt1 in a measure beyond what is
 ordinary1 his solidarity with all his  
kind1 and a longing to keep in step with
 them on the line of their direct       
advance3  ,july #ab4--,we make no       
question that ,god gave to all nations1 
previous to the birth of ,jesus ,christ1
 ,his beloved and only ,son1            
dispensations of light and love in their
 great men1 and led them from time to   
time to the stage of civilization to    

which they arrived4 ,the ,christian     
affirms that ,god is the ,parent of     
humanity1 the ,father of every human    
being499 ,it would be in direct         
contradiction to his faith to deny this4
 ,but ,jesus ,christ came to introduce a
 new life1 whose light and love should  
so surpass all that had been before ,him
 as to make it appear as darkness by    
contrast4 ,this life makes no war       
against the good and true that already  
existed in men1 but it embraces1        
includes1 and fulfils it all1 and then  
adds more than men had dared to dream   
before ,his coming4 ,that ,christianity 
is of this high character1 not only did 
its ,author show by the example of ,his 
life and death1 but it has shown itself 
to be so wherever it has come in contact
 with any of the older forms of         
religious faith and doctrine4 ,it has   
exhibited a power that is superior to1  
and which overcomes1 all that arrays    
itself against it4 ,we do not deny that 
,zoroaster1 ,pythagoras1 ,plato1        

,socrates1 ,zeno1 ,cato1 etc41 were     
good1 great1 and religious men1 above   
the age in which they lived1 and        
inspired be a life not only superior to 
that of their time but above that of a  
great part of ,christendom1 so-called4  
,but we say that ,christ gave to the    
world a life infinitely above theirs1   
and that1 had they been ,his            
contemporaries1 or ours1 they would have
 been as far superior to their actual   
selves as the inspiration of            
,christianity is superior to that under 
which they lived4  99 ,as some also of  
your own poets said3 ,for we are also   
,his offspring4 ,being1 therefore1 the  
offspring of ,god1 we must not suppose  
the ,divinity to be like unto gold or   
silver or stone1 the graving of art and 
the device of man4 7,acts #ag3bh1 #bi7  
,although there is authority for saying 
that the business partnership between   
,isaac ,hecker and his brothers was not 
formally dissolved until he went away to
 ,belgium in #ahdi1 he seems never to   

have resumed any active share in it     
after his return from ,concord4 ,now and
 again the old scruples about this      
apparent inactivity returned upon him1  
and we find him contracting his personal
 needs within a compass so narrow that  
his support shall be felt as the least  
possible burden4 ,thus he writes1 on    
,july #ac1 that his present state of    
suspension from all outward engagements 
cannot and should not be of long        
continuance4 ,he adds3  ,it is a clear  
and bounden duty that every one should  
in some way or other compensate the     
world for that which he consumes from   
its store4 ,but ,i do not see how ,i can
 do this consistently with the present  
state of my mind4 ,to be sure ,i have   
contracted my wants as respects eating  
as far as seems possible to me2 somewhat
 in dress1 but not as far as ,i should  
and can do4 ,as for pleasures and many  
other causes of expenditure1 ,i trust ,i
 am not immoderate4 ,in this part of the
 world ,i do not see any prepared1      

congenial conditions4 ,if ,i were in    
,europe1 ,i should find in the ,catholic
 ,church institutions which ,i could    
enter for a time1 until this period of  
my life would either fix itself         
permanently1 or give place to another in
 which ,i could see my way more clearly4
 ,but here ,i am1 and not in ,europe4   
,some thoughts have arisen in my mind1  
and ,i will state them1 as to what may  
come at some future time within the     
range of the possible3  ,if ,i am joined
 to the ,catholic ,church1 and there is 
such an institution in ,europe1 may ,i  
not go there and live for a time8 ,ah6  
is this possible8  ,if we owned a spot  
of ground1 ,i would be willing to go on 
it and engage as much of my time as     
possible in cultivating and improving   
it4  ,lastly1 ,i do not know what effect
 the advice and influence of the        
,catholic ,church may have upon my mind1
 and do have a slight hope that ,i may  
find the exact remedy that ,i need in my
 union with her4  ,i feel the assurance 

that if ,i follow the ,spirit of ,god1  
and place all my confidence in it1 it   
will do for me what ,i dare not hope to 
do for myself4  ,a day or two later he  
jots down1 casually as it were1 one of  
those profound observations which are   
like pointers to his whole career4      
,occurring at this early period1 when1  
as the reader may see hereafter1 the    
germs of all his later thought and work 
were beginning to unfold1 they are like 
rifts in the darkness which seemed to   
himself to lie about his future1 and    
show plainly to the student of his life 
how straight and secure his path was    
amidst it all4 ,he had been counselling 
himself to patience and entire reliance 
upon ,god's providence while waiting the
 opportunity to create or procure the   
circumstances necessary to the          
expression of his own individuality4 ,he
 felt that this was the especial task to
 which all men were called4 ,to use his 
own words3  ,it is for this we are      
created2 that we may give a new and     

individual expression of the absolute in
 our own peculiar character4 ,as soon as
 the new is but the re-expression of the
 old1 ,god ceases to live4 ,ever the    
mystery is revealed in each new birth4  
,so must it be to eternity4 ,the        
,eternal-,absolute is ever creating new 
forms of expressing itself4  ,in the    
next chapter we shall have occasion to  
give ,father ,hecker's choice of an     
epitaph for ,dr4 ,brownson4 ,we think   
that the sentences just quoted are      
worthy to be his own4  ,in the middle of
 ,july ,bishop ,mc,closkey returned to  
,new ,york1 and ,isaac waited upon him  
without delay4 ,their first long        
conversation made it plain to the bishop
 that the young man had very little need
 of further preliminary instruction1 and
 it was settled that conditional baptism
 should be administered to him within a 
fortnight4 ,that the nature of ,isaac   
,hecker's vocation also revealed itself 
to this prudent adviser is also evident 
from this entry1 made in the diary as   

soon as the visit was ended3  ,he said  
that my life would lead me to           
contemplation1 and that in this country 
the ,church was so situated as to       
require them all to be active4 ,i did   
not speak further on this subject with  
him4 ,he asked whether ,i felt like     
devoting myself to the order of the     
priesthood1 and undergoing their        
discipline1 self-denial1 etc41 and      
becoming a missionary4 ,i answered that 
all ,i could say was that ,i wished to  
live the life given me1 and felt like   
sacrificing all things to this2 but     
could not say that the priesthood would 
be the proper place for me4  ,i feel    
that if1 for a certain length of time1  
and under the discipline of the ,church1
 ,i could have the conditions for       
leading the life of contemplation1 it   
would be what the ,spirit now demands4  
,whether ,i shall not be compelled back 
to this if ,i attempt to follow some    
other way1 ,i am not perfectly sure4    
,the bishop intimated that in ,europe   

there were brotherhoods congenial to the
 state of mind that ,i am in4 ,if so1   
and ,i could remain there for a certain 
length of time1 why should ,i not go8 ,i
 will inquire further about it when next
 ,i speak with the bishop4  ,there is a 
college at ,fordham where there is to be
 a commencement to-morrow1 which the    
bishop invited me to go and see4        
,perhaps ,i shall find this place to be 
suitable1 and may be led to examine and 
try it4 ,the ,lord knows all2 into ,his 
hands ,i resign myself4  ,his           
impressions of the ,catholic college at 
,fordham he does not record4 ,the next  
entry in the diary is1 as usual1 taken  
up with the large topics which for the  
most part excluded particular incidents 
from mention4 ,what his strict          
abstinence from permitted pleasures1 and
 the rigorous self-discipline which he  
had so long practised1 meant to himself1
 may be partly gathered from the extract
 we are about to give4 ,he says he does 
not call such denial1  in strict        

language1 the denial of our true1       
,god-created1 immortal self1 but the    
denial of that which is not myself1 but 
which has usurped the place of my true1 
eternal1 heavenly1 ,adamic being4 ,it is
 the restoration of that defaced image  
of ,god to its primitive divine beauty1 
grace1 and sweetness4 ,we must feel and 
possess the love and light from above   
before we have the disposition and power
 to deny the body and the wisdom of this
 world4 ,if we have the ,christ-spirit1 
we will fulfil the ,christ-commands4    
,thus was it with man prior to his      
spiritual death1 his fall4 ,he lived in 
and enjoyed ,god1 and was in communion  
and society with angels1 not knowing    
good and evil4 ,his life was            
spontaneous2 his wisdom intuitive2 he   
was unconscious of it1 even as we would 
be of light were there no darkness4 ,we 
should see it and be recipients of all  
its blessings without knowing its       
existence4 ,but darkness came1 and man  
knew4 ,alas6 in knowing he lost all that

 he possessed before4  ,jesus came to   
restore man to that eternal day from    
which ,adam fell4  ,about this time he  
mentions having spent a day in the woods
 with some friends1 at ,fort ,lee2 it is
 the only allusion we find to any sort  
of recreation or companionship with     
others4 ,he sat alone for an hour1 he   
says1 in a pleasant spot which          
overlooked the ,hudson and the high     
,palisade rocks1 and seemed to be in    
communion with the infinite invisible   
all around in all the deep avenues of   
the soul4  ,four days before his baptism
 comes this anticipation of it3  ,new   
,york1 ,july #bg1 '#dd4--;,i have       
commenced acting4 ,my union with the    
,catholic ,church is my first real1 true
 act4 ,and it is no doubt the forerunner
 of many more--of an active life4       
,heretofore ,i did not see or feel in me
 the grounds upon which ,i could act    
with permanence and security4 ,i now do2
 and on this basis my future life will  
be built4 ,what my actions may be1 ,i   

care not4 ,it was this deep eternal     
certainty within ,i did wish to feel1   
and ,i am now conscious that the lack of
 it was the reason for my inactivity4   
,with this guide ,i ask no other1 nor do
 ,i feel the need of the support of     
friends1 or kindred1 or the world4      
,alone it is sufficient for me1 though  
it contradicts the advice of my friends 
and all my former life4 ,it certainly   
seems to me absolute3 if any error      
arises it will be from my disobedience4 
,july #cj4--,the inward voice becomes   
more and more audible4 ,it says3 ',i    
am--obey6'  ,the new clothes itself in  
new dress4  ,what proof does a man give 
that he is if he does only what has been
 done8  ,can a man repeat the past with 
genius8  ,one true act opens the passage
 to ten more4  ,man is left to his own  
destiny2 religion but sanctifies it4    
,when the day comes at last1 the        
,sacrament itself gets only the briefest
 chronicle4 ,the door seems but a door4 
,passing through it1 he finds himself at

 home1 and apparently without one       
quickening of the pulse1 or any         
cessation of his desire to penetrate all
 its secret chambers4 ,the explanation  
of this is to be looked for in the      
presumption that his baptism in infancy 
had been valid4 ,it was conferred by a  
,lutheran minister who must have been   
trained in ,germany1 and whose          
methodical adherence to the proper form 
might be counted on4 ,in the sight of   
,god1 doubtless1 he had never since been
 outside the ,church4 ,he was like a    
child stolen from the cradle1 but in    
whom racial and family traits had been  
superior to an uncongenial environment4 
,friday1 ,august #a1 #ahdd1 #a          
,p4,m4--,this morning we were baptized  
by ,bishop ,mc,closkey4 ,to-morrow we   
attend the tribunal of confession4      
,then he mentions a curious fact which  
recalls a similar experience of ,st4    
,catherine of ,genoa3 ,we know not why  
it is we feel an internal necessity of  
using the plural pronoun instead of the 

singular4  ,but if conditional baptism  
left him silent1 the ,sacrament he      
certainly received the following day    
opened the flood-gates of his speech3   
,august #b4--,penance6 joy6 unbounded   
love6 ,sweet ,jesus1 ,thy love is       
infinite6 ,blessed faith6 sweet love6 ,i
 possess an internal glory1 a glowing   
flame of love6 ,let my whole life be one
 act of penance6 ,o dear ,jesus1 the    
life-giver6 ,oh1 what a sweet thing it  
is to be in the way of loveful grace6   
,jesus1 keep me near ,thee6 ,oh1 how    
great a condescension1 ,jesus is my     
,friend6 ,oh6 who has the conception of 
,jesus being his ,friend8 ,o ancient    
faith1 how dear1 how good is ,god in    
giving us sinners thee6 ,blessed is the 
grace of ,god that leadeth sinners to   
thee6 ,oh1 how thou hast comforted the  
soul6 ,it would turn from thee1 but thou
 strengthenest it4 ,the cup was bitter1 
but infinitely more sweet is the joy    
thou givest4 ,my soul is clothed in     
brightness2 its youth is restored4 ,o   

blessed1 ever-blessed1 unfathomable1    
divine faith6 ,o faith of apostles1     
martyrs1 confessors1 and saints6 ,holy  
,mother of ,jesus1 thou art my mother4  
,i feel in my heart thy tender love4 ,o 
holy ,mother1 thou hast beheld me6      
,bless me1 ,virgin ,mother of ,jesus6   
,,chapter ,,xviii  ,,new ,,influences   
,,bishop ,mc,c,l,o,s,k,e,y1 afterwards  
the first ,american ,cardinal1 was      
coadjutor to ,bishop ,hughes from #ahdd 
to #ahdg4 ,he was living at the old     
,cathedral when ,isaac ,hecker first    
called upon him4 ,he was still a young  
man1 less than ten years separating him 
from the youthful catechumen4 ,in       
temperament they were very different4   
,the bishop1 a man of routine in method 
and of no original views of principles1 
was so1 nevertheless1 by mental         
predisposition rather than by positive  
choice4 ,he was a man of finished       
education2 a dignified speaker1 whose   
words read as impressively as they      
sounded4 ,although the two men were so  

unlike1 the bishop could1 at least after
 brief hesitation1 fully appreciate     
,isaac ,hecker2 nay1 could love him1    
could further his plans1 and stand by   
him in his difficulties4 ,before we are 
done with this ,life1 the reader will   
see this more in detail4  ,nor was      
,bishop ,mc,closkey without light as a  
judge in spiritual matters4 ,by nature  
calm and self-poised1 and readily       
obedient to reason1 the grace of his    
high office1 his wide knowledge of men1 
his extensive reading1 were doubtless   
supplemented by a special infusion of   
heavenly wisdom1 due to his upright     
purpose and his spotless life4 ,though  
not timid1 he was not conspicuous for   
courage2 his refuge in difficulty was a 
high order of prudence1 never cowardice2
 nor did he err either by precipitancy1 
by cruelty1 or by rigidity of adherence 
to abstract rules of law4 ,father       
,hecker knew him thoroughly well1 and   
admired him2 more1 he profited by his   
guidance1 and that not only at this     

earliest period of their intercourse4   
,it was by him that ,isaac ,hecker's    
vocation was1 though not revealed1 yet  
most wisely directed4 ,brownson told the
 young man that he ought to devote      
himself to the ,germans in this country2
 ,bishop ,hughes advised him to go to   
,st4 ,sulpice and study for the secular 
priesthood2 ,bishop ,mc,closkey told him
 to become a religious4  ,hitherto      
,isaac ,hecker's environment had been   
entirely non-,catholic2 the ebbing and  
flowing of a sea of doubt and inquiry   
upon which floated small boats and rafts
 which had been cast off from the good  
ship of ,christ4 ,now that he was on    
board the ship itself1 he found its crew
 and passengers sailing straight on     
toward their destined haven1 paying     
small regard1 as a rule1 to the small   
craft and the shipwrecked sailors       
tossing on the wild waves around them1  
and only surprised when one or another  
hailed their vessel and asked to be     
taken on board4 ,nor did the attitude of

 non-,catholics1 taking them generally1 
invite anything else4 ,isaac ,hecker1   
passing into the ,church1 not only came 
into contact with its members1 but was  
to be for some years exclusively in     
their company4 ,but1 though carried     
beyond the ,ripleys1 the ,alcotts1 the  
,lanes1 the ,emersons1 and beyond the   
theories they in some sort stand for and
 represent1 he had learned them and     
their lesson1 and never lost his        
aptitude for returning to their company 
with a ,catholic message4 ,his farewell 
to that class did not involve loss of   
affectionate interest1 for in mind he   
continually reverted to them4 ,he knew  
that their peculiar traits were         
significant of the most imperative      
invitation of ,providence to missionary 
work4 ,he thought it was to that class1 
or1 rather1 to the multitude to whom    
they were prophets1 that the exponent of
 ,catholicity should first address      
himself4 ,they possessed the highest    
activity of the natural faculties2 they 

were all but the only class of          
,americans who loved truth for its own  
sake1 that trait which is the           
peculiarity of the ,catholic mind1 and  
the first requisite for real conversion4
  ,it may have been the latent strength 
of this conviction that1 within a year  
after his reception into the ,church1   
permanently affected the influence which
 ,brownson had so long exerted over him4
 ,it ceased now to be in any sense      
controlling1 and at no future time      
regained force enough to be directive4  
,they found the ,church together1 went  
together into its vestibule1 and were   
received nearly at the same time4 ,and  
then the wide liberties of a universal  
religion gave ample scope and large     
suggestion for the accentuation and     
development of their native differences4
 ,brownson was a publicist and remained 
so2 ,isaac ,hecker was a mystic and     
remained so4 ,to the mysticism of the   
latter was added an external apostolate2
 the public activity of the former was1 

indeed1 apostolic1 but upon a field not 
only different from any he would himself
 have spontaneously chosen1 but quite   
unlike4 ,our reader already knows how   
grievous a loss to the public exposition
 of the ,church in ,america this        
defection of ,brownson's genius from its
 true direction seemed to ,father       
,hecker4 ,he never ceased to deplore it 
as a needless calamity1 overruled in    
great measure1 indeed1 by the good      
,providence of ,god1 but not wholly     
repaired4  ,father ,hecker's affection  
for ,dr4 ,brownson never wavered1 and   
his gratitude towards him was only      
deepened and made more efficacious with 
the lapse of time and the growth of his 
own spiritual experience4 ,if they did  
not always agree1 either in principles  
or in questions of policy1 they always  
loved each other4 ,the memoranda furnish
 an interesting proof of this abiding   
affection on the part of ,father        
,hecker4 ,he was asked3  ,don't you     
think we might have a memorial tablet to

 ,dr4 ,brownson in our church8  ,yes6   
,of all the men ,i ever knew1 he had    
most influence over me4  ,when you were 
in early life8  ,yes1 of course4 ,oh6 in
 after life no man has had influence    
with me1 but only ,god4  ,this meant1 of
 course1 the influence of master upon   
disciple1 and not that of lawful        
authority or of fraternal love1 to both 
of which ,father ,hecker was ever very  
sensitive4  ,speaking at another time of
 ,brownson1 he quoted this sentence from
 ,the ,convert as so perfect an epitome 
of the man that it should be put on his 
monument3  ,i had one principle1 and    
only one1 to which1 since throwing up   
,universalism1 ,i had been faithful2 a  
principle to which ,i had1 perhaps1 made
 some sacrifices--that of following my  
own honest convictions whithersoever    
they should lead me4  ,and just here is 
found one of those points of essential  
difference which it is interesting to   
note between these two men1 so closely  
drawn together by ,divine ,providence at

 one period1 and in such a relation that
 to the elder the function of guidance  
seemed to have been appointed4 ,in      
unswerving fidelity to conviction they  
were on a par1 but in native clearness  
of vision and instinctive aversion from 
error they were far less closely        
matched4 ,brownson in early life had    
tried1 accepted1 and preached various   
forms of aberration from true doctrine4 
,one might say of him1 that1 having     
found himself outside the highway at his
 start1 he gathered accretions from     
hedge and ditch as he struggled toward  
the true road1 and went through an after
 process of sloughing them one by one4  
,perhaps that process ended in making   
him over-timid4 ,it was otherwise with  
,isaac ,hecker4 ,he1 too1 had stopped to
 consider many doctrines which purported
 to be true2 more than that1 he had     
recognized in each the modicum of truth 
which it possessed4 ,but the falsity    
with which this was overloaded was      
powerful enough to repel him1 in spite  

of the truth he knew to be contained in 
it4 ,he carried in himself the          
touchstone to which all that was akin to
 it beyond him responded of necessity4  
,the ,light which lights every man who  
comes into the world had not only never 
been darkened in him by sinful courses1 
but it seemed to burn with a crystal    
clearness which threw up into hideous   
and repellant proportions all that was  
offensive to it4 ,many voices had called
 him from without1 but he had refused   
obedience unto any4 ,he never submitted 
until his submission was full and not to
 be withdrawn4 ,so1 once in the ,church1
 and enjoying her divine guarantee of   
external authority1 he had few if any   
disquieting recollections of error to   
breed distrust of the light that shone  
within him4 ,his soul was of that order 
to which truth speaks authoritatively   
and at first hand2 of that soil from    
which institutions which are to stand   
spring by a true process of development1
 because it is the soil which first     

received their germs4 ,always it is the 
soul of man which is inspired1 the mind 
of man that is enlightened4 ,then the   
teaching comes as record of the fact and
 the doctrine2 then the institution     
solidifies about them1 a perpetual      
witness that to many men and ages of men
 the same message has been handed down  
by its first recipients and has produced
 in them its proper results4 ,the race  
of such souls has not died out in the   
,christian ,church4 ,the one truth1     
spoken once for all by the ,incarnate   
,word1 takes on for them new aspects and
 new tones4 ,they are the pioneers of   
great movements4 ,nurtured in the       
,church1 their ardor burns away mere    
conventionalities2 born outside the     
,church1 the light she carries is a     
beacon1 and the voice she utters is felt
 as that of the true ,mother4 ,to adapt 
once more a pregnant sentence from young
 ,hecker1 of the truth of which he was  
himself an example3 ,it is ,god in them 
which believes in ,god4  ,but to return 

to ,brownson4 ,an entry in the journal1 
made nearly a year later1 sums up the   
total impression which ,brownson had    
made upon his young disciple3  ,june    
#bb1 #ahde4--j4 ,a4 ,b4 is here4 ,he    
arrived this morning4 ,though he is a   
friend to me1 and the most critical     
periods of my experience have been known
 to him1 and he has frequently given me 
advice and sympathy1 yet he never moves 
my heart4 ,he has been of inestimable   
use to me in my intellectual            
development4 ,he is1 too1 a man of      
heart4 ,but he is so strong1 and so     
intellectually active1 that all his     
energy is consumed in thought4 ,he is an
 intellectual athlete4 ,he thinks for a 
dozen men4 ,he does not take time to    
realize in heart for himself4 ,no man   
reads or thinks more than he4 ,but he is
 greater as a writer than as a person4  
,there are men who never wrote a line1  
but whose influence is deeper and more  
extensive than that of others who have  
written heavy tomes4  ,it is too late   

for ,brownson to give himself to        
contemplation and interior recollection4
 ,he is a controversialist2 a doctor4   
,the last he will be before long4 ,some 
have wondered why ,i should have        
contracted such a friendship for one    
whom they imagine to be so harsh and    
dictatorial4 ,i have not felt this4 ,his
 presence does not change me2 nor do ,i 
find myself where ,i was not after      
having met him4 ,he has not the         
temperament of a genius1 but that of a  
rhetorician and declaimer4 ,he arrives  
at his truths by a regular and          
consecutive system of logic4 ,his mind  
is of a historical more than of a       
poetical mould4  ,as a man1 ,i have     
never known one so conscientious and    
self-sacrificing4 ,this is natural to   
him4 ,his love of right is supreme1 and 
the thing he detests most is bad logic4 
,it makes him peevish and often riles   
his temper4 ,he defeats1 but will never 
convince an opponent4 ,this is bad4 ,no 
one loves to break a lance with him1    

because he cuts such ungentlemanly      
gashes4 ,he is strong1 and he knows it4 
,there is more of the ,indian chief than
 of the ,christian knight in his        
composition4 ,but he has something of   
both1 though nothing of the modern      
scholar1 so called4 ,his art is logic1  
but he never aims at art4 ,by nature he 
is a most genuine and true man2 none so 
much so4 ,by no means ,e---- ,emerson8  
who ever prates about this thing4 ,if he
 attempts embellishment1 you see at once
 it is borrowed2 it is not in his       
nature4 ,there is a pure and genuine    
vein of poetry running through him1 but 
it is not sufficient to tincture the    
whole flow of his life4 ,he is a man of 
the thirteenth or fourteenth century    
rather than of the nineteenth4 ,he is an
 anomaly among its scholars1 writers1   
and divines4 ,he is not thorough on any 
one subject though at home on all4 ,what
 a finished collegiate education would  
have done for him ,i am baffled to      
conjecture4 ,he is genuine1 and ,i love 

him for that2 it is the crown of all    
virtues4 ,but ,i must stop4 ,i only     
intended to mention that he is here4    
,the reader may well suppose that       
,father ,hecker fully appreciated       
,brownson's literary genius4 ,the       
,english language in his grasp was a    
weapon to slay and a talisman to raise  
to life4 ,never was argumentation made  
more delightful reading2 never did a    
master instruct more exclusively by the 
aid of his disciple's highest faculties 
than did ,brownson4 ,habituated his     
whole life long to the ardent study of  
the greatest topics of the human        
understanding1 he was able to teach all1
 as he had taught young ,hecker1 how to 
think1 discern1 judge1 penetrate1 decide
 about them with matchless power2 and he
 clothes his conclusions in language as 
adequate to express them as human       
language well can be4 ,clearness1       
precision1 force1 purity1 vividness1    
loftiness are terms applicable to ,dr4  
,brownson's literary style4 ,it may be  

that the general reading public will not
 study his works merely for the sake of 
his literary merits2 the pleasures of   
the imagination and of narrative are not
 to be found in ,dr4 ,brownson4 ,but he 
certainly will win his way to the       
suffrages of the higher class of        
students of fine writing4 ,and let one  
have any shadow of interest in the great
 questions he treats1 and every page    
displays a style which is the rarest of 
literary gifts4 ,the very fact that his 
writing is untinted by those lesser     
beauties which catch the eye but to     
impede its deepest glances1 is in itself
 an excellence all the greater in       
proportion to the gravity of his topics4
 ,absolutely free from the least        
obscurity1 his diction is a magnetic    
medium uniting the master's personality1
 the disciple's understanding1 and the  
essence of the subject under            
consideration4 ,cardinal ,newman1 some  
may believe1 possessed this supreme     
rhetoric in perhaps even a higher degree

 than ,brownson1 but so much can be said
 of few other writers of ,english prose4
 ,george ,ripley1 whom ,father ,hecker  
deemed the best judge of literature in  
our country or elsewhere1 assured him   
that there were passages in ,dr4        
,brownson which could not be surpassed  
in the whole range of ,english          
literature4       ,,chapter ,,xix       
,,yearnings ,,after ,,contemplation     
,,could ,i but give up all my time to   
contemplation1 study1 reading1 and      
reflection6  ,upon this aspiration as a 
background the whole matter of ,isaac   
,hecker's vocation must be considered4  
,in substance we have met with it very  
frequently already2 in the shape just   
given it confronts us on the first page 
of the new diary begun a few days before
 his baptism4 ,and as our reader        
accompanies us through the records he   
made during the year that still elapsed 
before he entered the ,redemptorist     
,order1 nothing1 we think1 will become  
more evident than that he was called to 

something beyond adhesion to the        
,church1 the worthy reception of the    
sacraments1 or even the ordinary        
sacerdotal state4  ,to make this still  
plainer at the start1 it may be useful  
to describe briefly the special grounds 
whereon ,isaac ,hecker fought his       
life-long battles4 ,these were1 first3  
,the validity of those natural          
aspirations which are called religious1 
and which embrace the veracity of reason
 in its essential affirmations4 ,second3
 ,whether man be by nature guileless or 
totally depraved3 ,third1 ,whether      
religion be or be not intrinsically and 
primarily an elevating influence whose  
end is to raise men to real union with  
,god4  ,to many inquirers after the true
 religion such preliminary doubts have  
been already settled1 either by natural 
bent of mind or docility to previous    
training2 and they pass on to consider  
apostolical succession1 the primacy of  
,peter1 the nature and number of the    
sacraments1 and other matters wherein   

heresy errs by denial or by defect4 ,but
 to ,isaac ,hecker all such points as   
these were1 in a sense1 subsidiary4 ,he 
had asked admission into the ,church    
because he found it to be the only      
teaching society on earth whose         
doctrines gave complete and adequate    
satisfaction to that fundamental craving
 of his nature which prompted his       
questions4 ,she accredited herself to   
him as fully by that fact as she must   
have done to many a philosophic pagan   
among those who were the first disciples
 to the new faith preached by ,st4 ,john
 or ,st4 ,paul4 ,all else he accepted   
with an implicit1 child-like confidence 
not different from that which moves the 
loyal descendant of ages of ,catholic   
ancestors4 ,it was clear to him that    
these accompanying doctrines and        
institutions must have been enfolded    
within the original germ1 and must be   
received on the same authority1 not by  
an analytic process and on their merits1
 one by one4  ,what he wanted was1 in   

the first place1 sustenance for what he 
invariably calls the life given him2 and
 next1 light to see in what way he was  
to put to use the strength so gained4   
,the first effect of the sacraments was 
what one might call the natural one of  
making more visible the shadows which   
enveloped his path1 as well as          
stimulating his instinctive efforts to  
pierce through them4 ,after the         
rapturous joy which succeeded confession
 and absolution1 a period of desolation 
and dryness heavier than he had ever    
known at once set in4 ,perhaps he had   
expected the very reverse of this4 ,at  
all events1 it was not many days before 
it drew from him the complaint that in  
leaving ,concord he had also left behind
 him the great interior sweetness which 
had buoyed him up4 ,on ,august #aa he   
writes3  ,how hard it has been for me to
 go through with all these solemn       
mysteries and ceremonies without        
experiencing any of those great delights
 which ,i have before felt4 ,why is     

this8 ,is it to try my faith8 ,o ,lord6 
how long shall ,i be tried in this      
season of desolation8 ,are these        
delights never to return8 ,have ,i acted
 unworthily8 ,what shall ,i do to       
receive these blessings again8  ,then he
 resolves to make a novena1 fasting the 
while on bread and water1 to entreat    
their renewal4 ,but at once a better    
mood sets in and he adds3  ,the highest 
state of perfection is to be content to 
be nothing4 ,lord1 give me strength not 
to ask of ,thee anything that is        
pleasant to me4 ,i renounce what ,i have
 just asked for1 and will try to do all 
without the hope of recompense4 ,if     
,thou triest my soul1 let it not go     
until it has paid the uttermost         
farthing4  ,august #ae1 #ahdd4--,to-day 
is the holyday of the ,assumption of the
 dear1 ,blessed ,mary1 ,mother of our   
,lord and ,saviour ,jesus4 ,oh6 may ,i  
be found worthy of her regard and love4 
,he that has not learned the bitterness 
of the drops of woe has not learned to  

live4 ,one hour of deep agony teaches   
man more love and wisdom than a whole   
long life of happiness4 4 4  ,in many   
faces ,i see passing through the crowded
 streets there seems a veiled beauty1 an
 angel quickening me with purer life as 
,i go by them in anxious haste4 ,do we  
not see the hidden worth1 glory1 and    
beauty of others as our own becomes     
revealed to us8 ,would the ,son of ,god 
have been needed to ransom man if he    
were not of incomparable value8  ,one of
 the dreams that at this time occupied  
,isaac's mind was that of undertaking a 
pilgrimage to ,rome4 ,he wrote to ,henry
 ,thoreau1 proposing that they should go
 in company1 and felt regret when his   
invitation was not accepted4 ,his notion
 was to work1 beg1 and travel on foot1  
so far as land goes1 to ,rome4 ,i know  
of no pleasanter1 better way1 both for  
soul and body1 than to make such a      
pilgrimage in the old1 middle-age       
fashion2 to suffer hunger1 storm1 cold1 
heat--all that can affect the body of   

flesh4 ,if we receive hard usage1 so    
much the better will it be for us4 ,why 
thump one's own flesh here8 ,let it be  
done for us by others1 our soul1        
meanwhile1 looking at higher objects4 4 
4 4 ,i feel that ,i have the stuff to do
 it in me4 ,i would love to work and beg
 my way to ,rome if it cost me ten or   
fifteen years of my life4  ,thoreau     
replied to this proposal that such a    
tour had been one of his own early      
dreams1 but that he had outlived it4 ,he
 had now retired from all external      
activity in disgust1 and his life was   
more ,brahminical1 ,artesian-well1      
,inner-,temple like4 ,so the scheme1    
which had secured ,bishop ,mc,closkey's 
approbation1 although he had forcibly   
represented to young ,hecker that to go 
absolutely destitute of money1 and      
dependent for all things upon alms1     
would be impossible1 was presently      
shelved4 ,it was but one of the         
diversions with which certain souls1 not
 yet enlightened as to their true       

course1 nor arrived at the abandonment  
of themselves to ,divine ,providence1   
are amused4 ,their inactivity seems     
idleness to them1 and they mistake the  
restless impulse which bids them be up  
and doing for the voice of conscience or
 the inspiration of heavenly wisdom2 but
 it is neither4 ,sometimes it is a      
superfluity of natural energy seeking an
 outlet2 sometimes it is the result of  
the strain placed upon nature by a very 
powerful influx of grace4 ,the infusion 
of power from above is often greatly in 
excess of the light necessary for       
guidance in its use4 ,this last rarely  
comes entirely from the inner touch of  
the ,holy ,spirit4 ,in the lives of the 
,fathers of the ,desert we read of a    
certain young brother1 ,ptolemy1 who    
went astray from sound spirituality4    
,when admonished he asserted that he    
need learn the spiritual life from none 
save the ,holy ,ghost1 of whose         
inspirations any man of good will could 
be certain4 ,he was told by the old     

monks that the inspiration of the ,holy 
,ghost and the understanding of the same
 are two distinct things1 and that this 
understanding is disclosed only to him  
whose will has been purified by the     
practice of obedience and humility4 ,in 
truth1 it is rarely that the inner voice
 of ,god does not call for an external  
interpreter1 which1 if it does no more  
than furnish a divinely authorized test 
and criterion1 is none the less         
necessary4 ,moreover1 the inner voice   
seldom provides ways and means for its  
own purposes4 ,father ,hecker was ever a
 strenuous defender of this inner and   
outer unity of the ,divine guidance1 and
 his vocation was an illustration of it4
 ,however masterful the inner voice of  
,god which called him away from the     
world1 he was helpless till he heard its
 tones harmonized by the counsel of     
,bishop ,mc,closkey4 ,when he found that
 even with this backing secured1 the    
external obstacles to his plan proved   
invincible1 he was once more nonplussed4

 ,if not this1 what8 he asks himself4   
,i feel deeply and strongly that the    
circle of family happiness is not       
sufficient for my nature1 but what ,i   
can profitably do outside of this ,i    
have not the ability to say4  ,that our 
real wishes are presentiments of our    
capabilities is a very true proverb1 no 
doubt2 but are we not most ignorant of  
what these are8 ,it seems as though we  
are all unconsciously educated for      
unknown ends and purposes4  ,i look upon
 myself as belonging to that class of   
decidedly unfortunate beings who have no
 marked talent for any particular       
pursuit4 ,the words talent1 genius1 have
 for me no application whatever4 ,i     
stand on the confines of both worlds1   
not feeling the necessity nor having the
 true valor to decide for either sphere4
  ,o heaven6 why was this deep1         
ever-burning life given me1 unless it be
 that ,i might be slowly and painfully  
consumed by it8 ,all greatness is in the
 actor1 not in the act4 ,he whom ,god   

has blessed with an end in life1 can    
earnestly labor to accomplish that end4 
,but alas for that poor mortal whose    
existence only serves to fill up space  
in the world6 ,how excruciating to him  
to be conscious of this6 ,o ,prometheus6
  ,simply to be what ,god would have us1
 is to be greater than to have the      
applause of the whole world otherwise4  
,all such statements as this are        
necessarily one-sided4 ,because there   
are always good and virtuous men in the 
world whose approbation is that of ,god4
  ,there is an instinct in man which    
draws him to danger1 as in              
battle-fields2 as there is also in the  
fly1 drawing it to the flame of light4  
,it is the desire of the spirit within1 
seeking for release4  ,august #bj1      
#ahdd4--,scarce do ,i know what to say  
of myself4 ,if ,i accuse myself by the  
light given me1 it would lead me to     
leave all around me4 ,my conscience thus
 accuses me4 ,and in partaking of       
worldly things and going into the       

company around me1 my interior self has 
no pleasure1 and ,i feel afterwards that
 the labor and time have been misspent4 
,how to live a life which shall be      
conformable to the life wlthin and not  
separate from the persons and           
circumstances around me1 ,i cannot      
conceive4 ,i am now like one who tastes 
a little of this and then a little of   
that dish1 while his time is wasted and 
his mind distracted from that pure      
enjoyment which is a foretaste of the   
bliss of the angels4 ,i feel my         
primitive instincts and unvitiated      
tastes daily becoming more sensible to  
inspirations from above1 from the       
invisible4 ,the ideal world1 the soul   
world1 the kingdom of heaven within1 ,i 
feel as if ,i were more a friend and    
citizen of ,o ,lord6 my heart would     
break forth in praise of the riches of  
the life given within6 ,it seems that in
 this that we enjoy all1 know all1 and  
possess all4 ,if we have ,thee1 ,o      
,lord6 if ,thou hast taken up ,thy      

dwelling in us1 we enjoy heaven within  
and paradise without6  ,august #ba1     
#ahdd4 ,the object of education should  
be to place each individual mind in     
vital union with the ,one ,universal    
,educator4 4 4 4  ,the only pleasure for
 man is his union with a priori         
principles4  ,august #bc1 #ahdd4--;,if  
the animal passions are indulged1 of    
course you must pay the cost4 ,if you   
get a large family of children about    
you1 and please your animal appetites   
with all sorts of luxury1 and indulge   
your pride in all the foolish fashions  
of show1 do not wonder that it cost all 
your time to uphold such an expensive   
life4 ,this is necessary1 unless you    
cheat some one else out of the          
hard-earned value of his labor4 ,i      
cannot conceive how a ,christian1 under 
the present arrangements1 can become    
wealthy without violating repeatedly the
 precepts of his religion4 4 4 4  ,where
 shall we find ,god8 ,within4  ,how     
shall we hear the voices of angels8     

,listen with the inward ear4  ,when are 
we with ,god8 ,when we are no more with 
ourselves4  ,when do we hear the music  
of heaven8 ,when we are entirely silent4
  ,what is the effect of sin8           
,confusion4  ,where does ,god dwell8 ,in
 silence4  ,who loves ,god8 ,he who     
knows nothing and loves nothing of      
himself4  ,what is prayer8 ,the breath  
of silence4  ,what is love8 ,the motion 
of the pure will4  ,what is light8 ,the 
shadow of love4  ,what is force8 ,the   
power of love4  ,where does ,god dwell8 
,where there is peace4  ,who is most    
like ,god8 ,he who knows he is the least
 like ,him4  ,what is the innermost of  
all8 ,stillness4  ,who is the purest8   
,he who is most beyond temptation4      
,what is the personality of man8 ,the   
absolute negation of ,god4  ,what is    
,god8 ,the absolute affirmation in man4 
,what is it to know8 ,it is to be       
ignorant4  ,what should we desire8 ,not 
to desire4  ,what is the most positive  
answer8 ,silence4  ,what is the truest8 

,that which cannot be proven4  ,august  
#be1 #ahdd4--;,in silence1 suffering    
without murmuring4 ,an eternal thirst1  
enduring without being quenched4        
,infinite longings without being met4   
,heart ever burning1 never refreshed4   
,void within and mystery all around4    
,ever escaping that which we would      
reach4 ,tortured incessantly without    
relief4 ,alone--bereft of ,god1 angels1 
men--all4 ,hopes gone1 fears vanished1  
and love dead within4 ,these1 and more  
than these1 must man suffer4  ,august   
#bh1 #ahdd4--;,is it not because ,i have
 been too much engaged in reading and   
paid too little attention to the centre 
that ,i have lost myself1 as it were8   
,my position here distracts my attention
 and ,i lose the delight1 intimate      
knowledge1 and sweet consciousness of my
 interior life4 ,how can this be        
remedied8 ,i am constantly called of to 
matters in which ,i have no relish2 and 
if ,i retreat for a short time1 they    
rest on me like a load1 so that ,i      

cannot call myself free at any moment4  
,i see the case as it stands1 and feel  
,i am losing my interior life from the  
false position in which ,i am placed4   
,the human ties and the material        
conditions in which ,i am should        
unquestionably be sacrificed to the     
divine interior relation to the ,one1   
the ,love-,spirit1 which1 alas6 ,i have 
so sensibly felt4 ,can a man live in the
 world and follow ,christ8 ,i know not2 
but1 as for me1 ,i find it impossible4  
,i feel more and more the necessity of  
leaving the society and the distracting 
cares of a city business for a silent   
and peaceful retreat1 to the end that ,i
 may restore the life ,i fear ,i am     
losing4 ,our natural interests should be
 subject to our human ties2 our human   
ties to our spiritual relations2 and who
 is he who brings all these into divine 
harmony8  ,how shall ,i make the        
sacrifice which shall accomplish the    
sole end ,i have1 and should have1 in   
view8 ,thrice have ,i left home for this

 purpose1 and each time have returned   
unavoidably so1 at least1 it seems to   
me4 ,once more1 ,i trust1 will prove a  
permanent and immovable trial4  ,to     
some1 a most striking incidental proof  
of his inaptitude for the ordinary      
layman's life1 is found in the subjoined
 extract from the memoranda4 ,speaking  
of this period1 ,father ,hecker said3   
,some time after my reception into the  
,church1 ,i went to ,bishop ,mc,closkey 
and told him ,i had scruples against    
renting a seat in the ,cathedral in     
,mott ,street4 ',if ,i do1' ,i said1 ',i
 shall feel sore at the thought that ,i 
have set apart for me in the house of   
,god a seat which a poor man cannot     
use4' ,i told him that for this reason  
,i had knelt down near the doorway1     
among the crowd of transient poor       
people4 ,oh1 how he eased my spirit by  
sympathizing with my sentiment1 and     
satisfied me by declaring that the      
renting of pews was only from necessity1
 and he wished we could get along       

without it4  ,his relations with some of
 his former friends at ,brook ,farm     
still continued1 though in a somewhat   
attenuated condition4 ,from a long and  
appreciative letter sent him by ,burrill
 ,curtis1 we make an extract1 followed  
by ,isaac's comments on it3  ,october   
#ac1 #ahdd4--,your preparedness for any 
fate has been one of the chief          
attractions of your character to me1 for
 ,i believe it is deeper than a mere    
state of mind4 ,but1 for all that1 your 
restlessness is uppermost just now2 not 
as a contradictory element1 for it is   
not2 but as a discovering power4        
,isaac's journal1 just at this time1 was
 chiefly devoted to what he calls the   
many smaller1 venial sins which beset my
 path and keep me down to earth4 ,also  
to prescribe such remedies as may seem  
to me best for these thorns in the      
flesh4 ,on ,october #bf he notes that he
 has received the letter just quoted1   
and remarks3  ,it showed more regard for
 me than ,i thought he had4 ,the truth  

is1 ,i do not feel myself worthy to be  
the friend of any one1 and would pass my
 life in being a friend to all1 without 
recognizing their friendship towards me4
  ,to-day ,i have felt more humanly     
tender than ever4 ,the past has come up 
before me with much emotion4 ----- has  
been much in my thoughts4  ,i have      
experienced those unnatural feelings    
which ,i have felt heretofore4 ,i feel  
that the spirit world is near and       
glimmering all around me4 ,the nervous  
shocks ,i have been subject to1 but     
which ,i have not experienced for some  
time back1 recurred this evening4 ,i am 
known to spirits1 or else ,i apprehend  
them4  ,he had taken up ,latin and      
,greek again1 and seems to have entered 
a class of young men under the tutorship
 of a ,mr4 ,owen4 ,the entry just quoted
 from goes on as follows3  ,i do not    
devote as much time to study as ,i      
should1 or as ,i might4 ,i fear ,i shall
 never make anything of my studies4 ,i  
do not endeavor with all my might4 ,this

 study has thrown me into another       
sphere4 ,i like it not4 ,i feel         
apprehensive of something1 of somewhat4 
,ten years from now will fix my destiny1
 if ,i have any4  ,much good as he      
continued to receive from the sacrament 
of penance1 he found a not altogether   
usual difficulty in preparing for it4   
,perhaps it was in the counsel he       
received there that he got courage to   
gird himself for his renewed attack upon
 the languages1 for his delinquencies in
 this respect have the air of being the 
most tangible of the matters on his     
conscience4  ,i must prepare for        
confession this week1 he writes on      
,november #e1 #ahdd4 ,oh6 would that ,i 
could accuse myself as ,i should4 ,man  
is not what he should be so long as he  
is not an angel4 ,oh1 dear ,god6 give me
 ,thy aid1 and help me in my weaknesses4
 ,what sins can ,i accuse myself of now8
 ,first--oh1 ,love6 give me light to    
accuse myself--to see my sins4 ,this is 
my greatest sin2 that ,i cannot accuse  

myself and am so wicked4  ,each day ,i  
omit a hundred duties that ,i should    
not4 ,lord1 give me ,thy ,spirit1 that  
,i may be humble1 meek1 and sweet in all
 my walk and conversation4 ,fill my     
heart with ,thy love4  ,in a little     
while he found himself able to study    
more diligently1 and though he          
continually regrets the inroad this     
makes upon his interior life1 he seems  
not only to have persevered1 but to have
 taken considerable interest and an     
active part in the debates got up at    
regular intervals by the class he had   
joined4 ,he notes that he has serious   
doubts whether it will be wise for him  
to express his full mind on some of the 
subjects brought up4 ,his fellow-pupils 
were all ,protestants1 and some of them 
well-informed and talented young men4   
,his views would be new to them1 and so 
would many of his authorities for his   
statements of fact1 and he thought it   
not unlikely that a commotion might     
sometimes be raised which would not at  

all commend itself to the teacher of the
 institution4 ,he concluded1 however1 to
 throw prudence to the winds1 and on    
controverted points to express his      
sentiments freely and frankly4 ,there   
were some animated discussions1 no      
doubt4  ,he was endeavoring at this time
 to retrench his hours of sleep to the  
narrowest dimensions compatible with    
health1 and found it1 we may note1 the  
most difficult of his austerities4 ,in  
other respects they remained severe1 as 
this entry may witness3  ,november #bg1 
#ahdd4--;,i am sorely perplexed what to 
eat4 ,nuts1 apples1 and bread seem not a
 diet wholly suitable1 and what to add  
,i know not4 ,potatoes are not good2 ,i 
think they were the cause of my illness 
last week4 ,i do not wish to partake of 
anything that comes even remotely from  
an animal4 ,cooking1 also1 ,i wish1 as  
far as possible1 to dispense with4 ,i   
would ,i could dispense with the whole  
digestive apparatus6 ,cheese1 butter1   
eggs1 milk1 are for many reasons not a  

part of my diet4  ,the balance of this  
fourth volume of his diary1 begun       
,september #i1 #ahdd1 and ended ,january
 #b1 #ahde1 is mainly occupied with     
addresses to his guardian angel4 ,he    
was1 as those who knew him will         
remember1 always extremely devout to the
 angelic choirs4 ,on his birthday this  
year he writes as follows3  ,december   
#ah1 #ahdd4--,let me look back for a few
 moments and see where ,i stood last    
year this time 7an incomprehensible     
length71 and where ,i now stand4 ,then  
my path was dim1 unfixed1 unsettled4    
,then ,i was not so disentangled from   
the body and its desires as1 ,i hope in 
,god1 ,i now am4 ,in all ,i feel a      
consciousness that since then ,i have   
spiritually grown--been transformed4    
,for my present ,i cannot speak4 ,for my
 future1 it seems ,i dare not speak4    
,dreams of the future6 ,exalted visions6
 ,beautiful1 unspeakable hopes6 ,deep1  
inarticulate longings that fill the     
conscious soul6 ,ah6 so sweet1 so       

harmonious1 so delightful1 like an      
angel1 like the bride of the pure and   
bright soul adorned for the nuptials1 do
 ,i see the future beckoning me with a  
clear1 transparent smile onward to her  
presence4 ',ah6' my soul would say1 'we 
will meet1 for ,i am in thy presence1   
and faithful in ,god may heaven grant me
 to be4' ,the beauty1 the grace1 the    
love1 the sweetness that attract me1 are
 beyond all comparison4 ,ah6 thou       
eternal1 ever-blooming virgin1 the      
,future1 shall ,i ever embrace thee8    
,shall ,i ever see thee nearer to my    
heart8 ,i look at myself and ,i am bowed
 down low in grief2 but when ,i cast my 
eyes up to thee1 in seeing thee ,i am   
lost4 ,the grace and beauty ,i see in   
thee passes into my soul1 and ,i am all 
that thou art4 ,i am then wedded to     
thee1 and ,i would that it were an      
eternal union4 ,but ah6 my eyes1 when   
turned upon myself1 lose all sight of   
thee1 and meet nothing but my own spots 
and blemishes4 ,how canst thou love me8 

,i say2 and for thy pure love ,i am     
melted into thee as one4  ,he continues3
  ,lord1 let me speak of my many and    
grievous sins2 but oh6 when ,i would do 
so1 my mouth speaks nothing forth but   
,thy praises4  ,i would offer my whole  
soul afresh to all that is1 for the sake
 of the love of ,god4 4 4 4 ,lord1 ,i am
 ,thine1 for ,thou dost teach me this be
 ,thy unutterable1 ever-present love4   
,january #c4--,last ,saturday my        
confessor was not at home when ,i       
called4 ,i have waited until this       
morning1 the ,saturday following4 ,it is
 sad to me to wait to partake of the    
,blessed ,sacrament4 ,how much joy1     
love1 and sweetness it is to the soul6  
,i feel my soul to glow again with      
renewed love when ,i have partaken of   
the blessed communion of ,christ4 ,this 
is my spiritual food4 ,it is the        
goodness1 mercy1 and love of ,god which 
keeps me from sadness4       ,,chapter  
,,xx  ,,from ,,new ,,york ,,to ,,st4    
,,trond  ,,isaac ,,hecker',s zeal for   

social reform lent force to his strictly
 personal cravings for a more religious 
life2 he longed for wider scope than    
individual effort could possibly bestow1
 and also for a supernatural point of   
vantage4 ,if we would do humanity any   
good1 he writes in his diary while      
considering his vocation1 we must act   
from grounds higher than humanity2 our  
standpoint must be above the race1      
otherwise how can we act upon humanity8 
,he also speaks of the fundamental      
necessity of an impulse of divine love  
actuating the reformer of social evils4 
,he addresses himself thus3 ,if thou    
wouldst move the race to greater good   
and higher virtue1 lose thyself in the  
,universal4 ,be so great as to give     
thyself to something nobler than thyself
 if thou wouldst be ennobled1           
immortalized4 ,in many pages of the last
 two volumes of his diary these notes of
 sympathetic love for his fellow-men are
 mingled with yearnings for solitude4   
,this book1 he writes on the last page  

of one of them1 has answered some little
 purpose2 for when ,i wanted to speak to
 some one and yet was alone1 it cost me 
no labor to scribble in it4 ,it would   
give me great pleasure if ,i had a      
friend who would exchange such thoughts 
with me4 ,he was soon to enter into that
 spiritual heritage which among its     
other treasures bestows the beatitude of
 the sage1 ,blessed is the man who hath 
found a true friend4  ,little by little 
a distinctly penitential mood came over 
him1 and it occupies nearly the whole of
 the last volume of the diary with the  
most unreserved expressions of grief for
 sin1 or1 rather1 for a state of        
sinfulness1 since the specific mention  
of sins is nearly altogether wanting4   
,we meet with page after page of        
self-accusation in general terms3 ,i am 
in want of greater love for those around
 me2 ,i perform my spiritual duties too 
negligently2 too little of my time is   
devoted to spiritual exercises4 ,i feel 
all over sick with sin6 ,here is my     

difficulty1 ,o ,lord1 and do ,thou      
direct me3 ,i am always in doubt1 when  
,i do not think of ,thee alone1 that ,i 
am sinning and that my time is misspent4
  ,his protestations of sorrow are      
extremely fervent and very numerous2 and
 as the ,lent of #ahde approached he    
records his purpose of restricting      
himself to one meal a day4 ,as he never 
ate meat1 nor any product of animal     
life1 and drank only water1 his nuts1   
bread1 and apples once a day must have  
been his diet all through the           
penitential season4 ,the reader will    
remember ein herrliches ,essen at       
,concord3 bread1 maple-sugar1 and       
apples4  ,in the middle of ,february he 
opened his mind more fully to ,bishop   
,mc,closkey1 whom he continually calls  
his spiritual director4 ,he had now to  
reveal the discoveries of holy penance1 
and to add to his other motives for     
leaving the world the dread of falling  
into mortal sin4 ,he had1 he tells us1  
misgivings as to whether he was         

ambitious or not4 ,one of his spiritual 
states he thus alludes to3  ,i will ask 
my confessor how it is--if it is so with
 others1 that they feel no sense of     
things1 no joy1 no reality1 no emotion1 
no impulse1 nothing positive within or  
around1 but only the consciousness of   
the need of a terrible atonement4 ,this 
is accompanied by frantic prayers to    
,god1 invocations of the ,blessed       
,virgin1 ,st4 ,francis of ,assisi and   
other saints4 ,and he says that he has  
been told that he is scrupulous1 and    
complains that at confession he can only
 accuse himself in general terms4       
,complete abandonment to the divine will
 seems to have been the outcome of a    
season of much distress of soul1 and    
bodily mortification4 ,on ,april #b he  
writes3 ,the last time ,i saw my        
director he spoke to me concerning the  
sacred ministry1 and this is a subject  
,i feel an unspeakable difficulty about4
 ,i told him that ,i desired to place   
myself wholly in his hands and should do

 whatever he directed4 ,i do not wish to
 be any more than nothing4 ,i give      
myself up4 ,so far the ,lord seems to be
 with me1 and ,i hope that ,he will not 
forsake me in the future4  ,as might    
have been anticipated1 ,bishop          
,mc,closkey's advice was wise4 ,plainly1
 his own hope was that young ,hecker    
should enter the secular priesthood1 but
 there is no evidence in the numerous   
references to the matter in the diary1  
that this caused him to do more than    
make his young friend fully acquainted  
with that state of life4 ,he had him    
call at the newly-opened diocesan       
seminary at ,fordham and become         
acquainted with the professors4 ,bishop 
,hughes1 whom he also consulted1 urged  
him to go to ,st4 ,sulpice in ,paris1   
and to the ,propaganda in ,rome1 and    
make his studies for the secular        
priesthood4 ,but they failed to win him 
to their opinion1 and were too          
enlightened to seek to influence him    
except by argument4 ,father ,hecker ever

 held the very highest views on the     
dignity of the priesthood1 considering  
its vocation second to none4 ,but while 
he was irresistibly inclined to a state 
of retirement quite incompatible with   
the duties of the secular priesthood in 
,america1 he also felt the most urgent  
need of constant advice and             
companionship for guidance in his       
interior life4 ,these seemingly         
contradictory requirements he hoped to  
find united in a religious community1   
and ,bishop ,mc,closkey emphatically    
assured him that his anticipations would
 not be disappointed4 ,in addition to   
this1 ,isaac ,hecker had at least some  
premonitions of an apostolic vocation   
calling for a wider range of activity   
than can be usually compassed by the    
diocesan clergy4 ,but we have often     
heard him say that the immediate impulse
 which induced his application to be    
made a ,redemptorist was need of        
intimate and careful spiritual guidance4
  ,his director therefore became        

satisfied that he should become a       
religious1 and turned his attention to  
the ,society of ,jesus1 giving him the  
lives of ,st4 ,ignatius and ,st4        
,francis ,xavier to read1 and1          
doubtless1 answered his inquiries about 
that order4 ,but1 he said in after      
years1 ,i had no vocation to teach young
 boys and felt unfitted for a student's 
life2 added to this was the certainty of
 the postponement of any public activity
 on his part for many years if he became
 a ,jesuit4  ,after mentioning that he  
had read the life of ,st4 ,francis      
,xavier1 he says that an acquaintance   
had written him that a ,german priest1  
living in ,third ,street1 wanted to see 
him4 ,this was one of the ,redemptorist 
,fathers who were newly established in  
the city4 ,this priest1 whose name is   
not given1 undertook to assume direction
 of ,isaac1 and was very urgent with him
 to make a spiritual retreat with a view
 to deciding his vocation4 ,he is a very
 zealous person--too much so it seems to

 me1 is the comment in the diary1 and   
the answer was a refusal4 ,but what he  
saw in the community pleased and        
attracted ,isaac1 for everything was    
poor and plain1 and there was an air of 
solitude4 ,however1 he would by no means
 change his spiritual adviser1 writing1 
,i strive to follow my spiritual        
director or else ,i should be fearful of
 my state4 ,all my difficulties1 sins1  
and temptations ,i make him acquainted  
with4 4 4 4 ,though the world has no    
particular hold upon me1 ,i give it up  
once and for all4 ,it gives me pain to  
feel my perfect want of faith in myself 
as being in any way useful4  ,meantime1 
on ,trinity ,sunday1 he had been        
confirmed with his brother ,george1     
whose entrance into the ,church is here 
first indicated2 no other member of the 
family became a ,catholic4 ,isaac took  
the additional name of ,thomas on       
receiving this sacrament1 in honor of   
,st4 ,thomas ,aquinas4  ,again he       
writes3  ,i have tried to study to-day1 

but ,i cannot4 ,is it not the business  
of man to save his own soul1 and this   
before all things8 ,does the study of   
,greek and ,latin help a soul towards   
its salvation8 ,is it not quite a       
different thing from grace8 ,sometimes  
,i feel strongly inclined to set aside  
all study1 all reading1 as superficial  
and not so important as contemplation   
and silence4  ,the time was coming when 
the ,holy ,spirit would do this in spite
 of him and in a way the reverse of     
pleasant4 ,meantime he worked away at   
his books and attended his classes at   
,cornelius ,institute1 which was the    
name of the private school he had been  
attending1 till ,july #af1 the          
commencement day4 ,in recording his     
impressions of the school and the       
acquaintances there made1 he says that  
with one possible exception the young   
men were of little interest to him1     
lacking earnestness of character4 ,he   
does not name the teachers or give the  
location of the school4 ,yet he says his

 experience there had been useful and   
chastened my hopes4 ,i have seen by     
means of it much more clearly into the  
workings of ,protestantism1 its want of 
deep spirituality1 its superficiality1  
and its inevitable tendency to          
no-religion4  ,as may be supposed1 his  
visits to ,third ,street became         
frequent1 and his acquaintance with the 
,fathers better established4 ,this was  
especially true with regard to ,father  
,rumpler1 who was rector of the house1 a
 learned and able man and one of mature 
spirituality4 ,he was a ,german born and
 bred1 with the hard ideas of discipline
 peculiar to a class of his countrymen  
though foreign to the genuine ,german   
character4 ,he impressed young ,hecker  
as a sedate man1 wise and firm4 ,the    
friendship then begun was maintained    
until ,father ,rumpler was deprived of  
his reason by an attack of acute mania  
several years later4 ,but more than the 
friendship of ,rumpler1 as far as       
immediate results were concerned1 was   

the providential circumstance of two    
other young ,americans having applied to
 join the ,redemptorists4 ,to ,isaac    
this was a stimulant of no ordinary     
power4 ,like himself1 they were converts
 and very fervent ones2 but1 unlike him1
 they had come into the ,church from    
,episcopalianism4 ,clarence ,a4         
,walworth1 son of the ,chancellor of the
 ,state of ,new ,york1 was a graduate of
 ,union ,college4 ,he studied law in    
,albany and practised his profession for
 a short time1 but finally undertook the
 ministry4 ,after three years in the    
,episcopal seminary he became a         
,catholic4 ,those who know him now can  
see the tall and graceful youth1        
pleasing and kindly1 with the face and  
voice and soul of an orator2 for the    
force and charm of youth have not been  
weakened in receiving the dignity of old
 age4  ,james ,a4 ,mc,master was of     
,pennsylvania ,scotch-,irish parentage4 
,his name is familiar to our readers as 
editor of the ,freeman's ,journal4      

,those qualities of aggressive zeal     
which made ,mc,master so well known to  
,catholics of our day were not wholly   
undeveloped in the tall1 angular youth1 
still a catechumen1 and intoxicated with
 the new wine of ,catholic fervor4      
,young ,mr4 ,walworth had been made a   
,catholic but a short time before1 and  
,mc,master was received into the ,church
 by the ,redemptorists in ,third        
,street1 his two young friends being    
present4 ,while he was kneeling at the  
altar1 candle in hand1 piously reading  
his profession of faith to ,father      
,rumpler1 he accidentally set fire to   
,father ,tschenhens' hair1 one of the   
fathers assisting at the ceremony4      
,walking together afterwards in the     
little garden of the convent1 ,father   
,rumpler said to him3 ,mr4 ,mc,master1  
you begin well--setting fire to a       
priest4 ,oh1 answered he1 if ,i don't   
set fire to something more than that it 
will be a pity4 ,these new friends of   
,isaac had applied to enter the         

,redemptorist novitiate and they had    
been accepted4 ,this meant a voyage to  
,europe1 for the congregation had not   
yet established a novitiate in ,america4
  ,one ,friday1 then1 during the last   
days of ,july--the exact date we have   
not been able to discover--,isaac       
,hecker was informed by ,father ,rumpler
 that ,walworth and ,mc,master would    
sail for ,belgium the evening of the    
next day4 ,i decided to join them1 he   
said when relating the circumstances    
afterwards4 ,father ,rumpler was        
favorable1 but puzzled4 ,and ,i must    
first present myself to the ,provincial1
 ,father de ,held1 who was in           
,baltimore4 ,i arrived in ,baltimore at 
four o'clock in the morning on          
,saturday1 travelling all night4 ,father
 de ,held looked at me1 as ,i presented 
myself1 and said that he must take time 
to consider4 ,i explained about the     
departure of the others that day4 ,he   
ordered ,brother ,michael to get me a   
bowl of coffee from the kitchen1 and me 

to hear his ,mass4 ,i heard the ,mass   
and after that he examined me a         
little--asked me to read out of the     
,following of ,christ in ,latin1 which  
,i did4 ,he gave me my acceptance1 and  
,i rushed back to ,new ,york by the     
half-past eight o'clock morning train4  
,george had packed my trunk1 and ,i     
sailed that day with the others4  ,the  
picturesqueness of the group was        
certainly not lessened by the accession 
of ,isaac ,hecker1 whose leap to and    
from ,baltimore1 though hardly to be    
expected from a contemplative1 was in   
accord with the sudden energy of his    
nature4 ,one who saw him at the time    
says that he had the general make-up of 
a transcendentalist1 not excepting his  
long hair flowing down on his neck4     
,the ship was an ,american one named the
 ,argo1 and she was bound for ,london4  
,the voyage was every way pleasant1     
lasting but twenty-five days from land  
to land1 with bright skies1 quiet sea1  
and fair winds4 ,their berths were in   

the waist of the ship1 in the second    
cabin1 all the places in the first cabin
 having been taken2 this pleased them   
well1 for they loved the poor man's lot4
 ,isaac's passage money was paid by his 
brothers1 and he was supplied by them   
and his mother with all sorts of        
conveniences2 and these1 of course1 he  
made to conduce to the comfort of the   
entire party4 ,the lower and larger     
berth of their little state-room was    
occupied by ,walworth and ,mc,master1   
and ,isaac took the upper and smaller   
one4 ,none of them suffered from        
sea-sickness4  ,the young pilgrims were 
overflowing with happiness1 as if they  
were going to the enjoyment of a rich   
heritage1 as1 indeed1 in a spiritual    
sense they were4 ,it was a first voyage 
to the ,old ,world for all of them and  
they found everything interesting4 ,they
 made friends with the crew1 who were   
nearly all ,yankee sailors1 and who     
struck them as exactly like themselves1 
except that they were not religious2 and

 they sought entertainment with such of 
the passengers as were congenial1 though
 in this ,isaac ,hecker was more ready  
than his companions4 ,father ,walworth  
tells an incident characteristic of both
 himself and his transcendental         
companion4 ,he was admonishing young    
,hecker to be more reticent among the   
crew and was asked why4 ,you wouldn't   
like to kneel down and kiss the deck    
before all those sailors1 said          
,walworth4 ,why not8 was the reply4     
,then do it4 ,and down dropped ,hecker  
to the deck and kissed it in all        
simplicity4  ,they had many topics of   
interest to occupy their time2 ,isaac   
favored such as were philosophical and  
social1 his companions were absorbed by 
the ,tractarian movement1 its phases of 
thought and variety of persons1 and all 
must have had much to tell of friends   
and relatives whom they hoped soon to   
see members of the ,church4 ,one night  
the harmony with their fellow-passengers
 was threatened with rupture4 ,they were

 much annoyed by a violent dispute about
 the ,trinity carried on in the         
adjoining cabin far into the night4     
,mc,master finally lost patience1 sprang
 out of bed1 rushed among the           
disputants1 and smote the table with a  
tremendous blow and shouted ,silence6   
,his remedy was efficacious2 the        
theologians scattered and went to bed4  
,there was a marked difference between  
,isaac and his companions in            
controversial views4 ,all three used    
their reason with the utmost activity1  
but he had travelled into the ,church by
 the road of philosophy and they by that
 of history and ,scripture4 ,their      
conversation must have been the exchange
 of intellectual commodities of very    
different kinds and for that reason     
expediting a busy commerce4 ,they could 
profit by his bold and original views of
 principle and he was in need of their  
idea of the external integrity of       
organized religion4 ,then1 too1 they had
 much to say of the future1 chiefly by  

way of conjecture1 for no member of the 
order accompanied them4 ,no one was     
superior and no superior was needed4 ,as
 to devotional exercises each suited    
himself1 kneeling down and saying his   
prayers night and morning and at other  
times1 in his own way and words4  ,there
 was also difference in matters of      
devotion1 for ,isaac ,hecker had little 
or no religious training1 and as to the 
traditional forms of religious practice 
he was very backward4 ,the others had   
long since familiarized themselves with 
all ,catholic usages4 ,young ,walworth  
taught young ,hecker how to say the     
rosary and initiated him1 doubtless1    
into other common practices1 which he   
assumed with the simplicity and docility
 of the child of guileless nature that  
he was4  ,the ship1 as we have said1 was
 bound to ,london1 but our party were   
too impatient to wait till the end of   
the voyage and left her at ,portsmouth  
in the pilot's boat2 the sea was running
 high1 but so were their spirits1 and   

although the boat was tossed about in a 
way to scare a landsman1 they gladly    
went ashore and took the cars to        
,london4 ,we have before us a letter    
from ,isaac ,hecker to his brothers1    
dated the #bith of ,august1 saying that 
they had been in ,london three days     
after a pleasant voyage1 and expressing 
deep joy at nearing the place of        
retirement and prayer for which he had  
been longing4 ,he asks them to write to 
,brownson and especially to assure his  
mother of his happiness4  ,mc,master    
insisted on visiting ,newman at         
,littlemore1 and afterwards gave a      
glowing account of his visit4 ,he had   
been received by the great man1 who did 
not enter the ,church till a few months 
later1 with the utmost kindness4 ,he    
found him standing in his library1      
reading a book4 ,he asked many questions
 about the tendency of men's minds in   
,america1 and was especially interested 
in ,arthur ,carey1 with whose influence 
among ,american ,episcopalians and early

 death the reader has been made         
acquainted4 ,they lodged at a decent    
little inn over a pastry cook's shop and
 did not go sight-seeing to any extent4 
,mc,master's companions did not wait for
 his return from ,oxford1 but when the  
packet sailed for ,antwerp1 which was   
,sunday1 the #cjth of ,august1 they went
 down to ,folkestone and took passage4  
,they arrived the following morning1    
and1 armed with a letter from ,father   
,rumpler to a ,madame ,marchand1 a warm 
friend of the congregation1 they went   
straight to the nearest ,church to      
inquire the way to her house4 ,it       
happened to be the ,jesuit church1 and  
one of the fathers kindly guided them to
 the lady's house4 ,she was delighted to
 serve them2 gave them an excellent     
dinner1 and1 after they had visited     
,rubens' great picture1 the ,descent    
from the ,cross1 set them forth on their
 journey2 but the yea1 yea and nay1 nay 
of ,scripture1 or rather jah1 jah1 nein1
 nein1 was their only conversation with 

the good lady1 for although young       
,walworth could speak ,french and ,isaac
 ,german1 she knew nothing but ,flemish4
 ,distances are not great in little     
,belgium1 and so before night they were 
at ,st4 ,trond1 a little city about     
thirty-five miles southeast of ,antwerp 
and twenty miles from ,liege4 ,here they
 were soon joined by ,mr4 ,mc,master1   
and their novitiate began4 ,isaac       
,hecker was now twenty-five years and   
nine months old4       ,,chapter ,,xxi  
,,brother ,,hecker  ,,the ,redemptorist 
novitiate at ,st4 ,trond1 as well as the
 house of studies at ,wittem1 ,holland1 
had been established be the immediate   
disciples of ,st4 ,clement ,hofbauer4   
,that great servant of ,god had         
introduced the ,congregation of the     
,most ,holy ,redeemer into ,austria and 
other parts of ,germany several years   
before the time of which we write4 ,a   
saint himself1 and of wonderful         
missionary gifts1 he was worthy of the  
title of second founder of the order of 

,st4 ,alphonsus ,liguori4 ,st4 ,clement 
was the son of a ,moravian peasant1 and 
in early life had been a baker by trade4
 ,st4 ,alphonsus was still alive when   
,clement1 while on a pilgrimage to      
,rome1 was enrolled there in the        
,redemptorist novitiate4 ,this event was
 auspicious of the future of the entire 
community1 since his apostolate was the 
means of propagating the order among the
 northern nations1 and giving to it some
 of its present dominant characteristics
 of ,teutonic discipline2 whereas in the
 land of its origin it has never fully  
recovered from the disasters which      
befell it during the lifetime of its    
founder4 ,in ,germany and the ,low      
,countries1 on the other hand1 the      
children of ,st4 ,alphonsus and ,st4    
,clement were1 at the time when the     
three ,americans joined them1 the most  
powerful preachers in the ,church4      
,their vocation called them to give     
missions--spiritual exercises lasting   
from a week to a month--to the faithful 

in every part of ,catholic ,europe1 not 
excepting ,france4 ,their fame was      
established as the foremost preachers of
 penance and of the ,redeemer's love for
 sinners4  ,st4 ,trond was the novitiate
 of the ,belgian ,province1 which       
embraced ,belgium and ,holland as well  
as the newly established convents in    
,england and ,america4 ,the ,provincial 
was ,father de ,held1 whom we saw in    
,baltimore while he was there on a tour 
of inspection of the ,american houses4  
,he was an ,austrian ,german1 a man of  
noble presence1 matured spirituality and
 an accomplished missionary4 ,father    
,hecker knew him well in after years1   
and always counted him as one who       
understood his spirit and approved his  
aspirations4  ,the convent in ,st4      
,trond was in a narrow street of the    
quaint little city2 so narrow1 indeed1  
that one almost fancied that he could   
touch both walls by stretching out his  
arms4 ,it was a solid old structure1    
built in the first half of the fifteenth

 century by ,st4 ,colette for her ,poor 
,clares1 an ample guarantee of its      
conformity to the ideas of religious    
poverty4 ,it was not architecturally    
fine1 but was a curious and interesting 
building4 ,isaac in one of his letters  
home says that the house was very roomy1
 with long corridors having cells on    
each side4 ,it abutted on a church which
 was open to the public and served by   
the fathers2 a window in the convent    
chapel looked into the sanctuary4       
,attached to the house was a garden of  
three or four acres4  ,the country      
around the town is a typical ,flemish   
landscape1 flat1 fertile1 thickly dotted
 with farm buildings1 and highly        
cultivated4 ,the people are wholly      
,catholic4 ,the town is an old one1 and 
in its time has had some military       
importance4 ,our young novices often    
walked upon the ramparts which encircled
 it4 ,in the neighborhood are structures
 which were built before the ,christian 
era2 quite near by was one of ,caesar's 

round towers1 as well as the deserted   
ruins of an ancient city named ,leo4    
,curious old churches and monasteries   
might often be seen by the novices on   
their long walks into the country4 ,all 
this antiquity was the more pleasing to 
the ,american novices because in their  
own land the forests1 the rivers1 and   
the everlasting hills are all that      
represent the distant past4  ,besides   
twenty novices there were ten or twelve 
fathers at ,st4 ,trond1 who either      
served the church or went about on      
missions2 and there were also a number  
of lay brothers4 ,by nationality the    
greater portion of the novices were     
,belgians and ,hollanders1 the others   
being mostly ,germans4 ,the language of 
the house was ,french1 though ,latin was
 sometimes used4 ,of course this was an 
added difficulty to ,brother ,hecker1 as
 he was now called1 for he knew         
practically nothing of that language1   
though he had studied it a little4 ,but 
he attacked it resolutely and1 as one of

 his companions said1 learned it heels  
over head4 ,he never feared to make     
mistakes1 nor dreaded a smile at his    
expense1 and as a consequence was soon  
able to talk to any one4 ,but his       
,french was always curious1 and when he 
took his turn at reading during meals he
 gave the community some hearty laughs4 
,all the new-comers were invested with  
the ,redemptorist habit about three     
weeks after their arrival1 in           
,september1 #ahde4 ,you can scarce      
imagine the happiness ,i felt on my     
arrival here1 he writes to his mother in
 his first letter home4 ,for three days 
my heart was filled with joy and        
gladness4 ,i was like one who had been  
transported to a lovelier1 a purer1 and 
a better world4 ,he tells her that he   
had waited for a fortnight before       
writing1 to learn the place1 and then1  
after expressing his satisfaction with  
everything in such sentences as the     
above1 he fills the rest of the letter  
with arguments in favor of the ,catholic

 ,church and exhortations to join it4   
,such was the burden of all of his      
letters home from both ,st4 ,trond and  
,wittem4 ,we have ten written from the  
novitiate4 ,an exception must be made as
 to one which describes in detail the   
daily order of life in the novitiate4   
,it is addressed to his mother4  ,he    
tells her that the first bell rings at  
half-past four in the morning and the   
last at half-past nine at night4 ,the   
time is divided between various common  
and private devotional exercises1       
including ,mass1 meditations1 recitation
 of the office in common1 study of the  
rule of the order1 spiritual            
conferences1 spiritual reading1 and the 
like4 ,silence is broken only for an    
hour after dinner and another hour after
 supper4 ,about an hour of out-door     
exercise is taken every day1 and a long 
walk once a week and on feast-days4 ,all
 of ,thursday in each week and the more 
important feasts of the year are days of
 recreation1 when silence need not be   

observed during the greater part of the 
day1 and much relaxation is otherwise   
allowed4 ,all ,fridays are days of total
 silence and special devotion4 ,the     
letter fails to mention the discipline1 
or flagellation1 which was taken twice a
 week4  ,he ends thus3 ,the time of the 
novitiate is one year1 and its object is
 to prove our vocation1 and form the    
religious character--the heart4 ,the    
exercises may seem too many to you1 but 
to us they are quite otherwise4 ,their  
frequent changes prevent them from being
 monotonous1 and their variety makes    
them agreeable4 ,our time passes without
 our taking count of it1 and our joy is 
that of a pure conscience1 and our      
happiness that of a clean heart4  ,it   
might seem a matter of peculiar         
difficulty for a free nature like ,isaac
 ,hecker's to conform to the stiff rules
 of such a system4 ,but this was not the
 case1 and a closer look into the matter
 shows that such a regimen is of much   
use to an earnest man1 however free his 

character1 at the outset of his         
spiritual career4 ,experience proves    
that one test of the genuineness of the 
interior disposition to serve ,god      
perfectly is readiness to surrender     
exterior peculiarities4 ,there is       
nothing in the special graces of ,god   
which should hinder a placid acceptance 
of the routine of a novitiate4 ,the     
merging of individual conduct into the  
common custom is the contribution which 
community life must exact from every    
member4 ,if a man is to be a hermit he  
may act from individual impulses alone1 
though1 even so1 rarely without counsel4
 ,but if one would live and work with   
others1 special graces and individual   
traits of character must not be allowed 
to interfere with a certain degree of   
uniformity4 ,on the other hand1 that    
uniformity should not be allowed to     
cripple the spontaneous action of       
natural independence1 and the           
inspiration of graces which are         
personal4  ,it must be granted that with

 many souls a novitiate will tend to a  
routine use of religious aids4 ,yet it  
cannot be denied that its discipline    
forcibly concentrates the scattered     
purposes of life into one powerful      
stream4 ,it contributes to symmetry of  
character4 ,it furnishes efficacious    
tests of sincerity4 ,it drills          
disorderly natures into regularity4 ,it 
acquaints the beginner with the         
literature of his holy profession1 and  
herein it is of priceless worth4 ,and   
finally1 it provides advisers of        
approved wisdom during the period of the
 spiritual life when counsel is most    
needed1 as well as most gratefully      
accepted4 ,but if it fails in each of   
these particulars1 as no doubt it       
sometimes does1 the novitiate may be    
said never to fail in detecting an      
inaptitude for the common life1 if such 
exists2 that is to say1 a serious lack  
of the qualities which fit one to get   
along in peace with the brethren4  ,into
 the novitiates of the religious orders1

 and into the seminaries which hold     
their place for the secular priesthood1 
the noblest men of our race have entered
 joyfully2 some to be wedded to the     
,divine ,spouse in the quiet seclusion  
of holy contemplation1 and others1 of   
the more militant orders1 to be trained 
to follow worthily the standards of the 
apostolic warfare against vice and      
error4  ,the novice-master was puzzled  
by his three ,americans1 though ,brother
 ,mc,master was easily comprehended--an 
over-frank temperament1 impulsive1 and  
demonstrative4 ,not only were his       
banners always hanging on the outward   
wall1 but his plan of campaign also4    
,the other two were a study1 and        
,brother ,hecker was a curiosity4 ,yet  
both were cheerful1 obedient1 earnest1  
courageous4 ,the novice-master was      
annoyed at the ,americans' incessant    
demand for the reason why of all things 
permitted1 and the reason why not of all
 things prohibited2 until at last       
,brother ,walworth was named ,brother   

,pourquoi4 ,as to ,brother ,hecker1     
besides showing the same                
stand-and-deliver propensity1 he        
occupied much of the time of            
conversation in philosophizing1 plunging
 into the obscurest depths of           
metaphysical and ethical problems1 using
 terms which were often quite unfamiliar
 to strictly orthodox ears1 and         
exhibiting a fearless independence of   
thought generally conceded among        
,catholics only to practised            
theologians4 ,yet the novice-master was 
well pleased with both1 though we shall 
see that his journey with ,brother      
,hecker was for some time in the dark4  
,when the ,fourth of ,july came around  
he learned that it was the great        
,american holiday1 and he called the    
three ,americans to him and asked1 ,how 
do you celebrate your national holiday  
at home8 ,by shooting off fire-crackers1
 they answered with a twinkle4 ,this    
being out of the question1 and the grand
 military parade which was next         

suggested also impracticable1 ,brothers 
,walworth and ,hecker both exclaimed1   
,ginger-bread6 ,take all you want1 was  
the answer1 and go off on a long walk1  
and spend the day by yourselves4 ,and of
 they went to wander among the ruins of 
the outposts of the old ,roman republic1
 and make ,fourth of ,july speeches in  
honor of the great new ,republic beyond 
the sea4 ,those who have been novices   
themselves will not be surprised at the 
boyishness of these three manly         
characters under the circumstances4     
,isaac ,hecker's spirit was not anywise 
cramped by the routine exercises of the 
novitiate2 he made them easily and well4
 ,he always seemed to his companions    
what he actually was1 and what he       
described himself to be in his letters  
to ,new ,york1 a cheerful and contented 
novice4 ,but1 as one of them since      
expressed it1 he was not a dude novice1 
not the very pink of external           
perfection1 and had a long period of    
interior trial4 ,he did not exhibit at  

any time the least hesitancy about his  
vocation1 for his mind was made up4 ,yet
 once1 when he took a walk with ,brother
 ,walworth to visit a house of          
,recollects1 ,franciscans of the strict 
observance1 both he and his companion   
were greatly struck by that charming    
poverty which the poor man of ,assisi   
has bequeathed to his children2 they did
 ask each other whether they had not    
made a mistake4 ,this question1 however1
 was but the expression of a shadowy    
doubt1 vanishing as suddenly as it had  
come4  ,the novice-master was ,father   
,othmann1 and he was by universal       
testimony entirely competent for his    
place4 ,he was himself the novitiate4   
,its austerities1 and they were not     
trifling1 its long and frequent prayer1 
its total seclusion from the world1 all 
were refined and adjusted to each one by
 passing through his soul and being     
dispensed by his wisdom4 ,father ,hecker
 regarded him as a very remarkable man4 
,he was a student of character1 and wise

 and sagacious in varying the           
application of religious influences     
according to temperament and spiritual  
gifts4 ,under him the danger of         
formalism1 which occurs to one's mind   
immediately as the incessant round of   
exercises is mentioned1 was rendered    
remote2 for he gave his instructions1   
and especially used the chapter of      
faults1 in a way to infuse into the     
souls of the novices the ever-recurring 
freshness of individual initiative4 ,his
 model 7after ,st4 ,alphonsus7 was ,st4 
,francis de ,sales4 ,he followed him    
constantly in his doctrine and methods1 
and often spoke of him and quoted him4  
,of other methods and their advocates he
 spoke respectfully1 but1 however much  
they were in vogue1 he did not follow   
them4 ,brother ,hecker was a faithful   
student in his school and learned much  
from ,father ,othmann4 ,the latter      
especially insisted on the principle of 
accepting ,providence as the chief      
dispenser of mortifications4 ,he had no 

objection to self-imposed spiritual     
exercises1 but he did not positively    
favor them4 ,he taught his young men    
that the traditional practices of devout
 souls as embraced in the routine of the
 novitiate1 were good mainly to break   
the resistance of corrupt nature and    
render their souls pliant subjects of   
the ,divine guidance in the interior    
life1 as well as submissive to the order
 of ,god in the events of ,his external 
,providence4  ,the assistant            
novice-master1 who took ,father         
,othmann's place during his absence1 was
 a ,walloon4 ,his name we have been     
unable to discover1 but he was a holy   
priest1 held up to the novices as their 
model and esteemed by them as the saint 
of the novitiate4 ,he was a very        
pleasant man withal1 and no doubt added 
in every way to the fruits of the long  
year of spiritual trial4  ,when ,isaac  
,hecker presented himself as a novice he
 took his place among the youths        
learning the ,a1 ,b1 ,c of the spiritual

 life1 while he himself had experienced 
for many months the most rare dealings  
of the ,holy ,ghost with the soul4 ,this
 could not fail to come to the knowledge
 of ,father ,othmann1 and1 taken with   
the other peculiarities of his subject1 
to elicit his most skilful treatment4   
,pere ,othmann1 my novice-master1 said  
,father ,hecker1 in after years1 had a  
right to be puzzled by me1 and so he    
watched me more than he did the others4 
,he watched and studied him and         
gradually applied the two sovereign     
tests of genuine spirituality1 obedience
 and humiliation4 ,these were all the   
more efficacious in this case1 because  
,brother ,hecker was a man of great     
native independence of character and    
naturally of an extremely sensitive     
disposition4  ,such was the common      
austerity of the life that it took some 
ingenuity to inflict on a novice a      
mortification which had not grown stale 
by use in the case of one or more of the
 others4 ,but in searching the interior 

of the soul the director could find     
tender places into which his weapon     
would be plunged to the bone4 ,but it is
 more than probable that he             
misunderstood ,brother ,hecker1 and that
 for a time he even suspected him of    
being under delusions4 ,for several     
months1 at any rate1 he treated him at  
his weekly confession with the utmost   
rigor1 producing indescribable mental   
agony4 ,many years afterwards1 and when 
near his death1 ,father ,hecker once    
said to the writer3 ,while ,i was       
kneeling among the novices1 outside     
,pere ,othmann's room1 waiting to go to 
confession1 ,i often begged of ,god that
 it might be ,his will that ,i should   
die before my turn came1 so dreadful an 
ordeal had confession become on account 
of the severity of the novice-master4   
,yet1 as recorded in the memoranda1 the 
victim was eager for the sacrifice when 
the knife was not actually lifted over  
him4 ,i begged the novice-master1 he    
said on another occasion1 to watch me   

carefully1 and when he saw me bent on   
anything to thwart me4 ,i did not know  
any other way of overcoming my nature4  
,he took me at my word1 too4 ,for       
example1 once a week only we had a walk1
 a good long one1 and we enjoyed it1 and
 it was necessary for us4 ,i enjoyed it 
very much indeed4 ,so1 sometimes when we
 were starting out1 my thoughts bounding
 with the anticipated pleasure1 he would
 stop me midway on the stairs3 ',frere  
,hecker1' he would say1 'please remain  
at home1 and instead of the walk wash   
and clean the stair-way4' ,it would     
nearly kill me to obey1 such was my     
disappointment1 grief1 humiliation4  ,in
 conjunction with these trials from     
without came a recurrence of resistless 
interior impulses4 ,during my novitiate1
 he is recorded as saying in #ahhe1 ,i  
found myself under impulses of grace    
which it seemed to me impossible to     
resist4 ,one was to conquer the tendency
 to sleep4 ,i slept on boards or on the 
floor4 ,after a while ,i was able to do 

with five hours sleep1 and often with   
only three1 in the twenty-four4 ,pere   
,othmann was not unwilling for me to    
follow these impulses as soon as he     
became convinced of their imperative    
strength4 ,yet ,i now see that such     
practices were in a certain sense       
mistaken4 ,they necessarily consumed in 
mortification vitality that ,i could now
 use1 if ,i had it1 in a more useful    
way4 ,still1 how could ,i help it8  ,the
 end of this period of his humiliations1
 which was not far from the end of his  
noviceship1 is thus described3 ,one day 
after ,communion ,i was making my       
half-hour thanksgiving in my room1 when 
,pere ,othmann came in and examined me  
about my form of prayer4 ,oh6 it was    
just then that ,i had reached the       
passive state of prayer3 ,i did nothing1
 ,another did everything in my prayer4  
,from that time1 having put me down in  
the gutter1 the novice-master raised me 
up to the pinnacle1 whereas ,i should   
have been in neither place4 ,on another 

occasion he told how the change of      
prayer had happened3 ,i was on my knees 
one day after ,communion1 making a      
regular thanksgiving1 when suddenly ,god
 stopped me1 and ,i was told not to pray
 that way any more4 ,question3 ,how were
 you told--what words were spoken to    
you8 ,answer3 ,cease your activity4 ,i  
have no need of your words when ,i      
possess your will4 ',tis ,i1 not you1   
who should act4 ,my action in you is    
more important than your thanks4 ,i     
cease to act when you begin1 and begin  
to act when you cease4 ,be              
still--tranquil-- listen--suffer me to  
act4 ,abandon yourself to me1 and ,i    
will take care of you4  ,when in ,rome1 
in the winter of #aheg-h1 he was        
compelled by circumstances1 which will  
be told in their place1 to make a       
written summary of his spiritual        
experience4 ,in it he says3 ,my         
novitiate was one of sore trials1 for   
the master of novices seemed not to     
understand me1 and the manifestation of 

my interior to him was a source of the  
greatest pain4 ,after about nine or ten 
months he appeared to recognize the hand
 of ,god in my direction in a special   
manner1 conceived a great esteem 7for   
me71 and placed unusual confidence in   
me1 and allowed me without asking it1   
though greatly desired1 daily           
,communion4 ,during my whole novitiate  
no amount of austerity could appease my 
desire for mortification1 and several   
gifts in the way of prayer were bestowed
 on me4  ,on ,march #f1 #ahhf1 while in 
a state of almost utter physical        
prostration1 he communicated to the     
writer the following3 ,forty years ago1 
in my novitiate1 ,god told me that ,i   
was to suffer in every fibre of my      
being4 ,perhaps1 was remarked1 you have 
not suffered all yet4 ,answer3 ,perhaps 
not1 but ,god has kept ,his promise in  
every limb1 member1 and function of my  
body4 ,it may become necessary to refer 
again to these interior experiences4 ,we
 leave them with the remark that his    

novitiate was characterized by a        
continuance of ,divine interferences    
similar to those which had occurred at  
intervals from the time he was driven   
from home and business to seek the      
fulfilment of his aspirations4  ,the    
following is the record of a brave      
soul's failure to become a              
,redemptorist4 ,it is given in a letter 
dated ,september #ad1 #ahdf3 ,brother   
,mc,master1 who returns to the ,u4,s41  
gives me the opportunity of writing a   
few lines to you1 etc4 ,it was a        
profound disappointment for ,mr4        
,mc,master to be obliged to return home 
a layman1 and it shocked his companions4
 ,it is a little singular that ,father  
,othmann told him that his vocation was 
not to be a religious1 but an editor4   
,he carried with him ,brother ,hecker's 
messages of affection to his friends and
 relatives1 and rosaries of ,isaac's own
 making for his mother and his brother  
,george4  ,writing to the latter1 on    
,august #bf1 #ahdf1 after some tender   

and affectionate words1 he says3 ,i have
 now nearly eight weeks until the time  
of taking the vows4 ,oh that it were but
 eight minutes1 nay1 eight seconds1 when
 ,i shall be permitted1 with the favor  
and grace of ,god1 to consecrate my     
whole being and life to ,his sole       
service6 ,millions of worlds put on top 
of one another could not purchase from  
me my vocation4 ,we make fifteen days'  
retreat before we take the vows4 ,you   
must recommend me very particularly to  
the ,rt4 ,rev4 ,bishop ,mc,closkey2 tell
 him the time of my taking the vows     
7,feast of ,st4 ,teresa1 ,october #ae71 
and give him my humble request to       
remember me at that time in his prayers4
  ,on the feast of ,st4 ,teresa1        
,october #ae1 #ahdf1 therefore1 the two 
,american novices took their vows1 and  
became members of the ,congregation of  
the ,most ,holy ,redeemer4 ,on the very 
morning of that event1 at half-past     
eight1 ,brother ,hecker wrote a letter  
to his mother1 in which he goes over all

 of his trials and experiences in       
following the ,divine guidance since he 
first quitted business4 ,he breathes    
intense affection in every word1 and    
writes in a solemn mood4 ,we would give 
the letter to the reader entire1 but    
that he has already learned what it     
narrates4 ,it ends thus3 ,dear mother1  
in half an hour ,i go to the chapel to  
consecrate my whole being for ever to   
,god and ,his service4 ,what peace1 what
 happiness this gives me6 ,to live alone
 for ,his love1 and to love all for ,his
 love1 in ,his love1 and with ,his love6
  ,after the ceremony was over he wrote 
as follows to his brother ,john3  ,,dear
 ,,brother ,,john3 ,this day1 with the  
special grace of ,god1 ,i have taken the
 holy vows of the ,catholic religion1   
which are obedience1 poverty1 chastity1 
and final perseverance4 ,these vows bind
 me to the ,congregation of the ,most   
,holy ,redeemer for my natural life1 and
 the ,congregation in the same manner to
 me4 ,thanks to ,god for ,his kind      

,providence4 ,my vocation is once for   
all1 for ever settled1 firmly fixed4    
,during the year and more of my         
novitiate ,i have not had any temptation
 against my vocation1 nor any desire on 
my part to return to the world4  ,as you
 were not certain whether ,i would      
return after the novitiate or not1 ,i   
suppose you left my name in connection  
with yours and brother ,george's in the 
firm4 ,but now that this 7separation7 is
 certain1 would it not be best for you  
to destroy that agreement we made with  
each other some time ago1 that no future
 difficulty can or may arise8 ,all this 
,i leave to your judgments2 and as for  
me1 dear brothers ,john and ,george1 in 
respect to the business1 you may regard 
me as though ,i had never been connected
 with it1 nor had any title or claim    
upon it whatever4 ,i am simply your dear
 brother ,isaac1 who loves you from the 
depth of his heart4 ,this love1 be      
assured1 will never be diminished by any
 event2 whatever happens will only give 

me new motives to love you the more4 ,my
 conduct is under your inspection1 yours
 especially1 dear ,john1 as being the   
eldest of us three1 and ,i trust your   
sincere love for me will not let any    
word or action of mine pass unnoticed   
which may be the least unpleasant to    
you4  ,my love1 my gratitude1 and my    
prayers to and for you all4 ,remember me
 to all my friends4  ,your brother1     
,,isaac4  ,st4 ,trond1 ,october #ae1    
#ahdf4  ,i have forgotten to say that if
 you have not already made use of the   
things that ,i left1 such as clothing1  
you should do so4  ,in bidding adieu to 
the novitiate we think ,father ,hecker's
 last meeting with his old              
novice-master1 as we find it recorded in
 the memoranda1 will be of interest3    
,pere ,othmann was one of my best       
friends4 ,shortly before he died ,i     
happened to be in ,france 7this was     
after leaving the ,redemptorists71 and  
,i heard that he was extremely ill at   
the ,redemptorist house at ,nancy4 ,i   

wrote to him that if he wished ,i would 
call and see him4 ,he answered me at    
once1 begging me to come immediately1 as
 he desired above all things to see me  
before he died4 ,so ,i made a journey to
 ,nancy1 and we had some hours of       
pleasant conference together1 and ,i    
bade him farewell4       ,,chapter      
,,xxii  ,,how ,,brother ,,hecker ,,made 
,,his ,,studies ,,and ,,was ,,ordained  
,,priest  ,,the day after the taking of 
the vows1 ,brothers ,hecker and         
,walworth started by stage-coach for the
 house of studies1 at ,wittem in ,dutch 
,limburg4 ,the route lay nearly east    
through a country pleasant on account of
 the fertility of its soil and the      
industry of its inhabitants1 and        
interesting from its churches1          
monasteries1 and curious old villages4  
,the travellers crossed the ,meuse at   
,maestricht and reached their           
destination before nightfall4 ,wittem is
 a small town1 thirty miles east of ,st4
 ,trond and about ten west of           

,aix-la-chapelle4 ,this part of ,holland
 is entirely ,catholic1 and its people  
possess a fervor which has sent         
missionaries to the ends of the earth4  
,everywhere shrines were to be seen by  
the roadsides4 ,the country is not so   
level as that west of the ,meuse1 and   
the ,redemptorist students often made   
excursions among the hills1 our young   
,americans admiring the shepherds       
guarding their flocks1 with their crooks
 and their dogs4  ,the house of studies 
was an old ,capuchin monastery1 large   
and plain and very interesting4 ,the    
friars had buried their dead under the  
ground floor1 which enabled the students
 to dig up an abundant supply of skulls 
as memento moris till the rector forbade
 it4 ,the students were more numerous at
 ,wittem than the novices had been at   
,st4 ,trond4 ,they were mostly          
,dutchmen1 with a sprinkling of         
,belgians and a few ,germans2 but the   
language of the house was ,french or    
,latin4 ,we have not been able to make  

quite sure of the name of the ,rector2  
possibly it was ,father ,heilig1 who    
certainly was there at this time1 either
 in charge of the house or as one of the
 professors4 ,the ,master of ,studies   
was ,father ,l'hoir1 who soon became one
 of ,brother ,hecker's dearest friends4 
,the two ,americans found their         
fellow-students men of fine character   
and every way lovable1 being earnest and
 devoted religious4 ,they admired their 
thorough proficiency in all classical   
and literary studies1 the result of     
old-world method and application4       
,mentally and physically they were      
splendid men4 ,the whole race of        
,flemings and ,dutch was found by our   
young recruits to be a grave and        
powerful people1 although exceptional   
cases of mercurial temperament were not 
rare4 ,some curious individuals were to 
be found among them1 as is more the case
 in ,european nationalities in general  
than in our own4 ,both ,americans were  
much liked and respected by all their   

new-found brethren1 though ,brother     
,hecker1 for reasons soon to be told1   
was sometimes ridiculed in a way that   
distressed him4 ,brother ,walworth1     
having studied much before entering the 
order1 was placed at once in the        
theological department and ,brother     
,hecker in the philosophical4 ,the      
former was even dispensed from one year 
of his theology1 taking but two years of
 the three which formed the full course4
 ,the difference of studies separated   
the two companions almost wholly from   
each other1 members of the two          
departments not being allowed even to   
speak together except on extraordinary  
occasions4  ,all went smoothly with     
,brother ,walworth4 ,not so with        
,brother ,hecker1 who was expected to   
make two years of philosophy and        
meantime to increase his stock of       
,latin4 ,but his faculties had been     
subjected to spiritual experiences of so
 absorbing a nature that he found study 
impossible4 ,and when ,brother ,walworth

 was in due course ordained priest1 in  
,august1 #ahdh1 his companion was stuck 
fast where he had begun4 ,it need not be
 said that so earnest a soul made every 
effort to study1 but all was in vain4   
,in the statement made in ,rome ten     
years later1 and referred to before1 we 
find the following3  ,my wish was to    
make a thorough course 7of studies7 and 
begin with philosophy4 ,this the        
superior granted4 ,my intellect in all  
scientific 7scholastic7 matters seemed  
stupid1 it was with great difficulty    
that its attention could be kept on them
 for a few moments1 and my memory       
retained of these things nothing4 ,at   
the close of the first year 7at ,wittem7
 all ability to pursue my studies had   
altogether departed4 ,this state of     
things perplexed my superiors1 and on   
being asked what they could do with me1 
my answer was1 ',one of three things3   
make me a lay brother2 send me to a     
contemplative order which does not      
require scientific 7scholastic7 studies2

 or allow me to pursue1 at my free      
moments1 my studies by myself4' ,instead
 of either of these they gave me charge 
of the sick1 which was my sole 7regular7
 occupation for the whole year          
following4 ,during this year my         
stupidity augmented and reduced me to a 
state next to folly1 and it was my      
delight to be treated as a fool4 ,one   
day1 when my fellow-students were       
treating me as such1 and throwing earth 
at me1 an ancient father1 venerated for 
his gifts and virtues1 suddenly turned  
around to them and with emotion         
exclaimed1 ',you treat him as a fool and
 despise him2 the day will come when you
 will think it an honor to kiss his     
hand4' ,at the expiration of the second 
year 7at ,wittem7 the question came up  
again1 what was to be done with me4 ,my 
superior put this question to me1 and   
demanded of me under obedience to tell  
him in writing how1 in my belief1 ,god  
intended to employ me in the future4    
,though the answer to this question was 

no secret to me1 yet to express it while
 in a condition of such utter           
helplessness required me to make an act 
of great mortification4 ,there was no   
escape1 and my reply was as follows3 ,it
 seemed to me in looking back at my     
career before becoming a ,catholic that 
,divine ,providence had led me1 as it   
were by the hand1 through the different 
ways of error and made me personally    
acquainted with the different classes of
 persons and their wants1 of which the  
people of the ,united ,states is        
composed1 in order that after having    
made known to me the truth1 ,he might   
employ me the better to point out to    
them the way to ,his ,church4 ,that1    
therefore1 my vocation was to labor for 
the conversion of my non-,catholic      
fellow-countrymen4 ,this work1 it seemed
 to me at first1 was to be accomplished 
by means of acquired science1 but now it
 had been made plain that ,god would    
have it done principally by the aid of  
,his grace1 and if 7,i were7 left to    

study at such moments as my mind was    
free1 it would not take a long time for 
me to acquire sufficient knowledge to be
 ordained a priest4 ,this plan was      
adopted4  ,a more explicit statement of 
the supernatural influences by means of 
which ,god informed him of his mission  
was made in after years to various      
persons1 singly and in common4 ,it was  
to the effect that the ,holy ,spirit    
gave him a distinct and unmistakable    
intimation that he was set apart to     
undertake1 in some leading and          
conspicuous way1 the conversion of this 
country4 ,that this intimation came to  
him while he was at ,wittem is also     
certain2 but it is equally so that he   
had premonitions of it during the       
novitiate4 ,it was the incongruity of   
such a persuasion being united to a     
helpless inactivity of mind in matters  
of study that made ,isaac ,hecker a     
puzzle to his very self1 to say nothing 
of those who had to decide his place in 
the order4 ,father ,othmann1 in bidding 

him farewell at ,st4 ,trond1 had told   
him to become un saint fou1 a holy fool2
 a direction based upon his excessive   
abstraction of mind towards mystical    
things1 and his consequent incapacity   
for mental effort in ordinary affairs4  
,once1 at least1 during those two       
eventful years at ,wittem1 ,father      
,othmann visited the place1 and when he 
saw ,brother ,hecker he embraced him and
 exclaimed1 ,o here is the spouse of the
 ,canticles6 ,his farewell injunction on
 parting at ,st4 ,trond had been        
perforce complied with4  ,it must have  
taken more than ordinary penetration to 
perceive anything but a kind of         
grandiose folly in ,brother ,hecker4    
,the impulse to talk about the          
conversion of ,america1 to plan it and  
advocate it1 to proclaim it possible and
 prove it so1 and to philosophize on the
 profoundest questions of the human     
reason1 was irrepressible4 ,this he did 
with an air of matured conviction and   
with the impact of conscious moral      

authority1 but in terms as strikingly   
eccentric as the thoughts were lofty and
 inspiring1 and in execrable ,french1   
the declaimer being known as minus      
habens in his studies and utterly       
incapable4 ,all this was the very       
make-up of folly2 and ,brother ,hecker  
was no doubt thought a fool4 ,but how   
holy a fool he was his superiors soon   
discovered4 ,we find the following among
 the memoranda3  ,pere ,l'hoir was my   
superior in the studentate4 ,he was a   
holy man and a good friend1 but he was  
surprised at my state of prayer4 ,he    
asked me how it could happen that ,i1 a 
convert of only a few years1 should have
 a state of prayer he had not attained  
though in the ,church all his life and  
striving for perfection4 ,i told him    
that it was ,god's will to set apart    
some men for a certain work and         
specially prepare them for it1 and cause
 them1 as ,he had me1 to be brought     
under the influence of special ,divine  
graces from boyhood4 ,l'hoir then began 

to send anybody with difficulties to me1
 and ,god gave me grace to settle them4 
,then murmurs arose that he was too much
 under my influence1 and he was removed 
from his position over the studies4 ,but
 afterwards they replaced him2 he was   
very efficient in his place4  ,the      
confidence of his superiors in ,brother 
,hecker was shown by their causing him  
to receive tonsure and minor orders at  
the end of his first year at ,wittem1   
though he had made no progress whatever 
in his studies4  ,the following notes   
are found in the memoranda3  ,the time  
in my whole life when ,i felt ,i had    
gained the greatest victory by          
self-exertion was when1 after weeks of  
labor1 ,i was able to recite the ,pater 
,noster in ,latin4  ,my memory finally  
failed me in my studies to that degree  
that at last ,i took all my books       
up-stairs to the library and told the   
prefect of studies ,i could do no more  
to acquire knowledge by study4          
,question4 ,how long were you unable to 

study8 ,answer4 ,two years in ,holland  
and one year in ,england4 ,i never went 
to class those years4 ,i was a kind of a
 scandal1 of course1 in the house4 ,when
 ,i got a lucid interval of memory ,i   
studied1 though much of the time ,i     
hadn't a book in my room4 ,yet1 when    
they came to ordain me1 ,i knew enough  
and was sent at once to the work of the 
ministry4  ,that his stupidity was not  
blameworthy is shown by the sympathy of 
,isaac's superiors2 that it was not     
natural is known to our readers by their
 acquaintance with his native ability   
exhibited in his journals and letters4  
,the difficulty was confined almost     
wholly to study2 to fix his attention on
 the matter in the text-books1 or to    
grasp it and hold it in memory1 was     
beyond his power4 ,meantime his letters 
to his friends in ,new ,york and        
elsewhere were full of life4 ,he kept a 
copy of a carefully written one1        
addressed to an old-time friend of the  
,brook ,farm community4 ,it is a model  

of brief statement of great truths1 and 
proves that the social difficulty can   
only be fully remedied by the ,catholic 
,church1 which has an elevating force   
incomparably more powerful than any     
other known to humanity4 ,the method    
used and the choice of arguments are    
peculiarly ,isaac ,hecker's own1 and the
 tone1 though affectionate1 is one of   
authority1 as that of an exponent of    
evident truth4 ,his letters to his      
mother and his brothers are full of     
controversy1 abounding in appeals to    
,scripture1 to the voice of conscience1 
to the dictates of reason2 and although 
the tone is one of deep affection1 the  
attacks on ,protestantism are keen1 and 
the use of facts and persons as         
illustrations full of intelligence4     
,most of the letters which we have found
 were addressed to his mother1 for whose
 conversion he had an ardent longing4   
,with one of them he sends her a little 
manuscript treatise on true ,bible      
,christianity which he had himself      

prepared4 ,we give the reader extracts  
from two letters1 the first from one to 
his brother ,john and the second from   
one to his mother3  ,your lamentation1  
dear ,john1 on my separation from you1  
excites in me a great astonishment4 ,to 
justify this separation it seems to me  
that you have only to open a page of the
 ,gospels of ,christ1 and to read it    
with a sincere belief in the words and a
 generous love of the ,saviour4 ,as for 
me1 ,i regret nothing so much as that ,i
 have not a thousand lives to sacrifice 
to ,his service and love4 ,yes1 ,i love 
you all more than ,i ever did1 and ,i   
would count nothing as a cost for your  
present and eternal good4 ,yet1 by the  
grace of ,god1 ,i love my ,saviour      
infinitely1 infinitely1 infinitely more4
 ,alas6 when will those who profess to  
be ,christians learn the significance of
 ,christ's ,gospels and ,his blessed    
example4 ,i am not ignorant nor         
insensible of the love we owe to our    
parents and relatives--no1 ,i am not    

insensible of this love2 but in me it is
 all in ,christ1 as ,i would wish yours 
were4 4 4 4 ,i embrace you1 dear        
brother1 in the love of our crucified   
,lord4  ,,dear ,,mother3 ,there have    
been times when1 considering the        
wickedness of the world1 sensible of its
 miseries and my own1 and at the same   
time beholding obscurely and as it were 
tasting the things of heaven1 ,i have   
longed and wished to be separated from  
the body4 ,but when coming back to      
myself1 and thinking that with the aid  
of grace ,i can still increase in ,god's
 love and hence love ,him still more in 
consequence for all eternity1 ,i feel   
willing to love and suffer until the    
last day1 if by this ,i should acquire  
but one drop more of ,divine love in my 
heart4 ,and so it is1 as ,st4 ,paul     
declares1 that we should count the      
trials here as nothing compared with the
 glory that awaits us4 ,now1 all these  
considerations1 dear mother1 join       
together to increase my desire to see   

you in the communion of the ,holy       
,catholic ,church1 to which ,god has    
singularly given so many means of       
growing in grace1 etc41 etc4            
,notwithstanding these marks of active  
intelligence1 ,brother ,hecker could not
 study1 except by fits and starts4      
,often he could not get through the     
common prayers1 and in ordinary         
conversation his tongue would sometimes 
be tangled among the words of a sentence
 before he was half through with it4    
,the reader has already learned that the
 penalties of utter stupidity were not  
unknown to the unwritten law of the     
,wittem studentate1 notwithstanding that
 the young men were devout religious2   
and hence ,brother ,hecker must have had
 many hours of anguish4 ,but we cannot  
suppose that his native cheerfulness was
 quite suppressed4 ,his dulness of mind 
was accompanied1 or rather was the      
result of1 the close embraces of ,divine
 love4 ,it was the bitter part of that  
intimate communion with ,god which is   

granted to chosen souls4 ,no doubt he   
was profoundly humiliated by the        
disgrace involved in his failure to     
study1 but he was willing to suffer that
 external degradation which was the     
complement of and the means of          
emphasizing1 the teaching of the ,holy  
,spirit in his interior1 as well as the 
means of purifying his soul more and    
more perfectly4 ,in after years he      
related an instance of his lightness of 
heart1 a natural quality which he shared
 with his companion1 ,brother ,walworth4
 ,the bishop of some neighboring        
diocese1 ,aix-la-chapelle1 if we        
remember rightly1 happening to visit the
 house at ,wittem1 was told of the two  
,american students4 ,he conversed with  
them in the recreation1 the language    
being ,french4 ,then he said3 ,i know   
how to read ,english1 but ,i have never 
heard it spoken2 can you not speak a    
little piece for me8 ,certainly1 was the
 answer4 ,after a moment's consultation 
the two young men in all seriousness    

recited together ,peter ,piper picked a 
peck of pickled peppers1 etc4 ,no wonder
 that the prelate was astonished at the 
peculiar sound of ,english4 ,then he    
asked them for a song4 ,oh of course1   
was the answer1 and they sang in unison 
,the ,carrion ,crow1 with full chorus   
and imitations4  ,besides taking care of
 the sick1 for which he was admirably   
fitted by nature1 ,brother ,hecker made 
himself generally useful about the      
house4 ,he spent much time working among
 the brothers in the kitchen1 and the   
writer has heard him say that for nearly
 the whole of his stay in ,wittem he    
baked the bread of the entire community4
 ,he also carried in the fuel for the   
house1 using a crate or hod hoisted on  
his back4  ,in ,august1 #ahdh1 ,brother 
,walworth was ordained priest1 and it   
was decided that he and ,brother        
,hecker1 together with two young        
,belgian priests1 ,fathers ,teunis and  
,lefevre1 should proceed to ,england1   
the ,redemptorists having been recently 

introduced there4 ,as the cassock is not
 worn in the streets in ,england they   
were sent from ,wittem to ,liege and    
there equipped with clerical suits1 the 
tailor being cautioned not to be too    
ecclesiastical in the cut of the        
garments4 ,he produced a ridiculous     
compromise between a fashionable        
frock-coat and a cassock1 the waist     
being high and tight and the tails full 
and flowing1 and flopping about the     
young clerics' heels4 ,as they journeyed
 from ,liege to ,amsterdam1 and thence  
to ,london1 people stopped and stared at
 them in their stylish array1 and some  
laughed at them4 ,in this instance      
,brother ,hecker's chagrin was not      
overcome by his sense of the ludicrous1 
for he was naturally very sensitive of  
personal unbecomingness1 and although   
not precisely a martinet for clerical   
exactness1 he had strict notions of     
propriety4  ,the new ,redemptorist      
foundation was at ,clapham1 three miles 
south of ,london ,bridge4 ,the house was

 a large1 old-fashioned mansion and had 
been owned by ,lord ,teignmouth1 a      
notorious anti-,catholic bigot4 ,some of
 the larger rooms had been thrown       
together into one1 and this was used    
temporarily as a public chapel4 ,just as
 the young ,redemptorists arrived1      
,father ,petcherine was preaching to the
 congregation4 ,he was a ,russian       
convert1 and the new-comers were        
astonished at his good ,english and his 
eloquence4 ,he was one of the many      
extraordinary men who adorned the order 
at that time4 ,he was master not only of
 his native tongue1 but of ,english1    
,german1 ,italian1 ,french1 and modern  
,greek1 and could preach well in all of 
these languages4 ,clapham was reached on
 ,september #bc1 #ahdh1 and shortly     
afterwards ,father ,walworth was sent to
 do missionary as well as parish work in
 ,worcestershire1 and remained there the
 greater part of the two years which    
were spent by our ,americans in         
,england4  ,from ,clapham ,brother      

,hecker wrote1 on ,september #bg1 #ahdh3
  ,i am at present1 dear mother1 in a   
newly-established house in the city of  
,london1 having come here by order of my
 superiors to continue and finish my    
studies4 ,bodily ,i am nearer to you    
than ,i was1 and naturally speaking ,i  
am much more at home here than ,i was on
 the ,continent4 ,but this is of little 
or no moment1 for a good religious      
should find his home where he can best  
execute the will of his ,divine ,master4
 ,and would you not1 dear mother1 rather
 see me in ,china than in the ,united   
,states if1 by being there1 ,i should be
 more agreeable to our ,blessed         
,saviour1 who left the house of ,his    
,father to save us poor abandoned       
sinners upon the earth8 ,our house here 
is situated somewhat out of the dense   
and busy part of the city1 at ,clapham2 
a fine garden is attached to it1 and    
even in a worldly view ,i could not     
desire it to be more agreeable4 ,and did
 not our ,lord promise to give those who

 would leave all to follow ,him1 'a     
hundred fold more in this world and life
 everlasting in the world to come'8     
,alas6 how many profess to believe in   
the ,bible and have no faith in the     
words which our ,lord spoke1 etc41 etc4 
,the difficulties of ,wittem were not   
abated at ,clapham2 rather they were    
aggravated by ,brother ,hecker having to
 deal with new superiors4 ,i remember   
seeing ,hecker at ,clapham1 looking     
hopelessly into his moral theology1 said
 ,father ,walworth to the writer4       
,father ,frederick de ,held1 whom we    
left in ,baltimore1 had returned to     
,europe1 being ,provincial of the       
,belgian ,province1 which at that time  
included the ,english as well as the    
,american missions4 ,it must have seemed
 strange to him that ,brother ,hecker   
had been sent to ,england2 he had no    
house of studies to put him into and    
could give him no regular course of     
instruction4 ,we cannot even surmise    
what word was sent to ,father de ,held  

about this curious young man1 whom early
 one summer's morning three years before
 he had seen flitting into ,baltimore   
and out of it1 taking with him the      
,provincial's leave to enter the        
novitiate4 ,perhaps the case had been   
sent to him because it was too          
perplexing for any authority less than  
his to settle4 ,at any rate1 it placed  
him in an awkward position1 to decide   
the case of this lone applicant for     
orders1 who had made no studies and     
could make none1 and yet who was of so  
marked a character1 so full of life1 so 
zealous1 working willingly about the    
church1 eagerly working in the kitchen1 
talking deep philosophy and forming     
plans for the conversion of nations4    
,his case was peculiar4 ,the difficulty 
was not confined to the question of     
divinity studies4 ,brother ,hecker's    
general education was scant1 and his    
,english sic was still faulty4 ,and yet 
he was silently asking ordination in a  
preaching order1 for which a thorough   

education is a prerequisite4 ,father de 
,held1 therefore1 is not to be condemned
 for his harshness as wanting in        
sympathy or in judgment of character4   
,gold is tried by fire1 and fire is an  
active agent and a painful one4 ,but    
,brother ,hecker soon found both solace 
and assistance in a new friend4  ,we    
quote from the memoranda3  ,father de   
,held was superior at ,clapham and for a
 year he treated me as ,henry ,suso says
 a dog treats a rag--he took me in his  
teeth and shook me4 ,at last ,i went to 
him and begged him to settle my case one
 way or the other3 ordain me1 or make a 
lay brother of me1 or take off my habit 
and dismiss me to another order2 though 
,i told him that would be like taking   
off my skin4 ,father de ,buggenoms then 
went my surety4 ,he had been my         
confessor at ,clapham and was then      
absent4 ,but he wrote to ,de ,held that 
he would guarantee my conduct if        
ordained4 ,de ,held then changed and    
became my fast and constant friend4     

,this is the first mention we find of   
,father de ,buggenoms4 ,father ,hecker  
ever venerated him and cherished his    
memory as that of a saintly friend and  
benefactor4  ,on another occasion we    
find a fuller account of the same       
events3  ,only for ,father de ,buggenoms
 ,i should not have been ordained at    
all4  ,who was ,de ,buggenoms8  ,a      
,belgian1 and my confessor while ,i was 
at ,clapham4 ,i was there1 not ordained1
 nor yet making my studies4 ,i had been 
forced to give them up2 ,i could not go 
on with them4 ,de ,held did not know    
what to make of me1 and he treated me   
harshly and cruelly4 ,finally ,i went to
 him and told him my thoughts2 ,i said  
,i was absolutely certain ,i had a      
religious vocation2 that he might compel
 me to take of the habit1 but it would  
be like taking off my skin2 and so on4  
,after that interview ,de ,held changed 
toward me and was ever after my warm    
friend4 ,he was a very prominent member 
of the ,congregation4 ,you know he came 

within a few votes of being             
,rector-major4 ,he was very warm in his 
sympathy with us during our trouble in  
,rome4 ,well1 ,heilig1 a ,german1 was   
about coming over to ,england as        
superior4 ,he had been my director for  
two years4 ,before he came he wrote me a
 letter that gave me indescribable pain4
 ,he wrote that ,i must change--that ,i 
was all wrong1 and so on4 ,i answered   
that it was too late to change2 that he 
had been my director for two years1 knew
 me well1 and had been cognizant of my  
state4 ,if he wanted me changed he must 
do it for me1 for ,i did not see how to 
do it for myself4 ,when he came1 ,de    
,buggenoms told him to have me ordained1
 set me to work at anything1 and he 7,de
 ,buggenoms7 would be responsible for me
 in every respect4 ,heilig complied4 ,i 
asked him afterwards why he wrote that  
letter4 ',because1' said he1 ',i thought
 you needed to be tried some more4'     
',why1' said ,i1 ',i have had nothing   
but trial ever since ,i came4'  ,from   

this it would seem that the case was    
finally settled by ,father ,heilig after
 ,father de ,held's departure for the   
,continent1 which took place1 as well as
 we can discover1 some time in the      
summer of #ahdi4 ,father ,heilig's      
letter1 written from ,liege1 is before  
us2 it is dated the #bdth of ,march1    
#ahdi4 ,it is a complete arraignment of 
,isaac ,hecker's spiritual condition4   
,it is gentle1 considerate1 choice of   
terms1 but condenses all that could be  
said to show that his young friend had  
been deluded by a visionary temperament1
 applying to himself what he had read in
 mystical treatises and the lives of the
 saints4 ,the letter was indeed a deadly
 blow4 ,father ,heilig had been ,brother
 ,hecker's confessor for two years at   
,wittem1 and had at least tacitly       
approved his spirit2 and now came his   
condemnation4 ,no wonder that ,isaac was
 profoundly distressed by it4 ,yet his  
conviction of the validity of his inner 
life was not shaken for an instant4 ,nor

 was the trial of long duration4 ,we    
have found a letter from ,father ,heilig
 dated two months later than the one we 
have been considering1 and it is full of
 messages of reassurance and            
encouragement4 ,the intervention of ,de 
,buggenoms completed the work4 ,it is   
possible that ,father ,heilig had not   
simply a desire to test ,brother        
,hecker's humility1 but1 by studying the
 effect of the trial imposed1 to remove 
doubts still lingering in his own mind4 
,some words in both the letters referred
 to lead us to this inference4  ,father 
,l'hoir had not forgotten his young     
friend1 who received a letter from him a
 couple of months after leaving ,wittem1
 which breathes in every word the       
tenderest utterance of friendship2 and a
 year after1 another one similarly      
affectionate1 congratulating him on his 
ordination4 ,this ,father ,l'hoir must  
have been a noble soul to write so      
lovingly2 we wish that space permitted  
us to give his letters to the reader4   

,amongst the papers left by ,father     
,hecker we found one carefully          
preserved1 bearing date at ,st4 ,mary's1
 ,clapham1 the feast of ,st4 ,raphael   
7,oct4 #bd7 #ahdh1 a month after his    
arrival there4 ,it is a manuscript of   
thirty-nine closely-written pages of    
letter-paper4 ,it is an account of      
conscience made1 no doubt1 to ,father de
 ,held1 though its preparation may have 
occupied some of his time before leaving
 ,wittem4 ,we will make some extracts4  
,it begins thus3  ,before commencing    
what is to follow1 ,i cannot resist     
making the confession of my feebleness  
and incapacity to express even          
conveniently those things which ,i feel 
it my duty to relate1 that ,i may walk  
with greater security and quicker step  
in the way of ,god4 ,it would not       
surprise me if one who has not taken the
 pains to investigate this matter       
sufficiently should doubt indeed whether
 such singular graces1 seeing the faults
 ,i daily commit and my many            

imperfections1 had really been given to 
such an individual4 ,a similar remark to
 this was made by my last director4 ,but
 this is a cause of much joy and        
consolation to me2 7that is to say7 that
 my interior life is hid and unknown to 
others except those who direct me4 ,all 
that ,i can adduce in behalf of its     
truth and credibility are these words of
 sacred ,scripture3 ,spiritus ubi vult  
spirat 7the ,spirit breatheth where ,he 
will72 and1 ubi autem abundavit         
delictum1 superabundavit gratia 7but    
where sin abounded there did grace more 
abound47  4   4   4   4   4   4   4   4 
,at that time 7towards the end of the   
novitiate7 ,i felt a special attraction 
and devotion toward ,our ,blessed ,lord 
in the ,holy ,sacrament and an almost   
irresistible desire of receiving the    
blessed ,communion of ,divine love4     
,this desire so far from having abated  
has greatly increased1 so that ,i have a
 constant hunger and thirst for ,our    
,lord in the sacrament of ,his body and 

blood4 ,if it were possible ,i would    
desire to receive no other food than    
this1 for it is the only nourishment    
that ,i have a real appetite for4 ,i    
cannot consider it other than the source
 and substance of my whole spiritual and
 interior life4 ,the day on which ,i    
have been deprived of it ,i have        
experienced a debility and want of both 
material and spiritual life like one who
 is nearly famished4 ,the doctrine of   
the real presence of our ,lord seems to 
be with me a matter of conviction       
arising more from actual experience than
 from faith4 ,at times1 when ,i would   
make my visit1 ,i am seized with such a 
violent love towards the ,blessed       
,sacrament that ,i am forced to break   
off immediately1 being unable to support
 the attraction of the ,spouse1 the     
,beloved1 the ,only ,one of my soul4    
,for some time back1 wherever ,i may be1
 or on whatever side ,i turn1 ,i seem to
 feel the presence of ,our ,lord in the 
,sacrament in the tabernacle4 ,it seems 

as though ,i were in the same sphere as 
our ,lord in the sacrament1 where there 
appears no time nor space1 yet both are4
  4   4   4   4   4   4   4   4  ,at    
times1 especially during the great      
retreat before making the vows1 ,i was  
as it were inebriated with love1 so that
 ,i scarcely knew what ,i said or did4  
4   4   4   4   4   4   4   4  ,this was
 the stage of my interior life on       
entering the house of studies at        
,wittem1 ,october1 #ahdf4 ,here the     
principal acts in all my spiritual      
exercises were those of resignation and 
conformity to the will of ,god1 an      
entire fidelity to the inspirations and 
attractions of the ,holy ,spirit1 and a 
total abandonment of myself to the      
conduct of ,divine ,providence4 ,god    
seemed always engaged in my soul by     
means of ,his grace in repressing my own
 activity4 ,the end of my proper        
activity1 ,i said to myself1 is its     
destruction4 ,god commands a total and  
entire abandonment of the soul to ,him  

in order that ,he may with his grace    
destroy and annihilate all that ,he     
finds in it against ,his designs and    
will4 ,god at times seemed to demand of 
me a frightful and heroic abandonment of
 my soul to ,his good pleasure4 ,god    
alone knows how to exercise the soul in 
virtue1 and the ,holy ,spirit is its    
only true master in the spiritual life4 
,not only did the spirit of ,god excite 
and elicit in me voluntary acts of      
self-abandonment1 but often my soul was 
as if stripped of all support1 and      
placed1 as it were1 over a dark and     
unfathomable abyss1 and thus ,i was made
 to see that my only hope was to give   
myself up wholly to ,him4 ,the words of 
,job well express this purgation of the 
soul when he says3 ',the arrows of the  
,lord are in me1 the rage whereof       
drinketh up my spirit1 and the terrors  
of the ,lord war against me4' 7,here    
follow other quotations from the book of
 ,job47 ,sometimes these pains penetrate
 into the remotest and most secret      

chambers of the soul4 ,the faculties are
 in such an intensive purgation that    
from the excessive pain which this      
subtile and purifying fire causes they  
are suspended from their ordinary       
activity1 and the soul1 incapable of    
receiving any relief or escaping from   
its suffering1 has nothing left but to  
resign itself to the will and good      
pleasure of ,god4 ,though enveloped with
 an unseen but no less real fire1       
suffering in every part1 limb1 and fibre
 from indescribable pains1 fixed like   
one who should be forced to look the sun
 constantly in the face at midday1 she  
is nevertheless content1 for she has a  
secret consciousness that ,god is the   
cause of all her sufferings1 and not    
only content--she would suffer still    
more for ,his love4  ,here follows an   
account of the mortifications to which  
this interior pressure drove him1       
shortening of sleep1 wearing            
hair-shirts1 severe discipline1         
abstinence and fasting1 and the like4  4

   4   4   4   4   4   4   4  ,there    
were no penances that ,i have read of   
that seemed to me impossible4 ,the      
vilest habits and other things that ,i  
was allowed to wear and to use gave me  
the greatest pleasure4 ,the thought of  
not having wherewith to cover my        
nakedness1 to be contemned1 ridiculed1  
and spit upon1 gave me an extreme joy4  
,my delight consisted in wanting that   
which is considered necessary 4 4 4 all 
this ,i did not only do without         
reluctance1 difficulty1 and pain1 but   
with great pleasure1 ease1 and joy4     
,they seemed as nothing1 and ,i was as  
though ,i had scarcely need of a body in
 order to live1 or1 in other words1 it  
seemed that ,i lived for the most part  
independent of the body4  ,it was about 
this period that ,god gave me the grace 
which ,i had long desired and sighed    
after3 to be able to act and suffer     
without the idea of any recompense4 ,i  
call it a gift1 for although ,i had so  
long wished and demanded of ,god the    

power to act and to love ,him           
disinterestedly1 still ,i was unable to 
do so4 ,i felt myself a slave and       
hireling in the service of ,god1 and    
this mortified me and made me much      
ashamed of myself4 ,but when this grace 
was given1 which happened unexpectedly1 
,i could not forbear going immediately  
to my director to express my joy of the 
favor ,i had received1 and the freedom  
and magnanimity of soul which it        
inspired me with4 ,i do not mean to say 
that the soul has no idea of any        
recompense1 for she has it tacitly1 but 
this is not her formal intention in her 
actions2 for she is to such a degree    
animated to act for the good pleasure   
and sole glory of ,god1 that she quasi  
forgets all else4 4 4 4  ,sometimes ,i  
have felt singularly present and in     
intimate communion with certain of the  
saints1 such as ,st4 ,francis of        
,assisi1 ,st4 ,bonaventure1 ,st4        
,thomas1 ,st4 ,peter of ,alcantara1 our 
holy father ,alphonsus1 etc4 ,during    

this time--and sometimes it is for many 
days--the life1 the virtues1 the spirit 
with which the saint acted occupies     
almost exclusively my mind4 ,i seem to  
feel their presence much more intimately
 and really than that of those who are  
around me4 ,i understand and comprehend 
them better1 and experience a more      
salutary influence from them than       
perhaps ,i would have done had ,i lived 
and been with them in their time4 4 4 4 
,twice ,i remember having experienced in
 this manner the presence of ,our       
,blessed ,lord4 ,while this lasted ,i   
felt myself altogether another person4  
,his heroic virtues1 ,his greatness1    
tenderness1 and love seemed to inspire  
me with such a desire to follow ,him and
 imitate ,his example that ,i lost sight
 of all things else4 ,his presence      
excited in me a greater love and esteem 
for the ,christian virtues than ,i could
 have acquired otherwise in years and   
years4 4 4 4  ,about the commencement of
 the second year of studies1 during some

 weeks my faculties were drawn and      
concentrated to such a degree towards   
the centre of my soul that ,i was as one
 bereft of his exterior senses and      
activity4 ,before the vacation ,i had   
desired to pass that time in solitude   
and retreat1 but it was not allowed4    
,we have omitted much of this singular  
document1 including detailed accounts of
 supernatural occurrences1 and also     
quotations from the works of ,goerres1  
,st4 ,teresa1 ,st4 ,john of the ,cross1 
,st4 ,bonaventure1 ,father ,rigoleu1    
,richard of ,st4 ,victor1 ,scaramelli's 
,directorium ,mysticum1 and other       
mystical writings4 ,these references he 
had collected to certify to the reality 
of his experience4  ,throughout all     
these three years of trial he had       
employed what he calls his lucid        
intervals of mental power in studying in
 his own way1 ,god aiding him in ,his   
own way to the destined end1 as ,he had 
hindered him from choosing any other    
way4 ,these intervals seemed so slight  

in his memory that the reader has seen  
his statement that he had not studied at
 all4 ,when he had been a year at       
,clapham he was found1 on examination1  
to be well enough prepared1 as he had   
promised he would be4 ,having been      
ordained sub-deacon and deacon at old   
,hall ,college1 by ,bishop ,wiseman1 he 
was ordained priest by the same prelate 
in his private chapel in ,london4 ,the  
event took place on the #bc;d of        
,october1 #ahdi1 the feast of the ,most 
,holy ,redeemer4 ,father ,hecker said   
his first ,mass the following day at    
,clapham1 that being the feast of ,st4  
,raphael the ,archangel3 one year from  
the date of his account of conscience   
written out and given to his superiors4 
,the following is from a letter to his  
mother announcing his ordination3       
,,dear ,,mother3 ,you have been doubly  
blessed by ,almighty ,god within the    
past few weeks4 ,your youngest son has  
been ordained priest in ,god's one1     
holy1 ,catholic ,church1 and prays for  

you daily when he offers up to ,god the 
precious body and blood of ,his beloved 
,son1 our ,lord2 and besides you have   
received1 by the marriage of another of 
your sons ,george1 a new daughter1 who1 
being also a child of the ,holy ,church1
 must be kind1 dutiful1 pious1 fearing  
,god1 and loving above all things our   
,lord and ,saviour1 ,jesus ,christ4 ,are
 not these1 dear mother1 blessings8 ,do 
they not convey to your heart joy and   
consolation8 ,they ought and surely do4 
,your latter days dear mother1 will be  
your happiest4  ,the remainder of the   
letter is filled with exhortations to   
enter the ,church1 and arguments drawn  
from ,scripture4  ,we may mention a     
letter written to ,father ,hecker by    
,father ,heilig on the eve of the       
former's departure for ,america2 a      
message full of affectionate good wishes
 and claims of friendship and union in  
prayer with the singular young pilgrim  
from the ,western ,world4  ,the         
following extracts from the memoranda   

may be of interest as embodying ,father 
,hecker's views of how to study         
divinity1 resulting from his own        
experience in preparing for the         
priesthood3  ,march1 #ahhd4--;,i told   
,father ,hecker1 in course of           
conversation1 about my reading the life 
of the ,cure of ,ars4 ,he said3 ',a     
saintly man indeed1 and one gifted with 
a supernatural character to an          
extraordinary degree4 ,but it seems to  
me that his biographer misunderstood him
 somewhat4 ,he seems to admit that the  
,cure of ,ars had a naturally stupid    
mind1 because he had so much difficulty 
in getting through his studies for the  
priesthood4 ,the truth1 probably1 was   
that just at that time the supernatural 
action of the ,holy ,spirit came upon   
him and incapacitated him for his       
studies4 ,but everything about his after
 life shows that1 though a rustic man1  
he had a good mind1 a keen native wit1  
quick and clear perception4 ,i had      
something the same difficulty myself4   

,during my novitiate and studies one of 
my great troubles was the relation      
between infused knowledge and acquired  
knowledge2 how much one's education     
should be by prayer and how much by     
study2 the relation between the ,holy   
,ghost and professors4  ,in the         
novitiate they were all too much on the 
passive side-- unbroken devotional and  
ascetic routine4 ,in the studentate1 too
 much on the active side--leaving       
nothing for infused science and prayer  
as a part of the method of study4 ,they 
soon broke me down4 ,i told them so4 ,if
 ,i went on studying ,i would have been 
driven mad4 ,let me alone1 ,i said4 ,let
 me take my own way and ,i will warrant 
that ,i will know enough to be ordained 
when the time comes4 ,they said ,i was a
 scandal4 ,then they sent me to ,england
 to ,de ,held4 ,i am persuaded that in  
the study of divinity not enough room is
 given to prayer and not enough account 
made of infused science4       ,,chapter
 ,,xxiii  ,a ,,redemptorist ,,missionary

  ,i ,,would not have become a priest   
had ,i lived in ,europe1 for ,i never   
had or could have any strong attrait for
 sacerdotal functions4 ,but ,i felt that
 the ,church in ,america was in need of 
all the help that could be given by her 
children for the work of the priesthood4
 ,father ,hecker said this when near his
 end1 and a full knowledge of his       
character bore him out in it4 ,the      
sacerdotal1 the ecclesiastical1 were    
qualities which he had assumed with full
 consciousness of their sanctity1 yet   
they united with his other              
characteristics in a way to leave traces
 of the point of contact4 ,he was       
certainly an edifying priest1 and to    
hear his ,mass was to be spiritually    
elevated by his joyous fervor4 ,but you 
would never say of him he is a thorough 
ecclesiastic1 he is a typical priest4   
,the external aids of religion he       
imparted with a reverence which         
displayed his faith in his priestly     
character as a dispenser of the         

sacramental mysteries of ,god4 ,but the 
other mysteries of ,god which are hidden
 in his providential guidance of men1 he
 could expound with the instinctive     
familiarity of a native gift2 the voice 
of ,god in nature1 in reason1 and in    
conscience1 and its response in         
revelation1 he could elicit with a power
 and unction rarely met with4 ,he has   
left the following words on record3     
,after my ordination the duties of the  
sacred ministry appeared to me most     
natural2 the hearing of confessions and 
the direction of souls was as if it had 
been a thing practised from my          
childhood1 and was a source of great    
consolation4  ,the year spent in        
,england after ordination was occupied  
by ,father ,hecker mainly in parochial  
duties at ,clapham and some neighboring 
stations attended by the ,redemptorists 
of that house4 ,father ,walworth enjoyed
 some missionary experience with        
,fathers ,pecherine and ,buggenoms1 but 
,father ,hecker had only been at one or 

two small retreats--one at              
,scott-,murray's estate in company with 
,father ,ludwig and another at that of  
,weld-,blundells in ,lancashire2 but in 
neither of these had he preached or     
given any instructions1 serving only in 
the confessional and in hunting up      
obstinate sinners4 ,he certainly did    
preach once before leaving ,england1    
perhaps only once1 and that was at      
,great ,marlowe1 near ,london1 in the   
church built by the ,hornihold family4  
,it was on ,easter ,sunday1 #ahej1 and  
was well remembered by ,father ,hecker  
and referred to in after years4 ,he     
thought the sermon a good one as a      
beginning1 but it seems to have given   
him no encouragement1 and we venture to 
think that if it profited his hearers   
somewhat it also amused them a little4  
,he needed a teacher1 and he found one  
in ,father ,bernard1 the newly appointed
 provincial of the ,american province4  
,in #ahej ,father ,bernard ,joseph      
,hafkenscheid99 was made ,provincial of 

the ,redemptorist houses in ,america4   
,his patronymic was too formidable for  
ordinary use1 and he was universally    
known as ,father ,bernard4 ,he was in   
the prime of life on taking this office1
 and although he had spent twenty years 
on the missions in ,holland1 his native 
country1 in ,belgium and ,england1 he   
yet showed no signs of these labors2 he 
continued them for fourteen years       
longer1 for the most of the time in the 
,netherlands1 his death resulting from  
accident in #ahfe4 ,by common consent he
 is ranked in the highest order of      
popular preachers4 ,he had entered the  
community from the secular priesthood   
shortly after his ordination2 he had    
made a brilliant course of studies at   
,rome1 which was crowned by the         
doctorate of the ,roman ,college4 ,he   
was physically a tall1 powerful man1 and
 of majestic bearing4 ,his features were
 full of intelligence1 his glance       
penetrating1 his voice clear1           
sympathetic1 and vibrating1 his gestures

 expressive4 ,if half that is handed    
down of ,father ,bernard be true1 he was
 a wonderful preacher of penance and of 
hope1 his high gifts of natural         
eloquence served by a perfect education 
and inspired by a most enthusiastic love
 of the people4  99 ,the reader is      
referred to his life by ,canon          
,claessens 7,catholic ,publication      
,society ,co47 ,it is all too brief1 yet
 is a good summary of the career of the 
great ,redemptorist missionary1 one of  
,st4 ,alphonsus' noblest sons4  ,he was 
a popular preacher in the best sense of 
the term1 calm in demeanor and simple in
 language as he opened1 but when at the 
point of fervor pouring forth his soul  
in a fiery torrent of oratory1 whose    
only restraint was the inability of the 
human voice to express all that the     
heart contained4 ,in style impassioned1 
he yet often chose language bordering on
 the familiar1 but was not vulgar4 ,he  
is an instance of the fallacy of the    
saying that the preacher must stoop to  

his auditory if he would be popular4    
,father ,bernard was ever true to       
himself1 never appeared less than an    
educated priest and grave religious1 and
 yet he was a most popular preacher4    
,the great truths of eternal life are a 
universal heritage1 and the use of plain
 words is not getting down from good    
style even in the literary sense1 and a 
familiar manner is a trait of affection4
 ,we have stopped the reader for this   
moment with ,father ,bernard because he 
was ,father ,hecker's teacher of mission
 preaching and instructing1 and was ever
 beloved by him as an appreciative      
friend and a wise and indulgent         
preceptor4 ,he had made his first visit 
to ,america with ,father de ,held in    
#ahde1 but remained only a few months to
 acquire information and gain           
impressions for a report to the ,rector 
,major4 ,he made a second voyage in     
,january1 #ahdi1 acting as superior of  
the ,american houses1 as                
,vice-provincial1 and remained about    

eighteen months4 ,the ,united ,states   
now forming a separate province and     
,father ,bernard made ,provincial1 he   
demanded ,fathers ,hecker and ,walworth 
as his subjects1 and they were given to 
him4  ,a letter from ,father ,hecker    
announces his departure for ,new ,york  
as fixed for some time in ,october1     
#ahij2 but delays occurred1 and the     
following is an extract from one to his 
mother1 dated ,january #ag1 #ahea2 it   
says that the departure is fixed for    
some day the same month3  ,oh6 may      
,almighty ,god prosper our voyage1 and  
may ,his sweet and blessed ,mother be   
our guide and protector on the stormy   
sea4 ,and may my arrival in ,america be 
for the good of many souls who are still
 wandering out of the one flock and away
 from the one shepherd6 ,i hope that to 
no one will it be of more consolation   
and benefit than to you1 my dearest     
mother4  ,the ship was named the        
,helvetia and sailed from ,havre the    
#bgth of ,january1 the captain being a  

genuine down-east ,yankee1 and the crew 
a mixed assortment of ,english and      
,american sailors4 ,father ,bernard's   
party consisted of ,fathers ,walworth1  
,hecker1 ,landtsheer1 ,kittell1 ,dold1  
and ,giesen1 and the students           
,hellemans1 ,mueller1 and ,wirth1 the   
,american fathers having come to ,havre 
from ,london by way of ,dover1 ,calais1 
and ,paris4 ,the weather was unfavorable
 during nearly the entire voyage1 the   
ship being driven back into the ,english
 ,channel and forced to anchor in the   
,downs4 ,they were beaten about for two 
weeks before they got fairly upon the   
,atlantic1 and while crossing the       
,newfoundland banks were in danger from 
icebergs4 ,nearly all the party were    
more or less sea-sick1 including ,father
 ,hecker4 ,this did not prevent his     
attempting the conversion of the        
boatswain1 who seemed the only hopeful  
subject in the ship's company4 ,there   
were a hundred and thirty steerage      
passengers1 emigrants for the most part 

from ,protestant countries1 though a    
party of ,garibaldian refugees and a few
 equally wild ,frenchmen enlivened the  
monotony of sea-life by some bloody     
fights4 ,there were but two cabin       
passengers besides the ,redemptorists1  
and the former being confined to their  
staterooms by nearly continual          
sea-sickness1 the cabin was turned into 
a floating convent1 to borrow ,father   
,dold's expression in a long letter     
descriptive of the voyage1 given by     
,canon ,claessens in his ,life of       
,father ,bernard4  ,the wintry and      
stormy voyage had already tested the    
missionaries' patience for some weeks1  
when ,father ,bernard informed the      
captain that he and his companions were 
going to make a novena to ,st4 ,joseph  
to arrive at ,new ,york on or before his
 feast1 ,march the #aith4 ,st4 ,joseph  
will have to do his very prettiest to   
get us in1 was the answer4 ,and when the
 ship was still far to the east1 being  
off the banks1 and the weather quite    

unfavorable1 and only three days left   
before the feast1 the captain called    
out3 ,st4 ,joseph can't do it--give it  
up1 ,father ,bernard4 ,but the latter   
would still persevere2 and that night   
the wind changed4 ,the ,yankee ship now 
flew along at the rate of fourteen miles
 an hour4 ,when the eve of ,st4         
,joseph's ,day came they were wrapped in
 a dense fog1 and the captain1 dreading 
the nearness of the coast1 hove to4     
,when day dawned the fog lifted1 and the
 ship was found to be off ,long ,branch1
 and a wrecked ship was seen on the     
shore2 she had been driven there during 
the night4 ,the pilot soon came aboard  
and they sailed through the ,narrows and
 into the harbor of ,new ,york1 having  
spent fifty-two days on the ocean4 ,as  
they approached the city a little       
tug-boat was seen coming to meet them4  
,it bore ,george and ,john ,hecker and  
,mr4 ,mc,master1 whose cordial greetings
 were the first welcome the young       
,redemptorists heard on their return to 

the ,new ,world4 ,they were soon at     
their home in the convent in ,third     
,street1 and on the sixth of ,april     
following the first mission was opened  
in ,st4 ,joseph's ,church1 ,washington  
,place1 ,new ,york4  ,here is ,dr4      
,brownson's greeting1 from his home in  
,chelsea1 ,mass41 received by ,father   
,hecker soon after his arrival3  ,my    
very dear friend1 you cannot imagine    
what pleasure it gives me to learn of   
your arrival in ,new ,york4 4 4 4 ,i    
want to see you much1 very much4 ,you   
have much to tell me that it is needful 
that ,i should know1 and ,i beg you to  
come to see me4 ,tell your superiors    
from me that your visit to me will be   
more than an act of charity to me       
personally1 and that it is highly       
necessary--not merely as a matter of    
pleasure to us two--that we should meet2
 and tell them that ,i earnestly beg to 
have you come and spend a few days with 
me4 ,i am sure that they will permit you
 to do so in furtherance of the work in 

which ,i as well as you are engaged1 and
 ,i have a special reason for wishing to
 see you now4 ,i would willingly visit  
you at ,new ,york or anywhere in the    
,united ,states1 but there is no place  
so appropriate as my own house4 4 4 4 ,i
 am more indebted to you for having     
become a ,catholic than to any other man
 under heaven1 and while you supposed ,i
 was leading you to the church1 it was  
you who led me there4 ,i owe you a debt 
of gratitude ,i can never repay 4 4 4   
,come1 if possible1 and as soon as      
possible4  ,at the ,third ,street house 
the new-comers found ,father ,augustine 
,f4 ,hewit1 a convert from the          
,episcopal ,church1 in which he had     
tarried for a few years on his way from 
,calvinism to the true religion4 ,he had
 been a secular priest for a short time 
previous to entering the order4 ,he was 
directed to join the newly-formed       
missionary band1 and was destined to be 
more to ,father ,hecker than any other  
man1 and to succeed him as superior of  

the ,paulist community4  ,after more    
than five years' absence ,father ,hecker
 thus finds himself in ,america1 the    
land of his apostolate1 a member of a   
missionary community whose external     
vocation is the preaching of penance1   
and the conversion of sinful ,catholics 
to a good life4 ,a mission is a season  
of renewal of the religious life among  
the people of a parish4 ,it is a course 
of spiritual exercises in which the     
principles of religion are called forth 
and placed in more active control of    
men's conduct1 and by means of which    
their emotional nature is stimulated to 
grief for sin1 love of ,god1 yearning   
for eternal happiness4 ,the sermons and 
instructions are given twice1 and       
sometimes oftener1 each day1 during the 
early mornings and in the evenings4     
,these exercises are conducted in the   
parish church1 but not by the parish    
clergy4 ,the people see among them the  
members of a religious order1 men set   
apart1 by the interior touch of the     

,holy ,spirit and the public approval of
 the church1 for this particular        
work--powerful preachers1 confessors as 
indefatigable as they are patient1      
priests full of masterful zeal1 moving  
in disciplined accord together against  
vice4 ,the call they address to the     
people is the peremptory one3 ,do       
penance1 for the kingdom of heaven is at
 hand4 ,their words are given forth not 
from the usual pulpit1 but from a       
platform at the communion railing1 and  
in the presence of a high black cross   
set up in the sanctuary4 ,they wear no  
surplice or stole while preaching1 the  
only insignia of their office being a   
crucifix on their breasts4 ,the bishop  
usually extends to them greater powers  
than are commonly given for reconciling 
sinners who have incurred ecclesiastical
 censures4 ,the ,holy ,see empowers them
 to extend the most abundant spiritual  
favors in its gift in the form of       
indulgences1 and the pastor informs the 
congregation several ,sundays beforehand

 that he expects the entire ,catholic   
population of his parish to attend the  
mission and receive the sacraments4  ,to
 be absorbed in such labors as above    
described was not the primary object of 
,father ,hecker's vocation1 but he      
accepted his place joyfully as chosen by
 the evident will of ,god4 ,the         
missionary life was never in his eyes   
what the reader might surmise it to     
be--a mere interlude in his career1 a   
period of patient waiting4 ,such is far 
from having been the case4 ,the missions
 are eminent works of ,catholic zeal1   
and there is not any vocation known to  
the active ministry which may not       
commute with them on equal terms4 ,human
 nature has never felt influences more  
deeply religious than those set at work 
by missions1 recalling the effects of   
the preaching of the ,apostles          
themselves4 ,remorse of conscience1     
loathing for sin1 terror at the divine  
wrath1 confidence in ,god1 sympathy for 
our crucified ,saviour1 the ecstatic joy

 of the new-found divine friendship1    
utter contempt for the maxims of the    
world1 iron determination to love ,god  
to the end--these are the sentiments    
which1 by the preaching of missions1 are
 made to dominate entire parishes in a  
degree simply marvellous4 ,nor can it be
 said that these dispositions are       
fleeting4 ,allowing for exceptions1     
especially in large cities1 their       
permanency is often an evidence of the  
solidity of the motives which inspired  
them1 as well as of the supernatural    
graces which gave them life4 ,every     
missionary will bear witness1 as ,father
 ,hecker often did1 that he has never   
assisted at a mission in which he was   
not profoundly impressed by the tears of
 hardened sinners4 ,every parish priest1
 however much he may regret the         
backsliding of some1 will testify to the
 valuable results of missions among his 
people3 the quickening of faith and the 
revival of supernatural motives1        
drunkards reformed1 restitutions made1  

lust cleansed away1 families united1 the
 church thronged with worshippers1      
saloons deserted4 ,father ,hecker never 
thought that all this was too dearly    
bought by the dreary toil of the        
confessional1 the discomforts of for    
ever changing residences and living in  
strange places1 nor even by the growing 
nerve-troubles which the fathers are    
often subject to1 from brains           
superheated over and over again in the  
burning fires of mission preaching4     
,father ,hecker did not think the       
privileges of such a life too dearly    
bought even by the postponement of his  
proper apostolate1 and was ever glad of 
his labors as a missionary4  ,they      
schooled him in public speaking4 ,in his
 antecedents there was abundant reason  
for diffidence1 and he knew full well   
that what was good enough language for  
an harangue to the ,seventh ,ward       
,democracy would be ridiculous in a     
,catholic pulpit4 ,nor was he deceived  
into the notion of his ability to preach

 because he could influence men in      
private4 ,conversation is not public    
speaking1 and the defects of grammar1 or
 any other such defects1 if pardoned in 
an earnest and honest man in private    
interchange of views1 if committed on   
the public rostrum are unpardonable and 
are usually fatal4 ,father ,hecker found
 in the incessant practice of the       
missionary platform1 and in the         
assistance of his present superior1     
exactly what he needed by way of        
preparation4 ,besides the mission sermon
 at night--the great sermon1 as it was  
called--there is a short doctrinal      
instruction at the same service and a   
moral one on the sacraments or          
commandments in the morning4 ,these     
became his share of the mission         
preaching1 and the school in which he   
acquired that direct1 convincing1 and   
popular manner of discourse for which he
 was afterwards renowned as a lecturer4 
,we find the following among the        
memoranda3  ,when ,i came over to       

,america with ,fathers ,bernard and     
,walworth1 ,bernard wanted to know what 
,i could do4 ,well1 by that time ,i had 
given up all hopes of any public career4
 ,i couldn't preach4 ,my memory and     
intellectual faculties generally were so
 influenced by my interior state that   
theology was out of the question4 ,the  
lights that ,god had given me about the 
future state of religion in this country
 were still clear as ever1 but ,i       
thought that ,i should have to confine  
myself to imparting them to particular  
and individual souls whom the providence
 of ,god should throw in my way2 for ,i 
was persuaded that the ,redemptorist    
community was unfitted for the future   
work ,i had caught a glimpse of and ,i  
was entirely contented to live and die a
 ,redemptorist1 and was quite certain   
that ,i should4 ,so1 when ,bernard asked
 me what ,i could do1 ,i told him to get
 me some place as chaplain of a prison  
or public institution of charity1 as    
that was about all that ,i was capable  

of4 ,but he thought differently4  ,my   
first instructions on the missions were 
almost word for word given me by        
,bernard4 ,i didn't seem to have a      
single thought of my own4  ,to preach1  
whether to ,catholics or to             
non-,catholics1 one must learn how1 and 
,father ,hecker with all his gifts knew 
that this gift seldom comes from above  
except by way of reward for steady      
labor4 ,the opportunity of the missions1
 and of ,father ,bernard as a guide1 was
 eagerly accepted in lieu of the prison 
chaplaincy4  ,the missions also enabled 
him to know the ,catholic people4 ,the  
non-,catholics he already knew from     
vivid recollection of his own former    
state and from that of his early        
surroundings2 ,brook ,farm and          
,fruitlands had completed his knowledge 
of the outside world2 but the           
,redemptorist novitiate and studentate  
and his sojourn in ,england did not give
 him a similar knowledge of the         
,catholic people1 priesthood1 and       

hierarchy4 ,to the average looker-on    
,catholicity is what ,catholics are1 and
 ,catholics in ,america viewed from a   
standpoint of morality were then and    
still are a very mixed population4 ,why 
the fruits are worse than the tree is a 
sore perplexity even to expert          
controversialists1 and ,father ,hecker  
had need to equip himself well for      
meeting that difficulty1 a patent one in
 the rushing tide of stricken immigrants
 then pouring into ,america4 ,the       
missions are an unequalled school for   
learning men4 ,all men and women in a   
parish are made known to the missionary1
 for they walk or stumble through his   
very soul4  ,nor can one fail to see the
 use of missions as an evidence to the  
non-,catholic public itself of the      
supernatural power of ,catholicity over 
men's lives4 ,to practical people like  
,americans there is no oral or written  
evidence of the true religion so valid  
as the spectacle of its power to change 
bad men into good ones4 ,such a people  

will accept arguments from history and  
from ,scripture1 but those of a moral   
kind they demand2 they must see the     
theories at work4 ,a mission is a       
microcosm of the church as a moral      
force4 ,it shows a powerful grasp of    
human nature and an easy supremacy over 
it4 ,it is an energetic1 calm1 and      
clean-sweeping influence for good1 bold 
in its choice of the most sublime truths
 of supernatural religion as the sole   
motives of repentance4 ,and it uniformly
 achieves so complete a victory over the
 best-entrenched vices that             
non-,catholic prejudice is invariably   
shaken at the spectacle4 ,and in        
,america the pioneer work of the        
apostolate must be to remove prejudice4 
,the character of the men who conduct   
these exercises1 their courage1         
intelligence1 devotedness1 discipline1  
and ready command of the people2 the    
indiscriminate humanity which rushes to 
hear them1 to pray1 to confess their    
sins1 to listen with mute               

attention--long before day-break and in 
the hours of rest after work--all       
regardless of social differences or of  
moral ones1 soon become well known to   
the public and generally excite comment 
in the press4 ,all this contributes to  
prepare non-,catholics to hear from the 
same teachers the invitation which our  
,lord intended in saying3 ,other sheep  
,i have which are not of this fold2 them
 also must ,i bring1 and they shall hear
 my voice1 and there shall be one fold  
and one shepherd4  ,furthermore1 it was 
necessary that ,father ,hecker should be
 made personally known to the bishops   
and priests of the country4 ,the time   
was coming when he would have a public  
cause to advance1 and their approval is 
a necessary sign of divine favor4 ,now1 
the missionary is closely studied by    
them and soon is intimately known1 for  
there are too many things in common     
between priests but that they can       
readily test each other4 ,before the    
,paulist community had been organized1  

,father ,hecker had been the guest of   
the most prominent clergymen of the     
entire ,united ,states1 and of many even
 in the ,british ,provinces1 and was a  
well-known man throughout the ,catholic 
community4 ,meantime the humiliations of
 his study-time had been quickly        
recovered from1 if they had ever been a 
real hindrance to public effort1 and we 
find no sign of protest on his part or  
of request to be let off from giving    
instructions beyond his answer to       
,father ,bernard as above recorded4 ,as 
he loved his vows as a ,redemptorist1 so
 he loved the work of the missions1     
because they were ,god's will for him2  
because they are a work of the highest  
order of good for souls2 because the    
reputation of ,catholicity is always    
raised in a community by a mission1 and 
a good name is necessary for a          
controversial standing2 because in them 
he daily learned more of men and of the 
means to win them2 and because the      
members of the divine order of the      

episcopate and secular priesthood must  
be well known by him and he well known  
to them before any extensive work could 
be done among non-,catholics2 and the   
missionary becomes a familiar friend    
everywhere he goes4 ,hence controversial
 sermons were sometimes preached during 
the missions1 lectures of the same sort 
given after them1 and during their      
continuance many converts received into 
the church4 ,father ,hecker1 as we have 
tried to show the reader1 was a very    
observant nature1 always learning       
lessons from life1 and ready to try his 
'prentice hand on what material offered 
in the way of converting ,protestants at
 every opportunity public and private4  
,nevertheless1 the missions could not be
 made the ordinary channel of direct    
influences for turning sceptics and     
,protestants to the true religion4 ,the 
attempt to make them so1 involving1 as  
it does1 a notable interspersion of     
controversial sermons1 has never been   
tried by the ,redemptorist or ,paulist  

,fathers to our knowledge1 and when done
 by others has resulted in not enough of
 controversy for making solid converts1 
and too little penitential preaching for
 the proper reformation of hard sinners 
among ,catholics4 ,father ,hecker fully 
appreciated this4 ,he threw himself into
 the mission work just as it was with   
the utmost ardor1 and learning from     
,father ,bernard how to prepare the     
matter for the morning and evening      
instructions1 his natural gifts1        
together with hints and suggestions from
 his brethren1 supplied him with the    
best possible manner of giving them4    
,the writer has often served on missions
 in parishes where ,father ,bernard's   
new-formed band had preached in former  
years1 and the testimony is universal   
that as a doctrinal and moral instructor
 ,father ,hecker was unequalled among   
missionaries4 ,he was so frank1 so      
clear1 so lively1 so impressible1 and1  
in a certain way1 so humorous1 that he  
carried the people away with him4 ,and  

he carried them all1 high and low1      
learned and simple4 ,with persons of    
education his homely words did not break
 the charm1 nor did his simple but      
extremely well chosen illustrations do  
so--all taken1 as they were1 from common
 life or the lives and writings of the  
saints4 ,he never preached the great    
sermons and never aspired to do it4 ,he 
never sought to arouse terror or to be  
pathetic4 ,he always reasoned and       
instructed4 ,in truth1 he was not       
competent to deal adequately with such  
subjects as ,death1 ,judgment1 and      
,hell--that is to say1 as they are      
preached at missions1 for the emotions  
have honest rights on such occasions1   
and ,father ,hecker acknowledged his    
deficiency in emotional oratory4 ,but1  
to tell you the qualities of true       
sorrow1 or to show you how to make a    
true confession1 to picture the         
manliness of virtue and the dignity of  
the ,christian state1 he was            
unsurpassed4 ,and the general effect    

remaining after his instructions was    
always a bright understanding of just   
what to do for a good life1 with many   
happy examples to aid the memory1       
together with a strong personal         
affection for the holy man who showed   
religion to be a most happy as well as  
most reasonable service of ,god4 ,to his
 penitents in the confessional he was   
ever most kind and patient4 ,no school  
of perfection1 he once said1 can equal  
the self-denial necessary to hear       
confessions well4 ,god is now rewarding 
him1 we trust1 for the cheerful1 often  
even bantering1 words of encouragement  
he gave to the multitudes of poor       
sinners who knelt at his feet during the
 toilsome years he spent on the         
missions2 and for the enlightenment and 
encouragement of his big-hearted        
influence1 and for his trumpet notes of 
hope in the early morning instructions4 
,after the hard pounding of the night   
sermons it is always sought to pick the 
sinner up out of the dust and to hearten

 him by the early instructions1 as well 
as to guide him to the precise methods  
and means of reform and of a good life  
for the future4 ,as to the sacrament of 
penance1 the saying of ,st4 ,alphonsus  
is a maxim with us all3 ,be a lion in   
the pulpit1 but a lamb in the           
confessional4  ,the reader must indulge 
us in thus dwelling so long on the      
,catholic missions1 for we are inclined 
to say many words of praise of so lovely
 a life1 in which the same men sow and  
reap a great harvest in the same week1  
expend their vitality in preaching the  
word and administering the sacraments   
and comforting sinners who are wholly   
broken down with the truest contrition4 
,in #ahea the ,american ,redemptorists  
had before them a missionary field      
almost untouched4 ,public retreats had  
been given from time to time in the     
,united ,states by ,jesuits and others1 
but the mission opened at ,st4 ,joseph's
 ,church1 ,new ,york ,city1 on ,passion 
,sunday1 #ahea1 was the first mission of

 a regular series carried on            
systematically by a body of men         
especially devoted to the vocation4 ,the
 merit of inaugurating them is chiefly  
due to ,father ,bernard1 who had no     
hesitation in getting to work with his  
three ,american fathers2 though ,father 
,joseph ,mueller1 rector of the ,third  
,street convent1 and ,rev4 ,joseph      
,mc,carron1 the rector of ,st4 ,joseph's
 ,church1 had something to do in        
arranging the details and in            
facilitating the work4 ,several         
,redemptorists from ,third ,street      
helped in the confessionals499  99      
,observers of coincidences will be      
interested to notice the arrival of the 
missionaries in ,america on ,st4        
,joseph's day1 under the ,provincial    
,bernard ,joseph ,hafkenscheid1 to open 
their first mission at ,st4 ,joseph's   
,church1 the pastor being ,joseph       
,mc,carron1 the mission having been     
negotiated by ,joseph ,mueller1 the     
rector of the ,third ,street convent4   

,father ,hecker had a special devotion  
for ,st4 ,joseph4  ,we have space for   
only the following extracts from the    
brief record of the missions1 preserved 
by the fathers4 ,they illustrate how    
earnestly ,father ,hecker worked4 ,in   
the record of the second mission at     
,loretto1 ,pa41 we find this3  ,the     
instructions and ,rosary were generally 
given by ,father ,hecker1 who received  
from the people the name of ,father     
,mary4 4 4 4 ,during the first few days 
the people did not attend well2 but     
after ,father ,hecker had gone through  
the village and among a clique of young 
men who were indifferent and disaffected
 to the clergy1 and the evil geniuses of
 the place1 and after some fervent      
exhortations had been made to the       
people1 they flocked to the mission and 
crowded the church4  ,at ,johnstown1    
,pa43 ,after two or three days a man    
happened to die on the railroad1 and all
 the men at that station1 perhaps a     
hundred in number1 accompanied the      

corpse to the church4 ,father ,hecker   
seized the opportunity to address them  
and to give them a mission ferveroso4   
,and the next day he went on horseback1 
accompanied by the pastor1 ,father      
,mullen 7since ,bishop of ,erie71 to    
several stations and addressed the men1 
inviting them to attend the mission4    
,the result was successful4 ,procession 
after procession marched in1 filling the
 church1 and numbers of them stayed all 
day1 lying on the grass about the       
church4 4 4 4 ,father ,hecker called out
 a noted politician1 who had not been to
 the sacraments for many years until the
 mission1 to receive the scapular as an 
example1 and the good man did not fail  
to receive a plentiful supply of holy   
water from the vigorous arm of the said 
father4  ,the following entry in the    
record under date of ,february1 #aheb1  
made after a mission given in ,st4      
,peter's ,church1 ,troy1 ,n4,y41 will be
 of interest to missionaries1 and to    
others who are observant of their       

methods3 ,at ,youngstown1 ,pa41 7the    
preceding ,december7 the experiment of  
preaching from a platform had been      
successfully tried and was repeated     
here1 as at other missions since        
7,youngstown74 ,on the platform a large 
black cross1 some ten feet or more in   
height1 was erected1 from the arms of   
which a white muslin cloth was          
suspended4 ,this use of cross and       
platform has thus been regularly        
introduced into the missions4           
,previously it had been the custom to   
erect a large cross out of doors in     
front of the church as one of the       
closing ceremonies of the mission4      
,fathers ,hecker1 ,hewit1 and ,walworth1
 led by ,father ,bernard1 made a unique 
band of missionaries1 one1 we think1    
hardly equalled since they yielded their
 place to others4 ,each was a man of    
marked individuality1 whose distinct    
personality was by no means obscured by 
the strict conformity to rule evident in
 their behavior4 ,fathers ,hewit and    

,walworth were orators1 differing much  
from each other1 both full of power4    
,father ,hecker was a born persuader of 
men1 and could teach as a gift of       
nature1 earnest in mind and manner4 ,his
 two companions saw him learn by hard   
work how so to modulate his voice and to
 manage it and his manner as to exactly 
suit himself to his duties as the       
instructor of the band1 while they      
delivered finished discourses at the    
night services1 many of them            
masterpieces of mission oratory4 ,their 
very poise and glance on the platform   
stilled the church1 and their noble     
rhetoric clothed appeals to the         
intelligence and to the heart in most   
attractive garb4 ,in ,father ,hecker you
 saw a man who wanted to persuade you   
because he was right and knew it1 and   
because he was deeply interested in your
 welfare4 ,he sought no display1 and yet
 held you fast to him by eye and ear4   
,he had no tricks to catch applause1 for
 he had no vanity4 ,he said what he     

liked1 for he was totally devoid of     
diffidence or awkwardness1 and his best 
aid was his invariable equipment of an  
earnest purpose4 ,but ,i don't believe1 
said ,father ,walworth to the writer1   
that ,demosthenes ever worked through   
greater difficulties than ,father       
,hecker in making himself a good public 
speaker4  ,father ,bernard managed the  
missions for the first year1 and dealt  
with the pastors as superior of the     
band1 meanwhile devouring more than his 
share of the work in the confessional4  
,the least experience shows that there  
can be little of the discipline of the  
barracks order on the missions1 and all 
the fathers must of necessity consult   
together1 the superior leading in the   
observance of such community devotional 
customs as are possible1 and setting a  
good example in stooping to the burdens 
which all must bear4 ,as to ,father     
,bernard1 the ,americans could only     
admire and love him4 ,in his own tongue 
a renowned orator1 he yet never preached

 in ,english while with these three men 
unless on rare occasions1 such as when  
one of them was prevented by sickness4  
,from him they received the manner of   
giving missions handed down from ,st4   
,alphonsus1 and they have transmitted   
the tradition to their spiritual        
children in all its integrity4  ,nearly 
two years passed of hard missionary     
campaigning under ,father ,bernard1 when
 he was recalled to ,europe1 and ,father
 ,alexander ,cvitcovicz took his place4 
,his last name was seldom used1 for the 
same evident reason as in his           
predecessor's case4 ,father ,alexander  
was a ,magyar1 past the meridian of     
life1 long accustomed to missions in    
,europe1 learned1 devout1 kindly1 and of
 a zeal which seemed to aspire at utter 
self-annihilation in the service of     
sinners4 ',it was not unusual for       
,father ,alexander1 says ,father ,hewit 
in his memoir of ,father ,baker1 to sit 
in his confessional for ten days in     
succession for fifteen or sixteen hours 

each day4 ,he instructed the little     
children who were preparing for the     
sacraments1 but never preached any of   
the great sermons4 ,in his government of
 the fathers who were under him he was  
gentleness1 consideration1 and          
indulgence itself4 ,in his own life and 
example he presented a pattern of the   
most perfect religious virtue1 in its   
most attractive form1 without           
constraint1 austerity1 or moroseness1   
and yet without relaxation from the most
 ascetic principles4 ,he was a most     
thoroughly accomplished and learned man 
in many branches of secular and sacred  
science and in the fine arts2 and in the
 ,german language1 which was as familiar
 to him as his native language1 he was  
among the best preachers of his order4 4
 4 4 ,we went through several long and  
hard missionary campaigns under his     
direction1 until at last we left him1 in
 the year #ahed1 in the convent at ,new 
,orleans1 worn out with labor1 to       
exchange his arduous missionary work for

 the lighter duties of the parish4      
,father ,walworth now became superior1  
and the missions went on in the same    
spirit and with the same success as     
before4 ,in the record of the one given 
at the church of ,our ,lady1 ,star of   
the ,sea1 ,brooklyn1 we find the        
following entry3 ,missionaries1 ,fathers
 ,walworth1 ,hecker1 ,hewit1 and ,george
 ,deshon 7late lieu-tenant ,ordnance1   
,u4 ,s4 ,a41 a convert from the         
,episcopal ,church4 ,this was his first 
mission74 ,father ,deshon had been      
ordained not long before1 and soon began
 to share the instructions with ,father 
,hecker4 ,this was in ,february1 #ahef1 
and in ,november of the same year1 at   
,st4 ,patrick's ,mission1 ,washington1  
,d4 ,c41 they were joined by ,father    
,francis ,a4 ,baker1 ordained in the    
preceding ,september1 a distinguished   
convert from the ,episcopal ministry of 
the city of ,baltimore4 ,much we would  
say of him1 his eloquence and his very  
amiable traits of character1 but all    

this and more is well said by ,father   
,hewit1 in his memoir of ,father ,baker1
 published after the latter's death in  
#ahfe 7,catholic ,publication ,society  
,co47 ,this increase of members allowed 
a division of the band for smaller-sized
 missions4  ,in our judgment those men  
were a band of missionaries the like of 
whom have not served the great cause    
among the ,english-speaking races these 
recent generations4 ,fathers ,walworth1 
,hewit1 and ,deshon have survived their 
companions of those early days1 and may 
they long remain with us1 calm and      
beautiful and devout old veterans of the
 divine warfare of peace6  ,father      
,hecker gave several retreats to        
religious communities of men and of     
women during the six or seven years we  
are considering1 devoting for the       
purpose portions of the summer months   
usually unoccupied by missions4 ,copies 
of notes of his conferences1 taken down 
by some of his hearers1 are in our      
possession and may aid us further on in 

giving the reader a view of his         
spiritual doctrine4  ,the following     
extract from the ,roman statement       
summarizes what we have been telling in 
this chapter1 and introduces the reader 
to ,father ,hecker's first missionary   
activity as a writer3  ,my superiors    
sent me back to the ,united ,states1 and
 on my return being asked by my         
immediate superior in what way he could 
best employ me1 my reply was1 in taking 
care of the sick1 the poor1 and the     
prisoners4 ,the stupidity which still   
reigned over my intellectual faculties1 
and the helplessness of my will1 and my 
sympathy with those classes led me to   
choose such a sphere of action as most  
suitable to my then condition4 ,and     
although the conversion of the          
non-,catholics of my fellow-countrymen  
was ever before my mind1 yet ,god left  
me in ignorance how this was to be      
accomplished4 ,such strong and deep     
impulses1 and so vast in their reach1   
took possession of my soul on my return 

to the ,united ,states in regard to the 
conversion of the ,american people1 that
 on manifesting my interior to one of   
the most spiritually enlightened and    
experienced fathers of the congregation 
on the subject to obtain his direction1 
he bade me not to resist these interior 
movements1 they came from ,god2 and that
 ,god would yet employ me in accordance 
with them4 ,such were his words4 ,after 
a few weeks in the ,united ,states the  
work of the missions began4 ,my         
principal duties on these were to give  
public instructions and hear            
confessions1 and up to this time 7#aheh7
 these missionary labors have occupied  
me almost exclusively4  ,the blessings  
of ,god upon our missions were most     
evident and most abundant and my share  
in them most consoling1 as usually the  
most abandoned sinners fell to my lot4  
,but holy and important as the exercises
 of the missions among ,catholics are1  
still this work did not correspond to my
 interior attrait1 and though exhausted 

and frequently made ill from excessive  
fatigue in these duties1 yet my ardent  
and constant desire to do something for 
my non-,catholic countrymen led me to   
take up my pen4 ,that took place as     
follows3 ,one day alone in my cell the  
thought suddenly struck me how great    
were my privileges and my joy since my  
becoming a ,catholic1 and how great were
 my troubles and agony of soul before   
this event6 ,alas6 how many of my former
 friends and acquaintances1 how many of 
the great body of the ,american people  
were in the same most painful position4 
,cannot something be done to lead them  
to the knowledge of the truth8 ,perhaps 
if the way that divine ,providence had  
led me to the church was shown to them  
many of them might in this way be led   
also to see the truth4 ,this thought1   
and with it the hope of inducing young  
men to enter into religious orders1     
produced in a few months from my pen a  
book entitled ,questions of the ,soul4  
,the main features of this book are the 

proofs that the ,sacraments of the      
,catholic ,church satisfy fully all the 
wants of the heart4 4 4 4  ,but the head
 was left to be yet converted2 this     
thought led me to write a second book1  
called ,aspirations of ,nature2 and     
which has for its aim to show that the  
truths of the ,catholic faith answer    
completely to the demands of reason4 ,my
 purpose in these two books was to      
explain the ,catholic religion in such a
 manner as to reach and attract the     
minds of the non-,catholics of the      
,american people4 ,these books were     
regarded in my own secret thoughts as   
the test whether ,god had really given  
to me the grace and vocation to labor in
 a special manner for the conversion of 
these people4 ,the first book1 with     
,god's grace1 has been the means of many
 and signal conversions in the ,united  
,states and ,england1 and in a short    
period passed through three editions4   
,the second has been published since my 
arrival in ,rome4 4 4  ,on an occasion  

of a public conference 7discourse7 given
 by me before an audience1 a great part 
of which was not ,catholic1 the matter  
and manner of which was taken from my   
second book1 my fellow-missionaries were
 present2 and they as well as myself    
regarded this as a test whether my views
 and sentiments were adapted to reach   
and convince the understanding and      
hearts of this class of people1 or were 
the mere illusions of fancy4 ,hitherto  
my fellow-missionaries had shown but    
little sympathy with my thoughts on     
these points1 but at the close of the   
conference they were of one mind that my
 vocation was evidently to work in the  
direction of the conversion of the      
non-,catholics1 and they spoke of such a
 work with conviction and enthusiasm4   
,this last event occurred in ,st4       
,patrick's ,church1 ,norfolk1 ,va41 in  
,april1 #ahif1 and is thus mentioned by 
,father ,hewit in the record of the     
mission3 ,father ,hecker closed with an 
extremely eloquent and popular lecture  

on ',popular ,objections to             
,catholicity4'  ,the ,questions of the  
,soul was well named1 for it undertakes 
to show how the cravings of man for     
divine union may be satisfied4 ,it does 
this by discussing the problem of human 
destiny1 affirming the need of ,god for 
the soul's light and for its virtue1    
proving this by arguments drawn from the
 instincts1 faculties1 and achievements 
of man4 ,the sense of want in man is the
 universal argument for his need of more
 than human fruition1 and in the moral  
order is the irrefragable proof of both 
his own dignity and his incapacity to   
make himself worthy of it4 ,father      
,hecker urged in this book that man is  
born to be more than equal to           
himself--an evident proof of the need of
 a superhuman or supernatural religion4 
,eleven chapters1 making one-third of   
the volume1 are devoted to showing this1
 and include the author's own           
itinerarium from his first consciousness
 of the supreme question of the soul    

until its final answer in the ,catholic 
,church1 embracing short accounts of the
 ,brook ,farm and ,fruitlands           
communities1 and mention of other such  
abortive attempts at solution4 ,three   
chapters then affirm and briefly develop
 the claim of ,christ to be the entire  
fulfilment of the soul's need for ,god1 
with the ,catholic ,church as his chosen
 means and instrument4 ,these are       
entitled respectively1 ,the ,model ,man1
 ,the ,model ,life1 and ,the ,idea of   
the ,church4 ,three more chapters       
discuss ,protestantism1 stating its     
commonest doctrines and citing its most 
competent witnesses in proof of its     
total and often admitted inadequacy to  
lead man to his destiny4 ,bringing the  
reader back to the ,church1 the fourteen
 last chapters fully develop her claims1
 dealing mostly with known facts and    
public institutions1 and citing largely 
the testimony of non-,catholic writers4 
,it is something like the inductive     
method to infer the existence of a ,god 

from that of an admitted appetite1 as   
also to learn the kind of food from the 
nature of the organs provided by nature 
for its reception and digestion4 ,so the
 longings of man's moral nature1 ,father
 ,hecker felt1 when fairly understood1  
must lead to the knowledge of what he   
wants for their satisfaction--the       
,infinite ,good--and that by a process  
of reasoning something equivalent to the
 scientific4 ,such is the statement of  
his case1 embracing with its argument   
the introductory chapters4 ,the inquiry 
then extends to the claimants in the    
religious world1 not simply as to which 
is biblically authentic or historically 
so1 but rather as to which religion     
claims to satisfy the entire human want 
of ,god and makes the claim good as an  
actual fact4 ,it is wonderful how this  
line of argument simplifies controversy1
 and no less wonderful to find how      
easily the victory is won by the        
,catholic claim4 ,the reader will also  
notice how consistent all this is with  

,father ,hecker's own experience from   
the beginning4  ,the literary faults of 
the book are not a few2 for if the      
argument is compact1 its details seem to
 have been hastily snatched up and put  
together1 or perhaps the occupations of 
the missions prevented revision and     
consultation4 ,there is a large         
surplusage of quotations from poets1    
many of them obscure1 and worthy of     
praise rather as didactic writers than  
as poets2 yet every word quoted bears on
 the point under discussion4 ,to one who
 has labored in preparing sermons1 each 
chapter looks like the cullings of the  
preacher's commonplace book set in order
 for memorizing2 and very many sentences
 are rhetorically faulty4 ,but1 in spite
 of all these defects1 the book is a    
powerful one1 and nothing is found to   
hurt clearness or strength of           
expression4 ,what we have criticised are
 only bits of bark left clinging to the 
close-jointed but rough-hewn frame-work4
  ,the ,questions of the ,soul was got  

out by the ,appletons1 and was at the   
time of its publication a great success1
 and still remains so4 ,the reason is   
because the author takes nothing for    
granted1 propounds difficulties common  
to all non-,catholics1 sceptics as well 
as professing ,protestants1 and offers  
solutions verifiable by inspection of   
every-day ,catholicity and by evidences 
right at hand4 ,catholicity is the true 
religion1 because it alone unites men to
 ,god in the fulness of union1          
supernatural and integral in inner and  
outer life--a union demanded by the most
 resistless cravings of human nature3   
such is the thesis4 ,there can be little
 doubt that prior to this book there was
 nothing like its argument current in   
,english literature2 a short and        
extremely instructive account by        
,frederick ,lucas of his conversion from
 ,quakerism is the only exception known 
to us1 and that but partially resembles 
it1 is quite brief1 and has long since  
gone out of print4  ,the ,aspirations of

 ,nature deals with intellectual        
difficulties in the same manner as the  
,questions of the ,soul does with the   
moral ones4 ,the greatest possible      
emphasis is laid upon the two-fold truth
 that man's intellectual nature is      
infallible in its rightful domain1 and  
that that domain is too narrow for its  
own activity4 ,the validity of human    
reason as far as it goes1 and its       
failure to go far enough for man's      
intellectual needs1 are the two theses  
of the book4 ,they are well and         
thoroughly proved2 and no one can deny  
the urgent need of discussing them3 the 
dignity of human nature and the         
necessity of revelation4 ,like ,father  
,hecker's first book1 the ,aspirations  
of ,nature is good for all              
non-,catholics1 because in proving the  
dignity of man's reason ,protestants are
 brought face to face with their        
fundamental error of total depravity2   
enough for their case surely4 ,if they  
take refuge in the mitigations of modern

 ,protestant beliefs1 they nearly always
 go to the extreme of asserting the     
entire sufficiency of the human         
intellect1 and are here met by the      
argument for the necessity of           
revelation4  ,an extremely valuable     
collection of the confessions of heathen
 and infidel philosophers as to the     
insufficiency of reason is found in this
 book1 as well as a full set of         
quotations from ,protestant             
representative authorities on the       
subject of total depravity4 ,over       
against these the ,catholic doctrine of 
reason and revelation is brought out    
clearly4 ,the study of the book would be
 a valuable preparation for the         
exposition of the claims of the         
,catholic ,church to be the religion of 
humanity1 natural and regenerate--the   
intellectual religion4  ,as might be    
expected from one who had such an       
aversion for ,calvinism1 the view of    
human nature taken by the author is what
 some would call optimistic1 and the    

tone with regard to the religious       
honesty of non-,catholic ,americans     
extremely hopeful4 ,perhaps herein was  
,dr4 ,brownson's reason for an adverse1 
or almost adverse1 criticism on the book
 in his ,review4 ,he had given the      
,questions of the ,soul a thoroughly    
flattering reception1 and now says many 
things in praise of the ,aspirations of 
,nature1 praising especially the chapter
 on individuality4 ,but yet he dreads   
that the book will be misunderstood2 he 
has no such lively hopes as the author2 
he trusts he is not running along with  
the eccentricities of theologians rather
 than with their common teaching2 fears 
that he takes the possible powers of    
nature and such as are rarely seen in   
actual life as the common rule2 dreads1 
again1 that ,transcendentalists will be 
encouraged by it2 and more to the same  
effect4 ,but ,father ,hecker1 before    
leaving for ,europe in #aheg1 had       
submitted the manuscript to ,archbishop 
,kenrick and received his approval2 nor 

did ,brownson's unfavorable notice      
ruffle the ancient friendship between   
them4  ,the ,aspirations of ,nature was 
put through the press by ,george        
,ripley1 at that time literary editor of
 the ,new ,york ,tribune1 ,father       
,hecker having gone to ,rome on the     
mission which ended in the establishment
 of his new community4 ,mr4 ,mc,master  
had assisted him similarly with the     
,questions of the ,soul4 ,the second    
book sold well1 as the first had done1  
and has had several editions4 ,it is not
 so hot and eager in spirit as the      
,questions of the ,soul1 but it presses 
its arguments earnestly enough on the   
reader's attention4 ,it is free from the
 literary faults named in connection    
with its predecessor1 reads smoothly1   
and has very many powerful passages and 
some eloquent ones4       ,,chapter     
,,xxiv  ,,separation ,,from ,,the       
,,redemptorists  ,,the events which led 
to the separation of the band of        
,american missionaries from the         

,redemptorist community took place in   
the spring and summer of #aheg4 ,a      
misunderstanding arose about the        
founding of a new house in ,newark1     
,n4,j41 or in ,new ,york ,city1 which   
should be the headquarters for the      
,english-speaking ,fathers and become   
the centre of attraction for ,american  
subjects1 and in which ,english should  
be the language in common use4          
,application had been made by ,bishop   
,bayley1 and afterwards by ,archbishop  
,hughes1 for such a foundation1 but     
superiors1 both in the ,united ,states  
and in ,rome--the latter dependent on   
letter-writing for understanding the    
difficulties which arose--became        
suspicious of the aims of the ,american 
,fathers and of the spirit which        
actuated them4 ,to establish their      
loyalty and to explain the necessity for
 the new foundation1 the missionary     
,fathers believed that one of their     
number should go to ,rome and lay the   
matter in person before the ,general or 

,rector ,major of the order4 ,the choice
 fell on ,father ,hecker1 who sailed on 
,august #e1 #aheg1 arrived in ,rome the 
#bfth1 and was expelled from the        
,congregation of the ,most ,holy        
,redeemer on ,sunday1 the #bith of the  
same month1 the ,general deeming his    
coming to ,rome to be a violation of the
 vows of obedience and poverty4  ,the   
grounds of his expulsion were then      
examined by the ,propaganda1 from which 
the case passed to the ,holy ,father1   
who sought the decision of the          
,congregation of ,bishops and ,regulars4
 ,pius ,,ix4 gave his judgment as a     
result of the examination made by the   
last-named ,congregation2 but he had    
made a personal study of all the        
evidence1 and had given private         
audiences to both the ,general and      
,father ,hecker4 ,it was decided that   
all the ,american ,fathers associated in
 the missionary band should be dispensed
 from their vows as ,redemptorists1     
including ,father ,hecker1 who was      

looked upon and treated by the decree as
 if he were still as much a member of   
the ,congregation as the others1 his    
expulsion being ignored4 ,this          
conclusion was arrived at only after    
seven months of deliberation1 and was   
dated the #fth of ,march1 #ahih4 ,the   
decree1 which will be given entire in   
this chapter1 contemplates the continued
 activity of the ,fathers as            
missionaries1 subject to the authority  
of the ,american bishops2 their         
formation into a separate society was   
taken for granted4 ,such is a brief     
statement of the entire case4 ,if the   
reader will allow it to stand as a      
summary1 what follows will serve to fill
 in the outline and complete a more     
detailed view4  ,and at the outset let  
it be fully understood that none of the 
,fathers desired separation from the    
order or had the faintest notion of its 
possibility as the outcome of the       
misunderstanding4 ,one of the first     
letters of ,father ,hecker from ,rome   

utters the passionate cry1 ,they have   
driven me out of the home of my heart   
and love4 ,we have repeatedly heard him 
affirm that he never had so much as a   
temptation against his vows as a        
,redemptorist4 ,but in saying this we do
 not mean to lay blame on the           
,redemptorist superiors4 ,in all that we
 have to say on this subject we must be 
understood as recognizing their purity  
of intention4 ,their motives were love  
of discipline and obedience1 which they 
considered seriously endangered4 ,they  
were persuaded that their action1 though
 severe1 was necessary for the good of  
the entire order4 ,and this shows that  
the difficulty was a misunderstanding1  
for there is conclusive evidence of the 
loyalty of the ,american ,fathers--of   
,father ,hecker no less than the others2
 as also of their fair fame as          
,redemptorists with both the superiors  
and brethren of the community up to the 
date of their disagreement4 ,when       
,father ,hecker left for ,rome the      

,provincial gave him his written word   
that1 although he disapproved of his    
journey1 he bore witness to him as a    
good ,redemptorist1 full of zeal for    
souls2 and he added that up to that time
 his superiors had been entirely        
satisfied with him2 and to the paper    
containing this testimony the           
,provincial placed the official seal of 
the order4 ,on the other side1 a        
repeated and careful examination of     
,father ,hecker's letters and memoranda 
reveals no accusation by him of moral   
fault against his ,redemptorist         
superiors1 but on the contrary many     
words of favorable explanation of their 
conduct4 ,when the ,rector ,major1 in   
the midst of his council1 began1 to     
,father ,hecker's utter amazement1 to   
read the sentence of expulsion1 he fell 
on his knees and received the blow with 
bowed head as a visitation of ,god4 ,and
 when1 again1 after prostrating himself 
before the ,blessed ,sacrament and      
resigning himself to the ,divine ,will1 

he returned to the council and begged   
the ,general on his knees for a further 
consideration of his case1 and was      
refused1 he reports that the ,general   
affirmed that his sense of duty would   
not allow him to act otherwise than he  
had done1 and that he by no means meant 
to condemn ,father ,hecker in the court 
of conscience1 but only to exercise     
jurisdiction over his external conduct4 
,in truth the trouble arose mainly from 
the very great difference between the   
character of the ,american ,fathers and 
that of their superiors in the order4   
,it is nothing new or strange1 to borrow
 ,father ,hewit's thoughts as expressed 
in his memoir of ,father ,baker1 that   
men whose characters are cast in a      
different mould should have different   
views1 and should1 with the most        
conscientious intentions1 be unable to  
coincide in judgment or act in concert3 
,there is room in the ,catholic ,church 
for every kind of religious             
organization1 suiting all the varieties 

of mind and character and circumstance4 
,if collisions and misunderstandings    
often come between those who have the   
same great end in view1 this is the     
result of human infirmity1 and only     
shows how imperfect and partial are     
human wisdom and human virtue4  ,what   
,father ,hewit adds of ,father ,baker's 
dispositions applies as well to all the 
,fathers4 ,in ceasing to be             
,redemptorists1 they did not swerve from
 their original purpose in becoming     
religious4 ,none of them had grown      
discontented with his state or with his 
superiors4 ,they were all in the full   
fervor of the devotional spirit of the  
community1 and as missionaries were     
generously wearing out their lives in   
the toil and hardship of its peculiar   
vocation4 ,but both parties became the  
instruments of a special providence1    
which made use of the wide diversities  
of temperament existing among men1 and  
set apart ,father ,hecker and his       
companions1 after a season of severe    

trial1 for a new apostolate4 ,they did  
not choose it for themselves4 ,father   
,hecker had aspirations1 as we know1 but
 he did not dream of realizing them     
through any separation whatever4 ,but   
,providence led the ,holy ,see to change
 what had been a violent wrench into a  
peaceful division1 exercising1 in so    
doing1 a divine authority accepted with 
equal obedience by all concerned4  ,what
 ,father ,hewit further says of ,father 
,baker applies exactly to ,father       
,hecker3  ,for the ,congregation in     
which he was trained to the religious   
and ecclesiastical state he always      
retained a sincere esteem and affection4
 ,he did not ask the ,pope for a        
dispensation from his vows in order to  
be relieved from a burdensome           
obligation1 but only on the condition   
that it seemed best to him to terminate 
the difficulty which had arisen that    
way4 ,when the dispensation was granted 
he did not change his life for a more   
easy one4 4 4 ,let no one1 therefore1   

who is disposed to yield to temptations 
against his vocation1 and to abandon the
 religious state from weariness1        
tepidity1 or any unworthy motive1 think 
to find any encouragement in his        
example2 for his austere1 self-denying1 
and arduous life will give him only     
rebuke1 and not encouragement4  ,after  
the expulsion the ,general begged       
,father ,hecker to make the convent his 
home till he was suited elsewhere1 and  
,father ,hecker1 having thanked him for 
his kindness and stayed there that      
night1 took lodgings the following day  
in a quiet street near the ,propaganda4 
,during the seven months of his stay in 
,rome he frequently visited the ,general
 and his consultors1 sometimes on       
business but at other times from        
courtesy and good feeling4  ,he at once 
presented the testimonials intended for 
the ,general to ,cardinal ,barnabo1     
,prefect of the ,propaganda1 who        
examined them in company with           
,archbishop ,bedini1 the ,secretary of  

that ,congregation4 ,as may be imagined1
 the attitude of these prelates was at  
first one of extreme reserve4 ,but every
 case gets a hearing in ,rome1 and that 
of this expelled religious1 and         
therefore suspended priest1 could be no 
exception4 ,a glance at the credentials1
 a short conversation with their bearer1
 a closer examination of the man and of 
his claim1 produced a favorable         
impression and led to a determination to
 sift the matter thoroughly4 ,the       
principal letters were from ,archbishop 
,hughes and ,bishop ,bayley4 ,the former
 spoke thus of ,father ,hecker3 ,i have 
great pleasure in recommending him as a 
laborious1 edifying1 zealous1 and truly 
apostolic priest4  ,some of the letters 
were from prominent laymen of the ,city 
of ,new ,york1 including one from ,mr4  
,mc,master1 another from ,dr4 ,brownson1
 and another from ,dr4 ,ives2 in        
addition he had the words of praise of  
the ,provincial in ,america already     
referred to4 ,finally he showed letters 

from each of the ,american ,fathers1 one
 of whom1 ,father ,hewit1 was a member  
of the ,provincial ,council1 all joining
 themselves to ,father ,hecker as       
sharing the responsibility of his       
journey to ,rome1 and naming him as the 
representative of their cause4  ,it is  
not our purpose to trace the progress of
 the investigation through the ,roman   
tribunals4 ,we will but give such facts 
and such extracts from letters as throw 
light on ,father ,hecker's conduct      
during this great crisis4 ,one might be 
curious to know something about the     
friends he made in ,rome4 ,the foremost 
of them was the ,cardinal ,prefect of   
the ,propaganda4  ,the impression that  
,cardinal ,barnabo made upon me1 he     
writes in one of his earliest letters1  
was most unexpected2 he was so quick in 
his perceptions and penetration1 so     
candid and confiding in speaking to me4 
,he was more like a father and friend2  
and both the cardinal and the archbishop
 7,bedini7 expressed such warm sympathy 

in my behalf that it made me feel1 4 4 4
 in a way ,i never felt before1 the     
presence of ,god in those who are chosen
 as rulers in ,his ,church4  ,in another
 letter he says3  ,he 7the cardinal7 has
 been to me more than a friend2 he is to
 me a father1 a counsellor1 a protector4
 ,no one enjoys so high a reputation in 
every regard in ,rome as the cardinal4  
,he gives me free access to him and     
confides in me4  ,there is much         
evidence1 too much to quote it all1 that
 the cardinal was drawn to ,father      
,hecker on account of his simplicity and
 openness of character1 his frank       
manner1 but especially for his bold1    
original views of the opportunity of    
religion among free peoples4 ,cardinal  
,barnabo was noted for his sturdy temper
 and was what is known as a hard hitter1
 though a generous opponent as well as  
an earnest friend4 ,he espoused ,father 
,hecker's cause with much heartiness2   
official intercourse soon developed into
 a close personal attachment1 which     

lasted with unabated warmth till the    
strong old ,roman was called to his     
reward4  ,father ,hecker speaks in his  
letters of spending time with him1 not  
only on business but in discussing      
questions of philosophy and religious   
controversy1 and in talking over the    
whole ,american outlook4  ,the cardinal 
became the ,american priest's advocate  
before the ,pope1 and also with the     
,congregation of ,bishops and ,regulars 
after the case reached that tribunal4   
,when ,i heard him speak in my defence1 
he said in after times1 ,i thanked ,god 
that he was not against me1 for he was a
 most imperious character when aroused1 
and there seemed no resisting him4      
,archbishop ,bedini1 the ,secretary of  
the ,propaganda1 was another hearty     
friend4 ,our older readers will remember
 that he had paid a visit to ,america a 
few years before the time we are        
considering1 and that his presence here 
was made the occasion for some of the   
more violent outbreaks of the           

,know-nothing excitement4 ,he knew our  
country personally1 therefore1 and was  
acquainted with very many of our clergy2
 his assistance to the ,roman ,court in 
this case was of special value4 ,he     
became so demonstrative in his          
friendship for ,father ,hecker that the 
,pope was amused at it1 and ,father     
,hecker relates in his letters home how 
the ,holy ,father rallied him about the 
warmth of his advocacy of the ,american 
priest's cause1 as did various members  
of the ,pontifcal court4  ,at that time 
and for many years afterwards ,doctor   
,bernard ,smith1 an ,irish ,benedictine 
monk1 was ,professor of ,dogmatic       
,theology in the ,college of the        
,propaganda2 he is now the honored abbot
 of the great ,basilica of ,st4 ,paul   
without-the-walls4 ,how ,father ,hecker 
came to know the learned professor we   
have been unable to discover2 but both  
he and ,monsignor ,kirby1 of the ,irish 
,college1 became his firm friends and   
powerful advocates4 ,without ,doctor    

,smith's advice1 indeed1 scarcely a step
 was taken in the case4  ,an unexpected 
ally was found in ,bishop ,connolly1 of 
,st4 ,john's1 ,new ,brunswick4 ,he had  
been robbed on his way between ,civita  
,vecchia and ,rome1 and that misfortune 
gave him a special claim to the regard  
of the ,pope1 with whom he soon became a
 favorite4 ,the ,holy ,father admired in
 him that energy of character and zeal  
for religion which distinguished him in 
after years as ,archbishop of ,halifax4 
,on hearing of ,father ,hecker's case he
 studied it on account of sympathetic   
interest in the aspects of ,catholicity 
in the ,united ,states1 part of his     
diocese being at that time1 we believe1 
in the ,state of ,maine4 ,how ardent his
 friendship for ,father ,hecker soon    
became is shown by his exclamation3 ,i  
am ready to die for you1 and ,i am going
 to tell the ,pope so4 ,he even offered 
to assist ,father ,hecker in paying his 
personal expenses while in ,rome4 ,in a 
letter to the ,american ,fathers of     

,december #ah ,father ,hecker writes3   
,another recent and providential event  
in our favor has been the friendship of 
,bishop ,connolly1 of ,st4 ,john's1 ,new
 ,brunswick4 ,by his extraordinary      
exertions and his warm friendship for us
 he has succeeded in giving us the      
vantage ground in all quarters where we 
were not in good favor4 ,i told you in  
the last note that he had spoken to the 
,holy ,father in favor of our cause1 but
 ,i had no time to give you the         
substance of what was said4 ,bishop     
,connolly is a full-blooded ,irishman1  
but1 fortunately for us1 not implicated 
in any party views in our country1 and  
seeing that the ,propaganda regarded our
 cause as its own and had identified    
itself with our success1 4 4 4 it being 
friendly to us as missionaries1 he      
exerted all his influence in our favor4 
,his influence was not slight1 for the  
,pope had conceived a great friendship  
for him1 and heaped all sorts of honors 
on him4 ,well1 he had a regular tussle  

with his ,holiness about us and our     
cause1 and when the ,holy ,father       
repeated some things said of me--against
 me1 of course--he replied3 ',your      
,holiness1 ,i should not be at all      
surprised if some fine day you yourself 
would have to canonize one of these     
,yankee fellows4' ,in one word1 he left 
nothing unsaid or undone with the ,pope 
in our favor2 and the ,pope suggested to
 him obtaining dispensation of our vows 
and forming a new company4 ',they cannot
 expect me1' he said1 'to take the      
initiatory step2 this would be putting  
the cart before the horse4 ,let them do 
this1 and present their plan to me1 and 
if ,i find it good1 it shall have my    
consent4' 4 4 4 ,the bishop has also    
seen and won over to our favor          
,monsignor ,talbot1 who said to him3    
',the only way now of settling the      
difficulties is to give the ,american   
,fathers the liberty to form a new      
company for the ,american missions4' ,in
 addition1 the bishop wrote a strong    

document in favor of our missions and of
 us1 and presented it to ,cardinal      
,barnabo1 which will be handed in to the
 ,congregation of ,bishops and          
,regulars1 who have our affairs in hand4
 4 4 4 ,if this good bishop should come 
in your way1 whether by writing or      
otherwise1 you cannot be too grateful   
for what he has done for us4 ,after     
,cardinal ,barnabo and ,archbishop      
,bedini we owe more to him than to any  
one else4  ,wind and tide are now in our
 favor1 and my plan is to keep quiet and
 stick close to the rudder to see that  
the ship keeps right4  ,on his way home 
from ,rome ,bishop ,connolly wrote the  
following letter to ,father ,hecker1    
dated at ,marseilles1 ,january #bj1     
#aheh3  ,from the deep interest ,i feel 
in your concerns you will pardon my     
curiosity in wishing to have the        
earliest intelligence of your fate in   
the ,congregation of ,bishops and       
,regulars4 ,i could wish ,i were near   
you all the time1 and have nothing else 

to attend to2 but you have got ,one more
 powerful than ,i at your right hand4   
,fix your hopes in ,him and you will not
 be confounded4 ,after having done      
everything on your part that unsleeping 
energy as well as prudence could        
suggest1 you must take the issue1       
however unpalatable it may be1 as the   
undoubted expression of ,god's will1 and
 act 7as ,i am sure you will act7       
accordingly4 4 4 4 ,you must keep       
steadily in view the glorious principle 
for which you came to ,rome1 and which  
,i am convinced is for the greater glory
 of ,god and the greater good of        
religion in ,america4 ,if you can start 
as a religious body with the approbation
 of ,rome1 this would be the holiest and
 most auspicious consummation4 4 4 4 ,be
 guided at every step by the holy and   
enlightened men whose sympathies you    
have won and in whose hands you will be 
always safe3 ,cardinal ,barnabo in      
primis1 and after him ,monsignor ,bedini
 and ,doctors ,kirby and ,smith4 ,united

 with them at every step1 failure is    
impossible--you must and you will       
succeed4 4 4 4 ,i am sure that you know 
and feel this as well as ,i do 7for we  
have been1 marvellously of the same way 
of thinking on nearly all points71 but  
as ,i feel ,i must write to you1 as it  
may be1 perchance1 of some consolation  
to you in your troubles1 ,i thought it  
better to say it over again4 4 4 4 ,if a
 letter or anything else from me could  
be of any service1 ,i need not tell you 
that ,i am still on hand and only       
anxious to be employed4 7,here follows  
his address in ,paris and ,liverpool47  
,with all good wishes for your success1 
and with the hope of hearing the happy  
tidings from your own hand before ,i    
leave ,europe1 ,i am1 ,reverend dear    
,sir1  ,very faithfully yours in        
,christ1   ,,thomas ,l4 ,,connolly1     
,bishop of ,st4 ,john's1 ,n4,b4   ,from 
what has been so far communicated to the
 reader1 it will be seen that ,father   
,hecker's case had the strength of      

friendship to assist it4 ,but he was    
himself his best advocate4 ,his traits  
of character were lovable1 and the very 
incongruity of such a man forced to     
plead against the direst penalty known  
to a religious1 was a singularly strong 
argument4 ,his cheerful demeanor while  
fighting for his life2 his puzzling     
questions on social and philosophical   
points2 his mingled mysticism and       
practical judgment2 his utterance of    
political sentiments which1 as he truly 
said in one of his letters1 if spoken by
 any one but an ,american would elicit  
instant reproof2 his total lack of      
obsequiousness united to entire         
submission to lawful authority1 all     
helped to make for himself and his cause
 friends in every direction4  ,the      
unanimous adhesion of the ,american     
,redemptorist missionaries was a        
powerful element in his favor1 and a    
priceless boon for his own consolation4 
,he was continually in receipt of such  
words as these3 ,we all desire you to   

consider us fully identified with you   
and to act in our name4 ,we have the    
utmost confidence in your discretion1   
and your conservative views are quite to
 our mind4 ,his whole heart went out in 
response to these greetings4 ,on        
,october #bd he writes to the ,fathers3 
,the contents of your note were what ,i 
had a right to expect from you3         
sympathy1 confidence1 and reliance on   
,divine ,providence4 ,how much these    
trials will endear us to each other6 ,if
 we keep together as one man and regard 
only ,god1 defeat is impossible4 ,do not
 forget to offer up continually prayers 
for me4 ,how much ,i see the hand of    
,providence in all our difficulties6    
,and the end will1 ,i trust1 make it    
evident as the sun4  ,but where he      
placed his entire trust is shown by the 
following1 a part of the same letter3   
,our affairs are in the hands of ,god4  
,i hope no one will feel discouraged1   
nor fear for me4 ,all that is needed to 
bring the interests of ,god to a        

successful issue is grace1 grace1 grace2
 and this is obtained by prayer4 ,and if
 the ,american ,fathers will only pray  
and get others to pray1 and not let any 
one have the slightest reason to bring a
 word against them in our present       
crisis1 ,god will be with us and help   
us1 and ,our ,lady will take good care  
of us4 ,so far no step taken in our past
 need be regretted4 ,if it were to be   
done again it would have my consent4    
,the blow given to me ,i have endeavored
 to receive with humility and in view of
 ,god4 ,it has not produced any trouble 
in my soul1 nor made me waver in the    
slightest degree in my confidence in    
,god or my duty towards ,him4 ,let us   
not be impatient4 ,god is with us and   
will lead us if we confide in ,him4     
,during his stay in ,rome he            
corresponded regularly with his brother 
,george1 whose ever-open purse paid all 
his expenses4 ,we have also found a very
 long letter of loving friendship from  
,doctor ,brownson1 conveying the        

profoundest sympathy4 ,this came during 
the most critical period of the case and
 gave much consolation4 ,it called forth
 an answer equally affectionate4  ,he   
received exceedingly sympathetic letters
 from ,fathers de ,held and de          
,buggenoms4 ,the former was at the time 
rector of the house in ,liege1 and wrote
 a letter to ,cardinal ,barnabo1 a copy 
of which has been preserved1 which      
treats most favorably of ,father        
,hecker's character and discusses his   
case at length1 petitioning a decision  
which should reinstate him in the order4
  ,late in ,november he sought an       
interview with ,cardinal ,reisach1      
holding him closely interested for two  
hours1 conversing upon ,american        
religious prospects and quite winning   
his friendship4 ,by means of such       
interviews1 which1 at ,cardinal         
,barnabo's suggestion1 he sought with   
the chief prelates in ,rome1 he became  
widely known in the city1 and the state 
of religion in ,america was made a      

common topic of conversation4  ,the     
following introduces a singular phase in
 the case4 ,it is from a letter written 
before the end of ,september1 less than 
a month after his arrival3  ,my leisure 
moments are occupied in writing an      
article on the ',present ,condition and 
,future ,prospects of the ,catholic     
,faith in the ,united ,states1' for the 
,civilta ,cattolica4 ,they have promised
 to translate and publish it4  ,the     
,civilta is still a leading ,catholic   
journal1 the foremost exponent of the   
views of the ,society of ,jesus4 ,at    
that time it was the official organ of  
,pius ,,ix41 who read all its articles  
in the proofs1 and it went everywhere in
 ,catholic circles4 ,the editors became 
fast friends of ,father ,hecker1 though 
we are not aware that they took sides in
 his case4 ,his article was divided in  
the editing1 and appeared in two        
successive numbers of the magazine4 ,it 
attracted wide attention1 being         
translated and printed in the chief     

,catholic periodicals of ,france1       
,belgium1 and ,germany1 and published by
 ,mr4 ,mc,master in the ,freeman's      
,journal4 ,in ,rome it served a good    
purpose4 ,to some its views were        
startling1 but its tone was fresh and   
enlivening4 ,it undertook to show that  
the freest nation in the world was the  
most inviting field for the ,catholic   
propagandist4 ,we suppose that the      
author's main purpose in writing was but
 to invite attention to ,america1 yet he
 so affected public opinion in ,rome as 
to materially assist the adjustment of  
the difficulty pending before the high  
tribunals4 ,cardinal ,barnabo was quite 
urgent with ,father ,hecker that he     
should write more of the same kind1 but 
either his occupations or his           
expectation of an early return home     
hindered his doing so4 ,as it was1 he   
had caused himself and the ,american    
,fathers to be viewed by men generally  
through the medium of the great question
 of the relation of religion to the     

young ,republic of the ,western ,world4 
,that topic was fortunate in having him 
for its exponent4 ,he was an            
object-lesson of the aspirations of     
enlightened ,catholic ,americans as well
 as an exalted type of ,catholic        
missionary zeal4 ,very few men of       
discernment ever really knew ,father    
,hecker but to admire him and to be     
ready to be persuaded by him of his     
life-thesis3 that a free man tends to be
 a good ,catholic1 and a free nation is 
the most promising field for apostolic  
zeal4  ,soon after his arrival in ,rome 
he made the acquaintance of ,george ,l4 
,brown1 an ,american artist of some     
note1 and a non-,catholic4 ,he was an   
earnest man1 and ,father ,hecker        
attacked him at once on the score of    
religion1 and before ,december had      
received him into the ,church4 ,this    
event made quite a stir in ,rome4 ,the  
city was always full of artists and     
their patrons1 and ,mr4 ,brown's        
conversion1 together with the articles  

in the ,civilta1 influenced in ,father  
,hecker's favor many persons whom he    
could not directly reach4 ,this was     
especially the case with the ,pope1 to  
whose notice such matters were brought  
by ,archbishop ,bedini1 his office      
enabling him to approach the ,holy      
,father at short intervals4 ,he exerted 
a similar influence on all the high     
officials of the ,roman court4  ,in     
spite of all this favor the usual delays
 attendant upon serious judicial        
investigations oppressed ,father ,hecker
 with the heavy dread of the law's      
delay1 detaining him in ,rome from the  
first week in ,september1 #aheg1 when   
the case was opened in the ,propaganda1 
till it was closed by the decision of   
the ,congregation of ,bishops and       
,regulars early in the following ,march4
 ,nor was the insolence of office quite 
absent4 ,he was once heard to tell of   
his having been snubbed in the ,pope's  
antechamber by some one in attendance1  
and often put aside till he was vexed   

with many weary hours of waiting and by 
being compelled to repeatedly return4   
,i had to wait for three days1 we read  
in the memoranda1 and then was          
reproached and scolded by the monsignor 
in attendance for coming late4 ,i had   
not come late but had been kept waiting 
outside1 and ,i told him so4 ',you will 
see those hills of ,albano move1' said  
,i1 'before ,i move from my purpose to  
see the ,holy ,father4' ,when he saw my 
determination he changed and gave me my 
desired audience4  ,when events had     
taken the question out of the           
,jurisdiction of be ,redemptorist order 
and into the general court of the       
,catholic ,church1 its settlement was   
found to be difficult4 ,the restoration 
of ,father ,hecker by a judicial        
decision would not1 it is plain1 have   
left him and his companions in that     
harmonious relation so essential to     
their personal happiness and to their   
success as missionaries4 ,it was then   
suggested that they should petition for 

a separate organization under the ,rule 
of ,st4 ,alphonsus approved by ,benedict
 ,,xiv41 acting directly subject to the 
,holy ,see1 thus making two             
,redemptorist bodies in the ,united     
,states1 as is the case with various    
,franciscan communities4 ,it was also   
suggested that the ,cisalpine1 or       
,neapolitan ,redemptorists1 at that time
 an independent congregation1 would     
gladly take the ,american ,fathers under
 their jurisdiction4 ,the alternative   
was what afterwards took place--the     
dispensation of the ,fathers from their 
vows1 in view of their forming their own
 organization under direction of the    
,bishops and the ,holy ,see4 ,a petition
 praying the ,holy ,father to give them 
either the ,rule of ,benedict ,,xiv4 in 
the sense above suggested1 or their     
dispensations from the vows1 was drawn  
up and forwarded by the ,fathers        
remaining in ,america1 the dispensation 
being named as the last resort4 ,father 
,hecker's legal case not being decided1 

he was advised by ,cardinal ,barnabo to 
reserve his signature to this document  
for the present4 ,it will be seen at a  
glance that the dispensation from the   
vows and an entirely new departure in   
community existence was more in         
accordance with his aspirations4 ,but no
 aspiration was so strong in him as love
 of his brethren1 and he was fully      
determined not to be separated from them
 if he could prevent it4  ,much delay   
was caused by waiting for further       
testimonials from ,american bishops     
confirmatory of the good character of   
the ,fathers and of the value of their  
labors as missionaries4 ,father ,hecker1
 meantime1 wrote many letters to his    
brethren discussing the alternatives in 
question4  ,in one of ,october #bd he   
tells of a pilgrimage he made to        
,nocera1 to the tomb of ,st4 ,alphonsus1
 bearing his brethren in his heart with 
him4 ,he also visited the ,redemptorist 
house there and in ,naples1 and was     
quite charmed with the fathers1 who were

 entirely willing to receive the        
,americans into their organization1     
which1 as the reader knows1 was separate
 from that of the ,general in ,rome4    
,knowing the mind of his brethren1 and  
determined to take no step alone1       
,father ,hecker would have been content 
with this arrangement had it seemed good
 to the ,holy ,see4 ,meantime he tells  
how greatly he enjoyed his visit to     
,nocera1 how he said ,mass over the holy
 body of the founder1 and adds3 ,ever   
since ,i feel more consoled and         
supported and confident4  ,the following
 is from a joint letter of the ,american
 ,fathers dated ,november #ag2 they     
prefer1 in case ,father ,hecker is not  
reinstated1 being separated from the    
order and made immediately dependent on 
the ,holy ,see1 or the ,prefect of the  
,propaganda1 rather than anything else2 
4 4 4 called1 for instance1 ',religious 
,missionaries of the ,propaganda1' if   
the ,holy ,father would make us such4   
,with the ,rule of ,st4 ,alphonsus and  

the same missionary privileges we now   
enjoy1 and our dear ,father ,hecker     
among us again1 we should feel happy and
 safe4 4 4 4 ,but we wait for the words 
of the ,holy ,see to indicate our       
course4  ,his words to them are to the  
same effect3 ,our first effort should be
 directed to the securing our hopes     
through the ,transalpine ,congregation  
this means the regular ,redemptorist    
order to which they then belonged4 4 4 4
 ,if this is not successful1 then to    
endeavor to accomplish our hopes through
 the ,cisalpine 7,neapolitan7 ,fathers1 
who will be heart and soul with us and  
grant all our best desires4 ,or1        
thirdly1 to obtain permission to act as 
a band of missionaries in our country   
under the protection1 for the present1  
of some bishop4 4 4 4 ,it is a          
consolation to me to see that our       
affairs are so far developed and known1 
and our views are so identical that you 
can act on your part1 and write1 without
 having to delay for information from   

me4 ,you can easily imagine that it was 
no pleasant state for me to be in while 
in suspense about what would be the     
determination you would come to4 ,thank 
,god and ,our ,lady1 your recent letter 
set that all aside6 ,the work now to be 
done is plain1 and the greatest care and
 prudence is to be exercised not to     
commit any fault1 or make any mistake   
which may be to us a source of regret   
afterwards4  ,in another letter he says 
that ,cardinal ,barnabo spoke of the    
unpleasant relations likely to exist    
after his restoration to the order1 and 
then continues3  ,the cardinal had a    
long conversation with me1 and he       
suggested whether ,god might not desire 
of me a special work4 ,i told him ,i    
would not think of this while the       
dismission was over my head4 ,he said1  
',of course not2 for if you are a       
mauvais sujet1 as the ,general thinks1  
,god will surely not use you for any    
special mission4' ,the letter here      
details more of the exchange of views   

between the cardinal and ,father        
,hecker1 the latter astounded to hear   
from this direction suggestions so      
closely tallying with his own interior  
aspirations about the apostolic outlook 
in ,america4 ,but1 continues the letter1
 you must well understand that ,i should
 not accept such a proposition for      
myself before having asked the best     
counsel of men of ,god and received     
their unhesitating approval of its being
 ,god's will4 ,there are holy men here1 
and ,i take counsel with them in every  
important step2 and they are religious1 
so that they are good judges in such    
important matters4 4 4 4 ,if ,god wishes
 to make use of us in such a design1 and
 ,i can be assured of this on competent 
authority1 whatever it may cost1 with   
,his grace ,i will not shrink from it4  
,i call competent authority the         
approbation of good and holy men1 and   
one like the cardinal1 who knows the    
country1 knows all our affairs now1 and 
has every quality of mind and heart to  

be a competent judge in this important  
matter4 ,though you have made me your   
plenipotentiary1 yet this is an         
individual affair1 one we did not       
contemplate1 one of the highest import  
to our salvation and sanctification1 and
 must depend on ,god and our individual 
conscience4  ,even before making this   
proposition to you ,i asked advice from 
my spiritual director1 and he approved  
of it4 ,you may be confident that in    
every step which ,i take ,i endeavor to 
be actuated by the spirit of ,god1 and  
take every means to assure myself of it1
 so that hereafter no scruple may       
trouble my conscience1 and ,god's       
blessing be with me and you also4  ,he  
writes thus towards the end of          
,september3 ,the more ,i think of our   
difficulties the more ,i am inclined to 
believe that they may have been         
permitted by a good ,god for the very   
purpose of a work of this kind4 ,if wise
 and holy men say so1 and we have the   
approbation of the ,holy ,see1 is it not

 a mission offered to us by ,divine     
,providence1 and ought we not cheerfully
 to embrace it8  ,and on ,october #e3 ,i
 hope ,god has inspired you with some   
means of coming to my help4 ,indeed1 it 
is a difficult position1 and the best ,i
 can do is to throw myself constantly on
 ,divine ,providence and be guided by   
,him4 ,you will remember1 and ,i hope1  
before this reaches you1 will have      
answered my proposition in my last note1
 whether or not you would be willing to 
form an independent band of missionaries
 to be devoted to the great wants of the
 country4 ,i have considered and        
reconsidered1 and prayed and prayed1 and
 in spite of my fears this seems to me  
the direction in which ,divine          
,providence calls us4 4 4 4 ,with all   
the difficulties1 dangers1 and struggles
 that another community movement        
presents before me1 ,i feel more and    
more convinced that it is this that     
,divine ,providence asks of us4 ,if we  
should act in concert its success cannot

 be doubted--success not only as regards
 our present kind of labors1 but in a   
variety of other ways which are open to 
us in our new country4 4 4 4 ,if you are
 prepared to move in this direction it  
would be best1 and indeed necessary1 not
 only to write to me your assent1 but   
also a memorial to the ,propaganda--to  
,cardinal ,barnabo--stating the         
interests and wants of religion and of  
the country1 and then petition to be    
permitted to turn your labors in this   
direction4 4 4 4  ,such a course        
involves the release of your obligations
 to the ,redemptorist ,congregation1 and
 this would have to be expressed        
distinctly in your petition1 and motived
 by good reasons there given4  ,further 
on in the same letter he adds3 ,since   
writing the above ,i have had time for  
more reflection1 and consulted with my  
spiritual adviser1 and this course      
appears to be the one ,divine           
,providence points out4  ,this very     
important letter ends as follows3 ,i    

endeavor to keep close to ,god1 to keep 
up my confidence in ,his protection1 and
 in the aid of ,our ,blessed ,lady4 ,i  
pray for you all2 you cannot forget me  
in your prayers4  ,then follow          
suggestions about obtaining testimonials
 from the ,american hierarchy for the   
information of the ,holy ,see in a final
 settlement of the entire case4 ,the    
prelates who wrote1 all very favorably1 
were3 ,archbishops ,hughes of ,new      
,york1 ,kenrick of ,baltimore1 ,purcell 
of ,cincinnati1 ,bishops ,bayley of     
,newark1 ,spalding of ,louisville 7both 
afterwards ,archbishops of ,baltimore71 
,lynch of ,charleston1 ,barry of        
,savannah1 and ,de ,goesbriand of       
,burlington1 ,vermont4  ,on ,october    
#bf1 while wondering what would next    
happen1 he writes3 ,as for my part1 ,i  
do not see one step ahead1 but at the   
same time ,i never felt so closely      
embraced in the arms of ,divine         
,providence4 ,but on the next day3 ,it  
seems to me a great and entire change   

awaits us4 4 4 4 ,we are all of us      
young1 and if we keep close and true to 
,god--and there is nothing but ourselves
 to prevent this--a great and hopeful   
future is at our waiting4 ,i know you   
pray for me2 continue to do so1 and     
believe me always your wholly devoted   
friend and brother in ,jesus and ,mary4 
,on ,november #ab3 ,my present          
impression is that neither union with   
the ,cisalpine ,fathers nor separation  
as a band of independent ,redemptorist  
missionaries in the ,united ,states will
 be approved of here4 4 4 4 ,what       
appears to me more and more probable is 
that we shall have to start entirely    
upon our own basis4 ,this is perhaps the
 best of all1 all things considered4 4 4
 4 ,such a movement has from the        
beginning seemed to me the one to which 
,divine ,providence calls us1 but ,i    
always felt timid as long as any door   
was left open for us to act in the      
,congregation4 4 4 4 ,i feel prepared to
 take this step with you without        

hesitation and with great confidence1 4 
4 4 ,i should have been glad1 as soon as
 my dismission was given1 to have       
started on in such a movement4 ,but then
 it was my first duty to see whether    
this work could not be accomplished by  
the ,congregation 7of the ,most ,holy   
,redeemer72 and1 besides1 ,i was not    
sure1 as ,i now am1 of your views being 
the same as mine 4 4 4 all indicates the
 will of ,divine ,providence in our     
regard and gives me confidence4 4 4 4   
,father ,hewit's letter1 confirming your
 readiness to share your fortunes with  
me1 was most consoling and              
strengthening4 ,god knows we seek only  
,his interest and glory and are ready to
 suffer anything rather than offend     
,him4 4 4 4  ,we should take our present
 missions as the basis of our unity and 
activity2 at the same time not be       
exclusively restricted to them1 but     
leave ourselves at liberty to adapt     
ourselves to the religious wants which  
may present themselves in our country4  

,were the question presented to me to   
restrict myself exclusively to missions1
 in that case ,i should feel in         
conscience bound to obtain from holy men
 a decision on the question whether ,god
 had not pointed out another field for  
me4 4 4 4 ,taking our missions and our  
present mode of life as the groundwork1 
the rest will have to be left to ,divine
 ,providence1 the character of the      
country1 and our own spirit of faith and
 good common sense4  ,in the same       
letter1 that of ,december #be1 he hopes 
that if the ,holy ,see separates them   
from old affiliations they will form a  
society which would embody in its life  
what is good in the ,american people in 
the natural order and adapt itself to   
answer the great wants of our people in 
the spiritual order4 ,i must confess to 
you frankly that thoughts of this kind  
do occupy my mind1 and day by day they  
appear to me to come more clearly from  
heaven4 ,i cannot refuse to entertain   
them without resisting what appear to me

 the inspirations of ,god4 ,you know    
that these are not new opinions hastily 
adopted4 ,from the beginning of my      
,catholic life there seemed always      
before me1 but not distinctly1 some such
 work1 and it is indicated both in      
,questions of the ,soul and ,aspirations
 of ,nature4 ,and ,i cannot resist the  
thought that my present peculiar        
position is or may be providential to   
further some such undertaking4 4 4 4 ,it
 might be imagined that these views were
 but a ruse of the devil to thwart our  
common cause and future prospects4 ,to  
this ,i have only to answer that the old
 rascal has been a long time at work to 
reach this point4 ,if it be he1 ,i shall
 head him off because all that regards  
my personal vocation ,i shall submit to 
wise and holy men and obey what they    
tell me4  ,father ,hecker had his first 
audience with ,pius ,,ix41 after much   
delay1 on ,december #bb4 ,i felt1 he    
said1 in giving an account of it in     
after years1 that my trouble in ,rome   

was the great crisis in my life4 ,i had 
one way of telling that ,i was not like 
,martin ,luther3 in my inmost soul ,i   
was ready entirely ready1 to submit to  
the judgment of the ,church4 ,they had  
made me out a rebel and a radical to the
 ,holy ,father1 and when ,i saw him     
alone1 after the usual salutations1 and 
while on my knees1 ,i said3 ',look at   
me1 ,holy ,father2 see1 my shoulders are
 broad4 ,lay on the stripes4 ,i will    
bear them4 ,all ,i want is justice4 ,i  
want you to judge my case4 ,i will      
submit4' ,the ,pope's eyes flled with   
tears at these words1 and his manner was
 very kind4 ,the rest of the interview  
is given in a letter3 ,the ,pope bade me
 rise and told me he was informed all   
about my affairs4 ,then he asked what   
was my desire4 ,i replied that he might 
have the goodness to examine the purpose
 of my coming to ,rome1 'since it       
regarded the conversion of the ,american
 people1 a work which the most          
intelligent and pious ,catholics have at

 heart1 among others ,dr4 ,ives1 whom   
you know4' ',yes1' he said2 'has his    
wife become a ,catholic8' ,i replied in 
the affirmative4 ',but what can ,i do8' 
he said2 'the affair is being examined  
by ,archbishop ,bizarri 7,secretary of  
the ,congregation of ,bishops and       
,regulars71 and nothing can be done     
until he gives in his report2 then ,i   
will give my opinion and my decision4'  
',your decision1 most ,holy ,father1 is 
,god's decision1 and whatever it may be 
willingly and humbly will ,i submit to  
it4' ,while ,i was making this remark   
his ,holiness paid the greatest         
attention1 and it seemed to satisfy and 
please him4 ',the ,american people1' he 
continued1 'are much engrossed in       
worldly things and in the pursuit of    
wealth1 and these are not favorable to  
religion2 it is not ,i who say so1 but  
our ,lord in the ,gospel4' ',the ,united
 ,states1 your ,holiness1' ,i replied1  
'is in its youth1 and1 like a young     
father of a family occupied in          

furnishing his house1 while this is     
going on he must be busy2 but the       
,american people do not make money to   
hoard it1 nor are they miserly4' ',no1  
no1' he replied2 'they are willing to   
give when they possess riches4 ,the     
bishops tell me they are generous in    
aiding the building of churches4 ,you   
see1' he added1 ',i know the bright side
 as well as the dark side of the        
,americans2 but in the ,united ,states  
there exists a too unrestricted freedom1
 all the refugees and revolutionists    
gather there and are in full liberty4'  
',true1 most ,holy ,father2 but this has
 a good side4 ,many of them1 seeing in  
the ,united ,states that the ,church is 
self-subsisting and not necessarily     
connected with what they call despotism1
 begin to regard it as a ,divine        
institution and return to her fold4'    
',yes1' he said1 'the ,church is as much
 at home in a republic as in a monarchy 
or aristocracy4 ,but then1 again1 you   
have the abolitionists and their        

opponents1 who get each other by the    
hair4' ',there is also the ,catholic    
faith1 ,holy ,father1 which if once     
known would act on these parties like   
oil upon troubled waters1 and our       
best-informed statesmen are becoming    
more and more convinced that            
,catholicity is necessary to sustain our
 institutions1 and enable our young     
country to realize her great destiny4   
,and allow me to add1 most ,holy        
,father1 that it would be an enterprise 
worthy of your glorious pontificate to  
set on foot the measures necessary for  
the beginning of the conversion of      
,america4'  ,on retiring he gave me his 
blessing1 and repeated in a loud voice  
as ,i kneeled1 ',bravo6 ,bravo6'  ,pius 
,,ix41 said ,father ,hecker afterwards1 
was a man of the largest head1 of still 
larger heart1 moved more by his impulses
 than by his judgment2 but his impulses 
were great1 noble1 all-embracing4  ,it  
will not be out of place here to look   
more closely into ,father ,hecker's     

conscience and study his motives4 ,one  
might ask why he did not simply submit  
to the infliction visited upon him by   
his superior in the order1 and humbly   
withdraw from notice till ,god should   
find a way to vindicate him4 ,but his   
case was not a personal one4 ,he was in 
,rome representing a body of priests and
 a public cause1 and every principle of 
duty and honor required an appeal to    
higher authority4 ,nor was vindication  
the chief end in view1 but rather       
freedom to follow the dictates of the   
,holy ,spirit in accordance with        
,catholic traditions and wholly subject 
to the laws and usages of the ,church4  
,beyond securing exactly this he had no 
object whatever4 ,on ,february #ai1     
#aheh1 he thus wrote to his brother     
,george3  ,but there is no use of       
keeping back anything4 ,my policy has   
all along been to have no policy1 but to
 be frank1 truthful1 and have no fear4  
,for my own part ,i will try my best to 
be true to the light and grace given me1

 even though it reduces me to perfect   
insignificance4 ,i desire nothing upon  
earth except to labor for the good of   
our ,religion and our ,country1 and     
whatever may be the decision of our     
affairs here1 my aims cannot be         
defeated4 ,i feel1 indeed1 quite        
indifferent about the decision which may
 be given1 so that they allow us        
freedom4  ,as illustrating ,father      
,hecker's supernatural motives and      
rectitude of conscience the following   
extracts from letters to the ,fathers   
will be of interest4 ,in ,september1    
when the arrow was yet in the wound1 he 
wrote3  ,i have no feelings of          
resentment against any one of the actors
 in this matter4 ,on the contrary ,i    
could embrace them all with unfeigned   
sentiments of love4 ,god has been       
exceedingly good not to let me be even  
tempted in this way4  ,again1 on        
,december #e3  ,your repeated assurances
 of being united with me in our future  
fills me with consolation and courage4  

,we may well repeat the ,american motto1
 ',united we stand1 divided we fall4'   
,never did ,i find myself more sustained
 by the grace of ,god4 ,how often ,i    
have heard repeated by acquaintances ,i 
have made here3 ',why1 ,father ,hecker1 
you are the happiest man in ,rome6'     
,little do they know how many sleepless 
nights ,i have passed1 how deeply ,i    
have suffered within three months4 ,but 
isn't ,almighty ,god good8 ,it seems ,i 
never knew or felt before what it is to 
be wholly devoted to ,him4  ,on         
,december #i1 after a long exposition of
 the need of a new religious missionary 
institute for ,america3  ,considering   
our past training1 and many other       
advantages which we possess1 ,i cannot  
but believe that ,god will use us1      
provided that we remain faithful to     
,him1 united together as one man1 and   
ready to make any sacrifice for some    
such holy enterprise2 and my daily      
prayer is that the ,holy ,father may    
receive a special grace and inspiration 

to welcome and bless such a proposition4
  ,with his ,christmas greetings he     
wrote3 ,from the start ,i have not      
suffered myself to repose a moment when 
there was anything to be done which     
promised help4 ,whatever may be the     
result of our affairs1 this consolation 
will be with me--,i did my utmost1 and  
everything just and honorable1 to       
deserve success4 ,no one would believe  
how much ,i have gone through at ,rome1 
but ,i do it cheerfully1 and sometimes  
gaily1 because ,i know it is the will of
 ,god4  ,on ,february #ai1 #aheh3 ,the  
experience ,i have made here is worth   
more than my weight in gold4 ,if ,god   
intends to employ us in any important   
work in the future1 such an experience  
was absolutely necessary for us4 ,it is 
a novitiate on a large scale4 ,i cannot 
thank ,god sufficiently for my having   
made it thus far without incurring by my
 conduct the displeasure or censure of  
any one4  ,and a week afterwards3 ,you  
should write often1 for words of        

sympathy1 hope1 encouragement are much  
to me now in these trials1 difficulties1
 and conflicts4 ,in all my ,catholic    
life ,i have not experienced oppression 
and anxiety of mind in such a degree as 
,i have for these ten days past4  ,march
 #f3 ,so far from my devotion to        
religion being diminished by recent     
events1 it has1 thank ,god1 greatly     
increased2 but many other things have   
been changed in me4 ,on many new points 
my intelligence has been awakened2      
experience has dispelled much ignorance1
 and on the whole ,i hope that my faith 
and heart have been more purified4 ,if  
,god spares my life to return1 ,i hope  
to come back more a man1 a better       
,catholic1 and more entirely devoted to 
the work of ,god4  ,the following is    
from a copy of a letter to ,father de   
,held dated ,november #b3 ,one thing my 
trials have taught me1 and this is the  
one thing important--to love ,god more4 
,it almost seems that ,i did not know   
before what it is to love ,him4  ,when  

it became evident that the ,holy ,see   
would decide the case so as to make it  
necessary for the ,fathers to form a new
 society1 ,father ,hecker did not accept
 even this as a final indication of     
,providence that external circumstances 
had made it possible for him to realize 
his long-cherished dreams of an         
,american apostolate2 for he was at     
liberty still to refuse4 ,he redoubled  
his prayers4 ,his pilgrimage to the     
shrine of ,st4 ,alphonsus is already    
known to the reader2 he caused a novena 
of ,masses to be said at the altar of   
,our ,lady of ,perpetual ,help in the   
,redemptorist ,church in ,rome2 he said 
,mass himself at all the great shrines1 
especially the ,confession of ,st4      
,peter1 the altar of ,st4 ,ignatius and 
that of ,st4 ,philip ,neri2 he earnestly
 entreated all his friends1 old ones at 
home and new-found ones in ,rome1 to    
join with him in his prayers for light4 
,he furthermore took measures to obtain 
the counsel of wise and holy men4 ,every

 one whom he thought worthy of his      
confidence was asked for an opinion4    
,finally he drew up a formal document1  
known in this biography as the ,roman   
,statement1 and already familiar by     
reference and quotation1 and placed it  
in the hands of the three religious     
whose names1 in addition to those of    
,cardinal ,barnabo and ,archbishop      
,bedini1 appear at the end of the       
extract we make from its original draft4
 ,it opens with a summary of his        
conversion1 entrance into religion1 and 
missionary life1 and embraces a full    
enough statement of the trouble with the
 ,general of the order--a matter of     
notoriety at the time in the city of    
,rome4 ,he then describes his own       
interior aspirations and vocation to the
 apostolate in ,america1 backing up the 
authority of that inner voice with the  
external testimonials of prelates and   
priests and laymen1 whose letters had   
been procured by the ,propaganda as     
evidence in the case before the         

,congregation of ,bishops and ,regulars4
  ,if ,god has called me1 he continues1 
to such a work1 ,his providence has in a
 singular way1 since my arrival at      
,rome1 opened the door for me to        
undertake it4 ,the object of my coming  
to ,rome was to induce the ,general to  
sustain and favor the extension of our  
missionary labors in the ,united        
,states4 ,it was undertaken altogether  
for the good of the order1 in the       
general interests of religion1 and in   
undoubted good faith4 ,under false      
impressions of my purpose1 my expulsion 
from the ,congregation was decreed three
 days after my arrival4 ,this was about 
three months ago1 and it was the source 
of the deepest affliction to me1 and up 
to within a short time my greatest      
desire was to re-enter the              
,congregation4 ,at present it seems to  
me that these things were permitted by  
,divine ,providence in order to place me
 in the position to undertake that      
mission which has never ceased to occupy

 my thoughts4  ,after some description  
of the state of religion in ,america the
 statement concludes3  ,these ,american 
non-,catholics require an institution   
which shall have their conversion to the
 ,catholic faith as its principal aim1  
which is free to develop itself         
according to the fresh wants which may  
spring up1 thus opening an attractive   
future to the religious vocations of the
 ,catholic young men of that country4   
,regarding1 therefore1 my early and     
extensive acquaintance among my own     
people1 politically1 socially1          
religiously1 with the knowledge of their
 peculiar wants1 with their errors also2
 and the way in which ,god has led me   
and the graces given to me2 and my      
interior convictions and the experience 
acquired confirming them since my       
,catholic life1 and also my singular    
position at present--the question1 in   
conclusion1 is to know from holy1       
instructed1 and experienced men in such 
matters whether or not there is         

sufficient evidence of a special        
vocation from ,god for me to undertake  
now such a work4  ,what follows is      
placed at the bottom of the last page of
 the statement3  ,,epiphany1 #aheh1     
,,rome4  ,this document ,i had          
translated into ,italian1 and ,i gave it
 to ,cardinal ,barnabo1 ,archbishop     
,bedini1 ,father ,francis1              
,passionist--my director while in       
,rome--,father ,gregorio1 definitor1    
,carmelite1 and ,father ,druelle1 of the
 ,congregation of the ,holy ,cross1 and 
each gave a favorable answer4  ,father  
,hecker often said that he was fully    
determined to forego the entire matter1 
go back to the ,redemptorists1 or drift 
whithersoever ,providence might will1 if
 a single one of the men whom he thus   
consulted had failed to approve him1 or 
had so much as expressed a doubt4 ,he   
had inquired who were the most          
spiritually enlightened men in ,rome1   
and had been guided to the three        
religious whom he had associated with   

,cardinal ,barnabo and ,archbishop      
,bedini to assist him in coming to a    
decision4  ,the end came at last1 and is
 announced in a letter of ,march #i1    
#aheh3  ,the ,pope has spoken1 and the  
,american ,fathers1 including myself1   
are dispensed from their vows4 ,the     
decree is not in my hands1 but ,cardinal
 ,barnabo read it to me last evening4   
,the ,general is not mentioned in it1   
and no attention whatever is paid to his
 action in my regard4 ,the other        
,fathers are dispensed in view of the   
petition they made1 as the demand for   
separation as ,redemptorists would      
destroy the unity of the ,congregation1 
and in the dispensation ,i am associated
 with them4 ,the ,cardinal ,barnabo is  
wholly content2 says that ,i must ask   
immediately for an audience to thank the
 ,pope4 4 4 4 ,now let us thank ,god for
 our success4  ,on ,march #aa3 ,we are  
left in entire liberty to act in the    
future as ,god and our intelligence     
shall point the way4 ,let us be thankful

 to ,god1 humble towards each other and 
every one else1 and more than ever in   
earnest to do the work ,god demands at  
our hands4 4 4 4 ,the ,pope had before  
him all the documents1 yours and mine   
and the ,general's1 and the letters from
 the ,archbishops and ,bishops of the   
,united ,states4 ,archbishop ,bizarri   
7,secretary of the ,congregation of     
,bishops and ,regulars7 gave him a      
verbal report of their contents and read
 some of the letters4 ,subsequently the 
,pope himself examined them and came to 
the conclusion to grant us dispensation4
 ,but there was ,i in the way1 who had  
not petitioned for a dispensation4 ,and 
why not8 ,simply because ,cardinal      
,barnabo would have been offended at me 
if ,i had done so4 4 4 4 ,i could not go
 against the wishes of the cardinal4 ,a 
few days after he had given me his      
views1 and with such warmth that ,i     
could not act against them1 he saw the  
,pope1 who informed him of his intention
 to give us dispensation and to set     

aside the decree of my expulsion4 ,on   
seeing the cardinal after this audience 
he told me that ,i might communicate    
this to ,archbishop ,bizarri4 ,i did so 
by note1 telling him that if the ,pope  
set aside my expulsion and was          
determined to give the other ,american  
,fathers dispensation from their vows1  
in view of the circumstances which had  
arisen ,i would be content to accept my 
dispensation also4 ,this note of mine   
was shown to the ,pope1 and hence he    
immediately associated me with you in   
the dispensation4  ,the wording of the  
decree is such as to make it plain that 
it was given in view of your memorial1  
and its terms are calculated to give a  
favorable impression of us4 4 4 4       
,archbishop ,bizarri told me yesterday1 
when ,i went to thank him for his part1 
that in it the ,holy ,see had given us  
its praise1 and he trusted we would show
 ourselves worthy of it in the future4  
,i rejoined that since the commencement 
of our ,catholic life we had given      

ourselves soul and body entirely to the 
increase of ,god's glory and the        
interests of ,his ,church1 and it was   
our firm resolve to continue to do so to
 the end of our lives4 ,he was quite    
gratified with our contentment with the 
decision1 for ,i spoke1 as ,i always    
have done1 in your name as well as my   
own4  ,but whom do you think ,i met in  
his antechamber8 ,the ,general of the   
,redemptorists4 ,when he came in and got
 seated ,i immediately went across the  
room and reached out my hand to him1 and
 we shook hands and sat down beside each
 other4 4 4 4 ,in the course of the     
conversation he inquired what we        
intended to do in the future4 ,my reply 
was that we had been guided by ,god's   
providence in the past and we looked to 
,him for guidance in our future4 4 4 4  
,as to my return home1 the cardinal says
 ,i must not think of departing till    
after ,easter4 ,indeed1 ,i see that     
before ,i can obtain an audience to     
thank the ,holy ,father it will be hard 

on to ,easter4 ,if there be a few days  
intervening ,i will go to ,our ,lady of 
,loretto to invoke her aid in our behalf
 and for her protection over us as a    
body and over each one in particular4   
,in ,may1 earlier or later in the month1
 with ,god's blessing and your prayers1 
,i hope to be with you4  ,the decree1   
which places us1 according to the       
,canons1 under the authority of the     
,bishops1 you will1 of course1          
understand1 does not in any way make us 
parish priests4 ,the ,pope could not    
tell us in it to commence another       
congregation1 although this is what he1 
and ,cardinal ,barnabo1 and ,archbishop 
,bedini1 and others1 expect from us4 ,he
 the ,pope said that for him to tell us 
so officially would be putting the cart 
before the horse4 ,these are his words4 
,on ,march #ah3 ,it is customary here1  
before giving dispensation of vows to   
religious1 to require them to show their
 admission into a diocese4 ,as this was 
not required in our case1 we are        

consequently at liberty now to choose   
any bishop we please who will receive   
us4 ',choose your bishop1 inform him of 
your intentions1 and if he approves1    
arrange your conditions with him4'      
,these are the cardinal's words1 and    
both he and ,archbishop ,bedini         
suggested ,new ,york4 4 4 4 ,my trip to 
,loretto has come to naught1 as ,i can  
find no one to accompany me1 and then my
 health1 ,i fear1 will not bear so much 
fatigue1 ,i shall come back with some   
gray hairs2 ,i thought to pull them all 
out before my return1 but on looking    
this morning with that intention ,i     
found them too many4 ,however1 that is  
only on the outside2 within all is      
right--young1 fresh1 and full of        
courage1 and ready to fight the good    
fight4  ,the following is a memorandum  
of his second audience with ,pius ,,ix43
  ,yesterday1 the #afth of ,march1 the  
,pope accorded me an audience1 and on my
 entering his room he repeated my name1 
gave me his blessing1 and after ,i had  

kissed his ring he told me to rise1 and 
said3 ',at length your affairs are      
determined4 ,we have many causes to     
decide1 and each must have its turn2    
yours came finally1 and now you have our
 decision4' ',true1' ,i replied1 'and   
your decision gives me great            
satisfaction1 and it appears to me that 
it should be satisfactory to all        
concerned4' ',i found you1' he rejoined1
 'like ,abraham and ,lot1 and 7making a 
motion with his hand7 ,i told one to    
take this1 the other that direction4'   
',for my part1' ,i said1 ',i look upon  
the decision as providential1 as ,i     
sought no personal triumph over the     
,general1 but entertain every sentiment 
of charity towards him1 and every one of
 my former religious brethren4' ,this   
remark appeared to move the ,pope1 and  
,i continued3 ',i thought of your       
,holiness' decision in the holy ,mass of
 this morning1 when in the ,gospel our  
,lord reminds us not to decide according
 to the appearances of things1 but      

render a just judgment2 and such is the 
one you have given1 and for our part we 
trust that you will receive in the      
future consolation and joy from our     
conduct4' ',as you petitioned1' he said1
 'with the other ,fathers as one of the 
,congregation1 in giving you            
dispensation ,i considered you a member 
of the ,congregation4' ',so ,i          
understood it1' was my reply2 'and as a 
private person ,i felt no inclination to
 defend my character1 but as a priest ,i
 felt it to be my duty2 and in this     
regard your ,holiness has done all that 
,i have desired4' ',but you intend to   
remain1' he inquired1 'together in      
community8' ',most assuredly1 your      
,holiness2 our intention is to live and 
work as we have hitherto done4 ,but     
there are many spiritual privileges     
attached to the work of the missions    
very necessary to their success1 and    
which we would gladly participate in4'  
',well1 well1' he answered1 'organize1  
begin your work1 and then demand them1  

and ,i will grant them to you4 ,the     
,americans1 however1 are very much      
engrossed in material pursuits4' ',true1
 ,holy ,father1' ,i replied1 'but the   
faith is there4 ,we five missionaries   
are ,americans1 and were like the       
others1 but you see the grace of ,god   
has withdrawn us from these things and  
moved us to consecrate ourselves wholly 
to ,god and ,his ,church1 and we hope it
 will do the same for many of our       
countrymen4 ,and once our countrymen are
 ,catholics1 we hope they will do great 
things for ,god's ,church and ,his      
glory1 for they have enthusiasm4' ',yes1
 yes1' he rejoined1 'it would be a great
 consolation to me4' ,i asked him if he 
would grant me a plenary indulgence for 
my brethren and my friends in the       
,united ,states4 ',well1' he said1 'but 
,i must have a rescript4' ',i have one  
with me which perhaps will do1' ,i      
answered4 ,looking over it1 he made some
 alterations and signed it4 ,i knelt    
down at his feet and begged him to give 

me a large blessing before my departure1
 in order that ,i might become a great  
missionary in the ,united ,states--which
 he gave me most cordially1 and ,i      
retired4  ,his manner was very          
affectionate1 and in the course of the  
conversation he called me 'caro mio' and
 'figlio mio' several times4 ,we could  
not desire to leave a more favorable    
impression than exists here in regard to
 us and our part in the recent          
transaction1 and we have the sympathy of
 the ,pope and the ,propaganda4 ,rome   
will withhold nothing from us if we     
prove worthy of its confidence1 and will
 hail our success with true joy4 ,i look
 upon this settlement of our            
difficulties as the work of ,divine     
,providence1 and my prayer is that it   
may make me humble1 modest1 and renew my
 desire to consecrate myself wholly to  
,god's designs4  ,he writes to the      
,fathers1 ,march #bg3 ,the seven months 
passed here in ,rome seem to me an age2 
and have taxed me to that extent that ,i

 look forward to home as a place of rest
 and repose4 ,when ,i think of the      
fears1 anxieties1 and labors undergone  
,i say to myself--enough for this time4 
,on the other hand1 when ,i remember the
 warm and disinterested friends ,god has
 given us on account of these           
difficulties1 and the happy issue to    
which ,his providence has conducted     
them1 my heart is full of gratitude and 
joy4 ,to me the future looks bright1    
hopeful1 full of promise1 and ,i feel   
confident in ,god's providence1 and     
assured of ,his grace in our regard4 ,i 
feel like raising up the cross as our   
standard and adopting one word as our   
motto--,,conquer6  ,i have just received
 the documents for you to give the      
,papal benediction at the missions1 and 
will send them4 ,a letter reached here  
this week from the ,bishop of           
,burlington1 ,vt41 and it is strongly in
 our favor2 it concludes by saying that 
all that we required to make us a       
religious ,congregation was the special 

blessing of the ,holy ,father4  ,again1 
on ,april #c3 ,monsignor ,bedini asked  
of the ,pope the special benediction    
that ,bishop ,de ,goesbriand suggested1 
and he replied3 ',did ,i not give it to 
,pere ,hecker1 and through him to his   
brethren1 when he was here8' ',but1'    
answered ,monsignor ,bedini1 'give them 
this benediction this time on the       
request of the bishop4' ,and he         
answered3 ',it is well2 ,i do4' ,so     
there is a special blessing from the    
,holy ,father in view of our forming a  
religious body4 ,indeed1 that is so well
 understood here that several have      
inquired what name we intend to adopt1  
etc4 ,of course to all such questions my
 answer is3 ',i can say nothing2 the    
future is in ,god's hands1 and we intend
 to follow ,his providence4' 4 4 4      
,good ,cardinal ,barnabo looks upon us  
with a paternal regard1 and when ,i     
expressed in your name how warmly we    
returned his affection1 and what a deep 
gratitude we owed him1 he was deeply    

moved1 and replied that he did not      
deserve such sentiments1 and that he had
 only done justice4 ,since the          
settlement of our affairs ,i have let no
 occasion pass to express our gratitude 
to those who have befriended us2 and as 
for ,cardinal ,barnabo1 ,monsignor      
,bedini1 ,bishop ,connolly1 and ,doctor 
,bernard ,smith1 ,benedictine monk1 they
 should be put at the head of the list  
of our spiritual benefactors and        
remembered in all our prayers4 ,now that
 we are a body1 ,i would advise this to 
be done at once4 ,the ,holy ,father     
stands ,no4 #a2 that is understood4     
,how much ,i have to relate to you on my
 return6 ,many things ,i did not venture
 to write down on paper1 and many ,i can
 communicate to no one else but you4    
,how great is my desire to see you6--it 
seems that ,i have no other4  ,i have   
taken passage for ,marseilles on        
,tuesday after ,easter1 the #fth of     
,april1 and intend to take passage on   
the ,vanderbilt1 which leaves ,havre on 

the #bhth4 4 4 4 ,i saw the ,general on 
,tuesday of this week1 to take leave of 
him4 ,after some conversation we left in
 good feeling1 promising to pray pro    
invicem4 ,god bless him6  ,before       
leaving ,paris ,father ,hecker received 
extremely affectionate letters of       
congratulation from his old friends1    
,fathers de ,held and de ,buggenoms4    
,the following is the decree of the     
,congregation of ,bishops and ,regulars3
  ,certain priests of the ,congregation 
of the ,most ,holy ,redeemer in the     
,united ,states of ,north ,america      
recently presented their most humble    
petition to our ,most ,holy ,lord ,pope 
,pius ,,ix41 that in view of certain    
special reasons he would grant that they
 might be withdrawn from the authority  
and jurisdiction of the ,rector ,major  
and be governed by a superior of their  
own1 immediately subject to the         
,apostolic ,see1 and according to the   
,redemptorist ,rule approved by         
,benedict ,,xiv41 of holy memory4 ,if1  

however1 this should not be granted to  
them1 they most humbly asked for        
dispensation from their vows in the said
 ,congregation4 ,after having carefully 
considered the matter1 it appeared to   
his ,holiness that a separation of this 
kind would be prejudicial to the unity  
of the ,congregation and by no means    
accord with the ,institute of ,st4      
,alphonsus1 and therefore should not be 
permitted4 ,since1 however1 it was      
represented to his ,holiness that the   
petitioners spare no labor in the       
prosecution of the holy missions1 in the
 conversion of souls1 and in the        
dissemination of ,christian doctrine1   
and are for this reason commended by    
many bishops1 it seemed more expedient  
to his ,holiness to withdraw them from  
the said ,congregation1 that they might 
apply themselves to the prosecution of  
the works of the sacred ministry under  
the direction of the local bishops4     
,wherefore his ,holiness by the tenor of
 this decree1 and by his ,apostolic     

authority1 does dispense from their     
simple vows and from that of permanence 
in the ,congregation the said priests1  
viz43 ,clarence ,walworth1 ,augustine   
,hewit1 ,george ,deshon1 and ,francis   
,baker1 together with the priest ,isaac 
,hecker1 who has joined himself to their
 petition in respect to dispensation    
from the vows1 and declares them to be  
dispensed and entirely released1 so that
 they no longer belong to the said      
,congregation4 ,and his ,holiness       
confidently trusts that under the       
direction and jurisdiction of the local 
bishops1 according to the prescription  
of the sacred ,canons1 the              
above-mentioned priests will labor by   
work1 example1 and word in the vineyard 
of the ,lord1 and give themselves with  
alacrity to the eternal salvation of    
souls1 and promote with all their power 
the sanctification of their neighbor4   
,given at ,rome1 in the office of the   
,sacred ,congregation of ,bishops and   
,regulars1 the #fth day of ,march1      

#aheh4  ,l4 ,s4 ,g4 ,,cardinal ,,della  
,,genga1 ,prefect4  ,a41 ,,archbishop   
,,of ,,philippi1 ,secretary499  99      
,nuper nonnulli ex ,presbyteris         
,congregationis ,s,smi ,redemptoris in  
provinciis ,americae ,septentrionalis   
foederatis existentibus ,s,smum ,d4 ,n4 
,pium ,,pp4 ,,ix41 supplici prece       
deprecabantur1 ut eis ob speciales      
circumstantias concederet ab auctoritate
 et jurisdictione ,rectoris ,majoris    
subtrahi1 ac a proprio ,superiore       
,apostolicae ,sedi immediate subjecto   
juxta regulam a ,benedicto ,,xiv41      
sanctae memoriae1 approbatam gubernari4 
,quod ad id eis datum non esset1        
dispensationem a votis in dicta         
,congregatione emissis1 humillime       
expostulabant4 ,re sedulo perpensa1     
,sanctitas ,sua existimavit hujusmodi   
separationem unitati ,congregationis    
officere1 et ,s4 ,alphonsi instituto    
minime respondere ideoque haud          
permittendum esse4 ,cum autem relatum   
sit oratores nulli labore parcere in    

sacris expeditionibus peragendis1 et in 
proximorum conversione1 ,christianaque  
institutione curanda1 et idcirco a      
pluribus ,antistibus commendentur1 visum
 est ,s,smo ,domino magis expedire eos a
 praefata ,congregatione eximi1 ut in   
sacri ministerii opera promovenda sub   
directione ,antistitum locorum incumbere
 possint4 ,quapropter ,sanctitas ,sua   
presbyteros ,clarentium ,walworth1      
,augustinum ,hewit1 ,georgium ,deshon1  
et ,franciscum ,baker1 una cum          
presbytero ,isaac ,hecker1 qui eorumdem 
postulationibus quoad dispensationem a  
votis adhaesit1 a votis simplicibus1    
etiam permanentiae in ,congregatione    
,s,smi ,redemptoris emissis1 hujus      
,decreti tenore1 ,apostolica auctoritate
 dispensat1 et dispensatos1 ac prorsus  
solutos esse declarat1 ita ut ad eamdem 
,congregationem amplius non pertineant4 
,confidit vero ,sanctitas ,sua memoratos
 ,presbyteros1 qua opere1 qua exemplo1  
qua sermone1 in vinea ,domini sub       
directione et jurisdictione ,antistitum 

locorum1 ad praescriptum ,,ss4 ,canonum 
adlaboraturos1 ut aeternam animarum     
salutem alacriter curent1 atque         
proximorum sanctificationem pro viribus 
promoveant4  ,datum ,romae1 ex          
,secretaria ,sacrae ,congregationis     
,episcoporum et ,regularium1 ,die #f    
,martii1 #aheh4  ,l4  ,s4 ,g4 ,,cardinal
 ,,della ,,genga1 ,praef4  ,a41         
,,archiepiscopus ,,philippen1 ,sec4     
,,note4--,i wish to add to this1 that   
the relations between the ,redemptorists
 and ,paulists are1 and ,i trust will   
continue to be1 most amicable4  ,,aug4  
,f4 ,,hewit1 ,c4,s4,p41 ,superior4      
,,chapter ,,xxv  ,,beginnings ,,of ,,the
 ,,paulist ,,community  ,,during the    
seven months of ,father ,hecker's stay  
in ,rome the band of ,american          
missionaries were busily occupied4      
,missions were given in the following   
order3 ,newark1 ,n4,j42 ,poughkeepsie1  
,cold ,spring on the ,hudson1 and       
,utica1 ,n4,y42 ,brandywine1 ,del42     
,trenton1 ,n4,j42 ,burlington1 ,brandon1

 ,east and ,west ,rutland1 ,vt41 and    
,plattsburgh1 ,saratoga1 and ,little    
,falls1 ,n4,y4 ,all these labors were   
undertaken subject to the authority of  
the ,redemptorist ,provincial and in a  
spirit of entire obedience4 ,the mission
 at ,little ,falls closed on ,palm      
,sunday1 ,march #bh1 and the            
missionaries1 with the exception of     
,father ,baker1 who was sent to         
,annapolis1 ,md41 returned to the       
,redemptorist house in ,third ,street1  
,new ,york4 ,on the ,tuesday after      
,easter1 ,april #f1 #aheh1 the official 
copy of the ,pope's decision reached    
them1 and they bade farewell to their   
,redemptorist brethren and to the       
community in which they had spent so    
many happy years1 and witnessed1 as     
,father ,hewit has written1 so many     
edifying examples of high virtue and    
devoted zeal1 to enter upon a new and   
untried undertaking4  ,archbishop       
,kenrick1 as soon as he heard of this1  
made a determined effort to secure      

,father ,baker for the diocese of       
,baltimore1 but the latter never for a  
moment faltered in his purpose to cast  
his lot with his brethren1 and the      
archbishop gave up his claim upon him at
 the request of ,cardinal ,barnabo4     
,their engagements called for two more  
missions before the season ended--one at
 ,watertown1 ,n4,y41 and the other at   
,st4 ,bridget's ,church1 ,new ,york     
,city4 ,the first of these opened on the
 #ahth of ,april1 and while waiting for 
that date the ,fathers lived with ,mr4  
,george ,hecker in ,rutger's ,place1    
saying ,mass in his private chapel and  
following their religious rule as far as
 circumstances allowed1 continuing      
meantime to obey ,father ,walworth1     
their former superior of the missions4  
,they journeyed to ,watertown1 fearful  
lest the faculties for giving the ,papal
 blessing and the mission indulgences   
should not arrive there in time4 ,but   
late on ,saturday night1 ,april #ai1    
they were received1 much to the joy of  

the ,fathers4  ,here occurred a         
noteworthy coincidence4 ,watertown was  
at that time in the diocese of ,albany1 
of which ,bishop ,mc,closkey was then   
the ordinary4 ,he had received ,father  
,hecker into the ,church and had been   
his first guide in the spiritual life1  
and now he was the first to publicly    
welcome his brethren at the beginning of
 their new career4 ,the following is    
from a letter of his to ,father         
,walworth in answer to one announcing   
the recent changes3  ,i am happy to hear
 that your difficulties have at length  
received their solution1 and in a       
manner1 ,i presume1 as satisfactory as  
you could well expect4 ,the future must 
now in great measure depend upon        
yourselves4 ,you will1 of course1 have  
difficulties to surmount and prejudices 
to encounter1 but ,i trust that with    
,god's blessing your new community when 
once organized will continue from day to
 day to gain increased stability and    
strength1 and be enabled to carry out   

successfully all its laudable aims for  
the good of our holy religion4 ,the     
faculties already given you in this     
diocese you will not consider as being  
withdrawn by the act of your separation 
from the ,redemptorist order1 and there 
is nothing that ,i know of to interfere 
with your proposed mission in           
,watertown4  ,during the mission at ,st4
 ,bridget's--that is1 in the first half 
of the month of ,may--,father ,hecker   
arrived in ,new ,york and measures were 
at once taken for the practical         
organization of the new community4      
,nothing was done hurriedly2 a fair and 
full consideration of all questions from
 every point of view1 which lasted until
 early in the month of ,july1 enabled   
each one clearly to understand his new  
relation in its every aspect4 ,father   
,walworth not being entirely in         
agreement with the others1 withdrew to  
the diocese of ,albany and took charge  
of a parish2 he returned again in #ahfa1
 remaining with the community till      

#ahfe1 when his health becoming quite   
shattered1 he reluctantly decided to    
withdraw altogether4 ,it need hardly be 
said that the relations between him and 
the community have always been most     
cordial4 ,meantime the others1 ,fathers 
,hecker1 ,hewit1 ,deshon1 and ,baker1   
organized by electing the first-named   
the ,superior1 and drew up and signed   
what was termed a ,programme of ,rule4  
,this was submitted to ,archbishop      
,hughes and by him approved and signed  
on ,july #g1 #aheh4 ,the ,apostle of the
 ,gentiles was chosen as patron1 and the
 name selected was1 ,the ,missionary    
,priests of ,st4 ,paul the ,apostle1    
which has been popularized into         
,paulists4 ,the habit agreed upon was in
 form somewhat like that of the students
 of the ,propaganda in ,rome1 black     
throughout1 with a narrow linen collar  
and buttoned across the breast1 being   
held at the waist by a cincture4  ,the  
,programme of ,rule adopts an order of  
spiritual exercises similar to that     

observed by the ,fathers while          
,redemptorists4 ,a perpetual voluntary  
agreement takes the place of the vows as
 the security of stability1 the members 
affirming that they are fully determined
 to promote their sanctification by     
leading a life in all essential respects
 similar to that led in the religious   
orders4 ,besides the chastity imposed   
upon them by the priesthood the other   
evangelical counsels of obedience and   
poverty are adopted and their observance
 enjoined upon the members1 together    
with the daily and periodical exercises 
of community life4 ,as to the external  
vocation1 the missions are named as the 
basis of general apostolic labors1 and  
parish work also1 though in a           
subordinate degree4 ,the entire document
 looks forward to a complete ,rule to be
 drawn up and submitted to the ,holy    
,see at a future day1 for which it      
actually furnished the outlines some    
twenty years afterwards4 ,the approval  
of the ,programme of a ,rule by the     

,archbishop of ,new ,york gave the      
,fathers the canonical status           
anticipated by the decree ,nuper        
nonnulli4 ,this was confirmed by an     
official permission of the ,holy ,see to
 the ,archbishop of ,new ,york to       
establish the ,paulist ,institute in his
 diocese1 with the consent of his       
suffragans1 which was asked for and     
obtained4  ,a little more than a        
fortnight after these events ,father    
,hecker wrote as follows to a friend3   
,before leaving ,rome our ,holy ,father 
,pius ,,ix4 gave us his special blessing
 for the commencement of our new        
organization1 promised us any privileges
 we might need to carry on our          
missionary labors1 and held out the hope
 of his sanction1 in proper time1 of the
 rules which we might make4 ,in my last 
visit to his ,eminence ,cardinal        
,barnabo he gave me advice how to       
organize1 what steps were to be taken   
from time to time1 and expressed a most 
lively interest in our undertaking4 ,the

 same did ,monsignor ,bedini4 ,on my    
return we organized as advised1 wrote   
out an outline of our new institution   
and submitted it to the ordinary of this
 diocese1 the initiatory step of all    
such undertakings4 ,he gave it his      
cordial approbation1 and said that he   
found no word to alter1 to add1 or      
improve4 ,thus we are so far regularly  
canonically instituted4  ,our aim is to 
lead a strict religious life in         
community1 starting with the voluntary  
principle2 leaving the question of vows 
to further experience1 counsel1 and     
indications of ,divine ,providence4 ,our
 principal work is the missions1 such as
 we have hitherto given1 but we are not 
excluded from other apostolic labors as 
the wants of the ,church may demand or  
develop4 4 4 4 ,we begin early this fall
 our campaign of missions1 and we never 
had before us so fine a list4 ,one thing
 ,i may say1 and ,i trust without       
boasting1 we are of one mind and heart1 
resolved to labor and die for ,jesus    

,christ1 for the good of ,his holy      
,church1 for the advancement of the     
,catholic faith4 ,we have the           
encouragement of a number of bishops1   
and also1 we trust1 the prayers1        
sympathy1 and assistance of the         
faithful4 ,we shall have to face        
obstacles1 opposition from friends and  
foes2 but if we are the right kind of   
men and have the virtues which such a   
position as ours demands1 our trials    
will only strengthen us and make us the 
better ,christians4 ,every good work    
must expect opposition from pious men1  
and our minds are made up to that4      
,after ,st4 ,bridget's mission the      
little community found itself homeless1 
and it remained so till the spring of   
the year #ahei4 ,but during part of this
 period ,mr4 ,george ,hecker1 taking his
 family to the country1 gave up his     
whole house to the ,fathers1 servants   
and all1 making provision for the supply
 of every want in the most generous     
manner4 ,for the greater portion of the 

time1 however1 especially between       
missions in the winter and spring of    
#aheh-i1 the ,fathers depended for      
temporary shelter upon the hospitality  
of friends among the clergy and laity1  
even lodging for a short while in a     
respectable boarding-house in           
,thirteenth street1 at a convenient     
distance from several churches and      
chapels where ,mass could be said daily4
  ,but in the spring of #aheh           
arrangements had been made with         
,archbishop ,hughes for establishing a  
house and parish in ,new ,york4 ,the    
present site of ,st4 ,paul's ,church and
 convent1 then in the midst of a        
suburban wilderness1 was chosen1 and1 by
 dint of hasty collections from private 
friends and with the help of a very     
large gift from ,mr4 ,george ,hecker1   
money enough was paid down to obtain the
 deeds4 ,sixtieth ,street was not quite 
opened at the time1 and this part of    
,ninth ,avenue existed only on paper2   
but by energetic efforts made by all the

 ,fathers and their friends1 and by     
personal appeals in every direction1    
especially in the down-town parishes in 
which they had given missions1          
sufficient funds were raised to clear   
the ground and lay the foundations of a 
building which was to include both      
convent and church4 ,early in the summer
 of #aheh circulars asking assistance   
had been sent out to the clergy of the  
,united ,states1 and by this means also 
a considerable amount was secured1 the  
very first answer with a handsome       
donation coming from ,father ,early1    
,president of ,georgetown ,college4 ,in 
the spring of #ahei the ,fathers rented 
a frame house on ,sixtieth ,street1 just
 west of ,broadway1 fitted up a little  
chapel in it1 and lived there in        
community till the new house was        
finished4  ,the corner-stone of the new 
structure was laid by ,archbishop       
,hughes on ,trinity ,sunday1 ,june #ai1 
#ahei1 in the presence of an immense    
concourse of people4 ,during that summer

 and fall every effort was made to keep 
the builders at work4 ,the task was no  
easy one4 ,the times were hard1 the     
country still suffering from the effects
 of the financial crisis of #aheg1 the  
financial depression being aggravated by
 the ominous outlook in the political   
world4 ,but the house was finally       
completed1 and was blessed by ,father   
,hecker on the #bdth of ,november1 the  
feast of ,st4 ,john of the ,cross1 one  
of his very special patrons4 ,this was  
within a few weeks of his fortieth      
birthday4 ,on the #bgth of the same     
month1 the first ,sunday of ,advent1 the
 chapel was blessed and ,solemn ,mass   
was celebrated in it4 ,thereafter the   
,fathers had to act as parish priests as
 well as missionaries4 ,a few weeks     
before this the first recruit joined the
 little band in the person of ,father   
,robert ,beverly ,tillotson1 a convert1 
who1 though an ,american1 had been for  
some time a member of ,dr4 ,newman's    
,oratory4 ,he was a charming preacher   

and a noble character1 much beloved by  
all the fathers1 and especially by      
,father ,hecker4 ,he died1 deeply       
mourned1 in the summer of #ahfh1 having 
given the community nine years of most  
valuable service4 ,he came just in time 
to set free three of the ,fathers for   
missionary duty1 the other two remaining
 in care of the parish4 ,this was at    
first small enough in numbers1 though in
 territory it reached from ,fifty-second
 ,street to very near ,manhattanville4  
,the accession of ,father ,alfred       
,young1 of the diocese of ,newark1 and  
the return of ,father ,walworth         
considerably relieved the pressure1     
though the rapid growth of the parish   
and the widening scope of the           
community's labors kept every one busy  
enough4  ,the newly-founded ,paulist    
community was heartily welcomed by both 
clergy and people4 ,missions were given 
in various parts of the country1        
applications being often declined for   
want of time and missionaries4 ,several 

prelates1 among whom were the           
,archbishops of ,baltimore and          
,cincinnati1 wrote to ,father ,hecker   
offering to establish the community in  
their dioceses2 ,bishop ,bayley1 of     
,newark1 also wished to secure the      
,fathers1 and he was especially urgent  
in his request4 ,one has but to know the
 intensely conservative spirit of the   
,catholic hierarchy and clergy to       
appreciate how stainless must have been 
the record of the ,fathers to elicit    
such testimonials of good-will just     
after they had fought a hard battle on  
the ground of authority and obedience4  
,as to the ,catholic laity1 the         
following extract from a letter of the  
poet ,george ,h4 ,miles1 whose early    
death some years after was so deeply    
lamented1 shows how they regarded the   
new community4 ,it was written from     
,baltimore under date of ,august #ac1   
#aheh3  ,,my ,,very ,,dear ,,father     
,,hecker3 4 4 4 ,since we last parted   
you have been to me one of those grand1 

good memories we take to heart and      
cherish4 ,i have loved you better than  
you could believe1 for ,i felt that in  
the extremity of sorrow or temptation   
you were the man and the priest ,i would
 have recourse to1 could my own wish be 
granted4 ,you are not wrong in          
considering me a friend2 that is1 if    
much love may atone for little power to 
befriend4 4 4 4 ,providentially1 it now 
appears1 you men have always had an     
individual force that detached you      
completely from your confreres4 ,to me  
and to the multitudes you were never    
,redemptorists1 never ,liguorians1 but  
,hecker1 ,walworth1 ,hewit1 ,deshon1    
,baker4 ,i mean to utter nothing        
disrespectful to the society which has  
blessed this nation in training and     
developing you and your new body of     
preachers1 but ,i maintain that you     
stood so completely apart from that     
society1 so absolutely individualized1  
that1 etc4  ,the three years following  
,father ,hecker's return from ,rome were

 exceedingly active ones4 ,the missions 
were maintained1 money collected for the
 purchase of the property and the       
building of the convent at the corner of
 ,fifty-ninth ,street and ,ninth        
,avenue1 and1 after the opening of the  
new church in ,november1 #ahei1 the     
regular duties of a city parish were    
added4  ,i am hard at work1 writes      
,father ,hecker to a friend1 in the very
 midst of these labors1 in soliciting   
subscriptions for our convent and       
temporary church4 ,i have worked hard in
 my life1 but this is about the hardest4
 ,however1 it goes4 ,i had1 a couple of 
weeks ago1 a donation of #bjj from a    
,protestant4 ,yesterday a subscription  
of #ij from another4 ,sursum ,corda and 
go ahead1 is my cry6 ,and1 indeed1 he   
was full of courage and conscience in   
the future1 all his letters breathing a 
cheerful spirit4  ,before giving ,father
 ,hecker's principles for community     
life1 which we will do in the next      
chapter1 it may be well to say a few    

words more about the attitude in which  
he and his companions had been placed1  
by the action of the ,holy ,see1 toward 
the ,catholic idea of authority4  ,just 
as he was about to sail for ,america he 
wrote to his brother ,george3 ,i return 
from ,rome with my enthusiasm unchilled 
and my resolution to labor for the      
conversion of our people intensified and
 strengthened4 ,i feel that the         
knowledge and experience which ,i have  
acquired are most necessary for the     
,american ,fathers in their present     
delicate position4 ,and in truth his    
stay in ,rome had prepared him for the  
new responsibilities in store for him4  
,his sufferings there had purified his  
motives1 his humiliations and his       
anguish had taught him the need of      
reliance1 total and loving1 on ,divine  
,providence4 ,he had studied authority  
in its chief seat1 and he had done so   
with the depth of impression which a man
 on trial for his life experiences of   
the power of the advocates and the      

dignity of the judges4 ,the result of   
that trial was of infinite benefit4 ,the
 test of genuine liberty is its         
consonance with lawful authority1 and in
 ,father ,hecker's case the newest      
liberty had been roughly arraigned      
before the most venerable authority     
known among men1 tried by fire1 and sent
 forth with ,rome's broad seal of       
approval4  ,without doubt the chief     
endeavor of authority should be to win  
the allegiance of free and aspiring     
spirits2 but1 on the other hand1 no one 
should be so firmly convinced of the    
rights of the external order of ,god as 
the man who is called to minister to the
 aspirations of human liberty4  ,no man 
ought to be so vividly conscious of the 
prerogatives of authority as he who lays
 claim to a vocation to extol the worth 
of liberty4 ,it was1 therefore1 fitting 
that ,father ,hecker should learn his   
lesson of the prerogatives of the       
visible ,church from that teacher who   
has no master among men4 ,at the same   

time ,rome sent forth in the person of  
,father ,hecker a living and powerful   
argument addressed to this ,republic1   
that the ,catholic ,church is worthy of 
the heartiest allegiance of our         
citizens4  ,this providential aspect of 
the case should not be forgotten4 ,when 
,father ,hecker had been expelled from  
the ,redemptorists it might have been   
thought that he was done for1 and that  
if he had ever had a mission it had     
suffered total shipwreck1 whether       
deserved or not4 ,but in reality the    
very reverse was the truth4 ,the        
disgrace of expulsion1 the sudden horror
 of being thus cast out1 a calamity     
which set him forth to all ,catholics as
 a ruined priest1 had but served to     
bring him into the notice of the supreme
 authority of the ,church4 ,and when in 
this ,god had wrought all ,his work ,his
 servant was purified within and        
mightily strengthened without4 ,in his  
inmost soul he was conscious of his     
divine mission with a deeper certitude  

than ever before2 and as he began his   
apostolate he bore on his arm the       
buckler of ,rome1 against which all the 
darts of enemies1 if any should arise1  
would strike harmless and fall to the   
ground4  ,it was fitting that the       
,paulist community1 appealing to the men
 and women of to-day with the           
credentials as well of their own        
individual independence as of the good  
will of the ,pope and the ,bishops1     
should be launched into existence from  
the very deck of ,peter's bark1 and     
furnished with all the testimonials of  
ecclesiastical authority short of       
canonical sanction4 ,this was the more  
proper because1 in a few years after the
 beginning of the community1 ,european  
revolutionists were to be scourged with 
the ,syllabus1 whose every word agonized
 the souls of unworthy advocates of     
liberty4 ,that ,pontifical document has 
created a literature of its own in      
comment and explanation1 some tying more
 knots in every lash and others         

mitigating its severity or palliating   
the errors it smote with such pitiless  
rigor4 ,but the best interpretation of  
the ,syllabus is the ,paulist community4
 ,it is a body of free men whose origin 
was the joint result of the personal    
workings of the ,holy ,spirit in the    
soul of a man who loved civil and       
political freedom with a mighty love1   
and the decision of the highest court of
 ,catholicity declaring him worthy of   
trust as an exponent of the ,christian  
faith4 ,if the ,syllabus shows what the 
,church thinks of those who in the guise
 of freemen are conspirators against    
religion and public order1 the approval 
of the ,paulist community shows the     
,church's attitude towards men worthy to
 be free4  ,nor was ,rome's course      
chosen without weighing the             
consequences1 without a full estimate of
 the public significance of the act4    
,father ,hecker's adversaries fixed upon
 him every stigma of radicalism and     
rebellion possible in a good but deluded

 priest4 ,for seven long months they    
poured into ears which instinctively    
feared revolt in the name of liberty1   
every accusation his doings and sayings 
could be made to give color to1 in order
 to prove that he and the ,american     
,fathers were tainted with false        
liberalism4 ,and he seemed to lend      
himself to their purpose4 ,his guileless
 tongue spoke to the cardinals1         
prelates1 and professors of ,rome about 
nothing so much as freedom1 and its     
kinship with ,catholicity4 ,he seemed to
 have no refuge but the disclosure of   
the very secrets of his soul4 ,during   
those months of incessant accusation and
 defence ,father ,hecker talked ,rome's 
high dignitaries into full knowledge of 
himself1 until they saw the cause       
mirrored in the man and gave approval to
 both4 ,some1 like ,barnabo1 were       
actuated by the quick sympathy of free  
natures2 others1 like ,pius ,,ix41      
arrived at a decision by the slower     
processes of the removal of prejudice   

from an honest mind1 and the careful    
comparing of ,father ,hecker's          
principles with the fundamental truths  
of religion4       ,,chapter ,,xxvi     
,,father ,,hecker',s ,,idea ,,of ,a     
,,religious ,,community  ,,the          
beginnings of the ,paulist community    
having been sketched1 it is now in order
 to state the principles with which     
,father ,hecker1 guided no less by      
supernatural intuition than by          
enlightened reason1 intended it should  
be inspired2 and this shall be done as  
nearly as possible in his own words4    
,the following sentences1 found in one  
of his diaries and quoted some chapters 
back1 embody what may be deemed his     
ultimate principle3  ,it is for this we 
are created3 that we may give a new and 
individual expression of the absolute in
 our own peculiar character4 ,as soon as
 the new is but the re-expression of the
 old1 ,god ceases to live4 ,ever the    
mystery is revealed in each new birth2  
so must it be to eternity4 ,the         

,eternal-,absolute is ever creating new 
forms of expressing itself4  ,what the  
new order of things was to be in the    
spiritual life could be learned1 ,father
 ,hecker held1 by observing men's       
strivings after natural good4 ,the      
tendencies which shape men's efforts to 
secure happiness in this world1 in so   
far as they are innocent1 indicated to  
him what choice of means should be made 
to propagate the knowledge and love of  
,god4 ,according to this1 the most      
successful worker for a people's        
sanctification will be kindred to them  
by conviction and by sympathy in all    
that concerns their political and social
 life4 ,men's aspirations in the natural
 order point out the highway of ,god's  
representatives4 ,as these aspirations  
change from era to era1 so do the main  
lines of religious effort change1 the   
highways of one age becoming the byways 
of another4 ,it is true that no method  
for the elevation of human nature to    
divine union1 which the ,church has     

sanctioned1 ever becomes quite obsolete1
 but the merest glance at the           
differences between the spiritual       
characteristics of the martyrs1 the     
hermits1 the monks1 the friars1 shows   
that one form of the ,christian virtues 
succeeds another in general possession  
of men's souls4 ,the new spirit1 without
 crowding the old one off its beaten    
track1 follows men to the new ways      
whither the providence of ,god in the   
natural order has led them4 ,first the  
natural man1 says ,st4 ,paul1 and then  
the spiritual4 ,different types of      
spirituality are brought forward by     
,almighty ,god to sanctify men in new   
conditions of life4 ,among the foremost 
of these are religious communities of   
men and women4 ,hence their duty to     
adjust themselves1 as far as faith and  
discipline permit1 to the circumstances 
of the times4 ,the power of a religious 
community for good will be measured by  
its ability to elevate the natural to   
the supernatural without shocking it or 

thwarting it4  ,now1 every one knows    
that this age differs materially from   
past ones4 ,it differs by a wider spread
 of education and an uncontrollable     
longing after liberty1 civil1 political1
 and personal4  ,father ,hecker was     
penetrated with the belief that the     
intelligence and liberty1 whose         
well-ordered enjoyment he had witnessed 
in ,america1 and which he loved so      
deeply himself1 were divine invitations 
to the apostolate of the ,holy ,spirit4 
,he was profoundly impressed with the   
certainty of the development1 the       
extension1 and the permanence of these  
political and social changes2 and he    
knew that they demanded of men a        
personal independence of character far  
in advance of previous generations4 ,and
 he knew1 also1 that for the            
sanctification of such men the aids of  
religion1 though not changed in         
themselves1 must be applied in a        
different spirit4 ,discipline and       
uniformity1 though never to be dispensed

 with1 must yield the first places to   
more interior virtues4 ,the dominant    
influence must be docility to the       
guidance of the ,holy ,spirit dwelling  
within every regenerate soul4 ,applying 
this1 towards the end of his life1 to   
religious communities1 ,father ,hecker  
wrote3 ,the controlling thought of my   
mind for many years has been that a body
 of free men who love ,god with all     
their might1 and yet know how to cling  
together1 could conquer this modern     
world of ours4 ,the sentence may be     
taken as a brief description of the     
,paulist community as he would have it4 
,and it is easily seen why free men     
loving ,god with all their hearts are   
suited to conquer this modern world2    
because men are determined to be free4  
,the following extracts from notes1     
letters1 and diaries more fully develop 
this idea3  ,a new religious order is an
 evidence and expression of an uncommon 
or special grace given to a certain     
number of souls1 so that they may be    

sanctified by the practice of particular
 virtues to meet the special needs of   
their epoch1 and in this way to renew   
the spiritual life of the members of the
 ,church and to extend her fold4 ,a new 
community is this1 or it has no reason  
for its existence4 ,the means to        
accomplish its special work are both new
 and old4 ,it should lay stress on the  
new1 and not despise but also make use  
of the old4 ',the wise householder      
bringeth forth from his treasury new    
things and old4'  ,the true ,paulist is 
a religious man entirely dependent on   
,god for his spiritual life2 he lives in
 community for the greater security of  
his own salvation and perfection1 and to
 meet more efficiently the pressing     
needs of the ,church and of humanity in 
his day4  ,the ,church always finds in  
her wonderful fecundity wherewith to    
supply the new wants which arise in     
every distinct epoch of society4  ,a new
 religious community1 unless its        
activity is directed chiefly to         

supplying the special needs of its time1
 wears itself out at the expense of its 
true mission and will decline and fail4 
,we must realize the necessity of more  
explicitly bringing out our ideal if we 
would give a sufficient motive for our  
students and members1 keep them in the  
community1 bring about unity of action1 
and accomplish the good which the ,holy 
,spirit demands at our hands4 ,a        
,paulist1 as a distinct species of a    
religious man1 is one who is alive to   
the pressing needs of the ,church at the
 present time1 and feels called to labor
 specially with the means fitted to     
supply them4 ,and what a member of      
another religious community might do    
from that divine guidance which is      
external1 the ,paulist does from the    
promptings of the indwelling ,holy      
,spirit4  ,a ,paulist is a ,christian   
man who aims at a ,christian perfection 
consistent with his natural             
characteristics and the type of         
civilization of his country4  ,so far as

 it is compatible with faith and piety1 
,i am for accepting the ,american       
civilization with its usages and        
customs2 leaving aside other reasons1 it
 is the only way by which ,catholicity  
can become the religion of our people4  
,the character and spirit of our people1
 and their institutions1 must find      
themselves at home in our ,church in the
 way those of other nations have done2  
and it is on this basis alone that the  
,catholic religion can make progress in 
our country4  ,what we need to-day is   
men whose spirit is that of the early   
martyrs4 ,we shall get them in          
proportion as ,catholics cultivate a    
spirit of independence and personal     
conviction4 ,the highest development of 
religion in the soul is when it is      
assisted by free contemplation of the   
ultimate causes of things4 ,intelligence
 and liberty are the human environments 
most favorable to the deepening of      
personal conviction of religious truth1 
and obedience to the interior movements 

of an enlightened conscience4 ,to a     
well-ordered mind the question of the   
hour is how the soul which aspires to   
the supernatural life shall utilize the 
advantages of liberty and intelligence4 
,the form of government of the ,united  
,states is preferable to ,catholics     
above other forms4 ,it is more favorable
 than others to the practice of those   
virtues which are the necessary         
conditions of the development of the    
religious life of man4 ,this government 
leaves men a larger margin for liberty  
of action1 and hence for co-operation   
with the guidance of the ,holy ,spirit1 
than any other government under the sun4
 ,with these popular institutions men   
enjoy greater liberty in working out    
their true destiny4 ,the ,catholic      
,church will1 therefore1 flourish all   
the more in this republican country in  
proportion as her representatives keep1 
in their civil life1 to the lines of    
their republicanism4  ,the two poles of 
the ,paulist character are3 first1      

personal perfection4 ,he must respond to
 the principles of perfection as laid   
down by spiritual writers4 ,the backbone
 of a religious community is the desire 
for personal perfection actuating its   
members4 ,the desire for personal       
perfection is the foundation stone of a 
religious community2 when this fails1 it
 crumbles to pieces2 when this ceases to
 be the dominant desire1 the community  
is tottering4 ,missionary works1        
parochial work1 etc41 are and must be   
made subordinate to personal perfection4
 ,these works must be done in view of   
personal perfection4 ,the main purpose  
of each ,paulist must be the attainment 
of personal perfection by the practice  
of those virtues without which it cannot
 be secured--mortification1 self-denial1
 detachment1 and the like4 ,by the use  
of these means the grace of ,god makes  
the soul perfect4 ,the perfect soul is  
one which is guided instinctively by the
 indwelling ,holy ,spirit4 ,to attain to
 this is the end always to be aimed at  

in the practice of the virtues just     
named4 ,second1 zeal for souls2 to labor
 for the conversion of the country to   
the ,catholic faith by apostolic work4  
,parish work is a part1 an integral     
part1 of ,paulist work1 but not its     
principal or chief work--and parish work
 should be done so as to form a part of 
the main aim1 the conversion of the     
non-,catholic people of the country4 ,in
 this manner we can labor to raise the  
standard of ,catholic life here and     
throughout the world as a means of the  
general triumph of the ,catholic faith4 
,i do not think that the principal      
characteristic of our ,fathers and of   
our life should be poverty or obedience 
or any other special and secondary      
virtue1 or even a cardinal virtue1 but  
zeal for apostolic works4 ,our vocation 
is apostolic--conversion of souls to the
 faith1 of sinners to repentance1 giving
 missions1 defence of the ,christian    
religion by conferences1 lectures1      
sermons1 the pen1 the press1 and the    

like works2 and in the interior1 to     
propagate among men a higher and more   
spiritual life4 ,to supply the special  
element the age and each country        
demands1 this is the peculiar work of   
religious communities3 this their field4
 ,it is a fatal mistake when religious  
attempt to do the ordinary work of the  
,church4 ,let religious practise prayer 
and study2 there will always be enough  
of the work to which they are called4   
,are the ,paulists ,religious8 ,yes1 and
 no4 ,yes1 of their age4 ,no1 of the    
past2 the words in neither case being   
taken in an exclusive meaning4  ,as     
regards the growth of the ,paulist1 he  
must develop in an apostolic            
vocation--that is1 in apostolic works1  
,catholic1 universal2 not in works which
 confine his life's energies to a       
locality4 ,he must do the work of the   
,church4 ,the work of the ,church1 as   
,church1 is to render her note of       
universality more and more conspicuous  
to render it sensible1 palpable4 ,this  

is the spirit of the ,church in our     
country4  ,the following refers to the  
second trait of the character above     
given3 ,a ,paulist is to emphasize      
individuality2 that is1 to make         
individual liberty an essential element 
in every judgment that touches the life 
and welfare of the community and that of
 its members4 ,those who emphasize the  
community element are inclined to look  
upon this as a dangerous and            
impracticable experiment4               
,individuality is an integral and       
conspicuous element in the life of the  
,paulist4 ,this must be felt4 ,one of   
the natural signs of the true ,paulist  
is that he would prefer to suffer from  
the excesses of liberty rather than from
 the arbitrary actions of tyranny4  ,the
 individuality of a man cannot be too   
strong or his liberty too great when he 
is guided by the ,spirit of ,god4 ,but  
when one is easily influenced from below
 rather than from above1 it is an       
evidence of the spirit of pride and that

 of the flesh1 and not 'the liberty of  
the glory of the children of ,god4'     
,what follows touches the relation      
between the personal and common life3   
,many other communities lay the main    
stress on community life as the chief   
element1 giving it control as far as is 
consistent with fundamental individual  
right2 the ,paulists1 on the contrary1  
give the element of individuality the   
first place and put it in control as far
 as is consistent with the common life4 
,the spirit of the age has a tendency to
 run into extreme individuality1 into   
eccentricity1 license1 revolution4 ,but 
the typical life shows how individuality
 is consistent with community life4     
,this is the aim of the ,united ,states 
in the political order1 an aim and      
tendency which we have to guide1 and not
 to check or sacrifice4  ,the element of
 individuality is taken into account in 
the ,paulist essentially1 integrally1   
practically4 ,but when it comes into    
conflict with the common right1 the     

individual must yield to the community3 
the common life outranks the individual 
life in case of conflict4 ,but the      
individual life should be regarded as   
sacred and never be effaced4 ,how this  
is to operate in particular cases       
belongs1 where it is not a matter of    
rule1 to the virtue of prudence to      
decide4  ,when the personality of the   
individual comes into conflict with the 
life of the community1 the personal side
 must not be sacrificed1 but made to    
yield to the common4 ,in case of        
conflict1 as before said1 common life   
and interests outrank personal life and 
interests4 ,it may be asked how1 in the 
ordinary regulation and government of a 
community of this kind1 the individual  
and common elements are to be made to   
harmonize8 ,the answer is1 that the one 
at the head of affairs must be a true   
,paulist that is to say1 keenly         
sensitive of personal rights as well as 
appreciative of such as are common3     
where the question is not a point of    

rule1 its decision is dependent on the  
practical sagacity and prudence of the  
superior more than on any minute        
regulations which can be given4 ,he who 
interprets the acts of legitimate       
authority as an attack on his personal  
liberty1 is as far out of the way as he 
who looks upon the exercise of reason as
 an attack on authority4  ,how about    
persons of dull minds or of little      
spiritual ambition coming into the use  
of this freedom8 ,first1 no such person 
should be allowed to enter into the     
community3 such persons should be       
excluded4 ,second1 a full-fledged       
,paulist should have passed a long      
enough novitiate to have acquired the   
special virtues which are necessary for 
his vocation4 ,absence of supernatural  
light is the cause why a man is not fit 
to be a ,paulist1 for he cannot         
understand rightly or appreciate the    
value of the liberties he enjoys4 ,he   
either is or he becomes a turbulent     
element in the community4  ,a ,paulist1 

seeing that he has so much              
individuality1 should have a strong1    
nay1 a very strong attrait for community
 life2 he should be fond of the         
,fathers' company1 prefer them and their
 society when seeking proper recreation1
 feel the house to be his home and the  
community and its surroundings very dear
 to him2 in the routine of the day all  
the community exercises and labors are1 
in his judgment1 of paramount obligation
 and importance4  ,the civil and        
political state of things of our age1   
particularly in the ,united ,states1    
fosters the individual life4 ,but it    
should do so without weakening the      
community life3 this is true            
individualism4 ,the problem is to make  
the synthesis4 ,the joint product is the
 ,paulist4  ,a ,paulist should cultivate
 personal freedom without detriment to  
the community spirit2 and1 vice versa1  
the community spirit should not be      
allowed to be detrimental to personal   
freedom4 ,but when the individual life  

runs into eccentricity1 license1 and    
revolution1 that is a violation and     
sacrifice of the community life4  ,the  
duty of the ,paulist ,superior is to    
elicit the spontaneous zeal of the      
,fathers and to further it with his     
authority4 ,for lack of one's own       
initiative that of another may be used1 
and herein the ,superior offers a       
constant help4 ,but the centre of action
 is individual1 is in the soul moved by 
the ,holy ,ghost2 not in the ,superior  
of the community or in the authorities  
of the ,church4 ,and if he be moved by  
the ,holy ,spirit1 he will be most      
obedient to his superior2 and he will   
not only be submissive to the authority 
of the ,church1 but careful to follow   
out her spirit4  ,in explaining the     
routine of daily life ,father ,hecker   
said3 ,the member of a community who    
does not make the common exercises of   
religion his first care is derelict of  
his duty4 ,a common exercise should be  
preferred to all other devotional       

practices or occupations whatever2 as   
far as possible all other exercises     
ought to be made subordinate to common  
ones1 which should never be omitted     
without permission of the superior4     
,father ,hecker was once asked3 ,which  
would you prefer3 to have a rule and    
manner of life adapted to a large number
 of men1 embracing many of a uniform    
type1 men good enough for average work1 
intended to include and seeking to      
retain persons of mediocre spirit1 and  
having a dim understanding of our       
peculiar institute8 or would you prefer 
the rule to be made only for a select   
body1 composed of such men as ----and   
----1 and the like8' ,answer3 ,i should 
prefer the rule to be made for the      
smaller and more select body of men4    
,religious vocations are not common1 but
 special4 ,it is a fatal mistake for    
religious to take the place of secular  
priests4  ,no one can be misled by what 
he has read in the foregoing pages into 
the notion that ,father ,hecker had any 

other aim than the entire consecration  
of liberty and intelligence to the      
influence of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,to know
 ,father ,hecker well was to be more    
deeply impressed with his longing for   
the reign of the ,spirit of ,god in     
men's souls than even with his love of  
human liberty4 ,in his esteem the worth 
of the latter was altogether in         
proportion to its aptitude for the      
former4 ,his love of liberty was that of
 a means to an end--the perfect oblation
 of the inner man to ,god4 ,he aimed at 
individuality because of his belief in  
the action of the ,holy ,ghost in the   
individual soul4 ,such action1 he was   
quick to maintain1 is given to every    
,christian1 but it is to be looked for  
in a high degree in those who are called
 by a special vocation to assist        
independent characters to find the      
spirit of ,god within them2 or1 if      
already known1 to obey ,his direction   
implicitly4 ,paulists after ,father     
,hecker's heart would be men whom       

experience and study had rendered fit   
instruments for disseminating the       
knowledge of the ways of ,god the ,holy 
,ghost in men's hearts2 for instructing 
the faithful how to distinguish the     
voice of ,god in the soul from the      
vagaries of the imagination or the      
emotions of passion1 and able to        
stimulate a ready and generous response 
to every call of ,god from within4  ,it 
is because of this indwelling of the    
,holy ,spirit in every regenerate soul  
that ,father ,hecker so vigorously      
maintained that the freedom of the      
individual is a golden opportunity for  
the ,catbolic apostolate1 according to  
the text ,where the ,spirit of the ,lord
 is1 there is liberty4 ,freedom1 he     
affirmed1 was in absolute consonance    
with ,catholic doctrine4 ,but he        
furthermore insisted that it has become 
the world-wide aspiration of men by     
interposition of ,divine ,providence and
 with a view to their higher            
sanctification2 and however grossly     

abused1 it is yet a direct suggestion to
 an apostolate whose prospects are in   
the highest degree promising4 ,and this 
is the answer to the question which     
reasonable persons may well ask1 namely3
 ,why should the new institution differ 
so radically from the old ones1 which   
were certainly works of ,god8 ,because  
the change of men's lives in the entire 
secular and natural order is in the     
direction of personal liberty and       
independence1 and this change is a      
radical one4 ,the ,eternal-,absolute is 
ever creating new forms of expressing   
itself4 ,if1 indeed1 men's aspirations  
for liberty and intelligence be all from
 the powers of darkness1 then let every 
longing for freedom be repressed and    
condemned1 crushed by authority in the  
state1 anathematized by the ,church4    
,but if men are yearning to be free1    
however blindly1 because ,god by their  
freedom would make them holier1 then let
 us hail the new order as a blessing2   
and let those who love freedom and are  

worthy of it use its privileges to      
advance themselves and their brethren   
nearer to immediate union with the ,holy
 ,spirit4  ,it has been seen that the   
important question whether the end of   
the new community would be better       
attained with the usual religious vows  
or without them was decided in the      
negative4 ,they were not definitely     
rejected in the beginning2 but starting 
without them1 the ,fathers were willing 
to allow experience to show whether or  
not they should be resumed4 ,the lapse  
of time but confirmed the view that the 
voluntary agreement and the bond of     
fraternal charity were1 under the       
circumstances1 preferable as securities 
for stability and incentives to         
holiness4  ,there can be little doubt   
that ,father ,hecker's ideas on this    
feature of the religious state had been 
greatly modified between the writing of 
the ,questions of the ,soul and the end 
of the struggle in ,rome4 ,much is said 
in that book of community life in the   

,catholic ,church1 and generally as     
rendered stable and its spirit of       
sacrifice made complete by the vows2 and
 in the statement given in ,rome to his 
five chosen advisers1 he says that one  
reason for writing the volume named was 
to induce young men to enter the        
religious orders as the only means of   
perfection--meaning orders under vows4  
,but when he was released from his own  
obligations and was confronted with the 
choice of means for following his       
vocation1 the horizon broadened away    
until he could see beyond the           
institutions and traditions in which he 
had lived since entering the novitiate  
at ,st4 ,trond4 ,his ideas of perfection
 in its relation to states of life      
underwent a change4 ,therefore he said1 
,let us wait for the unmistakable will  
of ,god before we bind ourselves with   
vows amidst a free people4 ,he never    
depreciated the evident value of these  
obligations2 indeed1 he seldom was heard
 to speak of them4 ,but he knew from    

close observation the truth of the words
 of the ,jesuit ,avancinus3  ,the net   
7,st4 ,matthew #ac3dd7 is the ,catholic 
,church1 or1 to take a narrower view1 it
 means the station in which you are     
placed4 ,as in a net all kinds of fish  
are to be found1 so in our position1 as 
in all others1 there are good and bad   
,christians4 4 4 4 ,should yours be a   
sacred calling1 you are not1 on that    
account1 either the better or the more  
secure2 your sanctity and your salvation
 depend on yourself1 not on your        
calling4 7,meditations1 ,fourteenth     
,friday after ,pentecost7  ,it never    
entered into the minds of the ,fathers  
to question the doctrine and practice of
 the ,church concerning vows4 ,but      
personal experience proves the lesson of
 history1 that what religion needs is   
not so much holy states of life as holy 
men and ,women4  ,looking back into the 
past1 ,father ,hecker saw ,st4 ,philip  
,neri1 to whom he had a great devotion  
and for whose spiritual doctrine he had 

a high admiration4 ,the following is    
from an exponent of that doctrine1 and  
is much in point3  ,although our        
,fathers and lay brothers ,oratorians   
make no vow of obedience1 as do         
religious1 they are1 nevertheless1 no   
way inferior in the perfection of this  
virtue to those who profess it in the   
cloister with solemn vows4 ,they supply 
the want of vows with love1 with        
voluntary promptitude1 and perfection in
 obeying every wish of the superior4    
,and it is a thing for which we must    
indeed thank ,god1 that without the     
obligation of obeying under pain of sin1
 without fear of restraint or other     
punishment 7except that of expulsion in 
case of contumacy71 all the subjects are
 prompt in this obedience1 even in      
things most humiliating and severe1     
according to the terms of the rule4 ,all
 take pleasure in meeting the wishes of 
the superior1 etc4 7,the ,excellences of
 the ,oratory of ,st4 ,philip ,neri1 p4 
#acf4 ,london3 ,burns  ,oates47  ,father

 ,hecker did not dream that by          
relinquishing the vows he and his       
companions in the ,paulist community had
 cast away a single incentive to virtue 
capable of moving such men as they1 or  
had even failed to secure any of the    
insignia adorning the great host of men 
and women in the ,catholic ,church whose
 entire being has been given up to the  
divine service4 ,the true ,paulist1 said
 he once1 should be fit and ready to    
take the solemn vows at any moment4 ,he 
felt strongly the truth of the following
 words of the ,jesuit ,lallemant3  ,a   
desire and hunger after our perfection1 
a determined will to be constantly      
tending towards it with all our         
strength--let this be always our chief  
object and our greatest care4 ,let us   
bear in mind that this care is more of  
the essence of religion i4e41 of a      
religious order than vows themselves2   
for it is on this that our whole        
spiritual progress depends4 ,herein     
consists the difference between true    

religious and those who are so only in  
appearance and in the sight of men4     
,without this care to advance in        
perfection the religious state does not 
secure our salvation2 but nothing is    
more common than to deceive ourselves on
 this point4 7,the ,spiritual ,doctrine 
of ,father ,louis ,lallemant1 ,s4,j1 p4 
#aaa4 ,new ,york3 ,sadlier  ,co47  ,with
 regard to stability1 men of stable     
character need no vow to guarantee      
adherence to a divine vocation1 and men 
of feeble character may indeed vow      
themselves into an outward stability1   
but it is of little fruit to themselves 
personally1 and their irremovability is 
often of infinite distress to their     
superiors and brethren4 ,the episcopate 
is the one religious order founded by   
,our ,lord1 and its members are in the  
highest state of evangelical perfection2
 yet they are neither required nor      
advised to take the oaths or vows of    
religious orders4  ,neither ,father     
,hecker nor any of his associates had   

the least aversion to the vows4 ,on the 
contrary1 they had lived contentedly    
under them for many of their most active
 years1 and it will be remembered of    
,father ,hecker that he never found them
 irksome1 had never known a temptation  
against them4  ,the question which arose
 was a choice between two kinds of      
community1 the one fast-bound by        
external obligations to the ,church in  
the form of vows1 placing the members in
 a relation of peculiar strictness to   
the ,canon ,law2 or another kind1 in    
which the members trusted wholly to the 
strength of ,divine grace1 and their own
 conscious purpose never to give up the 
fight for perfection2 which of these    
states would better facilitate the      
action of the ,holy ,spirit in the      
present ,providence of ,god2 and which  
of them would tend to produce a type of 
character fitted to evangelize a nation 
of independent and self-reliant men and 
women8 ,the free community was chosen4  
,no doubt this involved some risk of    

criticism1 particularly in the          
beginning1 for it was a wonder to many  
that men should organize for a life-long
 endeavor after perfection and not swear
 to it1 especially as none of the free  
communities existing in ,europe had     
houses in ,america1 for the ,sulpicians 
belong to the secular clergy4 ,and there
 was also danger of unworthy subjects   
creeping in under favor of a freedom    
they were unfit to enjoy4 ,for it may be
 reproached against us that we are apt  
to be victimized by men ruled by        
caprice1 indulging in extravagant       
schemes or deluded by wandering fancies2
 and also by superiors who would let    
everybody do as he pleased4 ,no doubt   
such dangers are to be guarded against4 
,but vowed communities do not claim to  
be free from difficulties4 ,no state of 
life and no organization claims to be so
 perfect as totally to prevent abuse of 
power on the part of superiors or       
caprice and sloth on the part of        
members4  ,both kinds of organized      

religious life have their difficulties3 
the one1 the martinet superior and the  
routine subject2 the other1 the         
capricious subject and the lax superior4
 ,in one kind the bond of union as well 
as the stimulus of endeavor is mainly   
obedience1 fraternal charity assisting2 
in the other it is mainly fraternal     
charity1 obedience assisting2 each has  
to overcome obstacles peculiar to       
itself4  ,what has been said in this    
chapter1 besides serving to exhibit     
,father ,hecker's principles as a       
founder1 will be1 we trust1 a sufficient
 answer to the silly delusion which the 
,paulists have encountered in some      
quarters1 that their society tolerates a
 soft life and supposes in its members  
no high vocation to perfection2 or that 
the voluntary principle allows them a   
personal choice in regard to the        
devotional exercises1 permitting them to
 attend or not attend this or that      
meditation or devotion laid down in the 
rule1 as the spirit moves them4 ,this is

 as plain an error as another one which 
had much currency for years and which is
 not yet everywhere corrected3 that the 
,paulist community was open to converts 
alone and received none others4         
,,chapter ,,xxvii  ,,father ,,hecker',s 
,,spiritual ,,doctrine  ,,having given  
in the preceding chapter ,father        
,hecker's principles of the religious   
life in community1 a more general view  
of his spiritual doctrine1 as well as of
 his method of the direction of souls1  
naturally follows4 ,and here we are     
embarrassed by the amount of matter to  
choose from2 for as he was always       
talking about spiritual doctrine to     
whomsoever he could get to listen1 so in
 his published writings1 in his letters 
to intimate friends1 and in his notes   
and memoranda1 we have found enough     
falling under the heading of this       
,,chapter to fill a volume4 ,let us hope
 for its publication some day4  ,it need
 hardly be said that ,father ,hecker did
 not claim to have any new doctrine2    

there can be none1 and he knew it well4 
,every generation since ,christ has had 
,his entire revelation4 ,development is 
the word which touches the outer margin 
of all possible adaptation of ,christian
 principles to the changing conditions  
of humanity4 ,but in the transmission of
 these principles from master to        
disciple1 in practically assisting in   
their use by public instruction1 or by  
private advice1 or by choice of         
devotional and ascetical exercises1     
there is as great a variety of method as
 of temperament among races1 and even   
among individuals2 and there are broadly
 marked differences which are           
conterminous with providential eras of  
history4 ,this was a truth which ,father
 ,hecker1 in common with all discerning 
minds1 took carefully into account4     
,his fundamental principle of ,christian
 perfection may be termed a view of the 
,catholic doctrine of divine grace      
suited to the aspirations of our times4 
,by divine grace the love of ,god is    

diffused in our hearts2 the ,holy       
,spirit takes up his abode there and    
makes us children of the ,heavenly      
,father1 and brethren of ,jesus ,christ 
the ,divine ,son4 ,the state of grace is
 thus an immediate union of the soul    
with the ,holy ,trinity1 its ,creator1  
,mediator1 and ,sanctifier4 ,to secure  
this union and render it more and more  
conscious was ,father ,hecker's         
ceaseless endeavor through life1 both   
for himself and for those who fell under
 his influence1 whether in cleansing the
 soul of all hindrances of sin and      
imperfection1 or advancing it deeper and
 deeper into the divine life by prayer  
and the sacraments4  ,his doctrine of   
,christian perfection might be          
formulated as a profession of faith3 ,i 
believe in ,god the ,father ,almighty2  
,i believe in ,jesus ,christ the ,only  
,begotten ,son of the ,father2 ,i       
believe in the ,holy ,ghost the ,life   
,giver1 the spirit of adoption by whom  
,i am enabled to say to the ,father1 ,my

 ,father1 and to the ,son1 ,my ,brother4
  ,he wished that men generally should  
be made aware of the immediate nature of
 this union of the soul with ,god1 and  
that they should become more and more   
personally conscious of it4 ,he would   
bring this about without the            
intervention of other persons or other  
methods than the divinely constituted   
ones accessible to all in the priesthood
 and sacraments4 ,it was the development
 of the supernatural1 heavenly1 divine  
life of the regenerate man1 born again  
of the ,holy ,ghost1 that ,father       
,hecker made the end of all he said and 
all he did in leading souls2 and he     
maintained that to partake of this life 
which is the light of men1 many souls   
needed little interference on the part  
of others1 and that in every case the   
utmost care should be taken lest the    
soul should mingle human influences1    
even the holiest1 in undue proportion   
with those which were strictly divine4  
,go to ,god1 he wrote to one asking     

advice1 go entirely to ,god1 go         
integrally to ,god2 behold1 that is     
sincerity1 complete1 perfect sincerity4 
,do that1 and make it a complete1       
continuous act1 and you need no help    
from me or any creature4 ,i wish to     
provoke you to do it4 ,that is my whole 
aim and desire4 ,just in proportion as  
we harbor pride1 vanity1 self-love--in a
 word1 self-hood--just so far we fail in
 integrally resigning ourselves to ,god4
 ,were we wholly resigned to ,god ,he   
would change all in us that is in       
discord with ,him1 and prepare our souls
 for union with ,him1 making us one with
 ,himself4 ,god longs for our souls     
greatly more than our souls can long for
 ,him4 ,such is ,god's thirst for love  
that ,he made all creatures to love     
,him1 and to have no rest until they    
love ,him supremely4 ,if my words are   
not to your soul ,god's words and voice1
 pay no heed to them4 ,if they are1     
hesitate not a moment to obey4 ,if they 
humble you to the dust1 what a blessing6

 ,he that is humbled shall be exalted4  
,peace is gained by a wise inaction1 and
 strength by integral resignation to    
,god1 who will do all1 and more than we1
 with the boldest imagination1 can fancy
 or desire4  ,may you see ,god in all1  
through all1 and above all4 ,may the    
,divine transcendence and the ,divine   
immanence be the two poles of your life4
  ,the natural faculties of the         
understanding and will1 whose integrity 
,father ,hecker so much valued1 were to 
be established in a new life infinitely 
above their native reach1 glorified with
 divine life1 their activity directed to
 the knowledge of things not even       
dreamed of before1 and endowed with a   
divine gift of loving4 ,in this state   
the ,holy ,spirit communicates to the   
human faculties force to accomplish     
intellectual and moral feats which      
naturally can be accomplished by ,god   
alone4 ,this is called by theologians   
supernatural infused virtue1 and is     
rooted in ,faith1 ,hope1 and ,love1 is  

made efficacious by spiritual gifts of  
wisdom and understanding1 and knowledge 
and counsel1 and other gifts and forces1
 the conscious and daily possession of  
which the ,christian is entitled to hope
 for and strive after1 and finally to   
obtain and enjoy in this life4  ,that   
this union is a personal relation1 and  
that it should be a distinctly conscious
 one on the soul's part1 all will admit 
who think but a moment of the infinite1 
loving activity of the ,spirit of ,god1 
and the natural and supernatural        
receptivity of the spirit of man4       
,although not even the smallest germ of 
the supernatural life is found in       
nature1 yet the soul of man ceaselessly1
 if blindly1 yearns after its           
possession4 ,once possessed1 the life of
 ,god blends into our own1 mingles with 
it and is one with it1 impregnating it  
as magnetism does the iron of the       
lodestone1 till the divine qualities1   
without suppressing nature1 entirely    
possess it1 and assert for it and over  

it the ,divine individuality4 ,now ,i   
live1 yet not ,i1 but ,christ liveth in 
me4 ,an author much admired by ,father  
,hecker thus describes the effects      
produced in the soul by supernatural    
faith1 and hope1 and love3  ,these      
virtues are called and in reality are   
,divine virtues4 ,they are called thus  
not because they are related to ,god in 
general1 but because they unite us in a 
divine manner with ,god1 have ,him for  
their immediate motive1 and can be      
produced in us only by a communication  
of the ,divine nature4 4 4 4 ,for the   
life that the children of ,god lead here
 upon earth must be of the same kind as 
the life that awaits them in heaven4    
7,scheeben's ,glories of ,divine ,grace1
 p4 #bbb2 ,benziger ,bros47  ,to partake
 thus of the inner life of ,god was     
,father ,hecker's one spiritual         
ambition1 and to help others to it his  
one motive for dealing with men4 ,he was
 ever insisting upon the closeness of   
the divine union1 and that it is our    

life brought into actual touch with     
,god1 whose supreme and essential       
activity must1 by a law of its own      
existence1 make itself felt1 dominate as
 far as permitted the entire activity of
 the soul1 and win more and more upon   
its life till all is won4 ,then are     
fulfilled the ,apostle's words3 ,but we 
all beholding the glory of the ,lord    
with open face are transformed into the 
same image from glory to glory1 as by   
the ,spirit of the ,lord 7#b ,cor4      
#c3ah74  ,here are some of ,father      
,hecker's words1 printed but a year or  
two before his death1 which treat not   
only of the interior life in general1   
but in particular of its relation to the
 outer action of ,god on the soul       
through the divine organism of the      
,church3  ,st4 ,thomas ,aquinas         
attributes the absence of spiritual joy 
mainly to neglect of consciousness of   
the inner life4 ',during this life1' he 
says 7,opuscula de ,beatitudine1 cap4   
iii471 'we should continually rejoice in

 ,god1 as something perfectly fitting1  
in all our actions and for all our      
actions1 in all our gifts and for all   
our gifts4 ,it is1 as ,isaias declares1 
that we may particularly enjoy him that 
the ,son of ,god has been given to us4  
,what blindness and what gross stupidity
 for many who are always seeking ,god1  
always sighing for ,him1 frequently     
desiring ,him1 daily knocking and       
clamoring at the door for ,god by       
prayer1 while they themselves are all   
the time1 as the apostle says1 temples  
of the living ,god1 and ,god truly      
dwelling within them2 while all the time
 their souls are the abiding-place of   
,god1 wherein ,he continually reposes6  
,who but a fool would look for something
 out of doors which he knows he has     
within8 ,what is the good of anything   
which is always to be sought and never  
found1 and who can be strengthened with 
food ever craved but never tasted8 ,thus
 passes away the life of many a good    
man1 always searching and never finding 

,god1 and it is for this reason that his
 actions are imperfect4'  ,a man with   
such a doctrine must cultivate mainly   
the interior life4 ,his answer to the   
question1 ,what is the relation between 
the inner and the outer action of ,god  
upon my soul8 is that ,god uses the     
outer for the sake of the inner life4   
,there seems to be little danger        
nowadays of our losing sight of the     
,divine authority and the ,divine action
 in the government of the ,church1 and  
in the aids of religion conveyed through
 the external order of the sacraments4  
,yet it is only after fully appreciating
 the life of ,god within us that we     
learn to prize fittingly the action of  
,god in ,his external ,providence4 ,such
 is the plain teaching of ,st4 ,thomas  
in the extract above given4  ,by fully  
assimilating this doctrine one comes to 
aim steadily at securing a more and more
 direct communion with ,god4 ,thus he   
does not seek merely for an external    
life in an external society1 or become  

totally absorbed in external            
observances2 but he seeks the invisible 
,god through the visible ,church1 for   
she is the body of ,christ the ,son of  
,god4  ,once a man's hand is safe on the
 altar his eye and voice are lifted to  
,god4  ,it is not to keep up a strained 
outlook for times and moments of the    
interior visitations1 but to wait calmly
 for the actual movements of the ,divine
 ,spirit2 to rely mainly upon it and not
 solely upon what leads to it1 or       
communicates it1 or guarantees its      
genuine presence by necessary external  
tests and symbols4  ,not an anxious     
search1 least of all a craving for      
extraordinary lights2 but a constant    
readiness to perceive the ,divine       
guidance in the secret ways of the soul1
 and then to act with decision and a    
noble and generous courage--this is true
 wisdom4  ,the ,holy ,spirit is thus the
 inspiration of the inner life of the   
regenerate man1 and in that life is his 
,superior and ,director4 ,that ,his     

guidance may become more and more       
immediate in an interior life1 and the  
soul's obedience more and more          
instinctive1 is the object of the whole 
external order of the ,church1 including
 the sacramental system4  ,says ,father 
,lallemant 7,spiritual ,doctrine1 #c;d  
principle1 chap4 i4 art4 #a73 ',all     
creatures that are in the world1 the    
whole order of nature as well as that of
 grace1 and all the leadings of         
,providence1 have been so disposed as to
 remove from our souls whatever is      
contrary to ,god4'  ,what follows has   
been culled from notes and memoranda3   
,when authority and liberty are         
intelligently understood1 when both aim 
at the same end1 then the universal     
reign of ,god's authority in the ,church
 will be near and the kingdom of ,god be
 established universally4  ,the whole   
future of the human race depends on     
bringing the individual soul more       
completely and perfectly under the sway 
of the ,holy ,spirit4  ,what society    

most needs to-day is the baptism of the 
,holy ,spirit4  ,that soul is perfect   
which is guided habitually by the       
instinct of the ,holy ,spirit4  ,the aim
 of ,christian perfection is the        
guidance of the soul by the indwelling  
,holy ,spirit4 ,this is attained1       
ordinarily1 first by bringing whatever  
is inordinate in our animal propensities
 under the control of the dictates of   
reason by the practice of mortification 
and self-denial2 for it is a            
self-evident principle that a rational  
being ought to be master of his animal  
appetites4 ,and second1 by bringing the 
dictates of reason under the control and
 inspiration of the ,holy ,spirit by    
recollection1 and by fidelity and       
docility to its movements4  ,to attain  
to the spiritual estate of the conscious
 guidance of the indwelling ,holy       
,spirit1 the practice of asceticism and 
of the natural and ,christian moral     
virtues are the preparatory means4  ,to 
rise before the light appears1 is vain2 

to hinder the soul from rising when it  
does appear1 is oppression4 ,in the     
first place1 the soul is exposed to     
delusions2 in the second1 it is         
subjected to arbitrary human authority4 
,the former opens the door to all sorts 
of extravagances and heresies2 the      
latter breeds a spirit of servility and 
bondage4  ,to reach that stage of the   
spiritual life which is the             
consciousness of the indwelling and     
guidance of the ,holy ,spirit some souls
 need the practice of asceticism more   
than others1 these latter being more    
advanced by the practice of the         
,christian virtues4 ,others1 again1 need
 the strenuous practice of both of these
 means of advancement until the close of
 their lives4 ,and there is another     
class which reaches this degree of      
spiritual growth sooner and with less   
difficulty than the generality of souls4
  ,whenever the guidance of the ,holy   
,spirit is sufficiently recognized1 then
 the practice of the virtues immediately

 related to this action and proper to   
increase it in the soul are to be       
recommended1 such as recollection1      
purity of heart1 docility and fidelity  
to the inner voice1 and the like4  ,it  
should ever be kept in view that the    
practice of the virtues is not only for 
their own sake and to obtain merit1 but 
mainly in order to remove all obstacles 
in the way of the guidance of the ,holy 
,spirit1 and to assist the soul in      
following ,his operations with docility4
  ,obedience in its spiritual aspect    
divests one of self-will and makes him  
prompt to submit to the will of ,god    
alone4 ,viewed as an act of justice1    
obedience is the payment of due service 
to one's superior1 who holds his office 
by appointment of ,god4  ,the essential 
mistake of the transcendentalists is the
 taking for their guide the instincts of
 the soul instead of the inspirations of
 the ,holy ,spirit4 ,they are moved by  
the natural instincts of human beings   
instead of the instinct of the ,holy    

,ghost4 ,but true spiritual direction   
consists in discovering the obstacles in
 the way of the ,divine guidance1 in    
aiding and encouraging the penitent to  
remove them1 and in teaching how the    
interior movements of the ,holy ,spirit 
may be recognized1 as well as in        
stimulating the soul to fidelity and    
docility to ,his movements4  ,the       
director is not to take the place of the
 ,holy ,ghost in the soul1 but to assist
 ,his growth in the soul as its primary 
and supreme guide4  ,the primary worker 
of the soul's sanctification is the     
,holy ,spirit acting interiorly2 the    
work of the director is secondary and   
subordinate4 ,to overlook this          
fundamental truth in the spiritual life 
is a great mistake1 whether it be on the
 part of the director or the one under  
direction4  ,the great obstacle to the  
prevalent use of this privilege of      
divine interior direction is lack of    
practical realization of its existence  
by good ,christians4 ,and this want of  

faith is met with almost as much among  
teachers as among learners1 resulting in
 too great a mingling of the human      
element in the guidance of souls4 ,what 
is known as over-direction is to be     
attributed1 as ,father ,hecker was      
persuaded1 to confessors leading souls  
by self-chosen ways1 or laboriously     
working them along the road to          
perfection by artificial processes1     
souls whom the ,holy ,spirit has not    
made ready for more than the beginning  
of the spiritual life4 ,this is like    
pressing wine out of unripe grapes4     
,another practice which ,father ,hecker 
often deprecated was the binding of free
 and generous souls with all sorts of   
obligations in the way of devotional    
exercises4 ,this is forcing athletes to 
go on crutches4 ,the excuse for it all  
is that it really does stagger human    
belief to accept as a literal matter of 
fact that ,god the ,holy ,ghost         
personally comes to us with divine grace
 and gives ,himself to us2 that ,he     

actually and essentially dwells in our  
souls by grace1 and in an unspeakably   
intimate manner takes charge of our     
entire being1 soul and body1 and all our
 faculties and senses4  ,by sanctifying 
grace1 says ,st4 ,thomas 7p4 ,i1 q4 #cc1
 art4 #b71 the rational creature is thus
 perfected1 that it may not only use    
with liberty the created good1 but that 
it may also enjoy the uncreated good2   
and therefore the invisible sending of  
the ,holy ,ghost takes place in the gift
 of sanctifying grace and the ,divine   
,person ,himself is given to us4  ,it is
 the soul's higher self1 thus in entire 
union with the ,spirit of ,god1 that    
,father ,hecker spent his life in       
cultivating1 both in his own interior   
and in that of others4 ,he insisted that
 in the normal condition of things the  
mainspring of virtue1 both natural and  
supernatural1 should be for the         
regenerate man the instinctive obedience
 of the individual soul to the voice of 
the indwelling ,holy ,spirit4  ,to what 

an extent this inner divine guidance has
 been obscured by more external methods 
is witnessed by ,monsignor ,gaume1 who  
places upon the title-page of his       
learned work on the ,holy ,spirit the   
motto ,ignoto ,deo--to the ,unknown     
,god6  ,objections to this doctrine are 
made from the point of view of caution4 
,there is danger of exaggeration1 it is 
said2 for if in its terms it is plainly 
,catholic1 it may sound ,protestant to  
some ears4 ,and in fact to those whose  
glances have been ever turned outward   
for guidance it seems like the delusions
 of certain classes of ,protestants     
about change of heart and inner light4  
,but1 says ,lallemant 7and the reader   
will thank us for a detailed reply to   
this difficulty from so venerable an    
authority71 it is of faith that without 
the grace of an interior inspiration1 in
 which the guidance of the ,holy ,spirit
 consists1 we cannot do any good work4  
,the ,calvinists would determine        
everything by their inward spirit1      

subjecting thereto the ,church herself  
and her decisions4 4 4 4 ,but the       
guidance which we receive from the ,holy
 ,ghost by means of ,his gifts          
presupposes the faith and authority of  
the ,church1 acknowledges them as its   
rule1 admits nothing which is contrary  
to them1 and aims only at perfecting the
 exercise of faith and the other        
virtues4 ,the second objection is1 that 
it seems as if this interior guidance of
 the ,holy ,spirit were destructive of  
the obedience due to superiors4 ,we     
reply3 #a4 ,that as the interior        
inspiration of grace does not set aside 
the assent which we give to the articles
 of faith as they are externally        
proposed to us1 but on the contrary     
gently disposes the mind to believe2 in 
like manner the guidance which we       
receive from the gifts of the ,holy     
,spirit1 far from interfering with      
obedience1 aids and facilitates the     
practice of it4 #b4 ,that all this      
interior guidance1 and even private     

divine revelations1 must always be      
subordinate to obedience2 and in        
speaking of them this tacit condition is
 ever implied1 that obedience enjoins   
nothing contrary thereto4 4 4 4  ,the   
third objection is that this interior   
direction of the ,holy ,spirit seems to 
render all deliberation and all counsel 
useless4 ,for why ask advice of men when
 the ,holy ,spirit is ,himself our      
director8 ,we reply that the ,holy      
,spirit teaches us to consult           
enlightened persons and to follow the   
advice of others1 as ,he referred ,st4  
,paul to ,ananias4 ,the fourth objection
 is made by some who complain that they 
are not themselves thus led by the ,holy
 ,spirit1 and that they know nothing of 
it4 ,to them we reply3 #a4 ,that the    
lights and inspirations of the ,holy    
,spirit1 which are necessary in order to
 do good and avoid evil1 are never      
wanting to them1 particularly if they   
are in a state of grace4 #b4 ,that being
 altogether exterior as they are1 and   

scarcely ever entering into themselves1 
examining their consciences only very   
superficially1 and looking only to the  
outward man and the faults which are    
manifest in the eyes of the world1 4 4 4
 it is no wonder that they have nothing 
of the guidance of the ,holy ,spirit1   
which is wholly interior4 ,but1 first1  
let them be faithful in following the   
light which is given them2 it will go on
 always increasing4 ,secondly1 let them 
clear away the sins and imperfections   
which1 like so many clouds1 hide the    
light from their eyes3 they will see    
more distinctly every day4 ,thirdly1 let
 them not suffer their exterior senses  
to rove at will1 and be soiled by       
indulgence2 ,god will then open to them 
their interior senses4 ,fourthly1 let   
them never quit their own interior1 if  
it be possible1 or let them return as   
soon as may be2 let them give attention 
to what passes therein1 and they will   
observe the workings of the different   
spirits by which we are actuated4       

,fifthly1 let them lay bare the whole   
ground of their heart to their superior 
or to their spiritual father4 ,a soul   
which acts with this openness and       
simplicity can hardly fail of being     
favored with the direction of the ,holy 
,spirit 7,spiritual ,doctrine1 #dth     
principle1 ch4 i4 art4 #c74  ,father    
,hecker had himself suffered1 and that  
in the earliest days of his religious   
life1 from want of explicit instruction 
about this doctrine4 ,father ,othmann1  
whom our readers remember as the        
novice-master at ,st4 ,trond1 was too   
spiritual a man to have been ignorant of
 its principles4 ,yet he seemed to think
 that either no one would choose it in  
preference to the method in more common 
use1 or that he would not find his      
novices ready for it4 ,but to ,father   
,hecker it was all-essential4 ,when ,i  
was not far from being through with my  
noviceship1 he was heard to say1 ,i was 
one day looking over the books in the   
library and ,i came across ,lallemant's 

,spiritual ,doctrine4 ,getting leave to 
read it1 ,i was overjoyed to find it a  
full statement of the principles by     
which ,i had been interiorly guided4 ,i 
said to ,pere ,othmann3 ',why did you   
not give me this book when ,i first     
came8 ,it settles all my difficulties4' 
,but he answered that it had never once 
occurred to his mind to do so4 ,besides 
the ,scriptures1 ,lallemant1 ,surin1    
,scaramelli's ,directorium ,mysticum1   
the ascetical and mystical writings of  
the contemplatives1 such as ,rusbruck1  
,henry ,suso 7whose life he carried for 
years in his pocket1 reading it daily71 
,tauler1 ,father ,augustine ,baker's    
,holy ,wisdom 7,sancta ,sophia71        
,blosius1 the works of ,st4 ,teresa1 and
 those of ,st4 ,john of the             
,cross--these and other such works      
formed the literature which aided       
,father ,hecker in the understanding and
 enjoyment of the guidance of the ,holy 
,spirit4 ,lallemant he returned to ever 
and again1 and ,st4 ,john of the ,cross 

he never let go at all4 ,it was always  
with him1 always read with renewed joy1 
and its wonderful lessons of divine     
wisdom1 expressed as they are with the  
scientific accuracy of a trained        
theologian and the unction of a saint1  
were to ,father ,hecker a pledge of     
security for his own state of soul and a
 source of inspiration in dealing with  
others4  ,to the ordinary observer a    
knowledge of the men and women of to-day
 does not give rise to much hope of the 
widespread use of this spirituality4    
,but ,father ,hecker thought otherwise4 
,he ever insisted that it must come into
 general preference among the leading   
minds of ,christendom2 for independence 
of character calls for such a           
spirituality1 and that independence is  
by ,god's providence the characteristic 
trait of the best men and women of our  
times4 ,god must mean to sanctify us in 
the way ,he has placed us in the natural
 order4 ,he believed that the ,holy     
,spirit would soon be poured out in an  

abundant dispensation of ,his heavenly  
gifts1 and that such a renewal of men's 
souls was the only salvation of society4
 ,some may think that he was            
over-sanguine2 many will not interest   
themselves in such high matters at all4 
,but some of the wisest men in the      
,church are of his mind1 notably        
,cardinal ,manning4 ,and the signs of   
the times1 if interrogated with regard  
to the problem of man's eternal destiny1
 give no other answer than the promise  
of a new era in which the ,holy ,ghost  
shall reign in men's souls and in their 
lives with a supremacy peculiar to this 
age4  ,the following extract from ,the  
,church and the ,age1 a compilation of  
,father ,hecker's later essays1 shows   
his estimate of the form of spirituality
 we have been discussing1 as bearing    
upon the regeneration of society in     
general3  ,the whole aim of the science 
of ,christian perfection is to instruct 
men how to remove the hindrances in the 
way of the action of the ,holy ,spirit1 

and how to cultivate those virtues which
 are most favorable to ,his             
solicitations and inspirations4 ,thus   
the sum of spiritual life consists in   
observing and yielding to the movements 
of the ,spirit of ,god in our soul1     
employing for this purpose all the      
exercises of prayer1 spiritual reading1 
the practice of virtues1 and good works4
  ,that divine action which is the      
immediate and principal cause of the    
salvation and perfection of the soul1   
claims by right the soul's direct and   
main attention4 ,from this source within
 the soul there will gradually come to  
birth the consciousness of the          
indwelling presence of the ,holy        
,spirit1 out of which will spring a     
force surpassing all human strength1 a  
courage higher than all human heroism1 a
 sense of dignity excelling all human   
greatness4 ,the light the age requires  
for its renewal can come only from the  
same source4 ,the renewal of the age    
depends on the renewal of religion4 ,the

 renewal of religion depends on a       
greater effusion of the creative and    
renewing power of the ,holy ,spirit4    
,the greater effusion of the ,holy      
,spirit depends on the giving of        
increased attention to ,his movements   
and inspirations in the soul4 ,the      
radical and adequate remedy for all the 
evils of our age1 and the source of all 
true progress1 consist in increased     
attention and fidelity to the action of 
the ,holy ,spirit in the soul4 ',thou   
shalt send forth ,thy spirit and they   
shall be created3 and ,thou shalt renew 
the face of the earth4'  ,lallemant's   
answer to the difficulty of excess of   
personal liberty in this method has been
 already given4 ,father ,hecker's own is
 as follows3  ,the enlargement of the   
interior field of action for the soul1  
without a true knowledge of the end and 
scope of the external authority of the  
,church1 would only open the door to    
delusions1 errors1 and heresies of every
 description1 and would be in effect    

only another form of ,protestantism4    
,but1 on the other hand1 the exclusive  
view of the external authority of the   
,church1 without a proper understanding 
of the nature and work of the ,holy     
,spirit in the soul1 would render the   
practice of religion formal1 obedience  
servile1 and the ,church sterile4  ,the 
solution of the difficulty is as        
follows3 ,the action of the ,holy       
,spirit embodied visibly in the         
authority of the ,church1 and the action
 of the ,holy ,spirit dwelling invisibly
 in the soul form one inseparable       
synthesis2 and he who has not a clear   
conception of this two-fold action of   
the ,holy ,spirit is in danger of       
running into one or the other1 and      
sometimes into both1 of these extremes1 
either of which is destructive of the   
end of the ,church4 ,the ,holy ,spirit1 
in the external authority of the        
,church1 acts as the infallible         
interpreter and criterion of divine     
revelation4 ,the ,holy ,spirit in the   

soul acts as the divine ,life-giver and 
,sanctifier4 ,it is of the highest      
importance that these two distinct      
offices of the ,holy ,spirit should not 
be confounded4  ,the increased action of
 the ,holy ,spirit1 with a more vigorous
 co-operation on the part of the        
faithful1 which is in process of        
realization1 will elevate the human     
personality to an intensity of force and
 grandeur productive of a new era to the
 ,church and to society--an era         
difficult for the imagination to grasp1 
and still more difficult to describe in 
words1 unless we have recourse to the   
prophetic language of the inspired      
,scriptures4  ,the way out of our       
present difficulties1 said ,father      
,hecker1 speaking of the conflicts of   
religion in ,europe1 is to revert to a  
spirituality which is freer than that   
which ,providence assigned as the       
counteraction of ,protestantism in the  
sixteenth century--to a spirituality    
which is1 and ever has been1 the normal 

one of the ,christian inner life4 ,that 
era accentuated obedience1 this         
accentuates no particular moral virtue1 
but rather presses the soul back upon   
,faith and ,hope and ,love as the       
springs of life1 and makes the          
distinctive virtue fidelity to the      
guidance of the ,holy ,spirit1 impelling
 the ,christian to that one of the moral
 virtues which is most suitable to his  
nature and to the requirements of his   
state of life1 and other environments4  
,but from what has been said it must not
 be inferred that ,father ,hecker       
thought it safe to be without spiritual 
counsel1 above all when the soul seemed 
led in extraordinary ways4 ,he firmly   
believed in the necessity of direction1 
and that in the sense intended by       
spiritual writers generally4 ,in        
practice he himself always consulted men
 of experience and piety4 ,we have seen 
how he sought advice1 and was aided by  
it at every crisis of his life4 ,but he 
did not accept all that is said by some 

writers about the surrender of the soul 
to one's father confessor4 ,he thought  
that confession was often too closely   
allied with direction1 and he was       
convinced that many souls could profit  
by less introspection in search of sin1 
and more in search of natural and       
supernatural movements to virtue4 ,he   
condemned over-direction1 and thought   
that there was a good deal of it4 ,he   
thought that there were cases in which  
spontaneity of effort was too high a    
price to pay for even the merit of      
obedience4 ,his sentiment is well       
expressed by ,st4 ,john of the ,cross in
 the ninth chapter of ,the ,ascent of   
,mount ,carmel3  ,spiritual directors   
are not the chief workers1 but rather   
the ,holy ,ghost2 they are mere         
instruments1 only to guide souls by the 
rule of faith and the law of ,god       
according to the spirit which ,god gives
 to each4 ,their object1 therefore1     
should be not to guide souls by a way of
 their own1 suitable to themselves2 but 

to ascertain1 if they can1 the way which
 ,god ,himself is guiding them4  ,leave 
much to ,god's secret ways1 was one of  
,father ,hecker's principles4 ,when     
hearing some confessions on the         
missions1 he once said1 and when about  
to give absolution1 ,i used to say1 in  
my heart1 to the penitent1 ,well1 no    
doubt ,god means to save you1 you poor  
fellow1 or ,he wouldn't give you the    
grace to make this mission4 ,but just   
how ,he will do it1 considering your bad
 habits1 ,i can't see2 but that's none  
of my business4  ,leave much to natural 
or acquired inclinations1 was one of his
 maxims4 ,he was not deeply interested  
in souls who by temperament or training 
needed very minute guidance in the      
spiritual life2 to him they seemed so   
overloaded with harness as to have no   
great strength left for pulling the     
chariot4 ,but he would not interfere    
with them2 he knew that it was of little
 avail to try to change such methods    
once they had become habitual2 and he   

recognized that there were many who     
could never get along without them4 ,at 
any rate he was tolerant by nature1 and 
slow to condemn in general or particular
 anything useful to well-meaning souls4 
,it is vain to rise before the light1   
was another motto4 ,make no haste in the
 time of clouds4 ,these two texts of    
,scripture he was fond of repeating4    
,when ,god shows the way1 he once said1 
you will see2 no amount of peering in   
the dark will bring the sun over the    
hills4 ,pray for light1 but don't move  
an inch before you get it4 ,when it     
comes1 go ahead with all your might4    
,self-imposed penances1 self-assumed    
devotional practices he mistrusted4 ,he 
was convinced that the only way sure to 
succeed1 and to succeed perfectly1 was  
either that shown by an interior        
attraction too powerful and too peaceful
 to be other than divine1 or one pointed
 out by the lawful external authority in
 the ,church4  ,when asked for advice on
 matters of conscience his decisions    

were generally quick and always simple4 
,yet he often refused to decide without 
time for prayer and thought1 saying1 ,i 
have no lights on this matter2 you must 
give me time4 ,and not seldom he refused
 to decide altogether for the same      
reason4 ,one thing annoyed him much1 and
 that was the blank silence and stupid  
wonder with which some instructed       
,catholics listened to him as he spoke  
of the guidance of the ,holy ,spirit as 
the way of ,christian perfection1       
treating it as beyond the reach of      
ordinary mortals1 intricate in its      
rules1 mystical1 and visionary2 whereas 
,father ,hecker knew it to be the one   
only simple method1 with a minimum of   
rules1 useful for all1 readily          
understood4 ,what follows is a brief    
outline of the entire doctrine in it    
practical use in the progress or the    
soul from a sinful life onwards2 we have
 found it among his memoranda3  ,what   
must one do in order to favor the       
reception of the ,holy ,spirit1 and     

secure fidelity to ,his guidance when   
received8 ,first receive the            
,sacraments1 the divinely instituted    
channels of grace3 one will scarcely    
persevere in living in the state of     
grace1 to say nothing of securing a     
close union with ,god1 who receives     
,holy ,communion only once or twice a   
year4 ,second1 practise prayer1 above   
all that highest form of prayer1        
assisting at ,holy ,mass2 then mental   
and vocal prayer1 the public offices of 
the ,church1 and particular devotions   
according to one's attrait4 ,third1 read
 spiritual books daily--the ,bible1     
,lives of the ,saints1 ,following of    
,christ1 ,spiritual ,combat1 etc4 ,but  
in all this bear ever in mind1 that the 
steady impelling force by which one does
 each of these outward things is the    
inner and secret prompting of the ,holy 
,ghost1 and that perseverance in them is
 secured by no other aid except the same
 hidden inspiration4 ,cherish that above
 all1 therefore1 and in every stage of  

the spiritual life2 be most obedient to 
it1 seeking meantime for good counsel   
wherever it is likely to be had4        
,father ,hecker was of opinion that a   
larger number of persons can be led to  
perfection than is generally supposed1  
and he would sound the call in the ears 
of ,christians generally far more than  
is commonly done4 ,he was also persuaded
 that there are many souls whose whole  
lives have been entirely1 or almost     
entirely1 free from the taint of mortal 
sin1 and these he considered should be  
the most active spirits among           
,christians4 ,he thought that more room 
should be made for them in our          
discourses1 and that everybody should   
not be lumped together in one mass as   
hardened sinners or as penitents4  ,to  
these innocent men and women the        
mediatorship of ,christ should be made  
as distinct as possible1 the elevation  
of the soul to divine union through the 
,incarnation brought out fully1 and the 
redemption of man from sin and hell be  

included in it1 and be absorbed by it4  
,too many souls who have never sinned   
mortally fail to struggle for           
perfection1 ,father ,hecker often said1 
because they never have heard any       
invitation but the call to repentance4  
,the positive side of ,christianity is  
the ,incarnation1 which lifts all men of
 good-will1 repentant and innocent      
alike1 into participation with the      
,deity4 ,father ,hecker would talk by   
the hour of the need of bringing that   
view of our ,lord's mission most        
prominently forward1 the idea of        
redemption applying to innocent souls   
only on account of original sin1 and by 
sympathy with their brethren infected by
 actual sin4 ,and he would show that    
even hard sinners could often be brought
 to a good life more surely1 and be     
enabled more certainly to persevere1 by 
forcibly emphasizing the ,incarnation   
and its benefits than by any other      
method4 ,their blindness and selfishness
 hinder hard sinners from easily        

appreciating our ,lord's sufferings as  
borne on their account4 ,father ,hecker 
regretted that the idea of redemption   
was so often presented in a way to give 
the impression that atonement was the   
whole office of ,christ4 ,there are many
 souls for whom access to ,christ as    
,mediator was more in consonance with   
the truth than access to ,him as        
,redeemer1 ,mediator in that case       
including ,redeemer1 rather than the    
,redeemer absorbing the idea of         
,mediator4 ,redemption from original sin
 is1 of course1 necessary to the        
mediatorship of a fallen race4 ,but our 
,lord became ,redeemer that he might be 
,mediator2 he cleansed us from sin that 
he might lift us up to the ,godhead2 and
 in many souls ,father ,hecker knew that
 the process of cleansing began and     
ended with original sin and venial sins4
 ,such souls often go their lives long  
with no compelling stimulus to          
perfection1 because they cannot apply to
 themselves the accusations of sin      

commonly put into the directions for    
beginners4  ,much has been already said 
of the aids to perfection which ,father 
,hecker perceived in a right use of the 
liberty and intelligence of our times4  
,he also insisted that the commercial   
and industrial features of our          
civilization were no obstacles to a high
 state of ,christian perfection4  ,in a 
remarkable sermon1 entitled ,the ,saint 
of ,our ,day1 published in the third    
volume of the ,paulist series1 ,father  
,hecker1 after making a powerful        
exposition of the advantages of liberty 
and intelligence as helps to the        
interior life1 insists that the         
opportunities and responsibilities      
peculiar to our civilization are capable
 of being sanctified to the highest     
degree4 ,the model he proposes in this  
sermon is ,st4 ,joseph4 ,he was no      
martyr1 yet showed a martyr's fidelity  
by his trust in ,god4  ,called by the   
voice of ,god to leave his friends1     
home1 and country1 he obeys instantly   

and without a murmur4 ,to find ,god and 
to be one with ,god1 a solitary life in 
the desert was not necessary to ,st4    
,joseph4 ,he was in the world and found 
,god where he was4 ,he sanctified his   
work by carrying ,god with him into the 
workshop4 ,st4 ,joseph was no flower of 
the desert or plant of the cloister2 he 
found the means of perfection in the    
world1 and consecrated it to ,god by    
making its cares and duties subservient 
to divine purposes4  ,the house of ,st4 
,joseph was his cloister1 and in the    
bosom of his family he practised the    
sublimest virtues4 ,while occupied with 
the common daily duties of life his mind
 was fixed on the contemplation of      
divine truths1 thus breathing into all  
his actions a heavenly influence4 ,he   
attained in society and in human        
relationships a degree of perfection not
 surpassed1 if equalled1 by the martyr's
 death1 the contemplative of the        
solitude1 the cloistered monk1 or the   
missionary hero4  ,our age is not an age

 of martyrdom1 nor an age of hermits1   
nor a monastic age4 ,although it has its
 martyrs1 its recluses1 and its monastic
 communities1 these are not1 and are not
 likely to be1 its prevailing types of  
,christian perfection4 ,our age lives in
 its busy marts1 in counting-rooms1 in  
workshops1 in homes1 and in the varied  
relations that form human society1 and  
it is into these that sanctity is to be 
introduced4 ,st4 ,joseph stands forth as
 an excellent and unsurpassed model of  
this type of perfection4 ,these duties  
and these opportunities must be made    
instrumental in sanctifying the soul4   
,for it is the difficulties and the     
hindrances that men find in their age   
which give the form to their character  
and habits1 and when mastered become the
 means of divine grace and their titles 
to glory4 ,indicate these1 and you      
portray that type of sanctity in which  
the life of the ,church will find its   
actual and living expression4  ,this1   
then1 is the field of conquest for the  

heroic ,christian of our day4 ,out of   
the cares1 toils1 duties1 afflictions1  
and responsibilities of daily life are  
to be built the pillars of sanctity of  
the ,stylites of our age4 ,this is the  
coming form of the triumph of ,christian
 virtue4  ,with all1 moreover1 ,father  
,hecker insisted on the practice of the 
natural virtues1 honesty1 temperance1   
truthfulness1 kindliness4 courage1 and  
manliness generally1 as preceding any   
practical move towards the higher life4 
,he first explored the character and    
life of his penitent in search of what  
natural power he had1 and then demanded 
its full exertion4 ,he began with the   
natural man1 and made every supernatural
 force in the sacraments and prayer aid 
in establishing and increasing natural  
virtue as a necessary preliminary and   
ever-present accompaniment of           
supernatural progress4 ,perhaps ,father 
,hecker's antipathy to ,calvinism       
sharpened his zeal for the natural      
virtues1 and strengthened his advocacy  

of human innocence4 ,the craving for the
 supernatural1 he was convinced1 would  
be strong in proportion to the          
enlightenment of the natural reason2 the
 need of the grace of ,god is1 of       
course1 most urgent in a sinful state1  
but it would be more quickly perceived  
in proportion to the possession of      
natural virtue4 ,as the exercise of     
reason is necessary to faith and        
precedes its acts1 so the integrity of  
natural virtue is the best preparation  
for the grace of ,god4 ,many pages of   
,the ,aspirations of ,nature1 from which
 the following brief quotations are     
made1 are devoted to the dignity of     
humanity and the need of placing the    
excellence of human nature in the       
foreground when considering how man may 
attain to a high supernatural state3    
,every faculty of the soul1 rightly     
exercised1 leads to truth2 every        
instinct of our nature has an eternal   
destiny attached to it4 ,catholicity    
finds its support in these and employs  

them in all her developments4  ,the     
,catholic religion is wonderfully       
calculated and adapted to call forth1   
sustain1 and perfect the tastes1        
propensities1 and peculiarities of human
 nature4 ,and let no one venture to say 
that these characteristics which are    
everywhere found among men are to be    
repressed rather than encouraged4 ,this 
is to despise human nature1 this is to  
mar the work of ,god4 ,for are not these
 peculiarities inborn8 ,are they not    
implanted in us by the hand of our      
,creator8 ,are they not what go to      
constitute our very individuality8      
,humanity is a word of vague meaning to 
most ears1 but to ,father ,hecker its   
meaning was a living thing of value     
second only to ,christianity4 ,here is  
his summary of the relation of          
,catholicity to human nature1 taken from
 the same source as the foregoing3      
,catholicity is that religion which     
links itself to all the faculties of the
 mind1 appropriates all the instincts of

 human nature1 and by thus concurring   
with the work of the ,creator affirms   
its own ,divine origin4  ,we give the   
following extracts from letters of      
spiritual advice1 to show ,father       
,hecker's views of mortification3       
,exterior mortifications are aids to    
interior life4 ,what we take from the   
body we give to the spirit4 ,if we will 
look at it closely1 two-thirds of our   
time is taken up with what we shall eat1
 and how we shall sleep1 and wherewithal
 we shall be clothed4 ,two-thirds of our
 life and more is animal--including     
sleep4 ,i do not despise the animal in  
man1 but ,i go in for fair play for the 
soul4 ,the better part should have the  
greater share4 ,the right order of      
things has been reversed3 con-version is
 necessary4 ,read the lives of the old  
,fathers of the ,desert4 ,they          
determined on leading a rational and    
divine life4 ,how little are they known 
or appreciated in our day6 ,their lives 
are more interesting than a novel and   

stranger than a romance4  ,self-love1   
self-activity1 self-hood1 is something  
not easily destroyed4 ,it is like a     
cancer which has its roots extending to 
the most delicate fibres of our mental  
and moral nature4 ,divine grace can draw
 them all out4 ,but how slowly6 ,and how
 exquisitely painful is the process--the
 more subtle the self-love the more     
painful the cure4  ,never practise any  
mortification of a considerable         
character without counsel4 ,the devil1  
when he can no longer keep us back1 aims
 at driving us too far and too fast4    
,how can the intellect be brought under 
direction of divine grace except by     
reducing it to its nothingness8--and how
 can this be done except by placing it  
in utter darkness8 ,how can the heart be
 filled with the spirit of divine love  
while it contains any other8 ,how can it
 be purified of all other inordinate    
love except by dryness and bitterness8  
,god wishes to fill our intelligence and
 our hearts with divine light and love1 

and thus to deify our whole nature--to  
make us one with what we                
represent--,god4 ,and how can ,he do    
this otherwise than by removing from our
 soul and its faculties all that is     
contrary to the divine order8  ,all your
 difficulties are favors from ,god2 you 
see them on the wrong side1 and speak as
 the block of marble would while being  
chiselled by the sculptor4 ,when ,god   
purifies the soul1 it cries out just    
like little children do when their faces
 are washed4 ,the soul's attention must 
be withdrawn from external1 created     
things and turned inward towards ,god   
exclusively before its union with ,him2 
and this transformation is a great1     
painful1 and wonderful work1 and so much
 the more difficult and painful as the  
soul's attention has been attracted and 
attached to transitory things--to       
creatures4  ,he was often heard         
repeating the following verse from ,the 
,imitation 7book iii4 chap4 xxxi471 as  
summarizing the necessary conditions of 

the active life3 ,unless a man be       
elevated in spirit1 and set at liberty  
from all creatures1 and wholly united to
 ,god1 whatever he knows and whatever he
 has is of no great weight4 ,he wrote to
 a friend that he had studied that verse
 for thirty years and still found that  
he did not know all it meant4  ,we give 
what follows as characteristic of       
,father ,hecker's manner as a director3 
,at first1 in all your deliberate       
actions1 calm your mind1 place yourself 
in the attitude of a receiver or        
listener1 and then decide4              
,imperceptibly and insensibly grace will
 guide you4  ,don't care what people    
say2 keep your own counsel4 ,use your   
own sense and abound in it2 as the      
apostle says3 ',let every one abound in 
his own sense4' ,don't try to get       
anybody to agree with you4 ,no two noses
 are alike1 much less souls4 ,god never 
repeats4  ,nobody nowadays wants ,god4  
,every one has the whole world on his   
shoulders1 and unless his own petty     

ideas and schemes are adopted and       
succeed1 he prophesies the end of the   
world4 ,you are on the right road--push 
on6 ,our maxim is3 ,be sure you are     
right and then go ahead6  ,how much that
 is good and noble in the soul is       
smothered by unwise restraint6 ,the     
whole object of restraint is to reject  
that which is false and to correct the  
preference given to a lower good instead
 of to a higher one4 ,as for the        
rest--freedom6  ,i know a man who thinks
 he don't know anything--who every day  
knows that he knows less2 and who hopes 
to know nothing before he dies4 ,o      
blessed emptiness which fills us with   
all6 ,o happy poverty which possesses   
all6 ,o beatified nothingness which can 
exclaim1 ,deus meus et omnia6  ,it will 
have been seen by this time that ,father
 ,hecker's first and fundamental rule of
 direction was to have as little of it  
as possible4 ,his method started out    
with the purpose to do away with method 
at the earliest moment it could safely  

be done4 ,to be ,father ,hecker's       
penitent meant the privilege of sooner  
or later being nobody's penitent but the
 ,holy ,ghost's4 ,the following rules of
 direction he printed in #ahhg3  ,the   
work of the priesthood is to help to    
guide the ,christian people1            
understanding that ,god is always       
guiding them interiorly4  ,an innocent  
soul we must guide1 fully understanding 
that ,god is dwelling within him2 not as
 a substitute for ,god4  ,a repentant   
sinner we must guide1 understanding that
 we are but restoring him to ,god's     
guidance4  ,the best that we can do for 
any ,christian is to quicken his sense  
of fidelity to ,god speaking to him in  
an enlightened conscience4  ,now1 ,god's
 guidance is of two kinds3 one is that  
of ,his external providence in the      
circumstances of life2 the other is     
interior1 and is the direct action of   
the ,holy ,spirit on the human soul4    
,there is great danger in separating    
these two4  ,the key to many spiritual  

problems is found in this truth3 ,the   
direct action of ,god upon the soul1    
which is interior1 is in harmony with   
his external providence4 ,sanctity      
consists in making them identical as    
motives for every thought1 word1 and    
deed of our lives4 ,the external and the
 internal 7and the same must be said of 
the natural and supernatural7 are one in
 ,god1 and the consciousness of them    
both is to be made one divine whole in  
man4 ,to do this requires an heroic     
life-sanctity4  ,all the sacraments of  
the ,church1 her authority1 prayer both 
mental and vocal1 spiritual reading1    
exercises of mortification and of       
devotion1 have for their end and purpose
 to lead the soul to the guidance of the
 ,holy ,spirit4 ,st4 ,alphonsus says in 
his letters that the first director of  
the soul is the ,holy ,ghost ,himself4  
,it is never to be forgotten that one   
man can never be a guide to another     
except as leading him to his only       
,divine ,guide4  ,the guide of the soul 

is the ,holy ,spirit ,himself1 and the  
criterion or test of possessing that    
guide is the ,divine authority of the   
,church4  ,what follows was published by
 ,father ,hecker in ,the ,catholic      
,world in #ahhg4 ,it throws new light on
 the questions we have been considering1
 abounding in practical rules of        
direction1 and therefore1 though        
somewhat long1 we venture to close the  
chapter with it3  ',if any one shall say
 that without the previous inspiration  
of the ,holy ,spirit and ,his aid1 a man
 can believe1 hope1 love1 or repent as  
he should1 so that the grace of         
justification may be conferred upon him1
 let him be anathema4'  ,these are the  
words of the holy ,council of ,trent1 in
 which the ,catholic ,church infallibly 
teaches that without an interior        
movement of the indwelling ,holy ,spirit
 no act of the soul can be meritorious  
of heaven4 ,this doctrine1 embodying the
 plain sense of ,holy ,scripture and the
 unbroken teaching of the ,church in all

 ages1 bases human justification on an  
interior impulse of the ,third ,person  
of the ,divine ,trinity4 ,this impulse  
precedes the soul's acts of faith1 hope1
 and love1 and of sorrow for sin3 the   
first stage in the supernatural career1 
then1 is the entering of the ,holy      
,spirit into the inner life of the soul4
 ,the process of justification begins by
 the divine life of the indwelling      
,spirit taking up into itself the human 
life of the soul4  ,nor is this to the  
detriment of man's liberty1 but rather  
to its increase4 ,the infinite          
independence of ,god and his divine     
liberty are shared by man exactly in    
proportion as he partakes of ,god's life
 in the communication of the ,holy      
,spirit4  ,if it be asked how the ,holy 
,spirit is received1 the answer is1     
,sacramentally4 ',unless a man be born  
again of water and the ,holy ,ghost1 he 
cannot enter into the kingdom of ,god4' 
,as man by nature is a being of both    
outer and inner life1 so1 when made a   

new man by the ,spirit of ,god and      
elevated into a supernatural state1 ,god
 deals with him by both outer and inner 
methods4 ,the ,holy ,spirit is received 
by the sacramental grace of baptism and 
renewed by the other sacraments2 also in
 prayer1 vocal or mental1 hearing       
sermons1 reading the ,scriptures or     
devout books1 and on occasions1         
extraordinary or ordinary1 in the course
 of daily life2 and when once received  
every act of the soul that merits heaven
 is done by the inspiration of that     
,divine ,guide dwelling within us4 ,even
 though unperceived1 though             
indistinguishable from impulses of      
natural virtue1 though imperceptibly    
multiplied as often as the instants are1
 yet each movement of heaven-winning    
virtue1 and especially love1 hope1      
faith1 and repentance1 is made because  
the ,holy ,spirit has acted upon the    
soul in an efficacious manner4  ,it is  
not to induce a strained outlook for the
 particular cases of the action of the  

,spirit of ,god on us1 or the signs of  
it1 that these words are written4 ,the  
sacraments1 prayer and holy reading1 and
 hearing sermons and instructions1 are  
the plain1 external instruments and     
accompaniments of the visitations of    
,god1 and are sufficient landmarks for  
the journey of the soul1 unless it be   
led in a way altogether extraordinary4  
,and apart from these external marks1 no
 matter how you watch for ,god1 his     
visitations are best known by their     
effects2 it is after the cause has been 
placed1 perhaps some considerable time  
after1 that the faith1 hope1 love1 or   
sorrow becomes perceptibly              
increased--always excepting             
extraordinary cases4 ,not to 'resist the
 ,spirit' is the first duty4 ,fidelity  
to the divine guidance1 yielding one's  
self up lovingly to the impulses of     
virtue as they gently claim control of  
our thoughts--this is the simple duty4  
,having laid down in broad terms the    
fundamental doctrine of the supernatural

 life1 it is proper to say a word of the
 natural virtues and of their relation  
to the supernatural4 ,it has been       
already intimated that the goodness of  
nature is often indistinguishable from  
the holiness of the supernatural life2  
and1 indeed1 as a rule1 impulses of the 
,holy ,spirit first pour their floods   
into the channels of natural virtue1    
thus rendering them supernatural4 ,these
 are mainly the cardinal virtues3       
,prudence1 ,justice1 ,fortitude1 and    
,temperance4 ,practised in a state of   
nature1 these place us in our true      
relations with our nature and with      
,god's providence in all created nature 
around us2 these are the virtues which  
choice souls among the heathen          
practised4 ,they are not enough4 ,when  
they have done their utmost they leave a
 void in the heart that still yearns for
 more4 ,it is the purpose of the ,spirit
 of ,god to raise our virtue to a grade 
far above nature4 ,the practice of the  
virtues of faith hope1 and love1 which  

bring the soul into direct communication
 with ,god1 and which1 when practised   
under the guidance of the ,holy ,spirit1
 are supernatural1 following upon the   
practice of the cardinal virtues under  
the same guidance1 place the soul in its
 true and perfect relation with ,god--a 
state which is more than natural4  ,let 
us1 if we would see things clearly1 keep
 in sight the difference between the    
natural and supernatural4 ,in the       
natural order a certain union with ,god 
was possessed by man in all ages in     
common with every creature4 ,the union  
of the creature with the divine creative
 power is something which man can       
neither escape from nor be robbed of4   
,but in the case of rational creatures  
this union is1 even in a state of       
nature1 made far closer and its         
enjoyment increased by a virtuous       
life--one in which reason is superior to
 appetite2 a life only to be led by one 
assisted1 if not by the indwelling ,holy
 ,spirit peculiar to the grace of       

,christ1 yet by the helps necessary to  
natural virtue and called medicinal     
graces4 ,the practice of the four       
cardinal virtues--,prudence1 ,justice1  
,fortitude1 and ,temperance--in the     
ordinary natural state gave to guileless
 men and women in every age a natural   
union with their ,creator4 ,although we 
maintain that such natural union with   
,god is not enough for man1 yet we      
insist that the part the natural virtues
 play in man's sanctification be        
recognized4 ,in considering a holy life 
natural virtues are too often passed    
over1 either because the men who        
practised them in heathen times were    
perhaps few in number1 or because of the
 ,calvinistic error that nature and man 
are totally corrupt4  ,and we further   
insist on the natural virtues because   
they tend to place man in true relations
 with himself and with nature1 thus     
bringing him into more perfect relation 
or union with ,god than he was by means 
of the creative act--a proper           

preliminary to his supernatural         
relation4 ,who will deny that there were
 men not a few among the heathen in whom
 ,prudence1 ,justice1 ,fortitude1 and   
,temperance were highly exemplified8    
,they knew well enough what right reason
 demanded4 ,such men as ,socrates1      
,plato1 ,epictetus1 and ,marcus         
,aurelius had by the natural light of   
reason a knowledge of what their nature 
required of them4 ,they had faults1     
great ones if you please2 at the same   
time they knew them to be faults1 and   
they had the natural virtues in greater 
or less degrees4 ,thus the union between
 ,god and the soul1 due to the creative 
act1 though not sufficient1 never was   
interrupted4 ,the ,creator and the      
,mediator are one4       ,,chapter      
,,xxviii  ,,the ,,paulist ,,parish ,,and
 ,,missions  ,,in serving the parish1   
the ,paulists1 led by ,father ,hecker1  
endeavored to utilize the individual    
qualities of each member1 as well as the
 advantages of a community1 so as to    

bring them to bear as distinct forces   
upon the people4 ,what ,george ,miles   
had said of them as missionaries1 as    
quoted in a previous chapter1 applied to
 them as parish priests1 and told       
accordingly in result4 ,their personal  
excellences found free room for         
activity1 without any lack of oneness of
 spirit and without interfering with    
harmony of action4  ,the missionary     
makes an efficient parish priest4       
,accustomed to severe labor as well as  
to very moderate recreation1 he pours   
the energy of apostolic zeal into       
parochial channels4 ,a high order of    
preaching is often the result1 combined 
with tireless application to visiting   
the sick1 hunting up sinners1 and       
hearing confessions4 ,on the other hand1
 the experience of regular parish duty  
is of assistance to the missionary when 
he returns to his apostolic expeditions1
 as ,pius ,,ix4 called them2 he is all  
the better fitted to plan and execute   
his proper enterprises from having      

obtained a fuller knowledge of the      
ordinary state of things in a parish4   
,it will not be expected that a detailed
 account of the parish work of ,st4     
,paul's will here be given1 or more than
 a brief summary of that of the         
missions4 ,these latter were kept up    
with vigorous energy from #aheh till the
 close of the war in the spring of      
#ahfe4 ,on ,april #d of that year       
,father ,baker died1 and the missions1  
which had been a grievous burden to the 
little band1 now became an              
impossibility4 ,they were suspended till
 #ahgb1 excepting an occasional one1    
given not so much as part of the current
 labor of the community1 as to retain   
their sweet savor in the memory and as  
an earnest of their future resumption4  
,but up to ,father ,baker's death this  
small body of men had preached almost   
everywhere throughout the country1      
getting away from the ,south just before
 the war blocked the road4 ,eighty-one  
missions had been given1 hundreds of    

converts had been received into the     
,church and many scores of thousands of 
confessions heard4 ,numerous            
applications for missions were refused  
for want of men to preach them4         
,scarcely a city of any size in the     
,united ,states and ,canada but knew the
 ,paulists and thanked ,god for their   
missions4  ,the ,fathers conducted them 
in the same spirit as when they were    
,redemptorists1 and followed1 as the    
community still continues to do1        
substantially the same method4 ,it is   
not easy to improve on ,st4 ,alphonsus4 
,but they did not fail to bring out the 
qualities and call for the peculiar     
virtues demanded by ,divine ,providence 
in these times4 ,their preaching was    
distinguished by appeals to manliness   
and intelligence1 as well as to the     
virtues distinctly supernatural4 ,the   
people were not only edified by their   
zeal and religious discipline1 but the  
more observant were attracted by the    
,paulists' freedom of spirit1 and by    

their constant insistence on the use of 
the reasoning faculties to guide the    
emotions aroused by the sermons4 ,the   
missionaries were men of native         
independence1 and their religious       
influence was productive of the same    
quality4 ,great attention was paid to   
the doctrinal instructions4 ,as to      
special devotions1 the ,paulists have   
never had any to propagate1 though      
competent and willing to assist the     
pastor in his own choice of such        
subsidiary religious aids4              
,non-,catholics of all classes were     
drawn to hear the convert missionaries1 
and the exercises usually received      
flattering notices from the secular     
press4 ,an unrelenting warfare was      
carried on against the dangerous        
occasions of sin peculiar to our country
 and people1 and the ,fathers were from 
the beginning1 and their community is   
yet well known for particular hostility 
to drunkenness1 and to the most fruitful
 source of that detestable and          

widespread vice1 the saloon4 ,their     
antagonism to drunkenness showed their  
appreciation of its evil supremacy among
 the masses1 and the condemnation of the
 saloon was a necessary result4  ,this  
attitude of the missionaries was often a
 bitter-sweet morsel to the pastors1    
nearly all of whom at that time had been
 trained in the ,old ,world4 ,they were 
glad of the good done1 yet sorry to see 
their liquor-dealers put to public      
shame4 ,one pastor is recorded as       
saying3 ,the only people that have      
looked sad at this mission are the first
 men in my parish1 the rum-sellers4 ,the
 following is a piece of evidence worth 
publishing1 though it is but one of very
 many which could be produced4 ,it is   
found in the ,mission ,record in ,father
 ,baker's handwriting3  ,a ,catholic one
 evening1 on his way to the mission1    
stopped in a grog-shop and took a glass 
with the proprietor4 ',won't you go with
 me to hear the ,fathers8' said the     
guest4 ',no1' said the other1 'these men

 are too hard on us4 ,they want all of  
us liquor-dealers to shut up our shops4 
,if we were rich we could do it2 but we 
an't--we are poor4 ,these men are too   
high and independent2 ,father wouldn't  
dare to speak as they do4 ,but after    
all1' continued he1 'they are good      
fellows2 see the effect of their        
labors4' ,then1 taking out of his pocket
 a crumpled letter which he had received
 through the post-office1 and which was 
badly spelled and badly written1 he read
 as follows3 ',,sir3 ,i send you three  
dollars which ,i received by mistake    
three years ago from your clerk4 ,and   
now ,i hope that you will stop selling  
damnation1 and that ,god may give you   
grace to stop it4 ,yours3 ,a ,sinner4'  
,whatever may have been the misgivings  
of some1 the opposition of the ,paulists
 to the liquor-traffic was approved by  
the most enlightened and influential    
prelates and priests of the country1 as 
is shown by the number of cathedrals and
 other prominent churches in which the  

missions were preached4 ,it should be   
added that this antagonism to           
drunkenness1 to convivial drinking1 and 
to saloon-keeping1 not only received the
 unanimous applause of the ,catholic    
laity1 but edified the non-,catholic    
public1 and brought out many            
commendations from the secular press as 
well as from the police authorities of  
our crowded cities4 ,a mission is a     
terror to obstinate evil-doers of all   
kinds1 but to habitual drunkards and    
saloon-keepers it is especially so4 ,the
 attitude of the ,church in ,america on 
this entire subject1 as officially      
expressed by the decrees of the ,third  
,plenary ,council and by its pastoral   
letter1 fully justifies the action of   
,father ,hecker and his companions4  ,as
 soon as the church in ,fifty-ninth     
,street was opened the community exerted
 itself to make the surroundings        
attractive4 ,the building occupied but a
 small part of the property1 the rest of
 which was laid out in grass-plats and  

gravel walks2 many shade-trees and some 
fruit-trees were set out1 and a flower  
and vegetable garden planted4 ,it was   
,father ,hecker's delight to superintend
 this work1 and to participate actively 
in it when his duties allowed4 ,the     
grounds soon became an attractive spot1 
to which in a few years church-goers    
from all parts of the city began to make
 ,sunday pilgrimages4 ,they came in     
considerable numbers every ,sunday to   
assist at ,mass or ,vespers in ,st4     
,paul's quiet1 country-like church4     
,meantime the residents of the parish1  
not very numerous and nearly all of the 
laboring class1 formed deep attachments 
for their pastors1 and an almost ideal  
state of unity and affection bound      
priests and people together4  ,nearly   
the entire region was covered with      
market gardens1 varied with huge masses 
of rock1 and groups of shanties4 ,very  
many of the parishioners of that early  
period lived in these nondescript       
dwellings1 of which they were themselves

 both the architects and builders1 a    
fact which added not a little to their  
quaint and picturesque appearance4 ,the 
sites upon which these squatters' homes 
were placed1 and over which roamed and  
sported their mingled goats1 dogs1 and  
children1 are now occupied in great part
 by blocks of stately residences and    
apartment houses2 but we know not       
whether the grace of ,god abounds more  
plentifully now than it did then4 ,at   
any rate1 whoever heard ,father ,hecker 
in those primitive days call his parish 
,shantyopolis1 could see no sign of     
regret on his part that he had a poor   
and simple people as the bulk of his    
parishioners4  ,much attention was given
 to the preparation and preaching of    
sermons1 with the result of a full      
attendance at ,high ,mass on ,sundays4  
,beginning with #ahfa1 a volume of these
 discourses was published under ,father 
,hecker's direction each year1 till a   
series of seven volumes had been        
completed4 ,these were very well        

received by the ,catholic public1 and   
were bought in considerable numbers by  
non-,catholic clergymen4 ,they had an   
extensive sale1 though when their       
publication was first proposed it was   
feared that they would not succeed4     
,they are almost wholly of a strictly   
parochial character1 brief1 direct in   
style1 abounding in examples from       
every-day life1 and plentifully         
illustrated with ,scripture quotations4 
,although ,father ,hecker preached      
regularly in his turn1 only a few of his
 sermons were contributed to these      
volumes1 but his suggestions and        
encouragement greatly assisted the other
 ,fathers in preparing theirs1 as indeed
 in all their duties1 parochial and     
missionary4 ,some years after the series
 was ended two volumes of ,five-,minute 
,sermons were published1 providing short
 instructions for ,low ,masses on       
,sundays4  ,the ,paulist ,church also   
became well known for the attention paid
 to the public offices of religion1 as  

well as for rubrical exactness in       
ceremonies1 the greater feasts of the   
year being celebrated with all the      
splendor which a simple church-building 
and limited pecuniary means allowed4    
,father ,hecker was from first to last  
strongly in favor of congregational     
singing1 and assisted to the best of his
 power in introducing it4 ,it began in  
our church in modest fashion back in    
those early days1 and was fostered      
zealously at the ,lenten devotions and  
society meetings4 ,it never failed of   
some good results1 and has finally      
attained a flourishing state of success 
in this parish4 ,his attention to the   
children was constant4 ,no matter who   
had charge of the ,sunday-school1 as    
long as his health permitted ,father    
,hecker was there every ,sunday that he 
was at home1 asking questions1 talking  
to the teachers and children1 enlivening
 all by his encouragement and           
cheerfulness4 ,he was a martinet on one 
question1 and that was cleanliness1 and 

its kindred virtue1 orderliness4 ,he was
 never above working with mop1 broom and
 duster indoors1 and shovel and rake in 
the garden2 and this trait added much to
 the appearance of things as well as to 
the comfort of all concerned in the use 
of the convent and the church4  ,though 
assiduous in every parish duty1 his     
favorite task was the relief of the     
poor4 ,they multiplied in number in     
undue proportion to the increase of the 
parish1 drifting out this way from the  
overcrowded quarters down town4 ,father 
,hecker enlisted the best men and women 
in the congregation in the work of      
caring for them1 organizing a conference
 of the ,st4 ,vincent de ,paul ,society1
 in whose labors he joyfully and        
energetically participated4  ,the death 
of ,father ,baker was1 humanly speaking1
 a loss to the community beyond all     
calculation1 and was the great event of 
the first period of the ,paulist        
community4 ,father ,hecker had the very 
highest estimate of his holiness1 and   

mourned him with the mingled sorrow and 
joy with which saints are mourned4 ,the 
reader should get ,father ,hewit's      
,memoir of ,father ,baker if he would   
know his virtues4 ,father ,hecker was   
often heard to say that few men         
understood his ideas so clearly as did  
,father ,baker and had so much sympathy 
with them4 ,and his death was the signal
 for an impulse whose power plainly     
indicated its supernatural origin4 ,up  
to that time there had been but two     
priests added to the community1 and     
those who had offered themselves as     
novices and been rejected were1 as a    
rule1 little calculated to inspire hope4
 ,but from #ahfe onwards good subjects1 
mostly converts1 applied in sufficient  
numbers1 and in a few years the missions
 were resumed4 ,but what was of even    
more importance1 the apostolate of the  
press1 started in the publication of    
,,the ,,catholic ,,world the month in   
which ,father ,baker's death occurred1  
assumed a national prominence1 and      

together with the ,catholic ,tracts and 
the ,catholic ,publication ,society set 
the ,paulists at work in their primary  
vocation1 the conversion of             
non-,catholics to the true religion4 ,to
 this1 and to ,father ,hecker's         
lectures1 we now turn4 ,of course we    
might dwell longer on the parish and the
 missions1 about which there are many   
things of interest left untold1 but only
 the lapse of time can sufficiently     
dissociate them from living persons to  
allow of their being made public4       
,,chapter ,,xxix  ,,father ,,hecker',s  
,,lectures  ,,the suspension of the     
missions1 if it was the result of       
necessity1 was yet an aid to ,father    
,hecker in devoting himself to public   
speaking in the interests of the        
,catholic faith4 ,between missions1 it  
is true1 he seized every favorable      
opportunity to address audiences on     
controversial topics1 often doing so in 
public halls1 as well as in churches4   
,meantime he could still further mature 

his plans1 and1 testing his methods by  
experiment1 secure for future occasions 
a course of lectures fully suited to the
 end he had in view4 ,more than ever did
 he study to fit himself for his        
apostolate4 ,how1 he asked himself1     
shall the living word be framed anew for
 our new people8 ,how shall religious   
teaching be suited to the special needs 
of this age without detracting from the 
integrity and the venerable antiquity of
 the truth8 ,he sought to answer these  
questions by recalling his own early    
difficulties1 and by opening his soul to
 the voices of struggling humanity      
uttered everywhere around him4 ,what men
 outside the ,church were yearning for  
in matters social and religious was his 
incessant study4 ,he read every book1 he
 read every periodical which promised to
 guide him ever so little to know by    
what road ,divine ,providence was moving
 men's minds towards the truth4 ,his    
eyes were ever strained to read the     
signs of ,god's providence in men's     

lives4 ,and his conclusion was always   
the same3 proclaim it on the house-tops 
that no man can be consistent with his  
natural aspirations till he has become a
 ,catholic2 preach it on the            
street-corners that the ,catholic       
religion elevates man far above his     
highest natural force into union with   
the ,deity--intimate1 conscious1 and    
perpetual4  ,as to systematic           
preparation for discourses to           
non-,catholics1 ,father ,hecker had his 
own peculiar equipment4 ,as the reader  
will remember1 ,god had led him in no   
way more singularly than in his studies1
 and had led him straight4 ,the         
doctrines of the ,church were familiar  
to him1 for they had quenched his soul's
 thirst4 ,and he had preached them on   
the missions1 the instructions on the   
,creed and the ,sacraments falling to   
his share4 ,he had given these waters of
 life to other souls1 and knew their    
value4 ,he was a close student of the   
dogmatic side of religion4 ,he had1 it  

is true1 little taste for the           
refinements of theologians1 unless they 
touched the questions of human dignity  
and the scope of the grace of ,christ1  
which were vital ones to himself4 ,he   
viewed religion with wide-sweeping      
glances1 trying to discover every hill  
of vision or stream of sanctity4 ,he had
 plain truths to teach1 and he needed   
none other4 ,he knew the organism of the
 ,church in clergy and in people1 for he
 had seen it both from without and      
within4 ,he had felt the grip of        
authority fixed in his soul4 ,he had    
agonized under the brand of punishment  
as it burnt into his flesh1 and he had  
seen it changed into the badge of       
approval4 ,within and without he knew   
,catholicity1 loved it daily more and   
more1 and was daily more and more       
anxious to proclaim it to the world4    
,it was not from labored preparation of 
his lectures that success came to       
,father ,hecker4 ,even those which      
seemed the most elaborately prepared he 

did not write out word for word4 ,his   
verbal memory was not trustworthy1 and  
he had to confide in his extemporizing  
faculty1 which was very good1 and which 
became in course of time quite reliable1
 giving out sentences clear1            
grammatical1 and fit to print4 ,i have  
to produce a sermon for next ,sunday1 he
 once wrote to a friend4 ,for me a      
sermon is always a spontaneous          
production2 ,i cannot get one up4 ,the  
idea must arise and grow up in my own   
mind4 ,it is usually hard labor for me  
to produce it outwardly and give it     
suitable expression4 ,but the effort did
 not appear in the delivery1 for his    
style1 although emphatic1 was easy and  
familiar2 his delivery1 if not          
altogether according to the rules of    
elocution1 nevertheless gained his point
 completely4 ,no word of his was        
dead-born4 ,his voice was not always    
clear1 as he often suffered from        
bronchial troubles1 but it was not      
unpleasant1 and had a penetrating       

quality1 being of that middle pitch     
which carries to the ends of a large    
auditorium without provoking the echoes4
 ,his appearance was very dignified1 his
 tall frame1 his broad face and large   
features showing with striking effect4  
,his action was simple and not          
ungraceful1 though frequently           
exceedingly energetic4 ,as he never     
sought emotional effects his power may  
be known by his unfailing success in    
holding his audience perfectly attentive
 throughout long argumentative          
discourses4 ,energy of conviction was   
one of the strongest forces he          
possessed1 and it took the shape of a   
gentle constraint with which his        
positive utterances of ,catholic        
principles compelled assent4 ,sincerity 
of belief and liberty of soul were      
admirably blended in his manner4 ,he    
never appeared in public without        
attracting many representatives of the  
mottled sectarianism of our population2 
and this pleased him much1 for he loved 

them1 felt at home with them1 and was   
full of joy at the opportunity of       
addressing them4  ,he was chagrined at  
the apathy he sometimes met with among  
,catholics concerning the ,american     
apostolate4 ,he found priests who would 
devote much labor to collecting money   
for the propagation of the faith among  
distant heathen races1 but very few who 
would make a serious effort for the     
conversion of their ,american           
fellow-citizens4 ,are ,americans of less
 worth in ,god's eyes than pagans and   
,buddhists8 he would ask4 ,he thought no
 differently of the people of the       
,united ,states than ,st4 ,paul did of  
the ,corinthians and ,macedonians1      
groaning and travailing with them to    
bring them forth members of ,christ2 or 
than ,st4 ,francis ,xavier did of the   
,japanese4  ,if asked how he was going  
to convert people1 he would answer3 ,i  
am a ,catholic1 and ,i know that ,i am  
right4 ,i can prove that ,i am right4   
,what more do ,i want than this1 and    

honest men and women who will listen to 
me8 ,the confidence he had in the       
strength of the ,catholic argument was  
absolute1 and this he showed by his     
zeal4 ,his sole study was how to        
transmute this force into missionary    
form4 ,of all the wonders of the        
intellectual world he felt that the     
greatest is the faith of ,catholics1 and
 he knew by the lesson of his early life
 that it is but slightly appreciated by 
the non-,catholic mind4 ,that ,catholics
 permit this ignorance to continue was a
 puzzle to him4 ,and it was all the more
 annoying because any single one of them
 can multiply his influence indefinitely
 by his union with the most perfect     
organism ever known--the ,catholic      
,church4 ,the quiescence of a body of   
men1 sincere and intelligent1 infallibly
 certain of the means of obtaining      
eternal happiness1 living in daily      
contact with other men ignorant and     
inquiring about this unspeakable        
privilege1 and yet not taking instant   

measures to impart their knowledge1 was 
to ,father ,hecker almost as great a    
wonder as the divine gift of faith      
itself1 especially as ,catholics are    
well furnished with leaders and are     
organized to spread the truth as one of 
their most sacred duties4  ,mr4 ,wilfrid
 ,ward1 a ,catholic philosophical writer
 of distinction1 has explained in a     
brilliant little volume the influence   
upon controversy of what he styles ,the 
,clothes of ,religion--race1 political  
traditions1 education1 physical         
temperament4 ,he puts into his          
instructive pages the sense of the great
 scholastic maxim1 ,quidquid recipitur  
secundum modum recipientis              
recipitur--,whatever is received1 is    
received according to the mode 7or      
character7 of the recipient4 ,the       
national character1 the tendencies1 the 
antecedents of the people addressed1 the
 relative power of thought and of       
emotion in their mental activity2 all   
these are not1 indeed1 the souls of men 

but the clothing of them1 their armor   
and their weapons2 and ,father ,hecker  
felt that such things must be taken into
 account in dealing with people1 and    
that with the utmost discretion4 ,his   
view about controversy with             
non-,catholics was indeed               
aggressive--that we had reached the     
point in the battle at which the legion1
 having cast its javelins1 rushes on    
with drawn swords to closer conflict4   
,but the combatants should be well      
trained1 the captains should know the   
ground to be traversed1 should          
understand thoroughly the weakness and  
strength of the enemy4 ,it was not a new
 thing to bring ,protestantism into     
court at the suit of human liberty4 ,but
 it was a novelty to attack             
,protestantism as the very              
torture-chamber of free and innocent    
souls1 and to do it in such a way as to 
draw thousands of the best ,protestants 
in the land to listen4 ,such sentences  
in the morning papers as ,an overflowing

 house greeted ,father ,hecker1 ,the    
immense hall has seldom been so         
completely filled1 ,representative men  
of all creeds and of none were scattered
 through the large audience1 had a      
tremendous meaning when the lecturer was
 known to be the most fearless assailant
 of ,protestantism who had appeared for 
many a day4  ,father ,hecker well knew  
that the non-,catholic ,american aspires
 to deal with ,god through the aid of as
 few exterior appliances as possible4   
,to come near ,god by his own spiritual 
activity without halting at forms of    
human contrivance is his spiritual      
ambition4 ,his religious joy is in a    
spiritual life which deals with ,god    
directly1 ,his inspired ,word1 ,his     
,holy ,spirit4 ,father ,hecker longed to
 tell his fellow-countrymen that the    
,catholic ,church gives them a flight to
 ,god a thousand times more direct than 
they ever dreamed of4 ,they think that  
the authority of the ,church will cramp 
their limbs2 he was eager to explain to 

them that it sets them free1 clears the 
mind of doubt1 intensifies conviction   
into instinctive certitude1 quickens the
 intellectual faculties into an activity
 whose force is unknown outside the     
,church4  ,it was not with the truths of
 revelation alone that ,father ,hecker  
dealt in his lectures4 ,the first       
principles of natural religion were the 
background of all his pictures of true  
,christianity3 that ,god is good1 that  
men will be punished only for their     
personal misdeeds1 that men are born for
 union with ,god and in their best      
moments long for ,him1 that they are    
equal1 being all made in the ,divine    
image1 endowed with free will and called
 to the one eternal happiness--such were
 the great truths with which he would   
impress his audience first of all1 using
 them afterwards as terms of comparison 
with ,protestant doctrine4 ,this plan he
 followed rather than institute a       
comparison of historical claims or of   
,biblical credentials1 the well-trodden 

but weary road of ordinary controversy4 
,to him ,protestantism was more an      
offence against the integrity of human  
nature than even against the truths of  
,christian revelation4 ,and he would    
place ,catholicity in a new light1 that 
of reason and liberty4  ,the revolt of  
,protestantism was not more against     
,god's external authority among men than
 it was against the equal brotherhood of
 the human race4 ,well done1 ,luther1   
,father ,hecker would say1 well and     
consistently done2 when you have        
proclaimed man totally depraved you have
 properly made his religion a ,cain-like
 flight from the face of his ,maker and 
his kindred by your doctrine of         
predestination4 ,father ,hecker deemed  
it plainly unwise to forego the         
advantages of attacking such vulnerable 
points as the ,protestant errors of     
total depravity and predestination for  
the sake of dwelling on the ,biblical   
and historical credentials of ,church   
authority4 ,he knew1 indeed1 that       

extravagant individualism is to this day
 a fundamental ,protestant error1 but   
the waning power of its doctrinal       
assertion has deprived it of aggressive 
vigor4 ,there is less danger of its     
assault upon the ,church1 ,father       
,hecker thought1 than of its sceptical  
tendency upon its own adherents4 ,to    
emphasize the obligation of organic     
unity1 in such a condition of things1   
was not good tactics2 it was to revive  
the spirit of resistance without        
arresting the evils of doubt4 ,authority
 in religion has high and undoubted     
claims2 but it is nevertheless true that
 the normal development of man is in    
freedom4 ,man is fitted for his destiny 
in proportion to his ability to use his 
liberty with wisdom1 and ,father ,hecker
 endeavored to set non-,catholics       
themselves to work removing the         
obstacles to true spiritual liberty     
which ,protestantism had planted in the 
way4  ,an appeal from ,luther and       
,calvin to the standards of rational    

nature1 to human virtue1 to human       
equality1 rather than to exclusively    
,catholic standards1 was certain of     
success in a large class of minds4 ,and 
this but led to the consideration of the
 ,church's claims to elevate rational   
nature and natural virtue to that divine
 order which is above nature1 and which 
is organic in the ,catholic ,church4    
,moral rectitude is a simpler test of   
truth than texts from a dead book1 whose
 original tongues and whose perplexed   
exegesis are quite unknown to the vast  
mass of mankind4 ,and ,father ,hecker   
recognized that the elementary truths of
 reason and the aspirations of humanity 
for better things are not unknown to any
 man or woman2 these are everybody's    
personal means of testing truth4 ,to    
pass them by in order to apply the      
remoter test of revelation is either to 
admit that ,protestantism is not against
 the dictates of reason and man's       
aspirations1 or to commence the argument
 against it at the wrong end4  ,in a    

letter to ,cardinal ,barnabo written in 
,july1 #ahfc1 ,father ,hecker gives an  
account of how he went to work to secure
 and interest a non-,catholic audience3 
,for several years past it has seemed to
 me that some more effectual means      
should be taken to reach the ,protestant
 community4 ,this last winter ,i        
ventured with this view upon an         
experiment4 ,in three different cities  
,i gave1 in a large public hall1 a      
course of conferences on religion1 one  
every evening from ,sunday to ,sunday   
inclusive4 ,the expense of the hall was 
paid by the priest of the place1 the    
lectures were all free1 and addressed   
exclusively to ,protestants4 ,the halls 
were crowded at each place1 and that my 
audiences might be such as ,i desired to
 address1 ,i begged ,catholics to stay  
away4 ,at the close of one of my        
lectures there were present twenty-five 
hundred persons1 chiefly ,protestants4  
,my method was as follows3 ,in treating 
any doctrine of our holy faith with a   

view to convincing my audience1 ,i      
considered first what want in our nature
 it was related to1 and to which it     
addressed itself4 ,this want being      
discovered1 ,i developed and illustrated
 it until my hearers were fully         
convinced of its existence and          
importance4 ,then the question came up1 
,which religion recognizes this element 
or want of our nature1 and meets all its
 legitimate demands8 ,does              
,protestantism8 ,its answers were given1
 and found either hostile or incomplete4
 ,then the ,catholic ,church was        
interrogated3 and she was found to      
recognize this want1 and her answers    
adequate and satisfactory4 ,these       
answers were then shown to be supported 
by the authority of ,holy ,scriptures4  
,the interest shown by my audience was  
remarkable1 and the effect of this      
method was equal to my hopes4 ,my       
experience convinces me that1 if this   
work were continued1 it would prepare   
the way for a great change of religion  

in this country1 more particularly at   
the present time1 when the public mind  
is favorably disposed to consider the   
claims of the ,catholic ,church4  ,the  
want in our nature appealed to was often
 in the political order1 such as the    
love of liberty or man's capacity for   
self-government4 ,this he dwelt upon at 
considerable length in the opening part 
of his lecture1 viewing it as a         
philosopher would1 and extending its    
application1 as far as possible1 to men 
generally4 ,he thus chose his criterion 
for comparison of the two claimants in  
the religious world4 ,his triumph was1  
therefore1 often in an arena only       
semi-religious1 or rather in that of    
natural religion4 ,the effect was       
wonderfully good1 though doubtless due  
in great measure to the manner in which 
his plan1 so simply sketched in the     
letter above quoted1 was developed      
before the audience4 ,the entire        
doubting body of intelligent men was    
enlisted in varying degrees in favor of 

the ,catholic teaching of man's relation
 to ,god and to his fellow-men1 and     
against ,protestantism4 ,americans could
 not help feeling disgust for doctrines 
which were condemned by the maxims of   
the ,declaration of ,independence4      
,although there was nothing positively  
new in the method--something like it had
 been used by ,archbishop ,hughes       
against the ,presbyterian champion1     
,breckenridge--yet the public was taken 
by surprise4 ,the style of controversy  
universally in vogue was that of setting
 up texts of ,scripture and bowling them
 down with other texts4 ,but here comes 
an ,american ,catholic and arraigns     
,protestant doctrine at the tribunal of 
,american liberty4 ,the thick-and-thin  
,protestant was thrown into a rage1 and 
became abusive and often incoherent in  
his reply4 ,the easy-going ,protestant  
claimed that the doctrines assailed were
 obsolete1 as his church had1 at least  
implicitly1 changed them4 ,then change  
your church1 said ,father ,hecker2 if   

you have come back to the right         
doctrine1 why not come back to the true 
,church8 ,as to the average intelligent 
inquirer1 he was uniformly influenced by
 these lectures against the ,reformation
 and its entire teaching1 with its      
dreadful effects of doubt and division  
among ,christians4  ,father ,hecker had 
an intuitive perception of the peculiar 
difficulties of the ,american people1   
and ever showed the utmost readiness and
 skill in meeting them4 ,he had a       
matchless power of laying bare the wants
 of the human heart1 and an equal       
facility of pointing out the light and  
strength of ,catholicity for their      
supply4 ,his immense sympathy for an    
aspiring and guileless soul deprived of 
the truth1 was most evident2 he always  
looked it and spoke it and acted it     
before his audience4 ,to do so was no   
effort on his part4 ,he told of the     
promised land not as a native of it1 but
 as a messenger sent into it1 and now   
returned with such tidings as should    

hasten the steps of his brethren still  
wandering in the desert2 and this       
sympathetic interest embraced the civil 
as well as the religious side of human  
nature4 ,he claimed everything really   
,american for the ,catholic faith1 and  
this was joy and gladness to many a     
weary heart drawn to the ,church by her 
charities1 or her beautiful symbolism1  
yet hindered by the phantom of absolute 
authority and the dread of losing the   
integrity of free citizenship4          
,incivism--will ,catholic apologists    
never learn it8--is the heaviest stone  
flung at the ,church in all free lands  
to-day4 ,father ,hecker's blood fairly  
boiled that the ,church of ,christ1 the 
very home of ,christian freedom1 and the
 nursing-mother of all civil well-being1
 should be thus assailed1 while         
,calvin's and ,luther's degrading       
doctrines should be paraded as alone    
worthy of a free people4  ,to say that  
,father ,hecker ,americanized in the    
narrow sense would be to do him         

injustice4 ,the ,american ideas to which
 he appealed he knew to be ,god's will  
for all civilized peoples of our time4  
,if fundamentally ,american they were   
not for that reason exclusively         
,american4 ,his ,americanism is so broad
 that by a change of place it can be    
made ,spanish1 or ,german2 and a slight 
change of terms makes it religious and  
,catholic4 ,nor had form of government  
essentially to do with it2 human        
equality cannot be monopolized by       
republics2 it can be rightly understood 
in a monarchy1 though in such a ease it 
does not assume the conspicuous place   
which it does in a republic4 ,it was    
this broadness of ,father ,hecker's     
,americanism that made him acceptable to
 the extremely conservative circles of  
,rome1 in his struggle there in the     
winter of #aheh-i4 ,many men in the     
monarchies of the old ,world may doubt  
the advent of republicanism there1 but  
what sensible man anywhere doubts the   
aspiration of all races towards liberty 

and intelligence8  ,father ,hecker's    
repertory covered the entire ground     
between scepticism and ,catholicism4 ,in
 refutation of ,protestantism the       
principal lectures were3 ,the ,church   
and the ,republic2 ,luther and the      
,reformation2 ,how and ,why ,i ,became a
 ,catholic1 or ,a ,search after         
,rational ,christianity2 and ,the ,state
 of ,religion in the ,united ,states4   
,on the positive side his chief topics  
were3 ,the ,church as a ,society1 ,why  
,we ,invoke the ,saints1 and the        
,sacraments of ,penance and ,holy       
,communion4 ,others he had against      
materialism1 spiritualism1 etc4  ,as may
 naturally be supposed1 some of his     
lectures succeeded better than others4  
,one of those he personally preferred   
was ,the ,churrk and the ,republic4 ,he 
opened by affirming1 as the fundamental 
principle of the ,american nation1 that 
man is naturally virtuous enough to be  
capable of self-government4 ,he         
developed this in various ways till his 

audience felt that it was to be the     
touchstone of the question between the  
churches4 ,he then exhibited the        
,protestant teaching on human virtue and
 human depravity1 quoting extensively   
from ,luther and from ,calvin1 as well  
as from the creeds of the principal     
,protestant sects1 until the contrast   
between their teaching and the          
fundamental ,american principle was     
painfully vivid4 ,there was no escape2  
doctrinal ,protestantism is             
un-,american4 ,he then gave the         
,catholic doctrine of free will1 of     
merit1 of human dignity1 and of the     
equality of men and human brotherhood4  
,the impression was profound4 ,great    
mountains of prejudice were lifted up   
and cast into the sea4 ,the elevating   
influences of the ,church's faith fixed 
men's eyes and won their hearts4 ,to    
have it demonstrated that ,catholicity  
was not a gigantic effort to combine all
 available human forces to maintain a   
central religious despotism in the hands

 of a hierarchy1 was a surprise to      
multitudes of ,protestants4 ,to not a   
few intelligent ,catholics the style of 
argument was a great novelty4 ,father   
,hecker's success proved that the claim 
of authority on the part of the ,church 
could be established without much       
difficulty in men's minds1 if it were   
not associated with the enslavement of  
reason and conscience1 and if shown to  
be consistent with rational liberty4 ,he
 insisted upon the positive view of the 
subject4 ,he proclaimed the purpose of  
,catholic discipline to be essentially  
conservative of human rights1 a         
divinely-appointed safeguard to the     
liberty and enlightenment of the soul of
 man4 ,he further proclaimed that the   
infliction of penalties by ,church      
authority was an accidental exercise of 
power provoked by disobedience to lawful
 authority4  ,luther and the            
,reformation excited widespread remark1 
and yet to one accustomed to old-time   
controversy it seemed but a fragment of 

an argument4 ,the lecture proved that   
,luther was not an honest reformer1     
because1 having started to reform inside
 the ,church and as a ,catholic1 he     
finished by leaving the ,church and     
therefore the real work of reform4 ,at  
the outset ,father ,hecker proved that  
,luther was but one1 and by no means the
 most important one1 of the great body  
of ,catholic reformers of his time4     
,these set to work to remedy abuses     
which had grown to such an extent as to 
have become intolerable4 ,the genuine   
reformers1 led by the ,popes1 went right
 on and did reform the ,church most     
thoroughly1 ending by the decrees of the
 ,council of ,trent4 ,all this the      
lecturer proved by citations from       
numerous high authorities1 all of them  
,protestants4 ,why did ,luther leave the
 company of the true reformers8 or1 as  
,father ,hecker puts it1 ,why did       
,luther change his base8 ,whatever      
reason he had for leaving ,catholicity1 
it was not1 as a matter of fact1 on     

account of zeal for reform4 ,the lecture
 concluded by emphatically and1 in      
different terms1 repeatedly denying to  
,luther the name of ,reformer and to his
 work the name of ,reformation4 ,such   
was the line of argument in a lecture   
which entertained the general public and
 enraged bigoted ,protestants more1     
perhaps1 than any of the others4 ,the   
secret of its success was that it       
overturned the great ,protestant idol4  
,with humanitarians1 rationalists1      
indifferentists1 and sceptics ,father   
,hecker's lectures were popular1 and    
such were his favorite audience4 ,if he 
so much as aroused their curiosity about
 the ,church1 he deemed that he had     
gained a victory2 this and more than    
this he always succeeded in doing4      
,regular church members he did not hope 
much from1 though they came to hear him 
and he sometimes made converts even     
among them4 ,the lecture system1 then   
far more in vogue than at present1 gave 
him hearers from all classes of minds1  

and especially those most intellectually
 restless and inquiring4 ,he took his   
turn in the list which contained the    
names of ,wendell ,phillips1 ,beecher1  
,emerson1 and ,sumner1 and found his    
golden opportunity before such audiences
 as had been gathered to listen to them4
 ,thus into the drifts of thought and   
into the intellectual movements around  
him1 into the daily and periodical      
press1 into the social and political and
 scientific groupings of men and women1 
his lectures enabled him to breathe the 
peremptory call of the true religion1   
sure to provoke inquiry in all active   
minds1 and in some to find good soil and
 bear the harvest of conversion4 ,he    
searched for earnest souls2 and his     
confidence that they were everywhere to 
be found was rewarded not only in many  
particular instances1 but also by the   
removal of much prejudice throughout the
 entire country4  ,the writer of these  
pages saw ,father ,hecker for the first 
time on the lecture platform4 ,he was   

then in the full tide of success1       
conscious of his opportunity and of his 
power to profit by it4 ,we never can    
forget how distinctly ,american was the 
impression of his personality4 ,we had  
heard the nation's greatest men then    
living1 and their type was too familiar 
to be successfully counterfeited4       
,father ,hecker was so plainly a great  
man of that type1 so evidently an       
outgrowth of our institutions1 that he  
stamped ,american on every ,catholic    
argument he proposed4 ,nor was the force
 of this peculiar impression lessened by
 the whispered grumblings of a few petty
 minds among ,catholics themselves1 to  
whom this apostolic trait was cause for 
suspicion4 ,never was a man more        
,catholic than ,father ,hecker1 simply1 
calmly1 joyfully1 entirely ,catholic4   
,what better proof of this than the rage
 into which his lectures and writings   
threw the outright enemies of the       
,church8 ,grave ministers lost their    
balance and foamed at him as a trickster

 and a hypocrite1 all the worse because 
double-dyed with pretence of love of    
country4  ,for the ,protestant pulpits  
felt the shock and stormed in unison    
against this new exposition of          
,catholicity and against its            
representative4 ,in some cases1 not     
content with one onslaught1 they        
returned to the charge ,sunday after    
,sunday4 ,all this was not unexpected4  
,the secular press1 however1 were very  
generally favorable in their notices1   
excepting some of the ,boston dailies4  
,as a rule1 the lectures were very fully
 reported and sometimes appeared word   
for word4  ,to reply to one's assailants
 after one has left the field of battle 
is no easy matter1 and for the most part
 ,father ,hecker trusted for this to    
local champions of ,catholicity2 and not
 in vain4 ,but it happened on one       
occasion that after he had lectured in a
 large town in ,michigan1 and had       
journeyed on to fulfil engagements      
farther ,west1 he was attacked in a     

public hall by a minister of the place4 
,on his return ,east ,father ,hecker    
stopped over and gave another lecture in
 the town1 and not only refuted the     
minister but covered him with ridicule4 
,in fact there was no great need of     
defence of ,father ,hecker's arguments1 
they were so simply true and so readily 
understood4 ,not one of his antagonists 
compared well with him for frankness1   
good humor1 courtesy2 and they almost   
invariably shirked the issue and        
confined themselves to stale calumnies  
against the ,church4  ,at ,ann ,arbor1  
,michigan1 ,father ,hecker lectured in  
the ,methodist meeting-house1 then the  
largest hall in the town4 ,the ,michigan
 ,state ,university1 at this town1 had  
at the time about seven hundred         
students1 nearly all of whom came to the
 lecture4 ,the subject chosen was       
,luther and the ,reformation4 ,as it was
 announced1 the audience loudly         
applauded ,luther's name1 and some one  
called for three cheers for him1 which  

were given vociferously1 especially by  
the students4 ,father ,hecker smiled1   
waited till the noise was over1 then    
bade them give him a fair hearing2      
which1 of course1 they did4 ,before he  
had concluded1 his audience seemed won  
to his view of the question in hand1 and
 showed it by the names and the         
sentiments applauded4 ,at the end some  
one called out ,three cheers for ,father
 ,hecker6 and they were given most      
heartily4  ,there seems nothing like a  
new discovery1 as we have already said1 
in ,father ,hecker's controversial      
matter1 or even in the method of its    
treatment4 ,but joined with its         
exponent1 blended into his personality1 
as it was1 by the sincerity of his      
conviction1 it was a discovery2 flavored
 and tinctured by him1 this wayside     
fountain had a new life-giving power to 
both ,catholics and non-,catholics4     
,bishops1 priests1 and ,catholic men and
 women in the world heard him with mute 
attention4 ,some ,catholics1 it is true1

 were stunned by his bold handling of   
those traditional touch-me-nots of      
conservatism--reason and liberty2 and   
such drew off suspicious4 ,but          
multitudes of ,catholics felt that he   
opened up to full view the dim vistas of
 truth towards which they had long been 
groping2 these could agree with him     
without an effort4 ,a few had reached   
his stand-point before they knew him1   
and hailed with rapture the leader who1 
unlike themselves1 was not kept back by 
either dread of novel-sounding terms or 
by the impotency of private station4    
,but here and there he met ,catholics as
 dead-set against him as the ,judaizing 
converts had been against his patron1   
,st4 ,paul4 ,their only love was for    
antiquity1 and that they loved          
passionately and in all its forms1 even 
the neo-antiquity of the controversy of 
the ,reformation era4 ,on the other hand
 many1 when they heard him1 said1 ,that 
is the kind of ,catholic ,i am1 and the 
only kind it is easy for me to be4      

,non-,catholics1 earnest men and women1 
were often heard to say1 ,if ,i were    
quite sure that ,hecker is a genuine    
,roman ,catholic ,i think that ,i could 
be one myself2 and this some of them did
 not hesitate to publish in the         
newspapers1 so that ,father ,hecker     
might have said with ,job3 ,the ear that
 heard me blessed me1 and the eye that  
saw me gave witness to me4  ,father     
,hecker felt that he was a pioneer in   
thus dealing with rationalized          
,protestants4 ,his eye was quick to see 
the signs of the breaking up of dogmatic
 ,protestantism1 and he was early out   
among the vast intellectual wreckage1   
endeavoring to catch and tow into port  
what fragments he could of a system     
founded on doubt and on the denial of   
human virtue and human intelligence4 ,i 
want1 he said on one occasion in        
private1 to open the way to the ,church 
to rationalists4 ,it seems to me to be  
now closed up4 ,i feel that ,i am a     
pioneer in opening and leading the way4 

,i smuggled myself into the ,church1 and
 so did ,brownson4 ,and now he wanted to
 abolish the custom-house1 and open the 
harbor wide and clear for the entrance  
into the ,church of all men who had been
 forced back on reason alone for        
guidance4 ,the words above italicised   
were uttered with powerful emphasis and 
with much feeling4 ,he quoted the       
following saying of ,ozanam with        
emphatic approval3 ,what the age needs  
is an intellectual crusade2 and he      
affirmed that ,leo ,,xiii4 had done very
 much to aid us in preaching it1 and    
that ,pius ,,ix41 rightly understood1   
had led the way to it4 ,the ,catholics  
,i would help with my left hand1 the    
,protestants with my right hand1 he once
 said4 ,and non-,catholics1 all but the 
bigots1 liked him1 for he was frank and 
true by every test4 ,he was neither an  
exotic nor a hybrid1 and they felt at   
home with him4 ,he much resembled the   
best type of public men in ,america who 
have achieved fame at the bar or in     

politics2 indeed1 as we have already    
intimated1 he really belonged to that   
type1 for all his studies and all his   
training in the ,catholic schools and   
convents1 which had given him more and  
more of truth1 more and more of the     
grace of ,god1 had not changed the kind 
or type of man to which he belonged4 ,he
 was the same character as when he      
harangued the ,seventh ,ward voters1 or 
discussed the ,divine ,transcendence at 
,brook ,farm4 ,scholastic truth sank    
deep into his soul1 but scholastic      
methods stuck on the surface and then   
dropped away4 ,and ,david having girded 
his sword upon his armor began to try if
 he could walk in armor1 for he was not 
accustomed to it4 ,and ,david said to   
,saul1 ,i cannot go thus1 for ,i am not 
used to it4 ,and he laid them off4 ,and 
he took his staff which he had always in
 his hands1 and chose him five smooth   
stones out of the brook4  ,if his duties
 in the ,paulist community and parish   
had allowed1 ,father ,hecker could have 

lectured to large audiences during the  
greater part of the year1 and been well 
paid for his labor4 ,he soon became the 
foremost exponent of ,catholicity on the
 public platform in the ,united ,states4
 ,from the close of the war till his    
health gave way in #ahgb he was much    
sought after for lectures1 and spoke in 
the different cities and very many of   
the large towns1 besides being obliged  
to refuse numerous applications1        
constantly coming in from all parts of  
the ,union and from all sorts of        
societies1 secular1 ,catholic1 and even 
distinctly ,protestant4 ,meantime he was
 frequently called on to preach on such 
occasions as the laying of corner-stones
 of churches and their dedications4 ,he 
also gave one of the sermons preached   
before the ,second ,plenary ,council of 
,baltimore4  ,the following is the      
introductory paragraph of a long        
character sketch of ,father ,hecker from
 the pen of ,james ,parton1 the         
historian4 ,it is taken from an article 

entitled ,our ,roman ,catholic          
,brethren1 published in the ,atlantic   
,monthly for ,april and ,may1 #ahfh4    
,the entire article is full of          
admiration for the ,catholic ,church and
 of yearning towards her1 though written
 by a typical sceptic of this era3  ,as 
usual with them ,catholics it is one man
 who is working this new and most       
effective idea the ,catholic            
,publication ,society2 but1 as usual    
with them also1 this one man is working 
by and through an organization which    
multiplies his force one hundred times  
and constitutes him a person of national
 importance4 ,readers who take note of  
the really important things transpiring 
around them will know at once that the  
individual referred to is ,father       
,hecker1 ,superior of the ,community of 
the ,paulists1 in ,new ,york4 4 4 4 ,it 
is he ,father ,hecker who is putting    
,american machinery into the ancient ark
 and getting ready to run her by steam4 
,here1 for once1 is a happy man--happy  

in his faith and in his work--sure that 
in spreading abroad the knowledge of the
 true ,catholic doctrine he is doing the
 best thing possible for his native     
land4 ,a tall1 healthy-looking1 robust1 
handsome1 cheerful gentleman of         
forty-five1 endowed with a particular   
talent for winning confidence and       
regard1 which talent has been improved  
by many years of active exercise4 ,it is
 a particular pleasure to meet with any 
one1 at such a time as this1 whose work 
perfectly satisfies his conscience1 his 
benevolence1 and his pride1 and who is  
doing that work in the most favorable   
circumstances1 and with the best        
co-operation4 ,imagine a benevolent     
physician in a populous hospital1 who   
has in his office the medicine which he 
is perfectly certain will cure or       
mitigate every case1 provided only he   
can get it taken1 and who is surrounded 
with a corps of able and zealous        
assistants to aid him in persuading the 
patients to take it6  ,mr4 ,parton      

having given us a picture of ,father    
,hecker as he appeared to ,protestants1 
the following exhibits him as ,catholics
 saw him4 ,it is an extract from ,father
 ,lockhart's clever book1 ,the ,old     
,religion2 the original of ,father      
,dilke is ,father ,hecker3  ,the day    
after our last conversation1 having an  
introduction to the ,superior of the    
---- ,fathers in ,new ,york1 my friends 
agreed to accompany me4 ,i was          
particularly glad of this because       
,father ,dilke was one of the most      
remarkable men of our ,church in the    
,states4 ,himself a convert1 and a man  
of large views and great sympathies1 no 
one was better able to enter into the   
scruples and difficulties of religious  
,protestants on their first contact with
 ,catholic doctrines and ,catholic      
worship4  ,on sending in our names we   
had not long to wait in the guest-room  
before the good father made his         
appearance4 ,there was a stamp of       
originality about him2 tall in stature1 

not exactly what we are used to call    
clerical in appearance1 with a          
thoroughly ,american type of face1 and  
with the national peaked beard instead  
of being closely shaven as is the custom
 with our clergy generally4 ,i had met  
him before1 without his clerical        
7religious7 garb1 on a journey on board 
a steamboat4 ,at first1 ,i remember1 ,i 
had set him down as a ,yankee skipper or
 trader of some sort2 but when by chance
 we got into conversation1 ,i found him 
a hard-headed man1 shrewd1 original1 and
 earnest in his remarks2 but when our   
conversation turned to religious topics1
 and got animated1 ,i shall never forget
 how all that was common and national in
 his physique disappeared4 ,and when he 
spoke of the mystery of ,god's love for 
man1 his countenance seemed as it were  
transfigured1 so that ,i felt that an   
artist would not wish for a better      
living model from which to paint a ,st4 
,francis ,xavier1 making himself all    
things to all men amidst his shipmates  

on his voyage to the ,indies4  ,from    
what has been said of ,father ,hecker's 
aptitude to win non-,catholics to hear  
and believe him1 it should not be       
thought that in order to do so he was   
obliged to leave off any sign of his    
priestly character4 ,he was distinctly  
priestly in his demeanor1 though1 as    
already observed1 not exactly what one  
would call a thorough ecclesiastic4 ,he 
ever dressed soberly4 ,when he arrived  
at a town on a lecture tour he always   
put up at the house of the resident     
priest1 if there was one1 and1 if he    
stayed over ,sunday1 preached for him at
 ,high ,mass4 ,he invariably            
corresponded beforehand with the pastor 
of the town to which he was invited by a
 secular lecture society1 requesting him
 to send complimentary tickets to the   
leading men of the place--lawyers1      
doctors1 ministers1 merchants1 and      
politicians4 ,and when he appeared on   
the platform it was always in company   
with the priest4 ,he loved priests with 

all his might and was ever at home in   
their company4 ,it is not very singular1
 therefore1 that some of his most       
devoted friends and most ardent admirers
 were priests1 secular and religious1   
born and bred in the ,old ,world--among 
them some of the most prominent         
clergymen in the country4  ,father      
,hecker often met non-,catholics in     
private1 being sought out by prominent  
radicals1 sceptics1 unbelievers1 and    
humanitarians4 ,what they had heard from
 him in public lectures1 or read of him 
in the press1 drew them to him1 or they 
were brought to see him by mutual       
friends4 ,and here he was indeed        
powerful1 overbearing resistance by the 
strength of conviction and the simple   
exhibition of ,catholic truth4 ,the     
sight of a man anywhere1 whom he could  
but suspect of aptitude for his views1  
was the signal for his emphatic         
affirmation of them1 sometimes leading  
him to controversy bordering on the     
vociferous on cars and steamboats4 ,in  

such circumstances1 and in all his other
 dealings with men1 you saw his prompt  
intelligence1 his fine sensibility1 his 
lofty spirit1 his forceful and          
occasionally imperious will to hold you 
to the point2 but the quality which1    
both in public and private discourse1   
outshone all1 or rather gave all light  
and direction1 was an immense love of   
truth joined to an equal admiration for 
virtue4       ,,chapter ,,xxx  ,,the    
,,apostolate ,,of ,,the ,,press  ,,one  
,sunday forenoon1 happening to cross    
,broadway near a fashionable ,protestant
 church1 we saw the curb on both sides  
of the street lined with carriages1 and 
the coachmen and footmen all reading the
 morning papers4 ,the rich master and   
his family were in the softly-cushioned 
pews indoors1 while their servants      
studied the news of the world and       
worshipped at the shrine of the ,press  
outside3 a spectacle suggestive of many 
things to the social reformer4 ,but to a
 religious mind it was an invitation to 

the ,apostolate of the ,press4 ,the     
,philips of our day can evangelize the  
rough charioteer by means of the written
 word as easily as they can his cultured
 master4  ,to ,father ,hecker the ,press
 was the highest opportunity for        
religion4 ,the only term of comparison  
for it is some element of nature like   
sunlight or the atmosphere4 ,in the     
,press civilized ,man lives and         
breathes4 ,father ,hecker was as alive  
to the injury done to humanity by bad   
reading as a skilful physician is to the
 malaria which he can smell and fairly  
taste in an infected atmosphere2 and he 
ever strove to make the ,press a means  
of enlightenment and virtue4 ,he began  
to write for publication almost         
immediately after his arrival in        
,america as a ,redemptorist missionary2 
the ,questions of the ,soul and the     
,aspirations of ,nature were composed   
amidst most absorbing occupations       
between #ahec and #aheh4 ,throughout    
life he was ever asking himself and     

others how the ,press could be cleansed1
 and how its ,apostolate could be       
inaugurated4 ,to this end he was ready  
to devote all his efforts1 and expend   
all his resources and those of the      
community of which he was the founder4  
,it is true that no man of his time was 
better aware of the power of the spoken 
word1 and few were more competent to use
 it1 the natural and ,pentecostal       
vehicle of the ,holy ,spirit to men's   
souls4 ,but he also felt that the       
providence of ,god1 in making the ,press
 of our day an artificial medium of     
human intercourse more universal than   
the living voice itself1 had pointed it 
out as a necessary adjunct to the oral  
preaching of the truth4 ,he was         
convinced that religion should make the 
,press its own4 ,he would not look upon 
it as an extraordinary aid1 but         
maintained that the ordinary provision  
of ,christian instruction for the people
 should ever be two-fold1 by speech and 
by print3 neither the ,preacher without 

the ,press nor the ,press without the   
,preacher4 ,he was heard to say that in 
reading ,montalembert's ,monks of the   
,west he had been struck with the       
author's eloquent apostrophe to the     
spade1 the instrument of civilization   
and ,christianity for the wild hordes of
 the early middle ages4 ,much rather1 he
 said1 should we worship the ,press as  
the medium of the light of ,god to all  
mankind4 ,he felt that the ,apostolate  
of the ,press might well absorb the     
external vocation of the most active    
friends of religion4  ,in the ,press he 
found a distinct suggestion from above  
of a change of methods for elevating men
 to truth and virtue4 ,in the spring of 
#ahgj1 while on his way home from the   
,vatican ,council1 he wrote to ,father  
,deshon from ,assisi3  ,i felt as if ,i 
would like to have peopled that grand   
and empty convent with inspired men and 
printing-presses4 ,for evidently the    
special battle-field of attack and      
defence of truth for half a century to  

come is the printing-press4  ,he        
believed in types as he believed in     
pulpits4 ,he believed that the          
printing-office was necessary to the    
convent4 ,to him the ,apostolate of the 
,press meant the largest amount of truth
 to the greatest number of people4 ,by  
its means a small band of powerful men  
could reach an entire nation and elevate
 its religious life4  ,this being       
understood1 one is not surprised at the 
extent of his plans for this            
,apostolate4 ,he was never able to carry
 them out fully4 ,not till some years   
after the founding of the community     
could he make a fair beginning1 although
 the first volume of the ,paulist       
,sermons appeared in #ahfa4 ,delays were
 inevitable from the difficulties       
incident to the opening of the house and
 church in ,fifty-ninth ,street1 and    
these were aggravated by the war1 which 
for over four years bred such intense   
excitement as to interfere with any     
strong general interest in matters other

 than political4 ,but the very month it 
ended1 in ,april1 #ahfe1 ,father ,hecker
 started ,the ,catholic ,world4 ,its    
purpose was to speak for religion in    
high-grade periodical literature4 ,the  
year following he founded ,the ,catholic
 ,publication ,society1 with the purpose
 of directing the entire resources of   
the ,press into a missionary apostolate4
 ,in #ahgj he began ,the ,young         
,catholic4 ,in literary merit and in    
illustrations it equalled any of the    
juvenile publications of that period1   
and was the pioneer of all the ,catholic
 journals in the ,united ,states        
intended for children4 ,and finally1 in 
#ahga1 he projected the establishment of
 a first-class ,catholic daily1 securing
 within a year subscriptions for more   
than half the money necessary for the   
purpose1 when the work was arrested by  
the final breaking down of his health4  
,the ,catholic ,world was considered a  
hazardous venture4 ,at the time it was  
proposed1 such modest attempts at       

,catholic monthlies as had struggled    
into life had long ceased to exist4 ,the
 public for such a magazine seemed to be
 small4 ,the priesthood had little      
leisure for reading1 being hardly       
sufficient in number for their most     
essential duties2 the educated laymen   
were not numerous1 nor remarkable for   
activity of mind in matters of religion2
 nearly the entire ,church of ,america  
was foreign by birth or parentage1 and  
belonged to the toiling masses of the   
people3 not many rich1 not many noble4  
,and1 ,father ,hecker was asked1 whom   
are you going to get to write for the   
magazine8 ,how many ,catholic literary  
men and women do you know of8 ,prudence1
 therefore1 stood sponsor to courage4   
,the cautious policy of an eclectic was 
adopted1 and for more than a year the   
magazine1 with the exception of its book
 reviews1 was made up of selections and 
translations from foreign periodicals4  
,the late ,john ,r4 ,g4 ,hassard1 who   
had already succeeded as a journalist1  

was chosen by ,father ,hecker as his    
assistant in the editorial work4        
,efforts were at once made to secure    
original articles2 but before the       
magazine was filled by them three or    
four years were spent in urgent         
soliciting1 in very elaborate           
sub-editing of ,,mss41 and in reliance  
on the steady assistance of the pens of 
the ,paulist ,fathers4 ,as a            
compensation1 ,the ,catholic ,world has 
introduced to the public many of our    
best writers1 and first and last has    
brought our ablest minds on both sides  
of the water into contact with the most 
intelligent ,catholics in the ,united   
,states4 ,all through its career it has 
represented ,catholic truth before the  
,american public in such wise as to     
command respect1 and has brought about  
the conversion of many of its           
non-,catholic readers4 ,since its       
beginning it has been forced to hold its
 own against the claims of not unwelcome
 rivals1 and against the almost         

overwhelming attractions of the great   
illustrated secular monthlies1 to say   
nothing of the vicissitudes of the      
business world2 and it has succeeded in 
doing so1 ,father ,hecker's purpose in  
establishing it has been realized1 for  
it has ever been a first-rate ,catholic 
monthly of general literature1 holding  
an equal place with similar publications
 in the world of letters4 ,he was its   
editor-in-chief till the time of his    
death1 except during three years of     
illness and absence in ,europe4 ,he     
conducted it so as to occupy much of the
 field open to the ,apostolate of the   
,press1 giving solid doctrine in form of
 controversy1 and discussing such       
religious truths as were of current     
interest4 ,he kept its readers informed 
of the changeful moods of non-,catholic 
thought1 and furnished them with short  
studies of instructive eras and         
personages in history4 ,these graver    
topics have been floated along by       
contributions of a lighter kind1 by good

 fiction and conscientious literary     
criticism4 ,meantime1 the social        
problems which had perplexed ,father    
,hecker himself in his early life1 have 
caught the attention of the slower minds
 of average men1 or rather have been    
thrust upon them2 and their             
consideration1 ever in his own          
sympathetic spirit1 now forms a         
prominent feature of ,the ,catholic     
,world4  ,the ,young ,catholic was an   
enterprise dear to his heart4 ,his      
interest in it was constant and minute1 
and some of the articles most popular   
with its young constituency were from   
his own pen4 ,it has always been edited 
by ,mrs4 ,george ,v4 ,hecker1 assisted  
by a small circle of zealous and        
enlightened writers4 ,it has held its   
way1 but has had to encounter the not   
unusual fate of bold pioneers4 ,it      
created its own rivals by demonstrating 
the possibilities of juvenile ,catholic 
journalism1 calling into existence more 
than a score of claimants for the       

support which it alone at first         
solicited4 ,the lowest estimate of      
juvenile publications of a purely       
secular tone yearly sold in ,america    
carries the figure far into the         
millions4 ,some of these1 and it is well
 to know that they are the most widely  
sold1 are first-rate in a literary point
 of view and employ the best artists for
 the pictures4 ,to say that they are    
secular but feebly expresses the totally
 unmoral influence they for the most    
part exert4 ,they are the extension of  
the unreligious school into the homes of
 the people4 ,when ,father ,hecker and  
,mrs4 ,george ,v4 ,hecker and their     
associates began ,the ,young ,catholic1 
this vast mirage of the desert of life  
had but glimmered upon the distant      
horizon2 they saw it coming and they did
 their best to point ,catholic youth    
away from it and lead it to the real    
oasis of ,god1 with its grateful shade1 
its delicious fruits1 and its           
ever-flowing springs of the waters of   

life4  ,as already said1 ,the ,catholic 
,publication ,society was begun a year  
after ,the ,catholic ,world was started1
 its aim being to turn to the good of   
religion1 and especially to the         
conversion of non-,catholics1 all the   
uses the press is capable of4 ,it was a 
missionary work in the broadest sense   
seeking to enlist not only the clergy   
but especially the laity in an organized
 ,apostolate of the ,press1 to enlighten
 the faith of ,catholics and to spread  
it among their ,protestant              
fellow-citizens4 ,its first work was to 
be the issuing of tracts and pamphlets  
telling the plain truth about the       
,catholic religion4 ,local societies1 to
 be established throughout the country1 
were to buy these publications at a     
price less than cost1 and distribute    
them gratis to all classes likely to be 
benefited4 ,to catch the eye of the     
,american people1 to affect their       
hearts1 to supply their religious wants 
with ,catholic truth1 were objects kept 

in view in preparing the tracts4        
,although some of them were addressed to
 ,catholics1 enforcing important        
religious duties1 nearly all of them    
were controversial4 ,more than seventy  
different tracts were printed first and 
last1 and many hundreds of thousands1   
indeed several millions1 of them        
distributed in all parts of the country1
 public1 charitable1 and penal          
institutions being1 of course1 fair     
field for this work4 ,they were all very
 brief1 few of them covering more than  
four small-sized pages4 ,three pages of 
truth have before now overturned a      
life-time of error1 said ,father        
,hecker4 ,the tract ,is it ,honest8     
though only four pages of large type1 or
 about twelve hundred words1 created a  
sensation everywhere1 and was answered  
by a ,protestant minister with over     
fifty pages of printed matter1 or about 
fifteen times more than the tract       
itself4 ,one hundred thousand copies of 
this tract were distributed in ,new     

,york ,city alone4 ,it is printed       
herewith as a specimen1 both as to style
 and matter1 of what one may call the   
aggressive-defensive tactics in         
,catholic controversy3  ,,is ,,it       
,,honest ,to say that the ,catholic     
,church prohibits the use of the        
,bible-- ,when anybody who chooses can  
buy as many as he likes at any ,catholic
 bookstore1 and can see on the first    
page of any one of them the approbation 
of the ,bishops of the ,catholic        
,church1 with the ,pope at their head1  
encouraging ,catholics to read the      
,bible1 in these words3 ,the faithful   
should be excited to the reading of the 
,holy ,scriptures1 and that not only for
 the ,catholics of the ,united ,states1 
but also for those of the whole world   
besides8  ,,is ,,it ,,honest ,to say    
that ,catholics believe that man by his 
own power can forgive sin--,when the    
priest is regarded by the ,catholic     
,church only as the agent of our ,lord  
,jesus ,christ1 acting by the power     

delegated to him1 according to these    
words1 ,whose sins you shall forgive1   
they are forgiven them2 and whose sins  
you shall retain1 they are retained8    
7,st4 ,john #bj3bc74  ,,is ,,it ,,honest
 ,to repeat over and over again that    
,catholics pay the priest to pardon     
their sins--,when such a thing is       
unheard of anywhere in the ,catholic    
,church--,when any transaction of the   
kind is stigmatized as a grievous sin1  
and ranked along with murder1 adultery1 
blasphemy1 etc41 in every catechism and 
work on ,catholic theology8  ,,is ,,it  
,,honest ,to persist in saying that     
,catholics believe their sins are       
forgiven merely by the confession of    
them to the priest1 without a true      
sorrow for them1 or a true purpose to   
quit them--,when every child finds the  
contrary distinctly and clearly stated  
in the catechism1 which he is obliged to
 learn before he can be admitted to the 
sacraments8 ,any honest man can verify  
this statement by examining any         

,catholic catechism4  ,,is ,,it ,,honest
 ,to assert that the ,catholic ,church  
grants any indulgence or permission to  
commit sin--,when an indulgence1        
according to her universally received   
doctrine1 was never dreamed of by       
,catholics to imply1 in any case        
whatever1 any permission to commit the  
least sin2 and when an indulgence has no
 application whatever to sin until after
 sin has been repented of and pardoned8 
,,is ,,it ,,honest ,to accuse ,catholics
 of putting the ,blessed ,virgin or the 
,saints in the place of ,god or the     
,lord ,jesus ,christ--,when the ,council
 of ,trent declares that it is simply   
useful to ask their intercession in     
order to obtain favor from ,god1 through
 his ,son1 ,jesus ,christ our ,lord1 who
 alone is our ,saviour and ,redeemer--  
,when asking their prayers and influence
 with ,god is exactly of the same nature
 as when ,christians ask the pious      
prayers of one another8  ,,is ,,it      
,,honest ,to accuse ,catholics of paying

 divine worship to images or pictures1  
as the heathen do--,when every ,catholic
 indignantly repudiates any idea of the 
kind1 and when the ,council of ,trent   
distinctly declares the doctrine of the 
,catholic ,church in regard to them to  
be1 that there is no divinity or virtue 
in them which should appear to claim the
 tribute of one's veneration2 but that  
all the honor which is paid to them     
shall be referred to the originals whom 
they are designed to represent8 7,sess4 
#be74  ,,is ,,it ,,honest ,to make these
 and many other similar charges against 
,catholics-- ,when they detest and abhor
 such false doctrines more than those do
 who make them1 and make them1 too1     
without ever having read a ,catholic    
book1 or taken any honest means of      
ascertaining the doctrines which the    
,catholic ,church really teaches8       
,remember the commandment of ,god1 which
 says3 ,thou shalt not bear false       
witness against thy neighbor4  ,reader1 
would you be honest1 and do no          

injustice8 ,then examine the doctrines  
of the ,catholic ,church2 read the works
 of ,catholics4 ,see both sides4        
,examine1 and be fair2 for ,,americans  
,,love ,,fair ,,play4  ,in preparing    
these little messengers of truth every  
style of writing was used1 narrative1   
allegory1 dialogue1 and positive        
argument4 ,they are as good reading     
to-day as when first issued1 and the    
volume which they form may be placed in 
an inquirer's hands with excellent      
effect4 ,to keep them agoing ,father    
,hecker laid all his friends of any     
literary ability under contribution1 the
 series being opened by ,archbishop     
,spalding with a tract on ,religious    
,indifferentism4 ,did space permit1 an  
entire list of the subjects dealt with  
might be given1 and the reader could the
 better see how they embrace the entire 
controversy between ,catholics and      
,protestants and infidels1 many of the  
tracts being masterpieces of popular    
argumentation4  ,as to the business side

 of these enterprises1 ,father ,hecker  
confided it to ,mr4 ,lawrence ,kehoe1   
who was publisher of ,the ,catholic     
,world and of ,the ,young ,catholic from
 their beginning until the ,paulists    
became their own publishers1 shortly    
before ,mr4 ,kehoe's death4 ,he was     
placed in charge of the ,publication    
,society as manager when it was started1
 and so continued until the formation of
 the present firm1 remaining then the   
active partner in its management4 ,no   
more ardent advocate of a good cause    
could be desired than ,lawrence ,kehoe4 
,father ,hecker cherished him as a      
friend1 and he was his zealous and      
efficient agent in his entire           
,apostolate of the ,press4  ,the purpose
 of the ,publication ,society was       
missionary1 and the intention was that  
its books1 tracts1 and pamphlets should 
be either given away or sold at cost    
price1 or below it4 ,therefore it was   
necessary to secure funds for the       
running expenses4 ,the reader has seen  

that this was to have been done by the  
contributions of subsidiary societies4  
,to aid in the formation of these and to
 solicit contributions in money1        
circulars were sent to all the clergy of
 the ,united ,states4 ,only a few made  
any practical response4 ,but the meeting
 of the ,second ,plenary ,council of    
,baltimore in #ahff1 the same year the  
,society was founded1 was opportune4    
,the bishops were induced to take the   
matter up1 and a decree1 of which the   
following is a translation1 was enacted4
 ,after speaking of the need of         
supplying ,catholic literature at a low 
price the ,council proceeds3  ,since a  
society with this object in view1 known 
as ,the ,catholic ,publication ,society1
 has been founded in ,new ,york1 and has
 been so far conducted with commendable 
diligence and with notable success1 we  
therefore consider it to be entirely    
worthy of the favor and assistance of   
prelates and priests1 as well as of the 
,catholic people in general4 ,that the  

whole country may the better and more   
certainly share in its advantages1 we   
advise and exhort the bishops to        
establish branches of this ,society in  
their dioceses1 by means of whose       
officers the publications of the        
,society may be distributed4 ,but as    
without great expenditure of money these
 societies cannot be kept up and must   
fail of success1 the bishops shall      
therefore appoint a yearly collection   
for their support1 to be taken up in all
 the principal churches1 or shall make  
other provision for the same purpose    
according to their best judgment 7,con4 
,plen4 ,balt41 ,sec4 #ejj74  ,from the  
,pastoral ,letter of the same ,council  
we extract the following3  ,in          
connection with this matter the         
,catholic ,press we earnestly recommend 
to the faithful of our charge ,the      
,catholic ,publication ,society1 lately 
established in the city of ,new ,york by
 a zealous and devoted clergyman4       
,besides the issuing of short tracts    

with which this ,society has begun1 and 
which may be usefully employed to arrest
 the attention of many whom neither     
inclination nor leisure will allow to   
read larger works1 this ,society        
contemplates the publication of         
,catholic books1 according as           
circumstances may permit and the        
interests of religion appear to require4
 ,from the judgment and good taste      
evinced in the composition and selection
 of such tracts and books as have       
already been issued by this ,society1 we
 are encouraged to hope that it will be 
eminently effective in making known the 
truths of our holy religion1 and        
dispelling the prejudices which are     
mainly owing to want of information on  
the part of so many of our              
fellow-citizens4 ,for this it is        
necessary that a generous co-operation  
be given both by clergy and laity to the
 undertaking1 which is second to none in
 importance among the subsidiary aids   
which the inventions of modern times    

supply to our ministry for the diffusion
 of ,catholic truth4  ,how elated       
,father ,hecker was by this action of   
the ,council1 and how over-sanguine1 as 
the event proved1 of the future of the  
,society1 is shown by the following     
extracts from letters to a friend3  ,my 
efforts in the recent ,council were     
completely successful1 owing to the many
 prayers offered to ,god--yours not the 
least4 ,could you have seen the letters 
from different quarters1 from good pious
 nuns1 and persons loving and serving   
and fearing ,god in the world1 written  
to me1 and their writers all praying and
 doing works of mercy and mortification 
for the purposes ,i had in view1 you    
could not wonder at my success4 ,god did
 it4 ,what is more1 ,i was fully        
conscious of the fact1 and it is this   
that made my great joy4  ,the ,catholic 
,publication ,society has the unanimous 
consent1 and sympathy1 and co-operation 
of the entire episcopate and clergy4    
,every year there is a collection to be 

taken up in the principal churches for  
its support4 ,i have drawn an elephant1 
but ,i do not feel like the man who did 
not know what to do with him after he   
had got him4  ,it is good in ,god to    
place me in a position in which ,i can  
act efficiently4 ,the disposition       
towards me is1 ,i know1 most pleasant   
and favorable4 ,i have been placed where
 ,i shall be at liberty to act and      
direct action4 ,quietly pray for me as  
the ,holy ,spirit may suggest4 ,on my   
part ,i will also seek the same         
guidance4 ,how good ,god is to give it6 
,the ,council had hardly adjourned when 
it began to be plain that in legislating
 for ,the ,catholic ,publication        
,society the prelates had been          
over-stimulated by the zeal of          
,archbishop ,spalding and the personal  
influence of ,father ,hecker himself1   
who was present in his capacity of      
,superior of the ,paulists4 ,he went    
among the bishops and pleaded for the   
,apostolate of the ,press with          

characteristic vigor1 and with his usual
 success4 ,aided by the archbishop1 he  
lifted the ,fathers of the ,council for 
a moment above what in their sober      
senses they deemed the exclusive duty of
 the hour4 ,this was to provide churches
 and priests1 and schools and           
school-teachers1 for the people4        
,already far too numerous for their     
clergy1 the ,catholic people were       
increasing by immigration alone at the  
rate of more than a quarter of a million
 a year4 ,every effort must be          
concentrated1 it was thought1 and every 
penny spent1 in the vast work of housing
 and feeding the wandering flocks of the
 ,lord4 ,and certainly the magnitude of 
the task and the success attained in    
performing it can excuse the            
indifference shown to the ,apostolate of
 the ,press1 if anything can excuse it4 
,but it seemed otherwise to ,father     
,hecker1 as it does now to us4 ,for the 
,catholic people could have been better 
and earlier cared for in their spiritual

 concerns if furnished with the abundant
 supply of good reading which the       
carrying out of ,father ,hecker's plan  
would have given them1 and that at no   
great expense4 ,what substitute for a   
priest is equal to a good book8 ,what   
vocation to the priesthood has not found
 its origin in the pages of a good book1
 or at any rate been fostered by its    
devout lessons8 ,and all history as well
 as experience proves that the best     
guarantee of the faith of a ,catholic1  
moving amidst kindly-disposed           
non-,catholic neighbors1 is the         
aggressive force of missionary zeal4    
,the ,publication ,society1 if brought  
into active play1 would have done much  
to create this zeal1 and would have     
supplied its best arms of attack and    
defence by an abundance of free         
,catholic reading4 ,it would have helped
 on every good work by auxiliary forces 
drawn from intelligent faith and        
instructed zeal4  ,a closer view of the 
case shows that antecedents of a racial 

and social character among the people   
had something to do with the apathy we  
have been considering4 ,to a great      
degree it still rests upon us1 though   
such organized efforts as the ,catholic 
,truth ,society of ,st4 ,paul1          
,minnesota1 and the ,holy ,ghost        
,society of ,new ,orleans indicate a    
change for the better4  ,had ,father    
,hecker continued in good health there  
is a chance1 though a desperate one1    
that he might have overcome all         
obstacles4 ,many zealous souls would    
have followed his lead4 ,as a specimen  
we may name the ,vicar-,general of ,san 
,francisco1 ,father ,prendergast1 who1  
with the help of a few earnest friends1 
raised several thousand dollars in gold 
in that diocese alone4 ,but in #ahga    
,father ,hecker's strength began to     
fail1 and in the following year his     
active life was done4 ,as already shown1
 it had been the intention to establish 
branch societies everywhere1 whose      
delegates would regularly meet and      

control the entire work1 giving the     
,church in ,america an approved1        
powerful auxiliary dominantly made up of
 laymen4 ,in that sense the ,society    
never was so much as organized1 the     
number of branch societies not at any   
time warranting such a step as a general
 meeting of their representatives4 ,the 
money actually collected was all spent  
in printing and circulating the tracts  
and other publications given away or    
sold below cost1 ,father ,hecker and the
 ,paulists managing the entire work4    
,when the collections gave out1 ,mr4    
,george ,v4 ,hecker contributed a large 
sum for continuing the undertaking4 ,the
 result was his finding himself in the  
publishing business1 which he was       
compelled to place as far as possible on
 a basis to meet the current outlay4    
,the ,society1 as far as its name went1 
thus became a ,catholic publishing firm1
 with ,mr4 ,hecker mainly involved      
financially and ,mr4 ,kehoe in charge of
 the business4 ,mr4 ,hecker sunk a small

 fortune in the ,apostolate of the      
,press1 much of it during the hard times
 between #ahgc and #ahgf4 ,the history  
of the whole affair is as curious as it 
is instructive1 and hence we have given 
a pretty full account of it4 ,it weighed
 heavy on ,father ,hecker's heart1      
though he astonished his friends by the 
equanimity with which he accepted its   
failure4 ,his work1 if it did not perish
 in a night like the prophet's gourd1   
withered quickly into very singular form
 and narrow proportions4 ,the amazement 
of ,protestant bigots at the appearance 
of the ,catholic tracts1 speechless and 
clamorous by turns2 the quaker guns of  
the ,second ,plenary ,council1 and the  
bright dreams of a vigorous attack upon 
the enemy all along the line and by all 
classes of clergy and laity--how ,father
 ,hecker did in after years discuss     
these topics1 and how he did inspire all
 about him with his own enthusiastic    
hopes of a future and more successful   
effort6 ,when he went to ,europe in     

#ahgc1 too feeble to hope for recovery1 
leaving the enterprise behind him in the
 same condition as his own broken       
health1 how unmurmuring was his         
submission to the ,divine and human     
wills which had brought all to naught6  
,not more than a few words need be said 
of his undertaking to buy a ,new ,york  
daily paper4 ,it happened that in #ahga 
a prominent journal1 a member of the    
,associated ,press1 could be bought for 
three hundred thousand dollars4 ,in an  
instant1 as it seems1 ,father ,hecker   
grasped the opportunity4 ,by personal   
appeals to the rich men of the city more
 than half the sum required was         
subscribed1 ,archbishop ,mc,closkey     
heading the list with a large amount4   
,but soon the doctors had to be called  
in1 and the enterprise went no further4 
,how ,father ,hecker appeared to men    
when advocating the ,apostolate of the  
,press1 and how he spread the forceful  
majesty of ,catholicity over his        
personal surroundings1 is shown by ,mr4 

,james ,parton's words in the article in
 the ,atlantic ,monthly already quoted  
from3 ,the special work of this the     
,paulist community is to bring the steam
 printing-press to bear upon the spread 
of the ,catholic religion in the ,united
 ,states4 ,the resistless missionary    
power latent in the ,church is thus     
spoken of by the same writer3  ,what a  
powerful engine is this6 ,suppose the   
six ablest and highest ,americans were  
living thus1 freed from all worldly     
cares1 in an agreeable1 secluded abode1 
yet near the centre of things1 with     
twelve zealous1 gifted young men to help
 and cheer them1 a thousand             
organizations in the country to aid in  
distributing their writings1 and in     
every town a spacious edifice and an    
eager audience to hang upon their lips4 
,what could they not effect in a        
lifetime of well-directed work8  ,what  
follows1 taken from a letter of ,father 
,hecker's while sick in ,europe in      
#ahgd1 shows one of his aims in the     

,apostolate of the ,press4 ,it is       
suggestive of a result since attained1  
at least partially1 in more than one    
religious community in ,america3        
,monsignor ,mermillod desired1 early in 
the fall1 that ,i should see ,canon     
,schorderet1 of this place ,fribourg in 
,switzerland1 as he was engaged         
zealously with the press4 ,this was one 
of my principal reasons for visiting    
this place4 ,my surprise has been most  
gratifying in finding that he has       
organized1 or rather begun1 an          
association of girls to set types1 etc41
 who live in community and labor for the
 love of ,god in the ,apostolate of the 
,press4 ,he publishes several newspapers
 and journals4 ,the house in which the  
members live is also the store and the  
publishing house4 ,each girl has her own
 room4 ,they are under the patronage of 
,st4 ,paul4 ,the canon is filled with   
the idea of ,st4 ,paul as the great     
patron of the ,press1 the first         
,christian journalist4 ,what has long   

been my dream of a movement of this     
nature has found here an incipient      
realization4 ,our views in regard to the
 mission of the press1 and the necessity
 of running it for the spread and       
defence of the faith as a form of       
,christian sacrifice in our day1 are    
identical4 ,you can easily fancy what   
interest and consolation our meeting and
 conversation must be to each other4    
,his movement is the completion of ,the 
,catholic ,publication ,society of ,new 
,york4  ,as there may be some curiosity 
about ,father ,hecker's principles as a 
public writer1 in point of view of      
ecclesiastical authority1 we give the   
following from a letter written just    
before the ,vatican ,council3  #a4      
,absolute and unswerving loyalty to the 
authority of the ,church1 wherever and  
however expressed1 as ,god's authority  
upon earth and for all time4  #b4 ,to   
seek in the same dispositions the true  
spirit of the ,church1 and be           
unreservedly governed by it as the      

wisdom of the ,most ,high4  #c4 ,to keep
 my mind and heart free from all        
attachments to schools1 parties1 or     
persons in the ,church1 ,hecker         
included1 so that nothing within me may 
hinder the light and direction of the   
,holy ,spirit4  #d4 ,in case any        
conflict arises concerning what ,hecker 
may have spoken or written1 or any work 
or movement in which he may be engaged1 
to re-examine4 ,if wrong1 make him      
retract at once4 ,if not1 then ask3 ,is 
the question of that importance that it 
requires defence1 and the upsetting of  
attacks8 ,if not of this importance1    
then not to delay and perhaps jeopardize
 the progress of other works1 and       
condemn ,hecker to simple silence4  #e4 
,in the midst of the imperfections1     
abuses1 scandals1 etc41 of the human    
side of the ,church1 never to allow     
myself to think or to express a word    
which might seem to place a truth of the
 ,catholic faith in doubt1 or to savor  
of the spirit of disobedience4  #f4     

,with all this in view1 to be the most  
earnest and ardent friend of all true   
progress1 and to work with all my might 
for its promotion through existing      
organizations and authorities4          
,,chapter ,,xxxi  ,,the ,,vatican       
,,council  ,,in #ahfg ,father ,hecker   
visited ,europe in company with ,father 
,hewit for the purpose of opening       
business relations between ,the         
,catholic ,publication ,society and     
,english1 ,irish1 and ,continental      
publishers1 as well as to attend the    
,catholic ,congress of ,malines held in 
the summer of that year4 ,the latter    
purpose we the chief inducement for the 
journey4 ,the ,archbishop of ,new ,york 
favored the project of holding a        
,catholic ,congress in ,america1 and    
encouraged ,father ,hecker to study the 
proceedings at ,malines with this end in
 view4 ,their stay at ,malines was full 
of instruction1 as they heard there the 
renowned orators1 ,dupanloup and        
,montalembert1 as well as others of     

note4 ,the ,catholic ,congress of       
,american laymen held in ,baltimore a   
few years ago1 and whose good effects   
are still felt1 would have been         
assembled twenty years earlier if       
,father ,hecker could have brought it   
about4 ,these meetings were part of his 
scheme for that moral organization of   
,catholic forces which he knew to be so 
necessary for the fruitful working of   
the official unity of the ,church4  ,in 
the early part of the year #ahfi ,pius  
,,ix4 wrote ,father ,hecker an autograph
 letter commending the various religious
 works which he and his community were  
engaged in1 especially the ,apostolate  
of the ,press1 and giving them all his  
blessing4  ,i have good news to tell    
you1 he wrote to a friend4 ,the ,holy   
,father has written me the 'tallest'    
kind of a letter1 endorsing every good  
work in which ,i am engaged4 ,hurrah for
 ,catholicity at ,fifty-ninth ,street6  
,my private opinion is that the ,holy   
,father has gone too far in his         

endorsement of ,hecker4 ,he has made me 
feel ashamed of myself and humiliated4  
,when ,pius ,,ix4 called together the   
,council of the ,vatican ,father ,hecker
 was urged by friends1 among them       
several bishops1 to go to ,rome for the 
occasion4 ,the late ,bishop ,rosecrans1 
of ,columbus1 ,ohio1 not being able to  
attend himself1 appointed ,father       
,hecker his ,procurator1 or proxy4      
,before his departure he preached a     
sermon on the ,council in the ,paulist  
,church1 which was printed in ,the      
,catholic ,world for ,december1 #ahfi4  
,he devoted the greater part of it to   
quieting the wild forebodings of timid  
,catholics and combating the prognostics
 of outright anti-,catholics4 ,he       
concluded by asking the people to pray  
that the hopes of a new and brighter era
 for religion1 to date from this great  
event1 might be fulfilled2 for it was   
commonly believed and expressly intended
 that the entire state of the ,church   
should be considered and legislated upon

 at the ,council4 ,the breaking out of  
the ,franco-,prussian war1 as is well   
known1 together with the seizure of     
,rome by the ,piedmontese1 frustrated   
these hopes as to all but the very first
 part of the work laid out for the      
,council4  ,father ,hecker arrived in   
,rome on the #bfth of ,november1 #ahfi4 
,when the preliminary business of       
organization had been finished it was   
announced that the procurators of absent
 bishops would not be admitted to the   
,council1 as the number of prelates     
present in person was exceedingly large4
 ,but1 he writes home3  ,the ,archbishop
 of ,baltimore has made me his          
theologian of his own accord4 ,this     
gives me the privilege of reading all   
the documents of the ,council1 of       
knowing all that takes place in it1 its 
discussions1 etc4 ,as his theologian ,i 
take part in the meetings and           
deliberations of the ,american          
hierarchy1 which is1 as it were1 a      
permanent council concerning the        

interests of the ,church in the ,united 
,states1 in which ,i feel a strong and  
special interest4  ,father ,hecker had  
ever been a firm believer in the        
doctrine of papal infallibility1 as was 
the case with all ,american ,catholics1 
prelates1 priests1 and people4 ,shortly 
before leaving for the ,council we heard
 him say3 ,i have always heard the voice
 of ,rome as that of truth itself4 ,this
 he also showed very plainly in his     
farewell sermon4 ,speaking of the dread 
of undue papal influence over the       
bishops in the ,council1 he exclaimed3  
,all ,i have to say is1 that if the     
,roman ,court prevail in the            
deliberations of the ,council1 it is the
 ,holy ,ghost who prevails through the  
,roman ,court4 ,but the tone of the     
controversy on the subject of papal     
infallibility1 which soon deafened the  
world1 was too sharp for his nerves1 and
 he abstained from mingling in it4 ,as a
 matter of fact he determined to get    
away from ,rome early in the spring of  

#ahgj4 ,if the reader would know what we
 deem to have been ,father ,hecker's    
frame of mind about the proceedings of  
the ,council we refer him to ,bishop ,j4
 ,l4 ,spalding's excellent life of his  
uncle1 the then ,archbishop of          
,baltimore1 whose views of both doctrine
 and policy were1 as far as we can      
judge1 shared by ,father ,hecker1 who   
was his intimate and beloved friend4    
,but his stay in the ,eternal ,city1 at 
this time more than ever before the     
focus of all religious truth1 as well as
 the object of all human expectancy1 had
 not been uneventful4 ,very much against
 his will he preached one of the sermons
 of the course given during the octave  
of the ,epiphany1 in the ,church of ,san
 ,andrea della ,valle1 and later on     
another1 on an important occasion1 in   
place of ,archbishop ,spalding1 who had 
fallen ill4 ,much of his time he spent  
with the ,american bishops and the      
distinguished priests who were with     
them2 he renewed the old-time           

friendships of his stay in ,rome twelve 
years before1 seeing a good deal of     
,archbishop ,connolly1 of ,halifax1 ,n4 
,s42 he made new friends1 too1 among    
whom he names especially ,mrs4 ,craven1 
the author of the ,recit d'une ,soeur2  
and he formed acquaintance with leading 
men and women of all nationalities4     
,there is not a day passes1 he wrote    
home1 that ,i do not make the           
acquaintance of persons of great        
importance1 or acquire the knowledge of 
matters equally important for me to     
know2 and ,i gain more in a day than one
 could in years at other times4 ,for we 
may say that the intelligence1 the      
science and sanctity of the ,church are 
now gathered into this one city4 ,yet my
 heart is in my work at home4  ,he had  
two private audiences with ,pius ,,ix41 
which1 though of course brief1 were very
 interesting2 the ,pope remembered him1 
and expressed his interest in him and   
his work in ,america4 ,the following    
extracts from letters to his brother    

,george1 written very soon after        
reaching ,rome1 recall an old friend3   
,i do not know whether ,i told you of my
 interview with ,cardinal ,barnabo4 ,he 
received me literally with open arms4   
,after an hour's conversation on several
 matters he ended by saying3 ',the      
affection and esteem which ,i had for   
you when you were here before has been  
increased by your labors since then1 and
 my door is always open for you1 and ,i 
shall always be glad to see you4' ,he   
entertains a high idea of the importance
 of ,the ,catholic ,world4  ,i had a    
most pleasant interview a few evenings  
since with ,cardinal ,barnabo1 he writes
 in ,april1 #ahgj1 shortly before       
leaving4 ,among other things he said3   
',you ought to be grateful to ,god for  
three reasons3 first1 ,he drew you out  
of heresy2 second1 ,he saved you from   
shipwreck in ,rome2 third1 ,he has given
 you talents1 etc41 to do great things  
for ,his ,church in your country4' ,he  
takes great interest in the ,paulists4  

,not alone in ,rome did he meet with    
friends1 but what follows1 written home 
in ,december1 #ahfi1 tells that his name
 and his vocation had been made familiar
 to many observant persons in ,europe3  
,it surprises me to find my name        
familiar everywhere ,i have been on my  
travels4 ,but magazines1 newspapers1    
telegrams1 and what-not have turned the 
world into a whispering gallery4 ,but   
the less a man is known to men the more 
he knows of ,god2 so it seems to me1 as 
a rule4 ,yet great activity may flow as 
a consequence of intimate union with    
,him whom theologians call ,actus       
,purissimus4 ,from the fact of his being
 known1 ,i entertain no better idea of  
,father ,hecker than ,i ever did2 and   
could ,i get him again in the ,united   
,states1 he will be more devoted than   
ever to his work4  ,father ,hecker gave 
his view of the bearing of the ,vatican 
,council on the future of religion in a 
letter which will be found below4 ,it   
concerns what we have already spoken of 

at some length and what we shall again  
refer to1 namely1 the relation between  
the inner and outer action of the ,holy 
,ghost as factors in the soul's         
sanctification4 ,we heard ,father       
,hecker several times affirm that he    
received special illumination from ,god 
on this subject while in ,rome during   
the ,council1 and that something like   
the very words in which properly to     
express himself were then given to him4 
,it was written in the summer of #ahgb1 
but we quote it here before bidding     
adieu to ,rome and accompanying him in  
his short pilgrimage among the great    
shrines of ,italy3  ,these two months   
past ,i have been driven away from home 
to one place and another by poor health4
 4 4 4 ,the definition of the ,vatican  
,council completes and fixes for ever   
the external authority of the ,church   
against the heresies and errors of the  
last three centuries4 4 4 4 ,none but   
the declared enemies of the ,church and 
misdirected ,catholics can fail to see  

in this the directing influence of the  
,holy ,ghost4  ,the ,vatican ,council   
has placed the ,church in battle array1 
unmasked the concealed batteries of her 
enemies2 the conflict will be on a fair 
and open field1 and it will be decisive4
 ,the recent hostility of the           
governments of ,europe1 and especially  
of ,italy1 against the ,church1 has     
shown the wisdom of the ,vatican        
,council in preparing the ,church to    
meet the crisis4 ,the definition leaves 
no longer any doubt in regard to the    
authority of the ,chief of the ,church4 
,for my part ,i sincerely thank the     
,jesuits for their influence in bringing
 it about1 even though that were as     
great as some people would have us      
believe4 4 4 4 ,this had to be done     
before the ,church could resume her     
normal course of action4 ,what is that8 
,why1 the divine external authority of  
the ,church completed1 fixed beyond all 
controversy1 her attention and that of  
all her children can now be turned more 

directly to the divine and interior     
authority of the ,holy ,ghost in the    
soul4 ,the whole ,church giving her     
attention to the interior inspirations  
of the ,holy ,spirit1 will give birth to
 her renewal1 and enable her to         
reconquer her place and true position in
 ,europe and the whole world4 ,for we   
must never forget that the immediate    
means of ,christian perfection is the   
interior direction of the ,holy ,spirit1
 while the test of our being directed by
 the ,holy ,spirit and not by our       
fancies and prejudices1 is our filial   
obedience to the divine external        
authority of the ,church4  ,if for three
 centuries the most influential schools 
in the ,church gave a preponderance in  
their teaching and spiritual direction  
to those virtues which are in direct    
relation to the external authority of   
the ,church1 it must be remembered that 
the heresies of that period all aimed at
 the destruction of this authority4 ,the
 character of this teaching1 therefore1 

was a necessity4 ,there was no other way
 of preserving the children of the      
,church from the danger of this         
infection4 ,if the effect of this       
teaching made ,catholics childlike1 less
 manly and active than others1 this was 
under the circumstances inevitable4     
,the definition of the ,vatican         
,council1 thanks to the ,jesuits1 now   
gives us freedom to turn our attention  
in another direction1 and to cultivating
 other virtues4 ,if one infidel was     
equal to two ,catholics in courage and  
action in the past1 in the future one   
,catholic1 moved by the ,holy ,spirit1  
will be equal to half-a-dozen or a      
thousand infidels and heretics4  ,the   
stupid ,doellingerites do not see or    
understand that what they pretend to    
desire--the renewal of the ,church--can 
only be accomplished by the reign of the
 ,holy ,spirit throughout the ,church1  
and that this can only be brought about 
by a filial submission to her divine    
external authority4 ,instead of their   

insane opposition to the definition of  
the ,vatican ,council and to the        
,jesuits1 whose influence they have     
exaggerated beyond all measure1 they    
ought to embrace both with enthusiasm1  
as opening the door to the renewal of   
the ,church and a brighter and more     
glorious future4 4 4 4 ,to my view there
 is no other way or hope for such a     
future4  ,he left ,rome and his many    
warm friends there early in the spring  
of #ahgj1 and1 as he thought1 for the   
last time4 ,he was full of courage1 he  
was conscious of not only perfect       
agreement with every credential of      
orthodoxy1 but of interior impulses of a
 marvellously inspiring kind4 ,in a very
 familiar letter to his brother's family
 he says that just before his departure1
 while standing in one of the great     
piazzas1 looking at the concourse of    
representatives of all nations passing  
back and forth1 gathered to take counsel
 with the ,vicar of ,christ for the     
well-being of the human race1 he was so 

exhilarated that he could hardly refrain
 from calling out1 ,three cheers for    
,paradise1 and one for the ,united      
,states6  ,i return with new hope and   
fresher energy1 he writes1 for that     
better future for the ,church and       
humanity which is in store for both in  
the ,united ,states4 ,this is the       
conviction of all intelligent and       
hopeful minds in ,europe4 ,they look to 
the other side of the ,atlantic not only
 with great interest1 but to catch the  
light which will solve the problems of  
,europe4 ,our course is surely fraught  
with the interests1 hopes1 and happiness
 of the race4 ,i never felt so much like
 acquitting myself as a ,christian and a
 man4 ,the convictions which have       
hitherto directed my course have been   
deepened1 confirmed1 and strengthened by
 recent experience here1 and ,i return  
to my country a better ,catholic and    
more an ,american than ever4  ,that he  
might say ,mass daily and at convenient 
hours while in ,rome1 crowded as it was 

at the time with bishops and priests1 he
 obtained leave to do so in his own     
rooms4 ,he made little pilgrimages to   
the great shrines of the ,holy ,city1   
especially those of the ,apostles and   
the typical martyrs1 not forgetting1 of 
course1 his favorite modern saints1     
,philip ,neri and ,ignatius ,loyola4    
,the following are extracts from letters
 home telling of his celebration of ,st4
 ,paul's ,conversion and of the         
martyrdom of ,st4 ,agnes4 ,the reader   
will remember that the association of   
women here mentioned was one of his     
earliest ideas1 and one of the many     
whose realization ,providence has given 
over1 let us hope1 to some souls        
especially favored by ,father ,hecker's 
gifts3  ,i pray much for each member of 
the community1 and for light to guide it
 in the way of ,god4 ,within a short    
period much light has been given to me1 
and the importance of our work and its  
greatness have impressed me greatly1    
more than ever before4 ,yesterday ,i    

went to the ,basilica of ,st4 ,paul1    
being the feast of his conversion1      
especially to invoke his aid4 ,i felt   
that my visit was not in vain4 4 4 4 ,i 
forgot no one of our dear community4 4 4
 4 ,on the #bast ,i said ,mass in the   
catacombs of ,st4 ,agnes2 it was the day
 of her feast4 ,more than twenty persons
 were present1 friends and              
acquaintances4 ,i gave eleven           
communions1 and made a little discourse 
at the close of the ,holy ,sacrifice4   
,the scene was most solemn and          
affecting4  ,what did ,i pray for8      
during my ,mass in ,st4 ,agnes's        
,catacomb4 ,for you all1 especially for 
the future4 ,what future8 ,how shall ,i 
name it8 ,the association of women in   
our country to aid the work of ,god     
through the ,holy ,church for its       
conversion4 ,my convictions become      
fixed1 and my determination to begin the
 enterprise consecrated4  ,at the close 
of the ,mass ,i made a short discourse4 
,think of it1 preaching once more in the

 ,catacombs1 surrounded with the tombs  
where the martyrs are laid and where the
 voice of the martyrs had spoken6 ,you  
can imagine that the impression was     
profound and solemn on us all4 ,it was a
 piece of foolhardiness on my part to   
open my lips and speak1 when everything 
around us spoke so impressively and     
solemnly to our heads4 ,i will attempt  
to interpret this speech3 ,in the days  
of ,agnes1 ,christians were called upon 
to resist and conquer physical          
persecution4 ,in our day we are called  
upon to overcome intellectual and social
 opposition4 ,they conquered6 ,we shall 
conquer6 ,agnes tells us there is no    
excuse for cowardice4 ,agnes was young1 
,agnes was weak1 ,agnes was a girl1 and 
she conquered6 ,one ,agnes can conquer  
the opposition of the nineteenth        
century4 ,such in substance was my      
discourse4 ,the whole scene caused every
 one to be bathed in tears4  ,after     
leaving ,rome he went straight to       
,assisi1 for whose saint he had ever    

felt a very powerful attraction4 ,he    
thus describes his impressions3  ,the   
people that ,i have seen about here have
 a milder countenance and a more        
cheerful look1 more refined and human   
than the ,italians around ,rome4 ,they  
are to the other ,italians what the     
,swabians are to the other ,germans4 ,it
 is easy for the ,minnesinger of the    
human1 to become the ,minnesinger of    
,divine love4  ,i could have kissed the 
stones of the streets of the town when  
,i remembered that ,st4 ,francis had    
trodden these same streets1 and the love
 and heroism which beat in his heart4 4 
4 4 ,i said ,holy ,mass at the tomb of  
,st4 ,francis1 and in presence of his   
body this morning--a votive ,mass of the
 ,saint4 ,it seems ,i could linger weeks
 and weeks around this holy spot4 4 4 4 
,what ,st4 ,francis did for his age one 
might do for one's own4 ,he touched the 
chords of feeling and of aspiration in  
the hearts of the men and women of his  
time and organized them for action4 ,st4

 ,dominic did the same for the          
intellectual wants of the time4 ,why not
 do this for our age8 ,who shall so     
touch the springs of men's hearts and   
reach their minds as to lead them to the
 desire of united action1 and organize  
them so as to bring forth great results8
 ,there is no doubt that the age wants  
this4 ,who is there that is inspired    
from a higher sphere of life1 and sees  
into the future1 so as to be able to    
speak to men and to invite them to do   
the work of ,god in our day8 ,who takes 
all humanity into his heart1 and with   
the past and present at once in his mind
 can inspire men to live and act for the
 divine future8  ,he also visited the   
,holy ,house at ,loretto1 and1 passing  
through ,venice and ,milan to see the   
great churches of these cities1 the     
despair of all modern church-builders1  
as he says1 he came finally to ,genoa4  
,i turned my steps1 he writes1 to the   
general hospital2 and why8 ,because the 
interest of my heart was there1 and has 

been there for upward of twenty years4  
,it is the spot where ,st4 ,catherine of
 ,genoa labored for the miserable1 loved
 ,god1 and sanctified her soul4 ,her    
body is in a crystal case1 uncorrupted1 
withered in appearance but not          
unpleasant to the sight4 ,when the      
curtain was withdrawn and ,i could see  
her face and her feet1 which were       
uncovered1 ,i could not help exclaiming 
with the ,psalmist1 ',god is wonderful  
in ,his saints6' ,i cannot express what 
an attraction ,i have always felt for   
,st4 ,catherine of ,genoa4 ,she knew how
 to reconcile the greatest fidelity to  
the interior attrait and guidance of the
 ,holy ,spirit with perfect filial      
obedience to the external and divine    
authority of the ,holy ,church4 ,she    
knew how to reconcile the highest degree
 of divine contemplation with the       
greatest extent of works of external    
charity4 ,she was a heroic lover of     
,god1 for she resisted ,his gifts1 lest 
she might forget the ,giver in them1 and

 be hindered the entire possession of   
,him1 and the complete union of her soul
 with ,him4 ,as a virgin she was pure1 a
 model as a wife1 and as a widow a      
saint6 ,her writings on the spiritual   
life are masterpieces1 and though a     
woman1 no man has surpassed1 if any has 
equalled1 the eloquence of her pen4  ,he
 procured an excellent copy of ,st4     
,catherine's portrait preserved at the  
hospital1 and brought it home with him4 
,he had done the same for ,sts4 ,philip 
and ,ignatius before leaving ,rome4 ,st4
 ,catherine's picture represents a      
handsome face1 earnest1 simple1 and     
joyful2 she is dressed plainly as a     
devout woman living in the world1 lovely
 to look upon and inspiring love of ,god
 and man in the beholder4  ,father      
,hecker's stay in ,europe during the    
winter of #ahfi-gj and the following    
spring awakened in his soul aspirations 
towards a wide and enduring religious   
movement in the ,old ,world1 similar to 
that which he had started in the ,new4  

,at the time he did not anticipate any  
personal share in it other than         
encouragement and direction from        
,america4 ,the reader will learn in the 
sequel that these aspirations were again
 felt1 and that with renewed force1 when
 he returned to ,europe in ill health   
three years later4  ,what follows is    
from a pocket diary1 and from a letter  
home3  ,the work that ,divine           
,providence has called us to do in our  
own country1 were its spirit extended   
throughout ,europe1 would be the focus  
of new light and an element of          
regeneration4 ,our country has a        
providential position in our century in 
relation to ,europe1 and our efforts to 
,catholicize and sanctify it give it an 
importance1 in a religious aspect1 of a 
most interesting and significant        
character4  ,i do not wish to cross the 
,atlantic ever again1 and therefore     
would like to finish with ,europe and   
,italy4 ,as for the notable men of the  
day1 ,i have seen many of them--enough  

of them4 ,my present experience in one  
way and another seems to have prepared  
me to lay a foundation for action which 
will be suitable not only for the       
present but for centuries to come4 ,no  
one of my previous convictions have been
 disturbed1 but much strengthened and   
enlarged and settled4 ,i see nothing1   
practically1 in which ,i am engaged1    
that1 were it in my power1 ,i would now 
wish to alter or abandon4 ,i shall      
return with the resolution to continue  
them with more confidence1 more zeal1   
more energy4  ,he arrived in ,new ,york 
in ,june1 #ahgj4       ,,chapter ,,xxxii
  ,,the ,,long ,,illness  ,,we have now 
arrived at the last period of ,father   
,hecker's life1 the long illness which  
completed his meed of suffering and of  
merit1 and gradually drew him down to   
the grave4 ,it will not be expected that
 we shall treat extensively of this     
subject2 nor can one who writes in the  
beginning of the '#ijs about the closing
 scenes of a life which ended late in   

the '#hjs go very much into detail      
without bringing in the living4 ,as to  
,father ,hecker's latter days in this   
world1 it may be said that his joy and  
courage and buoyancy of spirits1 as well
 as his hopeful outlook upon men and    
things1 were all tried in the furnace of
 extreme bodily suffering as well as of 
the most excruciating mental agony4     
,four distinct epochs divide ,father    
,hecker's life3 one when in early days  
he was driven from home and business and
 ultimately into the ,church by         
aspirations towards a higher life2      
another marks the extraordinary dealings
 of ,god with his soul during his       
novitiate and time of studies2 the third
 was the struggle in ,rome which        
produced the ,paulist community2 the    
fourth and last was the illness which we
 are now to consider4 ,the closing      
scenes of his life are scattered over   
more than sixteen years1 filled with    
almost every form of pain of body and   
darkness of soul4  ,from severe colds1  

acute headaches1 and weakness of the    
digestive organs ,father ,hecker was a  
frequent sufferer4 ,but towards the end 
of the year #ahga his headaches became  
much more painful1 his appetite left    
him1 and sleeplessness and excitability 
of the nervous system were added to his 
other ailments4 ,remedies of every kind 
were tried1 but without permanent       
relief1 and1 although he lectured and   
preached and did his other work all     
winter and most of the following spring1
 his weakness increased1 until by the   
summer of #ahgb he was wholly           
incapacitated4 ,the winter of #ahgb-c   
was spent in the ,south without notable 
improvement1 and early in the following 
summer1 acting upon the advice of       
physicians1 he went to ,europe4 ,look   
upon me as a dead man1 he said with     
tears as he bade the community farewell2
 ,god is trying me severely in soul and 
body1 and ,i must have the courage to   
suffer crucifixion4 ,he also assured us 
that whatever action should be taken in 

adopting the ,constitutions1 then under 
consideration1 had his hearty approval  
beforehand4 ,he was accompanied to      
,europe by ,father ,deshon1 from whom he
 parted with deep emotion at ,ragatz1 a 
health resort in ,switzerland4  ,father 
,hecker remained more than two years in 
,europe1 trying every change of climate 
and scene1 and every other remedy       
advised by physicians1 and returned to  
,new ,york in ,october1 #ahge1 with     
unimproved health4 ,he had derived most 
benefit from a journey up the ,nile in  
the winter of #ahgc-d1 and a short visit
 to the ,holy ,land in the following    
spring4 ,while in ,europe his mind was  
busy1 and he managed to meet many of his
 old friends there1 and formed new and  
important acquaintances4 ,in ,february1 
#ahge1 he published his pamphlet1 ,an   
,exposition of the ,church in ,view of  
the ,present ,needs of the ,age1 which  
contains his estimate of the evils of   
our times1 especially in ,europe1 and   
the adequate remedy for them4 ,on his   

return to ,new ,york he was too weak to 
bear the routine of the house in        
,fifty-ninth ,street and lived with his 
brother ,george till the fall of #ahgi1 
when he removed to the convent1         
remaining with the community till his   
death nine years afterwards4  ,as to the
 physical sufferings of those last      
sixteen years1 they were never such as  
to impair ,father ,hecker's mental      
soundness4 ,he never had softening of   
the brain1 as the state of his nerves   
before going to ,europe seemed to       
indicate2 nor had he heart disease1 as  
was for a time suspected4 ,his mental   
powers were intact from first to last1  
though his organs of speech were        
sometimes too slow for his thoughts4    
,his digestion had been impaired by     
excessive abstinence in early manhood1  
dating back to a time before he was a   
,catholic1 and his nervous system1 also1
 had been injured by that means1 as well
 as by the pressure of excessive work in
 later life4 ,gradual impoverishment of 

the blood was the result1 and the       
dropping down of nervous force1 till at 
last the body struck work altogether4   
,four or five years before his death    
,father ,hecker became subject to       
frequent attacks of angina pectoris1    
said to be the most painful of all      
diseases4 ,during the sixteen years of  
illness every symptom of bodily illness 
was aggravated by the least attention to
 community affairs or business matters1 
and also by interior trials which will  
presently be described4  ,he was not    
unwilling to trace his breaking down to 
excessive austerity in former years4    
,once when asked for advice about       
corporal mortification he answered3     
,don't go too fast4 ,remember ,st4      
,bernard's regret for having gone too   
far with such things in his youth4 ,for 
my part1 for many years ,i practised    
frightful penances1 and now ,i fear that
 much of my physical helplessness is due
 to that cause4 ,his state was not one  
of utter debility1 though that quickly  

resulted if watchfulness were relaxed1  
or from application to responsible      
duties4 ,but his strength never was to  
much to speak of1 only so1 so1 to use   
his own expressions1 which signified a  
very small amount of the power of       
exertion or endurance in the muscles and
 nerves4  ,what about my health8 he     
wrote from ,europe4 ,there are days when
 ,i feel quite myself1 and then others  
when ,i sink down to the bottom4 ,my    
condition of mind and body often        
perplexes me1 and there is nothing left 
me but to abandon all into the hands of 
,divine ,providence4 ,the end of it all 
is entirely in the dark1 and were there 
not parallel epochs in my past life1 and
 similar things in the lives of some    
others which ,i have read1 my perplexity
 would be greater4  ,and again1 from    
,ragatz1 in the summer of #ahge3  ,my   
state of health is much the same4 ,i    
found last week that my pulse was       
bounding in a few hours from the sixties
 into the nineties without any apparent 

cause4 ,yesterday ,i determined to      
consult the leading physician here4 ,he 
examined me1 and1 like all others1      
attributes everything to my nerves1     
resulting from impoverished blood4 ,i   
say to myself3 #ast1 ,how long will the 
machine keep working in this style8     
#b;d1 ,there will be a smash-up some    
day4 #c;d1 ,or perhaps ,i shall be able 
to get up more steam and run it a while 
longer4 ,who knows8  ,and in another    
letter from the same place3  ,even here1
 freed from all labors1 it often seems  
to me that a good breeze1 if it struck  
me in the right place1 would drive the  
soul out of my body1 so lightly is it   
connected with it1 so slightly do they  
hold together4  ,as already said1 his   
trip to ,egypt had given him a temporary
 relief1 and this was due1 so he        
supposed1 to utter change of scene and  
to solitude4 ,when it was over he wrote 
as follows3  ,this trip has been in     
every respect much more to my benefit   
than my most sanguine expectations led  

me to hope4 ,it seems to me almost like 
an inspiration1 such have been its      
beneficial effects to my mind and body4 
,in ,nubia there reigned profound       
silence and repose1 and in lower ,egypt1
 although there is more activity and    
evidence of modern life1 still it is    
quiet and tranquil4 ,i feel somewhat    
like one who has been in solitude for   
three or four months4  ,my daily regime1
 he writes to his brother and ,mrs4     
,hecker1 from ,italy1 has not changed   
these two years which ,i have spent in  
,europe4 ,if ,i rise before nine ,i feel
 it the whole day4 ,in the morning ,i   
awake about seven for good1 and take a  
cup of tea with some bread and butter4  
,i then read2 sometimes1 not often1 ,i  
write a note in bed1 and rise about nine
 or ten4 ,i take a lunch at twelve and  
dine at six4 ,my appetite is not much at
 any time4 ,my sleep1 so so4 ,all       
through his illness he went to bed at   
nine or shortly after4 ,i feel for the  
most part like a man balancing whether  

he will keep on swimming or go under the
 water4 ,sometimes ,i take a nap two or 
three times a day--if ,i can get it4    
,there are weeks when ,i do not and     
cannot put my pen to paper4 ,to write a 
note is a great effort4 4 4 4 ,though my
 strength is so little my mind is not   
unoccupied1 and ,i keep up some reading4
  ,just in what way his spiritual       
difficulties accelerated his bodily     
decline it is hard to say1 for he was   
generally extremely reticent as to his  
interior life4 ,a few words dropped     
unawares and at long intervals1 and     
carefully taken down at the time1 give  
fleeting glimpses into a soul which was 
a dark chamber of sorrow1 though it was 
sometimes peaceful sorrow4 ,to this we  
can fortunately add some sentences      
written in an unusually confidential    
mood in letters from ,europe4 ,before   
his illness he was over-joyful1 or so it
 seemed to some to whom this trait of   
his was a temptation4 ,why1 it was said1
 religion seems to have no penitential  

side to ,father ,hecker at all4 ,from   
the day of his ordination until his     
illness began he might have made the    
,psalmist's words his own3 ,there be    
many that say1 ,who shall show us any   
good8 ,lord1 ,thou hast set upon us the 
light of ,thy countenance1 ,thou hast   
put gladness in my heart4 ,but now the  
light of that radiant joy had faded     
away1 and the face of ,god1 though as   
present as ever before1 loomed over him 
dark1 threatening1 and majestic4 ,he had
 studied spiritual doctrine too well not
 to be ready for this trial1 nor had it 
been sent to him without warning4       
,nevertheless the sensible presence of  
,god's love had been so vivid and       
constant that he could alternate the joy
 of labor with that of prayer with the  
greatest ease4 ,and now it was an       
alternation1 not of choice but of dire  
compulsion1 between bitter1 helpless    
inaction1 and a state of prayer which   
was a mere dread of an all-too-near     
,judge4 ,it seemed to him as if he had  

boasted1 ,i said in my abundance ,i     
shall not be moved for ever1 and now he 
must end the inspired sentence1 ,thou   
hast turned away ,thy face from me and  
,i became troubled4 ,when this          
obscuration of the ,divine ,love first  
grew upon him the misery of it was      
intolerable and was borne with extreme  
difficulty4 ,the pain was lessened at   
intervals as time passed on1 and before 
a year had elapsed1 his letters from    
,europe1 though they did not before     
complain of desolation1 now show its    
previous existence by hailing the advent
 of seasons of interior peace4 ,but from
 beginning to end of this entire period 
of his life we have not found a word of 
his speaking of joy4 ,and again1 even   
the peace would go and the desolation   
return2 the face of ,god1 not any time  
smiling1 had lost its calm regard and   
was once more bent frowning upon him4   
,the following extracts from letters    
written from ,switzerland in the autumn 
of #ahgd1 and within a month of each    

other1 tell of these alternations of    
storm and calm3  ,as to my health these 
last ten days ,i cannot say much4 ,my   
interior trials have been such that it  
would be impossible that my health      
should improve under them4 ,as long as  
they last ,i must expect to suffer4 ,i  
see nothing before me but darkness1 and 
there is nothing within my soul but     
desolation and bitterness4 ,cut off from
 all that formerly interested me1       
banished as it were from home and       
country1 isolated from everything1 the  
doors of heaven shut1 ,i feel           
overwhelmed with misery and crushed to  
atoms4 ,my being away from my former    
duties is a negative relief2 it frees me
 from the additional burden and trouble 
which would necessarily fall upon me if 
,i were within reach4  ,there remains   
nothing for me but to confide in1 to    
follow1 and abandon myself to that      
,guide who has directed me from the     
beginning4 ,i read ,job1 ,jeremias1 and 
,thomas a ,kempis1 and meditate on the  

sufferings of ,our ,lord and the        
character of ,his death4 ,i recall to   
mind what ,i have read on these matters 
in spiritual writers and the ,lives of  
the ,saints4 ,i reflect how from the    
very nature of the purification of the  
soul this darkness1 bitterness1 and     
desolation must be2 but not a drop of   
consolation is distilled into my soul4  
,the only words which come to my lips   
are ',my soul is sad unto death1' and   
these ,i repeat and repeat again4 ,at   
all times1 in rising and in going to    
bed1 in company and at my meals1 ,i     
whisper them to myself1 while to others 
,i appear cheerful and join in the talk4
 ,at the most ,i can but die2 this is   
the lot of all1 and no one can tell the 
moment when4  ,withal1 ,i try to have   
patience1 resignation1 endurance1 and   
trust in ,god1 waiting on ,his guidance 
and leaving all in ,his hands4  ,since  
my last ,i have had some relief from my 
interior trials1 and no sooner does this
 take place than my body recovers some  

of its strength4 ,it would not have been
 possible for me to have borne much     
longer the desolation which filled my   
soul4 ,each new trial1 when passed1     
leaves me more quiet and tranquil4 ,past
 periods of my life give me hope that   
this trial will also come to an end4    
,what will that be8 ,how will it happen8
 and when8 ,god alone knows4 ,he that   
has led me so many years still guides   
me1 and resistance to ,his will is worse
 than vain4 ,judging from that same     
past1 my expectations to return to my   
former labors are not sanguine4 ,it     
seems to me sometimes that ,i am cut off
 from these to be prepared for a deeper 
and broader basis for future action4    
,but whether this will be so or not1 is 
in the hands of ,god4 ,whatever ,he     
wills me to do1 ,i must do it4 ,my own  
will has become null1 and all that is   
left for me to do is to wait on ,his    
good pleasure and ,his own time4 ,to act
 or not to act1 to suffer or not to     
suffer1 to speak or to keep silence1 to 

return to my former labors or never to  
return1 to live on or die1 all have     
become indifferent to me4 ,i am in      
,god's hands1 with no will of my own2   
for ,he has taken it1 and it is for ,him
 to do with me whatever ,he pleases4 ,if
 this be a source of pain to others1    
none but ,god knows what it has cost me4
 ,there as nothing1 therefore1 left but 
to wait in trust on ,god's will and ,his
 mercy and good pleasure4  ,and again   
the darkened heavens are above him3     
,death invited1 alas6 will not come4    
,what a relief it would be from a       
continuous and prolonged death6  ,the   
obscurity of the drawing of the ,holy   
,ghost1 as well as of ,god's designs1   
and his incessant fretting against this1
 partly involuntary and1 as he          
confesses1 partly voluntary also1       
disturbs my health and reduces my       
strength4  ,next to the evil            
self-company of an unforgiven sinner    
there is no loneliness so sad as that of
 the invalid4 ,he needs company most who

 is worst company for himself4 ,yet     
,father ,hecker has not left a single   
word which would suggest that during    
more than two years of absence from all 
his life associates in religion1 as well
 as from his blood kindred1 whom he     
loved with a powerful love1 he felt the 
lack of human companionship4 ,one reason
 for this was his contemplative nature1 
and this was the main reason4 ,he was   
born to be a hermit1 and was an active  
liver only by being born again for a    
special vocation4 ,another reason was   
that his mind was so constituted that1  
when subjected to trial1 it rested      
better when quite out of sight of       
everybody and everything associated with
 past responsibilities4 ,he bade adieu  
to ,father ,deshon when the latter left 
him at ,ragatz with sorrow1 but without 
reluctance2 and when a year afterwards  
at was suggested that one of the        
community should come to ,europe and    
keep him company1 he refused without    
hesitation1 saying that his companion   

would be burdened with a sick man's     
infirmities1 or the sick man distressed 
by his companion's inactivity on his    
account4 ,but towards the very end of   
his life there were times when he felt  
the need of congenial company and was   
extremely grateful for it4 ,but this did
 not happen often1 and when it did it   
was because the waves of despondency    
which submerged him were heavier and    
darker than usual4  ,the following      
extract from a letter shows this state  
of mind3  ,as ,i get somewhat more      
accustomed to my separation from all    
that was so dear to me1 the strangeness 
of my position seems to me more and more
 inexplicable4 ,all the things which are
 going on in ,fifty-ninth ,street were  
once all to me1 and nothing appeared    
beyond4 ,to be separated from all2 to   
look upon one's past as a dream2 to     
become a stranger to one's self1        
wandering from city to city1 from       
country to country1 ever in a strange   
land and among strangers2 to be attached

 to nothing2 to see no definite future2 
to be an enigma to one's self2 to find  
no light in any one to guide me1        
isolated from all except ,god--who will 
explain what all this means8 where it   
will end8 and how soon8 ,as ,i become   
resigned to this state of things my     
health suffers less4 ,occasionally my   
interior trials and struggles are almost
 insupportable1 but less so than if ,i  
were surrounded by those who have an    
affection for me4 ,to worry others      
without their being able to give me any 
relief would only increase my suffering1
 and finally become unbearable4 ,all is 
for the best6 ,god's will be done6      
,what he wrote to a friend suffering    
from illness he applied to himself2 he  
made spiritual profit1 as best he might1
 from separation from the men and the   
vocation he loved so well3  ,i can      
sympathize with you more completely in  
your sickness being myself not well4 ,to
 be shut off from the world1 and cut off
 from human activity--and this is what  

it means to be sick--gives the soul the 
best conditions to love ,god alone1 and 
this is ,paradise upon earth4 ,blessed  
sickness6 which detaches the soul from  
all creatures and unites it to its      
sovereign ,good4 ,but one's duties and  
responsibilities1 what of these in the  
meantime8 ,we must give them all up one 
day1 and why not now8 ,we think         
ourselves necessary1 and others try to  
make us believe the same2 there is but  
little truth and much self-love in this4
 ',what else do ,i require of thee1'    
says our ,lord in ,thomas a ,kempis1    
'than that thou shouldst resign thyself 
integrally to ,me4' ,this is what our   
,lord is fighting for in our souls4     
,yet in having his life-work torn away  
from him he was like a man whose leg has
 been crushed and then amputated1 the   
phantom of the lost limb aching in every
 muscle1 bone1 and nerve4 ,this was     
partly the secret of his pain while in  
,europe1 at the mere thought of his     
former active life2 it haunted him with 

memories of its lost opportunities1 its 
shortcomings in motive or achievement1  
or what he fancied to be such1 in view  
of the ,divine justice1 now always      
reckoning with him4  ,he was ever       
cheerful in word1 even when the pallor  
of his face and the blazing of his eyes 
betrayed his bodily and spiritual pain4 
,the end of religion is joy1 joy here no
 less than joy hereafter1 he once       
insisted1 and he argued long and        
energetically for the proposition2 but  
meantime he was racked with inner agony 
and was too feeble to walk alone4 ,in   
his letters and diaries he speaks of his
 illness and of its symptoms as of those
 of another person of whom he was giving
 news4  ,his wanderings in ,europe were 
like gropings after the ,divine will in 
the midst of the spirit's night1 often  
in anguish1 often in tranquillity1 never
 in his former bounding joy1 always with
 submission1 beforehand1 at the moment1 
and afterwards4 ,although the ,divine   
,will gave a cold welcome1 he sought no 

other refuge4  ,there are a thousand    
things1 he writes1 that would worry me  
if ,i would only let them1 but with     
,god's help ,i keep them on at arm's    
length4 ,his grace suffices1 or in ,his 
presence all the things of this world   
disappear4 ,god alone has been always   
the whole desire of my heart1 and what  
else can ,i wish than that ,his will may
 be wholly fulfilled in me4 ,having     
rooted everything else out of my heart1 
and cut me off from all things1 what    
other desire can ,i have than that ,he  
who has begun the work should finish it 
according to ,his design4 ,it is not    
important that ,i should know what that 
design is2 it is enough that ,i am in   
,his hands1 to do with me whatever ,he  
pleases4 ,to be and to live in ,his     
presence is all4  ,and again3  ,the mind
 quiet both as to the past and the      
future1 contented with the present      
moment3 as to the past1 leaving it out  
of sight2 as to the future1             
unsolicitous4 ,as to the present1       

satisfied to be outwardly homeless1 cut 
on from all past friendships and        
relations4 ,the present gives me all the
 conditions required for preparation for
 the future4 ,any time these two years  
past ,i would have made an entire       
renunciation of all relations to my past
 labors and position1 but waited as a   
dictate of prudence4 ,now ,i feel ready 
to make it with calmness and in view of 
all its consequences4  ,no sooner do ,i 
set my mind to pray than ,god fills it  
with ,himself1 ,father ,hecker was once 
heard to say4 ,and this power of prayer 
by no means left him after #ahgb2 only  
that the ,god who filled him was no     
longer revealed as the ,supreme ,love1  
but as the ,supreme ,majesty4 ,there was
 once a priest1 he said1 speaking of    
himself1 who had been very active for   
,god1 until at last ,god gave him a     
knowledge of the ,divine ,majesty4      
,after seeing the ,majesty of ,god that 
priest felt very strange and was much   
humbled1 and knew how little a thing he 

was in comparison with ,god4 ,comparison
 with ,god6 ,it was this that gave him1 
as it did ,job1 a terror of the ,divine 
justice beyond words to express1 and    
impressed that air of spiritual         
dejection upon him which struck his old 
friends as so strongly in contrast with 
his former happy and vivacious manners4 
,you will never know1 he once said1     
while being helped into bed after a very
 sad day1 how much ,i have suffered till
 you are in heaven4 ,meantime this awful
 ,deity1 so prompt to enter ,father     
,hecker's mind1 coming at times like a  
withering blast from the desert1 was    
still the only attraction of his soul1  
the only object of his love4 ,he could  
no more keep his mind off ,god now than 
he could before1 and now ,god killed    
him1 and then ,he made him alive4 ,the  
ideas of the ,divine goodness1 patience1
 mercy1 and love which formerly welled  
up in abundant floods at the thought of 
,god1 at the same thought now were dried
 up and disappeared4 ,oh6 he once       

exclaimed1 if ,i could only be sure that
 ,i shall not be damned6 ,this was said 
unawares while listening to the life of 
a saint4 ,the reader will1 therefore1   
understand that ,father ,hecker's inner 
trouble was not a state of mere aridity1
 a difficulty of concentration of mind  
on spiritual things1 or a vagrancy of   
thought2 it was a perpetual facing of   
his ,divine ,accuser and ,judge1 a      
trembling woe at the sight of ,infinite 
,majesty on the part of one for whom the
 ,divine love was the one necessary of  
life for soul and body4 ,yet he knew    
that this was really a higher form of   
prayer than any he had yet enjoyed1 that
 it steadily purified his understanding 
by compelling ceaselessly repeated acts 
of faith in ,god's love1 purified his   
will by constant resignation of every   
joy except ,god alone--,god received by 
any mode in which it might please the   
,divine ,majesty to reveal ,himself4 ,he
 was1 therefore1 willing1 nay1 in a true
 sense1 glad thus to walk by mere faith 

and live by painful love4 ,i should deem
 it a misfortune if ,god should cure me 
of my infirmities and restore me to     
active usefulness1 so much have ,i      
learned to appreciate the value of my   
passive condition of soul4 ,this he said
 less than three years before his death4
 ,and about the same time1 to a very    
intimate friend3 ,god revealed to me in 
my novitiate that at some future time ,i
 should suffer the crucifixion4 ,i have 
always longed for it2 but oh1 now that  
it has come it is hard1 oh1 it is       
terrible6 ,and this he said weeping4    
,one aspect of the ,divine ,majesty     
which threatened for years to overpower 
him was the ,last ,judgment4 ,god has   
given me to see the terrors of the day  
of judgment1 he once said1 and it has   
tried me with dreadful severity2 but it 
is a wonderfully great privilege4       
,humility grew upon him day by day4 ,no 
one who knew him well in his day of     
greatest power could think him a proud  
man1 but his confidence in his vocation1

 and in himself is ,god's               
representative1 had been immense4 ,the  
following1 from a memorandum1 shows how 
he ended3  ,i told him how courageous ,i
 felt4 ,answer3 ,that is the way ,i used
 to feel4 ,i used to say1 ,o ,lord6 ,i  
feel as if ,i had the whole world on my 
shoulders2 and all ,i've got to say is1 
,o ,lord6 ,i am sorry you've given me   
such small potatoes to carry on my back4
 ,but now--well1 when a mosquito comes  
in ,i say1 ,mosquito1 have you any good 
to do me8 ,yes8 ,then ,i thank you1 for 
,i am glad to get good from a mosquito4 
,it will thus be seen that whatever     
diseases may have enfeebled ,father     
,hecker's body1 his spirit suffered from
 a malady known only to great           
souls--thirst for ,god4 ,this gave him  
rest neither day nor night1 or allowed  
him intervals of peace only to return   
with renewed force4 ,some men love gold 
too much for their peace of mind1 some  
love women too much1 and some power2 men
 like ,father ,hecker love the ,infinite

 ,good too much to be happy in soul or  
sound in body unless ,he be revealed to 
them as a loving father4 ,and this      
knowledge of ,god once possessed and    
lost again1 although it breeds a purer1 
a more perfectly disinterested love1    
leaves both soul and body in a state of 
acute distress4 ,my soul thirsteth for  
,thee1 my flesh longeth for ,thee1 in a 
dry and desert land without water4      
,tried by these visitations1 he was free
 to acknowledge that in past times he   
had been favored above others3  ,oh6    
there was a time1 he said1 when ,i was  
borne along high above nature by the    
grace of ,god1 and ,i feared that ,i    
should die without being subject to     
nature1 and should never feel the need  
of the supernatural4 ,but for many years
 now ,i have been left by ,god to my    
natural weakness and get nothing        
whatever except what ,i earn4  ,the     
following words of his indicate the     
cleansing process of these divine       
influences2 it is from memoranda3  ,he  

said to me once1 after he had been for  
nine or ten years subject to almost     
unceasing desolation of spirit1 'all    
this suffering1 though it has been      
excruciating1 has greatly purified me   
and was of the last necessity to me4    
,oh1 how proud ,i was6 how vain ,i was6 
,and these long years of abandonment by 
,god have healed me4' ,i think this was 
the only time ,i ever knew him to       
connect his sufferings with fault4 ,what
 he said may have referred to the mere  
temper and frame of his mind rather than
 to particular1 specific faults4 ,he    
undoubtedly thought more highly of human
 nature before that desolation began    
than he did at the end of it4  ,meantime
 he used every aid for the assuagement  
of his interior sufferings1 just as he  
conscientiously tried every means for   
the restoration of his bodily health4   
,good books helped him greatly4 ,he     
recited his ,breviary as he would read a
 new and interesting book1 underlining  
here and there1 and noting on the       

margins4 ,but during most of his time of
 illness his infirmities made the       
,divine ,office impossible4 ,every day  
he read or had read to him some parts of
 the ,scriptures in ,english4 ,without  
the ,book of ,job1 he used to say1 ,i   
would have broken down completely4      
,lallemant1 ,st4 ,john of the ,cross1   
,st4 ,teresa1 ,st4 ,catherine of ,genoa1
 and other authors of a mystical        
tendency he frequently used4 ,but next  
to the ,scriptures no book served him so
 well during his illness as             
,abandonment1 or ,entire ,surrender to  
,divine ,providence1 a small posthumous 
treatise of ,father ,p4 ,j4 ,caussade1  
,s4,j41 edited and published by ,father 
,h4 ,ramiere1 ,s4,j41 with a strong     
defence of the author's doctrine by way 
of preface4 ,at ,father ,hecker's       
suggestion it we translated into        
,english by ,miss ,ella ,mc,mahon1 and  
has already soothed many hearts in      
difficulties of every kind4 ,it is an   
ingenious compendium of all spiritual   

wisdom1 but it seemed to ,father ,hecker
 that submission to the ,divine ,will is
 taught in its pages as it has never    
been done since the time of the         
,apostles4 ,the little ,french copy     
which he used is thumbed all to pieces4 
,he used it incessantly when in great   
trouble of mind and knew it almost by   
heart4 ,as he read its sentences or     
heard them read he would ejaculate1 ,ah1
 how sweet that is6 ,oh1 what a great   
truth6 ,oh1 that is a most consoling    
doctrine6 just as a man exhausted with  
thirst and covered with dust1 as he     
drinks and bathes at a gushing fountain 
in the desert1 calls out and sighs and  
smiles4  ,did he not find men here and  
there in his travels with whom he would 
take counsel and who could comfort him8 
,there is little trace of it1 though he 
never lacked sympathetic friends for his
 bodily ailments4 ,in truth he tried to 
maintain a cheerful exterior1 though    
occasionally he failed in his attempts  
to do so4 ,only once do we find by his  

letters and diaries that he opened his  
mind freely on his interior difficulties
 while in ,europe1 and that was to      
,cardinal ,deschamps1 who gave him1 he  
writes1 very great comfort4  ,no part of
 his sojourn in the ,old ,world pleased 
and profited him so much as his trip up 
the ,nile in the winter of #ahgc-d4  ,in
 information of most various kinds1 he  
writes1 it has been the richest four    
months of my whole life4 ,the value     
intellectually and religiously as well  
as physically is incalculable4 ,given   
but one trip1 it would puzzle me to name
 any which can compare with that up the 
,nile to ,wady-,halfa4 ,nubia must be   
included4 ,it has something of its own  
which you can find neither in ,egypt nor
 elsewhere3 silence1 repose1 almost     
total solitude1 and its own peculiar    
people4  ,his companions were few in    
number and congenial in tastes1 the     
climate mild and equable1 and the people
 and country altogether novel4 ,the     
journey1 which extended into ,nubia1 was

 made in a flat-boat1 the ,sittina      
,miriam el ,adra--,our ,lady ,mary the  
,virgin--the sail propelling them when  
the wind was fair1 the crew towing them 
in calm weather2 when the wind was      
contrary they tied up to the bank4 ,the 
progress was1 of course1 slow1 and yet  
his diary1 the only one written during  
his illness with ample entries1 shows   
that every day gave new enjoyment4 ,he  
was provided with letters which enabled 
him to say ,mass at the missionary      
stations along the river4 ,the wonderful
 ruins of the ancient cities of ,egypt  
gave him much entertainment4 ,but his   
mind dwelt fondly on thoughts of        
,abraham1 ,joseph1 and the chosen       
people1 and especially upon the ,holy   
,family1 as well as the monks of the    
desert4 ,he was much interested in the  
,mohammedan natives2 their open practice
 of prayer1 the instinctive readiness   
with which the idea of ,god and of      
eternity was welcomed to their thoughts1
 and1 withal1 their utter religious     

stagnation1 which he traced to their    
ignorance of the ,trinity1 filled his   
mind with questions4 ,how to convert    
these sluggish contemplatives1 what type
 of ,catholicity would be likely to     
flourish in the ,east1 and how it could 
be reconciled with the stirring traits  
of the ,west1 busied his mind4 ,he often
 recalls his distant friends and        
contrasts new ,america with old ,egypt4 
,he wrote home when opportunity served1 
as thus to ,father ,hewit3  ,with the   
hope that this note will reach you in   
due season1 ,i greet you from this land 
from which ,moses taught1 and which our 
infant ,saviour trod1 with a right merry
 ,christmas and a happy ,new ,year to   
yourself and all the members of the     
community1 all in the house1 and the    
parishioners of ,st4 ,paul's4 ,in my    
prayers all have a share and in the     
,holy ,sacrifice of the altar4 ,my heart
 and its affections are present with    
you4 ,could ,i realize its desire1 ,i   
would shed a continuous flow of         

blessings on each one of you like a     
great river ,nile--the river which      
,abraham saw and whose banks were       
hallowed by the footsteps of ,jesus1    
,mary1 and ,joseph4 ,remember me        
especially in all your prayers on these 
great festivals4 ,offer up a ,mass for  
my special intention on each of them4   
,the excursion to ,nubia and back did   
him so much good physically1 and left   
his mind with a peace which seemed so   
settled1 that for a time he had strong  
hopes of recovery2 but he was soon      
undeceived4  ,on the #aeth of ,april    
,father ,hecker left ,cairo for         
,jerusalem1 and spent some weeks in the 
,holy ,land1 continuing to enjoy an     
interval of spiritual relief4 ,he       
writes3  ,in reciting the ,gloria and   
the ,credo1 after having been in the    
localities where the great mysteries    
which they express took place1 one is   
impressed in a wonderful manner with    
their actuality4 ,the truths of our holy
 faith seem to saturate one's blood1    

enter into one's flesh1 and penetrate   
even to the marrow of one's bones4  ,the
 first greeting which he sent from the  
holy places was a letter to his mother1 
full of expressions of the most tender  
affection and gratitude1 as well as of  
ardent religious emotions produced by   
moving among the scenes of our ,lord's  
life4 ,he enclosed a little bunch of    
wild flowers plucked from ,mount ,sion4 
,he soon returned to ,europe to escape  
the hot summer of ,palestine1 and began 
his round of visits to health resorts1  
shrines1 and occasionally to a friend of
 more than usual attraction4 ,his       
brother ,john died about this time1 and 
this news drew from him a letter of     
encouragement and condolence to their   
mother4 ,to ,george ,hecker and his wife
 he wrote often1 his letters being full 
of affection1 of entire submission to   
the ,divine ,will1 and of religious     
sentiments4  ,the following may be of   
interest as indicating the return of his
 disconsolate frame of mind3  ,i have   

taken to writing fables4 ,here is one3  
,once upon a time a bird was caught in a
 snare4 ,the more it struggled to free  
itself1 the more it got entangled4      
,exhausted1 it resolved to wait with the
 vain hope that the fowler1 when he     
came1 would set it at liberty4 ,his     
appearance1 however1 was not the signal 
for its restoration to smiling fields   
and fond companions1 but the forerunner 
of death at his hands4 ,foolish bird6   
why did you go into the snare8 ,poor    
thing2 it could not find food anywhere1 
and it was famishing with hunger2 the   
seed was so attractive1 and he who had  
baited the trap knew it full well1 and  
that the bird could not resist its      
appetite4 ,the fowler is our ,lord4 ,the
 bait is ,divine ,love4 ,the bird is the
 soul4 ,o skillful catcher of souls6 ,o 
irresistible bait of ,divine ,love6 ,o  
pitiable victim6 but most blessed soul2 
for in the hands of our ,lord the soul  
only dies to self to be transformed into
 ,god4  ,in all his journeyings in      

search of beneficial change of air or   
for the use of medicinal waters1 he     
endeavored to take in the famous        
shrines2 as for places noted in profane 
history1 or the usual resorts of        
tourists1 there is not the least mention
 of them in his letters1 unless an      
exception be made in favor of those in  
,egypt and some art galleries in        
,europe4 ,but1 attracted by ,st4        
,catherine1 he went back to her relics  
at ,genoa once more4 ,drawn by ,st4     
,francis de ,sales1 he made a visit to  
,annecy which had a soothing effect upon
 him1 for that saint was another of his 
favorites4 ,he often went out of his way
 to see a friend1 or to seek the        
acquaintance of some man or woman of    
reputation in religious circles1 and he 
was himself surprised at the number of  
those who had heard of him and wished to
 know him4 ,he readily formed           
acquaintances1 and ,american1 ,english1 
and ,french fellow-travellers could     
easily have his conversation and company

 on condition that they would converse  
on religious matters1 or on the graver  
social and racial topics4 ,it was not a 
little singular that1 although suffering
 from weakness of the nervous system1 he
 could talk abstruse philosophy by the  
hour without mental fatigue4 ,discussing
 such points as the different movements 
of nature and grace1 the various        
theories of apprehending the existence  
of ,god1 or how to bring about          
conviction in the minds of              
non-,catholics on the claims of the     
,church1 he could tire the strong brain 
of a well man4 ,it was the things below 
which tired him4 ,he illustrated his    
conversation by gleams of light         
reflected from his past experience4     
,when circumstances condemn such        
generous souls as ,father ,hecker to    
inactivity1 a favorite solace is picking
 up fragments of work or recalling high 
ideas from the crowded memory of their  
former zeal1 often with much profit to  
those who listen4 ,and this was no      

idle-minded or boastful trait in him1 as
 we see from the following3  ,be assured
 ,i shall not follow my own will if ,i  
can help it4 ,every dictate of prudence 
and wisdom will be my guide4 ,until the 
clouds clear away ,i shall be quiet1    
waiting1 watching and praying1 seeking  
for light wherever there is a reasonable
 prospect of obtaining it4 ,in the      
meanwhile my time is not misspent4 ,the 
journeys which ,i have made1 the persons
 whom ,i have met on my way--these and a
 thousand other things incident to my   
present way of life are the best of     
educators for improving one's mind1 for 
correcting one's judgments1 and for     
giving greater breadth to one's         
thoughts4 4 4 4 ,it seems to me that ,i 
almost see visibly and feel palpably the
 blessing of divine grace on the work of
 the community1 in its harmony1 in the  
success of its missions1 in the special 
graces to its members1 in their         
cheerfulness and zeal3 all this1 too1 in
 my absence4 ,my absence1 therefore1    

cannot be displeasing to the ,divine    
,will2 rather these things seem to      
indicate the contrary1 and they awake in
 my soul an inexpressible consolation4  
,but he said to one of his brethren     
afterwards3 ,oh1 father6 ,i was sad all 
the time that ,i was in ,europe4 ,why   
so8 ,well1 it was because ,i was away   
from home1 away from my work1 away from 
my companions4 ,and that was why ,i     
attached myself while there to those    
persons who felt as we did1 and were of 
like views1 and participated in our aims
 and purposes4  ,how he felt about his  
chances of recovery is shown by the     
following3  ,i have nothing further to  
say about my health than that ,i have   
none4 ,were ,i twelve hours1 or six1 in 
my former state of health1 my conscience
 would give me no moment of peace in my 
present position4 ,it would worry me and
 set me to work4 ,as it is ,i am        
tranquil1 at peace1 and doing nothing   
except willingly bearing feebleness and 
inertia4  ,from ,paris1 ,june #b1 #ahgd1

 he writes to ,george and ,josephine    
,hecker of a visit to ,cardinal         
,deschamps in ,brussels1 where he met   
his old director1 ,father de ,buggenoms4
 ,he expressed himself fully to them    
about the state of religion in ,europe1 
and1 although both were his admirers and
 warm friends1 it was only on the third 
day that he made himself fully          
understood1 and disabused their minds of
 reserves and suspicions4 ,but before   
leaving a complete understanding1 warm  
sympathy1 and entire approval was the   
result4 ,in one of the earlier          
,c,h,a,p,t,e,rs of this ,life we have   
adverted to ,father ,hecker's difficulty
 in making himself understood4 ,on this 
occasion he suffered much pain1 for     
which1 he says1 the joy of the final    
agreement amply repaid him4  ,he formed 
an intimate friendship with the ,abbe   
,xavier ,dufresne1 a devout and         
enlightened priest of ,geneva1 and with 
his father1 ,doctor ,dufresne1 well     
known as the mainstay of all the works  

of charity and religion in that city4   
,the ,abbe ,dufresne became much        
attached to ,father ,hecker4 ,the       
,almighty knows1 he wrote to him1 how   
ardently ,i wish to see you again1 for  
no one can feel more than ,i the want of
 your conversation1 it was so greatly to
 my improvement4 ,we have received from 
the ,abbe ,dufresne a memorial of       
,father ,hecker1 which is valuable as   
independent contemporary testimony4 ,it 
is so appreciative and so instructive   
that we shall give the greater part of  
it as an appendix1 together with two    
letters from ,cardinal ,newman written  
after ,father ,hecker's death4  ,the    
following is from a letter from ,mrs4   
,craven1 written early in #ahge3  ,that 
we have thought of you very often ,i    
need not tell you1 nor yet that we have 
thought and talked of and pondered over 
the many and the great subjects which   
have been discussed during this week of 
delightful repose and solitude 7though  
certainly not of silence74 ,let me1 for 

one1 tell you that many words of yours  
will be deeply and gratefully and       
usefully remembered1 and that ,i feel as
 if all you explained to us in          
particular concerning the inward life   
which alone gives meaning and usefulness
 to outward signs and symbols 7let them 
be ever so sacred71 and the ways and    
means of quickening that inward life1   
all come home to me as a clear          
expression of my own thoughts by one who
 had read them better than myself4      
,such was a devout and intellectual     
,frenchwoman's way of describing an     
influence similarly felt by men and     
women of all classes1 and of the most   
diverse schools of thought1 whom ,father
 ,hecker met in ,europe4  ,this was     
written on hearing news of the          
community3  ,it is consoling to see all 
these good works progressing in the     
,paulist community4 ,to me they sound   
more like an echo of my past than the   
actual present4 ,before going up the    
,nile ,i used to say to some of my      

friends1 that ,i once knew a man whose  
name was ,hecker1 but had lost his      
acquaintance1 and ,i was going up the   
,nile to find him4 ,perhaps ,i would    
overtake him at ,wady-,halfa in ,nubia6 
,but ,i didn't4 ,sometimes ,i think the 
search is in vain1 and that ,i shall    
have to resign myself to his loss and   
begin a new life4 ,tuesday of this week 
my intention is to go to ,milan and stop
 some days4 ,i find friends in almost   
every city4 ,friday last ,i dined with  
the ,archbishop of ,turin1 and have made
 the acquaintance of one or two priests 
here4 ,occasionally ,i visit museums1   
picture galleries1 etc42 and thus time  
is outwardly passing by1 until it       
pleases ,god to shed more light on my   
soul1 and to impart more strength to my 
body1 and make clear my path4  ,here are
 his impressions of ,rome after its     
occupation by the ,italians1 together   
with an account of an audience with the 
,holy ,father3  ,rome is indeed changed1
 not so much outwardly1 materially1 as  

in spiritual atmosphere4 ,it has lost   
its ,christian exorcism and returned to 
its former pagan condition4 ,the modern 
spirit1 too1 has entered it with        
activity in the material order4 ,the old
 order1 ,i fear1 is never to return2    
that is to say1 as it was2 if it returns
 at all it will be on another basis4    
,the last citadel has given way to the  
invasion of modern activity and push4   
,who would have dreamed of this twenty  
years ago8 ,the charm of ,rome is gone1 
even to non-,catholics1 for they felt   
raised above themselves into a more     
congenial and spiritual atmosphere while
 here1 and their souls enjoyed it1      
though their intellectual prejudices    
were opposed to the principles4 ,the    
charm they were conscious of forced them
 back again to ,rome in spite of        
themselves4 ,but that charm has in a    
great measure gone4  ,the other evening 
,i had a very pleasant private audience 
with the ,holy ,father4 ,among other    
matters ,i showed him ,the ,young       

,catholic which pleased him very much4  
,he was struck with the size of the     
jackass in the picture of               
,ober-,ammergau1 and asked if they grew 
so large in that country4 ,i replied3   
',holy ,father1 asses nowadays grow     
large everywhere4' ,he laughed heartily 
and said1 ',bene trovato4'  ,father     
,hecker was in ,rome when1 in ,march1   
#ahge1 his old friend and patron and    
first spiritual adviser1 ,archbishop    
,mc,closkey1 was made ,cardinal4 ,he was
 much rejoiced1 and sent the ,cardinal a
 rich silk cassock1 and gave a public   
banquet to ,monsignor ,roncetti and     
,doctor ,ubaldi1 who were to carry the  
insignia of the cardinalate to ,new     
,york4 ,we are indebted to the kindness 
of ,archbishop ,corrigan for a copy of  
,father ,hecker's letter of             
congratulation1 the principal parts of  
which we subjoin4 ,the view of public   
policy concerning the ,college of       
,cardinals expressed in this letter was 
developed at length in an article       

published by ,father ,hecker in ,the    
,catholic ,world1 when ,cardinal        
,gibbons was appointed2 it will also be 
found in his latest volume1 ,the ,church
 and the ,age3  ,the choice of the      
,supreme ,pontiff in making you the     
first ,cardinal of the hierarchy of the 
,united ,states gives great satisfaction
 here to all your friends4 ,for as      
honors and dignities in the ,church     
proceed by way of distinguished merit   
and abilities1 the qualities which they 
have always recognized and esteemed in  
you are by the event made known to the  
whole world4  ,this elevation to the    
cardinalate of an ,american prelate as a
 cheering sign that the dignities of the
 ,church are open to men of merit of all
 nations1 and it is to be hoped that    
every nation will be represented in the 
,college of ,cardinals in proportion to 
its importance1 and in that way the     
,holy ,see will represent by its        
advisers the entire world1 and render   
its universality more complete4 ,the    

,church will be a gainer1 and the world 
too2 and ,i have no doubt that your     
appointment to this office in the       
,church will be1 from this point of     
view1 popular with the ,american people4
  ,his continued and insensibly         
increasing weakness of body1 as well as 
what seemed an unconquerable mental     
aversion to attempting even partially to
 resume his former career in the ,united
 ,states1 seemed to settle negatively   
the question of his early return home4  
,he began to think that it was ,god's   
will that he should permanently transfer
 his influence to the old ,world4 ,his  
mind was full of the religious problems 
of ,europe1 and the notion of ,paulists 
for ,europe1 differing in details from  
,american ,paulists but identical in    
spirit1 soon occupied his thoughts4 ,the
 reader will remember ,father ,hecker's 
conviction1 expressed when leaving ,rome
 after the ,vatican ,council1 that the  
condition of things in the ,old ,world  
invited the apostolate of a free        

community of wholly sanctified men1 such
 as he would have the ,paulists to be4  
,he now became persuaded1 or almost so1 
that ,god meant his illness to be the   
means of practically inaugurating such a
 movement4 ,by it the dim outlines of   
men's yearnings for a religious         
awakening1 which he everywhere met with 
among the ,european nations1 could be   
brought out distinctly and realized by  
an adaptation of the essentials of      
community life to changed ,european     
conditions4 ,he thought he could select 
the leading spirits for the work1 and1  
without overtaxing his strength1 teach  
them the principles and inspire them    
with the spirit necessary to success4   
,all this is brought forward in his     
letters and discussed4 ,but it was not  
to be in his time4  ,the following      
entries in his journal1 made during the 
,lent of #ahgi1 have this ,european1 or 
rather universal1 apostolate in view3   
,the ,holy ,spirit is preparing the     
,church for an increased infusion of    

,himself in the hearts of the faithful4 
,this increased action of the ,holy     
,spirit will renew the whole face of the
 earth1 in religion and in society4     
,souls will be inspired by ,him to      
assist in bringing about this end4  ,the
 question is how shall such souls       
co-operate with ,him in preparation for 
this extraordinary outpouring of divine 
grace8 ,the law of all extensive and    
effectual work is that of association4  
,the inspiration and desire and strength
 to co-operate and associate in         
facilitating this preparation for the   
,holy ,spirit must come to each soul    
from the ,holy ,spirit ,himself4  ,what 
will be the nature of this association  
and the special character of its work8  
,the end to be had in view will be to   
set on foot a means of co-operation with
 the ,church in the conquest of the     
whole world to ,christ1 the renewal of  
the ,apostolic spirit and life4 ,for    
unity1 activity1 and choice of means    
reliance should be had upon the bond of 

charity in the ,holy ,spirit and upon   
,his inspirations4  ,the central truth  
to actuate the members should be the    
,kingdom of ,heaven within the soul1    
which should be made the burden of all  
sermons1 explaining how it is to be     
gained now4  ,men will be called for who
 have that universal synthesis of truth 
which will solve the problems1 eliminate
 the antagonisms1 and meet the great    
needs of the age2 men who will defend   
and uphold the ,church against the      
attacks which threaten her destruction1 
with weapons suitable to the times2 men 
who will turn all the genuine           
aspirations of the age1 in science1 in  
socialism1 in politics1 in spiritism1 in
 religion1 which are now perverted      
against the ,church1 into means of her  
defence and universal triumph4  ,if it  
be asked1 therefore1 in what way the    
co-operation with the new phase of the  
,church in the increase of intensity and
 expansion of her divine life in the    
souls of men is to be instituted1 the   

answer is as follows3 ,by a movement 4 4
 4 springing from the synthesis of the  
most exalted faith with all the good and
 true in the elements now placed in     
antagonism to the ,church1 thus         
eliminating antagonisms and vacating    
controversies4 4 4 4'  ,can a certain   
number of souls be found who are        
actuated by the instinct of the ,holy   
,spirit1 the genius of grace1 to form an
 associative effort in the special work 
of the present time8 ,if there be such a
 work1 and an associative effort be     
necessary1 will not the ,holy ,spirit   
produce in souls1 certain ones at least1
 such a vocation8 ,is not the bond of   
unity in the ,holy ,spirit which will   
unite such souls all that is needed in  
the present state of things to do this  
work8       ,,chapter ,,xxxiii  ,,the   
,,exposition ,,of ,,the ,,church        
,,while in ,europe ,god opened ,father  
,hecker's soul to the cries of the      
nations4 ,he was profoundly interested  
in the state of religion there1 and the 

persecutions suffered by ,catholics in  
,germany1 in ,switzerland1 and in ,italy
 during his stay1 while it aroused his  
sympathies1 increased his desire to find
 a remedy1 and a fundamental one1 for   
the evils from which the ,church        
suffered4 ,the peoples of the ,old      
,world1 with their differing tendencies1
 were incessantly disputing in his mind4
 ,they were always displaying over      
against each other their diverse traits 
of race and tradition1 at the same time 
that they were actually passing before  
his eyes in his constant journeyings in 
search of health4  ,what amazed and no  
less irritated ,father ,hecker was the  
political apathy of ,catholics4 ,all the
 active spirits seemed to hate religion4
 ,a small minority of anti-,christians  
was allowed entire control of ,italy and
 ,france1 and exhibited in the          
government of those foremost ,catholic  
commonwealths a pagan ferocity against  
everything sacred2 and this was met by  
timid listlessness on the part of the   

,catholic majority4 ,these latter evaded
 the accusation of criminal cowardice by
 an extravagant display of devotional   
religion4 ,to account for this anomaly  
and to offer a remedy for it1 ,father   
,hecker in the winter of #ahge published
 a pamphlet of some fifty pages1        
entitled ,an ,exposition of the ,church 
in ,view of ,recent ,difficulties and   
,controversies and the ,present ,needs  
of the ,age4 ,it is a brief outline of  
his views1 held more or less distinctly 
since his case in ,rome in #aheg-h1 but 
fully unfolded in his mind at the       
,vatican ,council and matured during his
 present sojourn in ,europe2 the reader 
has already been given a summary of them
 in a letter treating of the            
providential meaning of the ,vatican    
decrees4  ,what is the matter with      
,catholics1 that they allow their       
national life1 in education1 in art1 in 
literature1 in general politics1 to be  
paganized by petty cliques of           
unbelievers8 ,how account for this      

weakness of character in ,catholics8    
,the answer is that the devotional and  
ascetical type on which they are formed 
is one calculated to repress individual 
activity1 a quality essential to        
political success in our day4 ,energy in
 the world of modern politics is not the
 product of the devotional spirit       
dominant on the continent of ,europe4   
,that spirit in its time saved the      
,church1 for it fostered submission when
 the temptation was to revolt4  ,the    
exaggeration1 says the ,exposition1 of  
personal authority on the part of       
,protestants brought about in the       
,church its greater restraint1 in order 
that her divine authority might have its
 legitimate exercise and exert its      
salutary influence4 ,the errors and     
evils of the times the ,reformation era 
sprang from an unbridled personal       
independence1 which could only be       
counteracted by habits of increased     
personal dependence4 ,contraria         
contrariis curantur4 ,the defence of the

 ,church and the salvation of the soul  
were under these circumstances          
ordinarily secured at the expense1      
necessarily1 of those virtues which     
properly go to make up the strength of  
,christian manhood4 ,the gain was the   
maintenance and victory of divine truth1
 and the salvation of the soul4 ,the    
loss was a certain falling off in       
energy1 resulting in decreased action in
 the natural order4 ,the former was a   
permanent and inestimable gain4 ,the    
latter was a temporary and not          
irreparable loss4  ,the passive virtues1
 fostered under an overruling           
,providence for the defence of          
threatened external authority in        
religion1 and producing admirable       
effects of uniformity1 discipline1 and  
obedience1 served well in the politics  
of the ,reformation and                 
post-,reformation eras1 when nearly all 
governments were absolute monarchies2   
but the present governments are         
republics or constitutional monarchies1 

and are supposed to be ruled by the     
citizens themselves4 ,this demands      
individual initiative1 active personal  
exertion and direct interference in     
public affairs4 ,vigilant and courageous
 voters rule the nations4 ,therefore1   
without injury to entire obedience1 the 
active virtues in both the natural and  
supernatural orders must be mainly      
cultivated2 in the first order          
everything that makes for self-reliance1
 and in the second the interior guidance
 of the ,holy ,spirit in the individual 
soul4 ,this1 the ,exposition maintains1 
is the way out of present difficulties4 
,that it is the ,providential way out1  
is shown by most striking evidence3 the 
diversion of the anti-,catholic forces  
from the attack against authority to one
 against the most elementary principles 
of religion--,god1 conscience1 and      
immortality2 the drift of ,anglo-,saxon 
and ,teutonic minds of a religious cast 
towards the ,church1 calling for        
spiritual attractions in accordance with

 the independence of character peculiar 
to those races2 the hopeless failure of 
the post-,reformation methods to meet   
the needs of the hour2 and especially   
the ,vatican decrees1 which have set at 
rest all controversy on authority among 
,catholics4 ,the needs of the times1    
therefore1 call for virtues among       
,catholics which shall display the      
personal force of ,catholic life no less
 than that which is organic4 ,these must
 all centre around the cultivation of   
the ,holy ,spirit in the individual     
soul4  ,the light the age requires for  
its renewal1 says the ,exposition1 can  
only come from the same source4 ,the    
renewal of the age depends on the       
renewal of religion4 ,the renewal of    
religion depends upon the greater       
effusion of the creative and renewing   
power of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,the greater
 effusion of the ,holy ,spirit depends  
on the giving of increased attention to 
,his movements and inspirations in the  
soul4 ,the radical and adequate remedy  

for all the evils of our age1 and the   
source of all true progress1 consist in 
increased attention and fidelity to the 
action of the ,holy ,spirit in the soul4
 ',thou shalt send forth ,thy ,spirit   
and they shall be created3 and ,thou    
shalt renew the face of the earth4'     
,the following extract gives the        
synthesis of the twofold action of the  
,holy ,spirit1 showing how external     
authority and obedience to it are amply 
secured by the interior virtues3  ,the  
,holy ,spirit in the external authority 
of the ,church acts as the infallible   
interpreter and criterion of divine     
revelation4 ,the ,holy ,spirit in the   
soul acts as the ,divine ,life-giver and
 ,sanctifier4 ,it is of the highest     
importance that these two distinct      
offices of the ,holy ,spirit should not 
be confounded4 ,the supposition that    
there can be any opposition1 or         
contradiction1 between the action of the
 ,holy ,spirit in the supreme decisions 
of the authority of the ,church1 and the

 inspirations of the ,holy ,spirit in   
the soul1 can never enter the mind of an
 enlightened and sincere ,christian4    
,the ,holy ,spirit1 which through the   
authority of the ,church teaches divine 
truth1 is the same ,spirit which prompts
 the soul to receive the divine truths  
which ,he teaches4 ,the measure of our  
love for the ,holy ,spirit is the       
measure of our obedience to the         
authority of the ,church4 4 4 4 ,there  
is one ,spirit1 which acts in two       
different offices concurring to the same
 end1 the regeneration and              
sanctification of the soul4  ,in case of
 obscurity or doubt concerning what is  
the divinely revealed truth1 or whether 
what prompts the soul is or is not an   
inspiration of the ,holy ,spirit1       
recourse must be had to the ,divine     
,teacher or criterion1 the authority of 
the ,church4 ,for it must be borne in   
mind that to the ,church1 as represented
 in the first instance by ,st4 ,peter1  
and subsequently by his successors1 was 

made the promise of her ,divine         
,founder1 that 'the gates of hell should
 never prevail against her4' ,no such   
promise was ever made by ,christ to each
 individual believer4 ',the ,church of  
the living ,god1 the pillar and ground  
of ,truth4' ,the test1 therefore1 of a  
truly enlightened and sincere ,christian
 will be1 in case of uncertainty1 the   
promptitude of his obedience to the     
voice of the ,church4  ,from the above  
plain truths the following practical    
rule of conduct may be drawn3 ,the ,holy
 ,spirit is the immediate guide of the  
soul in the way of salvation and        
sanctification2 and the criterion1 or   
test1 that the soul is guided by the    
,holy ,spirit1 is its ready obedience to
 the authority of the ,church4 ,this    
rule removes all danger whatever1 and   
with it the soul can walk1 run1 or fly1 
if it chooses1 in the greatest safety   
and with perfect liberty1 in the ways of
 sanctity4  ,the practical aim of all   
true religion is to bring each          

individual soul under the immediate     
guidance of the ,divine ,spirit4 ,the   
,divine ,spirit communicates ,himself to
 the soul by means of the sacraments of 
the ,church4 ,the ,divine ,spirit acts  
as the interpreter and criterion of     
revealed truth by the authority of the  
,church4 ,the ,divine ,spirit acts as   
the principle of regeneration and       
sanctification in each ,christian soul4 
,such an exposition of ,christianity1   
the union of the internal with the      
external notes of credibility1 is       
calculated to produce a more enlightened
 and intense conviction of its divine   
truth in the faithful1 to stimulate them
 to a more energetic personal action2   
and1 what is more1 it would open the    
door to many straying but not altogether
 lost children1 for their return to the 
fold of the ,church4 ,the increased     
action of the ,holy ,spirit1 with a more
 vigorous co-operation on the part of   
the faithful1 which is in process of    
realization1 will elevate the human     

personality to an intensity of force and
 grandeur productive of a new era in the
 ,church and to society2 an era         
difficult for the imagination to grasp1 
and still more difficult to describe in 
words1 unless we have recourse to the   
prophetic language of the inspired      
,scriptures4  ,it is thus made plain    
that ,father ,hecker does not deny the  
harmony between the devotional spirit   
and practices prevalent in different    
ages of the ,church2 but he calls       
attention to the fact that the dominant 
note of one age is not always the same  
as that in another4 ,and in using the   
words criterion and test1 descriptive of
 the ,church1 he would convey their full
 meaning3 not merely a plumb-line for   
the rising wall but divine accuracy     
itself made external4 ,his outer        
criterion is to the inner life what     
articulate speech is to the human voice4
  ,the ,exposition is nothing else1 he  
writes home1 than a general outline of a
 movement from without to within2 as in 

the sixteenth century the movement was  
one from within to without4 ,this was   
occasioned by the nature of the attack  
of ,protestantism4 ,the ,church having  
with increased external agencies        
protected what was assaulted1 can return
 to her normal course with increased    
action4 ,i give an indication of the    
nature of this movement3  ,an increased 
action of the ,holy ,spirit in the soul 
in consequence of this greater attention
 directed to the interior life1 and a   
more perfect explanation of the same4   
,an exposition of the relation of the   
external to the internal in the ,church4
 ,the action of the ,holy ,spirit in the
 soul and ,his gifts are the remedies   
for the evils of our times4 ,the        
development of the intelligible side of 
the mysteries of faith1 and the         
intrinsic reasons of the truths of      
divine revelation4 ,such a movement will
 open the door for the return of the    
,saxon races4 ,the ,latin-,celts in     
relation to the development of the      

hierarchy1 discipline1 worship1 and     
aesthetics of the ,church are           
considered4 ,causes of                  
,protestantism--antagonism and jealousy 
of races2 present persecutions4 ,the    
,saxon idea of the ,catholic ,church4   
,reason for it--they see only the       
outward and human side of the ,church4  
,return of the ,saxons in consequence of
 the new phase of development--the      
display of the inward and the divine to 
their intelligence4 ,the transition of  
races2 in the future the ,saxon will    
supernaturalize the natural1 the        
,latin-,celts will naturalize the       
supernatural4 ,the plan and suggestions 
given are the way to escape the         
extermination of ,christianity by the   
,saxons1 and the denial of ,christianity
 by the apostasy of the ,latins4 ,the   
union of these races in the ,church1    
with their civilization and force1 is   
the means of spreading ,christianity    
rapidly over the whole world4  ,in the  
,exposition ,i follow simply the        

footsteps of the ,church as indicated in
 her history1 in the ,encyclicals of    
,pius ,,ix41 and the ,vatican ,council4 
,the ,church is ,god acting directly on 
the human race1 guiding it to its true  
destiny1 the road of all true progress4 
,the ,exposition1 as already said1 had  
been talked to all comers by ,father    
,hecker1 and in various parts of        
,europe1 but was put into shape in the  
autumn of #ahgd1 while he was in the    
north of ,italy4 ,he took it to ,rome   
and offered it to the ,propaganda       
,press4 ,no fault was found with it2    
many high dignitaries1 some of them     
members of the ,congregation of the     
,sacred ,palace1 which has charge of the
 censorship1 heartily approved of it and
 would have it published at once2 but at
 the last moment this was decided by the
 authorities to be inexpedient4 ,it was 
then sent to ,london1 and ,pickering    
brought it out anonymously1 and it was  
at once put into ,french by ,mrs4       
,craven4 ,it was published as a leader  

in ,the ,catholic ,world about the same 
time1 and in #ahhg formed the first     
chapter of ,the ,church and the ,age1 a 
compilation of ,father ,hecker's more   
important later essays4  ,the           
,exposition contributes to the solution 
of the race problem as it affects       
religion4 ,a glance at ,europe shows the
 radical difference which is symbolized 
by the terms ,transalpine and           
,cisalpine1 ,latin and ,teutonic4 ,the  
one group of races most readily clings  
to the interior virtues of religion1 the
 other to external institutions4 ,the   
problem is how to reconcile them1 how to
 bring both into unity4 ,father ,hecker 
believed that the ,latin race had       
crowned its work in the ,vatican        
,council and done it gloriously1 and    
that the time had arrived to invite the 
,teutonic race to develop its force in  
the interior life of the ,church4 ,there
 are passages in the following letter   
which indicate the weight of this racial
 problem to him1 as well as the         

supernatural earnestness which he       
brought to the study of it4 ,it serves  
to explain a remark he once made3 ,i    
wrote the ,exposition while ,i was      
having very many lights about the ,holy 
,ghost--,i couldn't help but write it4  
,,paris1 ,june #aa1 #ahgd4  ,,dear      
,,george ,,and ,,josephine3 ,there is   
not much for me to add to my letter of  
the third of this month4 ,my            
preparations are made to go to ,mayence 
during the ,catholic ,assembly1 which   
commences on the fifteenth and lasts    
three days4 ,there ,i shall meet several
 persons whom ,i am interested in and   
wish to see4 ,besides1 ecclesiastical   
affairs in the ,german ,empire are in a 
very critical state1 and this must add  
to the interest of the ,assembly4       
,meeting1 as ,i frequently do1 the      
leading minds of ,europe1 enables me to 
compare views1 appreciate difficulties1 
and hear objections4  ,it is just as    
difficult to get the ,celtic and ,latin 
mind to conceive and appreciate the     

internal notes of the ,church1 and the  
character of her divine interior life1  
as it is to get the ,teutonic mind to   
conceive and appreciate the divine      
external constitution of the ,church1   
the importance1 and essential           
importance1 of her authority1           
discipline1 and liturgy4 ,but the       
weakness of the former1 and the         
persecutions now permitted by ,divine   
,providence to be visited on the latter1
 are teaching them both the lessons they
 need to learn4 ,to complete the        
development of the truth1 of the        
,church1 each needs the other2 and      
,divine ,providence is shaping things so
 that in spite of all obstacles1 natural
 and induced1 a synthesis of them both  
is forming in the bosom of the ,church4 
,the work is slow but certain1 concealed
 from ordinary observation because      
divine2 but exceedingly beautiful4      
,underneath all the persecutions1 the   
oppression1 the false action1 the whole 
outwardly critical condition of the     

,church and society1 there is an        
overpowering1 counteracting1 divine     
current1 leading to an all-embracing1   
most complete1 and triumphant unity in  
the ,church4 ,to see how all            
things--wicked men as well as the good1 
for ,god reigns over all--contribute to 
this end and are made to serve it1 gives
 peace to the mind1 repose to the soul1 
and excites admiration and adoration of 
the ,divine action in the world4  ,to   
have a conception of this all-embracing 
and direct action of ,god in the affairs
 of this world1 and by the light of     
faith to see that the ,church is the    
dwelling place of ,his holiness1        
majesty1 mercy1 and power1 and is the   
medium of this action1 at first         
stupefies1 overwhelms1 and1 as it were1 
reduces the soul to nothing4 ,by degrees
 and imperceptibly it is raised from its
 nothingness2 timidly the soul opens its
 eyes and ventures to cast a glance1 and
 then to contemplate the ,divinity which
 everywhere surrounds it1 as air and    

light do our bodies4 ,the contemplation 
of the ,divine action becomes its only  
occupation and it is an irresistible    
one4 ,all the life1 mind1 and strength  
of the soul is involuntarily absorbed in
 this direction1 leaving the body       
scarcely sufficient strength to continue
 its ordinary functions4  ,how far will 
the body regain its former strength8    
,what will be the relation of the soul  
with its former occupations8 ,will this 
additional light require other          
conditions8 ,was this light given for   
another and wider field of labor8 ,these
 and many other questions must arise in 
the soul1 which in due season will be   
answered4 ,its present duty is to       
practise conformity to ,god's will1     
patience1 detachment1 discretion1 and   
confidence4  ,there is hardly any part  
of this ,life which does not assist one 
in understanding the ,exposition1       
especially the chapters on the idea of a
 religious community and that giving his
 spiritual doctrine4 ,many leading      

spirits hailed it with joy1 among them  
,margotti1 the editor of the ,unita     
,cattolica of ,turin1 and ,cardinal     
,deschamps4 ,the former made ,father    
,hecker's acquaintance during a visit to
 ,turin1 and became a warm admirer of   
him and his views4 ,he compelled him to 
leave the hotel and lodge at his house  
during his stay in that city4 ,when the 
,exposition came out he gave it two long
 and highly commendatory notices in his 
journal1 at the time the most           
influential ,catholic one in ,italy1 and
 published three chapters entire4  ,we  
have a copy of the ,exposition          
annotated1 at ,father ,hecker's request1
 by the late distinguished ,jesuit1     
,father ,h4 ,ramiere4 ,these comments   
are valuable and suggestive4 ,while     
modifying ,father ,hecker's judgment as 
to the causes of the deterioration of   
,catholic manliness1 ,father ,ramiere   
recognizes the fact4 ,the remedies      
receive his emphatic approval1 as also  
the author's explanation of the         

synthesis of the inner and outer action 
of the ,holy ,ghost in the ,church4     
,when ,the ,church and the ,age appeared
 the ,english ,jesuit magazine1 ,the    
,month1 in its issue of ,july1 #ahhh1   
gave the book a very full and favorable 
review1 endorsing all the principles of 
the ,exposition4 ,after saying that the 
,vatican decrees mark a special epoch in
 the evolution of ,christianity1 and    
close a period of attack--one of the    
sharpest which the ,church has ever     
sustained--upon her external authority1 
the reviewer continues3  ,it completed  
the ,church's defence1 and left her free
 to continue unimpeded her normal course
 of internal development4 4 4 4 ,the    
author displays remarkable breadth of   
thought1 and the book contains many     
passages which are not only eloquent as 
a defence of ,catholicity1 but which    
cannot fail to impart instruction to the
 reflecting reader4 ,we think it        
deserving of a wide circulation among   
both clergy and laity1 and it is with a 

desire to further such a result that we 
propose to explain at some length the   
views which we have already touched     
upon4 4 4 4 ,we want a ,catholic        
individualism1 which necessarily        
requires a clear and recognized         
authority as a safeguard against the    
errors to which individualism exposes   
itself1 but which1 on the other hand1   
can never be begotten by the mere       
principle of authority as such4  ,the   
,literarischer ,handweiser1 a ,german   
,catholic critical review1 published in 
,muenster1 having a high character and  
wide circulation1 gave an equally       
favorable estimate of ,father ,hecker's 
views in a notice of ,the ,church and   
the ,age4  ,the following extracts from 
letters will close our consideration of 
the ,exposition1 which we have thought  
worthy of so careful and full a study   
because it is the remedial application  
of ,father ,hecker's spiritual doctrines
 to the evils of ,european ,catholicity3
  ,it is consoling to see men of        

different opinions and of opposite      
parties in the ,church regarding my     
pamphlet as the programme of a common   
ground on which they can meet and agree4
  ,i have had several interviews with   
,cardinal ,deschamps4 ,he invited me to 
spend the evenings with him1 as we are  
old and very close friends4 ,on all     
points1 main points1 our views are one4 
,and it is singular how the same precise
 ideas and views have presented         
themselves at the same time to the minds
 of us both4 ,in matters which regard my
 personal direction1 ,i have consulted  
him several times1 and fully4 ,he has   
always taken a special interest in my   
welfare in every sense4 ,his counsel has
 given me great relief1 increased       
tranquillity1 and will be of great      
service4 ,he remains here eight or ten  
days longer1 and ,i will see him as     
often during that period as ,i can4  ,a 
distinguished ,swiss orator and prelate1
 since made cardinal1 told ,father      
,hecker of a devout priest who gave a   

large number of retreats to the clergy3 
',when ,i saw him last1' said ,monsignor
 to me1 'he said that since we had met  
he had given retreats to seven hundred  
or eight hundred priests1 and that he   
had read to them the ,exposition of the 
,church which ,i gave him at my last    
interview with him4'  ,it will take time
 to understand the ideas in the         
,exposition4 ,it will take still longer 
time to see their bearing1 application1 
and results4 ,few at first will seize   
their import2 by degrees they will take 
in a wider circle4 ,the difficulties of 
the times1 the anguish of many souls in 
the midst of the present persecutions1  
etc41 will draw attention to any project
 or plan or system that offers a better 
future4       ,,chapter ,,xxxiv  ,,in   
,,the ,,shadow ,,of ,,death  ,i ,,look  
back1 wrote ,father ,hecker in the      
summer of #ahgi1 on these three years as
 one continuous and dreadful interior   
struggle4 ,this shows that the shadows  
were too deep and broad for the         

intervals of peace1 which we know from  
his letters he had now and then enjoyed1
 to banish the impression of constant   
gloom4 ,and ,father ,hecker's readiness 
to return home upon positive request    
will be the better appreciated when we  
remember how very painful to him was the
 very thought of his past occupations4  
,nor was his bodily health in a hopeful 
condition4 ,while at ,ragatz in the     
month of ,june1 #ahge1 he met a         
distinguished physician from ,paris1 an 
excellent ,catholic1 whom he had been   
strongly advised to consult before4     
,glad of the chance1 he submitted to a  
thorough examination1 and received from 
him a written statement to the effect   
that it would be dangerous to take up   
any steady occupation1 and that he      
should be entirely free from care for at
 least a year2 otherwise a final        
break-down was to be expected4 ,this    
seemed effectually to bar all thoughts  
of return4 ,and such was his own settled
 conviction1 as is shown by the         

following1 written about the end of     
,june3  ,where could ,i find repose8    
,not in the community2 not at my        
brother's3 nowhere else to go4 ,then1   
again1 ,i would be constantly required  
to give opinions and counsel in the     
affairs of the community1 which would   
require an application beyond my        
strength4 ,there is no other way than   
for me to remain contented in ,europe1  
with my feebleness and obscurity1 in the
 hands of ,god4  ,but on ,july #bi he   
received a letter which compelled him to
 decide between tranquillity of spirit  
and bodily comfort--perhaps life        
itself--on the one hand1 and the call of
 his brethren on the other4 ,he decided 
without a moment's hesitation and with  
the utmost equanimity4 ,we quote from a 
letter to ,george ,hecker3  ,three days 
ago a letter from ,father ,hewit reached
 me urging my immediate return in such  
strong language and with such           
considerations that ,i wrote a reply    
expressing my readiness to return at    

once4 ,on re-reading the letter ,i found
 its tone so urgent that ,i sent a      
telegram to the above effect4 4 4 4 ,in 
,god's hands are my being1 my soul1 and 
all my faculties1 to do with them and   
direct them as ,he pleases4 ,to return  
to the ,united ,states and there arrange
 things to ,his pleasure1 or to leave me
 here4 ,i am indifferent1 quiet1        
entirely ready either not to act or to  
act4  ,and so in ,october1 #ahge1       
,father ,hecker was again in ,new ,york4
 ,he begged the ,fathers to allow him to
 stay with his brother for the present1 
for my nerves could not stand the noise1
 the routine1 and the excitement of the 
house in ,fifty-ninth ,street4 ,and when
 he did return to the convent to live1  
which was four years afterwards1 he was 
quite sure that his end was at hand1    
though it did not come till nine years  
later4  ,during all the thirteen years  
between ,father ,hecker's return to     
,america and his death1 his daily order 
of life was pretty much the same as he  

described it in one of his letters from 
,europe1 already given to the reader4   
,he did not resort any longer to change 
of place or climate as a means of       
recovery2 he had tried that long enough4
 ,his physician1 the one who served the 
community1 assisted him constantly with 
advice and remedies1 and once or twice  
he tried a sanitarium2 he was apt to try
 anything suggested1 being credulous    
about such matters4 ,but his strength of
 body slowly faded away4 ,he was more   
disturbed than surprised at this1 and   
fought for life every inch of the way4  
,if ,i were a ,celt1 he once said with a
 smile1 ,i should more readily resign   
myself to die1 but ,i am of a race that 
clings fast to the earth4 ,his          
persistent struggle was sometimes calm1 
but was generally sharpened by a        
horrible dread of death1 which fastened 
on his soul like a vampire1 and gave a  
stern aspect to his self-defence4 ,his  
patience in suffering was most          
admirable1 though seldom clothed in the 

usual formalities4 ,perhaps1 after all1 
he would sometimes say1 ,god will give  
me back my health1 for ,i have a work to
 do4  ,though anything but an           
ill-tempered man1 ,father ,hecker was   
yet by nature ardent and irascible and  
quickly provoked by opposition1 but ,god
 gave him such a horror of dissension   
that he would not quarrel1 though it was
 often plain that his peaceful words    
cost him a hard struggle4 ,occasionally 
he lost his temper for a little while1  
and this was when compelled to attend to
 business under stress of great bodily  
or mental pain4 ,we do not think that he
 was ever known to attempt to move men  
by anger1 or even sternness4 ,if you    
ever tell any one about me1 he said1 say
 that ,i believed in praising men more  
than in condemning them1 and that ,i    
valued praise as a higher form of       
influence than any kind of threatening  
or compulsion4 ,nor did he resort to the
 formalities of obedience to secure his 
end4 ,why don't you put me under        

obedience to do this8 asked a father who
 did not exactly approve of a proposal  
,father ,hecker had made to him4 ,the   
answer was given with a good deal of    
heat3 ,i have never done such a thing in
 my life1 and ,i am not going to begin  
now6 ,nor had he any use for bitter     
speech even in cold blood4 ,one thing1  
he said in a letter1 ,i will now        
correct2 a sneer--intentionally or      
consciously-- is a thing that1 so far as
 my memory serves1 ,i am as innocent of 
as a little babe4 ,yet he could be      
sarcastic1 as the following memorandum  
shows3 ,cardinal ,cullen once said to   
me1 after ,i had made a journey through 
,ireland1 ',well1 ,father ,hecker1 what 
do you think of ,ireland8' ,i answered3 
',your ,eminence1 my thoughts about     
,ireland are such that ,i will get out  
of the country as soon as ,i can2 for if
 ,i expressed my sentiments ,i should   
soon be put into jail for ,fenianism6'  
,this was in #ahfg while ,fenianism was 
rampant4 ,of course he did not approve  

of it1 but the sights he saw taught him 
its awful provocation4 ,and once when   
unduly pressed with the dictum of an    
author whose range of power was not high
 enough to overcome ,father ,hecker's   
objections1 he said3 ,i am not content  
to live to be the echo of dead men's    
thoughts4 ,but it was not by skill in   
the thrust and parry of argumentative   
fence that ,father ,hecker won his way  
in a discussion1 but by the hard drive  
of a great principle4 ,the following    
memorandum describes the effect of this 
on an ordinary man3  ,it is rather      
amusing when ,father ,hecker asks me    
some of his stunning questions on the   
deepest topics of the divine sciences4  
,i look blank at him1 ,i ask him to     
explain1 ,i fish up some stale          
commonplace from the memory of my       
studies--and he then gives me his own   
original1 his luminous answer4  ,and    
both his choice of subjects in          
conversation and his natural manner were
 according to his temperament1 which was

 meditative4 ,this gave his countenance 
when at rest a peaceful cast until      
within a few years of the end1 when     
death's pale flag cast upon it a shade  
of foreboding4 ,we have a photograph of 
him taken when he was about forty-five  
and in average good health1 showing a   
tranquil face1 full of thought and with 
eyes cast down2 to the writer's mind it 
is the typical ,isaac ,hecker4 ,but this
 expression changed in conversation1    
when not only his words but his gestures
 and his glances challenged a friendly  
but energetic conflict of opinion4  ,if 
it be asked1 how did ,father ,hecker    
recreate himself during those mournful  
years1 the answer is that recreation in 
the sense of a pleasurable relaxation   
seemed contrary to his nature whether in
 sickness or in health4 ,it was once    
said to him1 ,easter week is always a   
lazy time4 ,no1 it is not1 he answered4 
,i never have known a time1 not a       
moment1 in my whole life1 when ,i felt  
lazy or was in an idle mood4 ,he found  

himself obliged1 however1 to get out of 
the house and take exercise1 walking in 
the park leaning on the arm of one of   
the community1 or1 if he was more than  
usually weak1 being driven in his       
brother's carriage4 ,there were         
occasions when to kill time was for him 
to kill care--to call his mind away from
 thoughts of death and of the judgment1 
the dread of which fell upon him like   
eternal doom4 ,then he would try to get 
some one to talk to1 or to go with him  
and look at pictures and statues2 or he 
would work at mending old clocks1 a     
pretty well mended collection of which  
he kept in his room against such        
occasions4 ,in the park he would often  
go and look at the beasts in the        
menagerie1 and he spoke of them         
affectionately4 ,they bring to my mind  
the power and beauty of ,god1 he said4  
,he came to meals with the community1 at
 least to dinner1 until five or six     
years before his death1 when his        
appetite became so unreliable that he   

took what food he could1 and when he    
could1 in his room4 ,he also attended   
the community recreations after meals   
until a few years before the end2 but it
 was often noticed that the process of  
humiliation he was undergoing caused him
 to creep away into a corner1 sit awhile
 with a very dejected look1 and then    
wearily go upstairs to his room4 ,when  
he was urged not to do this1 ,i cannot  
help it to save my life1 was all the    
answer he could give4 ,he finally gave  
up the recreations almost entirely4     
,but he hated laziness4 ,i am so weak1  
he once said1 and my brain is so easily 
tired out that ,i am forced to read a   
great deal to recreate myself4 ,that's  
why you see me reading so much4 ,the    
book in which he was at the moment      
seeking recreation was a ponderous work 
on metaphysics by a prolix ,scotchman1  
treating in many dreary chapters of such
 amusing topics as the unity of the act 
of perception with the object perceived6
 ,as may be supposed of such a man1     

whose illness forbade action and whose  
interior trials made contemplation an   
agony1 he chafed sometimes at his       
enforced inactivity1 though he was never
 heard1 as far as we can get evidence1  
openly to complain of it4  ,time and    
stagnation of bodily forces did not     
alter his progressive ideas4  ,is it not
 wiser1 he said1 to give one's thought  
and energy to prepare the way for the   
future success and triumph of religion  
than to labor to continue the present   
state of things1 which must be and is   
being supplanted8 ,such an attitude may 
not be understood and may be            
misinterpreted1 and be one of trial and 
suffering2 still it is the only one     
which1 consistently with a sense of     
duty1 can be taken and maintained4  ,a  
bishop on his way to ,rome once called  
on ,father ,hecker4 ,tell the ,holy     
,father1 he said to him1 that there are 
three things which will greatly advance 
religion3 ,first1 to place the whole    
,church in a missionary attitude--make  

the ,propaganda the right arm of the    
,church4 ,second1 choose the cardinals  
from the ,catholics of all nations1 so  
that they shall be a senate representing
 all ,christendom4 ,third1 make full use
 of modern appliances and methods for   
transacting the business of the ,holy   
,see4 ,sometimes he discussed the       
activity of modern commerce as teaching 
religious men a lesson4 ,he once said3  
,when ,father ,hecker is dead one thing 
may be laid to his credit3 that he      
always protested that it is a shame and 
an outrage that men of the world do more
 for money than religious men will do   
for the service of ,god4  ,no glutton   
ever devoured a feast more eagerly than 
,father ,hecker read a sermon1 a        
lecture1 or an editorial showing the    
trend of non-,catholic thought4 ,after  
his death his desk was found littered   
with innumerable clippings of the sort1 
many of them pencilled with underlinings
 and with notes4 ,these furnished much  
of the matter of his conversation1 and  

doubtless of his prayers4 ,once he wrote
 to a friend3  ,nobody is necessary to  
,god and to the accomplishment of his   
designs4 ,yet at times ,i wish that ,i  
had the virtue that some creatures have2
 when cut into pieces each piece becomes
 a new complete individual of the same  
species4 ,i should cut myself into at   
least a dozen pieces to meet the demands
 made upon me4 ,what a splendid thing it
 is to think of our ,lord going about   
doing wonders1 eternal and infinite     
things1 and all the time seeming to be  
unoccupied4 ,the truly simple soul      
reduces all occupations to one1 and in  
that one accomplishes all4  ,and his    
organizing faculty would busy itself in 
various schemes1 which1 if they could   
not cure his weak body1 could relax with
 a fancied activity his tired soul4     
,thus in a letter he said3  ,why should 
we not form a league for the cause of   
our ,lord1 to whom we owe all8          
,unreserved devotion to ,his cause with 
patience1 perseverance1 humility1 and   

sweetness1 are weapons that no man or   
woman or thing can withstand4 ,our ,lord
 has promised that if we believe in ,him
 we shall do greater works than ,he did4
 ,let us believe in ,him1 and clothe    
ourselves through faith in ,him with    
,his virtues1 and who shall resist us8  
,the first of all successes is ,christ's
 triumph in our souls4 ,everything that 
leads to this1 humiliations1            
afflictions1 calumnies1 contempt1       
mortifications1 all work for us a glory 
exceeding the imagination of man4 ,to   
suffer for ,christ's sake is the        
short-cut in the way of becoming        
,christ-like4  ,the following anecdote  
of his missionary days shows ,father    
,hecker's contempt for lazy devotion4   
,once1 when upon a mission1 a young     
priest just returned home from ,rome1   
where he had made his studies1 expressed
 his desire to get back again to ,italy 
as soon as possible1 saying1 ,i find no 
time here to pray4 ,father ,hecker felt 
indignant1 for it did not seem to him   

that the young man was very much        
occupied4 ,don't be such a baby1 said   
he4 ,look around and see how much work  
there is to be done here4 ,is it not    
better to make some return to ,god--here
 in your own country--for what ,he has  
done for you1 rather than to be sucking 
your thumbs abroad8 ,what kind of piety 
do you call that8  ,he took a personal  
interest in all the members of the      
community1 and this was greatly         
heightened if any one fell sick4 ,we    
remember his excitement when it was     
announced that one of the ,fathers1 who 
had been sent to a hospital for a       
surgical operation1 had grown worse and 
was in danger of death4 ,he began to    
pace his room1 to question sharply about
 doctors and nurses1 and immediately    
ordered ,masses to be said and special  
prayers by the community2 and this      
father he had seen very little of and   
hardly knew from the others4 ,i cannot  
tell1 he wrote to a friend at the time  
of ,father ,tillotson's illness1 ,i dare

 not express1 how much ,i love him1 what
 he is to me4 ,always tender-hearted1   
the nearer he came to the end and the   
more he suffered the more gentle were   
his feelings towards all1 the more      
kindly grew his looks1 but also the more
 sad and weary4 ,he was always careful  
to express thanks for favors1 small or  
great4 ,the following is from a letter  
to a friend3  ,your last note contained 
at the end a kind invitation4 ,don't be 
troubled2 ,i'm not coming6 ,do you know 
that sometimes ,i am tempted to think   
that ,i am necessary8 ,sometimes the    
thought has come to me that ,i might run
 away from home a week or so4 ,then ,i  
have driven the thought away as ,i would
 a temptation4 ,but ,i wished to thank  
you none the less for your invitation1  
though ,i should never see you again4 ,i
 have an uncontrollable horror of       
ingratitude4  ,during his long years of 
illness ,father ,hecker's reading       
continued upon the lines he had ever    
followed1 the ,scriptures holding1 of   

course1 the first place4 ,besides       
reading or having read to him certain   
parts adapted to the spiritual probation
 he was undergoing1 such as ,job1 the   
,passion of our ,lord1 and chapters of  
the sapiential books1 he also took the  
entire ,scriptures in course1 going     
slowly through them from cover to cover 
and insisting on every word being read1 
genealogies and all4 ,he would sometimes
 interrupt the reader to make comments  
and ask questions4 ,the last words that 
he listened to at night were the words  
of ,scripture1 read to him after he had 
got into bed4 ,he declared that they    
soothed him and settled his mind and    
calmed its disturbance1 and this was    
easily seen by his looks and manner4    
,some who knew him well thought from his
 comments that ,god gave him infused    
knowledge of a rare order about the     
sense of ,scripture4 ,once he said3     
,when you were reading ,ezechiel last   
night1 oh1 you cannot understand what   
thoughts ,i had6 ,during the past six   

months ,i have learned how to understand
 him4 ,i say within myself3 ',o         
,ezechiel6 ,ezechiel6 no one            
understands1 no one understands you in  
this world1 except one here and there4' 
,next to ,scripture came ,st4 ,thomas   
and ,st4 ,john of the ,cross1 the one   
for dogmatic and philosophical1 the     
other for devotional uses4 ,it must have
 been soon after returning to ,america  
as a ,redemptorist that he procured a   
copy of ,alagona's ,compendium of ,st4  
,thomas1 submitted it to ,bishop        
,neumann1 whose learning was in high    
repute1 and obtained his assurance of   
its accuracy4 ,that little book is a    
curiosity of underlining and various    
other forms of emphasizing4 ,it was with
 him till death4 ,from it he referred to
 the full works of ,st4 ,thomas for     
complete statements1 but he loved to    
ponder the brief summary of the         
abridgment and work the principles out  
in his own way4 ,st4 ,john of the ,cross
 and ,lallemant1 as already stated1 were

 his hand-books of mysticism and ascetic
 principles4 ,the former he caused to be
 read to him in regular course over and 
over again1 enjoying every syllable with
 fresh relish4 ,in later days the ,life 
of ,mary ,ward1 by ,mary ,catherine     
,chambers1 and ,the ,glories of ,divine 
,grace1 by ,scheeben1 afforded him      
special pleasure4 ,books which told of  
the religious tendencies of minds       
outside the ,church were sure to        
interest him4 ,he studied them as       
,columbus inspected the drifting weeds  
and the wild birds encountered on his   
voyage of discovery4 ,those who served  
him as readers sometimes found this kind
 of literature pretty dry1 just as      
,columbus's crew doubtless found it idle
 work to fish up the floating weeds of  
the sea4 ,the following sentences occur 
in a diary written while in ,europe in  
#ahge4 ,it is a statement of his opinion
 of the objective points at which       
,catholic teachers and writers of our   
day should aim3  ,in dogmatic theology1 

when treating of the doctrine of the    
fall of man keep in view the value of   
human nature and the necessity of divine
 grace preceding every act of ,christian
 life4  ,in moral theology1 stimulate   
the sense of personal responsibility4   
,in ascetic theology1 fidelity to the   
,holy ,spirit4  ,in polemic theology1   
develop the intrinsic notes of the      
,church4  ,as to novels1 he fully       
appreciated their power over minds1 but 
we believe that he did not read half a  
dozen in his whole life1 and these he   
treated as he did graver works3 he      
studied them4 ,to read is one thing1 to 
study is another1 says ,cardinal        
,manning2 but all reading was study to  
,father ,hecker4 ,we remember one novel 
which he read1 slowly and most          
carefully1 underlining much of it and   
filling the margins of every page with  
notes4 ,why don't you read novels1 as   
other people do8 he was asked4 ,because 
life is more novel than any fiction1 for
 fiction is but an attempt to paint     

life1 he answered4 ,no printed matter of
 any kind1 much less a book1 ever could 
be a plaything to ,isaac ,hecker4 ,he   
often made more of the sentences on a   
scrap of newspaper1 and studied them far
 harder1 than the writer of them himself
 had done4 ,a man whose play and work   
are in such problems as1 how ,god is    
known1 how the ,trinity subsists1 what  
beatitude is1 how ,god's being is       
mirrored in man's activity1 has too real
 a life within him and about him to     
tarry long in fiction or in any of the  
by-roads of literature4 ,poetry1        
however1 in its higher forms1 or with a 
strong ethical tendency1 he was very    
fond of4 ,perhaps his favorite among the
 poets was ,coventry ,patmore4  ,after  
returning to ,new ,york ,father ,hecker1
 besides supervising the editorial work 
of ,the ,catholic ,world1 wrote an      
occasional article for its pages4 ,the  
more important of these1 twelve in      
number1 with the ,exposition as a       
leader1 were published in a volume      

already mentioned1 ,the ,church and the 
,age4 ,this book appeared in #ahhg1 and 
contains his views of the religious     
problems in ,europe and ,america1 and   
also some controversial writings against
 orthodox ,protestantism and            
,unitarianism4 ,these are well-written1 
clean-cut1 and aggressive pieces of     
polemical writing1 whether against the  
errors of ,protestants or of infidels4  
,the ,church and the ,age is the best   
exhibit of the author's opinions and    
principles on topics of religious       
interest and those of race and epoch    
having a religious bearing4 ,he has left
 a considerable amount of unpublished   
matter1 notably some essays on how ,god 
is known1 the reality of ideas1 and the 
,trinity1 together with much on         
spiritual subjects4 ,let us hope that   
these and more of his unpublished       
writings will some day be given to the  
public4 ,he always found difficulty in  
preparing matter for the press4 ,using a
 pencil and a rubber eraser1 he often   

positively wore the paper through with  
writing1 correcting1 and writing again4 
,he seemed scrupulous about such        
matters1 and in these circumstances he  
lacked the immediate expression of his  
thoughts which came to him so           
spontaneously in his letters and        
diaries1 as well as in his public       
speaking4 ,but he dictated readily1 and 
with a result of reaching quickly the   
form of words he would finally be       
content with4 ,by this means he prepared
 his articles on ,doctor ,brownson1     
which appeared in ,the ,catholic ,world 
between ,april and ,november1 #ahhg4    
,his intercourse with the members of the
 community was naturally much interfered
 with by his illness4 ,but he loved to  
listen to them speaking of their work1  
was greatly interested in the building  
and decorating of the new church1 and   
when the missionaries came home was     
eager to hear them tell of their        
success4 ,he would invariably suggest   
that we should study how to extend our  

preaching outside the regular missions1 
so as to take in non-,catholics4 ,he was
 also alive to opportunities for        
stimulating others1 in and out of the   
community1 to do literary work4 ,at     
,lake ,george1 where he spent his       
summers with the community1 he was able 
to have a familiar contact with us all1 
especially the students1 whom he        
enlisted in working about the grounds or
 the house1 helping as best he could4   
,but after his illness began he ever    
showed a certain constraint of manner   
when the conversation took a grave turn1
 a kind of shyness1 which a judge of    
character might interpret as meaning1 ,i
 am afraid you'll misunderstand me2 ,i  
am afraid you'll think ,i am a          
visionary4       ,,chapter ,,xxxv       
,,conclusion  ,,father ,,hecker',s      
prayer during all these years was a     
state of what seemed almost             
uninterrupted contemplation of varied   
intensity4 ,he attended the evening     
meditation of the community as long as  

he had strength to do so1 frequently    
giving a commentary on the points read  
out at the beginning1 simple1 direct1   
and fervent4 ,he was exceedingly fond of
 assisting at ,high ,mass on ,sundays   
and feast days1 and he had a small      
oratory built between the house and the 
new church1 from which1 by passing a few
 steps from his room1 he could hear the 
music and see the function through a    
window opening into the sanctuary4 ,this
 often overpowered him with emotion1    
which was sometimes so strong as to     
drive him back to his room and into bed4
 ,once a week and on the more solemn    
festivals was as often as he could say  
,mass1 or even hear it1 on account of   
his extreme weakness in the mornings4   
,for the last three or four years of his
 life to say ,mass at all became a      
struggle which was as curious as it was 
distressing to witness4 ,those who had  
often read of such things in the lives  
of the servants of ,god were            
nevertheless amazed at the sight of them

 in ,father ,hecker4 ,the following is  
from a memorandum3  ,father ,hecker3 ,do
 you know what it is to be in           
spontaneous relations with ,god--where  
the ,divine ,object works upon the soul 
spontaneously8 ,it is that which        
prevents me from saying ,mass1 because  
,i make a fool of myself4 ,at any point 
,i am apt to be so influenced by ,god as
 to be utterly deprived of physical     
force1 to sink down helpless4 ,at my    
brother's house they expect it and get  
me a chair4 ,a few moments on a chair1  
and ,i am ready to go on4 ,now1 if ,i   
yield to this ,i know that ,i shall be  
thrown into a clean helpless state1 and 
,i have a practical work to do4         
,question3 ,does this effect come at    
receiving ,communion8 ,answer3 ,i don't 
know1 as ,i have never yet received     
,communion out of ,mass4 ,but ,i am     
afraid of it4 ,any such thing is apt to 
throw me off1 and ,i am afraid4         
,question3 ,but suppose it to be ,god's 
will that you should say ,mass          

notwithstanding this difficulty8        
,answer3 ,then let ,him bring it about4 
,at one time several months passed1     
months of very low vitality in body and 
awful darkness of soul1 during which he 
neither said ,mass nor received         
,communion4 ,the following memorandum   
describes how this period1 perhaps the  
most painful of his life1 was ended3    
,christmas1 #ahhe4--;,for the first time
 since early summer ,father ,hecker     
undertook to say ,mass3 ,i assisted him1
 and a stormy time we had of it4 ,it was
 at five in the morning and in the      
oratory4 ,he wanted to have the door    
locked1 but there was no key4 ',don't   
speak a word to me1' he said while he   
was dressing in his room4 ,arrived in   
the oratory1 he sank down upon a bench  
as if some one had struck him2 he threw 
his birettum down on the floor1 and     
began to weep and cry in a very mournful
 way and aloud4 ,but he quickly         
recovered1 and rested as if he were     
preparing to be hanged4 ,i supported him

 over to the altar1 and as he began the 
,judica he blubbered out the words like 
a school-boy being whipped4 ,most of the
 ,mass he said out loud1 hardly holding 
in his sobs anywhere except from the    
hanc igitur till near the ,pater        
,noster4 ,his calmest time was during   
that most solemn part1 and at his       
,communion4 ,three or four times he was 
forced to sit down on a chair ,i had    
provided for him on the predella4 ,at   
the ,memento for the living he was      
deeply affected and patted the floor    
with his foot1 sobbing aloud and acting 
like a child with an unendurable        
toothache4 ,he was afraid of the ,pater 
,noster and asked me to say it with him1
 which ,i did2 also various words and   
sentences in other parts of the ,mass4  
,i have heard him say that the ,pater   
,noster is a prayer which breaks him    
down4 ,after he was through he insisted 
on trying to say the ,pope's prayers4   
,we said the ,hail ,marys and the ,hail1
 ,holy ,queen1 together1 and ,i recited 

the prayer for him4 ,i had to take off  
his vestments the best ,i could while he
 sat1 and when ,i got him down to his   
room and into bed1 he was in a state of 
nearly complete unconsciousness4 ,after 
saying my three ,masses1 ,i saw him     
again at about #h4cj1 found him up and  
dressed and very bright1 and he has been
 particularly so all day4  ,what follows
 is from a letter dated early in #ahhf1 
and seems to refer to the occasion above
 described4 ,he speaks of himself in the
 third person3  ,and he ,father ,hecker 
was never so occupied as now1 although  
he is doing nothing and has been in that
 condition for months4 ,though he does  
hear ,mass1 he does not1 because he     
cannot1 say it--without showing what a  
big fool he is4 ,however he has begun   
again to say it4 ,if it had not been for
 human respect he would not have said it
 last ,sunday2 he was too feeble4 ,god  
is killing him by slow fire1 by inches4 
,he dies terribly hard4  ,if ,father    
,hecker had had an unimpaired physical  

system when his interior trials came1 he
 might have resisted the nervous        
depression which they caused1 at least  
well enough to maintain an active part  
in his undertakings4 ,or if his bodily  
weakness1 resulting from his early      
austerities1 had been accompanied with  
interior equanimity1 he might have held 
up4 ,a rickety ship can1 with care and  
skill1 get into port if the engine is   
sound1 and so can a sound ship with a   
broken-down engine sail home1 however   
slowly4 ,but with both a rickety ship   
and a disabled engine the port should be
 near at hand or there is danger of     
shipwreck4 ,that ,father ,hecker did not
 die long before he did1 was due1 apart 
from ,god's special designs1 to the     
extraordinary skill and care of ,doctor 
,james ,begen1 who was also an attached 
friend4 ,mr4 ,anthony ,ellis1 one of his
 former penitents1 served him in his    
sick-room out of pure love from #ahgi   
until his death1 which preceded ,father 
,hecker's by about a year4 ,he had a    

kind-hearted successor in ,mr4 ,patrick 
,mc,cann4  ,father ,hecker's beloved    
brother ,george died on ,february #ad1  
#ahhh4 ,he had been ailing for some time
 and ,father ,hecker went to see him    
frequently4 4 4 4 ,george and ,i1 he    
once said1 were united in a way no words
 can describe4 ,our union was something 
extremely spiritual and divine4 ,the    
following memorandum tells how ,father  
,hecker received the news3  ,george     
,hecker died about nine o'clock last    
night1 and when ,i informed ,father     
,hecker of it this morning he was deeply
 moved4 ',don't say a word to me6' he   
cried1 'not a word4 ,read something6    
,read something quick6' ,i stepped over 
to the table and took the ,scriptures   
and began to read the thirteenth chapter
 of ,st4 ,john1 read it through1 and    
another chapter4 ,by that time he calmed
 down4 ,he only wept twice1 except a few
 little sobs1 and went out riding as    
usual this afternoon4 ,he is profoundly 
moved4 ',i knew it1' he said this       

morning2 ',i saw it1 ,i saw it last     
night--it seemed to me that ,i saw it4  
,i came near coming to your room at     
half-past ten1 but concluded not to do  
so4' ,another time to-day he said3 ',if 
,god enables me to bear this ,i hope ,i 
shall be able to do my allotted work4'  
,he bore it well1 but it added very much
 to a burden already too heavy4 ,for    
some weeks afterwards he now and then   
moaned and wept for his brother1 and    
this happened occasionally till summer  
came4 ,those who attended ,father       
,hecker could not but be convinced1 from
 what they saw and heard1 that ,god     
allowed ,george to visit his brother    
more than once after his death1 and     
these supernatural interviews were      
productive of mingled consolation of    
soul and pain of body to the survivor4  
,george ,hecker was worthy of his       
brother's love4 ,he was a noble         
character1 full of that sort of religion
 nowadays most needed4 ,his piety       
flourished in the withering atmosphere  

of wealth and in the turmoil of         
commercial life4 ,industry1 thrift1     
enterprise1 quick perception of         
opportunities1 determination1 a keen    
sense of his rights and a bold hand to  
defend them1 manly frankness1 were      
conspicuous traits in him and made him a
 rich merchant4 ,but all these qualities
 served him as well for high spiritual  
ends4 ,he was essentially and dominantly
 a spiritual man1 fond of prayer1       
regular in all religious duties4 ,he was
 as honest as the day1 and all for      
conscience' sake and the love of ,god4  
,his understanding was wide and clear1  
his heart tender1 simple1 and           
courageous4 ,he loved his wife and      
children1 he loved his brother ,isaac1  
with an absorbing devotedness1 and these
 loves were blended and mingled into one
 with the love of ,god4 ,his charities  
are known to the reader1 but they should
 be understood as the result not merely 
of affection for his brother1 or even of
 faith in his apostolate1 but also from 

his own perception of the intrinsic     
worth of the undertakings themselves4   
,we know not what quality could be added
 to ,george ,hecker to make him a model 
,christian of our day4  ,his death had a
 serious effect on ,father ,hecker's    
state of body and mind4 ,but from the   
previous autumn and during the winter   
following he had failed rapidly4 ,in    
fact1 he had requested and received the 
last ,sacraments from ,father ,hewit on 
,september #ae1 #ahhg2 but this was on  
account of an alarming irregularity of  
the heart's action1 which was but       
temporary4 ,he had no long distance to  
drop at any time to get to the bottom1  
and it became evident in the summer of  
#ahhh that the end was not far off4 ,he 
could not stand the strong air of ,lake 
,george that summer1 and came home after
 being there but a couple of weeks4 ,he 
tried the sea-side with even worse      
success2 and the short journeys he made 
were extremely painful4 ,the paroxysms  
of angina pectoris became more frequent 

and daily left their victim less able to
 rally4 ,patience strained to the       
uttermost by physical suffering1 the    
mind distressed1 fits of despondency and
 of indescribable gloom1 the weight of a
 body of death--all this he had borne   
for sixteen years1 with only occasional 
intervals of peace4 ,there was little   
left to suffer except death4 ,his bodily
 resistance grew weaker towards the end 
of his last summer on earth1 and he lost
 flesh rapidly4 ,the fulness of his face
 was gone by autumn1 and a wan look1 as 
of decaying force1 was stamped upon it4 
,he suffered in literally every member  
of his body1 by turns or simultaneously4
 ,we find the following memorandum3     
,question3 ,what's the matter with the  
back of your head8 he was rubbing it    
with extract of witch hazel4 ,answer3   
,it is sore1 it hurts me4 ,q4 ,well6 ,as
 soon as one part is better another gets
 out of order8 etc4 ,a4 ,do you know it 
was all revealed to me and foretold     
beginning to weep4 ,q4 ,when8 ,in your  

novitiate8 ,a4 ,yes4 ,q4 ,but not all   
the details of your sufferings8 ,a4     
,yes1 all the details4 ,but ,i will not 
say another word about it4 ,q4 ,but you 
ought to1 etc4 ,he refused to say more4 
,little by little during the latter     
years ,father ,hecker's visitors had    
become very few4 ,an occasional call was
 received from an old friend1 lay or    
cleric1 and this was not apt to be      
repeated1 so painful was the contrast   
between the former ,father ,hecker and  
the present one4 ,instead of the active 
and powerful man1 of contagious courage 
and hopefulness1 they saw a tall1 wan   
old man bending with the weight of years
 and of suffering1 but still majestic in
 his look and bearing1 with a white     
beard1 and soft1 attractive eyes4 ,the  
quick movement1 the joyous greeting1    
even the smiling serenity1 had passed   
away1 and instead an air of sadness had 
come1 or of enforced cheerfulness4  ,the
 following memorandum1 taken over two   
years before his death1 tells of a      

relief which he hoped would be          
permanent2 but such was not to be the   
case3  ,father ,hecker said to-day3     
',only within the last three days has   
,god released me from the sensation that
 ,i might die any instant4 ,oh6 how ,i  
have suffered from that feeling for ten 
years4 ,i did not know whether ,i should
 ever be delivered from it4 ,now1 little
 by little ,god is lifting it off from  
my soul4 ,for ten years ,i have been    
under this cloud4 ,oh1 how terrible a   
suffering it has been6' ,this he said1  
his hands covering his face2 he had     
interrupted me to say it while ,i was   
reading ,st4 ,john of the ,cross4 ',oh6'
 he added1 'how ,i could weep for my    
sins1' and so on for a few more words4  
,the clouds soon settled down again4    
,the following was noted a little over a
 month after the above3  ,father ,hecker
 said to me to-day3 ',there was a time  
when ,i seemed to know ,god so clearly  
and to be so conscious of ,his          
attraction that my whole thought and    

wish was death2 to break the chain of   
life to be united to ,god in ,paradise4 
,now it is altogether different2 nothing
 but darkness and depression4'  ,here is
 another memorandum1 taken some time    
before the above3  ,father ,hecker said3
 ',god is now visiting me with the      
profoundest desolation of spirit4 ,i    
have the most deadly terror of death2 if
 ,i yielded to it ,i should tremble from
 head to foot4 ,yet there is a spell on 
me which makes me wish that ,i may die  
without sensible faith and deprived of  
every present spiritual comfort4 4 4 4' 
,he also said many things about his     
continued and unbroken desolation of    
spirit these several years back4 ',yet1'
 said he1 ',i never knew that ,god would
 permit me to come so near to ,him and  
see so much of ,him as ,i have4' ,then  
he made me read to him the first chapter
 of the ,book of ,job4 4 4 4 ,after he  
had gone to bed ,i read to him part of  
an article in ,the ,month on the        
indwelling of the ,holy ,spirit1 and he 

discoursed meantime to me most          
profoundly on that topic4 ,and he added3
 ',one reason why ,i have always been so
 much interested in the doctrine of the 
,holy ,ghost acting in the soul is a    
practical one1 because ,i myself have   
never had any other director1 though ,i 
have more than once opened my mind      
entirely to others and profited by their
 advice1 but none was or could be really
 my director4 ,hence1 too1 ,i am so much
 attracted to saints who have had to    
struggle on alone like ,st4 ,catherine  
of ,genoa1 who was without a director   
for twenty-five years4'  ,towards the   
close of ,october1 #ahhh1 two months    
before death1 ,doctor ,begen saw that   
the end was approaching4 ,this was      
evident from a sudden and general       
failure of strength1 the appetite1 not  
much at any time1 seeming now to vanish 
quite away1 although ,father ,hecker's  
strong will forced down a little        
nourishment4 ,this loss of strength     
caused the heart to work badly and to   

give an occasional sudden alarm4        
,internal congestions followed1 relaxing
 the bowels and causing much bodily     
annoyance4 ,meantime he was hardly ever 
out of his room and many days he spent  
entirely in bed4 ,his fits of depression
 of spirits were more frequent than     
usual and more saddening4 ,he no longer 
rested at all1 what sleep he got being  
produced by drugs and serving but to    
pass the time unconsciously4 ,from the  
beginning of ,december he was apt to    
fall into a semi-comatose state1 though 
generally in full use of his faculties4 
,some days before he died he seemed to  
realize that the long struggle was      
nearly over1 and he no longer talked to 
the doctor or others of the medicines or
 of his bodily ailments1 nor did he seem
 to think of them2 and his mind appeared
 to have suddenly grown peaceful4 ,the  
,scriptures as well as other books were 
read to him1 as usual1 up to the very   
evening before he died4 ,on the night of
 the #bjth of ,december1 two days after 

his sixty-ninth birthday1 the last      
sacraments were administered1 ,father   
,hecker receiving them without visible  
emotion but in full consciousness4      
,during the following day he was quiet  
and apparently free from acute pain1 the
 benumbed body refusing to suffer more2 
but the mind calm and attentive4 ,when  
the morning of the #bb;d came all could 
see that his time was near at hand4 ,in 
the middle of the forenoon the members  
of the community were gathered at the   
bedside1 the prayers for the dying were 
read and the indulgence was given4 ,as  
this was over the doctor arrived1 and   
,father ,hecker1 who had gradually lost 
advertence to all around him1 was roused
 by him into full consciousness1 and    
gave the community his blessing1 feebly 
raising his hand to make the sign of the
 cross and uttering the words in a light
 whisper4 ,then he sank away into       
unconsciousness and in an hour ceased to
 breathe4  ,and so ,father ,hecker died4
 ,our beloved teacher and father1 so    

blameless and brave1 so gentle and      
daring1 so full of ,god and of humanity1
 entered into his eternal beatitude4    
,dying on ,saturday1 and so near        
,christmas1 the funeral was delayed till
 ,wednesday1 the feast of ,st4 ,stephen1
 the body being embalmed4 ,christmas    
afternoon it was placed in the church   
and was visited and venerated by great  
throngs of people4 ,a vast concourse    
attended the ,requiem ,mass the next    
morning1 which was sung by ,archbishop  
,corrigan surrounded by many priests1 an
 eloquent sermon being preached by      
,father ,t4 ,j4 ,campbell1 the          
,provincial of the ,jesuits4 ,the body  
was placed in the vaults of the old     
cathedral4  ,the life we have been      
following is a harmonious whole from    
beginning to end4 ,the child tells of   
the youth1 the youth promises a noble   
man1 and the promise is more than       
fulfilled4 ,he was guileless2 no dark   
ways of forbidden pleasure ever heard   
the sound of his footstep4 ,there was no

 barter of conscience for ambition's    
prize4 ,he was fearless2 from beginning 
to end there was no halt from want of   
courage4 ,nor did he rush forward before
 the light came to show the road1 though
 he often chafed and panted to hear the 
word of ,divine command2 he never moved 
at any other4 ,but when the voice of    
,god bade him forward he never flinched 
at any obstacle4 ,the ever-recurring    
persuasion that there were so few who   
saw ,god's will as he saw it cut him to 
the heart1 and the mystery of the       
,divine times and moments grew upon him 
with fatal force till the end1 until he 
drooped and pined away with grief that  
he could but taste the first-fruits4    
,yet he was ever submissive to the      
,divine ,will1 to live1 to die1 to      
begin1 to end the work1 to be alone or  
to be of many brethren1 to lead or to   
follow4 ,though a most active spirit1 he
 was yet contemplative1 and to unite the
 manifestation of the ,holy ,spirit in  
the inner and outer life was the end he 

always kept in view2 but he was         
distinctively an interior man4  ,few men
 since the ,apostles have felt a quicker
 pulse than ,isaac ,hecker when the name
 of ,god was heard1 or that of ,jesus   
,christ or the ,holy ,spirit4 ,few men  
have had a nobler pride in the ,church  
of ,christ1 or felt more one with her   
honor4 ,few men have grown into closer  
kinship with all the family of ,god1    
from ,mary the great mother and the holy
 angels down to the simplest ,catholic1 
than ,isaac ,hecker4 ,but his peculiar  
trait was fidelity to the inner voice4  
,there are some1 he once said1 for whom 
the predominant influence is the        
external one1 authority1 example1 etc42 
others in whose lives the interior      
action of the ,holy ,spirit             
predominates4 ,in my case1 from my      
childhood1 ,god influenced me by an     
interior light and by the interior touch
 of his ,holy ,spirit4 ,the desperate   
demand of ,philip1 ,lord1 show us the   
,father and it is enough1 was ,father   

,hecker's cry all through early life4   
,after the founding of his community1 in
 #aheh1 his life was like an arctic     
year4 ,from that date till #ahgb there  
was no set of sun4 ,the unclouded       
heavens bent over him ever smiling with 
,god's glorious light2 and its golden   
tints lit up all humanity with hope and 
joy4 ,then the sun went down to rise no 
more4 ,the heavens were dark and silent1
 or rent asunder with wrathful storms1  
only a transient flash of the aurora    
relieving the gloom4 ,when the light    
dawned again it was to beam upon his    
soul in the ecstasies of ,paradise4  ,we
 know not what to say of his faults1 nor
 can we think that he had any that were 
not to be traced to his eager love of   
,god's cause1 such as his overpowering  
men with pleading for ,god in their     
souls2 or too easily crediting unworthy 
men who prated to him of liberty and the
 ,holy ,spirit2 or over-fondness during 
his illness for playing in the lists of 
fancy at an apostolate denied him in the

 battle of active life2 he repined at   
being forced to plan great battles in a 
sick-room4 ,he could not help betraying 
a heart heaving with a pent-up ocean of 
zeal1 while he was creeping about       
helplessly1 often too feeble to speak   
above his breath4 ,a lover of liberty1  
its only boon to him at last was liberty
 to accept and rivet upon himself the   
chain of patient love4  ,some may say   
,hecker was before his time4 ,but no man
 is before his time if1 having a divine 
message1 he can get but one other to    
accept it1 can arrest men's attention1  
can cause them to ponder1 to ask why or 
why not1 whether this be the day or only
 its vigil4 ,the sower is not before his
 time though he dies before the harvest2
 there is a time to sow and a time to   
reap4  ,and now the tree is dead1 but   
its ripe fruits are in our bosoms       
bearing living seeds1 which will spring 
up in their time and give fruit again   
each according to its kind4  ,the life  
of ,father ,hecker is a strong          

invitation to the men of these times to 
become followers of ,god the ,holy      
,ghost1 to fit their souls by prayer and
 penance in union with ,christ and his  
,church1 for the consecration of liberty
 and intelligence to the elevation of   
the human race to union with ,god4 ,we  
do not bid him farewell1 for this age1  
and especially this nation1 will hail   
him and his teachings with greater and  
greater acclaim as time goes on4 ,as    
,god guides ,his ,church to seek her    
,apostolate mainly in developing men's  
aspirations for better things into      
fulness of ,catholic truth and virtue1  
,isaac ,hecker will be found to have    
taught the principles and given the     
methods which will lead most surely to  
success4  ,,the ,,end       ,,appendix  
,,letters ,,from ,,cardinal ,,newman  ,i
  ,,the ,,oratory1 ,,birmingham1        
,february #bh1 #ahhi4  ,,my ,,dear      
,,father ,,hewit3 ,i was very sorrowful 
at hearing of ,father ,hecker's death4  
,i have ever felt that there was this   

sort of unity in our lives--that we had 
both begun a work of the same kind1 he  
in ,america and ,i in ,england1 and ,i  
know how zealous he was in promoting it4
 ,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 ,age4 ,now ,i am left   
with one friend less1 and it remains    
with me to convey through you my best   
condolement to all the members of your  
society4  ,hoping that you do not forget
 me in your prayers1 ,i am1 dear ,father
 ,hewit1 most truly yours1 ,,john ,h4   
,,card4 ,,newman4  ,,ii  ,,the          
,,oratory1 ,,birmingham1 ,march #ae1    
#ahij4  ,,dear ,,father ,,hewit3 ,in    
answer to your letter ,i am glad to be  
told what is so interesting to me1 viz41
 that the ,life of ,father ,hecker is in
 preparation4 ,i had a great affection  
and reverence towards him1 and felt that
 which so many good ,catholics must have
 felt with me on hearing of his illness 
and death4 ,i wish1 as you ask me1 that 

,i could say something more definite    
than this of his life and writings1 but 
my own correspondence with friends1 and 
especially the infirmities of my age1   
burden me and make it impossible for me 
to venture upon it4 ,this1 alas6 is all 
that ,i have left me now by my years    
towards the fulfilment of welcome duties
 to the grateful memory of an effective 
,catholic writer 7,i do not forget his  
work in ,england7 and a ,benefactor1 if 
,i may use the term1 to the ,catholic   
,religion1 whose name will ever be held 
in honor by the ,catholic ,church4      
,yours most truly1 ,j4 ,h4 ,n4          
,,recollections ,,of ,,father ,,hecker  
,,by ,,the ,,abbe ,,xavier ,,dufresne1  
,,of ,,geneva  ,i  ,i first knew ,father
 ,hecker in #ahgc1 meeting him at a     
,catholic ,congress held at ,ferney and 
presided over by ,monsignor ,mermillod4 
,father ,hecker visited ,geneva several 
times after that1 living in the closest 
intimacy with our family4 ,he spent     
several weeks on a visit with my father1

 ,dr4 ,dufresne1 at a chalet situated on
 ,salane mountain above ,geneva1 being  
at the time in feeble health and seeking
 recovery by a prolonged sojourn in     
,europe4 ,for this enforced inactivity  
he recompensed himself by continual and 
earnest conversations1 for the purpose  
of gaining to his ideas all whom he     
believed capable of understanding them1 
whether ,protestants or ,catholics4     
,there was about him an indescribable   
charm which mysteriously drew one to him
 and penetrated one with his influence4 
,although he did not know ,french       
thoroughly and preferred to use         
,english1 yet he spoke with such power1 
elevation1 exuberance1 and depth of     
thought that he captivated his hearers4 
,when ,i made ,father ,hecker's         
acquaintance ,i had just lost my        
eyesight1 being at the end of my        
ecclesiastical studies1 and not yet     
ordained4 ,he did my soul much good by  
teaching me a kind of holiness which was
 joined to lively intelligence and the  

most energetic activity4 ,father ,hecker
 remains to me not only the type of an  
,american priest1 but of the modern one1
 the kind needed by the ,church for the 
recovery of the ground lost as a result 
of ,protestantism and infidelity1 as    
well as to enable her to start anew in  
her divine mission4  ,,ii  ,the         
principal impression produced by ,father
 ,hecker on those who came in contact   
with him was one of sanctity4 ,in his   
company one felt his whole being        
influenced as if by something venerable 
and supernatural1 and a constant        
inclination to correspond to the action 
of the ,holy ,spirit and submit the     
human will to the divine4 ,in conversing
 with him about spiritual things one was
 transported into a higher region1 the  
heart growing warmer and the conscience 
more sensitive4 ,father ,hecker plainly 
inclined by habit to the type of        
character given us by ,jesus ,christ4   
,he suffered much1 both physically from 
weakness of nerves and morally on       

account of enforced inactivity1 yet he  
not only never complained but was always
 cheerful4 ,this was the greater merit  
in him because he seemed by nature      
impatient of opposition and             
contradiction4 ,he had a sagacious mind 
and easily discovered the faults of     
others1 but1 although he spoke of men   
and affairs with openness and candor1 he
 yet ever sought for favorable          
interpretations4 ,like ,st4 ,francis de 
,sales1 he knew how to judge of people  
and yet remain full of charity for his  
neighbor4 ,profoundly individual1 and   
profoundly attached to his ideas1 like  
all ,anglo-,saxons1 and in fact like all
 who have acquired the ,protestant habit
 of free inquiry1 he nevertheless had   
for the ,church a docility almost naive 
and infantile2 and this was because he  
recognized in her the authority and the 
action of the ,holy ,spirit4  ,it may be
 said of him without exaggeration that  
he was every moment ready1 if it became 
necessary1 to bear witness to the       

divinity of the ,church by martyrdom1   
and in fact he often made that          
declaration4 ,in him the most heroic    
virtue was faith4 ,he had come into the 
,catholic ,church in spite of the most  
extreme natural repugnance1 and he      
remained in it1 overcoming the perpetual
 objection of ,protestants that         
,catholicity could not be the truth     
because ,catholic countries had become  
the least powerful and the least        
prosperous in the civilized world4 ,on  
this point he loved to expound the text 
of ,scripture which says that it is     
better to lose an eye and an arm and    
enter into the kingdom of heaven1 than  
to save both1 and fall into hell4 ,his  
piety was wholly interior4 ,it consisted
 in the perpetual exercise of the       
presence of ,god4 ,he had a natural     
disinclination for devotional practices 
as they are in vogue among the southern 
races4  ,his tendency was to            
spiritualize as much as possible all the
 devotions in use in the ,church4 ,his  

own principal one was to the ,holy      
,ghost and ,his divine ,gifts4 ,he never
 spoke of the ,incarnation and the      
,eucharist without deep emotion and a   
contagious love4 ,as to devotion to the 
,blessed ,virgin1 he explained it in a  
most elevated manner1 ever showing1 and 
with great dignity and nobility of      
manner1 how it flowed from the principle
 of the divine maternity4 ,the last book
 he sent me was one on the ,blessed     
,virgin written by an ,american priest4 
,since ,father ,hecker's death ,i have  
never failed a single day to invoke him 
in my prayers1 and to his intercession  
,i attribute many graces obtained1 some 
of them very important4  ,,iii  ,father 
,hecker had a marvellous openness of    
heart4 ,i heard him relate several times
 the story of his life1 his conversion1 
his joining the ,redemptorists1 his case
 before the ,roman ,congregations1 and  
the founding of the ,paulist community4 
,i can still recall the banks of the    
,lake of ,geneva at the ,villa          

,bartoloni1 where ,father ,hecker1      
walking with a friend and myself1 told  
us of his leaving the ,redemptorist     
order4 ,it was the way in which he      
talked of so delicate a matter that     
enabled me to appreciate that the man   
was a saint4 ,he liked to repeat1 while 
on this subject1 what ,cardinal         
,deschamps had said of him3 ,here is a  
man who has been able to leave our      
,congregation of the ,most ,holy        
,redeemer without committing even a     
venial sin4  ,in my opinion1 ,father    
,hecker was1 after ,pere ,lacordaire1   
the most remarkable sacred orator of the
 century4 ,this does not apply to his   
writings1 for his ideas lost much of    
their force in the process of getting   
into print4 ,like all natural orators   
his chief quality was a power of drawing
 and persuading1 which1 to use an       
expression often applied to ,pere       
,lacordaire1 had something magnetic     
about it4 ,he had a prodigious gift of  
showing his ,protestant or infidel      

hearers that their own hearts and their 
own reason aspired by instinct towards  
the ,catholic truth which he was        
teaching them4 ,in that way he drew his 
hearers to discover the truth in their  
own minds instead of receiving it by    
force of argument or any extrinsic      
authority4 ,to acquire this power he had
 made a great study of the ,gospel1 and1
 sustained by ,divine grace1 he went    
about the exposition of the truth as    
,jesus ,christ did4 ,one of the most    
original aspects of his mind was that he
 joined the practical sense of the      
,american to the taste and aptitude of  
the ,european for speculation4 ,he had  
not been able to make a complete course 
of studies because he had spent several 
years in commercial life1 but he had    
great natural gifts for metaphysics1    
theology1 and above all mysticism4      
,unlike the ,english converts of the    
,oxford school1 he had reached          
,catholicity by way of liberal          
,protestantism1 which he had renounced  

because it could not satisfy the        
religious aspirations of his nature4 ,it
 would be interesting to study his case 
in connection with those of ,newman and 
,manning1 for it shows that souls are   
led to ,catholicity by all roads1 even  
the most opposite1 and that minds most  
inclined to rationalize can be drawn to 
the ,church as easily as those of a     
conservative or traditional temperament4
  ,,iv  ,but ,i wish to dwell especially
 on what preoccupied ,father ,hecker's  
mind and formed the fundamental theme of
 his eloquent words4 ,we were just on   
the morrow of the ,vatican ,council1 of 
the defeat of ,france by ,prussia1 and  
in the first agonies of the ,culturkampf
 in ,germany and ,italy4 ,now1 if one   
remembers that ,father ,hecker was of an
 ,american family originally from the   
town of ,elberfeld1 ,prussia1 he can    
better understand the gravity of the    
problem which weighed upon his mind1 as 
upon that of so many others4 ,must we   
admit1 it was asked1 that the ,council  

of the ,vatican has affixed its seal    
upon the decadence of ,catholicity1     
binding the ,church to the failing      
fortunes of the ,latin races8 ,must     
,protestantism finally triumph with the 
,saxon races8 ,and here ,father         
,hecker's faith did not halt an instant1
 but grasped the difficulty in all its  
terrible magnitude4 ,his solution may be
 questioned by some1 but ,i believe that
 no one will dispute that the mind which
 conceived it was of the first order4   
,father ,hecker remarked1 as did many   
others1 that1 starting from the         
sixteenth century1 the ,church1 although
 ever exerting a considerable influence1
 no longer appeared at the head of the  
world's activity4 ,this was in contrast 
with what she had done in the era of the
 conversion of the ,roman ,empire1      
during that of the invasion of the      
barbarians1 and amid the immense        
religious movement which characterized  
the apogee of the ,middle ,ages4 ,father
 ,hecker discovered the cause of this   

lessening influence in the fact that    
since the sixteenth century the ,church 
had been compelled to stand upon the    
defensive4 ,this had greatly paralyzed  
her power of initiation and her liberty4
 ,as a consequence of the ,protestant   
heresy1 which threatened the utter      
destruction of the principle of         
authority1 the ,church had been forced  
to concentrate on that side of her      
fortress all her means of defence4 ,in  
order to protect herself from the       
excesses of the principle of            
individuality and free inquiry1 she had 
been obliged to resort to a multitude of
 restrictive measures1 which were       
conceived in a very different spirit    
from that which animated her in previous
 centuries4 ,in the sixteenth century   
the ,church placed before everything    
else the idea of authority4 ,she        
sacrificed the development of           
personality to fostering the association
 of men whose wills were absolutely     
merged by discipline in one powerful    

body4 ,it can be seen at a glance how   
intimately and profoundly the spirit of 
the dominant religious orders of the    
later era differs from that of the great
 orders of the ,middle ,ages1 in respect
 to the expansion of nature and the     
development of individuality4 ,the needs
 of the sixteenth century were          
altogether different from those of the  
ages preceding it1 and to meet those    
needs ,god inspired ,st4 ,ignatius with 
the idea of a different type of         
,christian character4 ,the result was   
the triumphant repulse of ,protestantism
 from all the southern nations4 ,but the
 victory was gained at the price of real
 sacrifices2 the ,catholics of the      
recent centuries have not displayed the 
puissant individuality of those of the  
,middle ,ages1 the types of which are   
,st4 ,bernard1 ,st4 ,gregory ,,vii41    
,innocent ,,iii41 ,st4 ,thomas ,aquinas4
 ,the ,divine ,spirit often exacts the  
sacrifice of certain human qualities for
 the preservation of the faith2 and it  

is in this sense that we should         
interpret the mysterious words of ,jesus
 ,christ1 that it is better to lose an  
eye and an arm and not fall into hell1  
than to save an eye and an arm and be   
lost eternally4  ,the ,council of the   
,vatican1 ,father ,hecker maintained1 by
 giving to the principle of authority   
its dogmatic completion1 has placed it  
above all attacks1 and consequently has 
brought to a close the historical period
 in which it was necessary to devote all
 efforts to its defence4 ,a new period  
now opens to the ,church4 ,she has been 
engaged during three centuries in       
perfecting her external organism1 and   
securing to authority the place it      
should have in working out her divine   
life2 she will now undertake quite      
another part of her providential        
mission4 ,it is now to be the           
individuality1 the personality of souls1
 their free and vigorous initiative     
under the direct guidance of the ,holy  
,spirit dwelling within them1 which     

shall become the distinctive ,catholic  
form of acting in these times4 ,and this
 will all be done under the control of  
her divine supreme authority in the     
external order preventing error1        
eccentricity1 and rashness4  ,the ,latin
 races were fitted by nature to be the  
principal instruments of the ,holy      
,spirit during the period just passed4  
,in the new one the ,anglo-,saxon and   
,teutonic races1 of a nature strongly   
individual and independent1 will take   
their turn as instruments of ,divine    
,providence4 ,this is not saying that   
the development of the ,church is the   
result of the natural aptitudes of      
races1 but that ,god1 who has created   
these aptitudes1 takes them one after   
the other1 and at the hours ,he chooses1
 and causes them to serve as instruments
 for carrying out ,his designs4 ,it was 
thus1 from the fourth to the seventh    
century1 that ,he made use of the       
metaphysical subtilty implanted by ,him 
in the ,greek genius1 issuing in all    

those great definitions which have fixed
 not only the substance but the verbal  
form of ,catholic dogma4 ,hence the     
first general councils were all held in 
the ,east4  ,father ,hecker cherished   
hopes for the conversion of the         
,teutonic and ,anglo-,saxon races4      
,doubtless ,god could convert them      
suddenly1 but considering the way       
heretofore followed that conversion will
 be brought about insensibly and by the 
two following instrumentalities3 ,on the
 one hand1 the new development of       
individuality in souls within the       
,church will create a sympathetic       
attraction towards her on the part of   
,protestants1 who will discover         
affinities with her of which they were  
wholly unaware4 ,on the other hand1 the 
more the ,protestant races expand1 the  
more they will find the dwarfed         
,christianity which they profess falling
 short of their aspirations1 and by that
 means they will be inclined towards    
,catholicity4 ,it is not a little       

remarkable that ,father ,hecker         
expressed himself thus during the last  
years of the pontificate of ,pius ,,ix41
 at a moment when such ideas seemed to  
be least in favor in high ,catholic     
circles4 ,but soon afterwards the       
pontificate of ,leo ,,xiii4 began1 and  
with it a movement in the spirit        
indicated by the ,american priest1 and  
in a manner so strikingly in accord with
 his views that ,father ,hecker seemed  
to have been enlightened from above in  
his presages of the future4  ,father    
,hecker developed a grand theological   
synthesis of what he called the exterior
 and interior mission of the ,holy      
,spirit in the ,church4 ,he has         
explained it in a pamphlet2 but how much
 more impressive it was when he         
expounded it in person6 ,we had the     
privilege of hearing him do so in a long
 conversation with the most celebrated  
,protestant minister of ,french-speaking
 countries1 the illustrious philosopher 
and orator1 ,ernest ,naville4 ,father   

,hecker said that the antipathy of      
,protestants for the ,church arose from 
the fact that they imagined that        
,catholicity reduced all religion to    
obedience to external authority4        
,protestants1 on the other hand1 pretend
 to place all religion in the interior  
life1 directly generated in souls by the
 ,holy ,spirit1 and it is for this      
reason that ,catholicity impresses them 
as a tyrannical usurpation and a stupid 
formalism4 ,in this they are deceived1  
as a close acquaintance with ,catholics 
and with such writings as those of ,st4 
,francis de ,sales and ,st4 ,teresa soon
 proves to them4 ,so1 also1 when they   
fancy that the authority of the ,church 
is not necessary to the preservation of 
the action of the ,holy ,spirit in the  
soul4 ,as a matter of fact1 the         
innumerable divisions of ,protestants   
among themselves plainly show that the  
interior action of the ,holy ,ghost does
 not extend to making each individual   
infallible4 ,to safeguard souls against 

deception1 scepticism or illuminism1    
there is need of another action of the  
,holy ,spirit which shall be            
conservative of the interior life4 ,that
 other action is exterior1 and is       
exercised by means of the authority of  
the ,church4 ,the ,holy ,spirit cannot  
be brought into contradiction with      
,himself4 ,by ,his action in the        
exterior authority of the ,church ,he   
can never interfere in the least degree 
with the fulness or the spontaneity of  
,his own interior action in souls4  ,the
 exterior action is one of control and  
of verification1 to hinder souls from   
being lost in the depths of illusion and
 in the deceits of pride4 ,but besides  
this1 humility1 obedience1              
self-abnegation1 virtues dear by        
excellence to the heart of ,jesus       
,christ1 are impossible without due     
submission to the external authority4   
,when one believes only in himself1 he  
obeys only himself1 and hence has never 
practised complete renunciation nor     

complete humility4  ,father ,hecker also
 maintained that the direction of souls 
in confession should be made to         
strengthen and develop individual life4 
,we do not need blood-letting1 he said1 
as if we suffered from plethora1 but    
rather we need a course of tonics1      
sea-baths1 and the invigorating air of  
the mountains4 ,we should not hold our  
penitents in leading-strings1 but should
 teach them to live a self-reliant life 
under the direction of the ,holy        
,spirit4 ,souls tempered by that process
 would render the ,church a thousand    
times more service than they do now4    
,no doubt such souls may sometimes run  
the risk of pride and of temptation to  
revolt4 ,but in such cases the ,church  
is so provided with power by the dogma  
of infallibility1 as proclaimed by the  
,vatican ,council1 as to be able to     
counteract this danger without serious  
loss1 as was proved in the case of      
,doellinger and the ,old ,catholics4    
,the ,holy ,spirit1 preparing for a     

great development of individual life1   
has made provision beforehand that the  
,church should be armed with power      
sufficient to repress all waywardness1  
and this was done by the ,vatican       
,council4 ,some had feared that the     
definition of infallibility would       
introduce an extravagant use of         
authority1 and lead to a diminution of  
reasonable liberty and individuality in 
the ,church even greater than before4   
,but the very contrary has been the     
result4  ,with reference to the interior
 life1 ,i can affirm that ,father       
,hecker's was full and rich4 ,having    
spent the greater part of his life in a 
devouring activity1 at its close he     
lived as a true contemplative4 ,he was a
 genuine mystic4 ,we heard him discourse
 with marvellous beauty on the ,trinity1
 the ,incarnation1 the ,eucharist1      
expounding these great truths in a way  
not only to enrapture one with their    
splendor1 but utterly to refute deism1  
pantheism1 and materialism4 ,the latter 

error1 he said1 owed its introduction   
partly to the fact that ,protestantism  
had refused to the senses their         
legitimate place in divine worship1 this
 excessive spiritualizing having brought
 about a reaction4  ,v  ,father ,hecker 
often spoke of the future reserved for  
,catholicity in the ,united ,states1    
saying that it was there that the union 
of the ,church with democracy would     
first take place4 ,in that nation the   
prejudice against the ,church is not so 
strong as in ,europe1 and her position  
is free from the embarrassments of      
traditional difficulties4 ,catholicity  
is there valued for its immediate effect
 upon human nature1 and the rancor born 
of historical recollections is not in   
such full control of men's minds2 hence 
conversions are more easily made4       
,furthermore1 ,father ,hecker believed  
that it would finally be discovered that
 the ,protestant spirit is contrary to  
the political spirit of the ,american   
,republic4 ,america has based her       

,constitution on the fact that man is   
born free1 reasonable1 and capable of   
self-government4 ,the ,protestant       
,reformers1 on the contrary1 never      
ceased to teach that original sin       
deprived man of his free will and made  
him incapable of performing virtuous    
acts2 and if ,protestants seek to escape
 from this whirlpool of fatalism1 they  
fall into infidelity4 ,the day will come
 when ,americans will admit that if they
 are to be at once religious and        
reasonable1 they must become ,catholics4
 ,therefore1 whether it be acknowledged 
or not1 every development of political  
liberty in the ,united ,states          
contributes to the advance of           
,catholicity4 ,the ,constitution of the 
,united ,states has formulated the      
political principles most conformable to
 the ,canons of the ,council of ,trent4