,transcriber's ,notes3 ,this production 
was derived from                        
https3_/_/archive4org_/details_/lifeofre
vfrancis#jj;hewi_/page_/n#i  #a         
,sermons ,of ,the    ,rev4 ,francis ,a4 
,baker1     ,priest ,of ,the            
,congregation ,of ,st4 ,paul4    ,with  
,a ,memoir ,of ,his ,life     ,,by      
,rev4 ,a4 ,f4 ,hewit4     ,fourth       
,edition4     ,new ,york3   ,lawrence   
,kehoe1 #ade ,nassau ,street4   #ahfg4  
#b    ,entered according to ,act of     
,congress1 ,in the year #ahfe    ,by ,a4
 ,f4 ,hewit1   ,in the ,clerk's ,office 
of the ,district ,court of the ,united  
,states for the ,southern ,district of  
,new ,york4   #c   ,,preface4  ------   
,in offering the ,memoir and ,sermons of
 this volume to the friends of ,f4      
,baker1 and to the public1 propriety    
requires of me a few words of           
explanation4 ,the number of those who   
have been more or less interested in the
 events touched upon in the sketch of   
his life and labors is very great1 and  

composed of many different classes of   
persons in various places1 and of more  
than one religious communion4 ,i cannot 
suppose that all of them will read these
 pages1 but it is likely that many will2
 and therefore a word is due to those   
who are more particularly interested1 as
 well as to the general class of        
readers4 ,i have to ask the indulgence  
of all my readers for having interwoven 
so much of my own history and my own    
reflections on the topics and events of 
the period included within the limits of
 the narrative4 ,they have woven        
themselves in spontaneously1 without any
 intention on my part1 and on account of
 the close connexion between myself and 
the one whose career ,i have been       
describing2 and ,i have been unable to  
unravel them from the texture of the    
narrative without breaking its threads4 
#d  ,i have simply transferred to paper 
that picture of the past1 long forgotten
 amid the occupations of an active life1
 which came up again1 unbidden and with 

great vividness1 before the eye of      
memory1 during the hours while the      
remains of my brother and dearest friend
 lay robed in violet1 waiting for the   
last solemn rites of the requiem to be  
fulfilled4 ,if ,i have succeeded1 ,i    
cannot but think that the picture will  
have something of the same interest for 
others that it has for myself4 ,those   
who knew and loved the original1 will1  
,i hope1 prize it for his sake2 and     
their own recollections will diffuse the
 coloring and animation of life over    
that which in itself is but a pale and  
indistinct sketch4 ,for their sakes     
chiefly ,i have prepared it1 so far as  
the mere personal motive of perpetuating
 the memory of a revered and beloved    
individual is concerned4 ,but ,i have   
had a higher motive as my chief reason  
for undertaking the task3 a desire to   
promote the glory of ,god1 by preserving
 and extending the memory of the graces 
and virtues with which ,he adorned one  
of ,his most faithful children4 ,i have 

wished to place before the world the    
example of one of the most signal       
conversions to the ,catholic faith which
 has taken place in our country1 as a   
lesson to all to imitate the pure and   
disinterested devotion to truth and     
conscience which it presents to them4   
,let me not be misunderstood4 ,i do not 
present the example of his conversion1  
or that of the great number of persons  
of similar character who have embraced  
the ,catholic religion1 as a proof      
sufficient by itself of the truth of    
that religion4 #e ,i propose it as a    
specimen of many instances in which the 
power of the ,catholic religion to draw 
intelligent minds and upright hearts to 
itself1 and to inspire them with a pure 
and noble spirit of self-sacrifice in   
the cause of ,god and humanity1 is      
exhibited4 ,this is surely a sufficient 
motive for examining carefully the      
reasons and evidences on which their    
submission to the ,church was grounded2 
and an incentive to seek for the truth1 

with an equally sincere intention to    
embrace it1 at whatever cost or struggle
 it may demand4  ,it may appear to the  
casual reader that ,i have drawn in this
 narrative an ideal portrait which      
exaggerates the reality4 ,i do not think
 ,i have done so2 and ,i believe the    
most competent judges will attest my    
strict fidelity to the truth of nature4 
,if ,i have represented my subject as a 
most perfect and beautiful character1   
the model of a man1 a ,christian1 and a 
priest of ,god1 ,i have not exceeded the
 sober judgment of the most impartial   
witnesses4 ,a ,protestant ,episcopal    
clergyman1 of remarkable honesty and    
generosity of nature1 said of him to a  
,catholic friend3 ,you have one perfect 
man among your converts4 ,another1 a    
,catholic clergyman1 whose coolness of  
judgment and reticence of praise are    
remarkable traits in his character1     
said1 on hearing of his decease3 ,the   
best priest in ,new ,york is dead4 ,i   
have no doubt that more than one would  

have been willing to give their own     
lives in place of his1 if he could have 
been saved by the sacrifice4  ,in       
narrating events connected with ,f4     
,baker's varied career1 ,i have simply  
related those things of which ,i have   
had either personal knowledge1 or the   
evidence furnished by his own           
correspondence with a very dear friend1 
aided by the information which that     
friend has furnished me4 #f ,i have to  
thank this very kind and valued friend1 
the ,rev4 ,dwight ,e4 ,lyman1 for the   
aid he has given me in this way1 which  
has increased so much the completeness  
and interest of the ,memoir4 ,i am also 
indebted to another1 still dearer to the
 departed1 for information concerning   
his early history and family4  ,i trust 
that those readers who are not members  
of the ,catholic communion1 especially  
such as have been the friends of the    
subject and the author of this memoir1  
will find nothing here to jar           
unnecessarily upon their sentiments and 

feelings4 ,fidelity to the deceased has 
required me not to conceal his          
conviction of the exclusive truth and   
authority of the doctrine and communion 
of the holy1 ,catholic1 ,apostolic1     
,roman ,church4 ,the same fidelity would
 prevent me1 if my own principles did   
not do so1 from mixing up with religious
 questions any thing savoring of        
personal arrogance1 or directed to the  
vindication of private feelings1 and    
retaliation upon individuals with whom  
religious conflicts have brought us into
 collision4 ,i wish those who still     
retain their friendship for the dead1   
and whose minds will recur with interest
 to scenes of this narrative1 in which  
they were concerned with him1 to be     
assured of that lasting sentiment of    
regard which he carried with him to the 
grave1 and which survives in the heart  
of the writer of these lines4  #g  ,in  
the history of ,f4 ,baker's missionary  
career1 ,i have endeavored to select    
from the materials on hand such portions

 of the details of particular missions  
as would make the nature of the work in 
which he was engaged intelligible to all
 classes of readers1 without making the 
narrative too tedious and monotonous4 ,i
 have wished to present all the diverse 
aspects and all the salient points of   
his missionary life1 and to give as     
varied and miscellaneous a collection of
 specimens from its records as possible4
 ,from the necessity of the case1 only a
 small number of missions could be      
particularly noticed4 ,those which have 
been passed by have not been slighted1  
however1 as less worthy of notice than  
the others1 but omitted from the        
necessity of selecting those most       
convenient for illustration of the theme
 in hand4 ,the statistics given1 in     
regard to numbers1 etc41 in the history 
of our missions1 have all been taken    
from records carefully made at the time1
 and based on an exact enumeration of   
the communions given4 ,i trust this     
volume will renew and keep alive in the 

minds of those who took part in these   
holy scenes1 and who hung on the lips of
 the eloquent preacher of ,god's word   
whose life and doctrine are contained in
 it1 the memory of the holy lessons of  
teaching and example by which he sought 
to lead them to heaven4  ,of the sermons
 contained in this volume1 seventeen    
have been reprinted from the four       
volumes of ,sermons by the ,paulists1   
#ahfa-fd2 and twelve published from     
,,mss4 ,four of these are mission       
sermons1 selected from the complete     
series1 as the most suitable specimens  
of this species of discourse4 ,the      
others are parochial sermons1 preached  
in the parish church of ,st4 ,paul the  
,apostle1 ,new ,york4 #h ,there still   
remain a considerable number of sermons1
 more or less complete2 but the confused
 and illegible state in which ,f4 ,baker
 left his ,,mss4 has made the task of   
reading and copying them very laborious1
 and prevented any larger number from   
being prepared for publication at the   

present time4 ,i leave these ,sermons1  
with the ,memoir of their author1 to    
find their own way to those minds and   
hearts which are prepared to receive    
them1 and to do the good for which they 
are destined by the providence of ,god4 
,may we all have the grace to imitate   
that high standard of ,christian virtue 
which they set before us1 as true       
disciples of ,jesus ,christ our ,lord6  
,a4 ,f4 ,h4  ,st4 ,paul's ,church1      
,fifty-ninth ,street1 ,advent1 #ahfe4   
#i  ,,contents                          
,,page ,memoir4                         
#ac  ,,sermon3     ,i4 ,the ,necessity  
of ,salvation 7,mission ,sermon7        
#bji    ,,ii4 ,mortal ,sin 7,mission    
,sermon7                       #bbf     
,,iii4 ,the ,particular ,judgement      
7,mission ,sermon7         #bci    ,,iv4
 ,heaven 7,mission ,sermon7             
#beb     ,v4 ,the ,duty of ,growing in  
,christian ,knowledge        7,first    
,sunday in ,advent7                     
#bfc    ,,vi4 ,the ,mission of ,st4     

,john the ,baptist        7,second      
,sunday in ,advent7                     
#bga   ,,vii4 ,god's ,desire to be      
,loved 7,christmas ,day7          #bhb  
,,viii4 ,the ,failure and ,success of   
the ,gospel        7,sexagesima7        
#bib    ,,ix4 ,the ,work of ,life       
7,septuagesima7                   #cjc  
,x4 ,the ,church's ,admonition to the   
,individual ,soul                       
7,ash-,wednesday7                       
#cab    ,,xi4 ,the ,negligent ,christian
 7,third ,sunday in ,lent7    #cbj      
,,xii4 ,the ,cross1 the ,measure of ,sin
 7,passion ,sunday7    #cbi  ,,xiii4    
,divine ,calls and ,warnings 7,lent7    
#cdj   ,,xiv4 ,the ,tomb of ,christ1 the
 ,school of ,comfort        7,easter    
,sunday7                                
#ceb    ,,xv4 ,st4 ,mary ,magdalene at  
the ,sepulchre        7,easter ,sunday7 
#cfj   ,,xvi4 ,the ,preacher1 the ,organ
 of the ,holy ,ghost        7,fourth    
,sunday after ,easter7                  
#cgj  ,,xvii4 ,the ,two ,wills in ,man  

7,fourth ,sunday after ,easter7         
#chj ,,xviii4 ,the ,intercession of the 
,blessed ,virgin the        ,highest    
,power of ,prayer        7,sunday within
 the ,octave of the ,ascension7         
#cia   ,,xix4 ,mysteries in ,religion   
7,trinity ,sunday7            #cii      
,,xx4 ,the ,worth of the ,soul          
7,third ,sunday after ,pentecost7       
#djh   ,,xxi4 ,the ,catholic's          
,certitude concerning the ,way        of
 ,salvation 7,fifth ,sunday after       
,pentecost7       #dah  #aj   ,,xxii4   
,the ,presence of ,god        7,fifth   
,sunday after ,pentecost7               
#dbi ,,xxiii4 ,keeping the ,law not     
,impossible        7,ninth ,sunday after
 ,pentecost7                    #dcg    
,,xxiv4 ,the ,spirit of ,sacrifice      
7,feast of ,st4 ,laurence7              
#ddg   ,,xxv4 ,mary's ,destiny a ,type  
of ,ours 7,assumption7        #def      
,,xxvi4 ,care for the ,dead             
7,fifteenth ,sunday after ,pentecost7   
#dfe ,,xxvii4 ,success the ,reward of   

,merit        7,fifteenth ,sunday after 
,pentecost7                #dge         
,,xxviii4 ,the ,mass the ,highest       
,worship         7,twenty-first ,sunday 
after ,pentecost7            #dhd       
,,xxix4 ,the ,lessons of ,autumn        
7,last ,sunday after ,pentecost7        
#dic   #aa    ,,memoir4  #ab  #ac       
,memoir4   ,francis ,a4 ,baker was born 
in ,baltimore1 ,march #cj1 #ahbj4 ,the  
name given him in baptism was ,francis  
,asbury1 after the ,methodist bishop of 
that name2 but when he became a         
,catholic he changed it to ,francis     
,aloysius1 in honor of ,st4 ,francis de 
,sales and ,st4 ,aloysius1 to both of   
whom he had a special devotion1 and both
 of whom he resembled in many striking  
points of character4  ,he was of mixed  
,german and ,english descent1 and       
combined the characteristics of both    
races in his temperament of mind and    
body4 ,he had also some of the ,irish   
and older ,american blood in his veins4 
,his paternal grandfather1 ,william     

,baker1 emigrated from ,germany at an   
early age to ,baltimore1 where he       
married a young lady of ,irish origin1  
and became a wealthy merchant4 ,his     
maternal grandfather1 the ,rev4 ,john   
,dickens1 was an ,englishman1 a         
,methodist preacher1 who resided chiefly
 in ,philadelphia4 ,his grandmother was 
a native of ,georgia4 ,during the great 
yellow-fever epidemic in ,philadelphia1 
,mr4 ,dickens remained at his post1 and 
his wife fell a victim to the disease1  
with her eldest daughter4 ,his father   
was ,dr4 ,samuel ,baker1 of ,baltimore1 
and his mother1 ,miss ,sarah ,dickens4  
,dr4 ,baker was an eminent physician and
 medical lecturer1 holding the honorable
 positions of ,professor of ,materia    
,medica in the ,university of ,maryland1
 and ,president of the ,baltimore       
,medico-,chirurgical ,society4 #ad      
,there was a striking similarity in the 
character of ,dr4 ,baker and his son    
,francis4 ,the writer of an obituary    
notice of the father1 in the ,baltimore 

,athenum1 tells us that his early       
preceptors admired the balance of the   
faculties of his mind1 and that his     
classmates were attached to him for his 
integrity and affectionate manners4 ,in 
another passage1 the same writer would  
seem to be describing ,francis ,baker1  
to those who knew him alone1 and have   
never seen the original of the sketch4  
,the style of conversation with which   
,dr4 ,baker interested his friends1 his 
patients1 or the stranger1 was marked   
with an unaffected simplicity4 ,even    
when he was most fluent and             
communicative1 no one could suspect him 
of an ambition to shine4 ,he spoke to   
give utterance to pleasing and useful   
thoughts on science1 religion1 and      
general topics1 as if his chief         
enjoyment was to diffuse the charms of  
his own tranquillity4 ,in social        
intercourse1 his dignity was the natural
 attitude of his virtue4 ,on the part of
 the trifling it required but little    
discernment to perceive the tacit       

warning that vulgar familiarity would   
find nothing congenial in him4 ,he never
 engrossed conversation1 and seemed     
always desirous of obtaining information
 by eliciting it from others4 ,whether  
he listened or spoke1 his countenance1  
receiving impressions readily from his  
mind1 was an expressive index of the    
tone of his various emotions and        
thoughts4 ,the conduct of ,dr4 ,baker as
 a physician1 a ,christian1 and a       
citizen1 was a mirror1 reflecting the   
beautiful image of goodness in so       
distinct a form as to leave none to     
hesitate about the sincerity and purity 
of his feelings4 ,it therefore          
constantly reminded many of 'the wisdom 
that is from above1 which is first pure1
 then peaceable1 gentle1 easy to be     
entreated1 full of mercy and good       
fruits1 without partiality1 and without 
hypocrisy4' ,the friendly sympathy and  
anxiety which he evinced in the presence
 of human suffering attached all classes
 of his patients to him1 and he was very

 happy in his benevolent tact at winning
 the affection of children1 even in     
their sickness4 #ae ,dr4 ,baker was a   
member of the ,methodist ,church1 and an
 intimate friend of the celebrated and  
eloquent preacher ,summerfield4 ,he was 
not one1 however1 of the enthusiastic   
sort1 but sober1 quiet1 and reserved4   
,he never went through any period of    
religious excitement himself1 or        
endeavored to practise on the           
susceptibilities of his children4 ,he   
said of himself1 as one of his intimate 
friends testifies1 that he did not know 
the period when he became religious1 so 
gradually was his life regulated by the 
spiritual truths which enlightened his  
mind from childhood4 ,he had no hostile 
feelings toward the ,catholic ,church1  
and was a great admirer and warm friend 
of the ,sisters of ,charity1 many of    
whom ,i have heard frequently speak of  
him in terms of the most affectionate   
respect4 ,his benevolence toward the    
poor was unbounded1 and he was in fact  

endeared to all classes of the          
community1 without exception1 in        
,baltimore4 ,francis ,baker had a very  
great respect for his father1 and was   
very fond of talking of him to me1      
during the first period of our          
acquaintance1 when his early            
recollections were fresh and recent in  
his mind4 ,of his mother he had but a   
faint remembrance1 having been deprived 
of her at the age of seven years4 ,it is
 easy to judge of her character1        
however1 from that of her children1 and 
of her sister1 who was a mother to her  
orphans from the time of her death until
 her own life was ended among them4     
,mrs4 ,baker's brother1 the ,hon4       
,asbury ,dickens1 is well known as      
having been for nearly half a century   
the ,secretary of the ,senate of the    
,united ,states1 which position he held 
until his death1 which occurred at an   
advanced age a few years since4  ,dr4   
,baker had four sons and two daughters4 
,only one of them1 ,dr4 ,william ,george

 ,baker1 ever married1 and he died      
without children3 so that ,dr4 ,samuel  
,baker left not a single grandchild     
after him to perpetuate his name or     
family--and of his children1 one        
daughter only survives4 #af ,three of   
his sons were physicians of great       
promise1 which they did not live to     
fulfil4 ,francis was his third son1 and 
the one who most resembled him in       
character4 ,of his boyhood ,i know      
little1 except that his companions at   
school who grew up to manhood1 and      
preserved their acquaintance with him1  
were extremely attached to him4 ,one of 
them passed an evening and night in our 
house1 as the guest of ,f4 ,baker1 but a
 few months before his death1 with great
 pleasure to both4 ,i have also heard   
some of the good ,sisters of ,charity   
speak of having known the little ,frank 
,baker as a boy1 and mention the fact   
that he was very fond of visiting them4 
,i am sure that his childhood was an    
extremely happy one until the period of 

his father's death4 ,this event took    
place in ,october1 #ahce1 when ,francis 
was in his sixteenth year1 and in the   
fiftieth year of ,dr4 ,baker's life4 ,it
 was very sudden and unexpected1 and    
threw a shadow of grief and sadness over
 the future of his children1 which was  
deepened by the subsequent untimely     
decease of the two eldest sons1 ,samuel 
and ,william4  ,francis was entered at  
,princeton ,college soon after his      
father's death1 and graduated there with
 the class of #ahci4 ,i am not aware    
that his college life had any remarkable
 incidents4 ,he was not ambitious of    
distinguishing himself1 or inclined to  
apply himself to very severe study4 ,i  
believe1 however1 that his standing was 
respectable1 and his conduct regular and
 exemplary4 ,he was not decidedly       
religious in his early youth4 ,methodism
 had no attraction for him1 and the     
,calvinistic preaching at ,princeton was
 repugnant to his reason and feelings4  
,whatever religious impressions he had  

in childhood were chiefly those produced
 by the ,catholic ,church1 whose        
services he was fond of attending2 but  
these were not deep or lasting4 ,the    
early death of his father1 and the      
consequent responsibility and care      
thrown upon him as the male head of the 
family1 first caused him to reflect     
deeply1 and to seek for some decided    
religious rule of his own life and      
conduct1 and finally led him to join the
 ,protestant ,episcopal communion1 and  
to resolve to prepare himself for the   
ministry4 #ag ,all the members of his   
family joined the same communion1 and   
were baptized with him1 in ,st4 ,paul's 
,church1 by the rector of the parish1   
,dr4 ,wyatt4 ,this event took place in  
#ahda1 or '#db4 ,soon afterward1 ,mr4   
,baker formed an acquaintance with a    
young man1 a candidate for orders and an
 inmate of the family of ,dr4           
,whittingham1 the ,bishop of ,maryland1 
which was destined to ripen into a most 
endearing and life-long friendship1 and 

to have a most important influence on   
his subsequent history4 ,this gentleman 
was ,dwight ,edwards ,lyman1 a son of   
the ,rev4 ,dr4 ,lyman a respectable     
,presbyterian minister1 of the same age 
with ,francis ,baker1 and an ardent     
disciple of the school of ,john ,henry  
,newman4 ,at the time of his baptism1   
,mr4 ,baker was only acquainted with    
church principles as they were taught by
 ,dr4 ,wyatt1 who was an old-fashioned  
,high ,churchman4 ,the intercourse which
 he had with ,mr4 ,lyman was the        
principal occasion of introducing him to
 an acquaintance with the ,oxford       
movement1 into which he very soon       
entered with his whole mind and heart4  
,in #ahdb1 ,mr4 ,lyman was sent to ,st4 
,james's ,college1 near ,hagerstown1    
where he remained several years1        
receiving orders in the interval4       
,during this time1 ,mr4 ,baker kept up a
 frequent and most confidential         
correspondence with him1 which is full  
of liveliness and humor in its earlier  

stages1 but becomes more grave and      
serious as both advanced nearer to the  
time of their ordination4 ,it continued 
during the entire period of their       
ministry in the ,episcopal ,church1 and 
during the whole subsequent life of ,mr4
 ,baker1 closing with a very playful    
letter written by the latter1 a few days
 before his last illness4 ,in one of    
these letters1 he acknowledges his      
obligations to ,mr4 ,lyman as the       
principal instrument of making him      
acquainted with ,catholic principles1 in
 these warm and affectionate words3 ,i  
do not know whether you are aware of the
 advantage ,i derived from you in the   
earlier part of our acquaintance1 by    
reason of your greater familiarity with 
the ,catholic system as exhibited in the
 ,anglican ,church4 #ah ,the influence  
you exerted was of a kind of which ,i   
can hardly suppose you to have been     
conscious2 yet ,i am sure you will be   
gratified to think it was effectual1 as 
,i believe1 to fix me more firmly in the

 system for which ,i had long           
entertained so profound a reverence and 
affection4 ,these are benefits which ,i 
cannot forget1 and which 7if there were 
not other reasons of which ,i need not  
speak7 must always keep a place for you 
in the heart of your unworthy friend4   
,the nature of the later correspondence 
between these two friends1 and their    
mutual influence on each other1 will    
appear later in this narrative4 ,there  
are friendships which are formed in     
heaven1 and in looking back upon that   
which grew up between these two young   
men of congenial spirit1 and in which ,i
 was also a sharer in a subordinate     
degree1 ,i cannot but admire the        
benignant ways of ,divine ,providence1  
by which those strands which afterward  
bound our existence together so closely 
were first interwoven4 ,i had myself met
 ,mr4 ,lyman1 some years before this1   
and felt the charm of his glowing and   
enthusiastic advocacy of principles     
which were just beginning to germinate  

in my own mind4 ,soon after ,lyman's    
removal to ,hagerstown1 ,i made the     
acquaintance of ,mr4 ,baker1 a          
circumstance which the latter mentions  
in his next letter to his friend in     
these words1 which ,i trust ,i may be   
pardoned for quoting--  ,the ,bishop's  
family have a young man staying with    
them 7,mr4 ,h471 a convert to the       
,church1 and one1 ,i believe1 of great  
promise4 ,he was a ,congregationalist   
minister1 and ,rev4 ,mr4 ,b4 read me a  
letter from him1 dated about a month    
ago1 before his coming into the ,church1
 the tone of which was far more         
,catholic than that of many 7alas67 of  
those who have been partakers of the    
holy treasures to be found only in her  
bosom4 ,mr4 ,b4 tells me that ,church   
principles are silently spreading in the
 ,north1 among the sects4 ,in this      
place1 ,i believe that a spirit has been
 raised which one would hardly imagine  
on looking at the surface of things1    
though that is troubled enough4  #ai    

,this letter was dated ,april #bb1      
#ahdc4  ,i had just arrived in          
,baltimore1 at the invitation of ,dr4   
,whittingham1 the ,protestant ,episcopal
 ,bishop of ,maryland1 and been received
 as a candidate for orders in his       
diocese4 ,mr4 ,baker1 who was also a    
candidate for orders1 lived just        
opposite the ,bishops's residence1 in   
,courtlandt street1 and was pursuing his
 theological studies in private4 ,i     
lived in the ,bishop's house1 and ,i    
think ,i met ,mr4 ,baker there on the   
first evening of my arrival4 ,we were   
nearly of the same age1 and soon found  
that our tastes and opinions were very  
congenial to each other4 ,of course1 ,i 
returned his visit very soon1 and ,i    
became at once very intimate with his   
family4 ,it was a charming place and a  
delightful circle4 ,francis1 as the     
eldest brother1 was the head of the     
house4 ,his aunt1 ,miss ,dickens1       
fulfilled the office of a mother to her 
orphaned nephews and nieces with winning

 grace and gentleness4 ,a younger       
brother1 ,alfred1 then about eighteen   
years of age1 was at home1 pursuing his 
medical studies4 ,two sisters completed 
the number of the family1 all bound     
together in the most devoted and tender 
love1 all alike in that charm of        
character which is combined from it     
fervent and genial spirit of religion1  
amiability of temper1 and a high-toned  
culture of mind and manners1 chastened  
and subdued by trial and sorrow4 ,i must
 not pass by entirely without mention   
another inmate of the family1 whose     
good-humored1 joyous countenance was    
always the first to greet me at the     
door--little ,caroline1 the last of the 
family servants1 who was manumitted as  
soon as she arrived at a proper age1    
always devotedly attached to her young  
master1 and afterward one of the most   
eager and delighted spectators at his   
ordination as a ,catholic priest4  #bj  
,the house was one of those places where
 every article of furniture and the     

entire spirit that pervades its         
arrangement speaks eloquently of the    
past family history1 and recalls the    
memory of its departed members and      
departed scenes of domestic happiness4  
,dr4 ,baker had left his children a     
competent but moderate fortune1 which   
was managed with the utmost prudence by 
,francis1 who possessed at twenty-one   
all the wisdom of a man of fifty4 ,there
 was nothing of the splendor and luxury 
of wealth to be seen in the household1  
but a modest simplicity and propriety1 a
 home-like comfort1 and that perfection 
of order and arrangement1 regulated by a
 pure and exquisite taste1 which is far 
more attractive4 ,mr4 ,baker's home was 
always the mirror of his mind4 ,in later
 years1 when he lived in his own        
rectory1 although his family circle had 
lost two of its precious links1 the same
 charm pervaded every nook and corner of
 the home of the survivors1 the young   
and idolized pastor and his two sisters4
 ,his study at ,st4 ,luke's rectory was 

the beau ideal of a clergyman's         
sanctuary of study and prayer1 after the
 ,church of ,england model2 with        
something added1 which betokened a more 
recluse and sacerdotal spirit1 and a    
more ,catholic type of devotion4 ,one   
might have read in it ,mr4 ,baker's     
character at a glance1 and might have   
divined that the inhabitant of that room
 was a perfect gentleman1 a man of the  
most pure intellectual tastes1 a pastor 
completely absorbed in the duties of his
 state1 a recluse in his life1 and very 
,catholic in the tendencies and         
aspirations of his soul4  ,of ,mr4      
,baker's family1 only one sister has    
survived him4 ,alfred ,baker died first4
 ,like his brother1 he was a model of   
manly beauty1 although he did not in the
 least resemble him in form or feature4 
,francis ,baker1 as all who ever saw him
 know1 was remarkably handsome4 ,those  
who only knew him after he reached      
mature age1 and remember him only as a  
priest1 will associate with his         

appearance chiefly that impress of      
sacerdotal dignity and mildness1 of     
placid1 intellectual composure1 of      
purity1 nobility1 and benignity of      
character1 which was engraven or rather 
sculptured in his face and attitude4 #ba
 ,dressed in the proper costume1 he     
might have been taken as a living study 
for a ,father of the ,church1 a holy    
hermit of the desert1 or a medival      
bishop4 ,he was cast in an antique and  
classic mould4 ,there was not a trace of
 the man of modern times or of the man  
of the world about him4 ,his countenance
 and manner in late years also bore     
traces of the fatiguing1 laborious life 
which he led1 and the hard1 rough work  
to which he was devoted4 ,on account of 
these things1 and because he was so     
completely a priest and a religious1 one
 could scarcely think of admiring him as
 a man4 ,his portrait was never painted1
 and the photographs of him which were  
taken were none of them very successful1
 and most of them mere caricatures4 ,an 

ambrotype in profile was taken at       
,chicago for ,mr4 ,healy the artist1    
which is admirable1 and from this the   
only good photographs have been taken2  
but the adequate image of ,father       
,baker1 as he appeared at the altar1 or 
when his face was lit up in preaching   
the ,divine word1 will live only in the 
memory of those who knew him4 ,at the   
period of which ,i speak1 he had just   
attained the maturity of youthful and   
manly beauty1 which was heightened in   
its effect by his perfect dignity and   
grace of manner4 ,his brother ,alfred   
was cast in a slighter mould1 and had an
 almost feminine loveliness of aspect1  
figure1 and character4 ,he was as modest
 and pure as a young maiden1 with far   
more vivacity of feature and manner than
 his brother1 and a more vivid and      
playful temperament4 ,there was nothing1
 however1 effeminate in his character or
 countenance4 ,he was full of talent1   
high-spirited1 generous and chivalrous  
in his temper1 conscientious and        

blameless in his religious and moral    
conduct4 ,he graduated at the ,catholic 
,college of ,st4 ,mary's in ,baltimore1 
and was a great favorite of the late    
,archbishop ,eccleston and several      
others of the ,catholic clergy4 ,his    
,high ,church principles had a strong   
dash of ,catholicity in them1 and he    
used often to speak of the ignominious  
name1 ,protestant1 which is prefixed to 
the designation of the ,episcopal       
,church in this country4 #bb ,he was a  
devoted admirer of ,mr4 ,newman1 and    
followed him1 like so many others1 to   
the verge of the ,catholic ,church1 but 
drew back1 startled and perplexed1 when 
he passed over4 ,two or three years     
after the time ,i am describing1 he     
began the practice of his profession1   
with brilliant prospects4 ,the family   
removed to a larger and more central    
residence1 for his sake1 near ,st4      
,paul's ,church1 where ,francis was     
,assistant ,minister4 ,all things seemed
 to smile and promise fair1 but this    

beautiful bud had a worm in it4 ,a slow 
and lingering but fatal attack of       
phthisis seized him1 just as he was     
beginning to succeed in his professional
 career4 ,his brother accompanied him to
 ,bermuda1 but the voyage was rather an 
additional suffering than a benefit1 and
 on the #ith of ,april1 #aheb1 he died4 
,it was ,good ,friday4 ,he had prayed   
frequently that he might die on that    
day1 and before his departure1 he called
 his brother to him1 made a general     
confession1 desired him to pronounce    
over him the form of absolution         
prescribed in the ,english              
,prayer-,book1 and received the         
communion of the ,episcopal ,church4    
,these acts were sacramentally          
valueless1 but ,i trust1 without        
presuming to decide positively on a     
secret matter which ,god alone can      
judge1 that his intention was right     
before ,god1 and his error a mistake of 
judgment without perversity of will4    
,his brother afterward felt deeply      

solicitous lest he might have been      
himself blamable for keeping him in the 
,episcopal communion1 and grieved that  
he had died out of the visible communion
 of the ,catholic ,church4 ,still1 as he
 was conscious of his own integrity of  
purpose1 he tranquillized his mind with 
the hope that his brother had died in   
spiritual communion with the true       
,church and in the charity of ,god1 and 
endeavored to aid him1 as far as he was 
still within the reach of human         
assistance1 by having many masses       
offered for the repose of his soul4     
,miss ,dickens died a little before     
,alfred1 and ,elizabeth ,baker died some
 time after her brother became a        
,catholic1 but before his ordination4   
#bc  ,i return now to the period when   
,mr4 ,baker and all these members of his
 family were living a retired and happy 
life together in the home on ,courtlandt
 street4 ,i remember this time with     
peculiar pleasure4 ,mr4 ,baker1 whom ,i 
always called ,frank1 as he was usually 

called by his friends1 partly from the  
peculiar affection they felt for him1   
and also because of its appropriateness 
as an epithet of his character1 went    
every day with me once or twice to      
prayers2 and every day we walked        
together4 ,when the peculiar1 tinkling  
bell of old ,st4 ,paul's1 which will be 
remembered by many a reader of these    
pages1 gave notice of divine service    
there1 we resorted in company to that   
venerable and unique church4 ,it was    
spacious and ecclesiastical1 though not 
regularly beautiful in its architecture4
 ,a basso-relievo adorned its           
architrave1 and a bright gilded cross   
graced its tall tower4 ,it had a        
handsome altar of white marble1 an      
object of our special pride and         
devotion1 with the usual reading-desk   
and pulpit rising behind it4 ,the pulpit
 was a light and graceful structure1    
surmounted by a canopy which terminated 
in a cross1 and having another cross    
surrounded by a glory emblazoned on its 

ceiling1 just over the preacher's head4 
,the door was in the rear of the pulpit1
 which stood far out from the chancel   
wall1 and in the door was a beautiful   
transparency of the ,ecce ,homo1 lighted
 from the chancel window1 which had an  
,ailanthus behind it1 causing a pleasing
 illusion in the mind of the beholder   
that the dirty brick pavement of the    
court-yard was a pretty rural garden4   
,the chancel was large and imposing4 ,an
 episcopal chair1 surmounted by a mitre1
 formed one of its conspicuous          
ornaments1 and two seven branched gilded
 gas-burners stood on the chancel rail1 
which were lighted at ,evening ,prayer1 
or ,vespers1 as we were wont to call it4
 ,in this church1 the people all knelt  
with their backs to the altar1 and      
facing the great door1 whereat a number 
of us1 being scandalized1 determined to 
face about on all occasions and kneel   
toward the altar1 which we did rigidly  
and in the most impressive manner1 to   
the great annoyance of the rector1 ,dr4 

,wyatt4 #bd ,the tout ensemble of ,st4  
,paul's ,church1 especially in the dusk 
of evening1 when the lamps were lit1 was
 to a hasty glance quite that of a      
,catholic church4 ,catholics very       
frequently came in by mistake1 and      
sometimes poor people knelt in the      
aisles and began saying their prayers4  
,others inquired of the sexton at the   
door if it was a ,catholic church1 and  
some persons occupying seats near the   
door1 who frequently heard his negative 
response and his direction to the       
,cathedral1 were led in consequence to  
think1 that if ,st4 ,paul's were not a  
,catholic church1 they too had best     
follow the sexton's direction and go to 
the ,cathedral4 ,besides the prayers on 
saints' days1 ,wednesdays1 and ,fridays1
 at ,st4 ,paul's1 there was a week-day  
communion service once a month4 ,dr4    
,wyatt and his congregation were ,church
 people after the type of ,bishop       
,hobart1 disposed to sympathize in a    
great measure with ,dr4 ,pusey and the  

,oxford divines1 but in great dread of  
extravagant innovation4 ,the parish was 
very large1 and included among its      
members a considerable portion of the   
lite of ,baltimore society4 ,strange as 
it may seem1 however1 outside a certain 
circle of sturdy ,high ,church families1
 and especially among the more worldly  
class1 there was a prevailing sentiment 
that true spiritual religion flourished 
more in the ,methodist than in the      
,episcopal ,church4  ,although the      
mitred chair stood in the chancel1 ,st4 
,paul's was not the bishop's cathedral1 
and he was not able to take in it that  
position and perform those acts which he
 felt were the proper prerogative of a  
bishop in the principal church of the   
diocese4 ,the bishops of the ,episcopal 
,church in this country are all in the  
same anomalous position1 without        
cathedrals or strictly episcopal        
churches1 in which1 according to canon  
law1 the see is properly located1 having
 dependent parochial churches affiliated

 to the mother ,church4 #be ,they must  
either be rectors of parochial churches1
 by election of the vestry1 or simple   
parishioners of one of their own        
subordinate presbyters1 without the     
right of performing any official act1 or
 even sitting in the chancel1 except on 
occasions of convention1 episcopal      
visitation1 or something of the sort4   
,the ,bishop of ,new ,york was even for 
many years an assistant minister of     
,trinity ,church4 ,bishop ,whittingham  
was determined to remedy this evil1 as  
far as possible1 by establishing a      
parish1 where his proper place would be 
conceded to him voluntarily by the      
rector and vestry4 ,accordingly the     
,mount ,calvary congregation was formed1
 and began to worship in an old         
grain-warehouse4 ,there we had early    
,morning ,prayers1 and ,evening ,prayers
 on every day when ,st4 ,paul's was     
closed2 and thither might be seen       
wending their way1 rain or shine1 the   
,bishop with a suite of young           

ecclesiastics1 gentlemen and ladies of  
the most respectable and cultivated     
class1 and numbers of the more devout   
people1 who found a real solace for     
their souls1 amid the trials and labors 
of life1 in daily common prayer to ,god4
 ,a little after1 a more select room was
 obtained1 decorated with a large black 
cross in the end window1 and finally a  
church was built4 ,we always met a great
 many of the ,cathedral people1 in the  
morning1 going to and from ,mass1 and   
they were quite astonished at our piety4
 ,i have since learned that a number of 
them1 observing the two young men who   
seemed to them so different from        
,protestants in their ways1 began       
praying for us1 and that a holy priest1 
,f4 ,chakert1 of ,st4 ,alphonsus'1 who  
died a martyr to his zeal in ,new       
,orleans1 frequently said mass for our  
conversion4  ,in our frequent walks1    
,frank ,baker and myself usually1 by a  
tacit consent1 took the direction of    
some ,catholic church4 ,baltimore       

surpasses every other large town in the 
,united ,states1 except perhaps ,st4    
,louis1 in the relative number1 and in  
the dignified1 imposing style of its    
,catholic churches and religious        
institutions4 #bf ,it is a very         
picturesque and beautiful city in       
itself1 and one of its most striking    
features is the exterior show of        
,catholicity which it presents1 from the
 conspicuous position of the numerous   
,catholic edifices which are distributed
 through the principal parts of the     
town2 often crowning the summits of some
 of the high eminences with which it    
abounds1 so that they are distinctly    
visible in all directions1 and their    
bells resound loudly for a great        
distance4 ,some of the ,protestant      
churches also1 haying our ecclesiastical
 style of architecture1 and being even  
surmounted by the cross1 fall into the  
picture as accessories1 and add to the  
impression which a stranger taking a    
coup-d'oeil of the city would receive4  

,the ,cathedral1 a truly grand building1
 though built in the ,moresco style1 and
 suggesting the idea of a great mosque  
in an oriental city1 which had been     
converted by some conquering crusader   
into a ,christian temple1 with its great
 dome and two towers1 each of which is  
surmounted by a gilded cross1 queens it 
majestically over the whole city4 ,it   
has the finest possible situation1 on   
very high ground1 with a spacious       
enclosure around it1 and a modest1 but  
very appropriate archiepiscopal         
residence in the rear of the sanctuary1 
fronting on ,charles street1 the        
principal street of the court end of the
 town1 a little below the chaste and    
graceful monument of white marble       
erected to the memory of ,washington4   
,near by1 the ,redemptorist ,church and 
,convent of ,st4 ,alphonsus1 the        
,convent of the ,christian ,brothers1   
the large and beautiful ,convent and    
garden of the ,visitation ,nuns1 the    
,sisters' ,orphan ,asylum1 and the      

little chapel and religious house of the
 colored ,sisters of ,providence1 are   
clustered together within a very        
moderate area of territory4 ,taking the 
,cathedral as a point of departure1 you 
have at the distance of about half a    
mile1 in the most densely peopled part  
of the town1 ,st4 ,mary's ,church1 and  
the ,seminary of ,st4 ,sulpice1 with its
 extensive gardens of many acres in     
extent4 ,more toward the suburbs1 there 
are the ,lazarist ,church of the        
,immaculate ,conception1 and the large  
,sisters' ,hospital of ,mount ,hope1    
with its extensive grounds4 #bg ,in an  
opposite direction1 not far from the    
,cathedral1 is ,loyola ,college1 to     
which adjoins the ,jesuit ,church of    
,st4 ,ignatius2 beyond these1 ,st4      
,john's1 and still further1 near the    
borders of the town1 the quaint and     
interesting ,st4 ,james's ,church of the
 ,redemptorists1 with a ,german ,convent
 of religious ladies4 ,in another       
direction1 ,st4 ,vincent de ,paul's is  

seen1 with its high massive tower1 and  
in the same quarter of the town1 the    
,carmelites have a convent and chapel1  
the ,redemptorists another large church 
and convent1 called ,st4 ,michael's1 and
 there is also the large and handsome   
parish church of ,st4 ,patrick1 with its
 high altar of green marble4 ,following 
the outer circle of the city toward the 
harbor and fort1 and returning to a     
point in line with ,st4 ,alphonsus'1 we 
have the ,church of the ,holy ,cross1   
,st4 ,joseph's1 and ,st4 ,peter's1 the  
latter of which has a congregation      
composed in great measure of converts4  
,the deep and heavy bell of the         
,cathedral is repeatedly heard sending  
forth its booming notes at different    
hours of the day1 answered by ,st4      
,alphonsus' and ,st4 ,vincent de        
,paul's1 while the other bells take up  
the refrain in the distance1 and the    
smaller convent bells throw in from time
 to time1 at ,angelus1 ,vespers1 or     
,compline1 their silvery1 tinkling      

notes4 ,these ,catholic sounds are heard
 at intervals from morning till night1  
and the bells of some of the ,protestant
 churches join in also1 on many days    
during the week1 ringing for prayers4   
,the ,catholic traditions of ,baltimore 
and ,maryland1 interwoven with their    
existence from the first2 the memory of 
,charles ,carroll of ,carrollton1 of    
,archbishops ,carroll and ,eccleston1   
and of many other distinguished         
,marylanders among the ,catholic clergy1
 and1 lastly1 the large ,catholic       
population1 and the wealth1 education1  
and social position of a large class of 
the members of the ,church1 who have    
always mingled freely in society and    
intermarried with ,protestants1         
specially those of the ,episcopal       
,church--all these and other causes     
combine to make the ,catholic religion  
conspicuous and powerful in ,baltimore1 
and to keep it always confronting the   
adherents of other religions1 whichever 
way they turn4 #bh ,it cannot be ignored

 or kept out of sight and mind4 ,it must
 be battled with or submitted to4       
,hence1 ,protestantism in ,baltimore1   
among the ultra-,protestant sects1 has  
borne a character of unusually intense  
and persistent hatred to the ,catholic  
,church2 and a suppressed spirit of     
violence has pervaded the lower orders1 
showing itself ordinarily by slight     
insults offered to clergymen and        
religious1 but occasionally bursting out
 in scenes of riot and bloodshed1 in    
which not merely the rabble took part1  
but where gentlemen were also engaged1  
and men in high stations lent their     
influence and protection to shield and  
encourage the lawless violators of the  
peace4  ,a number of the ,catholic      
churches here described have been built 
since the year #ahdb4 ,the general      
appearance of the city1 however1 and the
 relative number of ,catholic           
institutions1 was the same4 ,it was a   
very interesting place to me from its   
novelty1 and very well known to my new  

friend and companion1 ,frank ,baker4 ,we
 perambulated the town and reconnoitred 
all its environs1 penetrating into every
 nook and corner where there was the    
smallest chance of finding something to 
be seen4 ,the ,catholic churches        
underwent a repeated and thorough       
visitation and scrutiny1 by turns4 ,an  
indefinable attraction drew us to those 
sacred places1 and made us linger and   
loiter in them without ever growing     
weary4 ,i know now what it was4 ,it was 
the power of that ,sacred ,presence     
which once drew the disciples and the   
multitudes after it1 when visibly seen1 
and which now attracts the soul by its  
invisible charm in the ,blessed         
,sacrament4 ,we never went to mass or to
 any ,catholic service1 because we were 
forbidden to do so by the bishop4 ,we   
never sought out any ,catholic priests1 
or encountered any1 except twice by     
accident4 ,we read no ,catholic books of
 controversy or devotion1 never knelt to
 pray before the altar1 and did not know

 or suspect where we were going4 #bi    
,but the influence of grace was acting  
most powerfully during those moments in 
which we were hanging about the altar1  
and unconsciously drinking in its sacred
 influence4 ,our favorite place was the 
chapel of ,st4 ,mary's ,college1 and the
 ,calvary behind it1 where the clergy of
 the ,sulpitian ,society are buried4    
,this is the sweetest ,catholic shrine  
,i have ever visited4 ,the ,calvary was 
not open to visitors1 but for some      
reason we were never interfered with1   
although we went very often1 and        
remained by the hour4 ,perhaps our      
guardian angels knew the future1 and led
 us there unwittingly to ourselves4 ,our
 ,lord foresaw it1 if they did not1 and 
was thinking of the day when one of the 
two would be there in company with all  
the clergy of the diocese in a spiritual
 retreat1 and the day when the other1 in
 that same chapel1 would be consecrated 
to the service of the sanctuary4        
,footnote #a      ,footnote #a3 ,father 

,baker was ordained sub-deacon and      
deacon     in that chapel1 a few days   
before his ordination to the            
priesthood in the ,cathedral4  ,many of 
those who participated in that retreat  
will recall the recollection of it1 on  
reading these pages4  ,archbishop       
,kenrick1 the sage of our ,american     
hierarchy and one of its saints1 that   
perfect model of a prelate according to 
the ancient type of the purest ,catholic
 times1 the pattern of ecclesiastical   
learning1 ,episcopal dignity and        
vigilance1 apostolic zeal1 sacerdotal   
gentleness1 and ,christian humility1    
reminding one of the character ascribed 
by historians to ,pope ,benedict ,,xiv41
 sat at the head of his venerable clergy
 in the sanctuary during all the        
exercises4 ,of the clergymen present1   
some had been forty years in the        
priesthood1 and one at least was        
ordained by ,archbishop ,carroll4 ,some 
are now bishops1 or have modestly       
declined the offered mitre4 ,i was then 

a priest1 and was assisting ,f4         
,walworth in giving the retreat1 and    
,mr4 ,baker was but just received into  
the ,church4 ,he came to visit me at the
 spot where we had passed so many       
pleasant hours in years gone by1 and to 
pay his respects to the excellent       
,sulpitians by whom his brother had been
 educated1 and to the other clergymen   
whose brother and associate he aspired  
to become in due time4 #cj ,he was      
welcomed most tenderly by the           
warm-hearted ,sulpitians1 and greeted   
with an ardent interest and respect by  
the clergy and young ecclesiastics who  
were gathered in that sacred retreat of 
science and piety4 ,several of these    
good clergymen have since spoken of that
 retreat1 which so many circumstances   
combined to make unusually pleasant1 as 
among the most cherished recollections  
of their lives4 ,since ,i have been     
betrayed into this long digression by   
the associations connected with ,st4    
,mary's ,chapel1 ,i will venture to add 

one other little incident1 of which ,i  
have been several times reminded by the 
venerable ,president of ,mount ,st4     
,mary's ,college4 ,one afternoon1 just  
at sunset1 the preacher concluded his   
discourse by a description of the death 
of a holy priest1 contrasting the glory 
of his successfully accomplished        
ministry with that of the hero in the   
merely secular and temporal order4 ,at  
the peroration1 the parting beams of the
 sun irradiated a tall marble monument  
over the grave of a well-known          
,sulpitian priest1 behind the chancel   
window1 in full view of the audience1   
but unseen by the preacher1 and gave an 
illustration of his words most affecting
 and impressive to those who witnessed  
it4 ,it was emblematic1 also1 of that   
noble life which was to be accomplished 
and brought to such a beautiful close1  
within twelve short years1 by that dear 
companion and friend who was just then  
on the eve of leaving all to follow     
,christ1 and whose generous heart was   

swelling with the first emotions of his 
divine vocation1 long since secretly    
inspired into him while haunting the    
blessed resting-place of those holy     
priests4 ,but ,i have anticipated what  
was yet in the unknown and undreamed-of 
future1 when we two ardent and          
enthusiastic youths were yielding our   
imaginations to the poetic and religious
 charm which was the precursor of more  
earnest and durable convictions4  #ca   
,st4 ,mary's was our favorite resort1   
but we were also impressed in a         
different way by the austere and        
monastic aspect of ,st4 ,james's1 where 
the ,redemptorist ,fathers1 then newly  
established1 had their convent2 and ,i  
remember that we often conversed about  
that order with great curiosity and     
interest4 ,we watched intently the      
building of ,st4 ,alphonsus' ,church1   
and wandered through the sanctuary and  
sacristy and garden1 and into the shop  
where the lay-brothers and other        
artificers were at work1 occasionally1  

to our great delight1 greeted by these  
good brothers1 who probably took us for 
priests1 as we were then ordained and   
dressed in long cassocks1 with their    
salutation in ,german1 ,gelobt sey      
,jesus ,christus4  ,another object of   
great interest to us was a monument to  
the memory of a former pastor1 in ,st4  
,patrick's ,church1 bearing the simple  
and touching inscription3      ,to ,the 
,good ,de ,moranville4  ,this unfeigned 
tribute of affection to the memory of a 
good and holy priest did more in a few  
moments to efface from my mind the      
effect of the calumnies ,i had heard    
from childhood against the ,catholic    
clergy1 than a volume of controversy    
could have done4  ,mr4 ,baker took me   
also to visit the monument erected to   
,sister ,ambrosia by the ,city of       
,baltimore4 ,this lady1 the daughter of 
the venerable ,mrs4 ,collins1 who died  
at the age of nearly one hundred years1 
and was one of those who welcomed ,mr4  
,baker most warmly into the ,catholic   

,church1 and the sister of the ,very    
,rev4 ,mr4 ,collins1 of ,cincinnati1 was
 universally regarded as a saint1 both  
by ,catholics and ,protestants4 ,she had
 been very intimate in ,dr4 ,baker's    
family1 and attended his two elder sons 
during their last illness4 ,she fell    
herself a victim to her charity in      
attending the sick in the hospitals1    
leaving the sweet fragrance of her      
sanctity to linger in the memories of   
those who knew her4 ,we visited also the
 graves of those brothers of ,mr4 ,baker
 whose death had produced so great a    
change in his character and prospects4  
#cb ,they were buried in a ,methodist   
grave-yard1 adjoining the beautiful     
,green ,mount ,cemetery4 ,francis had   
erected a marble tombstone to their     
memory1 on which was carved a cross1 and
 the ,catholic inscription1 ,requiescant
 in pace4 ,when ,i returned to          
,baltimore1 after my ordination to the  
,catholic priesthood1 ,i revisited the  
spot1 but found the cross and prayer had

 been removed4 ,when ,i had the         
opportunity of asking ,mr4 ,baker for an
 explanation of this1 he informed me    
that he had removed them of his own     
accord1 because he thought it an        
indelicate intrusion on the religious   
sentiments and feelings of those to whom
 the burial-place belonged1 to leave    
there a ,catholic inscription4          
,meanwhile we were studying and reading 
regularly4 ,bishop ,whittingham had a   
very fine and extensive library1 and was
 constantly supplied with the choicest  
books and periodicals of the            
,anglo-,catholic party4 ,the remarkable 
movement led by ,dr4 ,pusey and ,mr4    
,newman was at its height4 ,in this     
country we were somewhat behindhand1 and
 were following at some distance in the 
wake of the most advanced ,english      
leaders1 so that the later developments 
rather took us by surprise4 ,we were    
reading ,mr4 ,newman's earlier works1   
and only partly aware of the great      
change taking place in himself and      

others4 ,the accusation of ,romanizing  
was treated as a calumny1 and we had no 
thought of any thing except bringing our
 own ,church up to what we thought to be
 the ,catholic level1 and endeavoring to
 establish an intercommunion between it 
and the ,roman and ,greek ,churches     
through mutual consultation and         
concession1 and a return to the supposed
 state of things before the separation  
of ,east and ,west4 ,at least this is   
true of us in ,maryland1 whatever might 
have been the case with a small number  
elsewhere4 ,probably the effort to make 
the ,protestant ,episcopal ,church take 
the attitude of being ,catholic was     
never made more earnestly and with      
better hope of success than in          
,maryland4 #cc ,the bishop headed the   
movement1 and1 besides the clergymen    
already in his diocese who were ready to
 second him1 he attracted thither a     
number of young men who were devoted to 
his person and who sympathized in his   
views4 ,i have no wish to speak         

disrespectfully or unkindly of ,dr4     
,whittingham4 ,he has always been a most
 violent opponent of the ,catholic      
,church1 and he has seen fit1 like some 
others of the clergy of his peculiar    
stripe1 to break off all intercourse    
with those who have left his communion  
to join it4 ,i do not1 however1         
attribute to him any personal animosity 
as the motive for this1 but merely a    
mistaken religions zeal4 ,he was always 
very kind and generous to his young     
clergymen1 strict and self-denying in   
his life1 and laborious in the          
fulfilment of his official duties4 ,his 
vigorous administration infused a new   
energy and activity into the ,episcopal 
,church in his diocese1 and gave a      
powerful impetus to what was called the 
,catholic movement4 ,a periodical       
entitled ,the ,true ,catholic1          
,reformed1 ,protestant1 and ,free1 was  
established1 under the care of ,hugh    
,davey ,evans1 a learned lawyer and very
 able theological disputant4 ,a college1

 conducted by young men trained at the  
celebrated ,st4 ,paul's ,college1       
,flushing1 by ,dr4 ,muhlenberg1 was     
founded at a beautiful and extensive old
 country-seat1 known as ,fountain ,rock1
 near ,hagerstown1 and a school1 called 
,st4 ,timothy's ,hall1 near ,baltimore4 
,the bishop and a large number of his   
clergy went about dressed in long       
cassocks2 altars1 crosses1 frequent     
services1 ecclesiastical forms and      
observances1 and other outward signs and
 accompaniments of an approximation to  
,catholic doctrines and rites1 were to  
be seen everywhere4 ,the ,protestant    
,episcopal ,church was loudly proclaimed
 to be the ,catholic ,church of the     
country1 and1 in a word1 the theory     
taught in the ,oxford ,tracts and in the
 earlier writings of ,mr4 ,newman was   
sought to be put in actual practice4 ,an
 unusual number of the clergy were      
unmarried men1 and the project of       
founding a monastic order was           
entertained by several4 #cd ,those were 

stirring times4 ,of course opposition   
was excited in the bosom of the         
,episcopal ,church4 ,the ,low ,churchmen
 formed a strong and active minority in 
the ,convention1 and did their utmost to
 thwart the projects of the bishop4     
,very spicy debates took place in       
consequence1 and as there were very able
 and distinguished men among the lay    
delegates1 who brought all their legal  
skill and forensic eloquence into play1 
the sessions of the ,convention were    
often intensely interesting and         
exciting4 ,the pulpit1 the newspapers1  
and controversial pamphlets were        
employed in the warfare by both sides1  
and the community generally1 outside of 
the ,episcopal ,church1 were quite alive
 with interest in the questions         
discussed4  ,we had a little society    
called the ,church ,reading ,society1 of
 which ,mr4 ,evans was president1 and   
,mr4 ,baker and myself were members1    
where certain prayers for ,catholic     
unity were offered1 and papers bearing  

on the topics which interested us were  
read by the members in turn4 ,the       
different seasons of the ecclesiastical 
year were very strictly observed1       
especially ,advent1 ,christmas1 ,lent1  
and ,holy ,week4 ,the ,english press was
 at that time pouring forth a stream of 
books of devotion and sacred poetry1    
sermons and spiritual instructions1     
borrowed or imitated from the treasures 
of ,catholic sacred literature4 ,there  
was a tide setting strongly backward    
toward the faith and practice of ancient
 times1 and we surrendered ourselves to 
its influence1 without thinking where it
 would eventually land us4 ,we had no   
thought of ever leaving the communion to
 which we belonged4 ,never1 in any of   
our conversations1 did we even speak of 
such a thing as possible1 or call in    
question the legitimate claim of the    
authority1 under which we were living1  
to our obedience4 ,we did not sympathize
 with the bishop and the larger number  
of the clergymen of our theological     

party in their sentiment of hostility   
and antipathy to the ,roman communion4  
#ce ,the common ground taken was that   
the ,roman ,catholic bishops in ,england
 and the ,united ,states are            
schismatical intruders upon the lawful  
jurisdiction of the ,english and        
,anglo-,american bishops of the         
,protestant succession4 ,bishop         
,whittingham maintained the stronger    
ground that the ,roman ,church          
throughout the world is schismatical and
 all but formally heretical4 ,he        
retained the old spirit of vehement     
dislike and opposition to the ,see of   
,rome and every thing in the doctrine   
and policy of the church connected with 
the ,papal supremacy1 which             
characterized the old divines of the    
,church of ,england4 ,he had in his mind
 an ideal of the primitive ,church1     
according to which he wished and hoped  
that a ,reformed ,catholic ,church      
should be reconstructed by the common   
consent of all the bishops of the world1

 and which should absorb into itself all
 the ,christian sects4 ,this idea is    
necessarily common to all who profess to
 hold ,catholic principles in the       
,anglican communion4 ,the profession of 
the doctrine of unity in one1 visible1  
,catholic ,church1 of itself qualifies  
the isolation of any body of ,christians
 from the great ,christian family1 as an
 anomalous and irregular condition4 ,a  
return to unity or union of some kind   
must necessarily become an object of    
desire and effort4 ,so long as one      
maintains that the ,anglican ,church is 
essentially ,catholic1 he must maintain 
also that the ,roman ,church is in some 
way wrong in refusing to recognize it1  
and that the ,greek ,church is likewise 
wrong in refusing to do so4 ,hence he   
must look on some concessions to be made
 by both ,churches as the necessary     
condition of the reunion of             
,christendom4 ,so far1 all who profess  
to be ,anglo-,catholics must agree4 ,but
 when the question becomes1 how much    

concession must be made to the ,anglican
 communion1 or how much concession must 
be made by her1 how far the ,greek      
,church1 the ,roman ,church1 or the     
,anglican ,church have erred2 and upon  
what basis of doctrine and              
ecclesiastical polity they are to be    
reformed or restored to union1 the      
agreement is ended4 #cf ,each individual
 attributes as much or as little error  
and corruption to other ,churches1 or   
his own ,church1 as suits his own       
notions4 ,each one1 or each separate    
clique1 has a peculiar ideal of the true
 ,catholic ,church4 ,one may regard the 
,anglican ,church as almost perfect1 and
 wish to bring all ,christendom to      
imitate it4 ,another finds his beau     
ideal in the ,greek ,church4 ,another   
regards his own ,church as very         
defective1 and the ,roman ,church as the
 most perfect1 desiring that the ,holy  
,see should only abate just enough of   
its claims to let in ,greeks without any
 acknowledgment of their schismatic     

contumacy1 and ,anglicans without giving
 up that they are in heresy and         
destitute of any legitimate episcopacy4 
,it is impossible to draw any exact line
 of demarcation between the adherents of
 these different views4 ,at the same    
time1 we may say that1 in a general     
sense1 one class held the ,anglican     
,church as paramount in its claim of    
allegiance1 and the ,church ,catholic as
 subordinate2 while the other held the  
,church ,catholic to be paramount1 and  
the ,anglican ,church subordinate4 ,with
 the first class1 ,catholic principles  
and doctrines were taken hold of as a   
means of strengthening and exalting the 
,protestant ,episcopal ,church as such1 
and giving her a victory over the rest  
of ,christendom2 with the other class1  
they were embraced in a spirit of deep  
sympathy with universal ,christendom1   
and with the view of bringing back the  
,protestant world to the great          
,christian family4  ,the first class    
alone can be relied on as devoted       

adherents of ,anglicanism1 and they only
 hold a strong polemical position       
against the claim of the ,roman ,see to 
unconditional submission4 ,the other    
class have their minds and their hearts 
open to all ,catholic influences4 ,they 
advance continually nearer and nearer in
 belief and sympathy to the great       
,catholic body1 and great numbers of    
them pass over to the ,catholic         
communion4 ,hence we find that almost   
all the bishops and dignitaries who have
 joined in the ,oxford ,movement have   
belonged decidedly to the first class1  
and have always tried to hold the second
 class in check4 #cg ,the few who have  
belonged to the second class1 such as   
,bishop ,ives and the ,archdeacons      
,manning and ,wilberforce1 have         
eventually found allegiance to the      
,anglican ,church incompatible with the 
paramount claims of the ,church         
,catholic1 and have openly renounced it4
  ,but while it is evident that the     
position of decided and determined      

hostility to ,rome is absolutely        
necessary1 as ,mr4 ,newman long ago     
remarked1 to ,high ,church ,anglicanism1
 it is equally evident that it is the   
most narrow1 inconsistent1 and          
inconsequent position taken by any class
 of ,protestants4 ,it cuts them off from
 all real sympathy and community of     
feeling with the great ,catholic body2  
and although there may be a pretence of 
sympathy with the ,oriental ,church1 it 
is a mere pretence1 and a most illogical
 and baseless one4 ,it cuts them off    
equally from all the rest of ,protestant
 ,christendom4 ,yet1 it is only the     
,catholic and ,greek ,churches which    
offer a solid and substantial basis for 
those doctrinal and hierarchical        
principles which make their only        
distinctive character2 and it is only   
the ,protestant portion of their        
,church1 and its close intellectual1    
social1 political1 moral1 and religious 
alliance with the other ,protestant     
,churches1 which gives them any         

standing1 influence1 or power in the    
world4 ,a man of liberal1 enlarged1 and 
,christian temper of mind1 cannot live  
in such narrow limits or breathe such a 
confined air4 ,he must have communion   
with something greater than the         
,protestant ,episcopal ,church4 ,if he  
regards the great ,catholic ,church as  
essentially corrupt1 he must sympathize 
with the ,protestant ,reformation4 ,if  
the ground which1 as ,i shall presently 
show1 the ,high ,church bishops         
maintain1 is correct1 then the          
continental ,protestants were bound to  
come out when they did and form new     
churches4 ,where were they to get       
bishops8 ,how were they to preserve the 
continuity of organization and the      
apostolic succession8 ,the ,church of   
,england did not admonish them of the   
necessity of doing so4 ,she did not     
proffer them episcopal ordination4 #ch  
,but she made common cause with them1   
and supported them in their revolt1     
invited them over to ,england1 and gave 

them places in the ,english ,church1    
sent delegates to their great           
,calvinistic ,synod of ,dort1 and in    
other ways lent them sanction and       
countenance1 without breathing a hint   
that she was a whit better than they4   
,arguments from ,scripture and ancient  
authors in favor of three orders and a  
liturgy may be very solid and           
conclusive1 but they are also very petty
 and miserable when they are made the   
basis of arrogant claims by those whose 
very existence sprang from the          
assumption that the universal episcopate
 had betrayed its trust and apostatized 
from the true doctrine of ,christ4 ,the 
learned ,william ,palmer has seen the   
necessity of justifying the attitude of 
the continental ,protestant ,churches1  
and therefore concedes to them1 on the  
plea of necessity1 valid ordination and 
a legitimate constitution4 ,an          
,anglican1 who is a thorough and        
consistent opponent of ,rome1 ought to  
take common ground with ,protestants4   

,one who turns his back on              
,protestantism1 and abjures the         
,reformation1 ought to make common cause
 with ,rome and the ,catholic ,church1  
even though he as yet holds the opinion 
that his communion is a true and living 
branch of the ,church of ,christ4  ,it  
may seem strange to those who have never
 studied or sympathized in the ,oxford  
movement1 that men who adopted certain  
fundamental ,catholic principles did not
 at once embrace the faith and submit to
 the authority of the ,catholic ,church1
 but remained a long time in the        
,episcopal communion1 or even           
deliberately chose it1 after having     
passed their early life in some other   
,protestant sect4 ,this seems strange to
 those who have always been ,catholics1 
and equally strange to the majority of  
,protestants4 ,so much so1 that we have 
been suspected1 and by many fully       
believed to have been all along         
concealed ,roman ,catholics1 working in 
the ,episcopal ,church for the purpose  

of ,romanizing it4 #ci ,a few days      
before ,i was received into the         
,catholic ,church1 a near and venerable 
relative of mine said to me3 ,i am very 
glad you have become a ,catholic1 for ,i
 can respect a sincere ,roman ,catholic1
 but ,i cannot respect a ,puseyite2 you 
will now sail under your true colors4   
,when will ,h4 ,b4 7a cousin of mine1   
who is an ,episcopalian clergyman7 do   
the same thing8  ,the truth of the      
matter is1 that we all had imbibed such 
an intense prejudice from our early     
education against the ,roman ,church1   
that we were appalled at the thought of 
joining her communion4 ,when certain    
,catholic truths began to dawn upon our 
minds1 it was indistinctly4 ,to those   
who were bred in the ,anglican ,church1 
it was the natural and obvious course to
 remain there as long as their          
consciences would permit4 ,to others1 it
 was natural to look for a resting-place
 in that communion of which our own     
particular sects were only offshoots1   

with which educated people of ,english  
descent are so familiar through the     
history and literature of our native    
language1 whose services many of us had 
frequently attended from childhood1 and 
where many of us likewise had relatives 
and friends4 ,it is a small matter to go
 from one ,protestant sect to another1  
in itself considered1 and it is no      
wonder that any orthodox ,protestant    
should prefer the ,episcopal ,church to 
any of the religious bodies which have  
seceded from it4 ,besides this1 there   
was a via media offered to us by a great
 body of divines in the ,episcopal      
,church1 between ,rome on the one hand  
and ,protestantism on the other1 which  
appeared to be exactly the thing we     
wanted4 ,i acknowledge that ,i was too  
easily allured by this specious         
pretence1 and failed to examine with due
 care the claims of the ,church in      
communion with the ,see of ,rome to be  
the true and only ,church of ,christ4 ,i
 do not think ,mr4 ,baker1              

notwithstanding that his prejudices were
 far less than mine1 ever gave the      
subject serious and careful             
consideration1 until long after he had  
become an ,episcopalian minister4 #dj   
,we knew too little1 however1 of the    
subject1 to feel any conscientious      
obligations in that direction4 ,i can   
truly say that ,i never for one moment  
deliberated on the question of becoming 
a ,catholic1 even when ,i had the fear  
of death before my eyes1 until after ,i 
left ,baltimore in the autumn of #ahde4 
,i never heard from ,mr4 ,baker1 up to  
that time1 a word which betrayed the    
existence in his mind of any practical  
doubt about his duty in this respect4   
,the growth of ,catholic principles in  
our minds was gradual4 ,by degrees1 the 
mists of misrepresentation1 prejudice1  
and ignorance which obscured the        
,catholic ,church and her doctrines were
 dissipated and vanished4 ,our feelings 
of veneration and love for the great    
,church of ,christendom increased4      

,still1 as long as we were not convinced
 that actual communion with the ,church 
of ,rome and submission to her supremacy
 was necessary1 jure divino1 to the     
catholicity of any local ,church1 we    
remained firm in our allegiance to the  
ecclesiastical authority of our bishop4 
,this is only an instance of what was   
going on in the case of many both in    
,england and the ,united ,states4 ,and  
it appears from this statement1 that    
whereas all the disciples of the ,oxford
 movement began on essentially the same 
ground1 and that1 one which implied     
strong and decisive opposition to ,rome1
 one portion of them progressed         
continually1 and another remained       
stationary or retrograded1 thus         
producing separation and division in the
 ranks4 ,what ,i wish to show now is1   
that those who progressed were logically
 compelled to do so by the principles of
 the movement itself1 and that those who
 remained stationary1 although they held
 a position which was necessary to the  

maintenance of ,anglicanism1 were       
illogical and inconsequent4  ,the       
advocates of the claim of the ,church of
 ,england to be the only legitimate and 
,catholic ,church in ,england1 and of   
the same claim for the ,protestant      
,episcopal ,church in the ,united       
,states1 were obliged to make out some  
case against the bishops of these two   
countries who were under the            
jurisdiction of the ,roman ,see and who 
proclaimed themselves to be the only    
lawful and ,catholic bishops1 sustained 
as they were in this claim by all the   
other bishops of ,western ,christendom4 
#da ,the possession of the titles and   
temporalities of the ancient sees in    
,england by the ,established ,church    
naturally suggested the plausible       
pretext that the ,church of ,england of 
to-day is the legitimate successor of   
the ,church of ,england before the      
separation under ,henry ,,viii4 ,hence1 
other bishops1 exercising episcopal     
functions within the dioceses of the    

bishops of the ,church of ,england1 are 
schismatical intruders1 and their       
congregations are schismatical4 ,the    
same principle was extended to the      
,united ,states1 on the plea that the   
,bishop of ,london had episcopal        
jurisdiction over the ,english colonies1
 and moreover that the ,protestant      
,episcopal bishops were first on the    
ground1 and had acquired possession     
before the ,romish bishops1 as they     
chose to call them1 came4 ,now this     
theory is forced to answer one question3
 ,are the bishops of ,france1 ,spain1   
c41 the legitimate ,catholic bishops of 
those countries1 and is their communion 
the true and only ,catholic ,church     
there1 or not8 ,is this question        
answered in the affirmative8 ,then1 who 
are the ,catholic bishops in ,canada1   
,louisiana1 ,alabama1 ,florida1 ,texas1 
and ,california8 ,who went first to     
,china and ,india8 ,are the ,anglican   
bishops in these places schismatical    
intruders or not8 ,if not1 why not8 ,and

 if not1 why are ,roman ,catholic       
bishops schismatical intruders in       
,london and ,new-,york8 ,the ,protestant
 ,episcopal ,churches of ,england and   
the ,united ,states pay no attention    
whatever to any claim of jurisdiction by
 the ,catholic ,church in any part of   
the world1 but seek to thrust themselves
 in and make converts wherever they can4
 ,in order to justify this attitude1 and
 at the same time to profess ,catholic  
principles1 it is necessary to maintain 
that the entire ,roman communion is     
schismatical and heretical1 and the     
,protestant ,episcopal ,church is the   
true and only ,catholic ,church1 at     
least in ,western ,christendom4 #db     
,this idea is the real animus of the    
,protestant ,episcopate1 and its highest
 expression is found in the opinion so  
common among ,protestants1 and held even
 by ,mr4 ,newman some years after he    
commenced the ,oxford ,tracts1 that the 
,pope is ,antichrist4 ,the charges of   
the ,english bishops1 especially those  

delivered after the publication of the  
,oxford ,tract ,no4 #ij1 all breathe    
this spirit4 ,bishop ,elliott1 of       
,georgia1 in a sermon preached at the   
consecration of the missionary bishops1 
,boone and ,southgate1 in ,st4 ,peter's 
,church1 ,philadelphia1 in #ahdc or     
'#dd1 spoke of the ,catholic            
missionaries as dealing out death       
instead of life to the heathen4 ,bishop 
,whittingham held this view1 and        
,tridentine ,schismatic was one of the  
appellations he gave to the ,rev4 ,dr4  
,white1 of ,baltimore1 in a pamphlet    
which he published against that         
gentleman4 ,in his ,annual ,address for 
#ahdf he speaks of me and other converts
 in the following language3 ,the lapse  
of several prominent members of our     
,english sister1 and of one even in our 
own little band1 into the defilements of
 the ,romish communion1 has but too far 
justified others in sounding the note of
 alarm1 c4,footnote #b ,the language he 
made use of in one of his addresses was 

such1 that ,mr4 ,baker1 then one of his 
presbyters1 positively declined to read 
it for him in the ,convention1 his own  
voice being too weak to do so4 ,the     
,rev4 ,a4 ,c4 ,coxe1 now a bishop1      
published a poem on the occasion of the 
ordination of the present ,bishop of    
,newark to the diaconate1 in ,rome1     
entitled ,hymn of the ,priests1 to      
lament one of their number who has been 
sacrilegiously reordained a deacon1     
after abjuring the ,catholic communion1 
at ,rome4 ,in contrast with this is the 
following1 which was copied into the    
,true ,catholic for ,december1 #ahdc4   
,footnote #c      ,footnote #b3 ,journal
 of ,convention of ,maryland1 #ahdf1 p4 
#be4      ,footnote #c3 ,journal of     
,convention of ,maryland1 #ahdf1 p4     
#chc4  #dc    ,conversion ,of ,a ,popish
 ,priest ,to ,the ,catholic ,church ,at 
,chicester4    ,the ,cathedral1 ,sunday1
 ,october #ae4    ,in residence1 the    
,lord ,bishop1 the very ,rev4 the ,dean1
 the ,ven4   ,arch-deacon ,webber1 and  

the ,rev4 ,charles ,webber1 can4 res4   
,we   have to record this week one of   
the most interesting ceremonies   ever  
performed within the walls of this      
sacred edifice1 namely1   the public    
admission of a clerical convert from the
 ,church of   ,rome1 into the bosom of  
the ,holy ,catholic ,church in this     
country4 ,the morning prayers were      
chanted by the ,rev4 ,j4 ,p4   ,roberts1
 ,sub-dean4 ,the ,te ,deum and ,jubilate
 was   ,boyce in ,a4 ,at the ending of  
the ,litany1 the ,bishop and the   ,dean
 proceeded to the altar1 while the choir
 performed ,weldon's   ,sanctus2 after  
which 7the penitent1 ,mr4 ,vignati1 an  
,italian gentleman1 who had been for two
 years a priest in the   ,romish        
,communion1 standing without the rails7 
the bishop   addressed the congregation 
in the following words3--    ,dearly    
beloved1 we are here met together for   
the reconciling   of a penitent 7lately 
of the ,church of ,rome7 to the         
,established   ,church of ,england1 as  

to a true and sound part of ,christ's   
,holy   ,catholic ,church4 ,now1 that   
this weighty affair may have its due    
effect1 let us1 in the first place1     
humbly and devoutly pray to   ,almighty 
,god for his blessing upon us in that   
pious and   charitable office we are    
going about4    ,prevent us1 ,o ,lord1  
in all our doings with ,thy most        
gracious   favor1 and further us with   
,thy continual help1 that in this1   and
 all other our works begun1 continued1  
and ended in ,thee1 we   may glorify    
,thy holy name1 and finally by ,thy     
mercy obtain   everlasting life1 through
 ,jesus ,christ our ,lord4 ,amen4       
,almighty ,god1 who showest to them that
 be in error the light   of ,thy truth1 
to the intent that they may return into 
the way   of righteousness1 grant unto  
all them that are or shall be   admitted
 into the fellowship of ,christ's       
religion1 that they   may eschew those  
things that are contrary to their       
profession1   and follow all such things

 as are agreeable to the same1   through
 our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,amen4       
,then was read a part of the #aaith     
,psalm1 from verses #afa to   #afh1 with
 the ,gloria ,patri4    ,after which the
 dean read the following lesson from    
,luke   xv43--,then drew near unto him  
the publicans and sinners for to   hear 
,him2 and the ,pharisees and ,scribes   
murmured1 saying1 this   man receiveth  
sinners1 and eateth with them4 ,and he  
spake this   parable unto them1 saying1 
,what man of you having an hundred      
sheep1 if he lose one of them1 doth not 
leave the ninety and   nine in the      
wilderness1 and go after that which was 
lost1 until   he find it8 ,and when he  
hath found it he layeth it on his       
shoulders rejoicing2 and when he cometh 
home he calleth   together his friends  
and his neighbors1 saying unto them1    
rejoice with me1 for ,i have found my   
sheep which was lost4 ,i   say unto you 
that likewise joy shall be in heaven    
over one   sinner that repenteth1 more  

than over ninety and nine just   persons
 who need no repentance4  #dd    ,after 
this the nine first verses of the #aaeth
 ,psalm was sung by   the choir4 ,then  
the bishop1 sitting in his chair1 spake 
to the   penitent 7who was kneeling7 as 
follows3--    ,dear brother1 ,i have    
good hope that you have well weighed and
   considered with yourself the great   
work you are come about   before this   
time3 but inasmuch as with the heart man
 believeth   unto righteousness1 and    
with the mouth confession is made unto  
salvation2 that you may give the more   
honor to ,god1 and that   this present  
congregation of ,christ here assembled  
may also   understand your mind and will
 in these things1 and that this   your  
declaration may the more confirm you in 
your good   resolutions1 you shall      
answer plainly to those questions1 which
   we1 in the name of ,god1 and of ,his 
,church1 shall propose to you   touching
 the same4    ,art thou thoroughly      
persuaded that those books of the ,old  

and   ,new ,testament1 which are        
received as ,canonical ,scriptures by   
this ,church1 contain sufficiently all  
doctrine requisite and   necessary to   
eternal salvation through faith in      
,jesus   ,christ8--,i am so persuaded4  
,dost thou believe in ,god the ,father  
,almighty1 ,maker of heaven   and earth 
c4--,all this ,i steadfastly believe4   
,art thou truly sorrowful that thou hast
 not followed the way   prescribed in   
these ,scriptures for the direction of  
the faith   and practice of a true      
disciple of ,christ ,jesus8--,i am      
heartily   sorry1 and ,i hope for mercy 
through ,christ ,jesus4    ,dost thou   
embrace the truth of the ,gospel in the 
love of it1   and steadfastly resolve to
 live godly1 righteously1 and soberly   
in this present world1 all the days of  
thy life8--,i do so   embrace it1 and do
 so resolve1 ,god being my helper4      
,dost thou earnestly desire to be       
received into the communion of   this   
,church1 as into a sound part of        

,christ's ,holy ,catholic               
,church8--,this ,i earnestly desire4    
,dost thou renounce all the errors and  
superstitions of the   present ,romish  
,church1 so far as they are come to thy 
knowledge8--,i do1 from my heart1       
renounce them all4    ,dost thou1 in    
particular1 renounce the twelve last    
,articles   added in the ,confession1   
commonly called ,the ,creed of ,pope    
,pius ,,iv41 after having read them1 and
 duly considered   them8-,i do1 upon    
mature deliberation1 reject them all1   
as grounded upon no warrant of          
,scripture1 but rather repugnant   to   
the ,word of ,god4    ,wilt thou conform
 thyself to the ,liturgy of the ,church 
of   ,england1 as by law established1   
and be diligent in attending   the      
prayers and other offices of the        
,church8--,i will do so by   the help of
 ,god4  #de    ,then the bishop         
standing1 said3 ,almighty ,god1 who hath
 given   you a sense of your errors1 and
 a will to do these things1   grant also

 unto you the strength and power to     
perform the same1   that ,he may        
accomplish ,his work1 which ,he hath    
begun in you1   through ,jesus ,christ4 
,amen4    ,the ,absolution4--,almighty  
,god1 our ,heavenly ,father1 who1 of his
   great mercy1 hath promised           
forgiveness of sins to all them that    
with hearty repentance and true faith   
turn unto ,him1 have mercy   upon you1  
pardon and deliver you from all your    
sins1 confirm   and strengthen you in   
all goodness1 and bring you to          
everlasting life1 through ,jesus ,christ
 our ,lord4 ,amen4    ,then the bishop1 
taking him by the hand1 said3 ,i1       
,ashurst   ,turner1 ,bishop of          
,chichester1 do1 upon this thy solemn   
profession and earnest request1 receive 
thee into the ,holy   ,communion of the 
,church of ,england1 in the name of the 
,father1   the ,son1 and the ,holy      
,ghost4 ,amen4    ,then was said the    
,lord's ,prayer1 all kneeling1 after    
which as   follows3--,o ,god of truth   

and love1 we bless and magnify ,thy     
holy name for ,thy great mercy and      
goodness in bringing this ,thy   servant
 into the communion of this ,church2    
give him1 we beseech   ,thee1 stability 
and perseverance in that faith1 of which
 he   hath1 in the presence of ,god and 
of this congregation1   witnessed a good
 confession4 ,suffer him not to be moved
 from it   by any temptations of ,satan1
 enticements of the world1 scoffs   of  
irreligious men1 or the revilings of    
those still in error2   but guard him by
 ,thy grace against all these snares1   
and make   him instrumental in turning  
others from the errors of their   ways1 
to the saving of their souls from death1
 and the covering   a multitude of sins4
 ,and in ,thy good time1 ,o ,lord1      
bring1 we   pray ,thee1 into the way of 
truth all such as have erred and are    
deceived2 and so fetch them home1       
blessed ,lord1 to ,thy flock1   that    
there may be one flock under one        
,shepherd1 the ,lord ,jesus   ,christ1  

to ,whom1 with the ,father and the ,holy
 ,spirit1 be all   honor and glory1     
world without end4 ,amen4    ,then the  
bishop addressed the person admitted1   
saying3 ,dear   brother1 seeing that you
 have1 by the goodness of ,god1         
proceeded thus far1 ,i must put you in  
mind that you take care   to go on in   
that good way into which you are        
entered2 and for   your establishment   
and furtherance therein1 that if you    
have   not been confirmed1 you endeavor 
to be so the next opportunity1   and    
receive the ,holy ,sacrament of the     
,lord's ,supper4 ,and may   ,god's ,holy
 ,spirit ever be with you4 ,amen4 ,the  
peace of ,god1   which passeth all      
understanding1 keep your heart and mind 
by   ,christ ,jesus4 ,amen4  #df        
,thus ended this most interesting       
ceremony2 after which the   communion   
service went on1 at which the bishop and
 dean   officiated4 ,weldon's ,sanctus1 
,b4 ,brown's ,kyrie1   and ,child's     
,creed in ,g4 ,the sermon was preached  

by the   dean1 from ,luke #aeth1 ch4    
#dth1 #eth1 and #fth verses1 of which we
   need not say much here1 as we hope it
 will shortly be published   by ,mr4 ,w4
 ,h4 ,mason1 by permission of the dean1 
he having been   requested so to do4    
,anthem1 ,o ,lord1 our                  
,governor4--,kent4--,church             
,intelligencer4    ,the ,roman ,church  
is throughout the pages of the ,true    
,catholiccharged with idolatry1 and in  
one passage which ,i had marked1 but    
cannot now find one reason given why    
,episcopalians cannot attend ,catholic  
services is1 because by so doing they   
participate in idolatry4 ,on the other  
hand1 ,protestant ministers are never   
required to make any such abjuration as 
the one above cited1 on being received  
into the ,english ,church4 ,the ,church 
of ,england formerly gave ,archbishop   
,leighton episcopal ordination1 he being
 a ,scottish ,presbyterian minister1 and
 the ,crown gave him jurisdiction in    
,scotland over the ,presbyterian clergy 

and congregations1 without requiring any
 reordination or any new profession of  
faith4 ,so now1 a ,german ,lutheran     
minister alternately with an ,english   
,episcopalian1 is ordained for the      
,jerusalem bishopric1 with authority to 
receive under his care both ,english and
 ,german ministers and congregations4   
,now for the inconsistency4 ,the same   
reasons which prove the ,church of ,rome
 to be a schismatical1 heretical1 and   
apostate ,church1 prove that the        
,english ,church was the same before the
 ,reformation1 and that the ,church of  
,christ had perished in ,western        
,christendom1 except as represented by  
the ,lollards1 ,albigenses1 ,waldenses1 
and other precursors of the             
,protestants4 ,there was really no true1
 visible ,catholic ,church existing1    
from which schismatics and heretics had 
separated1 and to which they could      
return4 ,hence1 the modern ,episcopal   
,church derived its authority from no   
legitimate source in the past1 and has  

really started de novo1 like the        
,protestant ,churches of ,europe4 ,this 
throws us back upon the theory of an    
invisible ,church at once1 and breaks up
 the idea of ,catholicity4  #dg  ,for   
the same reason1 the ,oriental ,churches
 must be regarded as schismatical and   
heretical4 ,the ,nestorians and         
,eutychians are condemned by the        
,councils of ,ephesus and ,chalcedon1   
accepted by our ,anglicans4 ,the ,greek 
,church is identical in doctrine with   
the ,roman1 except so far as the ,papal 
supremacy is rejected by them4 ,it      
disowns and condemns the ,anglican      
,church as emphatically as does the     
,roman4 ,nevertheless1 we find a number 
of the ,protestant bishops subscribing  
the following letter to the ,patriarch  
of ,constantinople3--    ,letter ,to    
,the ,greek ,patriarch4    ,binghamton  
,n4 ,y41 #ast ,april1 #ahdd4    ,to the 
,editor of the ,true ,catholic3    ,dear
 ,sir3-,having seen in print a copy1    
surreptitiously   obtained1 of the      

letter of our bishops1 addressed to some
 of   the ,patriarchs in the ,east1 ,i  
have thought it might be well to        
furnish an authentic copy1 for permanent
 preservation in your   valuable        
periodical1 especially as it is a       
document of much   importance4 ,it is   
precisely as ,i myself1 together with   
,mr4   ,southgate1 presented it1        
accompanied by a ,greek   translation1  
to the ,patriarch of ,constantinople1   
who   received it very graciously4      
,yours1 very truly1   ,j4 ,j4           
,robertson4    ,to the ,venerable and   
,right ,reverend ,father in ,,god1   the
 ,patriarch1 of the ,greek ,church1     
resident at ,constantinople4    ,january
 #b1 #ahda4    ,the ,episcopal ,church  
of the ,united ,states of ,america1     
deriving   its ,episcopal power in      
regular succession from the holy        
,apostles1 through the venerable ,church
 of ,england1 has long   contemplated1  
with great spiritual sorrow1 the divided
 and   distracted condition of the      

,catholic ,church of ,christ            
throughout the world4 ,this sad         
condition of things not only   aids the 
cause of infidelity and irreligion1 by  
furnishing   evil-minded men with       
plausible arguments1 not only encourages
   heresies and schisms in national     
branches of the ,catholic   ,church1 but
 is also a very serious impediment to   
the diffusion   of ,gospel truth among  
those who are still in the darkness of  
heathenism1 or are subject to other     
false religions1 or   continue vainly to
 look for the coming of that ,messiah1  
whose   advent has already blessed the  
world4  #dh    ,the arrogant assumptions
 of universal supremacy and             
infallibility1 of the ,papal head of the
 ,latin ,church1 render   the prospect  
of speedy friendly intercourse with him 
dark and   discouraging4 ,the ,church in
 the ,united ,states of ,america1       
therefore1 looking to the ,triune ,,god 
for ,his blessings upon its   efforts   
for unity in the ,body of ,christ1 turns

 with hope to the   ,patriarch of       
,constantinople1 the spiritual head of  
the ancient   and venerable ,oriental   
,church4    ,in this ,church we have    
long felt a sincere interest4 ,we have  
sympathized with her in the trials and  
persecution to which she   has been     
subjected2 we have prayed for her       
deliverance from all   evils and        
mischiefs2 and we have thanked her      
,divine ,,head that   ,he has been      
pleased1 amid all her sufferings1 to    
maintain her   allegiance to ,him4      
,in order to attempt the commencement of
 a friendly and   ,christian intercourse
 with the ,oriental ,church1 the ,church
 in   the ,united ,states resolved to   
send two of its ,presbyters1 the   ,rev4
 ,j4 ,j4 ,robertson1 and the ,rev4      
,horatio ,southgate1 to reside   at     
,constantinople4 ,these clergymen are   
directed to make   inquiries regarding  
the existing state of the ,church under 
the   jurisdiction of the ,patriarch of 
,constantinople1 and of the   other     

,eastern ,churches2 to ascertain the    
relations they bear to   each other1 and
 the views they maintain in regard to   
the   ,apostolic ,churches of ,europe   
and ,america2 to answer such   inquiries
 as may be made of them in regard to the
 origin1   constitution1 and condition  
of the ,church in the ,united ,states2  
and to do all in their power to         
conciliate the ,christian love   and    
regard of the ,oriental ,church toward  
its younger sister in   the ,western    
world4    ,after some preliminary       
inquiries and study of the language1    
they will present themselves1 with this 
epistle of introduction   7by which they
 are cordially recommended to the       
,christian   courtesies and kind offices
 of the bishops and clergy of the       
,oriental ,church71 to the ,patriarch of
 ,constantinople1 inviting   him to a   
friendly correspondence with the heads  
of the ,church   in the ,united ,states1
 explaining more fully the views and    
objects of the ,church1 and inquiring   

whether a mutual   recognition of each  
other can be effected1 as members of the
   ,catholic ,church of ,christ1 on the 
basis of the ,holy ,scriptures   and the
 first ,councils1 including the         
,apostles' and ,nicene   ,creeds1 in    
order to a future efficient co-operation
 against   ,paganism1 false religion1   
and ,judaism4    ,they will make it     
clearly understood that their ,church   
has no   ecclesiastical connection with 
the followers of ,luther and   ,calvin1 
and takes no part in their plans or     
operations to   diffuse the principles  
of their sects4 ,they will propose to   
the   ,patriarch such aid as the ,church
 in the ,united ,states can   supply1 in
 the advancement of ,christian          
education1 and in the   promulgation of 
religious truth1 always avoiding the    
points in   which the two ,churches     
still differ1 and leaving the producing 
of a closer mutual conformity to the    
blessing of ,god1 on the   friendly     
correspondence of the respective heads  

of the   ,churches1 or to a future      
,general ,council4  #di    ,leaving a   
further development of these points to  
the oral   communications of its        
delegates1 and again recommending them  
to   the ,christian candor and affection
 of the ,patriarch and clergy   of the  
,oriental ,church1 and repeating the    
hearty desire and   prayer of the       
bishops and clergy of the ,united       
,states for their   prosperity1 we      
remain your brethren in ,christ4        
,alexander ,viets ,griswold1     of the 
,eastern ,diocese1 and senior of the    
,american ,church4      ,benjamin       
,tredwell ,onderdonk1 of ,new ,york4    
,george ,washington ,doane1 of ,new     
,jersey4      ,thomas ,church ,brownell1
 of ,connecticut4      ,jackson ,kemper1
 of ,missouri1 c4      ,william         
,rollinson ,whittingham1 of ,maryland4  
,henry ,ustick ,onderdonk1 of           
,pennsylvania4  ,at the recent visit of 
a ,russian squadron to ,new ,york1 the  
,protestant ,bishop of ,new ,york       

invited the chaplains of the squadron to
 make use of one of his churches for the
 service of the ,greek ,church1 although
 the offer was declined4 ,subsequently1 
,cossack priest1 called ,father         
,agapius1 said to have letters from the 
,archbishop of ,athens1 came to ,new    
,york as a missionary to the ,greeks and
 ,russians1 and was accommodated with   
the use of two ,episcopal churches4 ,it 
came out subsequently that he was in bad
 standing in the ,russian ,church1 and  
the members of the ,greek ,church in    
,new ,york disowned him1 when he threw  
off the mask1 and published a letter    
where he avowed doctrines far from      
orthodox according to the standards of  
the ,greek ,church4 ,nevertheless1 it   
was ostensibly as a regular priest of   
that ,church that he was invited to make
 use of the ,episcopal churches2 as such
 the members of that church received    
him1 and whatever changes or omissions  
he may have made in his public services1
 they were understood to be celebrated  

according to the ,sclavonic and ,greek  
,liturgies4 ,thus1 there is no escaping 
from the fact1 that ,high ,mass         
according to the same rite used by      
,oriental ,catholics as well as         
schismatics1 was authorized in the      
,episcopal ,church in ,new ,york1 a     
great number of the clergy assisting4   
#ej  ,the ,english ,church bishops1     
beginning with the old ,english         
,nonjurors1 have been always anxious for
 the recognition of the ,greek prelates1
 and have made several attempts to gain 
it4  ,soon after my ordination as deacon
 in the ,episcopal ,church1 ,i was      
invited by ,bishop ,southgate to        
accompany him to ,constantinople on a   
mission of this kind4 ,the plan was to  
have a little ecclesiastical            
establishment in ,constantinople1       
consisting of a bishop and a few priests
 and deacons4 ,although the bishop1 who 
had been for some years a travelling    
missionary in the ,east1 was married1 he
 wished his clergy to be unmarried men1 

and selected only such as his           
associates4 ,there was to be a chapel1  
where all the rites and ceremonies      
permitted by ,anglican law were to be   
celebrated with as much pomp as         
possible4 ,sermons in the ,oriental     
languages designed to attract the clergy
 and make a good impression of our      
orthodoxy1 were to be preached          
regularly4 ,a college and seminary for  
the instruction of young ,oriental      
ecclesiastics were to be opened1 with a 
strict understanding that they were not 
to be induced to leave their own        
communion4 ,extracts from the works of  
the ,greek ,fathers1 and translations   
from ,anglican divines1 were to be      
published1 with a view to bring about   
mutual understanding and agreement      
between the different ,churches4 ,every 
thing was to be done to propitiate the  
,oriental prelates and clergy1 and to   
bring about their recognition of our    
ecclesiastical legitimacy1 and          
intercommunion between themselves and   

us4 ,the ,missionary ,committee1 who    
were hostile to this plan1 would not    
confirm my appointment1 regarding me as 
having too strong a ,catholic bias to be
 trusted4 ,another young deacon was     
selected in my place1 who had been known
 as a strong ,puseyite1 but who publicly
 renounced his opinions before he left  
the country1 in a sermon1 in which he   
came out as a strong ,evangelical4 #ea  
,the mission was never well supported1  
but after a few years1 fell through     
entirely1 and the bishop is now a parish
 rector in ,new ,york4 ,during a visit  
to ,new ,york1 which ,i made in company 
with ,bishops ,whittingham and          
,southgate1 at the time ,i was expecting
 to accompany the latter on his mission1
 ,i called on a very distinguished and  
learned presbyter1 who was one of the   
ablest and most influential leaders of  
the ,oxford movement4 ,he asked me if we
 proposed to endeavor to change the     
doctrines of the ,greek ,church4 ,i     
replied1 that certainly we did propose  

to discuss several of these doctrines   
with the ,greek prelates1 and show them 
that they were not doctrines            
appertaining to the ,catholic faith1 but
 errors and additions made without      
authority4 ,he inquired what these      
doctrines were4 ,i cannot recollect how 
many ,i specified1 but ,i am sure that  
the doctrine respecting the cultus of   
the ,blessed ,virgin and saints was the 
principal one4 ,he replied that the     
doctrines ,i specified were established 
by just as good authority as any others1
 and that it would be impossible for us 
to convict the ,greek ,church of holding
 any erroneous doctrine4 ,his arguments 
made a great impression on my mind at   
the time1 and helped me forward toward  
the ,catholic ,church1 although this    
gentleman himself remained always a     
,protestant4  ,the efforts made to      
cultivate the friendship of the ,greek  
,church are very significant4 ,let it be
 observed1 that the bishops who signed  
the letter to the ,patriarch of         

,constantinople1 both distinctly        
repudiate the ,reformation of ,luther   
and ,calvin1 and consent to waive all   
questions of difference between the     
,greek and the ,protestant ,episcopal   
,churches1 until they can be decided by 
a ,general ,council4 ,this reduces the  
gravamen of the charges against ,rome to
 the only point of difference which     
exists between herself and the ,greek   
,church2 that is1 to the claim of       
supremacy of the ,roman ,pontiff4 #eb   
,this is1 then1 the sum and substance of
 the defilements of the ,romish         
,communion4 ,here lies the whole casus  
belli between the champions of          
,anglicanism and the ,catholic ,church4 
,there is no hope of reconciliation on  
equal terms with the ,see of ,rome and  
her vast communion4 ,therefore1 a rival 
claim of ,catholicity must be set up1   
and supported by every possible charge  
that can be made to tell against the    
mighty ,church whose ,bishop claims the 
dignity and authority of successor to   

the ,prince of the ,apostles4 ,hence the
 odious names of ,roman ,schism1        
,romanist1 ,romish1 ,tridentine ,schism1
 ,popery1 ,popish1 and all the other    
party catch-words of corruption in      
doctrine1 bondage1 tyranny1 idolatry1   
etc41 which are studiously employed1 in 
order to throw dust in the eyes of the  
simple and unwary4 ,hence the effort to 
appropriate the name of ,catholic1 and  
to use all the phraseology associated   
with it1 in connection with the         
,protestant ,episcopal communion4 ,rome 
will not abate one jot or tittle of her 
divine rights1 or of the ,catholic      
doctrine of which she is the principal  
bulwark2 and she will not treat the     
,church of ,england as a branch of the  
,christian ,church4 ,therefore a rival  
must be set up against her1 backed by   
the power and the prestige of the       
,english name1 and1 if possible1 also by
 those of the mighty ,russian ,empire   
and the ancient ,eastern ,church4 ,the  
,nonjurors proposed to the ,eastern     

prelates sitting in the ,synod of       
,bethlehem1 a plan for combining against
 ,rome under an ecclesiastical          
organization whose head should be the   
,patriarch of ,jerusalem4 ,it was       
scornfully rejected1 together with all  
their other overtures4 ,no doubt1 if the
 ,church of ,england and the ,episcopal 
,church of the ,united ,states could    
make a combination with the ,greek      
,church1 on the basis of the ,oriental  
standards of doctrine1 it would be the  
most formidable rival possible to the   
,catholic ,church4 ,but such a union is 
impossible4 ,the ,providence of ,god    
does not permit heresy and schism to    
assume the attitude of ,catholicity1 but
 compels them to manifest their true    
character by disintegration4 #ec ,and   
here lies another mark of the           
inconsistency of the theory of those who
 set up this claim of rival ,catholicity
 against ,rome4 ,the ,protestant        
,episcopal ,churches1 as such1 do not   
sanction and assert in their public and 

official action the claim made for them 
by a certain portion of their members4  
,the utmost that can be said of them is1
 that they affirm and exact episcopal   
ordination as requisite to a complete   
conformity to the polity established by 
the ,apostles4 ,they do not1 however1   
assert1 or require their clergy to      
believe1 the necessity of apostolic     
succession to the being of a ,church4   
,their standards are so constructed as  
to afford a shelter and a warrant to    
those who hold this and several other   
,catholic doctrines and principles4     
,these doctrines are not1 however1      
officially put forward as a term of     
communion1 or a condition for           
ordination4 ,the official doctrine of a 
,church is limited to that which it     
exacts by authority and under penalty of
 its teachers to hold and profess4 ,it  
comes down to the lowest level of       
doctrine1 which its teachers can hold1  
and still be reputed sound and orthodox 
clergymen4 ,now a very low              

,protestantism is all that even ,high   
,church bishops can exact from          
candidates for the priesthood or the    
episcopacy4 ,anglo-,catholic doctrine is
 nothing but the tolerated opinion of a 
certain party4 ,therefore1 on these     
,anglo-,catholic principles1 and        
according to the doctrine and decisions 
of the ,greek ,church1 the ,protestant  
,episcopal ,church is schismatical and  
heretical1 because she enforces nothing 
by her authority beyond ,protestantism1 
which is heresy according to that       
standard of doctrine which was          
universally acknowledged before the     
separation of the ,east and ,west1 and  
accepted both by ,greeks and            
,anglo-,catholics4 ,according to those  
principles1 then1 which would condemn   
the ,roman ,church of heresy and schism1
 all ,episcopal ,churches in the world  
have fallen away from the unity of faith
 established by our ,lord1 and the      
,catholic ,church exists no more4 #ed   
,hence1 even an ,anglo-,catholic1 if he 

would not be driven into the arms of    
pure ,protestantism1 and consort with   
those followers of ,luther and ,calvin  
who are disowned by ,bishop ,griswold   
and his associates1 are forced to make  
common cause with ,rome and her         
,catholic communion4  ,the progressive  
portion of those who were engaged in the
 ,oxford movement saw and felt all this1
 and1 therefore1 in a strict consistency
 with their ,catholic principles1 and by
 a logical necessity1 they advanced in a
 ,romeward direction4 ,it has been      
necessary to make this long explanation 
in order to show how matters stood at   
the time when ,mr4 ,baker and myself    
were connected with the ecclesiastical  
movement in ,baltimore1 under ,bishop   
,whittingham4 ,the ,oxford movement was 
then ten years old4 ,the celebrated     
,ninetieth ,tract1 in which ,mr4 ,newman
 took the ground that several ,roman    
dogmas were permitted by the            
,thirty-nine ,articles1 and that the    
,articles were to be explained according

 to the ,catholic sense of the general  
body of the ,universal ,church1 had been
 some time published1 and the           
controversy excited by it was nearly    
completed4 ,mr4 ,newman was about       
resigning ,st4 ,mary's1 and soon after  
went into retirement at ,littlemore4 ,a 
great number of the ablest writers of   
his party had advanced very far beyond  
the position taken by the earlier       
,oxford ,tracts1 and by ,palmer1        
,percival1 ,keble1 and others1 at the   
outset4 ,in the ,united ,states1 the    
ordination of the ,rev4 ,arthur ,carey  
had taken place1 under circumstances of 
the most peculiar character1 which      
deserve a passing notice4  ,arthur      
,carey was a young student of the ,new  
,york ,theological ,seminary1 barely    
twenty years of age1 of an ,english     
family1 and descended from several      
bishops of the ,english ,church4 ,he was
 a youth of rare intellectual gifts and 
acquirements1 as well as of the most    
gentle and lovely character4 ,bishop    

,whittingham1 who had been his          
preceptor1 said that he possessed the   
wisdom of a man of fifty4 #ee ,in some  
way1 the suspicions of a number of the  
principal ,low ,church rectors had been 
excited in regard to him1 and he was    
subjected to a most rigorous examination
 for orders1 in which he manifested his 
profound theological science and his    
brilliant parts1 together with a        
magnanimity of spirit which won for him 
a wide-spread admiration1 especially    
among all ,high ,church ,episcopalians4 
,in the course of his examination1 he   
avowed the most advanced opinions of the
 ,oxford party1 and expressed his belief
 in the sound orthodoxy of the decrees  
of the ,council of ,trent4 ,he was      
violently attacked by some members of   
the examining committee1 and defended by
 others1 the majority finally           
recommending him for ordination4 ,bishop
 ,onderdonk determined to ordain him1   
and was proceeding in the ceremony of   
ordination1 when he was interrupted by  

two doctors of divinity in gowns1 who   
publicly protested against the          
ordination1 and then left the church4   
,bishop ,whittingham urged him very     
strongly1 after his ordination1 to come 
to his diocese1 which he declined doing4
 ,about this time1 ,i read1 in          
manuscript1 a beautiful philosophical   
essay on ,transubstantiation1 which he  
wrote1 according to the system of       
,leibniz1 proving the futility of all   
the rational arguments urged against it4
 ,the circumstances of his ordination   
made him suddenly famous4 ,he was       
assistant minister to ,dr4 ,seabury1 at 
the ,church of the ,annunciation1 and   
every ,sunday his sermons were reported 
for the secular papers1 with minute     
accounts of his appearance1 and all his 
sayings and doings4 ,this publicity was 
insufferable to him2 and in a letter of 
his1 which ,i saw1 he said that it made 
life a burden to him4 ,his constitution 
was extremely delicate1 and weakened by 
close application to study4 ,he was a   

boy in years1 and unable to breast the  
moral shock which he had received4 ,he  
speedily sank into a decline1 and died  
at sea1 off the ,moro of ,havana1       
whither he had been sent for the benefit
 of his health1 his body being committed
 to the deep by his fellow-passengers1  
who were all strangers to him1 and one  
of whom read the ,burial ,service over  
his remains4 #ef ,for a long time       
afterward1 his poor father might be seen
 every day standing on the ,battery1 and
 gazing wistfully out to sea1 with      
mournful thoughts1 longing after the son
 whom he had lost4 ,there is something  
in the history of ,arthur ,carey        
assimilating it to that of ,richard     
,hurrell ,froude4 ,each of them1 in his 
sphere1 did more than any other to      
arrest the anti-,roman tendency of the  
,oxford movement1 and give it a         
,romeward direction4 ,in ,mr4 ,carey's  
instance1 it was not the mere effect of 
his own personal avowal of holding      
,roman doctrine1 but the protection     

given him in doing so by the bishop of  
the principal diocese1 the directors of 
the ,general ,seminary1 and a large     
number of other bishops and clergymen1  
which was significant4 ,it was this     
which led to the persecution of ,bishop 
,onderdonk2 and it was believed that a  
plan was on foot for similar attacks on 
the other bishops who were regarded as  
,puseyites4  ,the reader of these pages 
can now understand something of the     
nature of those stirring and exciting   
times in the ecclesiastical world in    
which ,mr4 ,baker began his career1 and 
of the events and questions about which 
we were daily conversing together4      
,bishop ,whittingham approved of the    
principle of interpreting the ,articles 
laid down in the ,ninetieth ,tract4 ,on 
this principle1 ,i gave my assent to    
them at my examination for orders1 and  
could not otherwise have assented to    
them with a safe conscience4 ,the       
ordination of ,mr4 ,carey opened the way
 for us to go forward to the full extent

 of holding all the doctrines of the    
,council of ,trent4 ,the current of     
,oxford thought and literature was      
sweeping us in that direction4 ,we had  
full access to it1 and felt its power1  
although1 as ,i have said1 we were a    
good deal behind the movement1 and      
ignorant of many things which were      
taking place in ,england4 ,mr4 ,baker   
was far in advance of me at the time our
 friendship began4 ,he never had that   
feeling of hostility to the ,roman      
,church with which so many were filled4 
#eg ,his early education1 and the       
knowledge he had of ,catholicity and of 
the ,catholic clergy and laity in       
,baltimore1 preserved him from that     
strong prejudice which ,i retained from 
the impressions of childhood1 and which 
he aided me greatly to overcome4        
,neither of us ever looked on the ,roman
 communion as heretical1 schismatical1  
or essentially corrupt4 ,we adopted1 at 
first1 the prevalent idea that it was in
 a schismatical position in ,england1   

and in those parts of the ,united       
,states where we supposed the           
,protestant ,episcopal ,church had prior
 possession4 ,we dropped this notion1   
however1 after a while2 and ,i remember 
well that it was a friend of ours1 who  
was then and is now a minister of the   
,episcopal ,church1 who drove it finally
 out of my head by solid and            
unanswerable arguments4 ,we could not   
agree with the bishop and his party in  
their anti-,roman sentiments1 and       
disliked the offensive use of the terms 
,romish and ,romanist4 ,we regarded the 
,catholic ,church as composed of three  
great branches--the ,latin1 ,greek1 and 
,anglican--unhappily estranged from each
 other1 and all more or less to blame   
for the separation4 ,we did not believe 
in the supremacy of the ,pope1 in the   
full ,catholic sense1 as constituting   
the e essential principle of ,catholic  
unity1 or that communion with the ,holy 
,see was necessary to the very being of 
a ,church4 ,we did1 however1 come to    

believe by degrees in a certain         
,primacy1 partly divine and partly      
ecclesiastical1 as necessary to order1  
and the means of preserving             
intercommunion among all bishops4 ,what 
we regarded as errors in ,roman         
doctrine1 we looked upon as much less   
fundamental than those ,protestant      
errors which pervaded so extensively our
 own ,church2 we considered them much in
 the same light with which ,bishop      
,griswold and his brethren regarded the 
peculiar doctrines of the ,greek        
,church1 as matters to be tolerated1    
until all branches of the ,church could 
meet in a general council and make a    
final decision upon all controversies4  
,considering the divided and anomalous  
state of ,christendom1 we thought that  
both the ,roman and ,anglican bishops   
had an equally legitimate jurisdiction  
over their congregations1 and that we   
were alike ,catholics1 and in real      
communion with the ,universal ,church of
 all ages and nations4 #eh ,we thought  

it to be the duty of each one to remain 
in the communion where he had been      
baptized or ordained1 and would have    
dissuaded any ,episcopalian from joining
 the ,roman communion1 or any ,roman    
,catholic from joining ours4 ,i         
remember1 one evening1 after hearing an 
account given with great glee by a young
 man of the perversion of a ,catholic1  
that ,mr4 ,baker said1 after the person 
in question had gone1 ,what a miserable 
story that was which ,m---- just        
related6 ,in my own little parish1 there
 was an ,irish servant-girl1 whom ,i    
married to a young ,englishman1 my      
parishioner4 ,i had no scruple in doing 
this1 not reflecting that ,i was the    
occasion of the girl committing a sin   
against her own conscience4 ,but when   
her mistress expressed great hopes of   
her coming over to our ,church1 and ,i  
began to think she might apply to me for
 confirmation1 ,i carefully avoided     
encouraging the plan1 and considered    
seriously what ,i ought to do if any    

such case should arise4 ,very strangely 
and inconsistently1 ,bishop ,whittingham
 used to confirm the occasional perverts
 that fell in his way1 although they had
 received ,catholic confirmation4 ,and  
this increased my difficulty4 ,for ,i   
regarded an act of that kind as a       
sacrilege1 and could not have been a    
party to it in any case1 unless ,i had  
thought it right1 according to my       
overstrained notions of obedience1 to   
throw the whole responsibility on the   
bishop4 ,as ,i have often said1 we never
 entertained the thought of leaving our 
own ,church4 ,the conversation of those 
who talked doubtfully on this point was 
always most disagreeable to us both1    
although it was only in one or two      
instances that we fell in with any such 
persons4  ,toward our own bishop we were
 strictly obedient4 ,his violent        
antipathy to ,rome and strong ,anglican 
party spirit1 joined with a timid1      
politic course of action toward the ,low
 ,church1 ultra-,protestant party1      

prevented our giving him full and       
unreserved confidence4 #ei ,mr4 ,baker  
had seldom the occasion of conversing   
much with him4 ,i was1 however1         
constantly in his family1 and very much 
in his society4 ,i confided in him as a 
man of integrity1 a sincere and generous
 friend1 and a just and kind superior4  
,but1 from the first1 there was a       
barrier which ,i had not expected to    
full and unreserved confidence1 and a   
feeling that there was a secret and     
fundamental difference in our           
apprehension of the ideas which are     
contained in the forms of ,catholic     
language4 ,i have since discovered what 
this difference was1 and ,i see now that
 he really believed in an invisible1    
ideal ,catholic ,church only1 and in no 
other outward1 visible unity1 except    
that which is completed in a single     
bishop and congregation4 ,this explains 
a remark made at that time by my father1
 who is thoroughly acquainted with the  
,protestant theology1 on one of the     

bishop's essays2 that1 except his       
doctrine of three orders in the         
ministry1 he was a pure                 
,congregationalist4 ,mr4 ,newman1 also1 
held the same view1 until quite a late  
period in his ,anglican life1 as appears
 from his ,apologia4 ,in ,bishop        
,whittingham's own eyes1 he was himself 
the equivalent of the whole ,catholic   
episcopate4 ,consequently1 what he and  
his colleagues and predecessors in the  
,anglican ,church had decreed had full  
,catholic authority1 and was just as    
final and authoritative as if the whole 
world had taken part in it4 ,hence the  
assertion of a despotic1 exclusive      
authority of the ,anglican ,church1     
concentrated in his person1 over        
everyone who acknowledged his           
jurisdiction4 ,he would not permit us to
 attend any ,catholic services1 or read 
any ,catholic books1 as an ordinary     
thing4 ,i read the tract of ,natalis    
,alexander on the ,eucharist1 and the   
,life of ,st4 ,francis of ,sales1 in his

 library1 before he made his            
prohibition4 ,afterward1 he gave me     
himself a volume of ,tirinus's          
,commentary on the ,holy ,scriptures2   
and these were the only ,catholic books 
,i read while ,i was in his family4 ,i  
was very anxious to read ,mhler's       
,symbolism1 but ,i did not2 nor did ,i  
read ,ward's ,ideal of a ,christian     
,church2 because he desired me not to do
 so4 #fj ,i even gave up using approved 
,anglican books of devotion in church1  
because he expressed his disapprobation 
of using any other book but the ,common 
,prayer4 ,mr4 ,baker was equally        
obedient with myself at that time2      
although afterward1 when he was governed
 more by common-sense and a just        
sentiment of his own rights1 he read    
whatever he thought proper4 ,it was     
,anglican books which brought us onward 
toward the ,catholic ,church1 and the   
attempt to live up to and carry out     
,anglo-,catholic principles4 ,those who 
are familiar with the ,anglo-,catholic  

movement will understand at once what   
these principles and doctrines were4    
,but for the information of others it   
may be proper to state them distinctly1 
as they were understood by ,mr4 ,baker1 
and others like him1 who approximated   
more or less toward the ,catholic       
,church1 whether they eventually joined 
her communion or not3    #a4 ,the       
visible unity of the ,catholic ,church4 
#b4 ,the final authority of the ,church 
in deciding doctrine1   and the         
authority of ,general ,councils4    #c4 
,the necessity of an ,apostolic         
,succession1 and the divine             
institution of the episcopate4    #d4   
,baptismal ,regeneration and            
,sacramental ,grace4    #e4 ,the        
strictly sacerdotal character of the    
priesthood1   including the power of    
consecrating1 and of absolution4    #f4 
,the ,real ,presence in the ,eucharist4 
#g4 ,the sacrificial character of the   
,eucharist4    #h4 ,the propriety of    
praying for the dead4    #i4 ,the merit 

of voluntary chastity1 poverty1 and     
obedience1   and of penitential works4  
#aj4 ,the value of ceremonies in        
religion1 and the sanctity   of holy    
places and holy things4  #fa  ,however  
certain persons may modify and explain  
certain of these doctrines1 no one can  
deny that the general drift of the      
writings of the ,oxford or              
,anglo-,catholic school1 together with  
that of the writings of the ancient     
,fathers and of the earlier ,english    
divines which are translated or         
republished by them1 was to create and  
strengthen a belief in these doctrines4 
,they were allowed to be tenable without
 infidelity to the ,anglican ,church1 by
 persons in authority and others1 who   
were themselves lower and more          
,protestant in their opinions4 ,now1 ,i 
will take for a moment the position of  
an ,anglo-,catholic1 and1 upon the basis
 of the principles ,i have just         
enunciated1 ,i will prove that an       
attitude of hostility to the ,roman     

,church is wrong and absurd1 and that   
the only consistent and tenable ground  
is that now taken by the ,unionists1    
represented by the ,union ,review4      
,the ,latin1 ,greek1 and ,anglican      
branches of the ,catholic ,church       
constitute but ,one ,visible ,church1   
though their unity is   impaired and in 
part interrupted by mutual estrangement4
 ,as a   member of the ,anglican        
,church1 ,i look upon the ,greek ,church
 as   essentially sound and orthodox1   
and1 if allowed to do so1 would   wish  
to receive the sacraments1 or1 if a     
clergyman1 to   officiate as such1 in   
the churches of that ,rite1 if ,i       
happened   to be in a place where it was
 established4 ,i look upon the   ,latin 
,church1 whose doctrine is the same with
 that of the ,greek   ,church1 with the 
single exception of the ,papal          
,supremacy1 in   precisely the same     
light4 ,whatever ,i may think of the    
extent of   power claimed by the ,bishop
 of ,rome1 ,i must allow that1 in a     

state of perfect intercommunion between 
all parts of the   ,church1 the chief   
place in the ,catholic hierarchy and the
 right   of presidency in a general     
council belong to him4 ,it is most      
desirable that the ,greek and ,anglican 
,churches should be   restored again to 
communion with the ,roman ,church1 and  
all   controversies respecting doctrine 
be definitely settled4   ,meanwhile1 the
 spirit of charity ought to be          
cultivated1 and   all possible means    
taken to remove prejudice and           
misunderstanding4 ,in the present state 
of confusion and   irregularity1 the    
ancient canons respecting one bishop in 
a   city cannot be considered as        
binding2 and therefore ,roman1   ,greek1
 and ,anglican congregations1 formed    
under the authority   of bishops who are
 in regular communion with their own    
branch1   are equally legitimate and    
,catholic1 wherever they may be4 #fb    
,the decisions of the particular        
national synods of the ,anglican        

branch have no final authority1 and are 
only binding so far as   they declare   
the doctrines of the ,universal ,church4
 ,they are to   be interpreted in the   
',catholic sense1' and are strictly     
obligatory only on those who have made a
 promise to maintain   them1 and upon   
those only in the sense in which they   
are   imposed by authority1 under       
censure4 ,it is the ,catholic ,church1  
and not the ,church of ,england or the  
,protestant ,episcopal   ,church of the 
,united ,states1 of which ,i am a member
 by baptism1   and therefore ,i have no 
duties to either of those               
ecclesiastical organizations1 except    
such as arise out of their   relation to
 the great ,catholic body1 and are      
compatible with   the absolute          
allegiance ,i owe to its teaching and   
law's4  ,such ,i conceive to be a       
statement of the only view an ,anglican 
can consistently take1 unless he plants 
himself upon the common ,protestant     
ground4 ,according to this1 it is       

ridiculous for him to abstain from going
 to ,catholic services1 reading         
,catholic books1 and cultivating the    
acquaintance of ,catholic clergymen and 
lay-people4 ,the pretence of deposing or
 degrading clergymen1 because they pass 
to the communion of ,rome1 is an absurd 
and impotent attempt at retaliation4    
,what sin can there be in going from    
,st4 ,paul's ,church1 where the ,mass is
 in ,english1 celebrated by a priest of 
the ,anglican ,rite1 under the obedience
 of the ,catholic ,bishop ,whittingham1 
to the ,cathedral1 where the ,mass is in
 ,latin1 celebrated by a priest of the  
,latin ,rite1 under the obedience of the
 ,catholic ,archbishop ,spalding8 ,how  
can there be the guilt of apostasy      
involved in such an act8 ,how can a     
person abjure the ,catholic ,communion  
at ,rome1 by joining that which is      
confessedly the principal branch of the 
,catholic ,church8  #fc  ,a person who  
believes in this theory of branches may 
say it is inexpedient and unwise for    

individuals to leave their particular   
connection1 that it perpetuates the     
estrangement1 and that it is better to  
wait for the time when the ,english     
,branch will be reunited bodily to the  
parent tree4 ,they cannot pretend1      
however1 that this is any thing more    
than a matter of private opinion4 ,the  
only legitimate means they have for     
keeping their adherents from leaving    
them are argument and persuasion4 ,it   
avails nothing to say that if free      
access to ,roman ,catholic services and 
books1 and1 in general1 free intercourse
 with us is permitted1 and the charge of
 schism1 violation of baptismal or      
ordination obligations1 c41 is          
abandoned1 we shall gain over a great   
number of their members4 ,what of that8 
,those who adopt a theory are bound to  
adhere to it4 ,if this ,anglo-,catholic 
theory has any thing in it1 it ought to 
be able to sustain the shock of a       
collision4 ,we have nothing but argument
 and persuasion on our side4 ,why should

 their influence be dreaded8 ,if        
,catholic principles1 sympathies1 and   
practices gravitate toward ,rome1 let   
them gravitate2 it is a sign that the   
centre of gravity is there4 ,that the   
,oxford movement did gravitate toward   
,rome by its original force is a plain  
fact1 proved by the number1 the         
character1 and the acts of those who    
have become converts to the ,catholic   
,church4 ,not that their testimony is a 
direct proof that the ,catholic ,church 
is divine and infallible4 ,this rests on
 extrinsic1 objective evidence4 ,but it 
is a direct proof that the pretence of  
the ,catholicity of the ,anglican       
communion cannot furnish full and       
complete satisfaction to conscientious  
minds that have imbibed ,catholic       
principles4 ,it professed to do so2 but 
it has failed4 ,those who still cling to
 it cannot deny that the dissemination  
of their views generally produces in    
those who embrace them1 at some period  
of their mental history1 a deep         

misgiving respecting the safety of their
 position4 ,this is not so in the       
,catholic ,church4 ,catholics1 who      
retain a firm faith in the principles of
 ,catholicity1 and endeavor to obey     
their consciences1 never have a         
misgiving that they are out of the      
,church1 or that there is any other     
church which has a better claim to be   
regarded as the ,catholic ,church4 #fd  
,if human reason has any certitude1 if  
the human mind is governed by any fixed 
laws1 if the concurrent judgments and   
convictions of great numbers of the     
wisest and best men have any value1 if  
there is any such thing as logic1 these 
considerations ought to have weight4    
,but ,i am weary of chasing this        
,protean phantom of ,anglo-,catholicism 
through its shifting disguises1 and its 
labyrinthine mazes4 ,and ,i gladly      
return to the theme of my narrative4    
,francis ,baker was ordained deacon on  
the #afth of ,february1 #ahde1 and in   
the following ,august was appointed     

assistant minister of ,st4 ,paul's      
,church4 ,during the interval he was    
performing occasional duty in assisting 
the rectors of different parishes in    
,baltimore1 under the bishop's          
direction4 ,his first sermon was        
preached in ,st4 ,paul's ,church1       
,baltimore1 on the ,sunday afternoon of 
his ordination day1 which was the       
,second ,sunday of ,lent4 ,on the       
evening of the same day he preached at  
,st4 ,peter's4 ,his text was taken from 
the ,i4 ,epist4 ,john1 iv4 #d3 ,and this
 is the victory that overcometh the     
world1 even our faith4 ,it was a        
beautiful sermon1 and perfectly         
,catholic in its doctrine and tone4 ,i  
regret that it is not extant1 for ,i    
think that if it were1 it would be      
worthy of a place among the sermons     
published in this volume4 ,in it he     
extolled a life of virginity in glowing 
language1 as the means of a closer union
 with ,christ2 and its whole scope was  
to present the lives of those who have  

renounced the world1 as models of the   
highest ,christian perfection4 ,i read  
prayers for him that evening1 and we    
walked home afterward together4 ,we     
separated in silence1 neither of us     
expressing his thoughts1 but both       
seeming to feel a kind of blank and     
unwilling sense of disappointment1 as if
 dimly conscious that our ,catholicity  
was an unreal and imaginary thing4 ,at  
,st4 ,paul's ,church his eloquence took 
the congregation completely by surprise4
 #fe ,his quiet1 unassuming character   
had not prepared even his friends to    
expect that he would manifest so much   
power as a preacher4 ,from this time his
 reputation was fixed at the highest    
point1 and he always sustained it4      
,there were several very excellent      
preachers in the ,maryland ,diocese1 but
 ,i believe it was generally admitted   
that ,mr4 ,baker surpassed them all1 and
 the most intellectual and cultivated   
people ever looked upon his sermons as  
affording to their minds and hearts one 

of the choicest banquets they were      
capable of enjoying4 ,i have never known
 a young clergyman to be more generally 
and warmly admired and loved than ,mr4  
,baker4 ,nevertheless1 applause and     
popularity did not affect him in the    
least1 and the pure mirror of his soul  
was never tarnished by vanity and       
self-complacency4 ,even then1 his       
spontaneous desires and longings seemed 
to forecast the apostolic vocation which
 was in store for him4 ,he had an ardent
 desire for a religious life1 and was   
especially attracted by the character   
and life of ,nicholas ,ferrar1 and by   
the history of the little religious     
community which he formed at            
,little-,gidding4 ,in our walks we often
 conversed about the practicability of  
establishing a religious house which    
would give us the opportunity of working
 among the neglected masses of the      
people1 and looked about for some       
suitable building for this purpose4     
,there was a scheme talked of for       

establishing a monastic and missionary  
institute on the eastern shore of       
,maryland1 and there were eight or ten  
clergymen who would have been eager to  
join in the enterprise if the bishop had
 been courageous enough to begin it4    
,but the fear of ,low ,churchmen        
prevailed1 and nothing was ever done4   
,we very soon found that the work of    
,catholicizing the ,episcopal ,church in
 ,maryland got on very slowly and       
miserably1 through the open opposition  
of the ,low ,church party1 and the dead1
 inert resistance of the old ,high      
,church4 #ff ,at an early period of     
,bishop ,whittingham's administration1  
the ,rev4 ,henry ,v4 ,d4 ,johns1 rector 
of ,christ ,church1 bade him open       
defiance1 and preserved that attitude   
until his death1 many years afterward4  
,the bishop preached and published two  
remarkably learned and able sermons on  
the priesthood1 one of which was        
preached at the institution of ,mr4     
,johns4 ,at the close of it he exhorted 

the parishioners to receive their new   
rector as their divinely-appointed      
teacher1 and to submit to his           
instructions with docility4 ,the same   
night1 ,mr4 ,johns preached a sermon    
which contained a violent attack on the 
bishop's doctrine1 and made a solemn    
declaration1 sanctioned by an appeal to 
,heaven1 that he would evermore oppose  
that doctrine1 and preach the contrary  
in his pulpit4 ,this was the signal for 
hostilities1 and a sharp controversy    
arose out of the affair1 which was      
renewed from time to time1 as occasion  
offered4 ,the bishop made one or two    
more efforts to bring out his ,reformed 
,catholicism in sermons or charges1 and 
then desisted1 seeming to be more       
anxious to defend himself against the   
charge of ,popery than to attack        
,protestantism4 ,in regard to the       
outward ceremonial of religion1 the     
efforts made to improve it were equally 
feeble and abortive4 ,there was a       
miserable little church in an obscure   

street1 called ,st4 ,stephen's1 with an 
altar something like a marble-topped    
wash-stand1 and some curtains covered   
with roughly-executed symbols1 such as  
mitres1 chalices1 keys1 etc41 where we  
played a little at ,catholics with so   
much success that a good old lady said  
it was worse than the ,cathedral4 ,the  
opposition which was excited by these   
innocent and absurd little              
ecclesiological essays were such that   
the parish was nearly ruined1 and the   
rector in great alarm speedily banished 
all innovations1 and brought his chancel
 and his windows back to the            
old-fashioned style4 ,there was a little
 preaching in the surplice1 a little    
display of crosses1 and a great deal of 
,catholic talk in private circles1 and  
very little else4 ,the attempt to make  
the ,protestant ,episcopal ,church in   
,maryland exhibit herself as the        
,reformed ,catholic ,church was a most  
signal failure4 #fg ,the ,true ,catholic
 labored faithfully to defend ,mr4      

,newman from the charge of ,romanizing  
until he actually joined the ,catholic  
,church1 and then took to decrying him  
and other converts as much as possible4 
,it then took up ,archdeacon ,manning1  
,h4 ,w4 ,wilberforce1 and ,marshall1    
loading its pages with extracts from    
their writings1 until all these         
gentlemen followed ,mr4 ,newman's       
example4 ,what it did afterward1 and    
whether it has survived until the       
present time or not1 ,i do not know4    
,the cassocks were silently and         
gradually dropped4 ,some of the young   
clergymen married1 and took to walking  
sedately in the old paths1 and others   
left the diocese4 ,the few who could not
 unlearn or forget the ,catholic        
principles they had imbibed1 retired    
into themselves and kept quiet4 ,and    
thus matters went back to their old     
condition of a sort of uneasy compromise
 between ,high and ,low ,church1 on the 
basis of a common hostility to ,rome4   
,i remember well the startling effect   

produced by the news of ,mr4 ,newman's  
conversion4 ,whatever his modesty may   
induce him to say in disclaimer1 he was 
the leader1 the life1 and the soul1 of  
the ,oxford movement3 his genius and    
character had acquired for him in this  
country1 as well as in ,england1 a sway 
over a multitude of minds such as is    
seldom possessed by any living man4 ,the
 news of his conversion was brought to  
,baltimore by ,bishop ,reynolds1 of     
,charleston1 who had just arrived from  
,europe4 ,i heard it from ,bishop       
,whittingham1 one evening1 after ,i had 
been to prayers in ,st4 ,paul's4 ,i     
passed him on the steps and went out1   
and heard him say in a sorrowful tone1  
,newman has gone4 ,it went to my heart  
as if ,i had heard of my father's death4
 ,i did not wish to speak with anyone on
 the subject1 for1 although ,i was not  
prepared to follow him1 yet ,i could not
 speak harshly or lightly of the        
decision of a man whose wisdom and      
goodness ,i venerated so highly1 or     

endure to hear the comments of others4  
#fh ,mr4 ,baker and ,i had no           
opportunity to converse together very   
much on this matter1 or indeed on any   
other4 ,our separation was at hand1     
under circumstances painful and trying  
to both4 ,he was confined to the chamber
 of his brother ,alfred1 who was        
dangerously ill with the varioloid1 and1
 of course1 could neither make or       
receive any visits4 ,i was obliged to   
leave ,baltimore a few days after1 for  
,north ,carolina1 by the order of my    
physician4 ,i took a hurried farewell of
 ,mr4 ,baker1 at the door of his house1 
with very little expectation1 on either 
side1 of ever meeting again4 ,he had    
assisted me very frequently in the      
duties of my little parish in the       
suburbs1 during several months of       
declining health1 and after my departure
 he continued to visit the congregation 
and preach for them occasionally4 ,it   
was during the autumn of #ahde that ,i  
left ,baltimore4 ,at the close of the   

,holy ,week of #ahdf ,i was received    
into the ,catholic ,church1 at          
,charleston1 ,s4 ,c41 and in ,march1    
#ahdg1 ,i was ordained priest by the    
,right ,rev4 ,dr4 ,reynolds1 the bishop 
of the diocese4  ,before leaving        
,edenton1 ,n4 ,c41 where ,i resided     
during the previous winter1 ,i wrote to 
,mr4 ,baker to inform him of my         
intention1 and ,i continued to write to 
him occasionally1 receiving letters from
 him in return1 for some months         
afterward4 ,the correspondence on his   
part soon became constrained and formal1
 and at last was stopped at his request4
 ,for the three years1 immediately      
following my ordination1 ,i saw or heard
 nothing of him4 ,i continued to hope   
for his conversion1 and often offered up
 the ,holy ,sacrifice for that          
intention4 ,by degrees1 however1 the    
thought of him passed away from my mind1
 and ,i ceased to anticipate that the   
broken thread of our friendship would   
ever be re-united4 ,i supposed that he  

had become permanently settled at some  
halting-place between ,protestantism and
 the ,catholic ,church1 and would live  
and die contentedly in his chosen       
position as an ,episcopalian clergyman1 
forgetting his earlier and nobler       
aspirations as among the dreams of      
youth4 #fi ,for the history of his mind 
during this period1 ,i am indebted to   
the letters which he continued to write 
to the bosom friend who has been already
 spoken of1 and the information which   
that friend has given me personally4 ,i 
am also indebted to the same source1    
chiefly1 for the history of his progress
 toward ,catholicity1 during the entire 
period of seven years which elapsed     
before his reception into the ,catholic 
,church4 ,for1 although ,i saw him      
repeatedly during the last three years  
of this period1 he was extremely guarded
 and reserved in his language2 and      
during our common life together1 as     
,catholics1 afterward1 ,i never asked   
him for any detailed account--the       

subject having1 in great measure1 lost  
its interest for us both4  ,i have      
reason to believe that at the time of my
 conversion he had his misgivings1 and  
indeed his first letters to me showed a 
disposition on his part to enter into a 
free discussion of the matter with me4  
,he soon quieted these misgivings1      
however1 and determined to throw himself
 heart and soul into the work of        
realizing ,catholicity in his own       
,church4 ,he even underwent a reaction  
which awoke a feeling of hostility to   
the ,roman ,church1 and of anger against
 me1 for having1 as he expressed it1    
spoiled their plans4 ,his good and true 
friend of past days1 who had continually
 encouraged and urged him on from the   
first to follow boldly in the footsteps 
of those who led the advance of the     
,oxford movement1 would not1 however1   
permit him to rest in this state4 ,he   
was determined himself not to shut his  
eyes to the difficulties and            
perplexities of his position1 and he    

would not allow his friend to do it4 ,he
 never ceased to unbosom freely all his 
own doubts and disquietudes1 to         
communicate the results of his continual
 reading and reflection1 and to         
stimulate his friend to push on in the  
study of ,catholic principles and       
doctrines until he had reached a final  
and satisfactory result4 ,judging from  
the letters of ,mr4 ,baker which ,i have
 before me1 ,i should think that both   
his misgivings about his own position   
and his bitter feelings toward the      
,roman ,church gave place to a quiet    
resolution of adhering to the position  
he had taken1 before ,mr4 ,newman's     
conversion and that of others of lesser 
note had startled his repose4 #gj ,for  
two or three years his letters do not   
indicate a disquieted mind1 but are     
often full of hope for the prospects of 
the ,anglican communion4 ,by degrees a  
change is manifest1 and it is easy to   
see the progress of a conviction slowly 
forcing itself upon him that the        

,episcopal ,church is essentially       
,protestant1 and all the efforts made to
 place her in a ,catholic light and     
attitude a mere illusion4 ,the workings 
of a mind and heart struggling with     
doubt and disquiet1 weary of a hollow   
and unreal system1 weaned from all      
worldly hopes1 detaching itself from all
 earthly ties1 and striving after the   
truth and after ,god1 become more and   
more manifest1 until at last1 after     
seven long years1 the result is reached4
 ,i have hesitated much before          
determining to insert a portion of these
 letters in this narrative4 ,certain    
motives of delicacy toward my departed  
friend and others would incline me to   
withhold them4 ,but their perusal has   
seemed to me to exhibit so much more    
clearly than any narrative of mine could
 do1 the transparent purity of the heart
 from which they emanated1 and the      
wonderful workings of divine grace upon 
it1 that ,i have judged it best to      
prefer the profit of those who will read

 this book to private feeling4 ,some of 
them1 which are merely descriptive1 ,i  
have inserted1 because there could be no
 reason for withholding them1 and they  
will give pleasure to the friends of the
 writer1 who value every thing which    
came from his pen4 ,in regard to others1
 which were private and confidential1 ,i
 have used the utmost caution to select 
only those portions which are necessary 
to a full exhibition of the writer's    
gradual progress to the ,catholic       
,church4  ,i will first quote some      
extracts from the correspondence of an  
earlier period1 which show the first    
blossoms of the later ripened fruit of  
,catholic faith and holiness in the pure
 and upright soul of ,francis ,baker4   
#ga     ,from ,francis ,a4 ,baker ,to   
,dwight ,e4 ,lyman4    ,baltimore1      
,february #bj1 #ahdc4    ,my ,dear      
,dwight3    99 99 99 99 99    ,of course
 you have seen the letter ',quare       
,impedit4' ,is it not   very caustic8 ,i
 cannot but think it defective in the   

non-expression of what the writer       
doubtless believed1 the sense   in which
 the ,council of ,trent's words as to   
'immolation' are   true4 ,it does not   
sufficiently bring out the true and     
unfigurative sense in which the         
sacrifice on the altar is the   same    
with the sacrifice on the cross4    99  
99 99 99 99    ,as ,i go on with my     
studies1 my dear ,dwight1 ,i become more
 and   more attracted to them1 and1 ,i  
hope1 more and more of a   ,catholic4   
,indeed1 ,i seem to myself to live in a 
different world   from that around me1  
and to be practical ,i find one of   the
 most difficult attainments4 ,but to be 
frank with you1 in   looking forward to 
the future1 the situation of a parish   
priest   seldom fills my mind4 ,i almost
 always look to the monastic life   in  
some of its modifications4 ,it is true  
that on the score of   fitness ,i have  
no right to look forward to such        
privileges2 but   from some             
circumstances which you will appreciate1

 my heart has   been drawn more entirely
 from the world than most persons of my 
age4 ,but the future belongs to ,god1   
and ,i must now prepare   myself for the
 duties which seem pointed out to me4 ,i
 have not   spoken to anyone else of    
this long-cherished desire1 and1        
indeed1 there are at present            
insurmountable difficulties in the      
way2 but ,i do not look upon it is as so
 visionary a scheme as ,i   once did4   
99 99 99 99 99    ,your brother told me 
of his intended repairs in his church4  
,i   am delighted to hear it4 ,it will  
not be long1 ,i hope1 before   such is  
the universal arrangement of our        
churches4 ,only one   thing will be     
lacking 7if he has a cross71 the        
candlesticks4 ,i   have come to the     
conclusion that we have a perfect right 
to   them1 for they will come in by the 
,church common-law1 as the   surplice   
did4 #gb   ,i do not suppose it would be
 proper for a priest to introduce   them
 without his ordinary's sanction4 ,i do 

wish a charge would   come out          
recommending the ,catholic usages4 ,i   
don't give any   weight to the cry of   
some about us1 to wait for such things  
until ,catholic doctrines are received4 
,i cannot but think that   such things  
would have a reflex influence on        
doctrine4 ,while we   are externally so 
identified with the ,protestants1 it    
will be   hard to convince the world    
that we have any claims to antiquity    
or ,catholicity4 ,pray use your         
influence to have a solid altar1   and  
as large as may be4    99 99 99 99 99   
,baltimore1 ,june #i1 #ahdc4   ,it was a
 great disappointment to me not seeing  
you here at the   ,convention1 and there
 has been going on here so much of      
interest to you4 ,the ,roman ,council   
you have heard all about1 ,i   am sure4 
,i was not present1 of course1 at any of
 their services   or meetings1 nor did  
,i see any of their processions1 but    
from   all ,i have heard1 and from what 
,i have seen at other times1 ,i   think 

it must have been a most glorious       
spectacle4 ,i do not   think ,i am fond 
of pageantry1 but it must have been     
heart-stirring to see the ,church coming
 out of the sanctuary   which she has in
 her own bosom1 and going forth to take 
possession of the world in the name of  
her ascended ,lord4   ,imagine a band of
 sixteen venerable bishops1 with        
surpliced   acolytes and vested priests1
 with their lights and cross and        
crosier1 all chanting in murmuring      
responses some old   processional chant2
 the effect of the whole heightened by  
the   brightness of a ,may sun reflected
 from many a golden stole and           
glittering mitre6 ,i am sure the sight  
would have set you crazy4   ,indeed1 ,i 
feared myself that it would present an  
unfortunate   contrast with our neat1   
dress-coat clergy4 ,but our own         
,convention had far more of an          
ecclesiastical appearance this   year   
than it ever had before4 #gc   ,the     
daily matins at six o'clock1 the ,litany

 at nine1 and the   full ,mass service  
at twelve1 all seemed as if we were     
suddenly   transplanted into some other 
age of the church1 when she   understood
 and realized her heavenly mission      
better than in   these later days4      
,every day after the reading of the     
,gospel1   all joined in a solemn       
profession of the old ,nicene faith2    
then   the ,holy ,sacrifice was offered1
 and all were allowed to partake   of   
the ,holy ,mysteries4    99 99 99 99 99 
,baltimore1 ,june #i1 #ahde4 ,when the  
ordination is   appointed1 if possible1 
,i will let you know2 and if you are    
disposed to treat me better than ,i did 
you1 ,i should be truly   glad to see   
you here on that occasion4 ,at all      
events1 my dear   ,dwight1 do not forget
 to pray for me4 ,i regret exceedingly  
that   the advantage of the regular     
,ember season will be lost to me1   for 
,i feel in need of all the assistance   
which the united   prayers of the ,holy 
,church might be expected to procure4   

,as   soon after my ordination as may   
be1 ,i wish to go to work in   such a   
department as may be assigned me by the 
will of ,god and   the direction of the 
bishop4 ,i wish not 'to choose my way1' 
but   as far as possible to submit to   
the direction of others1 my   superiors2
 for that ,i believe to be the very     
secret of   ministerial influence4 ,in  
my case1 however1 there can hardly be   
any trial of virtue in this course1 for 
with such a bishop as   ,god has placed 
over us1 submission is no sacrifice4 ,i 
have   deliberately resolved to maintain
 a single life1 and acquainted   the    
bishop with my determination4 ,i think  
he approved of my   resolution1 though  
he dissuaded me from taking a vow to    
that   effect4 ,although ,i acquiesced  
in his advice1 yet ,i shall   consider  
myself from the date of my ordination   
pledged to   preserve that state1 by the
 grace of ,god4 ,all this is strictly   
between ourselves1 for ,i abhor to talk 
about such   things4 ,i consider this a 

matter1 in our ,church at least1 of     
strictly individual choice1 and while ,i
 have no hesitation   myself in adopting
 the course ,i have mentioned1 ,i should
   despise myself and think but poorly  
of my own motives1 if ,i   should ever  
think less of another for exercising    
differently   his ,christian liberty4   
99 99 99 99 99  #gd  ,the foregoing     
extracts are taken from letters written 
before the time of my leaving           
,baltimore1 and of course1 therefore1   
before the thought of joining the       
,catholic ,church had entered any of our
 minds4 ,those which follow were written
 at various times during the period of  
seven years1 between #ahdf and #ahec1   
which was the period of transition in   
,mr4 ,baker's mind1 ending in his       
conversion4    ,baltimore1 ,july #i1    
#ahdf4   ,every thing has been          
remarkably quiet in ,baltimore for the  
last month4 ,there seems to be nothing  
of the excitement that   for a while    
prevailed on the subject of ',roman     

tendencies' and   'perversions4' ,i know
 not whether the ',few ,thoughts' of    
,mr4 ,h41   which is just published     
here1 and which ,i suppose you have     
seen1 will awaken controversy2 but      
should suppose not1 from the   occasion 
and nature of the publication1 it being 
merely an   explanation of his own      
course1 and written immediately on the  
determination to take that course4 ,i   
have heard the pamphlet   spoken of as  
'a weak production1' as 'doing ,mr4 ,h4 
no credit4'   ,are we not too apt to    
speak so of the work of an opponent8 ,of
   course the essay is not a learned and
 systematic argument1 nor   does it     
profess to be so2 but it is 7as it      
appears to me7   honest1 to the point1  
and well expressed4 ,i speak this of the
   production3 as an argument1 it of    
course resolves into the   great ,roman 
plea of ,visible ,unity4    ,i          
understand that a ,mr4 ----1 a presbyter
 of our ,church1 and   alumnus of the   
,general ,theological ,seminary1 made   

his public   abjuration of              
,protestantism in ,st4 ,mary's ,chapel1 
on ,sunday   last4 ,i suppose you have  
seen the account of ----'s defection4   
,i was told1 a few days ago1 that ----  
has made up his mind to   'go2' but as  
it was a ,roman ,catholic who told me1  
,i did not   know but he might be       
misled4 #ge   ,do you know any thing    
about it8 ,i received1 a few days ago1 a
   letter from ,h4 ,it was merely a     
friendly letter1 without   controversy1 
describing his mode of life1 written    
very   cheerfully and kindly4 ,it will  
give me pleasure to show it to   you    
when you come to ,baltimore to see me1  
to which visit ,i look   forward with   
great pleasure4 ,we will then talk about
 all these   strange events and times1  
and on our thoughts and feelings        
concerning them4 ,adieu1 adieu1 my dear 
friend4 ,let us keep   close to each    
other2 but first1 close to ,god1 and in 
all things   obedient to ,his will4     
,again adieu1 my dear1 good friend4     

,it is easy for one who knew intimately 
the writer of this letter to see that   
his heart was sad and disquieted when he
 wrote it1 although he does not directly
 say so2 especially from the unusual    
warmth and tenderness of his expressions
 of attachment to his friend4 ,about two
 months after he wrote it1 the time came
 for him to pass his examination for    
priest's orders4 ,the circumstances     
under which his examination took place  
redoubled this disquiet1 and caused him 
to hesitate much about receiving        
ordination4 ,in the course of his       
examination1 he was asked if he accepted
 the ,thirty-nine ,articles4 ,it appears
 that he was not able to accept the     
reasoning of ,tract ,no4 #ij1 upon which
 he must have gone at his ordination to 
the diaconate1 and accordingly he       
replied boldly that he rejected some of 
the ,articles1 and could not in any way 
give his assent to them4 ,i do not know 
how many of them he qualified in this   
way2 but ,i know that one of them was   

the thirty-first1 as to its second      
section3 ,wherefore1 the ,sacrifices of 
,masses1 in the which it was commonly   
said that the priest did offer ,christ  
for the quick and the dead1 to have     
remission of pain and guilt1 were       
blasphemous fables and dangerous        
deceits2 and ,i think1 that1 another was
 the twenty-second3 ,of ,purgatory1 etc4
 #gf ,a discussion arose among his      
examiners upon the propriety of passing 
him4 ,the bishop endeavored to waive the
 whole question1 and succeeded in       
preventing his rejection4 ,the rector of
 ,st4 ,peter's1 who was the chairman of 
the committee1 and whose duty it was to 
present the candidates1 declined1       
however1 to present ,mr4 ,baker1 though1
 with a singular inconsistency1 he      
privately urged him to be ordained4 ,mr4
 ,baker almost resolved to stop where he
 was1 and regretted afterward that he   
had not done so4 ,he suffered himself1  
however1 to be overruled by the         
authority and persuasion of the bishop1 

and as ,dr4 ,wyatt also excused himself 
from taking the responsibility of       
presenting him1 he was presented by     
another presbyter1 and ordained on the  
#bjth of ,september1 #ahdf4 ,his health 
as well as his spirits were impaired by 
these troubles2 and1 therefore1 a short 
time afterward he made a trip to the    
,north1 in order to recreate both body  
and mind1 and with the hope of driving  
away1 by change of scene1 the unpleasant
 thoughts which haunted him4 ,in this he
 was in a measure successful4 ,he       
appears to have made a resolute         
determination to throw himself into his 
ministry1 and to put away all doubt from
 his mind4 ,he went in search of all    
that was attractive and encouraging in  
his own communion1 and his letter1      
giving an account of his trip1 shows    
that his attachment to it was deepened  
and renewed by the impression made on   
him by the beautiful churches1 the      
tasteful and decorous services1 and the 
agreeable1 intellectual men of congenial

 spirit with himself1 described by him  
in such a pleasing style4 ,it was after 
this journey that he wrote to me1       
expressing a firm determination to      
adhere to his chosen position1 assigning
 for his chief reason the signs of life 
which he saw in the ,episcopal ,church2 
and he soon after1 as ,i have said1     
dropped his correspondence with me1 as  
one separated from him by a barrier     
which was never to be passed over4  #gg 
,baltimore1 ,november #aj1 #ahdf4   ,i  
enjoyed my visit to the ,north quite as 
much as your or my   own expectations   
promised4 ,i think the jaunt was in     
every way   beneficial to me4 ,i spent a
 week delightfully in ,new ,york1       
where a new world1 as it were1 of       
churches was opened to me1   and had a  
most happy 7what ,i call7 heart visit to
 ,troy4   ,but you will expect to hear  
particulars4 ,to commence with the      
commencement1 then1 what shall ,i say of
 ,trinity ,church8 ,in some   respects  
it is far beyond my conceptions4 ,the   

first impression   was really           
overpowering4 ,it was on ,saturday      
morning1 and but   for a few minutes1   
and it seemed to me that both externally
 and   internally the building was most 
majestic and beautiful4 ,i next   saw it
 on ,sunday morning1 to great advantage4
 ,it was communion   day1 and fourteen  
priests in their surplices were in      
attendance   7the ,convention having    
adjourned late the night before74 ,the  
church was full1 but very orderly--the  
music grave and   fine--though ,i       
confess to you 7pardon my ignorance and 
temerity7 it was not exactly as ,i      
should have liked4 ,it seemed   to me to
 want impressiveness or expression4 ,it 
was neither soothing1 nor1 to me1 very  
grand4 ,dr4 ----   preached4 ,i never   
saw the ,holy ,communion celebrated and 
administered in any church with so fine 
effect4 ,the   scene1 when the choir was
 filled with the worshippers waiting    
for their turn to receive1 was truly    
majestic4 ,on that day ,i   went away   

with a most agreeable impression4 ,after
 ,i had been   there1 how ever1 in the  
week1 and especially as ,i became       
familiar with it1 ,i was very conscious 
of the great defect and   coldness of   
the chancel4 ,the meanness of the altar 
is   positively too bad2 and the        
unmeaningness of the heavy              
altar-screen is curious4 ,the window is 
not just up my taste2   but ,i do not   
think so badly of it as some do4 ,on the
 whole1 ,i   think there can be no doubt
 that the chancel is a failure2 but     
the nave is very fine1 and the doorway1 
the organ-gallery1 the   organ1 the     
tower1 and the side-porches most        
beautiful4 #gh   ,on the afternoon of   
the ,sunday1 ,i went to ,grace ,church1 
listened to the music---exquisite of its
 kind--saw the   images666 looked at the
 church1 and examined the stained       
windows4 ,i cannot agree with you about 
this building4 ,certainly   it has some 
beauties4 ,the external appearance is   
very fine1 and   the single figure of   

our ,blessed ,lord1 in the east window1 
beautiful2 but ,i must say that the     
whole of the interior   presented to me 
a look of finery1 and an absence of     
solemnity1 most unpleasant in the       
sanctuary4 ,the windows were   simply   
distressing4 ,it will seem very         
,protestant after this to   say it1 but 
still it is true1 that the church looked
 very like   a ,roman ,catholic ,church 
to me2 perhaps it would be truer to say 
,romish1 for it seemed to me in keeping 
with some things   we call by this name4
 ,i was disappointed in ,grace ,church2 
for ,i   went prepared to like it1 from 
your representation1 and from my        
confidence in your taste4    ,next in   
order of my seeing1 but really1 perhaps1
 first of all1   is the ,church of the  
,holy ,communion4 ,this is really a gem4
 ,i   was there at evening prayer on a  
week-day1 and ,i left with a   grateful 
heart that it was granted me to worship 
there4 ,i am   not much of an architect1
 but the building seemed to me          

perfect4 ,i at least had no fault to    
find with it4 ,the   services were read 
at the chancel rail4 ,the canticles were
   chanted with the organ accompaniment4
 ,it was at once solemn and   very      
beautiful4 ,i said ,i had no fault to   
find4 ,perhaps that is   too much4 ,i do
 think there is an absence of warmth in 
the   colors of the church1 and of a    
certain grace and brightness   about the
 chancel1 which would be entirely       
obviated by   substituting1 instead of  
the present altar1 a white or colored   
marble one of the same size1 adorned    
with candlesticks and   covered with a  
lace cloth4 ,this1 however1 is to make  
it a   perfect church for my eye1 and ,i
 am not at all sure that   ,i am right4 
#gi    ,i said ,troy was the most       
agreeable place ,i had visited4 ,you    
will not need to be told what it was    
which gave it this   interest3 the      
,church of the ,holy ,cross4 ,oh1 how   
glorious that   enterprise is6 ,how     
perfectly devotional and elevating those

   services6 ,i was made very1 very     
happy by this visit4 ,it seemed         
unearthly1 and it seemed1 too1 a promise
 of better and holier   days1 a         
harbinger of returning glory to our     
depressed ,church4   ,could you not     
introduce this service into the college4
 ,it is   worth a very great effort4    
,nothing else can produce such an       
effect as the choral service4 ,with the 
material you have1 ,i   should not think
 it would be impossible1 and at nothing 
short   of this ought you to stop4 ,i   
formed a valuable acquaintance   with1  
and had the pleasure of visiting all the
 clergy of the   place1 who are         
remarkably united1 and who received me  
with   ,southern warmth and cordiality4 
,i was at the ,church of the ,holy      
,cross as often as it was possible for  
me to be there1 you may   be sure1 and  
left it at the last with real regret4 ,i
 consider   this visit alone fully      
repaid me for the journey4    99 99 99  
99 99  ,from this time there is not a   

trace of disquietude with his position  
to be observed in his correspondence1   
until #ahdi4 ,under date of ,february1  
#ahdg1 he writes to his friend1 who1 as 
it appears from his own declarations1   
was the only intimate friend he had     
among his brother clergymen3    ,i still
 write now and then to ,h41 but there is
 such a   restriction on the freedom of 
thought and expression in   speaking to 
him1 that ,i have but very little       
interest in the   correspondence2 indeed
 ,i think it hardly likely long to      
continue2 but from you there is no need 
or wish on my part to   conceal any     
thing4    99 99 99 99 99    ,i long to  
leave ,st4 ,paul's4 ,i do not say this  
to anyone   here1 for nothing is gained 
of talking2 but to you ,i say that ,i   
am obliged constantly to fall back on   
the reflection that1   until some other 
way is opened1 my duty lies here4 ,it is
 not on   account of any disagreeables  
in my position2 but there are   peculiar
 dangers and difficulties attending it1 

and ,i cannot   help fearing constantly 
that my life is too easy and too soft   
to please ,god4 #hj   ,still ,i see not 
which way to move4 ,i think ,i wish to  
submit   myself entirely to the ,divine 
,will4 ,i hope it will not seem         
impertinent1 dear ,dwight1 to express a 
hope that this coming   ,lent may be a  
season of strict discipline to us both4 
,oh1 ,i   need it6 ,i cannot tell you   
how the sense of responsibility         
concerning the souls of others sometimes
 alarms me4 ,i can say   this to you1   
without hypocrisy1 ,i trust4 ,i need to 
be purged by   penance very1 very much1 
to be drawn away from pride and         
vain-glory1 and slothfulness and        
self-will2 these are my   besetting     
sins2 and to be stirred up to diligent  
study1 to   obedience1 to humility1 to  
labor1 and to prayer4 ,i pray that ,i   
may have the grace to fulfil the work   
which ,god has put in my   heart to     
undertake this ,lent1 that ,he would    
draw me away from   all things else1    

entirely to be united to ,him4 ,it would
 be a   most pleasant thought that we   
were thus entering on this   penitential
 season together4  ,the following       
extract from a letter of ,june #bc1     
#ahdh1 shows the interest which the     
writer still felt in ,mr4 ,newman3--    
,is it not encouraging to see the stir  
that has been raised in   ,england about
 ,dr4 ,hampden's nomination8 ,the       
secular papers all   call the opposition
 a ',tractarian ,movement4' ,if they    
mean by   this that none but            
,tractarians are engaged in it1 it is   
palpably false2 but in another sense it 
is certainly true4 ,i   see clearly in  
the whole matter the fruits of that     
movement1   the greater earnestness and 
zeal for orthodoxy1 as such1   so       
different from what would have been     
exhibited a quarter of a   century ago4 
,and whom are we to thank for fixing the
 brand of   heterodoxy upon this man2 so
 that he cannot pass off his   sophisms 
upon an unwary ,church1 but the great   

master to worn we   once looked up1 to  
whom ,god gave so clear a vision of the 
truth   and so great a zeal to uphold   
it8 ,this is the fruit of a seed   sown 
by a hand now raised up against us1 one 
of the many gifts   by which we keep him
 and his great faculties in remembrance1
   though1 alas6 'we now see him no     
more4'  #ha  ,in one of these letters   
,mr4 ,baker speaks of his desire to     
leave ,st4 ,paul's ,church for some     
other field of labor4 ,nevertheless1 he 
remained there six years out of the     
eight years of his ,protestant ministry4
 ,in #ahdh he received an invitation to 
the ,church of ,st4 ,james the ,less1 a 
very beautiful and costly1 though small 
church1 in the suburbs of ,philadelphia1
 built after the style of the ,english  
,benedictine abbey-churches1 and fitted 
up after the manner which delights the  
,anglo-,catholic heart4 ,this invitation
 he declined1 at the request of his     
bishop1 who was naturally loth to part  
with him4 ,a proposal was then made that

 he should found a new parish2 and this1
 ,i suppose1 was the plan afterward     
carried out at ,st4 ,luke's4 ,this plan 
was postponed from time to time on      
account of the precarious health of     
,alfred ,baker4 ,meanwhile1 he devoted  
himself most assiduously to his private 
religious exercises and to his          
ministerial labors4 ,i have never known 
a young clergyman more universally and  
warmly loved and admired than he was    
among the people of his communion4 ,he  
improved sedulously his admirable gifts 
for preaching1 and in a diocese         
containing a number of excellent        
preachers1 he attained and kept the     
first rank4 ,his fastidious taste and   
sense of propriety led him soon to drop 
the long cassock1 and every thing else  
in outward dress and demeanor which had 
appeared singular in the first years of 
his ministry4 ,he avoided controversy   
and all peculiarities of doctrine in his
 sermons1 and confined himself chiefly  
to those truths of religion and those   

practical points which could be received
 without question by his hearers4 ,aside
 from the pastoral intercourse which he 
had with his people1 his life was very  
retired4 ,he had the ideal of the       
,catholic priesthood always in view1 and
 this encompassed his discharge of      
ministerial duties with many practical  
difficulties4 ,he felt this             
particularly1 as he has often said1 in  
his visits to the sick and dying1 on    
account of the want of the proper       
sacraments1 and the want of a real and  
recognized sacerdotal relation4 #hb ,he 
could not help feeling always that while
 theoretically he regarded himself as a 
,catholic priest1 in point of fact he   
was but a ,protestant minister1         
compelled to fall back on a system of   
subjective pietism1 based on ,lutheran  
doctrine1 to which he had an invincible 
repugnance1 and in which his hands were 
tied4  ,meanwhile events were           
progressing in the ,english ,church and 
producing their reflex action in this   

country4 ,on the one hand1 the ,oxford  
movement was still going forward under  
new leaders1 and on the other1 the      
,protestant character of the ,anglican  
,establishment and its ,american colony 
was exhibiting itself every day more and
 more decisively4 ,the first great wave 
that had rolled toward ,catholicity had 
cast up those who were foremost on its  
crest on the ,rock of ,peter4 ,another  
wave was rolling forward in the same    
direction1 which was destined to bear on
 its summit still more of those who     
floated on the great sea of doubt and   
error to the same secure refuge4 ,the   
first converts were given up to obloquy1
 and their influence in every possible  
way lowered or destroyed1 by belittling 
their character1 if that was possible1  
or1 if not1 by inventing specious       
reasons to show that the course they had
 taken was the result of some personal  
idiosyncrasy1 and not the just          
consequence of their ,catholic          
principles4 ,it was stoutly asserted    

that the movement was not responsible   
for them1 and that it did not of itself 
lead to ,rome4 ,it began again afresh   
with new men1 new books1 new projects4  
,again there was an advanced party2 and 
in due time this advanced party began to
 move ,romeward1 denying as before that 
it would ever actually arrive at ,rome4 
,nevertheless1 many of its members1 some
 of very high character and position1   
did eventually follow the earlier       
converts over to the ,catholic ,church4 
,others1 especially those who were in   
stations of dignity and authority1 began
 to recoil and retract1 and call back   
their followers to the safer ground of  
the old ,high ,church4 #hc ,in this     
country there was a sad lack of         
earnestness and reality on the part of  
the majority of those who had yielded   
themselves to ,oxford influences1 and   
these influences were but faintly felt  
by the laity4 ,mr4 ,baker was1 however1 
deeply and sadly in earnest4 ,he had    
schooled himself into submission to his 

soi-disant ,church and bishop1 and      
resolutely determined to believe that he
 could think1 act1 and live up to       
,catholic doctrines and laws where he   
was4 ,he had thrown himself anew into   
,anglicanism1 putting faith in its new  
leaders and the old ones who remained1  
and confiding in the reality and success
 of their efforts4 ,long and wearily he 
struggled to hold out in this course1 in
 spite of the daily increasing evidence 
that it was delusive and hopeless4 ,for 
long years he was tossed backward and   
forward on the waves of doubt and       
uncertainty1 sometimes almost gaining a 
foothold on the ,rock1 and then dashed  
again backward into the sea4  ,most     
persons1 whether they are ,catholics or 
,protestants1 will wonder that ,mr4     
,baker1 having approached at first1 by  
almost a single bound1 so near the very 
threshold of the ,catholic ,church1     
should have waited and hesitated so long
 before taking the final step over its  
border4 ,those who have not felt it can 

hardly understand the strong spell by   
which the system so ably advocated by   
the ,oxford divines captivated many     
minds4 ,to those who were deeply imbued 
with certain ,catholic prepossessions1  
and yet not emancipated from the old    
hereditary prejudice against the ,roman 
,church1 it offered a compromise which  
allowed them to cherish their           
prepossessions and yet remain in the    
reformed ,church1 where they were at    
home and among their friends1 and free  
to select some and reject other         
,catholic doctrines and usages1         
according to their own private judgment 
and taste4 ,it pretended to give them a 
,catholicity more ,catholic1 and an     
antiquity more ancient than those of the
 ancient1 universal mother and mistress 
of churches herself4 #hd ,once seduced  
by this specious pretence1 there was no 
end to the ingenious arguments1         
wire-drawn distinctions1 fine-spun      
theories1 and plausible special pleading
 by which they were detained under its  

influence4 ,the theory has infinite     
variations1 and a flexibility which     
accommodates itself to every form of    
doctrine1 from the lowest tolerated in  
the ,episcopal ministry to the highest  
advocated in the ,union ,review4 ,this  
influence on the mind and conscience is 
a very injurious one1 and tends to      
disable them from reasoning and         
deciding1 in a plain and direct manner1 
on broad and general principles4 ,mr4   
,baker became aware of this afterward1  
and regretted that he had permitted     
himself to be swayed so much by the     
authority of others instead of following
 the dictates of his own judgment and   
conscience4 ,it is impossible for me to 
say whether he was dilatory in following
 the inspirations of divine grace or    
not4 ,no one but ,god can certainly     
judge how much time is necessary in any 
individual case for the full maturing of
 the convictions into a distinct and    
undoubting faith4 ,one thing ,i can     
assert1 however1 with confidence1 and ,i

 believe that every one who reads the   
ensuing extracts from ,mr4 ,baker's     
letters will share the same conviction3 
that he never deliberately quenched the 
light of the ,divine ,spirit1 or refused
 to follow it from any worldly and      
unworthy motives4 ,he sought for wisdom 
by study1 prayer1 and a pure life1 and  
although he was slow in arriving at a   
full determination1 yet he made a       
continual progress toward it2 and when  
he reached it1 he did not shrink from   
any sacrifice which obedience to ,god   
and his conscience required of him4  ,in
 a letter under the date of ,june #d1   
#ahdi1 after speaking of the probability
 of his leaving ,st4 ,paul's1 and the   
uncertainty he was in in regard to his  
future plans1 which were interfered with
 by the ill-health of his brother1 he   
thus writes3  #he    ,i missed you at   
the ,convention2 indeed1 there are      
several   reasons why ,i did not enjoy  
myself at that time4 ,it seemed to   me 
that there were but one or two with whom

 ,i had any real   sympathy4 ,there was 
very little done4 ,the bishop could not 
be   present on account of              
indisposition4 ,k4 read the bishop's    
charge4 ,it was able1 but thoroughly and
 strongly   ,protestant4 ,the position  
it took was perfectly unequivocal2 and  
it places certain people1 whose position
 before was   sufficiently              
uncomfortable1 in a most painful        
predicament4 ,he   shuts us up to the   
very sense of the ,articles and         
,prayer-,book1   as understood by the   
,reformers2 and tells those who   cannot
 submit to this1 who are willing not to 
contradict   that sense1 but do not     
believe it1 he tells them very   plainly
 that they are obliged to leave a       
ministry for which   they are no longer 
competent4 ,the charge convinces me     
either   that we have heretofore        
misunderstood the bishop1 or that he    
has fixed himself upon a new platform4  
,he now makes the   ,protestant element 
in our ,church's teaching 7which is     

certainly   the most prominent one in   
her history7 the most authoritative     
and controlling4 ,it appears to me that 
he might as well have   said at once    
that the ,church of ,england was founded
 at   the ,reformation4 ,may ,god teach 
us what we ought to do4  ,i have been   
told by ,mr4 ,baker that the bishop1 on 
some occasion1 sent him his charge to   
look over1 with the request that he     
would read it for him at the            
,convention1 and that he declined       
reading it1 on account of his strong    
objection to the doctrine it contained4 
,i suppose that this must have been the 
charge in question4 ,i find no other    
letter from this date until ,january #i1
 #ahej1 under which date he writes at   
length1 and begins to unbosom himself   
more freely than he had done before3    
,there was something in your last letter
 which was particularly   refreshing to 
me4 ,it seemed like old times1 and      
brought an   assurance of sympathy when 
,i had begun deeply to feel the want    

of it4 ,you say that my letter was not  
so full or like myself as   some others4
 ,there was a reason why it was not so1 
and the same   reason has delayed the   
answer to your last kind favor4 #hf   ,i
 have had many painful and distressing  
thoughts1 which ,i   hardly knew how to 
express to any one2 and it seemed a     
wrong   and cruelty to grieve one's     
friends when every catholic-minded      
brother had so much to bear on his own  
account4 ,now that ,i have   decided    
upon the course ,i will take1 ,i can    
write more calmly1   and with less risk 
of perplexing others4 ,you will guess   
the   cause of anxiety4 ,my conviction  
of the truth and holiness of   ,catholic
 doctrines has not diminished since ,i  
saw you2 my   apprehension of what ,i   
hold is firmer and more distinct2 my    
prejudice against some things which the 
,roman ,church holds as   catholic      
truths1 but which we deny1 has been     
shaken2 and while   this was enough to  
make my present position in some        

respects   uncomfortable1 the longing   
for a fuller measure of catholic        
privileges1 the want of sympathy1 the   
uncertainty1 dissension1   and          
mutability among us1 and the awful      
greatness of the claims   and promises  
of ,rome1 made me willing to entertain  
the thought   of changing my            
ecclesiastical relations4 ,on looking   
back upon   this state of feeling1 there
 was much that was wrong4 ,i felt in    
many ways the results of past           
unfaithfulness2 ,i was confused   and   
perplexed2 ,i was doubtful of my own    
sincerity4 ,sometimes   every thing     
seemed uncertain to me4 ,but whatever   
were the   causes1 and whatever the     
characteristics of my state of mind1 ,i 
felt1 upon a careful examination of     
myself that the only proper   course for
 me to pursue was to institute a candid 
and diligent   search into the claims of
 the ,roman ,church to be the   ,holy   
,catholic ,church4 ,all her claims seem 
to resolve themselves   into that of the

 supremacy of the ,see of ,st4 ,peter1  
and ,i   accordingly resolved to confine
 my investigations to that   point4 ,i  
communicated my determination to the    
bishop last week1   and asked him       
whether ,i could continue to officiate  
while ,i was   engaged in such a course4
 ,he thought ,i could and ought1 and    
offered me every assistance in his      
power1 in the way of books1   advice1   
etc4 ,he was wonderfully kind and       
forbearing1 but firm   in assuring me   
that investigation of the point would   
but end in   conviction of the          
untenableness of the ,roman claim4 #hg  
,i have felt calmer since ,i acted thus1
 and propose to enter   forthwith upon  
the study of this question1 keeping it  
as clear   as ,i can of exterior        
matters1 and pushing it1 if ,i may1 to a
   decision4 ,i need not1 ,i know1 ask  
of you the charity to   continue your   
prayers for the ,divine blessing and    
guidance to   your perplexed friend4    
,tuesday ,night4   ,you will understand1

 from what ,i have been telling you of  
the   thoughts which have occupied my   
mind for some time past1 how   the      
various events in the ,church during the
 last few months   have affected me4    
,with regard to ----'s departure1 ,i    
confess it   was the deepest grief to   
me1 and1 in connection with other       
circumstances1 did much to distress and 
unsettle me4 ,it is one   of the most   
afflicting things about the present     
controversies1   these separations      
between friend and friend1 between      
master and   disciple2 yet ,i know that 
even this is to be borne meekly and     
obediently1 if we cannot see it to be   
our imperative   duty to follow those we
 have loved and lost2 and now that ,i   
have undertaken in a rational way to    
satisfy myself on this   point ,i can   
think more calmly of our isolation and  
bereavement4   ,to return to more       
,protestant ground 7,i know that it does
 not   suit unlearned people to say what
 they will do1 but7 ,i feel is          

impossible4 ,my conviction of the truth 
of the system 7in   opposing and barking
 at which ,protestantism has its life   
and   occupation7 continually increases2
 but ,i think ,i feel that if ,i   could
 be persuaded that the ,divine ,will    
made it to be my duty   to remain where 
,i am1 ,i could submit to all the       
difficulties   and privations of our    
position uncomplainingly and even       
cheerfully4    ,bishop ,ives's movement1
 so far as it was intended to introduce 
the general practice of auricular       
confession1 had my   unrestrained       
sympathy4 ,how far he meant to go in    
asserting its   necessity1 ,i confess   
myself unable to determine2 but         
anyhow1 ,i think he went farther than   
,protestant ,episcopalianism   will bear
 him out in going4 #hh   ,it was an     
infinite relief to me when he came out  
as boldly as   he did2 and now that he  
has presented the subject anew to the   
,church1 ,i feel assured that the       
,church will be obliged to meet   the   

question4 ,i confess ,i do not feel very
 hopeful as to the   issue of the       
controversy1 for it seems to me that    
nothing short   of a miracle could      
dispose the mass of our people to the   
practice of confession4 ,the ,high      
,churchmen will be as opposed   to it as
 the ,low ,churchmen4 ,maryland will    
kick as much as ,ohio4   ,but nous      
verrons4  ,some time after the date of  
this letter1 ,mr4 ,baker made a voyage  
to ,bermuda with his brother ,alfred1   
who was now in a deep and hopeless      
decline4 ,he returned some time in the  
early part of the ensuing summer4 ,one  
day1 either a little before or a little 
after this voyage1 ,i accidentally met  
him as ,i was out walking4 ,i had       
returned once more to ,baltimore1 and   
was making my novitiate at the ,house   
attached to ,st4 ,alphonsus' ,church4   
,it was now nearly five years since ,i  
had seen my former friend1 and three    
since ,i had received any letters from  
him4 ,i was startled and pleased at our 

unexpected rencontre1 and at the light  
of friendship which ,i saw in his face  
and eyes2 but the pain of being         
separated from him was renewed4 ,mr4    
,lyman came to see me1 one day1 during  
the spring of #ahej2 and was much more  
frank and cordial in his manner than    
,mr4 ,baker1 who kept a close vail of   
reserve over his heart until the last4  
,i inquired of him particularly about   
,mr4 ,baker1 whether he had made any    
retrograde movement1 c4 ,he replied that
 he had rather advanced1 and had become 
more spiritual in his preaching1 advised
 me to visit him1 and on my objecting to
 this on the ground that a visit might  
be intrusive and unwelcome1 assured me  
of the contrary4 ,it was through his    
influence that some degree of           
intercourse was from this time          
re-established between ,mr4 ,baker and  
myself4 ,a subsequent letter of ,mr4    
,baker speaks of his visiting me1 and   
also describes his visit to ,bermuda in 
the following terms4 ,the letter is     

dated ,october #bd1 #ahej3--  #hi    ,on
 my return from ,bermuda1 ,i found your 
kind and interesting   letter1 and felt 
grateful to you for the friendship which
 you   have now continued to me for     
several years4 ,i am sorry not to   have
 seen you when you were in ,baltimore1  
and in fact that was   the only regret  
,i felt on account of my absence from   
home at   the time of the ,convention4  
,the ,convention itself ,i have ceased  
to look forward to with any pleasure4   
,the truth is1 it always   saddens me to
 mingle at all with the clergy          
promiscuously4 ,i   feel that there is  
so little sympathy between us1 that the 
sense of loneliness is forced upon me   
more distinctly than when   ,i keep to  
myself altogether4 ,but ,i do not mean  
to write   gloomily to a friend with    
whom ,i communicate so seldom1 and      
indeed ,i do not complain of the want of
 sympathy which ,i   feel1 or blame     
others for it4 ,i know that the cause of
 it is in   myself1 and ,i acknowledge  

with gratitude the great degree of      
indulgence1 kindness1 and forbearance   
with which ,i have been   universally   
treated4    ,i have felt happier lately1
 though ,i do not know why ,i should1   
for ,i cannot say that ,i have gained a 
satisfactory position2   and when ,i    
think of dying1 anxious thoughts come   
across me2 but   ,i have been pursuing  
7as my occupation allows me7 my         
investigations into the question of the 
supremacy1 and ,i wish   to abide by the
 result1 without being swayed by feeling
 one way   or another4 ,i have read     
,newman's ,discourses since ,i received 
your letter4 ,they are like all that he 
writes1 thoughtful1   earnest1 holy1 and
 deeply impressive2 but ,i think they   
differ   from his ,parochial ,sermons in
 having the appearance of more   excited
 feeling1 and in being more affectionate
 in their tone4   ,he seems to write    
under a pressing anxiety to influence   
those   he addresses1 and he opens his  
heart more than he did of old4 ,i       

think this accounts in part for an      
objection which ,i have heard   brought 
against them1 that they are not so      
strictly logical4 #ij   ,he seems to me 
possessed with that proselyting spirit  
which has   always appeared to me to be 
so divine a token about the ,church   of
 ,rome1 as if the constant reflection of
 his mind was1 ',what   shall it profit 
a man if he shall gain the whole world1 
and   lose his own soul8'    ,i was     
deeply interested in the account of your
 visit to ,h4 ,i   too saw ,h41 but only
 for a moment4 ,we met on the road1 and 
he   stopped most kindly1 and we had a  
minute's conversation4 ,of   course     
there was nothing but commonplace4 ,i   
know not how he   felt1 but ,i felt very
 sad4    ,you may imagine that ,i have  
looked with no little interest at   the 
progress of ecclesiastical affairs in   
,england4 ,the   secessions lately have 
made a tremendous excitement--more so1  
,i   really think1 than those in #ahde1 
perhaps on account of the   'present    

distress4'    ,i have not much of       
interest to tell you about ,bermuda4    
,you   know it is an ,english colony1   
and ,i saw there for the first   time   
the workings of the ,english ,church4   
,in every thing except   the ,morning   
and ,evening ,prayer1 ,i think we have  
the advantage1   particularly excepting 
the latter4 ,the clergy ,i found a      
hard-working set of men1 frank and      
cordial1 and very much   interested and 
well informed in matters relating to our
 ,church4   ,the churches are very      
plain1 but have a quiet1 grave1 soothing
   air about them1 the clergy mostly    
',high ,church1' but not after   our    
sort1 and the people seemed to me to be 
almost entirely   devoid of a ,church   
tone and spirit1 though not irreligious4
   ,dissent is very rife1 and1 ,i fancy1
 influences even members of   the       
,church4 ,they have a noble-hearted     
bishop1 ,bishop ,field1   austere1      
self-denying1 devout1 hard-working1 and 
charitable1   and by his assistance they

 are building a very handsome church    
on the island2 but ,i found that he was 
not popular1 that even   his mode of    
life was objected to3 he was called a   
,puseyite4 ,i did not preach while ,i   
was there1 but ,i   assisted several of 
the clergy at the services1 and once at 
the   holy communion1 in which ,i found 
the omission of 'the oblation'   to have
 a most painful effect upon my feelings4
  #ia    ,i was very glad to get so full
 and gratifying account of your         
church4 ,i do indeed congratulate you on
 its completion4 ,i think   you have    
done wonders1 with so many difficulties1
 to succeed in   so short a time1 and ,i
 sincerely hope that you may find your  
zeal and labor repaid by an increase of 
your congregation1 and   of true        
devotion and earnestness among them4    
,from your   description of the church  
,i thought it must be a very            
magnificent edifice1 quite beyond ,york 
,minster and churches of   that size2   
and to see so famous a building1 and    

still more to   see the kind1 warm      
friend who ministers within it1 would be
 so   great a pleasure1 that you must   
not be surprised if some old   friends  
should some time make a pilgrimage      
there4     ,january #bg1 #ahea4   ,i    
often feel what a relief it would be to 
open one's heart1   and to have the     
sympathy and counsel of a friend who can
   understand one's views and feelings4 
,but it is impossible to do   so by     
letter1 because one shrinks from coolly 
writing down   one's thoughts1 which    
would be expressed without effort in the
   warmth and freedom of conversation4  
,since the receipt of your   letter ,i  
saw ,h4 ,i had determined not to seek   
him1 but about the   beginning of this  
month he called on me4 ,he was kind1 but
 the   visit was not agreeable3 it was  
awkward4 ,i returned his   visit last   
week1 and enjoyed being in his society4 
,i talked   with him as guardedly as ,i 
could while using any degree of         
frankness and cordiality4 ,i could not  

consent to postpone my   visit to him1  
as ,i had reason to believe that his    
coming to see   me was providential1 to 
assist me in the matter in which ,i am  
laboring1 viz41 to ascertain the        
,catholic ,church4 ,i asked him         
several questions concerning the ,papal 
supremacy1 which he   answered very     
readily and with great ability4 #ib     
,he gave me some assistance in pursuing 
my inquiries1 and ,i   promised to see  
him again before long4 ,i came away     
feeling   better for having been with   
him1 and with a heavy conviction on   my
 mind how little share ,i had in the    
blessing of the pure in   heart4    ,i  
find very little time to study4 ,the    
duties which devolve   upon me take so  
much of my attention1 that ,i could find
 it in   my heart to throw them up1 were
 ,i not advised otherwise by the        
bishop4 ,besides1 ,i know that it is    
only by humility and   obedience and    
fidelity that we can arrive at the      
truth4 ,o   ,dwight6 again ,i ask your  

prayers in my behalf1 especially for    
earnestness in seeking the truth1 to    
make the holy vow1 ',i will   not climb 
up into my bed1 nor suffer my eyelids to
 take any   rest1 until' ,i have an     
obedient spirit to obey ,god's will1    
directly it is made known4    ,the      
course of ,church matters is to me      
increasingly   unsatisfactory4 ,the     
anti-,papal movement has placed the     
,church   of ,england on decidedly worse
 ground1 if indeed it has not   bound   
her to that decision1 on rejecting which
 her ,catholicity   seems to be         
suspended4 ,i do think that1 after all  
that has   happened1 for bishops and    
people to be crying up the royal        
supremacy looks like accepting that     
supremacy to the full   extent to which 
it has lately been claimed4 ,what did   
you think   of ,mr4 ,bennett's course8  
,to say the truth1 ,i was not satisfied 
with his letters1 though ,i felt a      
sympathy with the man4 ,pray   can you  
tell me what ground there is for the    

assertion that   ,archdeacon ,manning   
and ,mr4 ,dodsworth have resigned and   
are on   their way to ,jerusalem8    99 
99 99 99 99  ,some time after this1 ,mr4
 ,baker was appointed rector of the new 
parish of ,st4 ,luke's1 where he        
remained until he gave up the           
,protestant ministry1 that is1 for about
 two years4 ,during his rectorship he   
removed to a pleasant residence near the
 site of the church1 and employed       
himself in building a tasteful ,gothic  
church1 which he proposed to finish and 
decorate in accordance with his own idea
 of ecclesiastical propriety4 #ic ,it   
was only partially completed at the time
 he left it4 ,his next letter to ,mr4   
,lyman1 who was now progressing rapidly 
toward the ,catholic ,church1 and urging
 forward his slower footsteps1 is dated 
,tuesday in ,holy ,week1 ,april #ae1    
#ahea4   ,i read your letter with a     
great deal of emotion1 and was          
prompted to sit down and say a word in  
reply immediately2 but   as ,i have gone

 to ,st4 ,luke's1 there were some duties
 devolving   upon me which took up my   
time more than is usual with me4 ,you   
may be assured of my sympathy in much   
that you feel and   express4 ,i do think
 that the statements of ,allies's book  
are of   a kind which ought to make a   
profound impression upon us1 and   which
 ought to modify very much the feelings 
with which we have   been taught to     
regard the ,roman communion2 and ,i do  
think honestly that our ,church is at   
present in a miserable   condition1 and 
that no good can come of denying it4 ,as
 you say1   it becomes at such a time a 
very solemn question1 in view of        
eternity1 what we ought to do4 ,my dear 
,dwight1 ,i think ,i   am sincere when  
,i say that to me the way of duty seems 
to take   pains and make such an        
investigation as ,i can into the        
question   upon which the claim of      
authority rests1 and to abide by   the  
result3 meanwhile to live in prayer and 
upon such catholic   truth as we are    

permitted to hold1 imploring ,god to    
take pity   upon us1 and to look upon   
his distracted people4 ,h4 recommended  
me a treatise on the supremacy by the   
brothers ,ballerini1 but ,i   find that 
,i do not read ,latin with such facility
 as to reap the   full benefit of the   
perusal of such a work at present4 ,i   
have   therefore taken up ,kenrick on   
the ,primacy4 ,with regard to my        
duties as a minister1 ,i have thought it
 right to be directed   from without1   
and ,i was passive in accepting ,st4    
,luke's1 which   was strongly urged upon
 me4 ,surely we may hope that if we     
faithfully and devoutly1 and in a spirit
 of humility and   obedience1 work with 
our intention constantly directed to    
,god's   glory and the salvation of     
souls1 ,he will bless and guide us4 #id 
,it was a comfort to me to think you    
remembered me and my   difficulties in  
your ,lenten exercises1 and ,i assure   
you that   you have been constantly     
remembered by your perplexed friend4 ,i 

feel afraid of myself and of my own     
heart--afraid of taking a   wrong step1 
afraid on account of my past sins1      
afraid when ,i   look forward to the    
judgment of our dear ,lord2 and you may 
be   sure that ,i find prayer my        
greatest comfort1 the belief in the     
intercession of our ,blessed ,mother and
 the saints in heaven1 as   well as in  
the value of the supplications of       
,christians on   earth1 a source of real
 strength4 ,pray for me1 my dear friend1
   that ,i may be enabled sincerely to  
appeal to ,god and say that   ,his      
,church is the first object of my heart1
 and that ,i may be   diligent and      
studious and obedient to ,his grace and 
to   conscience4    ,i see the ,english 
papers constantly1 and they are full of 
interest4 ,we know not what is before   
us2 these are   heart-stirring times1   
and we can but adore the counsel of ,god
   by which we were born in them1 and   
anxiously seek to take the   right      
course amid so many perplexities4 ,i    

have recently read   ,dr4 ,pusey's      
letter to the ,bishop of ,london4 ,it is
 a very able   letter1 and one          
calculated to rouse the feelings of the 
,catholic-minded men in ,england4 ,i    
confess it made me feel more   hopeful4 
,if it is our duty to remain where we   
are1 it is a noble   thing to be called 
to labor amid so many discouragements1  
and1   surrounded by temptations1 to    
keep the ,catholic ,faith whole and     
inviolate6 ,every day ,i feel a stronger
 repugnance to   ,protestantism1 and a  
determination by ,god's help to carry   
out   my principles consistently2 but   
with regard to the ,roman   ,catholic   
,church1 ,i do not see how              
intellectually it can   dispense with   
the theory of development1 and ,i feel a
 strong   suspicion of that theory4 ,i  
went to see ,h4 again1 but he was in    
,new ,york1 and will not be back until  
after ,easter4  #ie    ,i feel that ,i  
am in a difficult and dangerous         
situation1 but ,i   have the comfort of 

knowing that ,i have the advice of the  
bishop to do as ,i am doing2 and if ,i  
can be sure of ,god's   blessing1 by    
watchfulness and strictness and         
faithfulness ,i may   yet be happy4 ,i  
have written confidentially1 and all    
about   myself1 but you will forgive me4
 ,the bell rings for prayers4           
,good-by4     ,august #d1 #ahea4   ,you 
will be anxious to know the impression  
made upon my mind   by what ,i have been
 reading on the ,roman ,catholic        
question4 ,on   the whole1 many         
difficulties that lay in the way have   
been   removed1 and the claims of the   
,roman ,see appear far more   strongly  
supported by antiquity than ,i had ever 
dreamed of   before4 ,kenrick's is1 ,i  
think1 a very strong book1 although it  
has a very apologetic air2 yet there was
 a great deal in it   which seemed to me
 very forcible4 ,but the book which made
   altogether the most decided          
impression on my mind was ',the   ,unity
 of the ,episcopate4' ,the principle of 

unity was   there unfolded in a way that
 was new to me1 and which ,i think      
does away with a whole class of passages
 7and they the   strongest7 which are   
usually alleged against the ,papacy4    
99 99 99 99 99    ,i find my greatest   
want to be the want of earnestness and a
   spiritual mind4 ,my dear ,dwight1    
this is not cant4 ,i want you to   pray 
that ,god would not take his ,holy      
,spirit from me4 ,i desire   above all  
things to be a ,catholic1 and ,i am     
resolved by ,god's   help not to give up
 the present investigation until ,i am  
satisfied about my duty1 which at       
present ,i am not1 but very1   very much
 harassed and perplexed4 ,may ,god in   
his good time   grant us both to see    
clearly the way we ought to take4 ,i saw
 ,h4   a few weeks ago1 and had a       
pleasant interview4 ,he thinks it       
possible that he will leave ,baltimore  
in ,september4 ,i have   sometimes felt 
lately as if a decision of the great    
question was not far off4 ,oh1 that it  

may be a wise and true   decision6  #if 
,a few weeks after writing this letter1 
,mr4 ,baker came very near making a     
decision to give up his ministry and    
place himself under the instruction of a
 ,catholic priest4 ,his conviction was  
not yet fully matured1 or his doubts    
quite removed1 and the wisest course    
would have been for him to have gone    
into a complete retirement for a while1 
in order to complete his studies1 and   
allow his mind and conscience time to   
ripen into a decision4 ,he communicated 
his state of mind to the bishop1 and was
 so far overruled by him as to consent  
to wait a while longer1 and postpone his
 decision4 ,he informs his friend of all
 that took place at this crisis1 in a   
long and deeply interesting letter of   
thirteen pages1 from which ,i shall only
 make a few extracts4 ,it is dated      
,november #aa1 #ahea1 and is full of    
affection1 of sadness1 and of the       
tremulous breathings of a sensitive1    
delicate conscience1 deeply troubled by 

anxiety and fear1 almost ready to seek  
repose in the bosom of the ,church1 but 
driven back by doubt to struggle yet    
longer with adverse winds4  ,he says at 
the beginning of his letter3    ,first  
let me thank you again for your         
expressions of kindness   and affection4
 ,i assure you ,i thank you for them1   
and feel that   they1 together with the 
friendship which has lasted so long1    
give you a claim on my confidence and   
love4 ,nor have ,i been   unmindful of  
the claim1 for ,i have constantly       
thought of you1   and often invoked     
,god's aid in your behalf2 and if ,i    
have not   written often1 it is because 
,i am myself in great perplexity1   and 
feel the responsibility which attaches  
to every word1   uttered at a time like 
this1 on subjects which concern the     
salvation of ourselves and others also4 
,this was my feeling   when ,i last     
wrote4 ,i felt as if ,i wanted a little 
recollection before ,i could write as ,i
 wished on some   points2 and as ,i was 

then much occupied1 ,i deferred writing 
fully until some other time4 ,however1  
your letter to-day   demands an         
immediate answer1 and ,i proceed to give
 you an   answer to your inquiries1 and 
a faithful transcript of my   feelings1 
and pray ,god that you may receive no   
injury from one   who would do you good4
  #ig  ,he states the result of his     
studies quite at length1 summing it up  
in these words1 which ,i quote as an    
accurate index of the degree of         
conviction he had at that time reached3 
,the result of my thought and reading   
last summer was to   strengthen my      
impression that the claims of the ,roman
 ,catholic   ,church on the obedience of
 all ,christians are divine4 ,i cannot  
say ,i felt perfectly assured4  ,after  
describing his interview with the       
bishop1 and informing his friend that he
 had consented to wait1 he says3    ,i  
think ,i agreed to this from the fear of
 offending ,god1 and   from that alone4 
,as to the frown of the world1 ,i do not

 think   it decided me1 for ,i had      
looked the consequences of the act      
full in the face1 and had accepted them4
 ,i was the more ready   to wait1       
because ,i could not say ,i had no doubt
 of the   propriety of secession4  ,the 
sequel of the letter and of its writer's
 history shows that this doubt was not a
 rational doubt1 but a morbid           
irresolution and timidity of mind1 which
 ought to have been disregarded4        
,consequently1 in giving way to it1 he  
simply fell back into a state in which  
he had just to go over again the same   
ground1 and this discouraged and        
disheartened him1 as he frankly         
acknowledges4    ,i felt a sense of     
relief1 partly1 ,i believe1 from having 
opened my mind1 and partly1 ,i suspect1 
at finding that the   sacrifice to which
 ,i had looked forward was not then     
demanded4   ,but when ,i considered the 
matter1 ,i saw that ,i was just where ,i
   was before1 with the whole question  
before me and resting on my   decision4 

,from week to week ,i have been willing 
to postpone   looking my position in the
 face1 seeking to excuse myself to my   
conscience by the plea of the many      
unavoidable demands on my   time and    
thoughts which a new parish and a church
 just   commenced seem to make2 although
 ,i feel that the danger of such   a    
course is that ,i may sink into a       
worldly1 indifferent thing1   seeking in
 the praise of men a reward for my      
treachery to ,god4 #ih   ,i have seen   
,h4 but once since ,i saw the bishop4   
,the visit was   more constrained1      
because ,i felt ,i ought not to betray  
my   feelings2 indeed1 ,i would not go  
to see ,h4 unless ,i were afraid   of   
resisting some design which ,god may    
have formed for   me--because the       
intercourse has not been of my seeking1 
and   this appearance of deceit and     
double-dealing is dreadful to me1   and 
makes me feel as if ,i were guilty4     
,i have not read any thing since my     
interview with the bishop4   ,my plan is

 to wait and seriously consider what ,i 
ought to do4 ,i   need not tell you ,i  
am not happy4 ,i am free from many of   
the   annoyances which distress you1 as 
,i read no ,r4 ,c4 papers1 and          
scarcely any of our own1 and have no    
associate4 ,i strive to   live by the   
rule recommended by ,dr4 ,pusey1 and am 
almost as   much isolated from          
,protestants as if there were none in   
our   communion4 ,i believe most firmly 
in the ,sacrifice of the ,mass1   in the
 ,real ,presence1 in the ,veneration of 
,relics1 in the   ,mediation of the     
,saints1 and especially of ,st4 ,mary4  
,i   constantly beseech ,god to hear her
 supplications in my behalf1   and only 
do not invoke her because ,i am not sure
 of the   authority for doing so4 ,i    
believe also in ,purgatory4 ,my         
difficulties are on the subject of      
,church authority and the   ,supremacy4 
,my sympathy in doctrine1 my reverence  
for the holy   men who have gone out    
from us1 my strong prepossessions in    

favor of the ,roman ,catholic ,church1  
which have never left me at   any period
 of my life1 and the distress among us1 
all draw   me to ,rome2 but the single  
question ,i ask myself 7or strive to    
do so7 is1 whether any of these things  
ought to decide me1 and   whether the   
point of inquiry ought not to be--,what 
is the   ,church8 ,partly on account of 
my position1 and partly1 dear   ,dwight1
 on account of grave deficiencies and   
sins in myself1 ,i   feel that ,i am    
full of inconsistencies1 contradictions1
   apparent insincerities 7perhaps      
real71 presumptuous and fearful   at the
 same time1 tossed with tempest1 and not
 comforted1 not   fully persuaded in my 
own mind1 and not bending all my        
energies   to become so4 #ii   ,and now1
 my dear ,dwight1 ,i have only opened my
 heart to you1   without at all thinking
 of the effect it would have upon you4  
,simply seeking1 as in duty bound1 to   
deal with you as a friend1   ,i have let
 you somewhat into my heart--only       

somewhat1 for ,i   deeply feel that to a
 full understanding of my state of      
feeling1 even in reference to this      
subject1 it would be needful   that ,i  
should kneel down and humbly confess 7as
 it would be a   comfort to do7 all the 
many offenses in word and deed of a     
sinful and tangled life4 ,i have humbled
 myself before you4 ,i   know not how it
 shall be hereafter between us1 how     
differently   you may soon look upon me 
from what you have been used to do2     
but1 wherever you are1 think of me as a 
sinner and a penitent1   and as one who 
desires and needs your prayers4    99 99
 99 99 99    ,and now1 my dear friend1  
,i do not think of any thing else       
which ,i ought to say to you1 but to    
reciprocate the earnest   hope and the  
conviction that you express1 that ,god  
,almighty may   enable us together to   
have an abode here in that ,ark   which 
,he has set up as the place of safety   
and peace in a lost   world1 and may    
give us together an entrance into ,his  

,presence forever4 ,may ,he of ,his     
undeserved mercy grant it4  ,during the 
winter of #ahea and #aheb1 ,mr4 ,baker  
was very much occupied with             
church-building1 and also with the cares
 and anxieties of illness and death in  
his family1 and his attention was thus  
drawn away in a measure from himself and
 from the question of the ,church4  ,his
 next letter of interest was written in 
,may1 #aheb1 communicating the          
intelligence of the death of his aunt   
and of his brother3    ,i have no doubt 
that you have thought your kind and     
patient   letter deserved an earlier    
answer1 but ,i have been greatly and    
particularly occupied ever since ,i     
received it ,when it came1   ,aunt ,e4  
was very ill1 and our anxiety about her 
continued to   increase until she was   
taken from us on the #cast of ,january4 
#ajj   ,immediately after1 dear ,alfred 
began to decline rapidly1 and   after an
 interval of some weeks of great        
suffering on his part1   and of watching

 and sadness on ours1 he too was taken  
on the   #ith of ,april 7,good ,friday74
 ,you1 who knew them both1 and knew     
what place they held in our hearts1 can 
imagine the greatness   of the          
bereavement1 and the depth of our       
suffering4 ,god has   supported us      
mercifully1 and ,i heartily thank ,him  
that ,i have   so great a solace in     
thinking of the character of our dear   
departed ones2 and it is at such times  
that ,i feel the   consolatory nature of
 the doctrine of the communion of       
saints1   and the comfort of the        
practice of praying for the dead4 ,to   
you1 who know so much of my feelings1 ,i
 will not deny that the   uncertainty   
which rests upon the question of the    
,church has   disturbed the fixedness of
 my hope and faith during this          
sorrowful winter1 but ,i have not been  
able to advance in its   investigation4 
,i now propose to resume my studies as  
regularly   and as perseveringly as my  
duties will permit4 ,you are much and   

often in my thoughts1 and often do ,i   
wish that ,i could do by   you the part 
of a faithful friend4 ,you always have a
 part in my   prayers1 and it would be  
to me a great happiness to have the     
assurance one day that my friendship has
 not been without some   benefit to you4
 ,i assure you ,i prize it1 and ,i feel 
more   strongly that ,i have more in    
common with you than with anyone   else 
with whom ,i communicate4 ,i have not   
the heart nor indeed   the time to write
 more4      ,september #ae1 #aheb4   ,i 
came away from ,columbia with many      
pleasant1 affectionate   thoughts about 
you1 and grateful recollections of your 
kindness1 and you have often been in my 
mind since my return4   ,you will be    
glad to learn that my little jaunt was  
of decided   service to me4 ,i have been
 improving in health ever since my      
return1 and now feel quite well4 ,i     
suppose by this time you   have been on 
to the ,north and have returned1 and1   
like myself1   are now quietly settled  

down to your duties4 #aja   ,i found my 
sisters much benefited by their trip to 
the   sea-shore1 and our little         
household has again resumed its         
accustomed habits4 ,i need not tell you1
 dear ,dwight1 how glad ,i   shall be if
 you will consent to come on now and pay
 your   promised visit4 ,you might come 
at the beginning of the week1   and ,i  
would go and take your ,sunday duties   
7choose a ,sunday   when service is all 
day at ,columbia71 and then ,i would    
return   on ,monday to be with you at   
home another week4 ,i cannot promise    
to do you good1 but ,i can offer you1 at
 least1 what you will   not receive     
elsewhere1 true and affectionate        
sympathy4 ,i do   most deeply feel for  
you in your anxieties1 and in much1 in  
very much1 ,i feel with you4 ,i felt    
when ,i was with you1   my dear friend  
7now my only friend71 as if the         
difference   between us was this3 that  
you had really come to a   conclusion1  
while ,i was still of a fearful and     

divided   mind4 ,i felt as if there was 
something dishonorable and   disgraceful
 in such a state of indecision1 while   
there was an   appearance of manliness  
in your boldness and determination1 and 
,i was ashamed of myself4 ,besides1 ,i  
found myself sometimes   taking the     
anti-,roman side in argument with you1  
and then ,i was   vexed with myself for 
doing what ,i did nowhere else1 and what
 ,i   could not do heartily anywhere1   
and ,i seemed to myself   insincere4 ,i 
do not know whether you can understand  
me1 but ,i   want you to understand my  
feelings2 for ,i do not want you to     
think ,i am insincere1 and ,i felt so   
much obliged to you   when you told me  
that you said to ,h4 that you did not   
think me   so4 ,i believe uncertainty   
often carries the appearance of         
insincerity2 and uncertain ,i own myself
 to be1 full of sadness1   full of      
doubt4 ,o ,dwight1 what is there in such
 a situation to   make one remain in it1
 if one could conscientiously leave it8 

,what could hinder me from being a      
,roman ,catholic but for the   fear of  
doing wrong8 ,i assure you1 that as     
regards this world ,i   have not a hope 
or desire1 and there is nothing earthly 
which ,i   could not part with this     
night4 #ajb   ,nothing seems to me worth
 living for but the knowledge of the    
truth and the love of ,god2 and that    
position in which ,i feel ,i   should be
 the happiest would be where ,i should  
be   certain what was truth1 and could  
live a life hidden   from the world with
 ,god4 ,i feel concerned at finding     
myself   writing so much about myself1  
and in such a strain2 but ,i   think1 in
 reading over the letter1 you will      
understand how ,i   came to do it1 and  
will pardon it4    ,i have been reading 
lately pretty systematically on the     
,roman   question4 ,de ,maistre and     
,lacordaire ,i have finished1 and will  
return them to you if you wish them4    
,they are both   philosophical rather   
than theological1 and from that fact1 as

   well as from the ,french way in which
 they are written1 ,i   think they will 
be less influential with persons brought
 up in   the school with you and me4 ,i 
thought the remarks of ,de ,maistre   on
 the temporal power of the ,popes not   
near so forcible as   those in          
,brownson's ,review4 ,thompson seems to 
me now1 as he did   before1 a remarkably
 cogent and attractive writer4 ,i have  
not   finished his pamphlet as yet1 but 
feel very much interested in   it4 ,i   
have procured ,balmez1 and ,newman on   
,anglicanism1 but have   not yet read   
them4 ,when ,i was in ,philadelphia ,i  
saw ,mr4 ----4   ,he called on ,manning 
when he was in ,london1 and had a very  
interesting interview4 ,m4 is about to  
publish another edition   of his book on
 the ,unity of the ,church4 ,i should   
indeed like to   see it1 or any thing   
else that ,came from his hand4    99 99 
99 99 99    ,god bless you1 my dear     
friend2 write to me fully and freely as 
of old1 and be sure of the affection of 

your friend1      ,f4 ,a4 ,b4  #ajc     
,ash ,wednesday1 #ahec4   99 99 99      
,the general tone of your letter1 too1  
was sad1 and that also   fell in with my
 own feelings1 for you may be sure that 
the   stirring event of the last month  
has not been without a great   effect on
 me1 agitated as ,i was before by so    
many serious   doubts4 ,well1 another   
has gone1 and that the most   eminent of
 the party with which you and ,i have   
been identified1   and you and ,i remain
 asking still what we are to do6 ,to me 
the   question has been of late and is  
now one of absorbing and   pressing     
importance1 and yet ,i do not know how  
to answer it1   and in my perplexity can
 do nothing but pray--pray1 as ,i have  
done most earnestly1 for direction from 
on high2 and my   comfort1 dear ,dwight1
 is to know that you also pray for me4  
,what ,i want is the heart just to stand
 waiting ,god's bidding1   and1 when    
that is given1 to act without delay or  
taking counsel   with the flesh4 ,i     

should so much like to see ,bishop      
,ives's   ,reasons1 which ,i suppose    
will in some way be published4    99 99 
99    ,i received the first number of a 
newspaper from ,new ,york1 the   ,church
 ,journal 7which is most vociferously   
anti-,roman74   ---- is one of the      
editors4 ,by the way1 ---- is also      
connected   with this paper1 and ----4  
,i felt sorry to think of what a        
different spirit they once were2 and    
yet1 if the ,church of ,rome   be not   
what she claims to be1 the position of  
such men as   ,bishop ,whittingham is   
the right one1 and ours is untenable4   
,however1 ,i cannot but own that ,i have
 a drawing toward the   ,roman ,catholic
 communion so strong that1 if ,i were to
 be   without it1 ,i should feel as if  
,i were not myself4 ,i have not         
thought it right to go by this feeling1 
but it is very strong1   and ,i confess 
,i feel envious of ,bishop ,ives1 when  
,i   think of him in his new home--a    
feeling which ,i often have in          

reference to dear ,h41 whom ,i loved and
 reverenced so truly4 7,by   the way1   
,h41 ,i hear1 is either at present in   
,baltimore1 or is   about coming here1  
to conduct a 'mission' in the           
,cathedral47 ,i   often feel afraid1 my 
dear ,dwight1 in writing on such        
subjects1   of doing wrong in expressing
 my feelings and thoughts1 and of       
doing you harm2 but after all1 it seems 
not improper for   friends such as we   
are to speak without reserve1 and       
perhaps ,i   have done so too little4   
#ajd    ,i have been reading a good deal
 lately4    99 99 99    ,the articles on
 ,cyprian 7by ,dr4 ,nevin7 were indeed  
most   masterly1 and seemed to me to    
express the true doctrine of   antiquity
 as to the primacy of the ,roman ,see4  
,they have caused   a good deal of      
speculation on my part4 ,i do not see   
how the   writer can fail to become a   
,roman ,catholic4 ,i did not tell you   
what ,i thought of ,newman's book2 it   
was full of power1 many   most capital  

hits and brilliant passages1 and1 what  
is better1   satisfactory explanations  
of difficulties4 ,the eleventh lecture  
seemed to me the least successful1 and  
,i own1 even after   reading it1 the    
position of the ,greek ,church1 based on
 a   theological theory not unlike that 
which is advocated by                   
,anglo-,catholics1 and much the same 7as
 ,brownson seems to think7   with that  
held by many ,roman ,catholics1 does    
seem to me a   difficulty4 ,balmez1 too1
 ,i have proceeded some way with1 and am
   much interested in4    ,i thank you  
for ,brownson very much4 ,i have read   
the number you   sent me1 and it has set
 me to thinking4 ,his positions are bold
   and require some reflection2 and     
though ,i find in him the   consistent  
expression of much that ,i think ,i     
always believed1   yet he presents many 
new ideas to me4    99 99 99    ,adieu  
to-night1 my dear ,dwight4 ,may the     
blessing of ,heaven be   with you4      
,this was the last of these sad         

epistles--these outbreathings of a pure 
and noble1 but troubled spirit1         
enveloped in the obscure night of doubt1
 and seeking wearily for the light of   
truth4 ,it was written on the first day 
of ,lent2 and when that ,lent had passed
 by1 the clouds of mist had lifted from 
around the soul of ,francis ,baker1     
never to return4 ,before he wrote again 
to his dear friend1 the coup de-grace   
had been given4 ,the blow was struck    
suddenly and effectually1 and the news  
of it came unexpectedly1 with a         
startling and almost sunning effect upon
 his friend1 through the following brief
 and abrupt communication--  #aje       
,baltimore1 ,april #e1 #ahec4   ,my     
,dear ,dwight3--,the decision is made3  
,i have resigned my   parish1 and am    
about to place myself under instruction 
preparatory to my being received into   
the ,catholic ,church4 ,i   can write no
 more at present4 ,may ,god help you4   
,your affectionate friend1     ,francis 
,a4 ,baker4  ,this letter was followed  

by another1 written three days after1 in
 reply to one from ,mr4 ,lyman4    ,my  
,dear ,dwight3--,it was cruel in me to  
write so   briefly1 but if you knew what
 a press of duty came upon me just   at 
once1 you would pity me1 and indeed now 
,i am in such a   confusion1 that it    
takes some courage to write a line4     
,but1 my   dear friend1 you have been so
 great a help to me1 that it would   be 
worse than heathen in me not to give you
 one word of   explanation4 ,i decided  
to submit to the ,catholic ,church last 
,sunday night1 and gave in my           
resignation to the vestry on last       
,tuesday morning4 ,i went to the        
archbishop1 and to-morrow ,i make   my  
profession in ,st4 ,alphonsus' ,church1 
before only two   witnesses1 the least  
the rubric requires4 ,this was in       
compliance with the advice of the       
,bishop1 who did not think it   well to 
give unnecessary publicity to the act4  
,plain and   sufficient arguments had   
long enough been addressed to my mind1  

but my conversion at last ,i owe only to
 the grace of ,god4 ,it   was the gift  
of ,god through ,prayers1 and now ,i can
 say ',nunc   ,dimittis'--for ',i       
believe1 ,o ,god6 all the ,holy ,truths 
which ,thy   ,catholic ,church proposes 
to our belief1 because ,thou1 my ,god1  
hast revealed them all2 and ,thy ,church
 has declared them4 ,in   this faith ,i 
desire to live1 and in the same1 by ,thy
 holy   grace1 ,i am most firmly        
resolved to die4 ,amen4'    99 99 99    
,i shall prepare for the sacraments next
 week1 but beyond that1   ,i have formed
 no plans4  #ajf    ,my dear ,dwight1 ,i
 feel that ,i have too long resisted    
,god's   grace1 and it will be one of   
the sins which ,i must now repent   of4 
,god by ,his merciful kindness did not  
suffer me to be   abandoned1 as1 indeed1
 my resistance of ,his grace deserved1  
but   kindly pleaded with me1 and ,i am 
now at the threshold of the   kingdom of
 ,god4 ,come with us1 dear ,dwight1     
come2 ,god's time is   the best time4   

,may our ,lord bless you and direct you4
 ,yours   affectionately1     ,francis  
,a4 ,baker4  ,this closes the           
correspondence of ,mr4 ,baker with the  
dear and valued friend of his youth and 
manhood1 previous to his reception into 
the ,catholic ,church2 and ,i have      
postponed the continuation of my        
narrative in order to complete my       
extracts from it1 and leave the writer  
to tell his own touching story to the   
end4  ,mr4 ,baker's conversion was the  
logical sequence of his former life1    
both intellectual and spiritual2 it was 
the result of the accumulating light of 
the eleven preceding years1 concentrated
 and brought to a focus upon the        
practical question of duty and          
obligation4 ,the particular events which
 immediately preceded it1 were like the 
stroke of the hammer on the mould of a  
bell1 already completely cast and       
finished beneath it1 and waiting only   
the shattering of its earthen shell to  
ring out with a clear and musical sound4

 ,the just man is the accuser of        
himself1 and ,mr4 ,baker1 whose deep    
humility made him unconscious of his own
 goodness1 in the first vivid           
consciousness that the light which had  
led him to the ,catholic ,church was the
 light of grace1 could no longer        
understand his past state of doubt1 and 
reproached himself for it1 as a sinful  
resistance to ,god4 ,it is not          
necessary1 however1 to suppose that     
there was any thing grievously culpable 
in that state of doubt and hesitation4  
#ajg  ,he was right in attributing his  
final decision to the efficacious grace 
of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,but this grace   
was only the last of a long series of   
graces which had prepared him to receive
 it4 ,it did not change1 but only       
perfected his habitual disposition of   
mind4 ,it produced a crisis and a       
transformation in his soul1 but it was  
one to which a long and gradual process 
had been continually tending4 ,it was   
not a miracle1 or a sudden revelation4  

,careful thought and reading1 and the   
assiduous cultivation of his spiritual  
faculties had brought him to the        
apprehension of all the data of a       
rational judgment that the ,catholic    
,church is true4 ,the apparently sudden 
moment of deliberation and decision was 
but the successful effort of the mind   
and will to come into the certain       
consciousness of the truth already      
fairly proposed1 and to determine to    
follow it4 ,it was a supernatural grace 
which made this effort successful1 and  
elevated the just conclusions of reason 
to the certitude of faith4 ,but it was  
not a grace which superseded reason or  
dispensed with the reasonable grounds   
and evidences of an intellectual        
judgment and the motives of a just      
determination4  ,mr4 ,baker must have   
been drawing near to a decision during  
the whole of ,lent2 for his mind was    
evidently more deeply and earnestly bent
 on coming to it1 when ,i saw him in    
,easter ,week1 than ever4 ,he called on 

me on the ,friday evening of ,easter    
week1 and his manner was much changed4  
,his anxiety of mind broke through the  
reserve he had heretofore maintained1   
and instead of the guarded and          
self-controlled manner he had preserved 
in former interviews1 he was abrupt and 
outspoken4 ,at the very outset1 he      
expressed his feeling that the question 
of difference between us was one of     
vital importance1 in regard to which one
 of us must be deeply and dangerously in
 the wrong1 and desired to discuss the  
matter with me fully4 ,i suppose his    
intention was to see me more frequently 
than he had done1 to open his mind more 
fully1 and to get from me all the help  
,i could give him in making up his mind4
 ,we had a pretty long conversation on  
theological points1 without going into  
the discussion of fundamental ,catholic 
principles4 #ajh ,the truth is1 ,mr4    
,baker had already mastered these       
principles1 and was really settled in   
regard to every essential doctrine4 ,he 

had no need of further study1 but merely
 of an effort to shake off that kind of 
doubt which is a mental weakness1 and   
perpetually revolves difficulties and   
objections which ought not to affect the
 judgment4 ,the one particular point    
which we discussed most was in reference
 to some passages in the writings of    
,st4 ,augustine concerning the doctrine 
of ,purgatory--a doctrine which he had  
clearly stated his belief in1 two years 
before4 ,i answered his difficulty as   
well as ,i could at the time1 promising 
to examine the matter more fully the    
next day1 and to give him a written     
answer1 which ,i accordingly did1 but   
too late to be of any service to him1 as
 the sequel will show4 ,i left him with 
a strong impression that the crisis of  
his mind was at hand1 and for that      
reason engaged all the members of the   
community to pray for him particularly4 
,after leaving me1 he called on a young 
lady who was very ill1 and had sent for 
him to visit her4 ,this young lady1 who 

died happily in the bosom of the        
,catholic ,church a few weeks after1 had
 already sent for one of the reverend   
gentlemen of the ,cathedral1 and        
expressed to him her desire to become a 
,catholic1 but had consented1 at the    
request of her family1 to have an       
interview with ,mr4 ,baker before       
receiving the sacraments4 ,when he came 
to her bedside1 she informed him of her 
state of mind1 and asked him if he had  
any satisfactory reason to allege why   
she should not fulfil her wish to be    
received into the ,catholic ,church     
before she died4 ,he told her that he   
regretted very much that she had chosen 
to consult with him on that point1 as   
there were reasons why he must decline  
giving her advice on the subject4 ,she  
conjured him to tell her distinctly what
 he thought1 and he again replied that  
he was not able to say any thing to her 
on the subject4 ,she looked at him      
earnestly1 and said1 ,i see how it is1  
,mr4 ,baker2 you are in doubt yourself4 

,without saying another word1 he left   
the room and the house1 transpierced    
with a pain which he could neither      
endure nor remove4 #aji ,he turned his  
steps toward the ,cathedral1 and walked 
around it several times1 like one not   
knowing where to go1 and then returned  
to his home and his study to remain in  
solitude and prayer1 through several    
anxious days and sleepless nights4 ,he  
was now face to face with the certainty 
that he dare not promise to anyone else 
security of salvation in the ,episcopal 
,church4 ,yet1 he was a minister of that
 ,church1 and was trusting his own      
salvation to it4 ,to remain in such a   
position longer had become impossible to
 a conscientious man like him4          
,nevertheless1 he went through the      
duties of ,sunday1 and again read       
prayers in his church on the ,monday and
 ,tuesday mornings4 ,he had been        
censured for this1 by some1 as if he had
 acted a hypocritical part1 but most    
unjustly4 ,certainly1 if he had asked my

 advice beforehand1 ,i should have told 
him that he had no right to do it4 ,but 
the reader of this narrative will see   
that his own conscience had been        
frequently overruled on the question of 
exercising the ministry in a state of   
doubt1 and on ,sunday he was still in   
this state1 undecided what to do4 ,he   
did not actually give in his resignation
 until after prayers on ,tuesday        
morning1 and any candid person will     
surely admit that he was excusable1 in  
the agitation of the moment1 for        
thinking that it was better to fulfil   
the engagements he was under to his     
people until the last moment1 when these
 consisted merely in reciting a form of 
prayer which is very good in itself1 and
 contains nothing contrary to ,catholic 
doctrine4  ,on ,tuesday1 the #eth of    
,april1 ,mr4 ,baker gave a letter of    
resignation to the vestry of ,st4       
,luke's ,church1 called on ,dr4 ,wyatt1 
who was the administrator of the diocese
 during the bishop's absence in ,europe1

 and then went to see the archbishop4   
,when he was admitted to the presence of
 this venerable and saintly prelate1 he 
threw himself on his knees before him1  
and in accents and words of the most    
profound humility made his submission to
 the ,catholic ,church1 and implored him
 to receive him into her bosom4 #aaj    
,the archbishop1 who knew him well by   
sight and by reputation1 arose in haste 
from his chair to raise him from his    
knees1 in a few warm and affectionate   
words welcomed him to his embrace1 and  
begged him to be seated by his side and 
to calm himself4 ,it was with difficulty
 that he could induce him to do so1 for 
the barrier in his soul that had held it
 icebound for so long had given way3 a  
torrent of repressed emotions was       
swelling in his bosom1 and after a      
moment he burst into a flood of tears1  
the gentle and good archbishop weeping  
with him from sympathy4 ,after a long   
and consoling conversation with the     
archbishop1 he came over to ,st4        

,alphonsus' ,church1 which is near the  
,cathedral1 to see me4  ,i was making a 
retreat that day1 and was walking in the
 garden1 when a message was sent me by  
the rector to go to the parlor to see   
,mr4 ,baker4 ,as soon as he saw me1 he  
said1 abruptly1 ,i have come to be one  
of you4 ,i invited him inside the       
inclosure1 and he1 fancying ,i          
misunderstood his words to imply that he
 was ready to join our religious        
congregation1 answered quickly1 ,i do   
not mean that ,i wish to become a       
,redemptorist1 but a ,catholic4 ,i      
understand that1 ,i replied2 let us go  
to the oratory and recite a ,te ,deum of
 thanksgiving4 ,we did so1 and then     
walked in the garden together for a     
short time4 ,the first time ,i ever saw 
an expression of real joyfulness in his 
countenance was then4 ,he was always    
placid1 but never1 so far as ,i could   
see1 joyous1 before he became a         
,catholic4 ,to my great surprise1 he    
chose me as his confessor4 ,i left the  

time of his reception to himself1 and he
 chose ,saturday1 the #ith of ,april1   
which was the anniversary of the death  
of his brother ,alfred4 ,on ,saturday   
morning1 ,i said ,mass in the little    
chapel of the ,orphan ,asylum of the    
,sisters of ,charity4 ,father ,hecker1  
who was present1 on account of the      
approaching mission1 accompanied me to  
the chapel4 ,after ,mass1 ,mr4 ,baker   
made his profession1 according to the   
old form1 containing the full creed of  
,pius ,,iv41 and ,i received him into   
the bosom of the ,church4 #aaa ,no      
others were present besides the good    
,sisters and their little children4 ,he 
had been baptized by ,dr4 ,wyatt1 and   
the archbishop decided that there was no
 reason whatever for his being          
conditionally rebaptized4 ,i performed  
the supplementary rites of baptism1 such
 as the anointing with holy oil and     
chrism1 the giving of the white garment 
and lighted candle1 etc41 at his own    
request1 in the sacristy of the         

,cathedral1 after his sacramental       
confession was completed4 ,this sacred  
act was accomplished in the archbishop's
 library4 ,during the week after his    
reception1 and on the ,third ,sunday    
after ,easter1 ,april #ag1 he was       
confirmed in the ,cathedral by          
,archbishop ,kenrick1 and received his  
first communion from his hand4  ,the    
conversion of ,mr4 ,baker made a great  
sensation in ,baltimore1 and wherever he
 was known4 ,it was announced in the    
secular papers1 and for some weeks a    
lively controversy arising out of it was
 kept up4 ,it was the general topic of  
conversation in all circles1 ,catholic  
and ,protestant4 ,the sorrow of his own 
parishioners1 of those who had loved and
 honored him so much while he was       
connected with ,st4 ,paul's parish1 and 
especially of his more near and intimate
 friends1 was very great4 ,his own near 
relatives1 and a certain number of his  
intimate friends1 never were in the     
least alienated from him1 but remained  

as closely bound to him in affection as 
ever1 while they and he lived4 ,the     
great majority of those who had been his
 admirers1 and who had listened with    
delight to his eloquent preaching1      
always retained a great respect and     
esteem for him2 and during his whole    
subsequent life1 he almost invariably   
won a regard from those of the          
,protestant community who were          
acquainted with him1 second only to that
 of the ,catholic people to whom he     
ministered4 ,there were some exceptions 
to this rule1 however4 ,a few persons   
wrote to him in the most severe and     
reproachful terms4 ,the usual pitiable  
charge1 that his religious change was   
caused by mental derangement1 was made  
by those whose wretched policy has      
always been to counteract as much as    
possible the influence of conversions to
 the ,catholic ,church by personal      
calumnies against the converts4 #aab ,he
 was sometimes openly insulted1 and much
 more frequently treated with coldness  

and neglect4 ,notwithstanding the       
respect with which so many still        
regarded him in their hearts1 he was    
compelled to feel that he had become1 in
 great measure1 an alien and a stranger 
in the community where he had been born 
and bred4 ,in a short time1 his duty    
called him away from his native city1   
and1 somewhat later1 from his own       
,state1 into a distant part of the      
country4 ,all the old associations of   
his early life were broken up2 he had no
 longer an earthly home2 and until his  
death he had1 for the most part1 no     
other ties and associations except those
 which were created by his religious    
profession and his sacerdotal office4   
,some six or seven persons were received
 into the ,church soon after his        
conversion1 three or four of whom were  
his parishioners2 and some others may   
have been at a later period partly      
influenced by his example4 ,but none of 
his intimate and particular friends were
 among the number1 with the exception of

 his old and bosom friend and associate 
in the ministry1 ,mr4 ,lyman4 ,his name 
and influence faded away1 and were      
forgotten among the things of the past2 
while he1 having bidden farewell to the 
world and taken up his cross1 followed  
on after ,christ1 toward the crown he   
was soon to win1 and was lost to the    
view of those among whom he had lived   
before1 in the dust of the combat and   
labor of an arduous and obscure         
missionary career4  ,it is not to be    
supposed that ,mr4 ,baker could hesitate
 long as to his vocation4 ,he had in his
 youth dedicated himself to the ministry
 of ,christ1 but had mistaken a false   
claimant of delegated power to confer   
the character and mission of the        
priesthood1 for the true one4 ,nine     
years had been spent1 not uselessly2 for
 the good example and eloquent          
instructions of a wise and virtuous man 
are always salutary2 and he had been    
slowly preparing himself by the feeble  
light and imperfect grace which he had  

for the perfect gifts of the ,catholic  
sacraments4 #aac ,he was now            
thirty-three years of age1 in the full  
bloom of his natural powers1 with all   
his holy aspirations and purposes       
ripened and perfected1 with a thorough  
knowledge of ,catholic theology1        
excepting only its specially technical  
and professional branches1 with all the 
habits suited for a sacerdotal life     
fully established4 ,the only doubt of   
his vocation in his own mind was one of 
humility1 and when this was settled by  
the decision of his confessor and of his
 bishop1 his course was clear before    
him4 ,he might still have chosen to     
remain in his own home and family while 
preparing for ordination4 ,he might have
 remained in his native city1 or in the 
diocese1 as a secular priest1 secure of 
the most honorable and agreeable        
position which the archbishop could     
bestow upon him1 where he could have    
enjoyed all those domestic comforts and 
elegancies to which he was accustomed1  

together with the society of the beloved
 members of his family who still        
remained1 without in any way interfering
 with his proposed career as a devoted  
priest4 ,he chose differently1 however1 
and from the promptings of his own soul1
 which instinctively chose what was most
 perfect4 ,my religious brethren and    
myself used no solicitations to induce  
him to join us4 ,his original desire for
 the religious life gave him a bias     
toward the regular clergy4 ,what he saw 
of the little band of ,american         
,redemptorists1 and of the mission which
 was given at the ,cathedral1 captivated
 his heart with a desire to become one  
of their number4 ,he thought of one     
thing only--what was the will of ,god1  
and the most perfect way open to him to 
sanctify himself and others in the      
priesthood4 ,his mind was soon made up  
on this point4 ,he applied to the       
,father ,provincial of the              
,redemptorists1 who received him without
 hesitation4 ,he settled his affairs as 

speedily as possible1 and began his     
novitiate at once4 ,as soon as the      
proper time arrived1 he divested himself
 of all his property for the benefit of 
the surviving members of his family4    
,his library he gave to the             
congregation1 by whom it was afterward  
kindly restored to him1 and is now in   
the possession of the ,paulists at ,new 
,york4 #aad ,his only aim and desire1   
from this time forward1 was to acquire  
the perfection of ,christian and        
religious virtue4 ,forgetting all that  
was behind1 he pressed forward to those 
things which were before1 with a fixed  
aim and a steady1 unfaltering step4 ,he 
dropped into the position of a novice   
and a student so easily1 and with such a
 perfectness of humility1 that it seemed
 his natural and obvious place to be    
among the youths and young men who were 
with him4 ,he was the favorite and      
companion of the youngest among them1   
and1 it is needless to say1 the delight 
and consolation of his superiors4 ,after

 one year of novitiate and his          
profession1 he continued for two years  
more studying dogmatic and moral        
theology1 with the other accessories    
usually taught to candidates for orders4
 ,during this time he lost his amiable  
and excellent sister1 ,elizabeth ,baker1
 to his great sorrow4 ,although his     
ordination was postponed much longer    
than is usually the case with men in his
 position1 already so well prepared by  
their previous intellectual and moral   
training for the priesthood1 he was not 
in the least impatient at the delay1 and
 his long preparation gave him the      
advantage that he was ready at once to  
undertake all the most difficult and    
responsible duties of a matured and     
experienced priest4 ,besides this1 he   
acquired that thorough and minute       
theoretical and practical knowledge of  
the ceremonies of the ,church1 and of   
every thing relating to the divine      
service of the altar and the sanctuary1 
for which he was afterward              

distinguished4 ,he came out of his long 
retirement a workman thoroughly and     
completely furnished for his task1 and  
imbued through and through with the     
spirit of the ,catholic ,church4 ,i     
seldom saw him1 and never exchanged     
letters with him1 during all this       
period1 each of us being absorbed in his
 own particular duties and occupations1 
at a distance from the other4 ,as the   
time of his ordination approached1 we   
were both of us1 however1 again in the  
same ,house1 that of ,st4 ,alphonsus1 in
 ,baltimore4 #aae ,it was in the summer 
of #ahef that he finished his studies1  
and1 having some time before received   
the minor orders1 began his retreat     
preparatory to being admitted to the    
three holy orders4 ,during the retreat1 
his companion1 ,f4 ,vogien1 an amiable  
and holy young religious--with him and  
the saintly prelate who ordained them1  
now1 ,i trust1 in heaven--was full of   
dread and apprehension1 often weeping1  
and even entreating his superior to     

postpone his ordination4 ,with ,father  
,baker it was otherwise4 ,while ,i was  
in the church1 during the evening1      
employed in the exercises of my own     
retreat1 ,i often heard him singing the 
most joyful of the ecclesiastical chants
 in the garden1 and his placid1 pale    
face was lighted up with the radiant joy
 of a ,soul approaching to the          
consummation of its holiest and most    
cherished wishes4 ,he was ordained      
sub-deacon and deacon in ,st4 ,mary's   
,chapel during the week before the      
,sunday fixed for his ordination to the 
priesthood4 ,on ,sunday1 ,september #ba1
 #ahef1 he was ordained priest by       
,archbishop ,kenrick1 in the ,cathedral4
 ,the ,archbishop celebrated ,pontifical
 ,mass1 the reverend gentlemen and      
seminarists from ,st4 ,sulpice assisted1
 and the clergy were present in         
considerable numbers1 among them his old
 friend1 ,mr4 ,lyman1 already a priest4 
,everyone who knows what the ,cathedral 
of ,baltimore is1 and how the grand     

ceremonies of the ,church are performed 
in it1 will understand how beautiful and
 inspiring was the scene at ,father     
,baker's ordination4 ,the great church  
was crowded to its utmost capacity1 but 
it was by ,catholics only1 drawn by the 
desire to see one who had sacrificed so 
much for their own dear faith4 ,father  
,baker1 as he knelt with his companion  
at a priedieu1 dressed in rich and      
beautiful white vestments1 after        
receiving the indelible character of the
 priesthood1 to offer up with the       
,archbishop the ,holy ,sacrifice of the 
,mass1 looked more like an angel than a 
man4 #aaf ,the holy and benignant       
prelate shed tears of joyful emotion    
when he embraced him at the close of the
 ceremony1 and there was never a more   
delightful reunion than that which took 
place on that day1 when the clergy met  
at the archbishop's table1 to           
participate in the modest festivities of
 the episcopal mansion4 ,a few days     
after1 ,mr4 ,lyman1 ,father ,baker1 and 

,myself1 celebrated a solemn ,votive    
,mass of ,thanksgiving at ,st4          
,alphonsus' ,church1 for the signal     
grace we had received1 in being all     
brought to the communion of the ,holy   
,church and to her priesthood4  ,here   
began the sacerdotal career1 brief in   
time1 but rich in labors and results1 of
 ,father ,baker4 ,he remained in        
,baltimore a few weeks1 to celebrate his
 first ,mass1 and initiate himself in   
quiet retirement into his new priestly  
life and functions4 ,the first fruit of 
his new priesthood was a convert to the 
,catholic ,church1 a young widow lady of
 highly respectable family1 who was bred
 a ,unitarian1 and who had been waiting 
three years to be received into the     
,church by ,father ,baker4 ,he baptized 
her and her two children1 a few days    
after his own ordination4 ,soon after he
 began the missionary career1 in which  
the greatest part of his subsequent life
 was employed4  ,it may not here be     
amiss to digress from the personal      

history of ,father ,baker1 long enough  
to give some account of the nature of   
those missions in which he was          
henceforth to take so conspicuous a     
part1 and of their introduction into    
this country4 ,in doing so1 ,i shall    
describe more particularly the method   
adopted in those missions with which ,i 
have been myself connected1 without     
noticing any others which may differ in 
certain details2 and this will suffice  
to give a correct idea of all missions1 
so far as their general spirit and scope
 is concerned4  ,missions to the        
,catholic people have been in use for   
centuries in various parts of ,europe4  
,they are generally given by the members
 of religious congregations specially   
devoted to the work4 ,the missionaries  
are invited by the pastor of the parish1
 with the sanction of the bishop of the 
diocese from whom they receive their    
jurisdiction4 #aag ,the exercises of the
 mission consist of a regular series of 
sermons and instructions1 continued for 

a number of days1 and sometimes for two 
weeks in succession1 twice or oftener in
 the day4 ,the course of instructions1  
which is given at an early hour of the  
morning1 embraces familiar and plain but
 solid and didactic expositions of the  
commandments1 sacraments1 and practical 
,christian and moral duties4 ,the course
 of sermons1 given at night1 includes   
the great truths which relate to the    
eternal destiny of man1 which are       
presented in the most thorough and      
exhaustive manner possible1 and enforced
 with all the power with which the      
preacher is endowed4 ,several of ,father
 ,baker's mission sermons are included  
in the collection published in this     
volume1 and will serve to exhibit their 
peculiar style and character4           
,frequently1 the older children receive 
separate instruction for about four days
 in succession1 closing with a general  
confession and communion4 ,after the    
mission has continued a few days1 the   
confessionals are opened to the people1 

and communion is given every morning to 
those who are prepared to receive4 ,at  
the close of the mission the altar is   
decorated with flowers and lights1 a    
baptismal font is erected1 the people   
renew their baptismal vows after an     
appropriate sermon has been preached1   
and are dismissed with a parting        
benediction4 ,the sacrifice of the ,mass
 is offered up several times every      
morning1 according to the number of     
priests present2 and before the evening 
sermon there is a short prefatory       
exercise1 which1 in the ,paulist        
,missions1 consists of the explanation  
of an article of the ,creed1 followed by
 the ,litany of the ,saints4 ,after     
sermon1 the ,miserere or some other     
appropriate piece is sung1 and the      
benediction of the ,blessed ,sacrament  
is given4  ,all this is very simple1    
consisting of nothing more than the     
preaching of the ,word of ,god1 the     
administration of the sacraments1 and   
the performance of acts of worship and  

prayer1 as these are ordinarily         
practised in the regular routine of the 
,catholic ,church4 #aah ,all that is    
peculiar and unusual consists in the    
adaptation of the preaching and         
instructions to the end in view1 and in 
the daily continuity of the exercises4  
,the object aimed at is to present in   
one complete view all the principal     
truths of religion1 and all the         
essential practical rules for living    
virtuously in conformity with those     
truths1 and to do this in the most      
comprehensive1 forcible1 and            
intelligible manner4 ,the class of      
persons for whose benefit missions are  
primarily intended is that portion of   
the ,catholic people least influenced by
 the ordinary ministrations of the      
parochial clergy1 although all classes1 
even the best instructed and most       
regular1 share in the benefit4 ,all     
necessary available means are used to   
awaken an interest in the mission and to
 secure attendance4 ,when this is done1 

continuous daily listening to           
instruction and participation in        
religious exercises prevents the        
impressions received from passing away1 
the people become more and more         
interested and absorbed1 and are carried
 through a process of thought and       
reflection upon all the most momentous  
truths and doctrines1 which is for them 
equivalent to a thorough education of   
the mind and conscience4 ,the general   
instructions given in public are applied
 to the individual soul by the confessor
 in the tribunal of penance1 as the     
judge of guilty and the physician of    
diseased and wounded consciences4 ,sin  
and guilt are washed away by sacramental
 absolution from all who are sincerely  
penitent2 their souls1 purified and     
restored to grace1 are refreshed and    
strengthened by the ,body and ,blood of 
,christ in the ,holy ,eucharist1 and the
 debt of temporal punishment due to the 
justice of ,god is removed or lightened1
 in proportion to the intensity of      

contrition and divine love excited in   
the soul by its own efforts to secure   
the grace of ,god1 through the          
indulgences conceded by the supreme     
power of the ,vicar of ,christ4  #aai   
,the earlier sermons are directed to the
 end of fixing the mind on the supreme  
importance of religion1 and alarming the
 conscience in regard to sin4           
,afterward1 special vices are denounced1
 particular dangers and temptations     
pointed out1 those duties which are most
 neglected are brought out into bold    
relief1 and every effort made to produce
 a thorough reformation of life4 ,toward
 the close1 the scope and aim of the    
sermons are to animate and encourage the
 heart and will by appealing to the     
nobler passions and the higher motives1 
to awaken confidence in ,god1 to portray
 the eternal rewards of virtue and point
 out the means of perseverance4 ,all    
that can impress the senses and         
imagination1 subdue the heart1 convince 
the reason1 and stimulate the will1 is  

brought to bear1 in conjunction with the
 supernatural efficacy of the word and  
sacraments of ,christ1 upon a people    
full of faith and religious             
susceptibility1 under the most favorable
 circumstances for producing the        
greatest possible effect4 ,where faith  
is impaired1 the effect is not so       
certain1 and slower and more tedious    
means have to be adopted1 with less hope
 of success1 to restore the dying root  
of all religion1 or replant it where it 
is completely dead4 ,it is moreover     
certain1 although it may not be evident 
to those who are destitute of ,catholic 
faith1 that there is an extraordinary   
grace of ,god accompanying the exercises
 of the mission2 and this was so plain  
to the mind of an earnest ,episcopalian 
clergyman in ,new ,england1 on one      
occasion1 that it led him to study      
seriously the subject of the ,catholic  
,church1 the result of which was that he
 became a ,catholic1 at a great personal
 sacrifice4  ,public retreats had been  

given from time to time in the ,united  
,states1 by the ,jesuits and others1    
before the series of ,redemptorist      
,missions was commenced4 ,this series1  
which began at ,st4 ,joseph's ,church1  
,new ,york1 in ,april1 #ahea1 was1      
however1 the first that was             
systematically and regularly carried on 
by a band of missionaries especially    
devoted to the work4 ,since that time1  
the number of missionaries1 belonging to
 several distinct congregations1 has    
increased1 and the missions have been   
multiplied4 #abj ,the principal merit of
 inaugurating this great and extensive  
work belongs to ,f4 ,bernard            
,hafkenscheid1 who was formerly the     
,provincial of the ,redemptorist        
,congregation in the ,united ,states4   
,f4 ,bernard1 as he was always called1  
on account of his unpronounceable       
patronymic1 had been for twenty years   
the most eloquent and successful        
preacher of missions in his native      
country of ,holland and the adjacent    

,low ,countries4 ,born to the possession
 of wealth and all its attendant        
advantages1 but still more blessed with 
a most thorough religious training and  
the grace of early piety from his       
childhood1 he received a finished       
ecclesiastical education1 which he      
completed at ,rome1 where he was honored
 with the doctorate in theology4 ,after 
his ordination1 he devoted himself to   
the religious and missionary life in the
 ,congregation of the ,most ,holy       
,redeemer1 in which he speedily became  
the most eminent of all their preachers 
in the ,low ,countries4 ,he was able to 
preach the word of ,god with fluency and
 correctness in three languages1 besides
 his native tongue3 ,french1 ,german1   
and ,english4 ,but it was only in the   
,dutch language that he was able to     
exhibit the extraordinary powers of     
eloquence with which he was endowed1 and
 which made his name a household word in
 every ,catholic family in ,holland4    
,his picture was to be seen in every    

house2 the highest and lowest flocked   
with equal eagerness to hear him1 and1  
on one occasion1 the king himself came  
to the convent to testify his respect   
for his apostolic character by a formal 
visit4 ,his figure and countenance were 
cast in a mould as large as that of his 
great and generous soul1 and his whole  
character and bearing were those of a   
man born to lead and command others by  
his innate superiority1 but to command  
far more by the magnetic influence of a 
kind and noble heart than by authority4 
,father ,bernard brought with him to the
 ,united ,states1 in ,march1 #ahea1 two 
,american ,redemptorists1 who had been  
stationed for some years in ,england1   
and had scarcely landed in ,new ,york   
when he organized a band of             
missionaries1 to commence the ,english  
missions4 #aba ,during nearly two years1
 he took personal charge of many of     
those missions1 working in the          
confessional from twelve to sixteen     
hours every day1 occasionally preaching 

when the ordinary preacher broke down1  
and instructing the young1 inexperienced
 fathers most carefully in all the      
methods of giving sermons and           
instructions1 and otherwise conducting  
the exercises of the mission in the best
 and most judicious manner4 ,father     
,bernard received ,father ,baker into   
the congregation1 but soon afterward was
 recalled to ,europe1 where1 after a    
long and laborious life spent in the    
sacred warfare1 he is resting in the    
quiet repose and peace of religions     
seclusion4 ,footnote #d      ,footnote  
#d3 ,since the above was written1 the   
news has been     received of the death 
of ,father ,bernard1 from the effects of
     a fall while descending from the   
pulpit4  ,the superior of the ,english  
,missions1 in the absence of ,f4        
,bernard1 and after he ceased to direct 
them personally1 was another ,father    
with an unpronounceable name1 ,f4       
,alexander ,cvitcovicz1 a ,magyar1 who  
was always called ,father ,alexander4   

,it would have been impossible to find a
 superior more completely fitted for the
 position4 ,although he was even then   
past the meridian of life1 and had been 
in former times the ,superior-,general  
of his ,congregation in the ,united     
,states1 he cheerfully took on himself  
the hardest labors of the missions4 ,it 
was not unusual for him to sit in his   
confessional for ten days in succession1
 for fifteen or sixteen hours each day4 
,he instructed the little children who  
were preparing for the sacraments1 and  
sometimes gave some of the morning      
instructions1 but never preached any of 
the great sermons4 ,in his government of
 the fathers who were under him1 he was 
gentleness1 consideration1 and          
indulgence itself4 ,in his own life and 
example1 he presented a pattern of the  
most perfect religious virtue1 in its   
most attractive form--without           
constraint1 austerity1 or moroseness1   
and yet without relaxation from the most
 strict ascetic principles4 #abb ,he was

 a 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 ,he designed and built the       
beautiful ,church of ,st4 ,alphonsus1 in
 ,baltimore1 although he was never able 
to complete it according to his own just
 and elegant taste4 ,for such a man to  
take upon himself the drudgery of       
laborious missions1 aided1 for the most 
part1 by young men in delicate health1  
incapable of enduring the hardships of  
old1 well-seasoned veterans1 was indeed 
a trial of his virtue4 ,he undertook it1
 however1 cheerfully1 and 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 ,alexander was   

succeeded in the office of ,superior of 
,english ,missions by ,father ,walworth1
 one of the ,american ,redemptorists1   
who accompanied ,father ,bernard from   
,england1 and who continued in that     
office until1 with several others1 he   
was released from his connection with   
the congregation by a brief of the ,holy
 ,father1 in order to form a new society
 of missionaries4  ,there has never been
 a finer field open to missions than the
 one which is found in the ,catholic    
population of the ,united ,states1 and  
seldom has there existed a greater need 
of them4 ,the missions of ,st4          
,alphonsus ,liguori1 the founder of the 
,redemptorists1 and his companions1 were
 confined to villages1 hamlets1 and     
outlying districts1 remote from         
episcopal cities and large towns4 ,in   
his rules he directs his children to    
labor in places of this sort1 because in
 ,italy the most neglected and          
necessitous part of the people is only  
to be found there4 ,in this country it  

was not so4 ,the great need for missions
 lay in cities and large towns1 where   
dense masses of ,catholics were         
gathered1 and where churches1 clergy1   
and religious organizations of all      
kinds1 were inadequate to the spiritual 
wants of the people4 #abc ,a large part 
of the missionary work which has been   
accomplished has been1 therefore1 among 
those dense masses of the people in our 
largest churches and congregations1     
penetrating to the lowest strata1 and   
bringing to bear a powerful religious   
influence upon the most uninstructed and
 negligent classes of the people4 ,some 
idea of the extent of this work may be  
gained from the fact that the missions  
given by the corps which ,f4 ,bernard   
organized1 during seven years1 from     
#ahea to #aheh1 were eighty-six in      
number1 with an aggregate of #aff1jjj   
communions4 ,they have been carried on  
on a similar scale1 since that time1 by 
the new ,congregation of ,st4 ,paul1 and
 by members of several older religious  

societies2 so that1 in the last seven   
years1 the number of persons who have   
participated in the benefits of missions
 is1 probably1 nearly double the figures
 given above4 ,there were other missions
 also given1 during the first period1   
besides those enumerated1 especially    
among ,germans4 ,it is1 therefore1      
speaking within bounds to estimate the  
number of persons who have received the 
sacraments on missions1 since #ahea1 at 
#ejj1jjj4  ,this is1 however1 much less 
than might have been done1 if the number
 of missionaries and the facilities for 
attending their missions had been       
greater4 ,our ,catholic population is a 
vast sea1 where the successors of the   
apostolic fishers of men may cast their 
nets perpetually1 without ever          
exhausting its abundance4 ,in large     
towns1 the population is so fluctuating 
and so continually increasing1 that the 
work needs to be perpetually renewed at 
short intervals4 ,there are also immense
 difficulties in the way of the poor    

people4 ,the mass of them belong to the 
laboring class1 and are1 therefore1     
obliged to come to church very early1   
before their working hours1 and again at
 night1 after their work is done4 ,they 
have no leisure1 and can with difficulty
 rescue even the few hours necessary for
 listening to the instructions they so  
much need4 ,hence1 many of them can get 
only as it were by snatches1 here and   
there1 a sermon or instruction during   
the course4 ,in factory towns the case  
is worse4 #abd ,were it not for the     
accommodation usually granted by the    
overseers1 in shortening the time1 and  
giving leave of absence1 it would be    
impossible to give missions to the      
operatives in many of our factory       
villages4 ,our modern system of society 
leaves out of the account the wants of  
the soul and the duties of religion4    
,for many1 there is even the hard       
necessity of working all night1 and all 
,sunday4 ,it is1 therefore1 difficult   
enough for our poor people to attend a  

mission well1 when there is plenty of   
room for them in the church1 and a good 
chance of going to confession without   
waiting longer than a few hours4 ,very  
frequently1 however1 in our large and   
overcrowded parishes1 the church will   
not hold--even when crowded to          
suffocation--more than from one-fourth  
to one-half of the parishioners4 ,the   
church is frequently filled two hours   
before the time of service4 ,the porch1 
the steps1 the windows even1 are        
crowded1 and hundreds go a way          
disappointed4 ,it is easy to see what a 
drawback this is to the success of a    
mission1 which requires a continuous    
attendance at all the sermons and       
instructions1 and to the stillness and  
order in the church which are necessary 
to enable all to hear distinctly1 and to
 reflect on what they hear4 ,i have seen
 at least four thousand persons         
congregated in the streets adjacent to  
the ,new ,york ,cathedral1 besides the  
crowd inside4  ,another difficulty lies 

in the vast number of penitents1 and the
 small number of confessors4 ,on many   
missions1 confined strictly to one      
parish1 there have been from four       
thousand to eight thousand communions2  
and1 of course1 that number of          
confessions to be heard within eleven   
days4 ,at a recent mission of the       
,redemptorists1 in ,new ,york1 there    
were eleven thousand communions2 and at 
one given a year or two ago1 by the     
,jesuits1 twenty thousand4 ,ordinarily1 
the number of confessors has been       
inadequate to the work4 ,the people have
 thronged the chapel where confessions  
were heard1 from four o'clock in the    
morning until night1 often waiting an   
entire day1 or even several days1 before
 they could get near a priest4 #abe ,at 
five in the morning1 each of us would   
see two long rows--one of men and one of
 women--seated on benches1 flanking his 
confessional4 ,at one o'clock he would  
leave the same unbroken lines1 to find  
them again at three1 and to leave them  

in the evening still undiminished4 ,at  
the end of the mission there would be   
still the same crowd waiting about the  
confessionals1 and left unheard1 because
 the missionaries were unable to        
continue their work any longer4 ,more   
than one-half these people would be     
persons who had not been at confession  
for five1 ten1 or twenty years1 and of  
these a great number had seldom been at 
church1 and still more rarely heard a   
sermon4 ,hundreds upon hundreds of      
adults1 of all ages1 have received the  
sacraments for the first time upon these
 missions1 many of whom had to be taught
 the doctrines of the ,trinity and the  
,incarnation1 with the other elementary 
articles of the ,creed4 ,i have several 
times1 at the close of a mission1 seen a
 row of grown-up boys seated before my  
confessional1 of that class who roam the
 streets1 loiter about the docks1 and   
sleep out at night1 unable to read1 and 
scarcely able to tell who made them1    
much less to answer the question1 ,who  

is ,jesus ,christ8 ,they had come to be 
instructed and prepared for the         
sacraments1 swept in by the tide which  
was moving the waters all around them4  
,of course1 they needed weeks of        
instruction and of moral preparation1 to
 rescue them from the abyss of ignorance
 and vice in which they were submerged1 
and make them capable of living like    
rational beings and ,christians4 ,with  
some of them1 a beginning may be made1  
and the germ of good planted in their   
souls4 ,but many have to be left as they
 come1 because there is no provision    
which can be made for their instruction4
 ,in a word1 the nets are so full of a  
multitude of fishes that they break1 and
 there are not workmen enough to drag   
them ashore4 ,the work is too           
overwhelming for the number and strength
 of those who are engaged in it4 ,in    
this respect1 some missions which have  
been given in the ,british provinces1   
have been the most complete and         
satisfactory of any4 #abf ,in ,st4      

,patrick's ,church1 ,quebec1 the vast   
size of the building enabled all who    
desired to do so to find room4 ,nineteen
 confessors were on duty1 and others    
were appointed to instruct converts or  
ignorant adult ,catholics4 ,all who     
wished to go to confession were easily  
heard1 without long waiting1 or the     
accumulation of a great crowd of wearied
 and eager penitents pressing around the
 confessionals4 ,it was the same in ,st4
 ,john's1 where the ,archbishop of      
,halifax and a large body of clergymen  
were hearing confessions constantly1    
although1 even with this powerful aid1  
the missionaries broke down under the   
labor of preaching every day to six     
thousand or eight thousand persons in   
the great ,cathedral ,church1 which had 
just been opened for service4 ,in these 
places1 however1 the number of the      
people1 though great1 had a limit which 
could be reached1 and the requisite     
number of priests were easily at the    
command of the bishop4 ,in the ,united  

,states1 however1 the work is out of all
 proportion to the number of priests who
 are either specially devoted to        
missions or who can be called in to aid 
these in their labors4 ,the missionaries
 are too few to do the work alone1 and  
the parochial clergy are too much       
engaged in their own duties to be able  
to give much of their time to additional
 works of charity4 ,if it were possible 
to give missions simultaneously in all  
the churches of ,new ,york ,city1 and if
 they could contain all the people1 it  
would be easy to collect one hundred    
thousand ,catholics together every night
 to hear the ,word of ,god1 and to bring
 from one hundred and fifty thousand to 
two hundred thousand to communion within
 fifteen days4 ,in proportion to the    
population1 the same results would be   
produced everywhere in the ,united      
,states4 ,it would require the labor of 
one hundred missionaries1 during eight  
years1 to give missions thoroughly to   
our entire ,catholic population4 ,at    

their commencement1 however1 and for    
some years after1 there were but six or 
eight1 and there are now1 probably1 not 
more than twenty priests continually    
employed in this work4 #abg ,the        
necessity for it is1 nevertheless1 quite
 as urgent as it ever has been1 and the 
benefit to be derived from it           
inconceivable4 ,there are the vast      
masses of people gathered in our great  
centers of population1 exposed to a     
thousand demoralizing influences1 and   
most inadequately supplied with the     
ordinary means of grace4 ,all that has  
been done for them hitherto1 is but just
 sufficient to develop the immense need 
there is for doing more1 and the great  
blessing that attends every effort to do
 it4 ,of course1 the main reliance of   
the ,church is1 and always must be1 upon
 the bishops and parochial clergy1 and  
,i have not had the slightest intention1
 in any thing ,i have said1 to          
exaggerate the importance of the special
 work of missionaries4 ,the episcopate  

and priesthood were established by      
,jesus ,christ ,himself1 and are        
absolutely essential to the very        
existence of the ,church4 ,religious    
congregations are of ecclesiastical     
institution1 and are only auxiliary to  
the pastoral office4 ,the multiplication
 of churches and of priests engaged in  
parochial duties is the most pressing   
need1 and in no other way can the       
spiritual wants of the people be        
adequately provided for4 ,it will be    
long1 however1 before the bishops will  
be able1 even by the most strenuous     
exertions1 to make the number of        
churches and clergymen keep pace with   
the increase of the population4         
,meanwhile1 this lack of the ordinary   
means of grace cannot be supplied except
 by missions2 and even where these means
 are amply provided1 the subsidiary and 
extraordinary labors of societies of    
priests devoted to special apostolic    
works are necessary1 in order to give   
their full efficacy to the ministrations

 of the ordinary pastors4  ,besides our 
great towns1 and their dense mass of    
,catholic population1 there is another  
extensive field of missionary work1     
which has of late years been            
successfully cultivated1 and which      
invites still further cultivation with a
 promise of a rich harvest4 #abh ,i     
refer to the numerous new parishes found
 in the smaller cities and country towns
 and villages4 ,here a new phase of     
,catholic life and growth has commenced4
 ,the population is becoming settled and
 permanent4 ,catholics are making their 
way upward1 acquiring real and personal 
property1 blending with the body of     
their fellow-citizens1 educating their  
children1 and to a certain extent       
themselves belong to the second         
generation of ,catholic emigrants from  
,europe1 having been born and married in
 this country4 ,in many instances1 one  
pastor has two or more of these parishes
 to take care of4 ,his time and thoughts
 are taken up with church-building and a

 multitude of other necessary duties4   
,the country around is sprinkled over   
with ,catholics1 who have no resident   
priest among them4 ,there is a vast     
amount of work to be done in            
instructing1 confirming in the faith1   
bringing under religious and moral      
influence1 and establishing in solid    
piety and morality1 this interesting and
 hopeful class of ,catholics4 ,nowhere  
have the missions been so complete and  
satisfactory as in parishes of this     
kind4 ,the whole body of the people     
living in the place where the church is1
 can attend the sermons and receive the 
sacraments4 ,besides these1 those living
 several miles away flock to the church 
as regularly as if they lived in the    
same street2 and even from a great      
distance1 numbers1 who are usually      
deprived of the religious advantages of 
the ,church1 perhaps even have grown up 
without making their first communion1   
seize the opportunity with eagerness to 
come to the mission and remain for a few

 days1 until they can be prepared to    
receive the sacraments of life4 ,in     
,massachusetts alone1 where             
congregations of this kind abound1 the  
number of communions given in the       
,paulist ,missions of the last five     
years1 without counting those given in  
,boston1 amounts to twenty-five thousand
 five hundred and thirty1 on seventeen  
distinct missions1 giving an average of 
one thousand three hundred and          
twenty-five to each congregation4 ,these
 figures are a correct index to the     
numbers of the ,catholic population in  
country towns throughout ,massachusetts1
 ,connecticut1 ,new ,york1              
,pennsylvania1 and other portions of the
 ,northern ,states4  #abi  ,the missions
 hitherto given have been intended      
immediately for the benefit of the      
,catholic people4 ,their incidental     
influence upon the ,protestant community
 ought not1 however1 to be overlooked4  
,usually1 our ,catholic churches are so 
crowded by the faithful1 that it is at  

least unpleasant1 if not almost         
impossible for others to attend our     
sermons1 especially on occasions of     
great interest4 ,notwithstanding this   
obstacle1 thousands of ,protestants have
 come at different times to hear the    
mission sermons1 and there have usually 
been several converts on each large     
mission1 sometimes as many as twenty1   
and on one mission1 that of ,quebec1    
fifty4 ,hundreds have been received into
 the ,church1 in this way1 from all     
classes in society1 among whom were two 
clergymen holding respectable positions 
in the ,episcopal ,church1 which they   
gave up at a great worldly sacrifice4   
,besides actual conversions1 a great    
effect has been produced in removing the
 prejudices and gaining the good-will of
 the community at large4 ,the secular   
papers have almost unanimously spoken   
favorably of the missions4 ,in many     
instances1 the gentlemen and ladies of  
the vicinity have sent the choicest     
flowers of their gardens and hot-houses1

 to decorate the altar and baptismal    
font4 ,not only laymen1 but clergymen   
have often manifested a wish to show    
kind and courteous attentions to the    
missionaries4 ,very seldom has any thing
 unpleasant occurred1 or any annoyance  
been experienced--much less1 indeed1    
than is encountered by missionaries in  
some other parts of the world from      
nominal ,catholics4 ,employers have     
frequently lent their servants and      
work-people the means of conveyance to  
the church1 or exempted them from a     
portion of their duties4 ,it is         
impossible not to see how rapidly and   
generally the prejudice against the     
,catholic religion and the priesthood is
 melting away in this country4 ,and this
 seems to warrant the hope that the time
 may soon come1 when the faith may be   
preached to our separated brethren by   
means of missions especially intended   
for them1 with rich results4  #acj  ,the
 favorable impression already so widely 
produced upon those who have heard      

,catholic missionaries preach1 proves   
how much we have to hope for in this    
direction4 ,this has caused1 in one     
instance1 which seems to demand some    
notice1 an attempt to obviate this      
effect1 by representing our manner of   
preaching as part of an artful plan of  
,rome1 to deceive the minds of the      
people by presenting only a portion of  
the ,catholic doctrine under plausible  
colors4 ,after several missions had been
 given in ,cambridge and ,boston1 where 
many ,protestants of intelligence       
attended1 and more would have willingly 
done so if there bad been room for them1
 the rector of a ,boston church1 who was
 present several times1 preached and    
published a lecture1 in which he        
attempted to explain the real spirit and
 object of the ,paulist ,congregation1  
by which the missions were given4 ,the  
extent of the impression made is proved 
by the following passage in a note to   
the lecture3--    ,one does not take    
pleasure in accumulating proofs that the

   ,papal superstition still retains its
 most deplorable features2   but as long
 as ,protestant minds are imposed upon  
by the   superficial fallacy that it is 
parting with these features1   because  
its public speakers deliver admirable   
discourses1 it   seems to be necessary4 
,undoubtedly1 the order of ,paulists1 is
   at present a very efficient arm of   
the ,romish service in this   country4  
,men say1 ',whatever ,hildebrand1 and   
the ,innocents1 and   ,torquemada may   
have done or said1 such preaching as    
this is   good for everybody4' ,footnote
 #e      ,footnote #e3 ,the ,r4 ,c4     
,principle3 a ,price ,lecture1 c4       
,boston4 ,dutton  ,co4 #ahfc ,app41 p4  
#ci4  ,on page #bg of the lecture1 he   
says3    ,one of the latest developments
 in the policy of her   propagandism is 
the establishment in this country1 with 
head-quarters in our chief city1 of a   
new missionary order4 #aca   ,the       
,paulists are the itinerants and        
revivalists of that   shrewd mother of  

adaptabilities1 who1 in becoming all    
things to all men and to all women1 saw 
a chance in ,america for   reaping1 not 
so much in the field where her own      
fathers1 like   ,marquette and ,rasles1 
as where ,whitfield and ,maffit had     
sown4  ,throughout the lecture1 the aim 
of the author is to show that the sound 
and practical preaching of the eternal  
truths of religion1 which he is forced  
himself to admire1 and which was so much
 admired by many others1 is nothing but 
an illusive pretence1 which throws a    
deceitful halo over a system of         
superstitious formalism4  ,i have not   
introduced this topic for the sake of a 
theological argument1 but merely in view
 of vindicating the reputation of ,f4   
,baker1 whose sermons at ,cambridge made
 the principal impression which the     
lecture was intended to obviate1 and    
forestalling a prejudice which might    
cast a shade over the discourses which  
are published in this volume4  ,the     
author of this lecture1 who has been my 

personal friend for thirty years1 and   
who wrote to me on the occasion of its  
publication to express his hope that it 
might not interrupt our friendship1 and 
all the ,protestants who may peruse     
these pages1 especially those who know  
me1 will admit that ,i am both competent
 to explain what ,catholic doctrine is1 
and incapable of practising any         
dissimulation on the subject4 ,those who
 knew ,f4 ,baker1 or who may learn to   
know him from reading this volume1 will 
also acknowledge that his high-toned    
mind was incapable of yielding to any   
system of driveling superstition1 and   
his chivalrous spirit of descending to  
any system of artful deception by       
paltering with words in a double sense4 
,i ask them1 therefore1 not1 to accept  
,catholic doctrine as true on our       
authority1 but simply to believe that   
the testimony ,i give as to the doctrine
 we have embraced and preached1 and our 
views and intentions in giving missions1
 is true2 and that the doctrine1        

contained in the discourses of this     
volume1 is a veritable exposition of the
 true ,catholic faith4  #acb  ,the      
missions were commenced and have been   
carried on for the purpose of benefiting
 the ,catholic people4 ,the sermons and 
instructions have been the same1 in     
doctrine and practical aims1 with those 
which were given in ,italy and other    
purely ,catholic countries for centuries
 past4 ,the congregation of ,paulists   
was not established by any act of the   
hierarchy here1 or of the supreme       
authority at ,rome4 ,it was formed by   
,f4 ,baker and three other ,american    
converts1 in consequence of certain     
unforeseen circumstances1 and without   
any previous deliberate plan1 with a    
simple approbation from an archbishop1  
and a mere recognition of the validity  
of that approbation on the part of      
,rome4 ,not a word of instruction or    
direction as to the manner of preaching1
 or the end to be aimed at in our       
labors1 has ever been given by          

authority1 but the movement has been the
 spontaneous act of the few individuals 
who began it4 ,it is our desire1 as it  
must be that of every ,catholic priest1 
to bring as many persons as possible to 
the ,catholic faith and into the bosom  
of the ,catholic ,church4 ,we intend1   
therefore1 to make use of all the means 
and opportunities in our power to       
present the faith and the ,church to our
 non-,catholic countrymen1 and to       
promote as much as possible the         
conversion of the ,american people4 ,the
 ,catholic ,church has the mission to   
convert the whole world1 and intends to 
fulfil it2 and any ,catholic priest who 
does not endeavor to do his share of the
 work1 is recreant to the high          
obligations of his office4 ,we intend to
 do our part1 however1 in promoting this
 great end1 not by artifice or          
dissimulation1 not by secret intrigues  
or plots1 by fraud or violence1 by      
undermining or attacking the civil and  
religious liberty enjoyed by all our    

citizens in common1 but by argument and 
persuasion1 by exhibiting the ,church in
 her beauty1 by prayer and good example1
 and by the grace of ,god3 ,we have no  
reserves in regard either to our        
doctrine or our intentions1 no esoteric 
and exoteric teaching4 ,we present the  
,church and the faith as they always    
have been1 in all times and places1 one1
 universal1 and immutable1 in all their 
essential parts4 #acc ,what the ,church 
and her doctrine are is ascertainable by
 all who will take pains to inform      
themselves1 and it would be impossible  
for us to conceal it if we were so      
disposed4 ,all that we have to fear on  
this head is ignorance of the real truth
 concerning our principles1 and the     
misrepresentation of them by those whose
 knowledge of them is superficial4 ,the 
author of this lecture is one of this   
latter class1 and has hastily and       
without due examination put forth his   
own impressions of our doctrines and    
practices1 with which he is so          

completely unacquainted as not even to  
perceive that there is any thing in them
 which requires any careful study or    
thought4  ,he says1 p4 #bh3 ,i have     
heard several of these mission sermons  
preached4 ,most of them would           
undoubtedly be a surprise1 and an       
agreeable one1 to ,protestant ears4     
,there was a sermon on 'future          
punishment1' without one allusion to    
,purgatory4 ,the sermon was on ,hell1   
not on the whole subject of ,future     
,punishment4 ,we follow the laws of     
logic and rhetoric in our sermons1 and  
confine ourselves strictly to the topic 
in hand2 excluding all irrelevant       
matter4 ,any one who is surprised at a  
sermon like this1 shows that he is      
entirely ignorant of the published      
sermons of our great preachers4 ,one who
 supposes that the place of punishment  
for those ,catholics who have sinned    
grievously1 and have not truly repented 
before death1 is ,purgatory1 is entirely
 ignorant of ,catholic theology4 ,there 

was a sermon on ',mortal ,sins1' with   
scarcely a reference to absolution4 ,for
 the same reason given above1 that the  
preacher stuck to his subject1 and the  
instructions on the ,sacrament of       
,penance were given in the morning4     
,there was another1 on the ',close of   
,life1' which1 from beginning to end1   
went to prove1 in language that must    
have scorched every conscience not      
seared that listened to it--contrary to 
all the common ,protestant impressions  
of ,romish instruction--that there is no
 efficacy whatever in any or all of the 
,seven ,sacraments to save a wicked     
,roman ,catholic from perdition4 #acd   
,indeed6 ,then these common impressions 
are all incorrect4 ,the proposition     
which excites so much surprise is       
nothing but the commonest truism1       
familiar to every child that has learned
 the catechism4 ,to admit1 however1 that
 the lecturer found himself to have been
 always mistaken1 and ,protestants      
generally to have been under the same   

mistake concerning ,catholic teaching1  
would have been fatal4 ,he has no such  
intention4 ,there is couched1 under the 
language of praise which he gives to the
 sermon1 a concealed accusation that the
 doctrine of the sermons does not really
 mean what it seems1 and that the old   
,protestant prejudice against ,romish   
instruction is1 after all1 correct4     
,this concealed arrow is launched in the
 next paragraph3 ,supposing the         
fundamental falsehood1 as a whole1 to   
stand unchallenged1 hardly any addresses
 can be conceived more admirably        
effective to a practical and useful end 
in the lives of the people4 ,that is to 
say1 there is a fundamental falsehood   
which destroys their admirable          
effectiveness to a practical and useful 
end4 ,the lecturer is making out a case 
against us1 and preparing an indictment 
which shall destroy the good impression 
we have made on ,protestant hearers4 ,he
 prepares the way by ridiculing the     
ceremonies of ,catholic worship4  ,but  

at just that point not only all praise1 
but all sympathy stops short4 ,to say   
nothing of the dreary array of public   
pantomime and incantation1 sprinkling   
and fumigation1 pasteboard sanctities   
and materialistic adoration1 which      
followed1 and which give one a sense of 
momentary mortification at being a      
spectator at such a mixed piece of      
impiety and absurdity1 c4  ,the point at
 which the lecturer is aiming here      
clearly comes in view4 ,all that is     
spiritual in our sermons1 and that seems
 to inculcate a real and solid piety and
 virtue1 is mere talk1 or like the one  
genuine watch which the mock auctioneer 
passes around with his pinchbeck        
counterfeits1 to deceive his dupes the  
better4 #ace ,after a show of pure1     
spiritual doctrine1 to furnish a        
surprise1 and an agreeable one1 to      
,protestant ears1 the poor ,catholics   
are imposed upon with a set of outward  
shows and a routine of superstitious    
observances1 which they are taught to   

believe will act upon them by a kind of 
magic charm1 and secure them from       
receiving any damage to their souls and 
their future prospects from their sins4 
,the religious services which the       
reverend lecturer witnessed on the      
occasion referred to1 consisted of the  
psalm ,miserere1 chanted by the choir1  
the hymn ,tantum ,ergo1 and the         
,benediction of the ,blessed ,sacrament4
 ,what is designated by the terms       
pantomime and incantation ,i am at a    
loss to conjecture4 ,the fumigation was 
the burning of incense1 which was also  
had at the ,high ,mass recently         
celebrated in ,trinity ,chapel by ,f4   
,agapius4 ,i think1 also1 that ,i have  
read in the ,old ,testament something   
about censers and incense having been   
prescribed by the ,almighty to be used  
in the pantomimes and incantations of   
the ,jewish ritual4 ,pasteboard         
sanctities puzzled me for a long time4  
,i suppose it refers to the pictures    
blessed at one of the morning           

instructions1 which the lecturer has    
confounded with the evening sermon4     
,there were yet1 beyond all that1 as one
 pondered1 appalling absences from the  
teaching1 and more fearful elements     
included4 ,these strong epithets prepare
 us now to await the final and telling  
blow4 ,first1 the appalling absences are
 specified4 ,can that be the true       
preaching of 'the ,word' where the      
language of that ,word so seldom enters 
in8 ,the reader is requested to look    
over a few of the sermons in this       
volume1 and count the scriptural texts4 
,could that be the true preaching of    
',christ1 and ,him crucified1' where any
 mention of the simple gospel story was 
almost systematically shut out8 ,a mere 
ad captandum objection4 ,if the lecturer
 had heard the ,creed explained         
throughout1 he would have heard the     
mystery of redemption explained in its  
proper place4 ,the reader is again      
referred to the sermons of this volume  
for a more complete answer to this      

aspersion4 #acf ,now ,come the more     
fearful elements4 ,these are the merit  
of good works1 the scapular1            
indulgences1 transubstantiation1        
auricular confession1 purgatory1 and    
devotion to the ,blessed ,virgin and    
,saints4 ,the gist of the whole is      
contained in the following sentence3--  
,every system must be judged by its     
weaknesses and its errors1 not merely by
 its better traits4 ,they say in        
mechanics that the strength of a        
complicated piece of machinery is equal 
only to the strength of its weakest     
part4 ,this is as true in a scheme of   
justification as in dynamics4 ,offer    
human nature1 at its own option1 various
 ways of securing salvation1 and not    
more certainly will water seek the      
lowest spot than men will settle down to
 the inferior methods of escaping the   
pains of perdition4  ,what is the point 
of this observation8 ,evidently this3   
,that we propose one way of salvation1  
by a truly holy life2 and another way1  

in which1 without the trouble of leading
 a holy life1 one may save himself by a 
few outward observances1 a mere         
confession of the lips1 without         
contrition or amendment1 reciting       
indulgenced prayers1 wearing the        
scapular1 c4 ,consequently1 only a few1 
who are of the nobler sort1 will take   
the route of virtue and spiritual       
religion1 while the mass will go on     
indulging themselves in all the sins to 
which they are inclined1 and compound   
for them on the easiest terms they can  
make4 ,now1 supposing this to be true1  
it recoils with all its force upon the  
one who uttered it4 ,the whole doctrine 
of his lecture denies all merit to      
holiness and virtue1 and ascribes       
justification solely to the personal    
holiness and virtue of ,christ1 which is
 appropriated by a naked act of faith4  
,this is the ,lutheran doctrine1 and    
there cannot be a lower spot for men to 
settle down to1 or an easier way for    
dispensing oneself from every thing that

 is painful and self-denying in the     
religion of the ,cross4 ,the author     
himself accuses 7on p4 #ba et seq47     
nine-tenths of the ,new ,england        
,protestants of having slid down to such
 a low point that they are as bad as    
,romanists3--  #acg  ,the first question
 put by about nine ,new ,englanders out 
of ten1 when they are urged to any      
particular religious duty1 is whether it
 is necessary to their salvation1 i4e4  
whether they shall be paid for doing it4
 ,it is essentially a ,romish question4 
99 99 99  ,point to their censorious    
tongues1 their narrow judgments1 their  
contempt of the ,lord's poor1 their     
unlovely temper1 their social and       
partisan prejudices1 their mean dealings
 in business1 their physical and        
religious selfishness3 they give you to 
understand that sometime since they got 
into the ark--why should they be further
 converted8 ,why should they1 indeed1   
according to ,luther and ,calvin8 ,once 
obtain the imputation of the merits of  

,christ1 by faith1 and you have a full  
absolution for both the past1 the       
present1 and the future1 without        
confession or penance2 you have an      
inalienable right to the fruits of      
redemption without sacrifice or         
sacrament2 you have a perfect           
righteousness and a right to an eternal 
reward without good works or merits2 you
 have a plenary indulgence without even 
repeating a prayer of six lines1 or     
attending a mission2 and you will go to 
heaven1 not on the ,saturday1 but on the
 instant after your decease1 without a  
scapular4 ,even the few little things   
that we exact from our poor1 simple     
followers1 as a price for heaven1 are   
dispensed with4 ,not more surely will   
water seek the lowest spot1 than men    
will settle down to the inferior methods
 of escaping the pains of perdition4    
,let the ,catholic priest tell them that
 they must profess the faith and enter  
the communion of the one true ,church1  
at whatever sacrifice of pride1         

position1 property1 or friends1 and they
 will find some inferior method of      
saving their souls and keeping this     
world--if they can4 ,let him tell them  
that they must confess every mortal sin1
 and they will settle down to some      
inferior method of obtaining pardon--if 
they can find one4 #ach ,let him tell   
them that they must do penance1 fast1   
abstain1 give alms1 mortify their       
passions1 keep the commandments1 work   
out their salvation1 and1 if they would 
be perfect1 sell all and follow ,christ1
 like him whose doctrine the author     
attempts to criticise1 and they will    
settle down to some inferior method--if 
they can persuade themselves that it is 
at their option to do so4  ,what avails 
it1 the lecturer goes on to say1 that   
the preaching priest tells the          
congregation that sacraments and saints 
will not save them1 and omits to mention
 the confessional1 if the confessing    
priest tells them1 as he does in this   
'book' which he puts into their hands1  

quoting from the ',roman ,catechism1'   
that almost all the piety1 holiness1 and
 fear of ,god1 which1 through the       
,divine mercy1 are to be found in       
,christendom1 are owing to sacramental  
confession8 7,pp4 #cj1 #ca47 ,the priest
 does not omit to mention the           
confessional1 but let this pass4 ,if    
there is any meaning in this query1 it  
is1 leaving aside the question about the
 prayers of saints1 that it is of no    
avail to preach the necessity of inward 
renovation and holiness1 if sacraments  
are taught to be the necessary means of 
grace4 ,yet the lecturer quotes1 on p4  
#be1 a ,homily of the ,church of        
,england1 which says that we obtain     
grace and remission1 as well of our     
original sin in baptism what6 saved by  
'sprinkling8' as of all actual sin      
committed by us after our baptism1 if we
 truly repent and turn unfeignedly to   
,him again4 ,the same ,church of        
,england proposes also1 at the option of
 human nature1 along with the method of 

repenting by yourself1 without extrinsic
 aid1 the following inferior method1 by 
the confessional1 which is pretty       
strongly urged on the sick man1 as the  
best of the two4 ,here shall the sick   
person be moved to make a special       
confession of his sins1 if he feel his  
conscience troubled with any weighty    
matter4 ,after which confession1 the    
priest shall absolve him 7if he humbly  
and heartily desire it7 after this sort3
 ,our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 ,who hath   
left power to ,his ,church to absolve   
all sinners who truly repent and believe
 in ,him1 of his great mercy forgive    
thee thine offences3 ,and by ,his       
authority committed to me1 ,i absolve   
thee from all thy sins3 ,in the ,name of
 the ,father1 and of the ,son1 and of   
the ,holy ,ghost4 ,amen4  #aci  ,let us 
turn to the ,catechism of the ,church of
 ,england1 and we shall find a little   
more about sacraments1 and particularly 
the ,holy ,communion4    ,qu4--,what    
meanest thou by this word ,sacrament8   

,a4--,i mean an outward and visible sign
 of an inward and   spiritual grace     
given unto us1 ordained by ,christ      
,himself1   as a means whereby we       
receive the same1 and a pledge to       
assure us thereof4    ,qu4--,how many   
parts are there in a ,sacrament8        
,a4--,two3 the outward visible sign1 and
 the inward spiritual   grace4          
,qu4--,what is the outward part or sign 
of the ,lord's ,supper8   ,a4--,bread   
and wine1 which the ,lord bath commanded
 to be   received4    ,qu4--,what is the
 inward part1 or thing signified8       
,a4--,the body and blood of ,christ1    
which are verily and indeed   taken and 
received by the faithful in the ,lord's 
,supper4    ,qu4--,what are the benefits
 whereof we are partakers thereby8      
,a4--,the strengthening and refreshing  
of our souls by the body   and blood of 
,christ1 as our bodies are by the bread 
and wine4  ,there are some appalling    
absences from the teaching of this      
,catechism and other more fearful       

elements included4 ,there is not a word 
about the gospel history in it1 or      
justification by faith only4 ,it is all 
,creed1 ,commandments1 and ,sacraments4 
,change bread and wine into accidents of
 bread and wine1 and you have in an that
 ,i have quoted a mere repetition of the
 ,catholic ,catechism4 ,what avails it1 
then1 that the ,episcopalian minister   
tells his congregation that sacraments  
will not save them1 when he puts into   
their hands this catechism8  c4  ,i     
cannot follow the lecturer through the  
whole bead-roll of his enumeration of   
,catholic practices1 which he has picked
 out of the ,mission ,book and gathered 
up in a hasty perusal of other books of 
devotion1 or explain every thing4 ,they 
are among the minor and subordinate     
parts of the ,catholic system1 and are  
placed in their proper relations to the 
more essential parts of it in ,catholic 
practice and instruction4 #adj ,the     
lecturer has put them forward into a    
false perspective which distorts every  

thing1 in order to show that they       
practically supplant the truth1 the     
grace1 and the morality of ,christ2 in  
order to put in a preventer which shall 
effectually shut off all access of our  
preaching of the great truths of        
religion to the ,protestant mind4 ,he   
has skillfully chosen just the very     
practices which are most misunderstood  
by ,protestants1 and most objectionable 
in their view4 ,the chief of these1 and 
such as are connected with ,catholic    
dogmas1 as ,masses for the ,dead1       
,devotion to the ,blessed ,virgin and   
,saints1 and ,indulgences1 will be found
 fully explained in the sermons of this 
volume and the other volumes published  
by the congregation of which their      
author was a member1 as well as in every
 ,catholic manual4 ,i single out1       
therefore1 only one1 and that the very  
one which a non-,catholic reader of the 
,mission ,book would be most likely to  
stumble at1 viz4 ,the ,scapular4  ,the  
author says3 ,i open the ',book of the  

,mission1' and ,i find1 intermixed with 
much that is better1 such wretched      
directions as that 999999 the wearing of
 'the ,virgin's ,scapular' around the   
neck 7shall7 guarantee the fulfilment of
 a promise made to one ,simon ,stock1 an
 ,english ,carmelite friar1 of six      
centuries ago1 that 'whoso should die   
invested with it should be saved from   
eternal fire4' ,if this statement is to 
be taken in the sense of the lecturer1  
as a real exposition of our belief1 it  
is very strange that we should not      
dispense with the confessional1 as well 
as with preaching repentance toward     
,god1 and a holy life1 and confine      
ourselves to the easier task of         
investing all ,catholics with the       
scapular4 ,nothing would be further     
necessary then1 except to keep the      
strings in good repair1 and we might all
 of us take our ease1 eat1 drink1 and be
 merry1 while this short life lasts1    
secure of going to heaven at last4      
,human nature always settles down to the

 lowest optional method of escaping     
perdition1 according to our author4 #ada
 ,it is very singular1 that after       
hearing our sermons on the mission1 and 
then stumbling upon this account of the 
scapular in a book published under our  
own direction1 he should not have       
thought that there was some explanation 
of which it was susceptible1 which would
 give it a meaning in harmony with our  
doctrine1 and should not have asked for 
that explanation4 ,i will give it1      
however1 unasked1 lest it should seem   
that his objection is unanswerable4     
,the scapular is a small article1 made  
to imitate a part of the religious      
habit1 and worn as the badge of a pious 
confraternity affiliated to the         
,carmelite ,order4 ,according to the    
proper and ordinary use of it1 it is    
conferred on persons intending to live a
 devout life1 as an exterior sign of    
their special consecration to the       
service of ,god under the protection of 
the ,blessed ,virgin1 and of certain    

special graces which are given through  
the prayers of the holy religious of    
,mount ,carmel1 to those who fulfil the 
conditions faithfully4 ,these conditions
 are1 to observe a strict chastity      
according to one's state1 whether       
married or single1 and to perform       
certain acts of devotion4 ,it is        
understood that in order to be capable  
of receiving these graces1 a person must
 take care to live always in the love   
and fear of ,god1 and avoid all other   
mortal sins as well as those which are  
specifically renounced by the reception 
of the religious habit4 ,this implies a 
diligent use of the means of grace1 such
 as prayer and the sacraments4 ,the     
advantage attributed to membership in   
the confraternity1 and gained by        
fulfilling its conditions1 is merely1   
additional grace to assist one to live a
 ,christian life1 and thus to escape    
perdition and gain heaven4 ,the scapular
 is only a symbol of this1 and the only 
consolation a person who wears it can   

receive from it at the hour of death is1
 that it is to him a badge and emblem of
 the holy life he has led1 and of the   
promise of special grace in his last    
moments4 #adb ,there is1 besides this1  
the ,sabbatine ,indulgence1 as it is    
called1 by which it is generally held1  
as a matter1 not of faith1 but of       
opinion1 based on a private revelation1 
that a person may obtain a remission of 
the punishment of temporal pain in the  
other world1 on the ,saturday after his 
decease4 ,presupposing now the ,catholic
 doctrine of ,purgatory1 and also the   
doctrine of ,indulgences1 according to  
which no one can enter the first unless 
he dies free from mortal sin1 or obtain 
the second fully unless he is free from 
every stain of sin1 however small2 there
 is nothing in this pious belief        
prejudicial to strictness of piety or   
virtue4 ,in order to escape eternal     
perdition1 one must truly repent of     
every grievous sin4 ,in order to be free
 from temporal punishment1 one must     

satisfy the divine justice for past sins
 already remitted1 and repent of all    
sins whatever1 even the least and most  
trivial4 ,the soul can never enter      
heaven until its holiness is            
consummated4 ,therefore the pious belief
 respecting the ,sabbatine ,indulgence  
cannot1 without contradicting ,catholic 
doctrine1 mean more than this3 that one 
who faithfully accomplishes all that he 
promises on receiving the scapular1 and 
earnestly endeavors to purify himself   
from all mortal and venial sin1 may hope
 that the removal of the stains which   
his soul may have at death will be      
accelerated by a special grace1 and     
that1 if without this special grace he  
would still have some short time to     
suffer1 it may be remitted to him1 or   
shortened1 as ,god may see fit4  ,the   
language of ,catholic books1 of devotion
 is often free and unguarded1 and       
therefore easily susceptible of         
misunderstanding when taken out of its  
connection and pressed into a hard      

literalness by those who do not         
understand the ,catholic system in its  
harmony4 ,these books are written for   
,catholics1 who are supposed to be      
instructed1 and to have the practical   
sense of their religion which enables   
them to take up their meaning rightly4  
,it is also presupposed that pastors and
 confessors will instruct and direct    
those under their charge in all matters 
relating to practical religion1 and     
guard them against hurtful errors or    
mistakes in substituting minor and      
subsidiary practices of devotion for    
solid piety and the fulfilment of the   
weightier matters of the law4 #adc ,let 
anyone candidly examine into the spirit 
and scope of the sermons contained in   
this volume1 and into those of the      
,mission ,book1 and he will see that    
those weightier matters are the ones    
which are insisted on4 ,these are urged 
and enforced as essential with all      
possible earnestness2 and how can it    
detract from the force of these         

exhortations1 that an occasional        
recommendation of some particular       
devotions is also thrown in1 which is   
like our ,lord's counsel not to leave   
undone the paying tithes of mint1 anise1
 and cummin8  ,let it be remembered that
 the point is not now to prove the truth
 of the ,catholic doctrine respecting   
the sacraments or any inferior rites1   
practices1 or pious works4 ,it is to    
refute the charge that by these things  
we subvert sound morality1 solid and    
spiritual piety1 and faith in ,christ as
 the ,author of grace and justification4
 ,this charge is untrue1 irrespective of
 the question of the claim of the       
,catholic ,church on faith and          
obedience4 ,the author of the ,price    
,lecture has made it without due study  
and examination1 on the faith of the    
writers of the ,church he has recently  
joined1 and into whose views he has     
thrown himself by a voluntary effort1   
without waiting to mature the results of
 his own theological principles4 ,he is 

capable of better things than this hasty
 and superficial lecture4 ,let him be   
true to the dying declaration of the    
great ,anglican divine which he quotes  
with so much approbation 7p4 #f71 ,i die
 in the faith and ,church of ,christ1 as
 held before the separation of ,east and
 ,west1 and he will no longer be found  
in unworthy companionship with the      
revilers of the ,roman ,church4 ,how    
much more dignified and noble is the    
position taken by such men as the great 
philosopher ,leibniz1 in the past1 and1 
in the present1 by the great statesman  
and champion of the truth of revelation 
and ,protestant orthodoxy1 ,guizot6 #add
 ,the latter does not hesitate to avow  
that he considers the cause of which he 
is a champion essentially identical with
 that of the ,church of ,rome4 ,i agree 
with him1 in the sense that the whole of
 the ,christian tradition which is found
 in the various ,christian bodies1 and  
which constitutes the positive and      
objective creed which they cling to1 is 

all preserved in the ,catholic ,church4 
,i know the doctrine of ,luther and     
,calvin1 in which ,i was brought up1    
thoroughly1 and ,i can testify that the 
positive portion of it1 respecting the  
mystery of ,redemption and the inward   
sanctification of the ,holy ,spirit1 ,i 
retain unchanged4 ,i know thoroughly1   
also1 the ,church principles of         
,reformed ,episcopacy1 and ,i retain all
 these unchanged4 ,i have found also all
 that true and sound rationality1 or    
respect for human reason and its certain
 science1 together with all that high   
estimate of the moral virtues1 which is 
professed by ,unitarians1 in ,catholic  
theology4 ,i have never lost any thing  
or been required to abdicate any thing  
which ,i had previously acquired in the 
intellectual or spiritual life1 by      
embracing ,catholic doctrine but have   
only added to it that which makes it    
more integral and complete4 ,the real   
question of discussion is about that    
which is positive in the ,roman ,church1

 in addition to that which is common to 
her and ,protestant communions1 and not 
about those more primary articles of the
 ,christian creed which form the basis  
of all religion and ,christianity4 ,it  
is the question1 whether the ,catholic  
,church is really the one1 only ,church1
 founded by ,christ on the ,supremacy of
 ,st4 ,peter and his ,apostolic ,see of 
,rome2 and is an infallible teacher in  
faith and morals4 ,we do not ask other  
,christians to admit this before they   
have examined the evidence1 or been     
convinced by its force4 ,we ask them    
simply1 ad interim1 to do us justice1 to
 give us a fair hearing1 to observe the 
rules of honorable warfare in their     
controversies with us1 and to concede   
our rightful claims as ,christians and  
as free citizens4 #ade ,those bigoted   
leaders of religious factions and their 
great ,fourth ,estate of unemployed     
clerical followers1 whose occupation of 
hanging around the skirts of our armies 
is gone1 and who seek to stir up a      

religious war1 by representing          
,catholics as the enemies of civil and  
religious liberty1 and the progress of  
the ,church as dangerous to our         
political welfare1 are beyond all reason
 or remonstrance4 ,their plans are well 
characterised in some of the secular    
papers1 as more nefarious than those of 
the men who plotted to burn the hotels  
of ,new ,york4 ,they would be better    
employed1 and make a much more          
efficacious war on infidelity1 if they  
would give missions1 establish churches1
 and make other efforts for the         
instruction in some principles of       
religion and morality of the            
half-million of ,protestants in the city
 of ,new ,york1 and the other millions  
elsewhere1 who never enter a            
church-door4 ,those ,protestants who may
 read these pages will undoubtedly1 for 
the most part1 belong to that large     
class who repudiate indignantly all     
sympathy with men of this sort1 and     
their schemes4 ,and on such readers ,i  

rely confidently to judge justly and    
generously the pure and noble character 
and apostolic works of the subject of   
this ,memoir1 from his life and from his
 own writings4 ,i rely on them to       
believe my testimony1 that they will    
find in these a specimen of the genuine 
character and doctrine of the ,catholic 
priesthood1 modelled after the form     
proposed by the ,church herself4 ,i     
think they will give their approbation  
and sympathy to all that is done by the 
,catholic clergy to stem the vast and   
swelling torrent of impiety and         
immorality which threatens our political
 and social fabric on every side1 and   
will acknowledge the service done to the
 state and society1 apart from the      
directly religious benefit to the souls 
of men1 by the only ,church and body of 
clergy that has a powerful sway over    
great masses of the population in our   
country4  ,this long digression will1 ,i
 fear1 have seemed tedious1 and         
irrelevant to the proper subject of this

 biographical narrative4 #adf ,i have   
thought it necessary1 however1 as a     
background to my portrait1 to paint the 
missionary work from which the life of  
,father ,baker receives its principal   
value and significance4 ,i return now to
 resume the thread of his personal      
history1 which ,i left at the point     
where he was about to commence his      
public sacerdotal and missionary career4
  ,father ,baker came to the assistance 
of the little band who were toiling in  
their arduous missionary labors1 in     
,november1 #ahef4 ,his first            
mission-sermon was preached in ,st4     
,patrick's ,church1 ,washington1 ,d4    
,c41 on ,the ,necessity of ,salvation4  
,this sermon was also the last one which
 he ever preached1 at one of the weekly 
services of ,lent1 in the parish church 
of ,st4 ,paul's1 ,new ,york4  ,the debut
 of ,father ,baker as a missionary is   
noticed at the ,records of the ,missions
 in the following words1 which were     
written by the faithful friend who      

watched over his last moments4    ,the  
,rev4 ,father ,baker1 a convert from    
,episcopalianism1 and   most highly     
respected and beloved as a ,protestant  
minister in   ,baltimore1 had been just 
ordained1 and came for the first time   
to assist at this mission4 ,he preached 
the opening sermon1   which gave great  
satisfaction to all who heard it1 and a 
promise that he will hereafter be a     
truly apostolical   missionary4  ,one   
pleasing little incident of this very   
interesting mission was1 that the       
,president and his lady gathered and    
arranged a beautiful bouquet of flowers1
 which were sent to decorate the altar  
at the ceremony of the ,dedication to   
the ,blessed ,virgin1 which took place  
near the close of the mission4  ,after  
the conclusion of this mission1 ,father 
,baker was sent by his superior to      
,annapolis1 to assist the rector of the 
,house of ,novices located there 7on one
 of the ancient manors of the ,carroll  
family1 which had been given to the     

congregation by the daughter of ,charles
 ,carroll1 of ,carrollton71 in the care 
of the little ,catholic parish in that  
place4 #adg ,the other missionaries went
 ,south1 for a series of missions to be 
given during the winter1 and finding the
 work there too great for their small   
band of four1 telegraphed from ,savannah
 to the provincial1 requesting him to   
send ,father ,baker to assist them4 ,in 
compliance with this request1 ,father   
,baker was sent on immediately to       
,savannah1 and took part in the mission 
given in the cathedral1 at that time    
under the care of the saintly and       
apostolic ,dr4 ,barry1 then             
administrator1 and afterward bishop of  
the diocese4 ,there was but little      
episcopal splendor to be seen about the 
,savannah cathedral and residence at    
this time4 ,until within a few years    
previously to the mission1 ,georgia had 
been included in the diocese of         
,charleston4 ,dr4 ,gartland1 the first  
bishop1 had procured a suitable         

residence for himself and his clergy1   
and had purchased property with a view  
of erecting a handsome cathedral4 ,a    
short time after his consecration1      
,savannah was visited by a destructive  
tornado1 which destroyed the greater    
part of the fine old trees which formed 
the principal ornament of the place1    
otherwise injured the city very         
seriously1 and unroofed the bishop's    
house4 ,the yellow fever broke out about
 the same time1 in a very virulent      
manner2 and the bishop1 as also ,bishop 
,barron1 who came there to assist him1  
fell a victim to the epidemic4 ,these   
disasters1 and the debts which pressed  
on the congregation1 put a stop for a   
time to all efforts to establish matters
 on a suitable footing4 ,after ,dr4     
,barry's consecration1 the old church   
was refitted and furnished in a way to  
make it quite respectable for the       
cathedral of a new diocese1 and a       
spacious mansion was purchased for the  
episcopal residence4 ,but at this time  

,dr4 ,barry was living1 like a bishop in
 partibus infidelium1 in a small and    
poor frame dwelling-house1 containing   
only four or five rooms1 and the clergy 
were putting up1 in the best way they   
could1 with rooms over the sacristy of  
the church4 ,just round the corner1 an  
aged negro1 with a long white beard1 who
 was a ,methodist preacher1 might be    
seen sitting all the day long in the sun
 on a little stool1 holding a cow by a  
rope around her horns1 while she nibbled
 the grass which grew along the streets2
 and the old gentleman chatted with the 
passers-by1 or prepared his sermons for 
the next ,sunday1 highly delighted at   
the friendly salutations which the      
fathers always gave him as they passed  
by4 #adh ,every now and then a black    
nurse passed along the street1 carrying 
or wheeling the little white infant of  
her charge2 or a troop of negro boys and
 their young masters1 playing together  
with the utmost familiarity4 ,the sunny1
 ,southern atmosphere was vocal with the

 merry1 free-and-easy sounds of         
laughing1 chatting mirth1 or work       
carried on like a play without much care
 or hurry1 so characteristic of a city  
in the far ,south4 ,savannah is a very  
beautiful and picturesque place1 where1 
at that time1 ,southern life and manners
 could be seen at the greatest          
advantage2 and the novelty of the scene 
gave it a great zest to those of our    
number who had not seen it before4 ,the 
clergy were1 most of them1 old veteran  
missionaries1 brought to this country by
 the celebrated ,bishop ,england1 full  
of rich and piquant anecdotes of their  
past experience among the wild1         
sparsely-settled regions of ,georgia and
 the neighboring ,states1 related with  
inimitable wit and humor4 ,footnote #f  
,the mission was still further enlivened
 by a visit to ,savannah from           
,archbishop ,hughes1 accompanied by his 
amiable secretary1 who were making a    
tour of recreation to restore the       
archbishop's shattered health2 and from 

,dr4 ,lynch1 soon after appointed to the
 see of ,charleston4      ,footnote #f3 
,one of these good clergymen1 the ,rev4 
,peter     ,whelan1 during the late     
civil war1 remained a long time among   
our prisoners at ,andersonville1 and    
spent four hundred     dollars in gold  
at one time in purchasing bread for     
their     necessities4  ,this mission   
was1 however1 no play-spell for the     
missionaries4 ,besides the ordinary     
labor of preaching and hearing the      
confessions of a multitude of people1 it
 was necessary to search out the people 
themselves1 and bring them to church to 
hear the sermons4 ,at that time1 the    
,southern towns received the dbris of   
foreign emigration1 and were filled     
during the winter months by a loose     
floating population of ,northern        
laborers1 who were without employment at
 home4 #adi ,hence1 there was a larger  
proportion than elsewhere of the most   
degenerate and demoralised class of     
,catholics1 living in complete neglect  

of their religious and moral duties1 and
 beyond the reach of the ordinary       
ministrations of the ,church4 ,savannah 
has several suburbs and purlieus1       
rejoicing in the names of ,yammacraw1   
,robertsville1 and ,old ,fort1 crowded  
with squalid hovels1 drinking-shops1    
sailors' boarding-houses1 and dens of   
thieves and smugglers1 representing in a
 small way the scenes which ,dickens    
delights in describing4 ,a mission in   
the cathedral might be given ten times  
over1 and the news of it never reach the
 denizens of these places4 ,accordingly1
 the missionaries divided the several   
districts between them1 and undertook to
 beat up the quarters of sin1 vice1 and 
misery1 in the hope of rescuing some of 
these forlorn and abandoned souls4 ,it  
would hardly be safe for any one but a  
,catholic priest to undertake such a    
work1 especially in the evening1 and    
certainly no one else would have any    
hope of success4 ,the work was done1    
however1 very thoroughly1 and1 in       

consequence1 the church was crowded by  
that class of persons who were in most  
need of a mission1 and who had never    
been reached before4 ,an immediate and  
extensive reformation was the result4   
,the grog-shops were deserted1 which    
before were filled from morning until   
late at night1 the sound of cursing and 
quarrelling was hushed1 the darker deeds
 of sin ceased1 and the great mass of   
these poor1 lost souls began to listen  
to the eternal truths1 and to seek for  
the way that would bring them back to   
,god4 ,many1 engaged in dishonest       
practices1 abandoned their unlawful     
traffic1 and made restitution of their  
ill-gotten gains4 ,great numbers of     
those who had abandoned the sacraments1 
and even ceased going to church1 for    
ten1 twenty1 or thirty years1 came with 
great fervor and earnestness to         
confession4 ,some of the poor slaves    
also1 as well ,methodists as those who  
were ,catholics1 attended eagerly on the
 instructions of the mission4 #aej ,one 

old ,methodist negress was asked by her 
mistress1 or some one else who noticed  
her constant attendance1 if she liked   
the mission2 to which she replied3 ,oh1 
,lor6 yes1 missus2 ,i'se bound to be    
there1 if ,i can get only one eye in1   
every time4 ,another grown-up slave     
girl1 who had never been baptized1 was  
most anxious to receive baptism1 and    
induced her mistress to ask me to       
baptize her4 ,i was very reluctant to do
 it1 fearing lest she might not be      
sufficiently instructed and prepared in 
her moral dispositions to begin a really
 ,christian life1 without a longer      
probation2 and therefore refused to     
baptize her during the mission4 ,after  
the last sermon she went nearly frantic1
 and made loud exclamations that she    
wished to be taken out of the devil's   
hands1 and the father would not do it1  
but was going away1 leaving her in his  
power4 ,touched by her entreaties1 and  
finding that her mistress had taught her
 the rudiments of the catechism1 ,i     

instructed her for some days1 and       
endeavored to impress upon her mind     
especially1 that if she wished for the  
graces of baptism and the friendship of 
,god1 she must renounce all sin and live
 a good and holy life4 ,so fearful was  
she that she might sin1 and receive     
baptism unworthily1 that for a day      
before her baptism she would not speak a
 word to any person1 not even her       
mistress4 ,she refused to speak even    
when she was asked about her sponsors   
and her baptismal dress1 and her whole  
demeanor at her baptism was like that of
 one oppressed with the most intense    
sentiment of religious awe1 and of the  
sacredness of the promises she was      
making to ,god4 ,it is not to be        
supposed that every bad ,catholic was   
reformed1 or that1 of those who were    
really brought to a resolution to mend  
their lives1 all of them persevered4    
,the hydra-headed monster of vice is not
 killed by a blow1 nor can we hope ever 
to exterminate sin by any means1 even   

those which have a divine efficacy4 ,it 
is a continual warfare which we have to 
wage1 by both spiritual and moral       
weapons1 which the free will can always 
resist4 #aea ,god alone has coercive    
power over the spirit of man1 and ,he   
will not exert it to compel him to obey 
,his law4 ,temptations to sin ever beset
 the human will1 especially in a        
corrupt1 irreligious1 and immoral state 
of society4 ,the ,catholic ,church is   
not intended to be a society of saints  
who have already attained perfection1   
but a training and reformatory school   
for the human race4 ,it has no means of 
charming or mesmerizing the human will  
into sanctity1 and its gracious         
influences do not supersede the struggle
 for life which exists in the spiritual 
as in the natural world4 ,it has all the
 means of sanctifying the human race1   
and of elevating men to the summit of   
possible human virtue1 limited only by  
the extent to which the free human will 
co-operates with grace4 ,it must        

actually produce these results on a     
great scale1 in order to prove that it  
is the ,church2 because ,god would not  
have created it for this purpose1       
foreseeing its essential failure to     
fulfil its work and attain its          
predestined end4 ,it is easy enough to  
show that the ,church possesses this    
note of sanctity1 correctly understood  
in this way4 ,but it is perfectly true  
also that the free-will of man1 by its  
failure and perversion1 hinders the     
,church to a vast extent from exhibiting
 its regenerating and sanctifying power4
 ,great numbers of individuals in the   
,catholic ,church live and act in       
contradiction to their faith1 neglect or
 abuse the means of grace1 and dishonor 
religion by their conduct4 ,the only    
means which the ,church has of          
contending with this evil1 and          
reclaiming these unworthy members from a
 sinful life1 are moral means1 acting on
 the mind and conscience4 ,missions are 
among the most powerful and efficacious 

of these means1 and their efficacy is   
shown1 not in eradicating sin1 or       
liberating human nature from its        
intrinsic liability and propensity to   
sin1 but in checking and counteracting  
its violence1 and reclaiming a great    
number of individuals from its          
influence4 #aeb ,if they actually do    
this1 if they have a perceptible        
influence in reforming and renovating   
the demoralised portion of the ,catholic
 community1 heightening the restraining 
power of faith and conscience among the 
mass of the people1 and producing many  
permanent fruits in the increase of     
piety and morality1 they are successful1
 and their value is established4 ,it is 
beyond a question that they do this to  
an extent which can only be understood  
by those who are engaged in them1 or who
 have studied their working on a grand  
scale4  ,to return to the ,savannah     
mission4 ,i had a good opportunity to   
judge of its permanent fruits when1 two 
years afterward1 ,i returned there1 and 

went through the same quarters of the   
town where we had gone to drum up the   
people to the mission1 in making a      
collection for the new congregation of  
,st4 ,paul4 ,many of the very poorest   
dwellings ,i found neat and orderly2 the
 pious pictures blessed during the      
mission hanging upon the walls2 the     
children clean and tidy2 sometimes an   
old man sitting at the door1 reading the
 mission-book2 the wives and mothers    
evidently cheerful and contented1 the   
best sign that their husbands were sober
 and kind2 the expressions of grateful  
remembrance of the mission warm and     
frequent2 the signs of moral improvement
 everywhere1 and the church crowded on  
,sunday4  ,it is not to be supposed that
 the body of the ,catholic congregation 
of ,savannah were like this lowest class
 ,i have described4 ,i have dwelt more  
minutely on their condition1 and the    
good done among them1 mainly because the
 small comparative size of the place1   
and the thorough visitation which was   

made1 brought us into a more close      
contact with their miseries1 and enabled
 us to see more clearly what can be done
 to relieve them1 than is usually the   
case4 ,i have wished to show what the   
hardest and most repulsive part of the  
work of the missionary is1 and to give a
 true picture of the nature and efficacy
 of the means used to raise up and      
reform and save the most demoralised    
class of the ,catholic population       
throughout the country1 and especially  
in the large towns1 where this class is 
most numerous4 #aec ,i wish1 also1      
before resuming the particular narrative
 of ,f4 ,baker's life1 to show what was 
the work for which he left the ease and 
elegance and attractive charm of his    
earlier position as an ,episcopalian    
clergyman1 fulfilling the light duty of 
reading prayers and preaching quiet1    
well-written1 polished discourses for   
the lite of ,baltimore society4  ,the   
mass of the people who were brought to  
the mission in ,savannah by the personal

 visits of the fathers had never been   
seen in the church previously4 ,they    
were the dbris that the tide of         
emigration had deposited there1 and many
 of them only chance-residents of the   
town4  ,the ordinary church-going       
congregation contained1 as usual1 its   
very large proportion of ,easter        
communicants1 with a smaller but still  
numerous class of devout and fervent    
,catholics who approached the sacraments
 frequently4 ,the majority of them      
belonged to the humbler walks of life1  
although there were a considerable      
number whose position in worldly society
 was more elevated4  ,f4 ,baker arrived 
in ,savannah1 when the mission was about
 half over1 and took his share in the   
labor of preaching and hearing          
confessions4 ,at the close of it1 after 
a few days' rest1 three of the          
missionaries1 of whom he was one1       
commenced a series of missions in one   
part of the diocese1 and the two others 
began another which embraced the smaller

 parishes4 ,the smaller band went to    
,macon1 ,columbus1 and ,atlanta1        
rejoining their companions subsequently 
at ,charleston4 ,as ,f4 ,baker went in  
another direction1 ,i shall confine     
myself to the narrative of the missions 
in which he was engaged1 and pass over  
the others1 merely pausing for a moment 
to notice a letter written by a         
,protestant gentleman in ,macon1 to the 
,united ,states ,catholic ,miscellany1  
of ,charleston1 as an evidence of the   
impression often made by missions upon  
the minds of candid and intelligent     
,protestants4 ,the letter is as         
follow's3--  #aed    ,in company with   
many of our most distinguished citizens1
 ,i   have had the pleasure of hearing  
most of the sermons delivered1   and    
witnessing the accompanying exercises   
connected with their   mission1 and but 
express the united and universal        
sentiment   entertained1 when ,i say    
that they were exceedingly interesting  
and instructive1 and have served to     

dissipate many of the   vulgar          
prejudices that hung like a mist upon   
the public mind1   and1 like a          
cold-damp1 mildewed reason and honest   
judgment4   ,sufficient testimony of    
this result may be found in the fact    
that a number of ,protestant gentlemen  
called upon ,mr4 ,walworth   yesterday1 
and urgently requested him to deliver   
one more   sermon before his departure1 
which he consented to do this   evening4
 ,i would send you a copy of the        
correspondence1 but it   would be too   
voluminous for the brevity of this      
letter2 suffice   it to say it was      
complimentary1 no less in the act itself
 than   in the manner in which the      
request was conveyed4    ,i must take   
this occasion of expressing my          
gratification at   the result adverted  
to1 for though ,i am not a member1 nor  
ever   have been1 of the ,catholic      
,church1 its piety and religious        
principles--the purity1 integrity1      
ability1 learning1 and   eloquence of   

its teachers and preachers--the bright  
links of   patience1 endurance1 and     
fidelity1 by which it is held to the    
early ages of ,christianity--its unity  
of action1 consistency of   precept and 
practice1 and conformity of theory and  
doctrine1 as   well as the great lights 
of intellect that have shed lustre      
upon it in the past and present--men    
whose genius has elevated   them above  
the gloom of dying centuries to overflow
 history   with glory--these have       
commended the ,catholic ,church         
favorably   to my judgment2 and         
regarding its onward progress and       
increasing popularity with no jaundiced 
sectarian eye or   jealous              
faction-spirit1 but with the extension  
of civilization   and ,christianity--,i 
feel the pressure of no petty1 vulgar   
prejudice in wishing it1 with all other 
,christian   organizations1 ',god       
speed2' and if this sentiment be in     
hostility with ,protestantism1 as for   
myself and it ,i say1   'perish the     

connection'--'live' the enlightened     
liberality and   intelligence of        
civilized and educated man4     ,yours1 
very truly1 etc4     ,macon1 ,december  
#ca1 #ahef4  #aee  ,from ,savannah1 ,f4 
,baker1 with two companions1 went to    
give a mission in ,augusta4 ,on the     
pages of the ,mission ,records several  
interesting incidents of this mission   
are related4 ,on the first ,sunday      
morning of the mission1 three gentlemen 
called on the fathers1 all of whom1 it  
appeared1 were converts4 ,one of them   
was called ,dr4 ,w4 ,b41 the second1 his
 nephew1 ,dr4 ,m41 and the third was the
 overseer of ,dr4 ,b4's plantation4     
,this ,dr4 ,b4 had been received into   
the ,catholic ,church some months       
previously1 and had entered a ,catholic 
church for the first time that morning4 
,he was a man of fine and genteel       
appearance1 with gray hair and a long1  
black beard1 an intelligent and educated
 physician4 ,so great was his           
excitement1 and so wonderful did every  

thing which he saw that may appear      
through the magnifying glass of his     
imagination1 that on his return home    
that night1 at eleven o'clock1 he awoke 
his brother and made him get up and     
light a fire1 that he might relate the  
events of the day4 ,as a sample of the  
proportion in which he viewed the whole1
 it may suffice to say that he described
 one of the fathers as seven and a-half 
feet high--at least six inches taller   
than the ,georgia giant4 ,the brother   
alluded to1 also a physician and        
planter1 made his appearance a day or   
two later4 ,he was quite an elderly     
gentleman1 with an intelligent          
countenance and a magnificent           
patriarchal beard4 ,a painter could not 
find a better head for an ,apostle1 or  
for one of the ancient ,bishops or      
,fathers of the ,church than his4 ,he   
was a man with an intellect like        
,brownson's1 and full of information4   
,he became a ,catholic a few years ago  
from reading ,brownson's ,review4 ,since

 that time he has been a great champion 
of the ,church1 and1 through his        
influence1 his own family1 his brother  
and sister1 his nephew and some others1 
have also been converted4 #aef ,one of  
the latter was then residing in ,dr4    
,b4's own family1 and was leading a most
 remarkably penitential life4 ,this     
gentleman 7a ,mr4 ,s471 of high birth   
and education1 was formerly a lawyer1   
and a married man of large property4 ,he
 was renowned for his courage1 and had  
fought with one of the most celebrated  
duellists of ,south ,carolina1 named ,r4
 ,this gentleman lost his property and  
was abandoned by his wife4 ,about seven 
years before he had become a ,catholic1 
he lived for a considerable time with   
his brother1 an unprincipled and        
ferocious man1 who scarcely allowed him 
a bare pittance4 ,he was dressed in     
rags1 was barefooted1 and lived on bread
 which he baked himself4  ,after a few  
years1 when ,dr4 ,b4 had become a       
,catholic1 and opened a small chapel on 

his own plantation1 ,mr4 ,s4 appeared   
there one day at ,mass in his miserable 
plight4 ,dr4 ,r4 invited him to stay    
with him1 and gave him a small office to
 live in1 and all other things requisite
 for his comfort4 ,here he had been     
living ever since1 leading the life of a
 saint1 and passing a great portion of  
his time in reading ,catholic books1    
especially ,brownson's ,review1 which he
 knew almost by heart4 ,the ,doctor said
 that the only thing which could excite 
his anger1 was to hear anyone speak     
against ,brownson1 or contradict any    
thing he says4 ,as an instance of his   
penance1 ,i will relate how1 according  
to ,dr4 ,b4's account1 he attempted to  
pass one ,lent4 ,he had been reading the
 ,lives of the ,fathers of the ,desert1 
and he endeavored to imitate their      
example precisely and to the letter4    
,his whole food consisted of a small    
quantity of bread1 and during the last  
three days he wanted to fast entirely1  
but ,dr4 ,b4 threatened that1 if he did1

 he would send a little negro for       
,father ,b41 to excommunicate him4 ,he  
was wasted to a skeleton1 and did not   
recover the effects of his fasting for  
six months afterward4 #aeg ,on one      
occasion1 ,mr4 ,s4 found a poor1 sick   
negro1 with no one to attend him1 and   
not contented with waiting on him and   
taking care of him1 as he was constantly
 in the habit of doing for all the sick 
within several miles' distance1 he      
washed his feet1 and1 for want of a     
towel1 wiped them with his              
pocket-handkerchief4 ,it was necessary  
to watch him1 lest he might give away   
his clothes to the negroes and when he  
needed new clothes1 they were put       
secretly in his way1 and the old ones   
removed4  ,others in this neighborhood1 
who were not yet ,catholics1 were so    
well disposed that they had their       
children baptized4 ,edgefield and the   
country round about was formerly        
celebrated for the lawless and violent  
character of the population1 for the    

frequency of murders1 and for the bitter
 prejudice existing against the         
,catholic ,church2 so much so1 that a   
priest could not obtain the             
,court-,house to preach in4 ,when the   
elder ,dr4 ,b4 became a ,catholic1 ,dr4 
,w4 ,b4 declared that he would burn up  
his wife and children and his whole     
house before they should become         
,catholics1 and any priest who should   
chance to come near him4 ,another       
gentleman1 since a convert1 said that1  
if one of his children should become a  
,catholic1 he would take him by the     
heels and dash out his brains against a 
stone wall4 ,dr4 ,m41 when he went to   
study medicine with his uncle1 the elder
 ,dr4 ,b41 made a vow that he would     
never enter the chapel and never desert 
the faith of his fathers2 and his       
parents told him on leaving home that1  
if he became a ,catholic1 he should     
never cross the ,savannah ,river again  
or see their faces4 ,after some months1 
he became silent and melancholy4 ,for a 

while he concealed the cause1 but at    
last1 one evening he told his aunt that 
he could hold out no longer1 and was a  
,catholic at heart4 ,shortly after      
receiving his medical diploma1 he       
determined to renounce the practice of  
medicine1 and has recently been ordained
 to the priesthood4  #aeh  ,at          
,edgefield a lot of seven acres was     
purchased in the middle of the town1 for
 a church1 to be built of brown stone1  
in the ,gothic style4 ,five gentlemen   
had already subscribed sixteen hundred  
dollars for the church1 and ,father ,b4 
was collecting for the same purpose4    
,there was a general inclination        
throughout the whole town to embrace the
 ,catholic faith1 and already there is a
 small band of the best ,catholics in   
the country there--souls that have been 
led by the great ,god ,himself1 by the  
wonderful ways of ,his most holy grace4 
,dr4 ,b4 has since died1 and what has   
been the fate of the little             
congregation1 and of the beautiful      

church which was commenced1 during the  
troubles and miseries of the civil war1 
,i know not4 ,they have not1 however1   
hindered the ,catholics of ,augusta from
 completing and paying for a large and  
costly church1 the successor of a very  
good and commodious edifice of brick    
where the mission was given4  ,after    
leaving ,augusta1 we went to ,savannah  
once more1 and on the #bith of ,january 
went on board the little steamer ,gen4  
,clinch1 which was afterward turned into
 a gunboat during the civil war1 to     
begin our voyage by the inland route to 
,st4 ,augustine1 ,florida4 ,this inland 
route has some peculiar and picturesque 
features4 ,the steamer passes down the  
,savannah ,river1 with its banks lined  
with the green and gold orange trees1   
until1 near the mouth1 it turns into its
 proper route1 leading through a        
succession of small sounds1 connected by
 narrow1 serpentine rivers1 where you   
seem to be sailing over the meadows1    
usually in sight of the ocean1 and quite

 often aground for some hours at a time4
 ,the steamer was very small and very   
crowded1 our progress very leisurely and
 interrupted by several long stoppages1 
so that our voyage was protracted for   
five days4 ,it is seldom that a more    
motley or singular and amusing group of 
passengers is collected in a small      
cabin4 #aei ,besides the three ,catholic
 priests1 who were to the others the    
greatest curiosities on board1 we had an
 army lieutenant1 since then the        
commander of a corps d'arme in the great
 civil war1 an old wizard who was       
consulting his familiar spirits         
incessantly for the amusement or        
information of the passengers2 a        
plantation doctor1 a wild young         
,arkansas lawyer of the fire-eating     
type1 a professor of mathematics1 a     
crotchety1 good-humored ,new ,york      
farmer1 with very peculiar religious    
opinions1 a young man who professed     
himself a universal sceptic1 two or     
three gentlemen of education and        

polished manners1 who were not at all   
singular1 but appeared quite so in such 
an odd assemblage2 and some others in no
 way remarkable4 ,the cramped           
accommodations1 the long voyage1 and the
 usual bonhommie which prevails on such 
occasions were well fitted to draw out  
all the oddities and idiosyncrasies of  
the company4 ,the spiritualist1 who was 
an uneducated and uncouth specimen of   
humanity1 with a great deal of native   
shrewdness1 and a good-humored1         
loquacious disposition1 was the center  
of attraction4 ,the professor and the   
philosophical farmer engaged with him in
 a long and earnest discussion of       
spiritualism1 which ended in his        
exhibiting his powers as a consulter of 
the spirits4 ,most of the passengers    
made trial of his skill in this respect1
 although his performance was the most  
patent of silly impostures1 only amusing
 from its absurdity4 ,the professor     
tried him sorely by asking him a        
question which seemed to have caused    

himself many an hour of anxious and     
fruitless thought1 and which he appeared
 to despair of solving metaphysically3  
,can ,god annihilate space8 ,the old    
gentleman's spirit did not appear to    
have investigated this question to his  
own complete satisfaction1 for he gave  
him no positive answer4 ,he was silent  
for a moment1 with a puzzled look1      
evidently fearing a trap1 and at last   
answered1 ,i don't know1 but ,i guess   
,he could if ,he tried2 ,he made it1 and
 ,i guess ,he could annihilate it4 ,just
 as the professor was going to retire to
 his berth1 the old man took revenge by 
telling him that he had just been       
informed by the spirits that one of his 
children was sick of scarlet fever4 ,the
 wizard left the boat at ,brunswick1 but
 as the conversation had taken a        
religious and philosophical turn at     
first1 it continued in that direction1  
the two individuals before mentioned    
being the principal interlocutors4 #afj 
,we did not join much in it1 as it was  

evidently distasteful to several of the 
company1 who wished to read quietly or  
converse on ordinary topics4 ,before we 
parted1 however1 one of our number took 
the opportunity which offered itself of 
having a little pleasant and rational   
discussion with the professor and one or
 two others1 who were really intelligent
 and well-informed4 ,on ,new ,year's    
,day we remained several hours at ,st4  
,mary's1 ,georgia1 where we found the   
mayor of the place to be a ,catholic    
gentleman1 of ,acadian descent1 and were
 hospitably entertained at his house4   
,the boat passed the night at           
,fernandina1 and the next day we went   
out of the ,st4 ,mary's ,river1 across a
 short and dangerous stretch of ocean   
between a line of breakers and the      
shore1 into the ,st4 ,john's1 and up    
that romantic river1 so full of         
historical associations4 ,friday evening
 saw us befogged above ,jacksonville1   
and on ,saturday morning we learned to  
our dismay that our captain was going   

past our landing1 and on to ,pilatka1   
which would keep us on board his        
miserable little craft until the next   
week1 and prevent the opening of the    
mission on the ,sunday4 ,touching for a 
few moments at ,fleming's ,island1 we   
found friends at the little dock1 who   
were passing the winter on the island1  
and who informed us that we could go    
from there that afternoon to our        
destination4 ,we debarked accordingly1  
our friend the professor in company with
 us1 and were refreshed with a good     
breakfast at the hotel where our friends
 were lodging1 and a stroll around the  
little island4 ,on the arrival of the   
steamer1 the whole party went on board  
and proceeded to ,picolata1 where we    
took stage-coaches for ,st4 ,augustine1 
arriving there on ,saturday evening4    
,about halfway between ,picolata and    
,st4 ,augustine there is a post-house1  
where1 in the last ,florida ,war with   
the ,seminole ,indians1 a party of      
travelling actors were surprised and    

murdered by ,indians1 who dressed       
themselves in their fantastic costumes1 
and in that guise made a hostile        
demonstration in the neighborhood of    
,st4 ,augustine4  #afa  ,to ,americans1 
this old town seems to have a vast      
antiquity1 claiming as it does the      
respectable age of three centuries4 ,the
 ,catholic church here is almost as old 
as ,protestantism1 and a brief of ,st4  
,pius ,v41 in regard to some of the     
religious affairs of this colony1 is    
still extant4 ,there are remnants of an 
old wall in several places1 and a large 
fortress built in ,spanish times1 and   
called the castle of ,st4 ,marco1 where 
you may yet see the marks of the        
cannon-shot fired at the invasion of    
,oglethorpe from ,georgia4 ,this fort   
might serve as a scene for the plot of a
 new ,mysteries of ,udolfo1 it is so    
unlike any thing modern1 and so         
thoroughly ,spanish and medival4 ,it is 
not1 however1 of a sort to make one     
regret the past4 ,its dark1 damp        

casemates look like prisons1 especially 
one frightful dungeon1 which is a cell  
within a cell1 without any embrasure1   
and admitting no light or air except    
that which comes through the door       
opening into the outer casemate4 ,this  
was the cell of the greatest criminals4 
,in one of these casemates1 ,wildcat1   
the celebrated ,indian chief1 was once  
confined with a companion4 ,although    
cruel and blood-thirsty1 ,wildcat was a 
great warrior1 and a man gifted with a  
high order of genius1 an orator1 a poet1
 and a true cavalier of the forest4 ,on 
pretence of illness1 he and his         
companion reduced their bulk as much as 
possible by a low diet and purgative    
medicines1 and by the aid of a knife1   
which he had secreted and used as a     
spike by thrusting it into the wall of  
soft concrete1 with a rope dexterously  
made from strips of his bed-clothes1 he 
clambered to the high and narrow        
embrasure1 squeezed himself through1 not
 without scraping the skin from his     

breast1 and let himself down into the   
moat4 ,his companion followed him1 but  
fell to the ground1 breaking his leg4   
,nevertheless1 ,wildcat carried him off1
 seized a stray mule1 and escaped to his
 tribe in the forest4 #afb ,after the   
conclusion of the war1 he went to       
,mexico1 where he became the alcalde of 
an ,indian village1 and did his new     
country essential service by leading a  
body of ,indian warriors1 armed with    
,mississippi rifles1 against a band of  
filibusters from the ,united ,states4   
,osceola1 the half-breed king of the    
,seminoles1 who was not only a hero1 but
 a just and humane man1 was also        
captured near ,st4 ,augustine1 by       
treachery and bad faith1 and confined in
 this fortress for a time1 but afterward
 removed to ,charleston1 where he died  
of a broken heart4 ,the great mahogany  
treasure-chest of ,don ,juan ,menendez  
is still remaining in the fortress1 and 
in one of the casemates are remnants of 
a rude stone altar and holy-water       

stoups1 marking the site of a chapel4   
,the fortress is kept in good           
preservation by our ,government1 and a  
noble sea-wall extends from it to the   
barracks at the other end of the town1  
which are established in an ancient     
,franciscan monastery4 ,a great part of 
the old city is in ruins4 ,the old      
,spanish families left the country when 
it was ceded by ,spain to the ,united   
,states1 and the resident inhabitants   
are ,minorcans1 negroes1 and a small    
number of settlers from the other       
portions of the ,united ,states4 ,the   
,minorcans are descendants of a body of 
colonists1 brought to ,florida under    
false pretences by an ,english          
speculator1 who enslaved them1 and kept 
them for a long time in that state      
before they became aware that there was 
any way of escaping from it4 ,when they 
did take courage to shake off the yoke1 
they removed to the ,spanish colony of  
,st4 ,augustine1 where they retain their
 language1 a dialect of the ,spanish1   

with their ancient1 simple character and
 habits4 ,the illustrious ,spanish names
 which some of them bear amused us      
greatly4 ,sanchez was the proprietor of 
a line of slow coaches4 ,suarez had     
charge of ,f4 ,madeore's farm1 and      
,ximenes served ,mass4 ,the church is a 
large ,spanish structure1 built1 as are 
most of the houses1 of soft concrete    
formed from sea-shells4 ,on a green in  
front of it stands the only remaining   
monument1 erected in commemoration of   
the formation of the ,spanish           
,constitution of #ahad4 #afc ,the tower 
has a chime of small bells1 which are   
rung in a most joyous1 clashing style1  
according to the ,spanish custom1 for   
festive occasions1 and with a peculiarly
 plaintive peal for deaths and funerals4
 ,the cemetery is called ,tolomato1     
which was the name of an ,indian village
 formerly occupying its site4 ,the ruins
 of an ancient mission chapel are still 
to be seen there1 where ,f4 ,roger1 a   
,french ,jesuit1 was murdered by an     

apostate ,indian chief and his warriors4
 ,after killing ,f4 ,roger1 the band    
proceeded to another chapel1 called     
,nuestra ,seora de ,leche1 where they   
found a priest just robed for ,mass4 ,he
 requested the chief to allow him to say
 ,mass1 and his desire was granted1 the 
savages prostrating themselves with     
their faces to the ground while he      
performed the holy function1 lest the   
sight of him should soften their hearts4
 ,after ,mass he knelt at the foot of   
the altar1 and received a blow from the 
tomahawk which made him a martyr4       
,tolomato contains also the beautiful   
tomb erected by the ,cubans over the    
grave of the ,rev4 ,dr4 ,varela1 a      
learned1 holy1 and patriotic priest1 a  
native of the ,island of ,cuba1 and a   
member of the ,spanish ,cortes which    
established the ,constitution4 ,banished
 from his native country1 where his     
memory has always been fondly cherished1
 he passed the greater part of a long   
life as a laborious parish priest in    

,new ,york1 and died in ,st4 ,augustine4
 ,there is a beautiful chapel over his  
grave1 with an altar of marble and      
mahogany1 and a heavy marble slab in the
 center of the pavement1 containing the 
simple but eloquent inscription3 ,al    
,padre ,varela los ,cubanos-,the ,cubans
 to ,father ,varela4  ,the mission in   
,st4 ,augustine absorbed the whole      
attention of the ,catholic population1  
who formed a large majority of the      
inhabitants4 ,great numbers of them     
gathered to welcome the fathers on their
 arrival1 and whenever they went out    
they were met and greeted by groups of  
these simple1 warm-hearted people1 and  
followed by a troop of children1 who    
live there in a perpetual holiday4 #afd 
,there was scarcely any business or work
 done there at any time2 the climate and
 the fertility both of the land and     
water in the means of subsistence       
furnishing the necessaries of life to   
the poorer classes without much trouble4
 ,most of these pass their time in      

fishing1 and even this occupation was   
intermitted1 so that on ,friday there   
was not a fish to be found in the       
market4 ,the people seemed literally to 
have nothing whatever to do2 the fort   
and barracks were garrisoned by one     
soldier with his wife and children2 the 
government of the place was a sinecure2 
the mails came only twice a week2 behind
 the city lay the interminable1         
uninhabited everglade2 before it the    
,atlantic ,ocean1 with its waters and   
breezes warmed by the ,gulf ,stream1 and
 unvisited by any sails to disturb its  
solitude1 except at rare intervals4     
,although it was midwinter1 the weather 
was commonly as pleasant and the sun as 
warm as it is in ,new ,england in the   
month of ,june4 ,i have never witnessed 
such a scene of dreamy1 listless1       
sunshiny indolence1 where every thing   
seemed to combine to lull the mind and  
senses into complete forgetfulness of   
the existence of an active world4 ,to   
the people1 however1 it was one of the  

most exciting periods of their lives4   
,the presence of several strange        
priests1 the continual sermons and      
religious exercises1 gave an unwonted   
air of life and activity to the         
precincts of the old church1 and roused 
them to an unusual animation4           
,drunkenness1 dishonesty1 and the graver
 vices were almost unknown among them4  
,the negroes were found to be an        
extremely virtuous1 innocent1 and docile
 class of people4 ,honest1 sober1       
observant of the laws of marriage1      
faithful and contented in their easy    
employments1 which seemed to suit their 
disposition very well1 and in many cases
 not only pious1 but very intelligent1  
and exhibiting fine traits of character1
 they were the best evidence we had yet 
seen of what the ,catholic religion can 
do for this oppressed and ill-used race4
 #afe ,one of them1 a pilot on one of   
the steamboats navigating the ,st4      
,john's ,river1 impressed me as one of  
the most admirable men of his class in  

life1 for capacity and conscientious    
,christian principle1 ,i have ever met4 
,another1 who was a freedman of the     
celebrated ,john ,randolph1 and for many
 years his personal attendant1 was not  
only intelligent and well informed1 but 
a well-bred gentleman in his manners and
 appearance4  ,the most interesting     
incident of the mission was the         
conversion of an ordnance sergeant of   
the regular army1 who was in charge of  
the fortress4 ,this brave soldier had   
distinguished himself in the ,mexican   
war1 by the recapture of a cannon which 
had been taken in one of the battles by 
the ,mexicans1 and by his general       
character for gallantry and fidelity to 
his duties4 ,his wife and children were 
,catholics1 but he himself had lived    
until that time without any religion4   
,on ,new-,year's night1 as he sat alone 
in the barracks1 after his family had   
retired1 he began to think over his past
 life1 and resolved to begin at once to 
live for the great end for which ,god   

had created him4 ,he knelt down and said
 a few prayers1 to ask the grace and    
blessing of ,god on his good            
resolutions4 ,his prayers were heard1   
and during the mission he was received  
into the ,catholic ,church and admitted 
to the sacraments with all the signs of 
sincerity and fervor which were to be   
expected from one of such a resolute and
 manly character4 ,i wish to mention one
 interesting circumstance which he      
related to me1 as showing the power of  
good example in men of high station in  
the world4 ,he told me that the first   
impression he received of the truth and 
excellence of the ,catholic religion1   
was received from witnessing the        
admirable life of that accomplished     
,christian gentleman and soldier1       
,captain ,garesch1 to whose company he  
belonged4 ,many readers will recall1 as 
they read these records1 the admirable  
and glorious close of this officer's    
career on the field of battle4 #aff     
,during the ,western campaign of        

,general ,rosecrans1                    
,lieutenant-,colonel ,garesch was his   
chief of staff4 ,before the battle of   
,stone ,river1 he received ,holy        
,communion1 and was observed afterward  
alone under a tree1 reading the         
,imitation of ,christ4 ,during the      
engagement1 one of the fiercest and most
 bloody of the civil war1 he rode1 by   
the side of his gallant general1 through
 a storm of shot and shell1 and by his  
side he fell1 besprinkling his beloved  
commander with his blood1 as he sank    
upon the field to die1 and yielded up   
his noble life to his country and to    
,god4  ,the labors of this mission were 
so light that it was more like holiday  
than work for us4 ,the presence of a    
number of very agreeable and intelligent
 ,catholic gentlemen and ladies1 who    
were visitors in the place1 and some of 
whom were old friends1 added very much  
to the liveliness of the mission1 and to
 our own enjoyment of its peculiar      
attendant circumstances4 ,one of these  

was the ,abb ,le ,blond1 a dear friend  
of ours and of all who knew him1 a      
priest of ,montreal1 who was gradually  
dying of consumption1 yet full of       
vivacity and activity1 improving the    
remnant of his days by his labors of    
love and zeal1 and his works of charity 
in different parts of the ,south where  
he passed his winters4 ,he died         
eventually in ,rome4 ,another was       
,lieutenant ,mc,donald1 of the ,british 
,royal ,navy1 and also1 for some time   
before leaving ,england1 a captain in   
the ,queen's ,guards1 a ,highland       
gentleman of a family that has always   
been true to the faith1 also since      
deceased4  ,the quiet city of ,st4      
,augustine1 as well as all the other    
scenes and places where we passed that  
winter on our missionary tour1 has since
 then been visited by the desolating    
breath of war4 ,probably all is changed1
 and greater changes yet are coming with
 the new issues of peace--changes which1
 there is reason to hope1 will advance  

both the religious and temporal welfare 
of the people4 ,florida may yet become a
 populous ,state1 and the handful of    
,catholics in it swell into a number    
sufficient to make a flourishing        
diocese4  #afg  ,immediately after the  
close of the mission1 ,f4 ,baker        
proceeded by sea to ,charleston where he
 met the other two missionaries who had 
been at work in ,georgia1 and commenced 
a mission in the cathedral of that city4
 ,his two companions were detained for a
 time in ,st4 ,augustine by the sudden  
and severe illness of one of them1 and  
they went on a little later1 returning  
by the same leisurely route by which    
they came to ,savannah1 and thence to   
,charleston1 where the mission was      
already in progress4  ,charleston       
possessed three ,catholic churches1 and 
its ,catholic population numbered from  
five to six thousand4 ,all the          
congregations were invited to the       
mission1 and a large number of them did 
attend from ,st4 ,mary's and ,st4       

,patrick's1 together with the whole body
 of the cathedral parish4 ,the same work
 performed by the missionaries in       
,savannah had been gone through in      
,charleston1 in scouring the lanes and  
alleys of the city to bring up the      
stragglers1 and the great cathedral was 
accordingly crowded1 morning and night4 
,first of all1 two hundred bright and   
well-instructed children received       
communion in a body1 and afterward1     
through the course of the mission1 three
 thousand adults1 among whom were twenty
 converts to the faith4  ,father ,baker 
never1 during the whole course of his   
missionary life1 enjoyed any thing so   
much as this ,southern tour1 and        
especially his stay at ,charleston1 the 
most delightful city of the ,south4     
,after the long seclusion of three years
 in a convent1 which had impaired his   
health and vigor1 the recreation and    
pleasure of such a trip wad most        
beneficial and delightful to him4 ,the  
work in which he was engaged1 besides   

the higher satisfaction which it gave to
 his zeal and charity1 had also the     
charm and excitement of novelty1 without
 the pressure of too arduous and        
excessive labor4 ,at ,charleston1 he was
 already prepared by his previous       
experience and practice to take a full  
share in the principal sermons1 and to  
give them that peculiar tone and effect 
which is characteristic of mission      
sermons1 and makes them sui generis     
among all others4 #afh ,all the         
circumstances were calculated to call   
the noblest powers of his mind and the  
warmest emotions of his heart into full 
play4 ,the cathedral was large1         
beautiful1 and of a fine ecclesiastical 
style in all its arrangements4 ,the     
adjoining presbytery1 which had been    
built for a convent1 and all the        
surroundings1 were both appropriate for 
the residence of a body of cathedral    
clergy and pleasing to the eye of taste4
 ,the clergymen themselves1 with their  
distinguished head1 afterward the bishop

 of the diocese1 were men of            
accomplished learning and genial        
character1 whose kindness and           
hospitality knew no bounds1 and whose   
zeal made them efficient fellow-laborers
 in the work of the mission4 ,the       
congregation itself had many features of
 unusual interest4 ,having been long    
established1 and carefully watched over1
 since the illustrious ,bishop ,england 
organized the diocese1 containing a     
large permanent population of various   
national descent and of all classes of  
society1 not a few of whom were converts
 from ,south ,carolina families1 an     
unusually large number of intelligent   
young men1 trained up to a great extent 
under the care of the clergy1 and thus  
giving scope and affording a field for a
 man like ,f4 ,baker to display his     
special gifts to the greatest advantage 
and profit--it is not surprising that he
 should have called out1 both in his    
public discharge of duty and in private 
and social intercourse1 that same warm  

admiration which had followed him in the
 former period of his life4 ,in his     
sermons1 he went far above his former   
level1 and began to develop that        
combination of the best and most perfect
 elements of sacred eloquence1 which1 in
 the estimation of the most impartial   
and competent judges1 placed him in the 
first rank of preachers4 ,the present   
bishop of ,charleston1 whose pre-eminent
 learning and high qualities of mind are
 well known1 pronounced one of ,f4      
,baker's discourses a perfect sermon1   
and the best he had ever heard4 #afi    
,the ,catholics of ,charleston never saw
 ,father ,baker again2 but they never   
forgot him1 and he never forgot them2   
for1 during the rest of his too short   
life1 he recurred frequently to the     
remembrance of that mission1 which was  
so rich in the highest kind of pleasure1
 as well as spiritual profit and        
blessing4  ,at that time1 all was peace4
 ,sumter was solitary and silent1       
untenanted by a single soldier4 ,fort   

,moultrie and ,sullivan's ,island1 and  
the beautiful battery and the bay were  
calm and peaceful1 where1 a few years   
later1 all was black and angry with the 
terrible thunder-storm of war4          
,blackened ruins are all that remain of 
that beautiful cathedral and the        
pleasant home of the clergy4 ,some of   
those clergymen have died in attending  
the sick soldiers of the ,united        
,states1 and others are scattered in    
different places4 ,many of those fine   
young men and bright boys have left     
their bodies on the battle-field1 or    
lost the bloom and vigor of their youth 
in the unwholesome camp or hospital or  
military prison4 ,the good ,sisters have
 been driven from one shelter to        
another1 by the terrible necessities of 
a desperate warfare1 whose miseries they
 have courageously striven to alleviate 
by their heroic charity4 ,charleston has
 been desolated1 and the ,church of     
,charleston has shared in the common    
ruin4 ,nevertheless1 there is every     

reason to hope that this temporary      
period of desolation will be succeeded  
in due time by one more auspicious for  
the solid and extensive progress of the 
,catholic religion than any which has   
yet been seen1 in that vast region where
 the eloquent voice of ,bishop ,england 
proclaimed the blessed faith of the true
 and apostolic ,church of ,christ4      
,after the conclusion of the ,charleston
 mission1 ,f4 ,baker returned to        
,annapolis1 and remained there in charge
 of the little parish attached to the   
convent1 until the following ,september4
 ,one of his companions1 the invalid of 
,st4 ,augustine1 went to ,cuba to       
re-establish his health2 and the other  
three1 after giving several other       
missions in ,new ,york ,state1 returned 
also to summer quarters4  #agj  ,the    
missionary labors in which ,f4 ,baker   
had been thus far engaged1 were1        
comparatively speaking1 but a light and 
pleasant prelude to the continuous and  
arduous missionary career of a little   

more than seven years1 which he         
commenced in the autumn of #aheg4 ,at   
the very outset he was obliged to make a
 decision of a very grave and important 
matter1 which resulted in a still more  
complete separation from the scenes and 
associates of his past life1 and threw  
him more completely upon a pure and     
conscientious devotion to his priestly  
duties for the sake of ,god alone1 as   
his only consolation in this world4     
,one of our number was at that time in  
,rome1 for the purpose of obtaining from
 the chief authority a settlement of    
certain difficulties which had arisen1  
and which impeded the successful and    
harmonious prosecution of the missions4 
,the question was finally settled by a  
separation of five ,american            
,redemptorists1 by a brief of the ,holy 
,father1 from their former congregation1
 and the formation of the new           
,congregation of ,st4 ,paul1 under      
episcopal authority4 ,f4 ,baker was for 
the first time informed of the reasons  

for appealing to the decision of the    
,holy ,father1 at the mission of ,st4   
,james's ,church1 ,newark1 which        
commenced on the #bfth of ,september1   
#aheg4 ,i have no intention of exposing 
the history of the difference which     
arose between us and our former         
religious superiors1 or of making a     
criticism upon their conduct4 ,if the   
providence of ,god ordered events in    
such a way that a new congregation      
should be formed for a special purpose1 
it is nothing new or strange that men1  
having a different vocation1 and whose  
views and aims were cast in a different 
mould1 should with the most             
conscientious intentions1 be unable to  
coincide in judgment or act in concert4 
,there is room in the ,catholic ,church 
for every kind of religious             
organization1 suiting all the varieties 
of mind and character and circumstance4 
#aga ,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 ,all that ,i am concerned to    
show is1 that ,f4 ,baker did not swerve 
from his original purpose in choosing   
the religious state4 ,he had never been 
discontented with his state1 or with his
 superiors4 ,he was still in the first  
fervor of his vocation1 and had just    
made a strict and exact retreat4 ,he    
deliberated for some weeks within his   
own mind1 without saying or doing any   
thing to commit himself to any          
particular line of conduct4 ,when he    
finally made up his mind to cast in his 
lot with his missionary companions1 and 
to abide with them the decision of the  
,holy ,father1 it was solely in view of 
serving ,god and his fellow-men in the  
most perfect manner4 ,for the           
congregation where he was trained to the
 religious and ecclesiastical state1 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 in that 
way4 ,when the dispensation was granted1
 he did not change his life for a more  
easy one4 ,he resisted a pressing       
solicitation to return to ,baltimore as 
a secular priest1 and continued until   
his death to labor in a missionary life1
 and to practise the poverty1 the       
obedience1 the assiduity in prayer and  
meditation1 and the seclusion from the  
world1 which belong to the religious    
state4 ,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 the example
 of ,f4 ,baker2 for his austere1        
self-denying1 and arduous life will give
 him only rebuke1 and not encouragement4
  #agb  ,during the entire autumn and   

winter of this year1 ,f4 ,baker and his 
companions were occupied in a continuous
 course of large and successful         
missions1 in the parishes of ,st4       
,james1 ,newark2 ,cold ,spring and      
,poughkeepsie1 on the ,hudson2 ,st4     
,john's1 ,utica1 ,n4 ,y42 ,brandywine1  
,del42 ,trenton1 ,n4 ,j42 ,burlington1  
,brandon1 ,east and ,west ,rutland1     
,vt42 ,plattsburg1 ,saratoga1 and       
,little ,falls1 ,new ,york4 ,with loyal 
hearts we continued to obey our         
superiors1 and fulfil our obligations as
 ,redemptorists1 until the supreme      
authority in the ,church released us by 
his decree4 ,this decree was issued on  
the #fth of ,march1 #aheh1 and received 
by us on the #fth of ,april4 ,after the 
,mission of ,little ,falls1 ,f4 ,baker  
was directed by the ,provincial to      
return to ,annapolis1 and although      
fatigued by the missions1 and aware that
 his dispensation was on the way1 yet1  
true to the letter to his principle of  
obedience1 he obeyed at once4 ,the other

 three missionaries passed the ,holy    
,week and ,easter in the convent of ,new
 ,york1 in ,third street1 and1 after    
receiving the official copy of the      
,papal decree1 bade farewell to the     
congregation where we had passed so many
 happy years1 and witnessed so many     
edifying examples of high virtue and    
devoted zeal1 to enter upon a new and   
untried undertaking4  ,our first asylum 
was the home of ,geo4 ,v4 ,hecker1      
,esq41 who kindly gave up to our use a  
portion of his house as a little        
temporary convent1 where we remained    
some weeks1 saying ,mass in his         
beautiful private chapel1 which was     
completely furnished with every thing   
necessary for that purpose4 ,the ,bishop
 of ,newark had made an arrangement to  
receive us under his jurisdiction1 as   
soon as our relation to our congregation
 was terminated1 and faculties from the 
diocese of ,new ,york were obtained from
 the archbishop4 ,we continued to follow
 our accustomed mode of life1 and obey  

our former ,superior of the ,missions4  
,after a short time we gave a mission at
 ,watertown1 in the diocese of ,albany1 
and were not a little encouraged by     
receiving1 late on the ,saturday evening
 before the mission was opened1 the     
special faculties which had been        
obtained for each one of us at ,rome1   
for giving the ,papal ,benediction4 #agc
 ,the grand and spacious church of this 
beautiful town1 which is worthy to be a 
cathedral from its size and             
architecture1 was crowded by the largest
 number of ,protestants we had ever seen
 on similar occasion1 and a number of   
converts were received into the ,church4
 ,from ,watertown we came to ,st4       
,bridget's ,church in ,new ,york1 where 
we had one of our largest1 most         
laborious1 and most fruitful missions4  
,this was the first one of those heavy  
city missions so frequent during our    
early career1 at which ,f4 ,baker had   
assisted1 where the crowds of people    
were so overwhelming1 and the labor so  

excessive and exhausting4 ,he went into 
his work with a brave spirit and an     
untiring zeal1 and scarcely allowed     
himself even a breathing-spell4 ,the    
love and admiration which the           
warm-hearted people of this congregation
 acquired for him was never diminished1 
and there was no one whom they ever     
after loved so much to see revisiting   
their church4 ,before the close1 ,f4    
,hecker arrived from ,rome1 after a     
year's absence1 bringing a special      
benediction from the ,holy ,father upon 
our future labors1 and a warm           
commendatory letter from the ,cardinal  
,prefect of the ,propaganda4 ,at the end
 of the mission we found ourselves      
without a home1 and we remained so until
 the spring of the following year1      
dependent for the most part on the      
hospitality of individual friends among 
the clergy and laity for a temporary    
shelter4 ,for a short time we were      
obliged to take lodgings in an ordinary 
respectable boarding-house in           

,thirteenth street1 near several        
churches and chapels1 where we could say
 ,mass every day1 without incommoding   
anyone4 ,our kind friend and generous   
patron1 ,mr4 ,hecker1 afterward gave up 
to us his whole house1 while his family 
were in the country2 leaving his        
servants1 and making ample provision for
 furnishing us with every comfort in the
 most hospitable style4 ,during the     
summer1 the ,congregation of ,missionary
 ,priests of ,st4 ,paul the ,apostle was
 organized1 under the approbation and   
authority of the archbishop2 and        
arrangements were commenced for the     
foundation of a religious house and     
church1 with a parochial charge annexed4
 #agd ,while we were occupying ,mr4     
,hecker's house1 two burglars entered   
the building one night1 through a window
 incautiously left open1 came into the  
room occupied by ,f4 ,baker and one of  
his companions1 and robbed them of their
 watches1 which were fortunately of     
small value1 some articles of clothing1 

likewise not very costly1 and a trifling
 amount of loose change2 but1 seeing two
 other men of no small stature in the   
adjoining room1 prudently decamped1     
without finding a number of costly      
articles belonging to the chapel1       
although they had examined the drawer   
where the albs and amices were kept4    
,none of us were awakened1 and the first
 news we had of the midnight raid upon  
our territory was given by ,f4 ,baker   
exclaiming that his coat had been       
stolen4 ,we laughed at him at first1 but
 it was soon discovered that his        
intelligence was correct1 and that the  
next house had been visited also by the 
robbers4 ,this adventure gave occasion  
for a great deal of mirth among         
ourselves1 and many speculations as to  
the probable results of an encounter    
with the robbers1 in case we had        
awakened1 in which fatal consequences to
 the latter were freely predicted4 ,as  
usual in such cases1 the police examined
 the matter1 gave very sagacious        

information as to the mode of entrance  
and exit1 and discovered no trace of the
 burglars themselves4 ,we were only too 
happy that the chalice and vestments had
 not been carried off4  ,the burden     
which was assumed by our small community
 was a very heavy one4 ,it was necessary
 for us to continue the missions without
 interruption1 and at the same time to  
provide the means of making a permanent 
foundation1 which could not be done     
without securing property1 and erecting 
a church and religious house at a cost  
of about #fe1jjj4 ,during this time of  
struggle for life1 ,f4 ,baker was one of
 the main stays of the missions1 and one
 of the most arduous and efficient of   
our number in working at the collection 
of funds and the organization of the    
parish4 #age ,after a summer spent in   
this latter work1 a course of missions  
was commenced in ,september1 the first  
of which was a heavy one1 in a          
congregation numbering #e1jjj souls1 at 
the cathedral of ,providence1 in which  

we were all engaged4 ,the next was a    
retreat given to men alone1 and         
specifically to the members of the      
,society of ,st4 ,vincent de ,paul1 in  
the cathedral of ,new ,york4 ,f4 ,baker 
closed it with a magnificent sermon in  
his happiest vein1 on ,the ,standard of 
,christian ,character for men in the    
world4 ,the following notice of the     
retreat1 taken from the ,freeman's      
,journal1 is more graphic than any that 
,i can give1 and ,i therefore quote it  
entire1 in place of describing it in my 
own language3--    ,the retreat given by
 the band of ,missionaries of ,st4 ,paul
 the   ,apostle to members of ,st4      
,vincent de ,paul's ,society1 and other 
men of this city1 closed on ,sunday     
evening1 the ,rev4 ,father   ,baker     
preaching an admirable sermon on the    
characteristics of   ,christian         
perfection for men in the world4 ,during
 the week that   this retreat has       
continued1 the number of men approaching
 the   sacraments was about two         

thousand4 ,the religious effects of the 
occasion will be great and permanent4   
,but besides results that   the         
,catholic faith leads to expect1 ,st4   
,patrick's ,cathedral   has1 the past   
week1 presented a subject for thought   
and   astonishment to the observing and 
reflecting man1 though not a            
,catholic4 ,what has gathered these     
crowds of busy1 practical   men8 ,what  
keeps them kneeling1 or standing quietly
 in solid   masses1 for an hour before  
the exercises commence8 ,most of   these
 men rose from their beds at four       
o'clock1 some as early   as half-past   
three1 and made long walks through the  
darkness to   secure their              
standing-place in the church during the 
early   instructions4 ,they hear from   
the pulpit solid1 distinct1   earnest   
instructions in regard to what a man    
must believe1 and   in regard to what he
 must do to attain eternal life when    
this   world is past4 ,but whence comes 
this lively appreciation of   truths    

beyond the reach of the senses1 in the  
minds of men   plunged all day long1 and
 every day1 in material occupations8    
#agf   ,here are men of the class that1 
in communities not ,catholic1 do   not  
suffer religion to interfere with their 
comfort--who like   best to discuss the 
points of their religious profession    
after   dinner1 and to listen to sermons
 while seated in cushioned   pews4 ,what
 causes them thus to stand in the packed
 throng of   the faithful1 listening to 
the homely details of daily duties      
required of them1 or kneeling on the    
hard floor1 repeating with   the        
multitude1 in a loud voice1 the prayers 
they learned in   childhood8 ,then1     
these sons of humblest toil that kneel  
beside   them4 ,all the heat and        
excitement of the revival failed to     
bring any considerable number of the    
corresponding class of   non-,catholics 
to the prayer-meetings4 ,the latter     
mentioned   would say that they had to  
look out for their daily bread1 and     

that the rich men at the prayer-meetings
 did not want them any   way4 ,here they
 are at ,st4 ,patrick's1 by five o'clock
 in the   morning1 and either they do   
without their breakfast1 or it was      
dispatched an hour or more before4      
,these various classes of   men1 having 
attended the exercises given by the     
,missionaries of   ,st4 ,paul1 during   
the week1 stood crowded within ,st4     
,patrick's   on ,sunday evening4 ,the   
parting instruction of the missionaries 
was to stir them1 by all the courage and
 fervor and endurance   that they had   
manifested during the retreat1 to fix   
higher   principles and firmer purposes 
for the guidance of their future        
life--to be faithful to every duty1 to  
their families1 to   society1 and to    
themselves--to be manly in their        
religious   observances1 and generous in
 sacrificing for their faith and   for  
,god every attachment that brings       
scandal on their religion   or danger to
 their own virtue4 ,at the close of the 

exercises by   the missionaries1 the    
,most ,rev4 ,archbishop ,hughes made    
some   remarks to the vast congregation4
 ,he said he found no necessity   of    
adding any thing to what the            
missionaries1 according to the   special
 objects of their calling1 had done1 to 
cause the truths   most appropriate and 
necessary to sink into hearts so well   
prepared to receive and retain them4    
#agg   ,but the spectacle before him was
 one he could not let pass   without    
some words expressive of his            
gratification4 ,when a few   ,catholic  
young men first met in the archbishops's
 house to form   the first ,conference  
of ,st4 ,vincent de ,paul1 he had formed
 high   anticipations of the good their 
association would do each other   and   
the ,catholic community at large4 ,here1
 to-night1 he saw the   realization of  
his hopes4 ,when he reflected on the    
influence   that must be exerted on the 
,catholic body1 and on this great       
city--where1 alas1 there was no other   

religion capable of   influencing and   
restraining men except the ,catholic--by
 so   great a company of men instructed 
in their religion1 and   fervent in its 
practice--he had the wish that such     
meetings for   these exercises1 might1  
at intervals1 be repeated in all the    
,catholic churches in the city4 ,he then
 thanked the missionaries   for their   
labors--he knew they asked not thanks   
from men--but   still it was due that   
he1 in the name of those who had been   
benefited by their exercises1 should    
thank them4    ,this retreat for men has
 been1 in some respects1 of especial    
interest1 and has been highly           
successful2 and1 for the complete       
satisfaction that it has afforded1 it   
must be said that nothing   which       
discreet forethought and arrangement1 or
 affectionate   zeal and assiduity could
 effect1 was left undone by the ,very   
,rev4 ,mr4 ,starrs1 ,v4 ,g4 and ,rector 
of the ,cathedral4  ,the third mission  
was given at the cathedral of           

,covington1 when the following          
circumstance occurred4 ,a ,protestant   
gentleman1 who was present one evening1 
had a phial of poison in his pocket1    
with which he was fully determined to   
destroy his own life2 but the sermon of 
,f4 ,baker on the ,particular ,judgment 
made such a powerful impression on his  
mind that he threw away the poison and  
disclosed to his friends what his       
desperate purpose had been4 ,from       
,covington1 ,f4 ,hecker returned to ,new
 ,york1 to attend to our affairs there1 
and ,f4 ,baker with two companions went 
on a tour of missions1 which continued  
from ,november until ,christmas1 in the 
,state of ,michigan4 #agh ,the          
flourishing parishes located in the     
pretty villages of ,kalamazoo1          
,marshall1 ,jackson1 and ,ann ,arbor1   
were the ones visited4 ,the last of     
these missions deserves a special       
notice1 which ,i extract from the       
,records3--    ,the pastor of the church
 in ,ann ,arbor has two congregations   

under his charge1 one at ,ann ,arbor1   
and the other at   ,northfield4 ,the    
latter is the larger of the two1 and it 
was   earnestly desired that we should  
give them a separate mission4   ,we were
 told that it was vain to expect them to
 come to the   service at ,ann ,arbor1  
and1 as they were already jealous of the
   ,ann ,arbor people1 if we did not    
give them a mission of their   own1     
their dissatisfaction would be          
increased1 and we should do   more harm 
than good by our visit4 ,we on our part 
would have   been willing to give them a
 double mission2 but as there was no    
house near the ,northfield church where 
the missionaries could   lodge1 it was  
decided to be impossible1 and we        
concluded that   one of the fathers     
should go out on ,sunday and announce   
the   mission to the ,northfield people1
 and invite them to attend at   ,ann    
,arbor4 ,the result proved the wisdom of
 the decision1 for   the people came in 
from the country in crowds1 thus        

increasing   the life and animation of  
the mission4 ,the weather was mild and  
pleasant1 the nights were bright and    
moonlit1 and every morning   and evening
 crowds of wagons were drawn up around  
the church1   some from ten1 some from  
fifteen1 and some even from twenty      
miles off4 ,the church was crowded by   
five o'clock in the   morning1 and the  
congregation1 not content with assisting
 at   one ,mass and the ,instruction1   
remained until late in the   morning1   
when the ,masses were all over4 ,in the 
evening1 the   crowd was rendered still 
denser by the large representation of   
,protestants who attended4 ,on the last 
night1 the crowd was so   great1 that   
not only was the church packed in every 
part to its   utmost capacity1 but even 
the windows were filled with young   men
 who had climbed up from without1 and   
the trees around the   church offered a 
perch for those who had to content      
themselves   with a bird's-eye view of  
the scene4  #agi  ,i have noticed this  

mission more particularly1 because this 
,northfield congregation was a specimen 
of several ,catholic farming communities
 with which we came in contact on our   
missions4 ,the prosperity1 happiness1   
and virtue which ,i have found existing 
among this class of our people1 induce  
me to recommend most earnestly to all   
those who have at heart the welfare of  
our ,catholic ,irish population1 to     
promote in every way their devoting     
themselves to agricultural pursuits in  
the country4 ,it would be a great       
blessing if the large towns could be    
depleted of the surplus population with 
which they are overcrowded1 and the tide
 of immigration diverted from them1 to  
be distributed over our vast territory4 
,this agricultural life is incomparably 
more wholesome1 more happy1 and more    
favorable to virtue and piety than the  
feverish1 comfortless1 and unnatural    
existence to which the mass of the      
laboring class are condemned in large   
cities4 ,it is free from a thousand     

influences vitiating both to the soul   
and the body1 and1 above all things1    
better for the proper training of       
children4 ,our young men and women of   
,american origin are deserting this     
agricultural life1 and leaving vacant   
the fields of their fathers1 to plunge  
into a more exciting and adventurous    
life1 which promises to satisfy more    
speedily their desire for wealth4 ,let  
our young ,irishmen1 who come here to   
find a better field for their strength  
and vigor than they have at home1 and   
those who have grown up here1 but find  
themselves unable to get a proper field 
for their industry in the old and       
crowded settlements1 come in and take   
their places1 leave the cities1 shun the
 factory towns1 and strike into the open
 country4 ,sobriety1 industry1 and      
prudence1 will secure to every young man
 of this sort1 in due time1 the position
 of an independent land-holder4 ,there  
is a hidden treasure of wealth1 health1 
virtue1 and happiness in the soil1 which

 will richly reward those who dig for   
it1 and will also enrich both the       
country and the ,church4  #ahj  ,i may  
also mention with pleasure1 in          
connection with the ,ann ,arbor         
,mission1 my agreeable recollections of 
the polite attentions we received from  
the president and gentlemen of the      
,university of ,michigan4 ,this is by no
 means a solitary instance of courtesy  
extended to us in the ,protestant       
community4 ,in many parts of the ,united
 ,states1 we have received the most     
polite and friendly attentions1 and     
occasionally hospitable entertainment1  
both from clergymen and laymen of       
different religious denominations1 as   
well as a general manifestation of      
respect and good-will on the part of the
 community4 ,sometimes the mission has  
excited ill-will1 and obstacles have    
been thrown in the way of domestics and 
other dependent persons attending it4   
,but in many other cases1 not only has  
there been no interference1 but every   

facility has been given1 by owners of   
factories1 who have shortened the time  
of work and given leave of absence1 and 
by masters and mistresses of families1  
who have excused their servants from    
their ordinary work1 and even furnished 
them with conveyances1 when they lived  
at a distance4  ,from ,michigan1 the    
missionaries returned to ,new ,york1 and
 after ,new ,year's1 being rejoined by  
,father ,hecker1 gave a mission in ,st4 
,mary's ,church1 ,new ,haven1 a large   
and very flourishing parish1 which is1  
however1 only one of three in the       
classic ,city of ,elms2 where1          
thirty-five years ago1 there was not a  
,catholic to be found1 except1 perhaps1 
one or two serving-men in wealthy       
families4  ,after this mission1 ,i      
revisited several of the places where we
 had given missions in ,south ,carolina 
and ,georgia1 to solicit aid for our    
infant community1 which was given in a  
liberal and generous manner1 worthy of  
those warm-hearted ,catholics1 who1 ,i  

trust1 will receive a similar return    
from their ,northern brethren1 whenever 
they ask for it1 to enable them to      
repair the ruin which has been made     
among them by civil war4  #aha  ,during 
my absence1 two missions were given by  
the other three fathers--one at         
,princeton1 where the church was broken 
down by the throng1 and whose young     
pastor has since joined our community3  
another at ,belleville1 which has been  
so beautifully described by the amiable 
pastor of that place1 that ,i cannot    
refrain from copying his sketch3--      
,at the above-mentioned place1 the ,rev4
 ,fathers ,hecker1 ,deshon1   and ,baker
 opened a mission1 ,sunday1 ,february   
#ac1 which   continued during a week1   
and closed on the evening of the        
,sunday following4 ,to say that it was  
most successful1 is too   cold an       
expression2 and to call it most         
impressive1 beautiful1   and triumphant1
 can give no adequate idea of its       
enchanting   power4 ,during the week of 

its continuance1 the hill that is       
crowned by the graceful ,church of ,st4 
,peter1 with its tall   steeple and     
gilded cross1 marking the first of a    
series of   eminences that rise higher  
and higher westward from the ,river     
,passaic1 has almost realized ,mount    
,thabor4 ,the eager people of   the     
country round had been beforehand       
preparing for the arrival   of the      
missionaries1 and no sooner did the good
 fathers come   than the faithful people
 rose up in haste to meet them4 ,down   
they came1 the children of old          
,roscommon and ,mayo1 from the          
romantic hills of ,caldwell on the west1
 along the glades and   woody slopes of 
,bloomfield1 saluting1 as they passed1  
their   newly-built ,church of ',our    
,lady of the ,immaculate ,conception4'  
,onward and upward1 too1 were hastening 
from the north and east1   through      
,acquackanouck and ,belleville1 those   
who long ago left   the ,boyne and the  
,luir1 the ,liffey and ,shannon1 to     

cultivate   the valley of the scarcely  
less beautiful ,passaic4 ,a thin1       
sparkling frost still lay upon the      
roads2 and the crisping   sounds of     
their hurrying feet1 'beautiful with    
glad tidings1'   and their cheerfully   
ringing voices1 far and near1 were heard
   along the banks and over the         
drawbridge of that beautiful            
river--beautiful at half-past four in   
the balmy morning   air--quivering under
 the hovering1 waning moon1 the         
deep-blue   sky1 and the twinkling      
stars4 #ahb   ,but the people of the    
valley have ascended the hill from      
whence   the loud bell of ,st4 ,peter's 
steeple has been awakening the   country
 for miles around with its clear and    
booming sounds4   ,they meet their      
brethren from ,bloomfield and ,caldwell1
 and   pause for a moment before the    
double flight of steps leading up   to  
the portico of the church4 ,every window
 gleams with light4   ,the organ and    
choir are intoning and singing the      

,litany of the   ,blessed ,virgin ,mary1
 ',sancta ,virgo ,virginum1' ,holy      
,virgin of   ,virgins1 pray for us4' ',i
 thought ,i was before the bell1'       
exclaims a young woman1 just come from  
several miles off1 as   she flits       
hastily through the doorway to be in    
time for ,mass4   ,but the priest1 in   
his shining vestments1 with his little  
surpliced attendants1 is already at the 
altar2 and1 it being   five o'clock1 the
 first ,mass of the morning has         
punctually   begun4 ,the weather1       
however1 at two or three other intervals
 of   the mission1 was not quite so     
propitious1 nor the roads so   pleasant2
 for thaws and occasional rain had      
softened the latter   to a disagreeable 
extent4 ,but this mattered nothing to   
the   seamless robe of the ,faith1 which
 is proof against all   weathers2 for   
,st4 ,peter's was thronged morning and  
evening   alike while the mission       
lasted4 ,many were the expedients       
resorted to by poor mothers1 for trusty 

guardians to mind the   little ones     
during their absence at church4 ,in     
several   instances1 a mother would     
charge herself with the children of     
two or three others2 or some            
kind-hearted ,protestant would take     
this care upon her4 ,but not            
unfrequently the little ones were       
deposited in the basement of the church2
 and it was interesting   to see the    
,german mother place her infant in the  
,irish-woman's   arms1 while she herself
 hastened up with the crowd to receive  
communion at the altar-rail--a crowd of 
old and young1 dotted   here and there  
with the ,hollander1 the ,german1 the   
,french1 and   the ,english or ,american
 ,catholic4 #ahc   ,the morning         
instruction was usually given by ,father
 ,hecker1   whose appearance and manner'
 were well calculated to cheer up   the 
people1 even to alacrity1 under their   
daily difficulties of   faithful        
attendance1 late and early1 on the      
mission-whether he   related the        

anecdote of the old man1 who1 early in  
the morning1   after most determined    
efforts to be faithful to the mission1  
vanquished the temptation of his warm   
bed1 and finally   succeeded in reaching
 the church in the teeth of a           
snow-storm1   with inverted umbrella2   
or1 when urging the duty of virtuous    
perseverance1 he gave his celebrated    
allegory of the pike of   the           
,mississippi1 who1 terrified one night  
by an unusual display   of fireworks on 
its banks1 vowed he would swallow no    
more   little fishes1 but afterward     
relapsed into his intemperate           
proclivities1 and became worse than     
ever4 ,in the evening1   ,father ,deshon
 ended his most interesting instruction 
with the   recitation of the ,rosary1   
responded to aloud by the whole         
congregation4 ,this was followed by     
,father ,baker's sermon and   the       
,benediction of the ,blessed ,sacrament4
 ,besides the   overflowing attendance  
of the faithful1 the knowledge of the   

missionaries themselves being ,americans
 and converts from   ,protestantism1    
brought hundreds of ,protestants of all 
classes   nightly1 many of whom were    
present at every sermon2 and they   were
 as sensibly moved even to tears and    
audible grief1 by the   power and       
holiness of the preacher's eloquence1 as
 the   ,catholics themselves4 ,but the  
last night's scene will long be         
remembered--the renewal of baptismal    
vows1 with uplifted hands1   by the     
entire assemblage1 which the            
strongly-built church   somehow or other
 contrived to accommodate1 sitting and  
standing   in the pews1 passages1       
gallery1 and sacristy1 and close around 
the sanctuary1 to the number of some    
thirteen or fourteen   hundred4 ,the    
interior of the church was but lately   
remodelled   and decorated1 and its pale
 rose-colored walls and ceiling were    
charmingly varied by their white        
ornamental centers and   panelled       
mouldings4 #ahd   ,the statues of the   

,blessed ,virgin and ,st4 ,peter at     
either side   of the sanctuary rested on
 tasteful pedestals1 which supported    
four lofty ,corinthian columns and their
 pilasters4 ,these pure   white1 fluted1
 and tapering columns1 with their rich  
capitals   and entablature1 the altar1  
tabernacle1 and almost life-size        
crucifix1 the high-raised marble font   
and its pendent baptismal   robe of     
snowy lace--all these1 contrasted with  
the dark and   lofty missionary cross1  
and the crucifixion winding scarf hung  
athwart it1 became of an almost white   
and dazzling beauty1 amid   the         
innumerable lights1 silver and gilded   
candelabra1 and vases   of a countless  
variety of natural flowers4 ,it is a    
pleasing   thought1 that much of the    
plate alluded to was lent for the       
occasion by kind-hearted ,protestants of
 the neighborhood1 in   whose estimation
 this mission has exalted the ,catholic 
,church   to a surprising degree4 ,at   
the same time it may be said1 that   few

 or no places in the country are more   
remarkable than   ,belleville1 ,n4 ,j41 
for kind cordiality on the part of the  
,protestant community toward the        
,catholic4 ,but the last scene1   like a
 beautiful vision1 is now over4 ,the    
missionaries have   given their blessing
 to the crowd1 among whom is a          
,protestant   young lady1 who comes also
 to seek it before the carriage shall   
have borne them away4 ,one convert was  
baptized on the morning   of their      
departure4 ,another will be in a day or 
two hence4 ,more   are in reserve for   
this sacred rite4 ,upward of eleven     
hundred   and thirty ,catholics have    
received the ,holy ,eucharist2 many of  
them old men1 and many youths1 who1 but 
for the influence of   the mission1     
would not have approached the sacraments
 for   years--perhaps never4 ,young1    
wavering ,catholics1 already more   than
 half lost to the faith1 have been      
reclaimed and fortified4   ,a4 rich     
legacy of ,catholic truth has been left 

to vanquish   falsehood and error1      
which1 in ,belleville and its           
neighborhood1   must cower for many a   
day before the memory of the            
,missionaries   of ,st4 ,paul the       
,apostle4 ,footnote #g      ,footnote   
#g3 ,new ,york ,tablet4  #ahe  ,on the  
#bjth of ,march1 #ahei1 a mission was   
opened in ,st4 ,patrick's ,church1      
,quebec1 by the special invitation of   
the ,administrator of the diocese4 ,it  
would be easy to fill pages with        
reminiscences of this mission1 given in 
a city so replete with interest of every
 kind1 and full of pleasant             
recollections4 ,the mission was a very  
large one2 as we had seven thousand two 
hundred and fifty communions1 and fifty 
converts received into the ,church4 ,it 
was peculiarly satisfactory1 also1 from 
the circumstance that the church was    
large enough to contain all the people  
who desired to get in1 though it was    
densely crowded1 and that the most      
abundant facilities were furnished to   

all who wished to come to               
confession--there being nineteen        
confessors1 of whom fifteen were        
clergymen of the diocese4  ,the soldiers
 of the garrison attend this church1    
where they have on ,sundays a special   
,mass and sermon from their chaplain4   
,the ,thirty-ninth ,regiment1 of        
,crimean memory1 was stationed there at 
that time1 and as many as were able to  
get leave1 as well as a number of       
,catholic soldiers from the artillery   
battalion and the ,canadian ,rifles1    
attended the mission4 ,some of these    
,crimean veterans made their first      
communion1 and others came to confession
 who had made their last confession     
before some one of the great battles of 
the ,crimea4 ,one of them1 who was      
unable to get through the crowd after   
service1 arrived after taps at his      
barracks1 for which he was sent by the  
sergeant to the guard-house1 and        
reported to the colonel the next        
morning4 ,colonel ,monroe1 the same     

officer who commanded the regiment in   
the ,crimea1 tore up the report and     
released the soldier from custody1      
saying that it was a shame to punish a  
man for going to the mission1 which had 
done his regiment more good than any    
thing else that ever happened in        
,quebec4  #ahf  ,we had several         
invitations to give missions in the     
,british ,provinces1 which it was       
necessary to decline1 and1 after taking 
leave of ,quebec1 where we had received 
such unbounded kindness and attention1  
both from the clergy and laity1 we gave 
our last mission for the season in ,st4 
,peter's ,church1 ,troy1 then under the 
care of ,father ,walworth4 ,from ,troy  
we returned to ,new ,york1 where a small
 house had been rented for our use1 near
 the site of our new religious house and
 church4  ,during the summer of #ahei1  
the work of collecting funds1 by public 
contributions in churches1 and private  
subscriptions1 was continued1 and the   
building1 which was to serve as a       

religious house1 was erected2 a large   
portion of it being thrown into a       
commodious and tolerably spacious       
chapel1 which could be used as a        
temporary parish church for some years1 
until circumstances would warrant the   
erection of a permanent church edifice4 
,the corner-stone was laid by the       
archbishop1 on ,trinity ,sunday1 ,june  
#ai1 in presence of an immense concourse
 of people4 ,on the #bdth of ,november1 
the ,feast of ,st4 ,john of the ,cross1 
the house was blessed by the superior of
 the congregation1 and taken possession 
of4 ,the first ,mass was said in it on  
the following day1 in one of the rooms  
arranged as a private chapel4 ,on the   
first ,sunday of ,advent1 ,november #bg1
 the chapel was blessed1 and ,solemn    
,mass celebrated in it by the           
,vicar-,general of the diocese2 and from
 this time commenced the double labors  
of both parochial and missionary duty4  
,an accession to our small number of one
 more priest1 ,father ,tillotson1 who   

had been previously residing in ,england
 as a member of the ,birmingham         
,oratory1 enabled us to do this--an     
undertaking which would otherwise have  
been extremely difficult4 ,three of our 
number1 of whom ,f4 ,baker was generally
 one1 could now be spared for the       
missions1 leaving two in charge of the  
parish2 and by relieving one another    
occasionally1 the labor was somewhat    
lightened4 ,within the next two years   
our number was further increased by the 
accession of two others--one of whom1   
,f4 ,walworth1 had been for a long time 
the superior of our missionary band1 and
 now rejoined it1 after a short         
interval1 in which he had been          
fulfilling parochial duty as pastor of  
,st4 ,peter's ,church1 ,troy4 #ahg      
,strengthened by these accessions1 we   
were enabled1 while our number remained 
undiminished by death1 and all were     
blessed with the health and strength    
necessary to the performance of active  
labor1 to carry on a continuous course  

of missions during seven years1 dating  
from the time of our separate           
organization2 and at the same time to   
bestow abundant care and attention on   
our continually increasing parish4      
,three of these missions were given in  
the ,british ,provinces--in the         
cathedral1 of ,st4 ,john's1 ,n4 ,b41    
,halifax1 and ,kingston1 ,canada1       
respectively2 the remainder chiefly in  
,new ,england1 ,new ,york1 ,new ,jersey1
 and ,pennsylvania1 with a small number 
in the ,western ,states4 ,the details   
already given of previous missions are  
amply sufficient to give an idea of the 
missionary life of ,f4 ,baker1 and it   
would be wearisome to continue them4    
,these seven years1 with the year       
immediately preceding them1 comprise the
 most laborious and most fruitful       
portion of his too short priestly life4 
,the number of missions given in this   
period of seven years was seventy-nine1 
with an aggregate of one hundred and    
sixty-six thousand communions1 the same 

number with that of the missions of the 
preceding seven years4 ,father ,baker   
assisted at sixty-four of these         
missions1 and at sixteen previously     
given1 making a sum-total of eighty4    
,the number of converts from            
,protestantism registered is two hundred
 and sixty-three1 and the record is     
imperfect4 ,two of these were           
,protestant clergymen--one the rector of
 the ,episcopal ,church in ,scranton1   
,pa42 the other1 the principal of the   
,high ,school in ,pittsfield1 ,mass4    
,it only remains now to say a few words 
of the virtues exhibited by ,f4 ,baker1 
in his missionary1 sacerdotal1 and      
religious life4 ,those high and noble   
virtues are best made known by a simple 
record in his deeds1 and by the         
utterance which he has himself          
bequeathed in his own sermons1 in which 
the lofty standard of ,christian        
perfection proposed to others is a      
simple reflection of what he actually   
practised in his life4  #ahh  ,father   

,baker usually passed from seven to     
eight months of every year in the labors
 of the missionary life1 and in those   
labors1 as a member of a body of        
hard-working men1 he was pre-eminent for
 the assiduity and perseverance with    
which he devoted himself to the most    
arduous and fatiguing occupations of his
 peculiar state4 ,he usually said ,mass 
at five o'clock1 after which he went to 
the confessional till half-past seven4  
,from nine until one1 and from three    
until half-past six1 he was in his      
confessional1 rarely leaving it even for
 a moment4 ,at half-past seven1 on those
 evenings when he was not to preach1 he 
gave the instruction and recited the    
prayers which preceded the principal    
sermon4 ,a considerable part of the     
remaining time was taken up by reciting 
his office and other private religious  
duties1 leaving but very little for     
relaxation1 and none whatever for       
exercise1 unless it was snatched at some
 brief interval1 or required by the     

distance of the church from the pastor's
 residence4 ,during the first few days  
of each mission1 the confessionals were 
not opened1 and the preacher of the     
evening sermon was always freed from its
 labors in the afternoon4 ,frequently1  
however1 those first days were devoted  
to a special mission given to the       
children of the congregation2 and ,f4   
,baker was always prompt and ready to   
fulfil this duty1 which he did in the   
most admirable manner1 adapting himself 
with a charming and winning grace and   
simplicity to the tender age and        
understanding of the little ones1 and   
reciting with them beautiful forms of   
meditation and prayer1 composed by      
himself1 during the whole time of the   
,mass at which they received communion4 
,the hardest part of the work of the    
mission1 after the confessions began1   
was continued during from five to eleven
 successive days1 according to the size 
of the congregation1 and requiring from 
ten to twelve hours of constant mental  

application each day4 #ahi ,besides this
 necessary and ordinary work1 performed 
with the most patient and unflagging    
assiduity1 ,f4 ,baker often employed all
 the remaining intervals of time--not   
taken up by meals and sleep--in         
instructing adult ,catholics who had    
never been prepared for the sacraments1 
and in instructing and receiving        
converts4 ,wherever there was any work  
of charity to be done1 he undertook it  
quietly1 promptly1 and cheerfully1      
always ready to spare others1 and       
willing to relieve them by assuming     
their duties when they were exhausted or
 unwell1 seldom asking to be relieved   
himself4 ,it was never necessary to     
remind ,f4 ,baker of his duty1 much less
 to give him any positive command4      
,during a long course of missions1 in   
which ,i was superior1 with ,f4 ,baker  
as my constant companion and my         
associate in preaching the mission      
sermons1 and one other long-tried       
companion as the preacher of the        

catechetical instructions1 ,i remember1 
with peculiar satisfaction1 how perfect 
was the harmony with which we           
co-operated with one another1 without   
the least necessity of any exercise of  
authority1 or any disagreement of       
moment4  ,to understand fully how       
arduous was the work which ,f4 ,baker   
performed1 it must be considered that   
not only was his mind and his whole     
moral nature taxed to the utmost by the 
continued effort necessary in order to  
fulfil his duty as a preacher and       
confessor1 but that it was done under   
circumstances most unfavorable to       
health1 shut up in crowded1             
ill-ventilated rooms1 pressed upon by   
impatient throngs1 forced to strain the 
vocal organs to the utmost in large     
churches crowded with dense masses of   
people1 and often obliged to pass       
suddenly from an overheated and stifling
 atmosphere into an intensely cold or   
damp air1 and always obliged to work1   
for several hours in the morning1       

fasting4 ,such a life is a very severe  
strain upon one who has only the        
ordinary ,american constitution1        
especially if his temperament is        
delicate and unaccustomed to hardship in
 early life4 ,the amount of work which  
,f4 ,baker performed was not equal to   
that which many ,european missionaries  
are able to endure1 especially those who
 have an unusually robust constitution4 
#aij ,but it was greater than that which
 ,st4 ,alphonsus himself required of the
 missionaries who were under his own    
personal direction4 ,the average        
duration of a career of continuous      
missionary labor in ,europe is only ten 
years1 and it is therefore not          
surprising that ,f4 ,baker was able to  
continue such constant and arduous      
exertions1 with the other duties which  
devolved on him during the intervals of 
missions1 for no longer a period than   
eight years4  ,at least as far back as  
the year #ahfa1 he began to suffer from 
a malady of the throat1 and to find the 

effort of preaching painful4            
,nevertheless1 he continued to perform  
his full share of this duty until within
 a year before his death4 ,occasionally 
it would be necessary to relieve him of 
some of his sermons2 and on the last    
mission which we gave together1 which   
was in ,st4 ,james's ,church1 ,salem1   
,massachusetts1 he asked to be relieved 
altogether both from the sermons and the
 short instructions which precede them4 
,this mission was given during the month
 of ,january1 #ahfe4 ,f4 ,baker assisted
 at two other missions after this1 one  
at ,archbald1 in ,pennsylvania1 and the 
other at ,birmingham1 ,connecticut1 at  
each of which he preached four sermons4 
,his last mission sermon was preached1  
,february #ah1 #ahfe1 six weeks before  
his death2 which occurred on the last   
day of the next mission but one1 given  
at ,clifton1 ,staten ,island--twelve    
years from the time of his receiving his
 first communion at the mission in the  
,cathedral of ,baltimore4  ,in the      

discharge of the duties allotted to him 
in the parish1 ,f4 ,baker labored with  
the same zeal and assiduity as he did in
 the missions4 ,he was particularly     
charged with the care of the altar and  
the divine service in the church1 for   
which his thoroughly sacerdotal spirit1 
his exquisite taste1 and his complete   
acquaintance with the rubrics and the   
details of ecclesiastical rites and     
ceremonies1 gave him a special fitness4 
#aia ,he took unwearied pains and care  
in providing vestments and ornaments1   
preserving the sanctuary and all        
appertaining to it in order and         
neatness1 decorating the church for     
great festivals1 training up the boys1  
who served at the altar1 and directing  
the manner of performing the divine     
offices4 ,this minute and exact         
attention to the beauty and propriety of
 the sacred ceremonies of the ,church1  
sprang from a deep1 inward principle of 
devotion and love to our ,lord present  
in the ,blessed ,sacrament1 to ,his     

,blessed ,mother1 to the saints1 and to 
the mysteries of the ,christian ,faith1 
symbolized by the outward forms of      
religion4 ,in the performance of his    
sacerdotal functions1 he was a model of 
dignity1 grace1 and piety4 ,he loved his
 duties1 and was completely absorbed in 
his priestly office4 ,the august        
,sacrifice and ,sacrament of the ,altar 
was his life and joy2 and there he      
derived those graces and virtues which  
produced their choice and precious      
fruits in his character and conduct4    
,as a preacher of the ,divine ,word1 he 
excelled equally4 ,his parochial sermons
 were even superior to those which he   
preached on the mission4 ,he could      
prepare himself more quietly2 the       
exertion was not so tasking to his      
physical strength1 and suited better the
 tone of his mind1 which made it more   
pleasing and easy for him to fulfil     
these ordinary pastoral ministrations   
than to address great crowds of people1 
on occasions requiring a more vehement  

style of oratory4 ,his published sermons
 will enable the reader to judge of his 
merit as a preacher1 although their     
effect was greatly increased by the     
impression produced by his personal     
appearance and attitude1 and the charm  
of his voice and intonations4 ,one      
striking feature of his sermons was the 
abundance and felicity of his quotations
 from ,holy ,scripture4 ,frequent       
reading and meditation of the inspired  
books had saturated his mind with their 
influence1 and the apposite texts which 
were suitable for his theme appeared to 
flow from his lips without an effort4   
,another characteristic of his preaching
 was1 that it appealed almost           
exclusively to the reason1 and through  
the reason to the will and conscience4  
#aib ,his continual aim was to inculcate
 conscientiousness1 obedience to the law
 of ,god1 the fulfilment of the great   
duties of life1 and a faithful          
correspondence to the divine grace4 ,he 
never lost sight of this great end in   

his missionary or parochial sermons1 but
 always directed his aim to bring       
sinners to a renunciation of sin1 and a 
fixed purpose of living always in the   
grace of ,god1 and to bring good        
,christians to a high standard of       
practical perfection and solid virtue4  
,for deep speculations in theology and  
oratorical display1 he had not the      
slightest inclination4 ,he never desired
 to preach on unusual occasions or      
topics1 but1 on the contrary1 had an    
unconquerable repugnance to appear in   
the pulpit1 except where the sole object
 was to preach the gospel with apostolic
 simplicity1 for the single end of the  
edification of the people4 ,he was not  
at all conscious of his own superiority 
as a preacher1 and never gave his       
sermons for publication without         
reluctance1 or from any other motive    
than deference to the judgment of his   
superior and his brethren4 ,he loved and
 sought the shade from a true and       
profound humility1 without the slightest

 desire for applause or reputation4 ,his
 manner was earnest and grave2 at times1
 when the subject and occasion required 
it1 even vehement2 but equable and      
sustained throughout his discourse1     
without rising to any sudden or powerful
 outbursts of eloquence4 ,on ordinary   
occasions it had a calm and persuasive  
force2 enlivened with a certain pure and
 lofty poetic sentiment1 which blended  
with the prevailing argumentative strain
 of his thought1 pleasing the           
imagination just enough to facilitate   
the access of the truth he was teaching 
to the reason and conscience1 without   
weakening its power1 or distracting the 
mind from the main point4 ,he never     
produced those startling effects upon   
his audience which are sometimes        
witnessed during a mission1 by an appeal
 to their feelings2 but he invariably   
made a profound impression1 which       
manifested itself in the deep and fixed 
attention with which he held them       
chained and captivated from the first to

 the last word he uttered4 #aic ,his    
eloquence was like the still1 strong    
current of a deep and placid river1     
sometimes swollen in volume and force1  
and sometimes subsiding to a more       
tranquil and gentle flow2 but never     
deviating from a straight course1 and   
seldom rushing with the violence of a   
torrent4  ,in his more intimate and     
personal relations with his penitents1  
with the sick and afflicted whom he     
visited1 or who came to him for counsel1
 and with others who sought instruction1
 advice1 or sympathy from him as a      
priestly director1 ,f4 ,baker was a     
faithful copy of the charity and suavity
 of his special patron--,st4 ,francis de
 ,sales4 ,pure and holy as he was       
himself1 he was compassionate and       
indulgent to the most frail and sinful  
souls2 and1 without ever relaxing the   
uncompromising strictness of ,christian 
principle1 or mitigating his severe     
denunciations of sin1 he was free from  
all rigorism toward the penitent who    

sought to rise from his sins by his aid4
 ,this benignity and charity attracted  
to him a great number of persons who    
were in peculiar difficulties and       
troubles1 some of whom had never had    
courage to go to any one else4 ,he      
spared no pains and trouble to help     
them1 and his patience was              
inexhaustible4 ,with the sick and dying 
he took unusual pains1 visiting them    
frequently1 and often aiding them to    
receive the sacraments devoutly by      
reciting prayers with them from some    
appropriate book of devotion4 ,he       
reconciled a number to the ,church who  
had been drawn away from their religion1
 and was particularly successful in     
bringing to the fold of ,christ those   
who were without4 ,the tokens of        
affection1 gratitude1 and sorrow which  
were given by great numbers at his      
death1 were proofs how much he had      
endeared himself to all with whom he    
came in contact1 and how irreparable    
they felt his loss to be4  #aid  ,of ,f4

 ,baker's religious character it would  
be difficult to say much1 in addition to
 the portraiture of him which has been  
given in the foregoing sketch of his    
life4 ,it presented no salient or       
striking points to be seized on and     
particularly described4 ,its great      
beauty consisted in its quiet1 equable  
constancy and harmony4 ,he had that     
evenly balanced temperament ascribed to 
,st4 ,charles ,borromeo by his          
biographers1 and regarded as the most   
favorable to virtue4 ,he had no favorite
 books of devotion1 no special practices
 of piety or austerity1 no inclination  
for the study of the higher mystic      
theology1 no unusual difficulties or    
temptations1 no deep mental struggles1  
no scruples1 no marked periods of       
spiritual crisis and change after his   
conversion to the ,catholic             
,church--nothing extraordinary1 except  
an extraordinary fidelity and constancy 
in ordinary duties and exercises1 and   
extraordinary conscientiousness and     

purity of life4 ,he was detached from   
the world1 and from every selfish       
passion2 reserved to a remarkable       
degree1 without the faintest tinge of   
melancholy or moroseness2 collected     
within himself and in ,god at all times2
 serene and tranquil of spirit2 simple1 
abstemious1 and exact in his habits2    
with his whole heart in his convent1 his
 cell1 his duties1 and his religious    
exercises4  ,the character of ,f4 ,baker
 was very much developed during the     
later years of his life4 ,that passive1 
quiescent disposition which             
characterized him in his earlier career1
 gave place to greater decision and     
energy4 ,he acquired by action a more   
self-poised and determined judgment1    
greater self-reliance1 and a more marked
 individuality4 ,he was no longer swayed
 and led by the opinions of others1     
except so far as duty required him to   
obey1 or his own reason was convinced4  
,the almost feminine delicacy and       
refinement which he had in youth was    

hardened into a robust and manly vigor1 
as it is with a softly-nurtured young   
soldier after a long campaign4 ,he      
exhibited also a gayety of temper1 a    
liveliness in conversation1 and often a 
rich and exuberant humor and            
playfulness1 especially in depicting the
 variety of strange and amusing         
characters and scenes with which he came
 in contact by mixing with all classes  
of men1 which had remained completely   
latent in his earlier character1 before 
it was warmed and expanded by the genial
 influence of the ,catholic religion4   
#aie ,no one could have been a more     
delightful companion on the mission1    
during the intervals of rest and        
relaxation1 than he was2 and he entered 
into the enjoyment of the occasional    
recreations thrown in his way in        
traveling with the zest of a schoolboy  
on a holiday4 ,for company he had no    
taste1 and he could not be induced to   
undertake any jaunt or excursion for    
mere pleasure4 ,during the summer months

 he would never go into the country1    
even for the sake of recruiting his     
health1 but remained during the hottest 
months at home1 where he found the      
truest happiness1 pursuing the even     
tenor of his ordinary occupations4 ,a   
beautiful character6 ,a rare specimen of
 the most perfect human nature1 elevated
 and sanctified by divine grace1 and    
clothed with a bodily form which was the
 exact expression of the inhabiting     
soul6 ,to describe it is impossible4    
,those who knew it by personal          
acquaintance will say1 without          
exception1 that the attempt ,i have made
 is completely inadequate1 and1 like an 
unsuccessful portrait1 reproduces but a 
dim and indistinct image of the         
original4 ,i do not mean to say that ,f4
 ,baker was a perfectly faultless       
character1 or that he was without sin4  
,of those faults1 however1 which are    
apparent to human eyes in the exterior  
conduct1 he had but few1 and those      
slight and venial4  ,nothing now remains

 but to describe the closing scene of   
,f4 ,baker's life4 ,i have already      
mentioned that his constitution had     
shown symptoms of giving way under the  
fatigues of his missionary labors4      
,nevertheless1 he still continued in the
 constant and active discharge of his   
priestly duties1 and no solicitude in   
regard to his health was felt by any of 
his brethren1 with whom these periods of
 physical infirmity wore an ordinary    
occurrence4 ,on one ,sunday1 a few weeks
 before his death1 his strength failed  
him while he was singing ,high ,mass1   
and he was obliged to continue it in a  
low voice4 #aif ,he was also unable to  
continue the abstinence of ,lent1 and   
was obliged to ask for a dispensation1  
which ,i believe never occurred with him
 before4 ,his appearance was pale and   
languid1 and the fulfilment of his      
duties evidently cost him an effort4 ,we
 had been accustomed to sing together   
two of the three parts of the ,passion  
on ,palm ,sunday1 ever since the church 

had been opened2 but1 in making         
arrangements for the services of the    
,holy ,week for this year1 he remarked  
that we would be obliged to omit singing
 the ,passion as usual4 ,he had marked  
himself1 however1 on the schedule of    
offices which was posted up in the      
library1 to preach both on ,passion     
,sunday and ,palm ,sunday4 ,his last    
,sunday sermon was preached on the      
,second ,sunday of ,lent1 ,march #ab4   
,the subject was ,heaven4 ,the          
,wednesday evening following1 he        
volunteered to preach in the place of   
one of his brethren who was unwell1     
about an hour before the service        
commenced1 and left the supper-table to 
prepare himself4 ,he took for the       
emergency the sermon which he had first 
preached as a missionary1 on ,the       
,necessity of ,salvation2 and this was  
the last regular discourse which he     
delivered4 ,on the following ,sunday1   
after ,vespers1 he gave a short         
conference to the ,rosary ,society2 and 

after this his voice was never heard    
again in exhortation or instruction4    
,about this time1 there were several    
cases of typhus fever in the parish1 and
 ,f4 ,baker had in some way imbibed the 
poison1 to which his delicate state of  
health rendered him peculiarly          
susceptible4 ,on the ,fourth ,sunday of 
,lent1 ,march #bf1 the first symptoms of
 illness showed themselves4 ,on the     
preceding evening he heard confessions  
as usual1 until about nine o'clock1     
after which he came to the room of one  
of the fathers and made his own         
confession1 as he did habitually every  
week4 ,the next morning he said ,mass   
for the last time1 at half-past eight1  
for the children of the ,sunday-school4 
,as ,i passed his door at half-past ten1
 to go down to ,high ,mass1 he met me in
 the corridor1 and remarked that he felt
 too sick to go down to the sanctuary4  
#aig ,from this time he came no more    
again to the table or the recreation of 
the community1 but kept his room4       

,nothing was thought of his             
indisposition1 and it was by accident   
that his physician1 who dined that day  
with the community1 saw him and         
prescribed for him in the afternoon4    
,the next day three of the fathers left 
the house for a mission1 and bade him   
good-by as usual1 without a thought of  
anxiety on either side4 ,f4 ,baker      
remained on ,sunday and ,monday in the  
same state1 dressing himself every      
morning1 and sitting up at intervals1   
but usually lying on the bed1 and       
occupying himself about some matters of 
business4 ,he wrote several notes1 and  
dictated others1 some concerning the    
articles he had ordered for the         
sanctuary1 and others concerning some   
sick persons or penitents for whom he   
had a special care4 ,during this time1  
no symptoms of typhus had appeared1 but 
his complaint appeared to be a slight   
attack of pneumonia4 ,on ,monday evening
 he went down by himself to the         
bath-room and took a hot bath1 after    

which he kept his bed entirely4 ,the    
superior of the house1 who was engaged  
in the mission on ,staten ,island1 came 
every day to visit him1 and had already 
detected an incipient tendency to       
delirium1 which awakened in his mind an 
anxiety1 which1 however1 was not shared 
by anyone else4 ,on ,wednesday1 however1
 although he retained control over his  
faculties1 his brain began evidently to 
show a state of morbid excitability4 ,he
 remarked that the bells of the house   
had a strange sound1 and fancied that   
his breathing and pulsations were all   
set to a regular rhythmical measure1 and
 gave out musical sounds4 ,when he was  
alone and his eyes shut1 he said that a 
brilliant array of figures continually  
passed before him1 and that he seemed to
 be hurried away by a rapid motion like 
that of a railway carriage4 ,during that
 evening he was more decidedly wandering
 in his mind1 although he became quiet1 
and slept nearly all night4 ,on         
,thursday morning the poison of typhus  

had filled his brain completely1 and he 
lay in a dull1 stupid state1 unconscious
 of what was said to him1 and incapable 
of uttering a rational word4 #aih ,this 
gave place after a time to a more       
violent form of delirium1 during which  
he talked incessantly in an incoherent  
manner1 and could with difficulty be    
kept in a quiet position or induced to  
swallow any nourishment or medicine4 ,on
 ,friday morning the danger of a fatal  
termination was evident1 as the disease 
continued to progress1 and the symptoms 
of pneumonia were also aggravated4 ,the 
superior of the house was sent for1 and 
came over in the afternoon4 ,dr4 ,van   
,buren and ,dr4 ,clarke1 two of the most
 eminent physicians in town1 were called
 in for consultation by ,dr4 ,hewit1 the
 attending physician1 and information of
 ,f4 ,baker's illness was sent to his   
sister1 who came immediately from       
,baltimore to see him4 ,on ,saturday    
evening the typhus fever had spent its  
violence1 reason returned1 and from this

 time ,f4 ,baker remained in a weak but 
tranquil state until his departure4 ,he 
had been removed from his own room to   
the library1 a large and airy apartment1
 where every thing about him was        
arranged in a neat1 orderly1 and        
cheerful manner1 and he was attended and
 carefully watched night and day by his 
physician1 his brethren1 and his nurse4 
,the violence of his fever had          
prostrated his strength so completely1  
that he was unable to resist the severe 
attack of pneumonia which accompanied   
it1 and which medical skill and care    
were unable to subdue4 ,the feeble vital
 force which still remained gradually   
subsided during the next three days1    
under the progress of this disease1     
although his friends continued to hope  
against all appearances for his         
recovery1 and seemed almost to take it  
for granted that ,god would surely hear 
their prayers and spare his life4       
,during all this time he was rational   
and collected1 recognising all his      

friends1 but unable to speak more than a
 few brief sentences that were connected
 and intelligible4 ,he desired his      
sister to remain with him1 and she did  
so during a great portion of the time4  
,he expressed his perfect willingness   
and readiness to die1 and made an effort
 to repeat audibly some prayers1 but    
without success4 #aii ,he manifested his
 desire for absolution by signs1 and it 
was given to him1 together with the     
,sacrament of ,extreme ,unction1 on     
,sunday4 ,on ,tuesday1 the ,holy        
,viaticum1 for which he had asked1 was  
given him1 at about half-past ten in the
 morning4 ,he received it with perfect  
consciousness1 and remained quiet1 free 
from pain1 and without becoming         
perceptibly worse1 until one4 ,after the
 fathers had gone down to dinner1 he    
asked his nurse for his cap1 which was  
brought to him and placed in his hand4  
,he then asked for his habit1 and said  
he would dress and go down to dinner    
with the community4 ,soon after1 a      

change was observed in him by the       
watchful eye of the father who had been 
his bosom friend during their common    
missionary career1 and who had passed so
 many hours of the day and night by his 
bedside during his sickness with more   
than the devotion of a brother2 and     
several of his particular friends were  
sent for1 that they might see him once  
more before he died4 ,the two fathers   
who were at home1 his physician1 his    
only and beloved sister1 a lady who had 
been his chief aid in the care of the   
sanctuary1 and another1 who was one of  
his converts1 surrounded his bedside1   
where he lay1 the picture of placid     
repose and holy calm1 quietly1 gently1  
and imperceptibly breathing his last1   
until four o'clock1 when his spirit     
passed away to ,god1 without a struggle 
or a sign of agony1 leaving his         
countenance unruffled1 and his form as  
composed as a statue4 ,those who saw him
 after death have said that1 about an   
hour after his departure1 his appearance

 was most beautiful1 as he lay just     
dressed in his sacerdotal vestments1 his
 majestic and finely chiselled brow and 
features as yet untouched by the finger 
of decay4 ,the vestments in which ,f4   
,baker was dressed had been prepared by 
himself only three weeks before1 that   
they might be ready in case of the death
 of one of the community4 ,his body was 
placed in a metallic case1 enclosed in a
 rosewood coffin1 and laid in state in  
the church4 #bjj ,these arrangements    
were not completed until late in the    
night1 and the people did not therefore 
begin to visit the sacred remains until 
the next morning2 from which time until 
the sepulture1 crowds of the faithful   
were coming to the church during every  
hour1 both of the day and the night4    
,requiem ,masses were said by all the   
priests in the house on ,wednesday and  
,thursday4 ,the mission at ,staten      
,island closed on ,tuesday evening4 ,the
 fathers who were there were not made   
acquainted with the extreme danger of   

,f4 ,baker1 and the intelligence of his 
death was not sent to them until        
,wednesday morning1 when their labors   
were all completed4 ,they returned home 
to find the body of their late companion
 lying in the church1 and the household 
and parish overwhelmed with sorrow4     
,usually1 in a religious community1 the 
death of a member is taken very much as 
the loss of a soldier is regarded by his
 comrades1 schooled as they are to      
control their feelings1 and to be ready 
at any moment to expose their lives in  
the discharge of their duty4 ,but in a  
small band like ours1 which had been    
through so many trials and vicissitudes 
in company1 and where all the members   
had been continually in the most        
constant and intimate association with  
each other1 it was impossible not to    
feel in the deepest and keenest manner  
the loss of one of our number1 the first
 one called away during the fourteen    
years of a missionary life4 ,to an      
infant congregation like ours1 the loss 

of a priest like ,f4 ,baker was truly   
irreparable4 ,besides this1 each one    
felt that his loss as a friend and      
brother was a personal grief equal to   
that of losing his nearest and dearest  
relative by the tie of blood4 ,this     
sorrow was shared by the whole parish1  
by all his friends1 and by the faithful 
everywhere in the parishes where he had 
preached and labored4 ,many letters of  
sympathy and condolence were sent from  
all quarters1 and not ,catholics only1  
but numbers of others also1 who had     
respected the virtues of the holy       
,catholic priest1 testified their regret
 at his death1 and their sympathy with  
our loss4 #bja ,the ,rev4 ,dr4 ,osgood1 
a distinguished ,unitarian clergyman of 
,new ,york1 sent a small painting       
representing a bouquet of various kinds 
of lilies1 as a memorial of respect1 in 
the name of his congregation1           
accompanied by a very kind note4        
,several other ,protestant clergymen    
were present at the funeral services2   

and1 indeed1 the manifestations of      
respect for ,f4 ,baker's memory were    
universal4  ,the funeral obsequies were 
of necessity accelerated more than his  
friends would have desired1 so that few 
from distant places were able to attend 
them4 ,a few intimate friends from      
,baltimore1 and some clergymen from     
places out of town1 were1 however1      
present2 a large number of the clergy of
 ,new ,york and its vicinity2 and as    
great a number of the faithful as the   
church could contain4 ,the funeral was  
on ,thursday in ,passion ,week1 ,april  
#f1 two days after the decease4 ,the    
previous ,thursday was ,f4 ,baker's     
birthday1 and the anniversary of his    
conversion to the ,catholic ,church also
 occurred within the week of his death  
and burial4 ,he had just completed the  
forty-fifth year of his age1 and was in 
the ninth year of his priesthood4 ,the  
following ,sunday was the twelfth       
anniversary of his formal reconciliation
 to the ,church1 in the chapel of the   

,sisters' of ,charity1 in ,baltimore4   
,early on ,thursday morning1 four       
private ,masses of ,requiem were said   
for the repose of his soul in the       
church4 ,at the usual hour for ,high    
,mass on ,sundays1 a solemn ,mass of    
,requiem was celebrated by the superior 
of the house1 in presence of the        
,archbishop1 who performed the closing  
rite of absolution1 and a short funeral 
discourse was preached4 ,the coffin was 
ornamented with the sacerdotal          
vestments1 the chalice1 and the         
missionary crucifix of the deceased1 and
 covered with wreaths of flowers4 ,the  
altar was deeply draped in mourning1 and
 ,f4 ,baker's confessional was also     
similarly draped4 ,never did these      
exterior symbols indicate a more sincere
 and universal sorrow on the part of all
 who participated in them4 ,it was a    
very difficult task to summon up        
sufficient fortitude to perform these   
last sad rites4 #bjb ,the voice of the  
celebrant was interrupted by his tears2 

the sub-deacon faltered as he sang the  
elevating and comforting words of the   
,epistle2 the choir-boys showed in their
 candid and ingenuous faces their sorrow
 for the one who had trained them up in 
the sanctuary2 the choir1 composed1 not 
of professional singers1 but of members 
of the congregation1 undertook their    
solemn task with trembling2 every       
countenance was sad and every eye       
moistened1 in the assemblage of the     
clergy who sat in white-robed ranks     
nearest the sanctuary1 and of the laity 
who filled the church4 ,i had the last  
duty of friendship to perform1 in       
preaching the funeral sermon2 and the   
wish to do full justice to ,f4 ,baker1  
and to satisfy the eager desire of all  
present to hear something of his life1  
enabled me to fulfil this duty with     
composure1 and restrain the tide of     
emotion which ,i saw swelling all around
 me1 quieted only by the hallowing and  
tranquillizing influence of the sacred  
rites of the ,church1 and the high1     

celestial hope inspired by the          
contemplation of a life so noble and a  
death so holy4 ,the music was in the    
sweet1 plaintive1 solemn style of the   
true ecclesiastical chant2 all the means
 of celebrating the holy rites of the   
obsequies had been prepared by ,f4      
,baker's own pious and careful hand2 his
 own spirit seemed to hover over the    
spot1 and a divine consolation stole    
gently over all4 ,sad as it is1 there is
 nothing so beautiful1 so soothing1 so  
elevating to the soul1 as the funeral of
 a holy priest1 who has achieved his    
course and attained the crown of his    
labors4 ,many of those who were present 
remained for a long time after the      
service was completed1 and some were    
still found there unwilling to leave the
 spot1 at nightfall4 ,the remains were  
taken from the church to ,st4 ,patrick's
 ,cathedral1 escorted by a band of young
 men1 and followed by a train of        
carriages1 and by others on foot1       
although it rained heavily2 the         

,vicar-,general recited the concluding  
prayers of the ritual2 the coffin was   
placed in the episcopal vault next to   
that of the late archbishop2 a few      
wreaths of flowers were placed upon it1 
the entrance was closed1 and all        
withdrew2 leaving the earthly form of   
the departed to the silent repose of the
 tomb4  #bjc  ,for some days after1 a   
portion of the mourning drapery was left
 on the altar1 and requiems continued to
 be offered by all the priests of the   
community4 ,many ,masses were also said 
by other priests in various parts of the
 country1 and prayers offered by the    
people1 although the common sentiment of
 all was1 that the one for whom they    
were offered was already among the      
blessed in heaven4 ,on ,saturday        
evening1 as we all went to our          
confessionals1 and a large congregation 
of people was assembled in the church1  
preparing for their ,easter duty1 a     
peculiarly holy calm seemed to pervade  
the spot4 ,the people were hushed and   

still1 unusually intent upon their      
devotions4 ,the penitents of ,f4 ,baker 
looked with sadness upon the place      
where1 just two weeks before1 he had sat
 for the last time in the tribunal of   
penance1 and came weeping to some one of
 the other fathers to request him to    
take the direction of their consciences4
 ,it was a sad ,holy ,week2 and a       
difficult task to us1 wearied with      
labor1 and some with watching1 oppressed
 with a grief which time and repose had 
not yet diminished1 to fulfil the       
arduous duties of the season4 ,our      
greatest consolation was in the sympathy
 manifested by our people1 and in the   
proof they gave of the love and         
gratitude which our labors had awakened 
in their hearts4 ,easter ,sunday came2  
the altar was superbly decorated with   
the choicest flowers of the season1 the 
triumphant chant of the ,church         
resounded as usual2 but all felt that   
the one whose presence in the sanctuary 
and whose eloquent voice had given the  

day one of its greatest charms1 was gone
 forever2 and besides1 the gloom of the 
great crime committed on ,good ,friday  
had overspread the whole nation1 and the
 drapery of universal mourning had      
turned the city into one great          
necropolis4 #bjd ,the admirable pastoral
 letter of the archbishop on the        
assassination of the ,president was read
 in all the churches1 giving eloquent   
expression to the indignation and grief 
which oppressed all ,christian and all  
honest and just hearts2 and never was   
there seen an ,easter more sad and      
mournful1 more like a day of unusual    
humiliation and sorrow1 than that       
,easter ,sunday2 which had been         
anticipated as a day of peculiar joy and
 thanksgiving for the cessation of      
bloody war and the restoration of peace4
  ,it is in just such times as these1   
however1 that we appreciate most fully  
the strength and support which is given 
us by our holy faith1 the ,divine       
,sacrament of the ,altar1 and the grace 

of ,god1 and that those who have given  
themselves to a religious life learn the
 inestimable blessing of their vocation1
 which raises them above all private and
 all public tribulation4 ,a few days    
brought back serenity and cheerfulness  
to our little community1 and we took new
 courage from the blessed death of our  
companion1 closing so beautifully his   
holy life1 to resume quietly and        
resolutely our ordinary duties1 and to  
rely more completely on the providence  
of ,god2 trusting that we had gained an 
advocate in heaven1 and hoping to       
persevere like him to the end4 ,his     
course was short1 and his reward        
speedily gained4 ,what a happiness for  
him that he listened to the voice of    
,god2 and1 as his day was declining to  
its close1 though he knew it not1       
gathered up his strength and courage to 
leave all and run that brief and swift  
race1 which in later years gained for   
him the brilliant and unfading crown of 
a true and faithful priest of ,jesus    

,christ1 who had brought thousands of   
souls into the way of justice2 and had  
practised himself that ,christian       
perfection which he preached to others6 
,there must be many young men equally   
gifted1 and fitted to accomplish an     
equally apostolic work1 to whom ,god has
 given the same vocation4 ,what hidden  
consequences were involved in the result
 of that struggle and deliberation which
 was the crisis of grace in the life of 
,francis ,baker6 ,what a loss to himself
 and to the ,church of ,god1 if he had  
proved cowardly and unfaithful6 ,the    
simple question before his mind was one 
of personal obedience to the commandment
 of ,christ to arise and follow ,him4   
#bje ,but because of his obedience1 ,god
 chose him to be the instrument of an   
amount of good to others which would be 
sufficient to enrich with merit a       
priesthood of fifty years4 ,the         
immediate fruits of his own labors in   
preaching the word of ,god and          
administering ,his sacraments can never 

perish4 ,the fruits of his example and  
his teaching will1 ,i trust1 continue to
 multiply and increase after his death  
in rich abundance4 ,if the blessing of  
,god perpetuates and extends the        
congregation which he aided in forming1 
and which1 so far as we can see1 could  
not have been established without him1  
his character and spirit will be        
perpetuated in those who will for all   
time venerate him as a spiritual father1
 and imitate him as one of their most   
perfect models4 ,if he is to have no    
imitators and no successors1 it will be 
because ,god can find none among our    
choice and gifted youth1 who have enough
 of sincerity1 generosity1 and the      
spirit of self-sacrifice1 to obey the   
inspirations of ,his ,divine ,spirit1   
and consecrate themselves to ,his glory 
and the good of their fellow-men4 ,the  
need is pressing1 the career is glorious
 and inviting1 and the vocation of ,god 
will not be wanting4 ,there is no hope  
for religion1 except in the             

multiplication of priests animated with 
the apostolic spirit4 ,if the example of
 ,francis ,baker enkindles the spirit of
 emulation in some generous youthful    
hearts2 and encourages some timid1      
fearful souls who are vacillating       
between the ,church of ,god and the     
interests of this world1 to imitate his 
fidelity to the voice of conscience2 the
 end ,i have had in view will be        
accomplished4 ,if not1 it will stand as 
a perpetual reproach to a frivolous and 
unworthy generation1 incapable of       
appreciating and imitating high         
,christian virtue4 ,and now ,i lay the  
last stone on this monument of one who  
was once the friend and bosom companion 
of my youth2 afterwards my spiritual    
child2 then my brother in the           
priesthood2 and who is now exalted to   
such a height above me that my eye and  
my mind can no longer follow him4  #bjf 
#bjg      ,sermons4  #bjh  #bji         
,sermons4       ,sermon ,i4    ,the     
,necessity ,of ,salvation4    7,mission 

,sermon47     ,thou art careful1 and art
 troubled about many things4   ,but one 
thing is necessary4     --,st4 ,luke ,x4
 #da1 #db4   ,if1 my brethren1 ,i should
 ask each one in this assembly what his 
business is1 ,i should probably receive 
a great variety of answers4 ,in so large
 a congregation as this1 drawn as it is 
from the heart of a rich and important  
city1 there are undoubtedly             
representatives of all the various      
avocations that grow out of the         
requirements of social life2 some       
merchants1 some mechanics1 some laboring
 men4 ,i should find some heirs of ease 
and opulence side by side with homeless 
beggars4 ,some of you are heads of      
families1 while others are living under 
guardianship and subjection2 and in     
answer to my proposed question1 you     
would give me your various employments  
and states of life4 ,you would tell me  
that your business is to heal the sick1 
or to assist at the administration of   
justice1 or to teach1 or to learn       

letters1 or to labor4 ,the men would    
tell me that their occupation is at the 
office1 or the warehouse1 or the shop1  
and the women would tell me that theirs 
is at home by the family fireside4 ,no6 
my brethren1 it is not so4 ,this is not 
your business4 ,your words may be true  
in the sense in which you use them1 but 
there is a great and real sense in which
 they are not true4 #baj ,trade1 labor1 
study--these are not your employments4  
,your avocations are not so varied as   
you think they are4 ,each one of you has
 the same business4 ,all men who have   
lived in the world have had but one and 
the same business4 ,and what is that8   
,the salvation of their souls4 ,however 
varied your dispositions1 your condition
 in this world1 your duties1 the end of 
life is absolutely one and the same to  
you all4 ,yes6 wherever man is1 whatever
 his position1 whatever his age1 he has 
one business on the earth1 and only     
one--to save his soul4 ,all other things
 may be dispensed with1 but this cannot 

be dispensed with4 ,this is his true1   
his necessary1 his only duty4 ,do not   
think that ,i am exaggerating things in 
making this assertion4 ,our ,divine     
,saviour ,himself in the words of the   
text has taught us the same             
lesson--,martha1 ,martha1 thou art      
careful1 and art troubled about many    
things4 ,but one thing is necessary4    
,and what that one thing is1 ,he has    
taught us1 in those memorable words     
which ,he uttered on another            
occasion--,what shall it profit a man1  
if he gain the whole world1 and lose his
 own soul2 or what shall a man give in  
exchange for his soul8 ,footnote #h ,but
 what then1 you say2 must every one go  
into a cloister1 must everyone who      
wishes to do his duty forsake the world1
 leave house and parents1 lands and     
possessions1 and nourish his soul by    
continual meditation and prayer8 ,no6   
this is not our ,lord's meaning4 ,the   
end of life is indeed the salvation of  
our souls1 but we must work this out by 

means of the daily employments          
appropriate to our several conditions4  
,we must prepare for the life to come by
 the labors of the life that now is4 ,we
 must bear our part in this world1 but  
we must do so1 always1 in subordination 
to eternity1 and thus we shall in some  
way fulfil the words of the             
apostle--,they that use this world1 let 
them be as though they used it not2     
,footnote #i that is1 let them not use  
it in the same way that the children of 
the world use it1 or according to the   
principles of the world4    ,footnote   
#h3 ,st4 ,mark viii4 #cf1 #cg           
,footnote #i3 #a ,cor4 vii4 #ca4  #baa  
,this is enough for the salvation of    
most men4 ,no one can be excused from   
doing so much as this4 ,the law of ,god 
imperatively and under the highest      
sanctions requires this of everyone here
 present4 ,this is your duty to your    
souls4 ,this is your only duty4 ,this   
done1 all will be done4 ,this neglected1
 all else will be in vain4 ,to prove    

this will be the theme of my present    
discourse4  ,i will make a remark in the
 outset3 ,it is important for us to bear
 in mind that the salvation of our souls
 is properly our work4 ,the grace of    
,god is indeed necessary in order to    
will1 and to accomplish ,his good will1 
but without our co-operation1 the grace 
of ,god will not save us2 accordingly1  
,st4 ,paul1 writing to the ,philippians1
 exhorts them to work out their         
salvation4 ,footnote #aj      ,footnote 
#aj3 ,philip4 ii4 #ab4  ,it is only     
little children1 who die soon after     
baptism1 and persons equivalent to      
children1 who are saved by a sovereign  
and absolute act of divine power2 with  
regard to all others1 ,god has made     
their eternal destiny dependent on their
 own actions4 ,no one of us will be     
saved merely because ,christ died for   
us2 or because ,he founded the ,catholic
 ,church as the church of salvation1 and
 made us its members2 or because ,he has
 instituted life-giving sacraments2 or  

because ,god is willing that all should 
be saved2 or because ,he gives ,his     
grace to us all2 or because the ,blessed
 ,virgin ,mary has such power with ,god2
 or because the priest can forgive sins4
 ,no one will be saved because he has   
had inspirations of grace1 good         
instruction1 good desires1 and good     
purposes4 ,despite all this1 one may be 
damned4 ,for the ,holy ,spirit has said 
distinctly and strongly1 ,work out your 
own salvation4 ,it rests1 then1 with you
 to save your souls4 ,the grace of ,god 
is indeed necessary4 ,you cannot be     
saved without the death of ,christ1 or  
the sacraments of the ,catholic ,church1
 or the gifts of the ,holy ,spirit1 or  
the absolution of the priest1 or the    
patronage of ,mary2 but all these things
 are within your reach1 they are all in 
your power4 #bab ,now1 at the time of   
the ,holy ,mission1 they are offered to 
you with especial liberality4 ,god1 on  
,his part1 has done1 one may almost say1
 all that ,he could do to make your work

 easy to you4 ,to make this an          
acceptable time1 it only remains1 then1 
that you do your part4 ,and this you can
 do4 ,however great your difficulties1  
however great your temptations1 however 
strong your passions1 however           
importunate your evil companions1 may   
be2 however deeply seated your bad      
habits2 you can1 each one can1 by the   
help which ,god is now willing to render
 him1 save his soul4  ,from this first  
remark ,i pass to the immediate subject 
of my discourse--the obligation of      
securing our salvation4 ,as we can save 
our souls1 so we ought to do it4 ,nay1  
this is our only1 our all-engrossing    
duty2 and ,i shall found my proof of it1
 my brethren1 on this plain rule of     
common sense and reason1 that one ought 
to bestow that degree of attention and  
care on any affair which it deserves and
 requires4 ,everyone feels that it would
 be an occupation unworthy of a man to  
spend his time in writing letters in the
 sand1 or in chasing butterflies from   

flower to flower2 because these         
occupations are in themselves vain and  
profitless4 ,again1 anyone would feel it
 unreasonable1 in the father of a       
family1 to set out on a party of        
pleasure at the very moment that his    
presence was necessary to arrest some   
disaster that threatened his family3 not
 because it was wrong in itself for him 
to seek recreation1 but because a higher
 obligation was then urging4 ,now1      
applying these principles1 on which     
everyone acts in matters of daily life1 
to the matter in question2 ,i say that  
you are bound to give to the work of    
your salvation your utmost care and     
attention1 because the care of your     
souls supremely deserves and urgently   
requires it4 #bac ,take in1 my brethren1
 the whole scope of my proposition4     
,there is a work of great consequence   
before you4 ,i do not speak as the world
 speaks4 ,the world tells you that your 
business here is to get gain1 to build a
 house1 to rear a family1 to leave a    

name1 to enjoy yourself4 ,i say1 no4    
,your business is to seek the grace of  
,god1 and to keep it4 ,the world says3  
seek friends1 fall in with the stream1  
court popularity1 do as others do1 act  
on the principles which receive the     
sanction of the multitude1 and a little 
religion in addition to this will be no 
bad thing4 ,i say1 no4 ,seek first the  
kingdom of ,god and ,his justice4       
,fathers1 mothers1 sons and daughters1  
masters1 servants1 ye great ones and ye 
humble ones of the earth1 you are all   
engaged in the same enterprise4 ,god has
 intrusted to each one of you a soul4   
,he has intrusted it to you1 not to     
another4 ,you cannot devolve the        
responsibility of it on another4 ,that  
is your care on the earth4 ,whatever    
cares of other things you may have1 you 
cannot neglect that one work1 you cannot
 interrupt or postpone it1 you cannot   
put any thing in competition with it4   
,if there is a question between any     
temporal advantages1 however great1 or  

suffering1 however severe1 on one side1 
and the salvation of your soul on the   
other2 you must renounce these benefits1
 embrace those tortures4 ,if you must   
consent to see your family die by inches
 of starvation1 or put your salvation in
 proximate and certain jeopardy1 you    
must see them starve first4 ,i do not   
say the case is likely to happen4 ,god  
rarely allows men to be reduced to such 
straits4 ,but if the case should occur  
in the line of duty1 nay1 if the        
alternative was presented1 of converting
 the whole world on one side1 and       
avoiding a mortal sin on the other1 we  
must rather consult the welfare of our  
own souls than that of others2 and this 
not from selfishness1 but because ,god  
has intrusted to us our own souls1 and  
not the souls of others4 #bad ,and how  
do ,i establish my proposition8 ,i      
waive1 my brethren1 my right to appeal  
to your faith1 to speak by the authority
 of ,christ1 ,who is infallible and     
supreme1 and ,who has a right to        

challenge your absolute and             
instantaneous submission and obedience4 
,i postpone the consideration of that   
love which we owe to our ,maker1 and    
which ought to make us prompt and       
willing to do ,his will4 ,i take my     
stand on the ground of reason and       
conscience1 and ,i appeal to you to say 
whether they do not sustain my          
proposition4 ,i make you the judges4 ,it
 is your own case1 it is true1 yet there
 are points in which even self-love     
cannot blind our sense of faith2 and ,i 
ask you whether the care of our soul's  
salvation should not be our sovereign   
and supreme care in life1 if it be true 
that the interests of the soul surpass  
all others in importance1 and can not be
 secured without our continual and      
earnest efforts4 ,your prompt and       
decided answer in the affirmative leaves
 me nothing more to do than to establish
 the fact that the salvation of your    
souls is in fact so important a task4 ,i
 will do so by proving three points3    

first1 that our souls are our most      
precious possession2 second1 that we are
 in great danger of losing them2 and    
third1 that the loss of our souls is the
 greatest of all losses1 and is         
irreparable4  ,our souls are our most   
precious possession4 ,my brethren1 we   
have souls4 ,when ,god created man ,he  
formed his body out of the slime of the 
earth4 ,it was as yet but a lifeless    
form1 a beautiful statue1 but ,god      
breathed upon it and man became a living
 soul4 ,this soul1 the spiritual        
substance which ,god breathed into the  
body1 was formed according to an eternal
 decree of the ,blessed ,trinity1 in    
resemblance to the ,divine essence2 that
 is1 endowed with a spiritual nature and
 possessed of understanding and free    
will4 ,let us make man to our image and 
likeness1 said ,god2 and the sacred     
writer tells us ,god created man to ,his
 own image2 and1 as if to give greater  
emphasis to so important an             
announcement1 he repeats1 ,to the image 

of ,god created ,he him4 ,footnote #aa  
,footnote #aa3 ,gen4 i4 #bf4  #bae  ,man
 therefore is a compound being1         
consisting of a body and soul1 allied to
 the material world through the material
 body which he possesses1 and to the    
world above us1 that is1 to ,god and the
 angels1 through his soul4 ,now1 the    
excellence of all creatures is in       
proportion to the degree in which they  
partake of the perfections of ,god1 who 
is the ,author of all being and all     
goodness4 ,all existing substances      
partake of ,his perfection in some      
degree2 if they do not show forth ,his  
moral attributes1 at least they reflect 
,his omnipotence2 and therefore ,holy   
,scripture calls on the fishes of the   
sea1 the beasts of the earth1 the fowls 
of the air1 the sun1 moon1 stars1 earth1
 mountains and hills1 to join with      
angels and men in blessing ,god4 ,but   
the superiority of angels and souls over
 material creatures consists in this1   
that they partake of the moral          

perfections of ,god3 they show us not   
only what ,god can do1 but what ,he is4 
,like ,him1 they are spiritual beings4  
,who makest ,thy angels spirits and ,thy
 ministers a burning fire1 says the     
,psalmist4 ,footnote #ab      ,footnote 
#ab3 ,ps4 ciii4 #d4  ,they are not gross
 substances as our bodies are1 but pure1
 subtle1 immaterial essences4 ,they are 
immortal like ,him--at least so as that 
they can never die4 ,they do not need   
food nor sleep4 ,they are not subject to
 decay1 or old age1 or death2 they are  
endowed with understanding and free     
will1 to know many of the things that   
,god knows and to love what ,he loves2  
but1 above all1 to know ,him and love   
,him4 ,hence the value of the soul is   
really immeasurable1 and all the        
treasures of the earth are not to be    
compared to it4 ,take the poorest slave 
on earth1 the most wretched inmate of   
the darkest prison1 the most afflicted  
sufferer whom disease has reduced to a  
mass of filth and corruption1 and that  

man's soul is more precious and more    
glorious than the richest diadem of the 
greatest monarch2 nay1 than all the     
treasures of the whole earth1 with all  
the jewels that are hid in the mines and
 caves under its surface4  #baf  ,our   
,lord one day permitted ,st4 ,catherine 
of ,sienna to see a human soul1 and as  
she gazed transported at its exceeding  
beauty1 ,he asked her if ,he had not had
 good reason to come down from heaven to
 save such a glorious creature4 ,the    
saint said the soul was so beautiful    
that1 if one could see it1 one would be 
willing to suffer all possible pains and
 torments for love of it4 ,my brethren1 
if1 when you go to your homes1 you      
should find in your house an angel with 
his face as the appearance of lightning1
 his eyes as a burning lamp1 his body as
 a crystal1 and his feet in appearance  
like to glittering brass1 what would you
 do8 ,would you not1 like ,st4 ,john1   
fall down before his feet and adore him8
 ,would you not faint and fall before   

him1 or if you were so strengthened that
 you could look upon the glorious       
vision1 would you not gaze upon it with 
deep and loving awe8 ,well6 such a being
 you will find there1 when you go home4 
,it will go hence with you4 ,it will    
remain there as long as you remain      
there4 ,it will come away when you come 
away4 ,this bright being of whom ,i     
speak is no visitor in your house1 it is
 an inmate1 it rises with you in the    
morning1 accompanies you through the    
day1 is present with you when you eat1  
is with you in sickness and in health1  
in life and in death4 ,this bright and  
glorious being is yours--it is more     
yours than any thing else in the world1 
it is the only thing in the world that  
is really yours--it is yours2 poverty   
cannot strip you of it1 death cannot    
tear it from you2 eternity cannot rob   
you of it4 ,and this being is your soul1
 your precious1 spiritual1 immortal     
soul4 ,all things else will forsake you1
 property1 family1 friends2 but this    

will never forsake you4 ,it is yours4   
,it is yours inalienably and for ever4  
,your greatest1 your only wealth and    
treasure4 ,oh1 inestimable dignity6 ,we 
are told of some saints1 who used to    
make an act of respect to everyone they 
met1 by way of saluting his guardian    
angel1 and of others that they bowed    
down before those whom they knew1 by the
 spirit of prophecy1 would shed their   
blood for the faith4 #bag ,but have we  
not cause enough to honor man1 in the   
fact that he has a soul1 an immortal    
soul1 a soul which shall one day see    
,god8 ,shall we not feel an ample       
respect for each other1 my brethren1    
when we think of what we are8 ,who could
 ever speak an impure word before       
another if he thought of the dignity of 
a human soul8 ,what young man would ever
 dare to go to scenes where he would    
blush that his mother or sister should  
be present1 if he remembered that he    
took his own soul along with him8 ,who  
would lie1 or cheat1 or steal1 if he    

thought of his soul8 ,a great and       
overpowering thought2 how does it       
belittle all the pride and ostentation  
of the external world6 ,come1 my        
brethren1 let us go into the streets of 
this city and look around us4 ,there are
 stately buildings and proud equipages  
and gay and brilliant shops--but what   
are all these to the concourse of human 
beings1 the crowds of immortal souls who
 are1 day by day1 making an immortal    
destiny4 ,there is the old man tottering
 along on his stick1 there is the little
 child on the way to school1 there is   
the rich lady with her jewels and costly
 fabrics1 there is the laborer with his 
spade setting out to his daily toil2 and
 each one has a soul1 each one will live
 forever4 ,let us strive to take in this
 great thought4 ,the tide of human      
beings flows on from morning to evening4
 ,new faces continually appear4 ,they   
come and go4 ,we do not know their      
history1 their destiny2 but we know that
 each one has a spiritual nature1 is    

made to the image of ,god1 is possessed 
of a bright and glorious soul4 ,we shall
 meet them again4 ,there will come a day
 when every one of the throng shall meet
 again every other4 ,new populations2   
shall come in the place of those who now
 inhabit the world4 ,the stones of the  
greatest buildings shall be reduced to  
powder1 nay1 the world itself will be   
reduced to ashes1 and each soul that now
 lives in this city will survive in its 
own individuality and immortality4      
,there are some1 it is true1 who do not 
seem as if they had souls4 #bah ,there  
are women who have given themselves up  
to practices of uncleanness by          
profession1 and men who habitually      
wallow in drunkenness and sensuality2   
and the conversation of such persons is 
so horrid and obscene1 their countenance
 so devoid of the least trace of shame  
or self-respect1 they seem from having  
neglected their souls almost to have    
lost them4 ,they seem really to have    
become the brutes whose passions they   

have imitated4 ,no6 even they have      
souls4 ,they cannot be brutes if they   
would4 ,they are men1 they are made to  
the image of ,god1 and so they must ever
 remain4 ,a surgeon ,footnote #ac was   
once called to attend a man who was     
afflicted with cancer4      ,footnote   
#ac3 ,the surgeon alluded to was ,dr4   
,baker1 and a     faithful portrait of  
the man was taken1 which was preserved  
in the family4  ,this terrible disease  
had affected one entire side of the     
face1 and had made in it the most       
dreadful ravages4 ,the cheek was one    
shapeless mass of putrid flesh2 the nose
 undistinguishable from the other       
features1 the eye completely eaten out1 
and the bones of the forehead perforated
 like a sponge2 but on turning the face 
of the man1 the other side presented a  
wonderful contrast1 being in nowise     
affected1 and showing no trace of       
sickness except an excessive pallor4    
,the countenance and features were of a 
noble dignity and beauty1 and strikingly

 like the expression ordinarily observed
 in the pictures of our ,blessed ,lord4 
,so it is with men's souls4 ,sin has    
eaten deeply into them1 has deprived    
them of comeliness1 has almost defaced  
the form they once had1 has blinded     
their minds and deprived them of the    
interior eye2 but still there remain    
traces of nobility1 of the image of     
,god4 ,o man1 whoever thou art1 however 
deeply sunk in sin2 ,i care not whether 
your body be as filthy as the dunghill  
or the sink1 or your heart be the prey  
of every passion and the slave of every 
vice2 you have a soul3 you have indeed  
lost much1 but you have much remaining2 
you have that which is of more value    
than all else in the world--that which  
is absolutely of more value than all    
material things2 and which to you is of 
more value than all spiritual things1   
than all created things in earth and    
heaven4 #bai ,you are great and noble   
and spiritual and immortal--you are     
capable of virtue1 happiness1 and       

heaven--you are like ,god1 you resemble 
,him4 ,his image is stamped upon you4   
,and how little you realize this6 ,alas1
 you will realize it at the hour of     
death4  ,but1 secondly1 we are in danger
 of losing our souls4 ,to lose them in  
the literal sense is of course          
impossible1 for ,i have said that they  
are immortal1 and will remain with us   
forever4 ,it would be in some way a     
happiness to the wicked1 if they could1 
in this sense1 lose their souls1 for it 
would free them from the torment of a   
miserable eternity4 ,but that cannot be3
 the loss of our souls of which we speak
 is the loss of ,god1 who alone is the  
sufficient and satisfying object of our 
affection4 ,thou hast made our souls for
 ,thee1 says ,st4 ,augustine1 and they  
are not at peace until they rest in     
,thee4 ,the loss of our souls is        
occasioned by sin1 which separates us   
from ,god1 but it is not final and      
irremediable until death overtakes us in
 this state of estrangement4 ,the danger

 of losing our souls1 then1 is the      
danger of falling into mortal sin and   
dying in that state4 ,now1 the danger of
 sinning is1 in the present course of   
,god's providence1 inseparable from the 
possession of a soul4 ,free will is a   
high prerogative1 which1 while it fits  
us for the highest state possible1      
renders sin also possible4 ,as soon as  
,god created the angels1 a large part of
 them rebelled against ,him1 and were   
cast out of heaven4 ,as soon as ,he had 
made man1 our first parents fell and    
were cast out of ,paradise4 ,it is only 
a rational moral being that can sin2    
because sin is the voluntary            
transgression of the ,divine law1 and   
therefore cannot be committed by any    
creature but one who has a will1 that   
is1 intellect and the power of choosing4
 ,almost all the material acts of sin   
which men commit are committed by brutes
 also4 #bbj ,see the rage of the tiger1 
the thieving of the fox1 the impurity of
 the goat1 the treachery of the adder1  

the gluttony of the swine4 ,but there   
are no sins in these brutes1 because    
they have mere blind instincts4 ,man1   
however1 has reason and a will1 and     
therefore he is bound to control the    
instincts which he shares in common with
 the brutes1 and his failure to control 
these constitutes sin4 ,he has a soul   
which belongs to ,god1 and of which ,god
 is the sovereign1 and his failure to   
control his passions is rebellion       
against ,god1 and pride4 ,further1 as   
the possession of a soul renders sin    
possible1 so the proclivity to evil1    
which we inherit from the fall1 and the 
temptations of the world1 render it     
exceedingly probable4 ,i do not know a  
more striking illustration of this1 than
 the fear which the saints have         
ordinarily had about their salvation4   
,their sense of the value of the soul2  
their deep knowledge of their own       
hearts1 and of the root of evil that was
 in them1 the weakness of man without   
grace1 and the uncertainty of grace2    

have kept men of the greatest sanctity1 
men who have wrought miracles1 who have 
cast out devils1 who have raised the    
dead to life1 always anxious about their
 perseverance1 always begging of ,god   
the grace never to to allow them to     
commit a mortal sin4 ,but if these      
reasons are enough to make saints       
tremble1 what reasons have not ordinary 
,christians to fear6 ,a chain of evil   
habits1 unguarded intercourse with men1 
the constant contact with the world1 how
 fearfully do they augment the risk of  
losing our souls1 which all run         
necessarily in this world4 ,why1 listen 
to the conversation of ten men1 taken   
almost at random in this city2 for half 
an hour walk through the city1 from one 
end to the other2 and see if the        
occasions of sin are not more frequent  
than can be uttered4 ,this is deeply    
felt by men of the world themselves4 ,it
 makes them despair4 ,they say there is 
no possibility of saving their souls in 
the world4 ,they say it is all in vain  

to try--that sin meets them at every    
step4 ,it is not1 of course1 true that  
sin is inevitable4 ,if it were1 it would
 not be sin4 ,but it is true that the   
atmosphere of the world is fearfully    
surcharged with evil4 #bba ,there is    
many a home in this city1 many a place  
of public resort1 many a den of secret  
iniquity1 many a gaming-room1 and       
drinking-house1 over which there is an  
inscription legible to the angels1      
written in letters of fire1 ,the gate of
 hell4 ,there are many places where     
souls are sold daily and hourly1 and oh1
 at what a price6 ,thirty pieces of     
silver was the price offered for our    
,redeemer1 but the soul is often sold   
for one1 indeed1 often for something    
still more miserable--for the           
gratification of an impure passion1 for 
the indulgence of revenge1 for a day's  
frolic4 ,it is true the ,evil ,one does 
not carry on his traffic under its own  
name and openly--that it is well        
concealed under specious pretences2 but 

the danger is only so much the greater4 
,the occasions of sin are everywhere    
spread under our feet like traps and    
snares1 and encircling us on all sides  
like nets4 ,but even this is not the    
worst4 ,the loss of ,god is not only    
possible because of our free will1      
probable because of the corruption of   
the world1 but1 in many cases1 already  
certain4 ,men1 on all sides1 have lost  
,god1 and need only an unforeseen death 
to make certain the loss of their souls4
 ,who can tell how many are living in a 
state of mortal sin1 month by month1 day
 by day1 year by year8 ,they go on      
securely1 smilingly2 externally all goes
 on smoothly2 they are successful and   
seemingly happy2 they have plans for    
many years to come2 but a voice has     
spoken1 ,thou fool1 this night shall    
they require thy soul of thee4 ,oh6 how 
many died in mortal sin last year1 how  
many will die in mortal sin next year6  
,it needs only a little thing1 a false  
step1 a railway accident1 an attack of  

fever1 a change in the weather1 a fit of
 apoplexy1 and they are launched into   
eternity without warning and without    
preparation--death sealing for perdition
 those whom it finds deprived of the    
grace of ,god4 ,who1 ,i say1 can wonder 
at this1 when he looks around him1 and  
sees how little the soul is valued8 ,o  
my ,god6 it is enough to make the heart 
sick4 #bbb ,let us take a ,catholic     
family1 for ,i will not take things at  
the worst4 ,a father has a family of    
children4 ,he must send them to school  
or college4 ,he finds an institution    
which pleases him1 and he will tell you 
that his children are doing excellently1
 and that the only drawback is that the 
school is ,protestant or infidel4 ,is   
not this to betray the souls of his own 
children8 ,sunday comes3 it is true that
 there is the obligation to hear ,mass1 
but some inducement offers itself to    
idleness or dissipation1 and no ,mass is
 heard1 because it is only the soul     
which is injured by the omission4       

,monday comes3 there is an opportunity  
of making some little gain in an        
unlawful way4 ,what does it matter8 ,we 
must get rich1 and do like our          
neighbors4 ,the sons grow up in         
ignorance1 and spend their time mostly  
at the gaming-table or the place of     
carousal4 ,the daughters grow up4 ,they 
must be led by their mother to every    
scene of folly and sin1 because the     
custom of society requires it4 ,easter  
comes3 the young people do not like to  
go to confession1 and they add only one 
sin more1 to those with which their     
hearts are already charged4 ,and then   
the parents die1 and the children come  
forward to take their places1 and to    
bring up their children in still greater
 neglect and laxity4 ,thus ,catholics   
are trained for the world1 and souls for
 hell2 and if we take into the account  
the graver forms of vice1 and consider  
how many are entirely the slaves of     
passion1 we shall not wonder that there 
are so few that shall be saved4 ,one of 

the ,fathers1 speaking of the great     
responsibility of the priesthood1       
dilates on the impossibility of a       
priest's being saved without great      
exertion and watchfulness4 ,but if it be
 difficult for a priest to save his     
soul2 what shall ,i say of the laity1   
when ,i consider the prevailing habits  
of ,catholics4 ,it hardly seems to me   
too strong to say1 that to me it would  
seem a miracle for any such one to be   
saved4 ,how will men attain that which  
they do not care for1 to which they give
 no thought8 ,and so it is with the     
salvation of the soul4 ,who thinks about
 it8 ,who takes any pains for it8 ,who  
makes any sacrifice for it8 #bbc ,the   
soul is more precious than any thing    
else1 and yet every thing else is put   
before it4 ,it is trampled on in        
business1 betrayed in friendships1      
choked by domestic cares1 imprisoned in 
the filthy bodies of the licentious1    
and1 as it were1 annihilated in the     
drunkard4 ,it is forgotten1 neglected1  

outraged1 despised1 ignored4 ,it is not 
so much sold as thrown away4 ,the body  
is cared for with the most supreme      
solicitude4 ,every pain and ache is     
relieved4 ,long journeys are undertaken 
to recover health that is lost or only  
threatened4 ,the most celebrated        
physicians are sought after with        
eagerness4 ,but the soul is allowed for 
weeks and months and years to go on in a
 state of spiritual death4 ,confession1 
prayer1 the sacraments1 means so easy1  
means truly infallible in their         
efficacy1 means within the reach of all1
 are neglected1 on pretences the most   
frivolous1 without reason1 and almost   
without motive4 ,who will give water to 
my head1 and a fountain of tears to my  
eyes1 and ,i will weep day and night for
 the slain of the daughter of my people8
 ,footnote #ad      ,footnote #ad3 ,jer4
 ix4 #a4  ,the loss of our souls is the 
greatest of all evils1 because it is    
irremediable4 ,i will not go into all   
that this point contains4 ,it is too    

great a subject for us at present4 ,i   
will not dwell on all that is meant by  
the loss of our souls1 but ,i will      
consider it simply as it is1 the failure
 of reaching our end and destiny1 and as
 irreparable4 ,and to help us to realize
 this1 ,i will summon as a witness one  
who was the first to come short of his  
destiny1 the devil4 ,we do not know how 
long it was after the creation of the   
angels that the devil sinned and fell2  
but certainly there was a time when he  
was a pure1 bright spirit1 rejoicing in 
the greatness of his endowments1 and    
with a hope full of immortality4 ,but   
there came a moment of darkness4 ,he    
sinned3 he was judged3 he was cast from 
heaven1 and he sank into hell4 ,there he
 is now4 ,he is confined in chains and  
darkness4 ,the tree has fallen2 and as  
it has fallen to the north or to the    
south1 so must it lie forever4 #bbd     
,other mistakes may be rectified1 but   
this never4 ,a loss in business may be  
made good by greater exertions and      

prudence2 a broken-down constitution may
 be repaired by art and care2 a lost    
reputation may be recovered by integrity
 and consistency in well-doing2 earthly 
sorrow may be healed by time and other  
objects2 sin may be rooted out by       
penance2 but the loss of the soul is an 
evil complete and irreparable1 and      
brings with it an undying remorse4 ,a   
tree hath hope3 if it be cut down1 it   
groweth green again1 and the bough      
thereof sprout4 ,if its root be old in  
the earth and its stock be dead in the  
dust1 at the scent of water it shall    
spring and bring forth leaves as when it
 was first planted4 ,footnote #ae ,but  
man1 when he shall be dead and stripped 
and consumed1 ,i pray you1 where is he8 
,the cry of despair which the first lost
 soul uttered when he made the terrible 
discovery that he was really lost1 is   
still ringing in the abodes of the      
damned1 and the keenness of his misery  
is still unabated4 ,ages shall go on1   
the last day shall come1 and an eternity

 shall follow it1 and that cry of       
despair will still be as thrilling1 and 
that anguish as new and as irremediable4
      ,footnote #ae3 ,job xiv4 #g1 #h1  
#i4  ,as reasonable men1 ,i have        
appealed to you3 what is your decision8 
,what does reason1 what does conscience1
 what does self-interest say8 ,you would
 not be listless if ,i were to speak to 
you of your property1 your health1 your 
reputation1 but now ,i speak to you of  
your souls--your precious1 immortal     
souls--your own1 your greatest good--a  
good that you are in danger of          
losing--the good whose loss is          
overwhelming and irretrievable4 ,they   
are in your hands for life or for death4
 ,it is said that to one of the heathen 
soothsayers1 who was famed for his skill
 in discovering hidden things1 a person 
once came with a living bird in his     
hand1 and asked the seer to tell whether
 it was living or dead4 ,the inquirer   
intended to crush the bird with his hand
 if the wise man should say it was      

living1 and to let it fly if he should  
say it was dead1 and thus in either case
 to put the pretended magician to shame4
 #bbe ,but the soothsayer suspected the 
design1 and answered3 ,the bird is in   
your hand--to kill it or to let it live4
 ,so ,i answer you1 my brethren4 ,your  
souls are in your hands1 to kill them or
 to let them live4 ,you can crush them  
in your grasp and smother their         
convictions1 or you can open your hand  
and let them fly forth in freedom and   
gladness4 ,oh1 have pity on your souls6 
,your souls are yours4 ,no one will be  
the loser by the loss of your souls but 
yourselves4 ,god will not be the less   
happy if you are damned2 the saints will
 not lose any of their happiness if you 
fail of your salvation2 the angels will 
be as light and blissful2 the earth will
 go on just the same as when you were on
 it2 only you1 you yourselves will feel 
it1 and you will feel it hopelessly4    
,ah1 then1 take pity on your souls6 ,you
 will one day wish that you had done it4

 ,one of the courtiers of ,francis the  
,first of ,france1 when he was dying1   
said3 ,oh6 how many reams of paper have 
,i written in the service of my monarch6
 ,oh6 that ,i had only spent one quarter
 of an hour in the service of my soul6  
,a quarter of an hour6 ,and you have    
days and weeks4 ,oh1 then1 once more ,i 
beg you to take pity on your souls6 ,if 
you have never before seriously taken to
 heart your eternal interest1 at least  
do so now4 ,improve the time of this    
mission4 ,it is the time of grace4 ,it  
may be to you the last call1 the last   
opportunity4 ,make1 then1 a good use of 
this time4 ,set aside the thought of    
other things1 and give yourself to this 
alone4 ,now you have an opportunity of  
making your peace with ,god1 and saving 
your soul4 ,think1 now the hour has     
come1 foreseen by ,god from all         
eternity1 when1 answering to the call of
 grace1 ,i shall regain ,his favor1     
which1 alas6 ,i have lost too long4     
,what shall keep me back8 ,see what is  

the difficulty1 and weigh it in the     
scales with your immortal soul4 ,is     
confession difficult8 ,a confession     
before the whole universe will be more  
so4 ,is it hard to lose a little gain8  
,it will be more so to lose your soul4  
#bbf ,is it hard to break a tie of long 
standing8 ,it will be hard to break     
every tie1 and to live in eternal       
desolation4 ,is it hard to bear the     
remarks of companions8 ,but how will you
 bear the taunts and jeers of the devil 
and his angels8 ,and those very         
companions who have led you to hell will
 taunt you for your base compliance to  
them4 ,let nothing1 then1 keep you back4
    99 99 99  7,peroration4 according to
 the circumstances47  ----------------  
,sermon ,,ii4    ,mortal ,sin4          
7,mission ,sermon47     ,know thou1 and 
see1    that it is an evil and a bitter 
thing for thee1    to have left the     
,lord thy ,god4      --,jer4 ,,ii4 #ai4 
,in the book of the prophet ,ezechiel it
 is related that ,god showed to the     

prophet in a vision the city of         
,jerusalem4 ,it was all stretched out   
before him in its greatness and in its  
beauty4 ,the magnificent temple was     
there1 with its stones and spires       
glittering in the sun2 its streets were 
full of people1 prosperous and happy2 a 
people who were in possession of the    
true religion1 who had been adopted by  
,god as ,his children1 and over whom ,he
 had exercised a special protection4 ,it
 was a beautiful sight2 beautiful to the
 eye1 and well fitted to excite the most
 religious emotions in the mind4 ,but   
there was something that checked these  
feelings of pleasure and delight4 ,god  
permitted the prophet to see the        
interior of that city4 ,he unfolded     
before him the secret abominations that 
were practised there4 #bbg ,he showed   
him the idolatries and impurities to    
which his chosen people the ,jews had   
delivered themselves up1 and then in    
wrath and indignation ,god complained of
 the people and said3 ,the iniquity of  

the house of ,israel and of ,juda is    
exceeding great2 and the land is filled 
with blood2 and the city is filled with 
perverseness1 for they have said3 ,the  
,lord hath forsaken the earth1 and the  
,lord seeth not4 ,footnote #af ,then the
 joy of the prophet was turned in to    
sorrow4      ,footnote #af3 ,ezechiel   
ix4 #i4  ,to-night1 my brethren1 a      
vision meets my eye hardly less         
beautiful than that which met the eye of
 the prophet4 ,how beautiful a sight is 
this church and this congregation6 ,this
 church is raised to the honor of the   
true ,god4 ,its walls are salvation and 
its gates praise4 ,and this             
congregation1 beautiful as it is in the 
assemblage of a multitude of living1    
intelligent beings--where ,i see the old
 man with his crown of silver hair1 the 
young man and the young woman in the    
freshness of their bloom and youth--is  
much more so regarded as a ,catholic    
congregation1 as professing the true    
faith4 ,but tell me--for ,i cannot look 

into your hearts as the prophet         
did--tell me1 does ,god see1 beneath    
this beautiful1 outward appearance1 the 
abominations of iniquity8 ,does ,god    
this night see in this church some heart
 that is in mortal sin8 ,some ,catholic 
who has renounced1 if not his faith1 at 
least the practice of his faith8 ,some  
child of passion who has swerved from   
the path of justice1 lost his conscience
 and the sense of sin1 and given himself
 to the service of the devil8 ,are there
 any here to-night in mortal sin8 ,there
 may be4 ,i will confess1 and you will  
not think me uncharitable in doing so1  
,i believe there are some4 ,i know not  
how many1 but from what ,i know of the  
world1 ,i believe there are some here1  
in this congregation1 whose consciences 
tell them they are in mortal sin4 ,oh6  
then1 let me tell them what they have   
done4 ,let me show them what mortal sin 
is4 ,let me prove to them that it is an 
evil and a bitter thing for them to have
 left the ,lord their ,god4 ,this is my 

subject to-night4 ,i will show you the  
dreadfulness of mortal sin3 first1 from 
its nature2 secondly1 from its effects  
on the soul2 and thirdly1 from its      
eternal consequences4  #bbh  ,you know1 
my dear brethren1 that we were created  
to love and serve ,god in this life1 and
 to be happy forever with ,him in       
heaven4 ,god has given us this world1   
and our own nature1 all that we have or 
are2 and ,he is willing that we should  
enjoy the world and act out our nature4 
,it is true1 there are certain          
restrictions which ,he has given us4    
,these restrictions are contained in    
,his law1 embodied in the ten           
commandments4 ,in these commandments    
,god has circumscribed our liberty1 has 
put limits to what we may do2 but ,i    
need not say that these limits have been
 so fixed1 not in order to abridge our  
happiness1 but really to increase it4   
,so the case stands on ,god's part4 ,but
 now1 on our part1 we have an           
inclination to disregard the limits ,god

 has put on our use of the world1 and to
 place our happiness in the creature4   
,the world smiles before us1 and we     
think this or that enjoyment would make 
us happy4 ,it may often happen that the 
very enjoyment and comfort is one which 
,god has forbidden2 but no matter1 we   
are strongly inclined to seize it1      
nevertheless1 and to gratify our desire 
in spite of the prohibition4 ,this      
inclination is what is called           
concupiscence1 and is sometimes         
exceedingly strong1 so that it is very  
difficult to resist it4 ,god has1       
however1 always given us reason and     
faith1 free will and grace1 to enable us
 to overcome it4 ,this1 then1 being so1 
you see that man stands between two     
claimants3 the world on the one hand1   
inviting him to follow his own corrupt  
inclinations2 on the other1 ,god        
requiring him to restrain his passions  
by the rules of virtue and religion4    
,now1 what takes place under such       
circumstances8 ,alas1 my brethren1 ,i   

will tell you what too often takes      
place4 ,i will tell you what takes place
 so commonly that men take it for       
granted that it must be so--so commonly 
that the majority of men cease to wonder
 at it--what happens every day1 every   
hour1 every minute4 ,it happens that men
 listen to the voice of passion1        
renounce virtue and reason1 stifle      
grace1 and turn away from ,god1 to      
satisfy their desire for the creature4  
,this is what happens daily1 hourly1    
momentarily2 and this is mortal sin1    
which is in its nature the greatest of  
all evils1 considered in its relation   
both to ,god and man1 as ,i am about to 
show you in this first part of my       
discourse4  #bbi  ,understand me1 my    
brethren3 the sin ,i am going to speak  
of is mortal sin4 ,i do not say that    
every transgression of the law of ,god  
is mortal4 ,you know that it is not so4 
,you know that there some actions which 
men commit1 which are forbidden1 but by 
which a man does not mean really to give

 up the friendship of ,god--some sins   
which are not committed with full       
deliberation1 some sins in which the    
matter is very small1 some sins which   
come more from ignorance or frailty than
 from malice2 and which ,god1 who sees  
things just as they are1 does not regard
 as grievous4 ,he is displeased with    
them1 but not mortally offended4 ,he    
punishes them1 but not with the utter   
withdrawal of ,his favor4 ,if ,he did1  
who of us could be saved8 ,but every sin
 in which the soul sees clearly that she
 must choose between the friendship of  
,god and the gratification of unlawful  
passion--in which1 with full            
deliberation1 in full defiance of any   
grave precept of ,god or the ,holy      
,church1 she obeys the call of corrupt  
nature1 every such sin is mortal1 that1 
is1 grievously offends ,god and cuts off
 the soul from ,his grace4 ,do you want 
to know what a mortal sin is8 ,it is an 
insult offered to ,god--,almighty ,god4 
,one trembles to say it1 but so it is4  

,yes6 if you have committed one mortal  
sin1 you have insulted ,almighty ,god4  
,and there is every thing in the act to 
make the insult deep and deadly4 ,the   
greatness of an insult is measured by   
the comparative importance of the       
persons between whom the offence passes4
 ,if one should come into the church and
 strike the bishop on his throne1 would 
you not feel more indignant than if a   
common man in the street were the object
 of the insult8 ,you have heard how     
,pius the ,sixth was insulted2 dragged  
about from place to place1 until he     
died2 and did you not feel indignant    
that such outrages were committed on the
 person of ,god's vicegerent8 #bcj ,now1
 when you committed a mortal sin you    
insulted1 not the vicegerent of ,god1   
but ,god himself4 ,you contemned ,his   
authority and despised ,his greatness4  
,would you know ,who it is ,whom you    
have offended8 ,look at that mountain   
trembling with earthquakes1 and         
breathing forth smoke and flame1 hear   

the thunder roll around its head1 and   
see the lightning flash6 ,mark the      
people1 how they fall back affrighted   
and terrified6 ,what is the cause of    
these convulsions of nature1 and this   
terror of the people8 ,god is speaking4 
,he spake in ,mount ,sinai and the earth
 trembled before ,him2 and it is ,his   
words then spoken that you have defied1 
,o sinner6 ,are you not afraid of ,his  
vengeance ,whom you have offended8 ,open
 the heavens and see the angels1        
thousands of thousands and ten thousand 
times ten thousand1 prostrate before    
,him4 ,see all the saints adoring       
,him--the ,blessed ,virgin ,mary herself
 trembling before ,his greatness4 ,and  
you insult ,him6 ,what are you8 ,a      
creature1 a dependant1 a slave4 ,what   
would a master do if his slave should   
strike him8 ,and you1 a servant1 a      
slave1 a mere nothing1 have not         
hesitated to raise your hand against    
,almighty ,god6  ,and for what have you 
done all this8 ,for the pleasure of sin4

 ,you have preferred a vile1 temporary  
gratification1 to the favor of ,almighty
 ,god4 ,when you sinned1 there was on   
one side the beauty of ,god1 the beauty 
of perfection1 the splendor of grace1   
the joy of saints1 peace of conscience1 
heaven2 on the other there was the false
 pleasure of sin4 ,you weighed them in  
the balance one with another1 and1 oh   
folly6 in your estimation a moment's sin
 outweighed ,god and heaven and         
eternity4 ,this is what the ,almighty   
complains of in ,holy ,scripture3 ,they 
violated me among my people for a       
handful of barley and a piece of bread  
to kill souls which should not die4     
,footnote #ag      ,footnote #ag3       
,ezech4 xiii4 #ai4  #bca  ,oh6 for how  
small a thing it is that you have been  
content to lose ,god--a few dollars of  
unjust gain1 human respect1 the         
gratification of revenge1 a night's     
debauch1 a half-hour's indulgence of    
sinful thoughts1 a forbidden word1 an   
intoxicating glass3 for this you have   

thrown to the winds ,god and heaven4    
,what has ,he not done for you8 ,he     
takes care of you and gives you all you 
have4 ,it is ,he who warms you by the   
sun1 refreshes you by the air1 gladdens 
and nourishes you by the green field4   
,it is ,he who brought you through the  
dangerous time of childhood1 ,who led   
you up through manhood1 ,who redeemed   
you by ,his blood1 made you a ,catholic1
 and gave you your parents1 friends1    
every blessing1 and the hope of heaven  
beyond this life1 and you have grieved  
and hated ,him4 ,see ,jesus ,christ     
before the ,jews4 ,he has spent ,his    
life in doing them good4 ,he has labored
 for them and is about to die for them4 
,and now they spit on ,him1 they buffet 
,him1 they crown ,him with thorns and   
bow the knee in mockery before ,him4    
,nay1 ,o sinner6 thou art the ,jew who  
did this4 ,thou by thy mortal sin hast  
made him an object of scorn4 ,thou hast 
spit upon ,him1 thou hast stabbed ,him  
to the heart4 ,would you excuse a son   

from the guilt of parricide who should  
strike a knife to his father's heart1   
and should miss his aim8 ,so1 the sinner
 is no less guilty of the crime against 
the life of ,god because ,god cannot    
die4 ,if ,god could die or cease to be1 
mortal sin is that which would kill     
,him4 ,you have aimed a blow at the life
 of your best benefactor1 of your ,god4 
,and this is what passes in the world   
for a light thing4 ,this is what men    
laugh at and boast of over their cups4  
,this is what the world excuses1 and    
takes for a matter of course2 yes1 this 
is what even boys and girls1 as they    
grow up1 desire not to be ignorant      
of--that they may know how to offend    
,god4 ,this is sin1 so easily committed 
and so often committed1 so quickly      
committed and so soon forgotten4 ,such  
it is in the sight of ,god and the holy 
angels4 ,o sinner6 when you smile1 often
 when you are rejoicing over your wicked
 pleasure1 the heavens are black        
overhead1 and ,god is angry1 and the    

angel of vengeance stands at your side  
with a glittering spear1 that he may    
plunge it in your heart4 #bcb ,while you
 are careless1 heaven and earth are     
groaning over your guilt4 ,wonder1 ,o ye
 heavens1 and be in amazement1 says ,god
 by the prophet4 ,my people have done   
two evils4 ,they have left me1 the      
fountain of living water1 and have      
digged out cisterns1 broken cisterns1   
that can hold no water4 ,hear1 ,o       
heavens1 and give ear1 ,o earth1 for the
 ,lord hath spoken4 ,i have brought up  
children and exalted them1 but they have
 despised me4 ,the ox knoweth his owner 
and the ass his master's crib1 but      
,israel hath not known me1 and my people
 hath not understood4 ,woe to the sinful
 nation1 a people laden with iniquity1 a
 wicked seed1 ungracious children3 they 
have forsaken the ,lord1 they have      
blasphemed the ,holy one of ,israel1    
they have gone away backward4 ,footnote 
#ah      ,footnote #ah3 ,isai4 i4 #b1   
#c1 #d4  ,but in the second place1      

mortal sin is the greatest of all evils 
as regards the sinner himself4 ,let us  
consider what are its effects4 ,ah1 my  
brethren1 some of these effects are     
obvious enough4 ,we have not to go far  
to seek them4 ,we know them ourselves4  
,what is the cause of much of the       
sickness that affects our race8 ,what   
but sin8 ,what is it that has ruined so 
many reputations1 that once were fair   
and unblemished8 ,what is it that has   
destroyed the peace of so many families8
 ,it is sin4 ,what is it that makes so  
many young persons prematurely old1     
which steals the bloom from the cheek   
and the lustre from the eye1 and        
gladness from the heart1 and strength   
from the voice1 and elasticity from the 
gait8 ,ah6 it is sin4 ,yes6 the effects 
of sin are visible and obvious to all   
around us1 and these external effects of
 sin are dreadful enough1 but they are  
not so dreadful as the internal effects1
 on which ,i purpose particularly to    
dwell4 ,well1 my brethren1 ,i just said 

that the nature of a mortal sin is to   
turn away from ,god to the creature4    
#bcc ,now1 its effect is to kill the    
soul4 ,there is a twofold life of the   
soul4 ,one is a natural life1 and this  
it can never lose1 not even in hell1    
since it can never cease to be2 and the 
other is the life of grace4 ,you know1  
my brethren1 that in the heart of a good
 ,christian there dwells a wonderful    
quality1 the gift of the ,holy ,ghost1  
which we call grace4 ,it is given first 
in baptism1 and resides habitually in   
the soul unless it is lost by mortal    
sin4 ,this it is which makes the soul   
acceptable to ,god1 and capable of      
pleasing ,him1 and of meriting heaven4  
,this grace was purchased for us by the 
blood of ,jesus ,christ1 and is the most
 precious gift of ,god4 ,it ennobles1   
beautifies1 elevates1 strengthens1 and  
enlightens the soul in which it dwells3 
in a word1 it is the life of the soul4  
,this grace abides in the soul of every 
faithful ,christian1 the little child1  

the virtuous young man and young woman1 
the old man and the matron1 the rich and
 the poor4 ,everyone who is in the state
 of friendship with ,god is possessed of
 this grace4 ,he may be poor1 sick1 weak
 in body1 disgusting as ,lazarus was1   
but if he is the friend of ,god1 his    
soul is endowed with the gift of grace4 
,now1 the moment that one commits a     
mortal sin1 the moment that a baptized  
,christian turns away from ,god to the  
creature1 that moment his soul is       
stripped of this divine grace4 ,the     
moment that a mortal sin is committed1  
in an instant1 in the twinkling of an   
eye1 that robe of grace falls off from  
the soul and leaves it in its deformity 
and weakness4 ,it cannot be otherwise4  
,can two walk together1 says ,holy      
,scripture1 and not be agreed8 ,can ,god
 remain united to the soul which has    
cast ,him off by an act of complete and 
formal rebellion8 ,oh1 no6 ,god bears   
much with us1 ,he retains ,his          
friendship for us as long as ,he can1   

,he restrains ,his displeasure when we  
are weak and irresolute and tired in    
,his service2 yes1 when we a little turn
 our heads and hearts toward that world 
which we have renounced1 when we do     
things that1 although wrong1 are not    
altogether so grievous as to amount to a
 renunciation of ,his friendship3 but   
once make a full choice between ,god and
 the creature1 and ,god's friendship is 
lost4 #bcd ,you cannot reject it and    
retain it at the same time4 ,god sees   
things exactly as they are3 as you act  
toward ,him1 ,he will act toward you4   
,by mortal sin you renounce ,him1 and   
therefore ,he must renounce you4 ,how   
can ,i describe to you the change that  
takes place in that moment8 ,it has more
 resemblance to the degradation of a    
priest than any thing else4 ,if a priest
 commits certain great crimes1 the      
,church prescribes that he be solemnly  
degraded from the priesthood2 and       
nothing is more dreadful than the       
ceremonial4 ,he stands before the       

bishop1 clad in his sacred vestments1   
with alb and cincture1 and maniple and  
stole1 and with the chalice in which he 
has been wont to consecrate the blood of
 the ,lord in his hands4 ,then when the 
sentence of degradation has been        
pronounced1 the chalice is taken out of 
his hands--he shall offer the sacrifice 
of the ,lord's body no more2 the golden 
chasuble is taken off his back1 no more 
shall he bear the glory of the          
priesthood2 the stole is seized from off
 his neck--he has lost the stole of     
immortality2 the white alb is torn from 
him-- he has lost the beauty of         
innocence2 and last of all1 his hands1  
on which at his ordination the holy oil 
was poured1 are scraped--he has lost the
 unction of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,so it is 
in the moment that one commits a mortal 
sin4 ,the ,holy ,scripture calls every  
,christian a king and a priest1 because 
in his soul he is noble and united to   
,god2 and the soul of the meanest       
,christian is far more beautiful in     

,god's sight than the grandest monarch1 
dressed in his richest robes1 is to our 
sight4 ,well1 now1 as soon as a mortal  
sin is committed1 and ,god departs1 then
 the degradation of the soul takes      
place4 ,the devil tears away the garment
 of justice1 the splendor of beauty1 the
 whiteness of innocence1 the robe of    
immortality1 which make the soul worthy 
of the companionship of angels1 and the 
friendship of ,god4 ,all1 all are gone4 
,oh1 how abject and wretched is such a  
soul6 #bce ,oh ,i how quickly will this 
awful change go on1 and even the poor   
soul herself thinks not of it6 ,and do  
not think this horrible history is of   
rare occurrence4 ,no6 it takes place in 
every case of mortal sin4 ,look at that 
young man4 ,see1 his air and bearing    
show you that he knows something of the 
world1 and that life has no secrets for 
him4 ,still there was once a time when  
that young man was innocent4 ,he was a  
good ,catholic child1 his soul glistened
 with the brightness of baptismal grace4

 ,god looked down from heaven and smiled
 with pleasure2 his guardian angel      
followed him in watchfulness indeed1 but
 with joy and hope4 ,he had his little  
trials1 but what was it all--what was   
poverty or sickness or disappointment8  
,was he not a ,christian8 ,was he not a 
friend of ,god1 was not his soul        
beautiful in ,god's sight8 ,such he was2
 but a day came1 a dark and dreadful    
day1 when a voice1 a seducing voice1    
spoke in the paradise of that heart3    
,rejoice1 therefore1 ,o young man1 in   
thy youth1 and let thy heart cheer thee 
in the days of thy youth1 and walk in   
the ways of thy heart1 and in the sight 
of thine eyes4 ,footnote #ai            
,footnote #ai3 ,eccles4 xi4 #i4  ,he    
listened to that voice and he fell3 he  
was a changed being1 he had committed   
his first mortal sin4 ,oh6 if he could  
have seen the angry frown of ,god1 the  
sad and downcast look of his guardian   
angel4 ,oh6 if he could have heard the  
shriek of triumph that came up from the 

devils in hell4 ,thou art also wounded  
as well as we1 thou art become like unto
 us4 ,thy pride is brought down to hell4
 ,thy carcass is fallen down4 ,footnote 
#bj      ,footnote #bj3 ,isai4 xiv4 #aj1
 #aa4  ,but he hears nothing1 he sees   
nothing1 his brain is on fire1 his heart
 is burned by passion4 ,the world opens 
to him her brilliant pleasures1 and he  
is perverted4 ,his tastes and thoughts  
are all corrupted4 ,he does not like the
 sacraments any more1 or ,mass or       
prayer2 his delight is in haunts of     
dissipation1 in drinking and debauchery4
 ,he commits every mortal sin1 and each 
deepens the stains of his soul and      
increases his misery4 ,perhaps here and 
there1 for a while1 he comes to         
confession1 but he falls back4 #bcf ,he 
neglects his church1 begins to curse and
 blaspheme holy things1 and then he is a
 wretched being1 astray from ,god1 with 
,god's curse upon him1 the slave of the 
devil1 the heir of hell1 fair indeed    
without2 but look within--full of       

rottenness and uncleanness4 ,oh1 weep   
for him--,weep not for the dead1 says   
,holy ,scripture1 lament for him that   
goeth away1 for he shall not return     
again4 ,footnote #ba      ,footnote #ba3
 ,jer4 xxii4 #aj4  ,weep for that young 
man who has wandered away from his ,god4
 ,weep for that young woman who has     
stained her soul with mortal sin4 ,weep 
for that old man who has let years go by
 in sin1 and whose sins are counted by  
the thousand4 ,weep not for your child  
who leaves you to go to a distant land1 
but weep for him who is on his way to   
the land of eternal night1 where        
everlasting horror inhabiteth4 ,weep for
 him who is on his way to hell4 ,is it  
not a story to make one weep8 ,the ruin 
of a soul6 ,how is the gold become dim1 
the fairest color is changed1 the noble 
sons of ,sion1 and they that were       
clothed with the best of gold1 how are  
they esteemed as earthen vessels1 and   
the iniquity of the daughter of my      
people is made greater than the sin of  

,sodom4 ,footnote #bb      ,footnote    
#bb3 ,lam4 iv4 #a1 #b1 #f4  ,once you   
were innocent1 now you are guilty4 ,once
 you had a fair chance of heaven1 now   
heaven is closed to you4 ,once1 perhaps1
 you had rich merits laid up for heaven1
 you had gone through many trials1 you  
had borne many sufferings1 had achieved 
many labors of piety1 and for each of   
them the good ,god1 who never allows any
 good work to go unrewarded1 had added  
many a jewel to your crown2 but1 alas6  
that crown is broken1 those jewels      
scattered and crushed1 those merits     
lost4 ,and what has done this4 ,that    
mortal sin6 that rebellion against ,god1
 that sinful gratification1 that turning
 away from ,god and loss of grace which 
it brought with it4 ,ah6 my brethren1   
when ,i think of these things1 when ,i  
think that ,christians are falling into 
sin1 and1 for a very trifle and a       
nothing1 losing the favor of ,god1 ,i   
feel as if ,i wished all preachers      
should go out to the whole world and cry

 out3 ,know thou and see that it is an  
evil and a bitter thing for thee to have
 left the ,lord thy ,god4 ,i am not     
surprised that ,st4 ,ignatius said he   
would be willing to do all he did for   
the prevention of one mortal sin4  #bcg 
,but1 my brethren ,i have not as yet    
described the full effects of mortal    
sin4 ,it immediately makes us liable to 
the eternal punishment of hell4 ,that is
 what hell is made for4 ,it is the      
prison for mortal sin4 ,apostates from  
the faith1 drunkards1 murderers1        
adulterers1 the impure1 the dishonest1  
the profane1 the impious1 calumniators1 
and all sinners shall have their portion
 in the pool burning with fire and      
brimstone1 which is the second death4   
,the sentence of damnation is in the    
next life1 but damnation itself begins  
in this4 ,each one of us is a candidate 
for heaven or hell1 at this present     
moment4 ,hell is not something which is 
assigned to us arbitrarily4 ,we dig our 
own hell for ourselves4 ,when we first  

commit a mortal sin we open hell under  
our feet1 and every time we commit a    
fresh mortal sin we deepen that hell4   
,it may happen even that the sentence is
 passed in the same instant that we sin4
 ,many men die in the very act of sin4  
,the fallen angels1 themselves1 sank    
into hell the very instant they         
committed mortal sin1 and the instant   
they committed the first mortal sin4    
,you know1 my brethren1 that the angels 
were created very beautiful and         
powerful4 ,there were myriads and       
myriads of them4 ,they were as beautiful
 as ,gabriel or ,michael or ,raphael2   
and yet1 as soon as they committed one  
mortal sin1 notwithstanding their glory1
 their beauty1 their number1 their      
splendid intellects1 their power1 they  
were hurled from the thrones of heaven2 
not only defaced1 degraded1 and         
dishonored by the loss of sanctifying   
grace1 but condemned to hell1 chained in
 everlasting darkness1 waiting for the  
judgment of the great day4 ,if ,god     

dealt so with the angels1 surely there  
is nothing unjust in cutting off the    
days of a sinner in the very moment of  
sin4 #bch ,oh6 my brethren1 ,i will tell
 you what happens when one sins3 the    
devils come and claim this soul as their
 own3 this poor soul becomes the slave  
of the devil1 the heir of hell and of   
damnation4 ,it is not for nothing1 then1
 that conscience makes such a terrible  
alarm in the soul when we commit a      
mortal sin4 ,tell me1 did you not at the
 moment you sinned hear a stern voice   
speaking in the depths of your heart8   
,tell me1 ,o my brethren1 did you not1  
when you were deeply plunged in sinful  
enjoyment1 feel a dreadful pang at your 
heart8 ,tell me1 now that you stand in  
,god's holy presence1 tell me now1 is   
there not something within you that     
tells you1 you are ruined8 ,what is     
that8 ,ah6 that is the beginning of the 
remorse of the damned4 ,that is the     
sting of the worm that shall never die4 
,that is the shadow of thine eternal    

doom in thy soul4 ,it tells thee that   
thou art the child of the devil2 it     
tells thee that thou hast lost ,god1 and
 that thou art not fit for heaven1 but  
art an heir of hell4 ,and it tells thee 
truly4 ,if this moment thou wert to die1
 like ,dives1 thou wouldst be buried in 
hell4 ,and why8 ,for a momentary        
gratification of appetite8 ,is that what
 you will be punished for8 ,no2 but     
because1 for a momentary gratification  
of appetite1 thou hast forsaken the     
,lord thy ,god1 broken ,his law1 lost   
,his grace4 ,thou hast made thy choice4 
,thou hast chosen sin and not ,god1 and 
death overtakes thee before thou hast   
returned to ,god by penance1 and thou   
art lost2 lost on account of thy sin1   
lost forever on account of thy sin4 ,go 
down to the chambers of hell1 ask       
,dives1 ask ,judas1 ask the fallen      
angels1 ask each one who in that dark   
abode drags out a long eternity2 ask    
them what it is that brought them there1
 and they will tell you1 mortal sin4 ,it

 is mortal sin that kindles that flame1 
that feeds that fire1 that makes them   
burn unceasingly1 and forever4 ,oh then1
 tell me6 if you will not listen to     
reason1 to ,god1 to the angels2 will you
 not listen to your companions lost8    
#bci ,hearken to them as from their dark
 prison they cry out1 ,it is an evil and
 a bitter thing to have left the ,lord  
thy ,god4  ,such1 my brethren1 is mortal
 sin4 ,such is one mortal sin4 ,it does 
not require many mortal sins to lose    
,god's grace or incur damnation4 ,one is
 enough--one final deliberate rebellion 
against ,god and his holy law4  99 99 99
    7,peroration1 according to the      
circumstances47   -----------------     
,sermon ,,iii4      ,the ,particular    
,judgment4     7,mission ,sermon47      
,it is a dreadful thing   to fall into  
the hands of the living ,god4   --,heb4 
x4 #ca4   ,there is a moment1 my        
brethren1 in the history of each        
immortal soul1 which1 of all others that
 precede or follow it1 is the fullest of

 experience3 the moment after death4    
,the moment of death is indeed the      
decisive moment of our history4 ,then   
the question is settled1 once for all1  
whether we are to be happy or miserable 
for all eternity2 but1 for the most     
part1 we do not know that decision4     
,many men die insensible4 ,by far the   
larges part of those ,i have seen die1  
have died insensible4 ,and even when the
 power of the mind remains to the last1 
it is extremely difficult to form any   
true conception of that state of things 
into which the soul is about to be      
ushered4 ,it is difficult to conceive   
aright beforehand of any thing to which 
we are unaccustomed4 ,did it ever happen
 to you to visit a strange country1 and 
to form anticipations of what it would  
seem like1 and did not the reality      
falsify all your anticipations8 ,well1  
how much more difficult to realize those
 things which the soul sees immediately 
after death1 and which are so much      
farther removed from our former         

experience6 #bdj ,according to ,catholic
 theology1 immediately after death1 the 
soul appears in the presence of ,jesus  
,christ to be judged--to receive an     
unalterable sentence to heaven or to    
hell4 ,if to hell1 no prayers can       
benefit it2 if to heaven1 it goes there 
immediately or not1 according to the    
degree of its goodness4 ,but it is      
judged unalterably to heaven or hell1   
the moment after death4 ,and ,catholic  
theologians teach that this judgment    
takes place in the very chamber of death
 itself4 ,there1 in that room1 while    
they are dressing the body for the      
grave1 closing the eyes1 bandaging the  
mouth1 arranging the limbs in order1    
that soul has already learned the       
secrets of the eternal world4 ,naked and
 alone1 it had stood before its ,judge1 
and heard its doom pronounced4 ,to      
everyone1 no doubt1 even to the most    
pious1 to those who have meditated on   
the truths of faith1 there will be      
something alarming in this moment2 but1 

oh6 what will it be to the sinful       
,catholic8 ,what will be the thoughts   
and feelings of that large class of     
,catholics1 now careless about their    
salvation1 who are obeying every impulse
 of passion1 and breaking every         
commandment of ,god8 ,this1 indeed1 is a
 difficult question to answer4 ,there is
 but little in this world that can help 
us to portray the emotions of the lost  
,catholic1 the moment after death2 but  
,i will not on this account desist from 
attempting to describe it4 ,i will      
consider your advantage rather than my  
own satisfaction1 and though ,i feel    
deeply that ,i shall not be able to     
describe the scene ,i undertake in      
anything like the colors of truth1 ,i   
will undertake to do what ,i can4       
,first1 then1 following the soul beyond 
the limits of this world1 ,i see her    
overwhelmed with a conviction of the    
reality and truth of the objects of her 
faith4 ,now1 in saying that this soul   
obtains a conviction of the truths of   

faith1 ,i do not mean to suppose the    
case of one who has been a sceptic in   
this world4 ,the truth is1 faith is so  
strong a principle in the heart of a    
,catholic1 that it is exceedingly       
difficult to put it out or shake it4    
#bda ,and although it sometimes happens 
that a ,catholic2 from reading bad      
books1 or frequenting the society of    
those who blaspheme his religion1 or    
from becoming acquainted suddenly with  
some of the difficulties which science  
seems to present to faith1 and not      
knowing the answer to them1 or from the 
petty pride of seeming wiser than his   
neighbors1 and making objections which  
unlearned ,catholics cannot answer1 may 
use the language of a sceptic2 yet such 
cases are very rare1 and the scepticism 
is not very deep4 ,a little guidance    
from one who knows better1 and a little 
humility on the part of such an         
objector1 will set all right4 ,but there
 is a kind of infidelity not so easily  
cured1 and far more common among        

,catholics--a practical infidelity1 an  
insensibility and indifference to the   
truths of faith4 ,the truths of         
faith--,i mean1 heaven and hell1 ,god   
and the soul--are not seen by the       
eye--it requires reflection to realize  
them2 but the world1 and the objects    
which it presents1 are visible and      
tangible4 ,the former are lost sight of1
 while the latter absorb all our        
thoughts4 ,the body clamors for         
necessities and pleasures1 and the soul1
 and things of eternity1 are simply     
forgotten4 ,it is almost the same to    
many men as if there were no ,god1 no   
eternity1 no heaven1 or no hell4        
,really1 one hardly sees in what the    
lives of many ,catholics would differ   
from what they are now if there were no 
,god1 no heaven or hell4 ,i do not mean 
to say that they have no faith at all1  
for even the heathens have some faith2  
or that they never think of ,god1 for   
then they would be brutes2 but that     
these things have no real hold on their 

minds or influence over their hearts4   
,they never reflect4 ,they stay away    
from the sacraments4 ,they do not listen
 to sermons4 ,they have no correct idea 
at all of the advantage they enjoy in   
being ,catholics2 in a word1 they break 
the commandments of ,god on the         
slightest temptation1 are children of   
this world and immersed in its cares and
 enjoyments4 ,now1 one of these men     
meets with a sudden death4 #bdb ,he goes
 out in the morning--perhaps he is a    
mechanic--and he falls from a height4   
,he is taken up and put in a litter     
hastily made1 and carried home4 ,it is  
apparent that life is ebbing fast4 ,in a
 few minutes he becomes speechless4 ,he 
has lost his sight4 ,ah6 does he breathe
 at all8 ,it is hard to say4 ,the doctor
 comes in great haste4 ,he feels his    
pulse1 looks at him1 and says1 ,it is   
all over4 ,he has received an injury in 
a vital part4 ,he is dead4 ,yes1 he is  
dead4 ,this morning he was alive and    
well1 he was making his plans1 he was   

talking of the weather--now he is dead4 
,all his old thoughts and experience are
 all rolled back by a new set of things 
that are forcing themselves on his      
vision4 ,he is dead4 ,he died suddenly2 
but not without warning4 ,others have   
died in his home before--he is not      
young4 ,he has seen wife and children   
die4 ,it made him weep for a while2 but 
he forgot it1 and now his turn is       
come--he is dead4 ,i will not stop to   
notice the grief of the friends he      
leaves behind4 ,no2 ,i will follow his  
soul1 as it enters eternity4 ,the voice 
of his friends dies on his ear--he      
begins to hear other voices4 ,as he     
ceases to see the people in his room he 
begins to see other objects4 ,who is    
that1 that is standing at the foot of   
his bed8 ,a neighbor was standing there 
but just now2 but this is another form1 
a form beautiful1 indeed1 but majestic  
and terrible4 ,no2 it is not anyone he  
has ever seen before1 and yet1 he ought 
to know that face4 ,he has seen it      

before2 it is the face his mother looked
 on as she was dying-the face he had    
often seen in ,catholic churches4 ,yes1 
it is ,jesus ,christ4 ,he knows it2 it  
is the same1 and yet1 how different6    
,when he saw that face in pictures1 it  
was crowned with thorns2 now it is      
crowned with a diadem of matchless      
glory4 ,when he saw that form in the    
church1 it was naked1 and hanging on the
 ,cross2 now it is clothed with garments
 of regal magnificence4 ,yes1 it is     
,jesus ,christ6 and ,he is looking upon 
him with eyes of fire4 ,he turns to     
escape those eyes1 and he sees there are
 other figures in the scene4 #bdc ,there
 are two figures--one at the right hand1
 and one at the left4 ,who are they8 ,he
 ought to know them1 for they know more 
of him than anyone else--they have been 
his companions for life4 ,one is very   
beautiful--a being with golden locks and
 cloud-like wings--that is his angel    
guardian2 he looks sad now1 for he has  
nothing good to say4 ,and the other is  

the black and hideous demon of hell1    
that crouches at his side1 full of hate 
and malice1 and triumph1 too1 for he has
 dogged the steps of this poor sinner   
from youth to age1 and now the time has 
come for him to seize his prey4 ,and    
now1 as the sinner looks from one to    
another1 the meaning of it an breaks    
upon him4 ,conviction flashes upon his  
mind4 ,he may not have been an infidel  
before2 but putting his past feelings by
 the side of his present experience1 it 
seems almost as if he had been4 ,did it 
ever happen to you to be talking quite  
unconcernedly1 and all at once to find  
that others were listening1 before whom 
for worlds you would not have used such 
unreserve4 ,well1 to compare small      
things with great1 something like this  
will be the feeling of the sinner when  
the curtain of time draws up1 and shows 
him the realities of eternity4 ,the     
whole tide of his past thoughts and     
feelings will be arrested1 and1 with a  
great check1 rolled back before the new 

set of experiences and sights that rush 
in on him4 ,oh6 he will say1 what is    
this that ,i see and hear8 ,has ,jesus  
,christ always been so near me8 ,have my
 guardian angel and the demon that has  
tempted me been always in this very     
room8 ,ah1 yes6 it is even so4 ,i have  
been living in a dream all my life1 and 
pursuing shadows4 ,it is true1 as ,i    
learned in the catechism1 and as the    
,church taught me1 ,i was not made for  
the world or for sin1 but for ,god4 ,i  
had a soul1 and the end of my being was 
to love and serve my ,maker4 ,he has    
been watching me all my days1 and ,i    
have thought little of ,him4 ,i heard of
 judgment1 but ,i did not give heed to  
it1 or ,i placed it far off in the      
future2 but now it is here at the door4 
,there is my ,saviour1 there my angel   
guardian1 there the demon4 #bdd ,once ,i
 heard of these things1 now ,i see them 
with my eyes4 ,yes1 it is all true4 ,the
 world did not seem to believe it1 the  
world forgot it2 but the world was      

wrong4 ,the poor and the simple were    
right1 after all1 and the wise ones     
taken in their own craftiness4 ,yes1    
,christianity is true1 ,catholicity is  
true2 ,i cannot doubt it1 if ,i would1  
for there it stares me in the face6 ,o1 
overwhelming conviction6 ,you have heard
 of the answer of a self-denying old    
monk to a wild1 licentious youth1 who   
reproached him with his folly in living 
so severe a life for the sake of a      
hereafter he had never seen4 ,father1   
said the youth1 how much wiser ,i am    
than you1 if there be no hereafter6     
,yes1 my son1 replied the aged man1 but 
how much more foolish1 if there be6 ,o  
fearful discovery1 to come on one for   
the first time1 with a strong and deep  
impression1 at the very threshold of    
eternity6 ,o miserable man6 why did you 
not think of these things before8 ,why  
did you rush into the presence of your  
,maker without forethought8 ,now1 for   
the first time1 to think seriously1 when
 there is no longer freedom in thought1 

or merit in faith4 ,o1 the folly and the
 misery6  ,but ,i must pass on1 for     
these are but the beginning of sorrows4 
,the conviction1 then1 that the soul    
acquires in the first moment of her     
experience in the other world is        
accompanied by a mortal terror4 ,why is 
,jesus ,christ there8 ,why are the angel
 and the demon there8 ,ah6 he knows     
well4 ,it is to try him4 ,yes1 he is to 
be tried1 and to be tried by an unerring
 judge--by ,jesus ,christ4 ,to be tried2
 and that is something he is not used   
to4 ,he never tried himself4 ,he never  
examined his conscience4 ,he was afraid 
to do it1 and if sometimes the thought  
of a hereafter intruded itself into his 
mind1 he banished it1 and thought he    
would escape somehow or other4 ,perhaps 
he built on the very name of ,catholic1 
or on the sacraments1 as if they        
possessed a magical power1 and would    
change him at once1 in the hour of      
death1 from a sinner to a saint4 #bde   
,perhaps he thought that ,god would     

strike a balance between the good and   
the evil that was in him1 and pardon him
 for being as wicked as he was because  
he was no worse4 ,perhaps he built      
simply on the mercy of ,god4 ,so far as 
he thought at all1 he built his hopes on
 some such foundation as this4 ,he did  
not know how1 but he thought somehow he 
would get off4 ,it is the old story4    
,almighty ,god said to ,eve3 ,in the day
 thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely  
die4 ,and ,eve said to the serpent3 ,we 
may not eat it1 lest we die4 ,and the   
serpent said3 ,ye shall not surely die4 
,so it is2 man's self-love reasons1 and 
the devil denies4 ,but the time has come
 when the deceits of sin and the devil  
are discovered4 ,the sinner is to be    
tried4 ,he stands as a culprit to be    
judged4 ,and by what law is he to be    
tried8 ,by the ten commandments1 of     
which he has heard so often1 and which  
he has neglected so completely4 ,god    
says3 ,thou shalt not break ,my         
commandments1 and in the day thou       

breakest them thou shalt surely die4    
,god had said3 ,thou shalt not commit   
adultery4 ,he had committed it4 ,god had
 said3 ,thou shalt not steal2 and he had
 stolen4 ,god had said3 ,thou shalt keep
 holy the ,sabbath day4 ,he had broken  
the ,sunday and neglected the ,sunday's 
,mass4 ,god had said3 ,thou shalt do no 
murder2 and he had murdered his own soul
 by drunkenness4 ,he had grown bold in  
sin1 and thought that ,god had hidden   
away his face1 and would never see it4  
,and now he is brought to trial4 ,there 
is no hope that his transgressions      
against the commandments can be hidden4 
,the demon is there as his accuser4  ,i 
claim this soul as mine4 ,look at it2   
see if it does not belong to me8 ,does  
it not look like me8 ,wilt thou take a  
soul like that and place it in thy      
paradise8 ,at these words the sinner    
looks down upon himself and sees his own
 soul4 ,he has never seen it before4    
,oh1 what a sight6 ,as a man is         
horror-struck the first time he sees his

 blotched and bloated face after an     
attack of small-pox1 so is he           
horror-struck at the sight of his own   
soul4 #bdf ,oh1 how horribly ugly and   
defiled it is6 ,what are those stains   
upon his soul ,ah6 they are the stains  
of sin4 ,each one has left its separate 
mark2 and to look at that soul you might
 see its history4 ,there is the gangrene
 of lust1 and the spot of anger1 and the
 tumor of pride1 and the scale of       
avarice4 ,ah6 how hideous it is1 and how
 horrible to think how it is changed1   
for it was once like that beautiful     
angel that stands by its side1 all      
radiant with light and beauty4 ,it has  
no resemblance now4 ,the words of the   
demon are true2 it resembles him4 ,but  
the accuser goes on3 ,i claim this body 
as mine4 ,he turns to the body1 as it   
lies in the bed3 ,i claim those eyes as 
mine1 by the title of all the lascivious
 looks they have given4 ,i claim those  
hands as mine1 by the title of all the  
robberies and acts of violence they have

 committed4 ,i claim those feet as mine1
 because they were swift to carry him to
 the place of forbidden pleasures1 and  
slow to go to the house of ,god4 ,i     
claim these ears as mine1 by the title  
of all the detraction they have drunk in
 so greedily4 ,i claim this mouth as    
mine1 by the title of all the           
blasphemies and impurities it has       
uttered4 ,see1 says he1 this body is    
mine2 it bears my mark2 and as he speaks
 he points to a scar in the forehead1   
the remnant of a wound received in a    
drunken affray in a house of ill-fame4  
,surely he has said enough2 but he is   
not accustomed to be believed4 ,he has  
now spoken the truth indeed1 because    
truth serves his purpose better than    
falsehood would have done4 ,but he knows
 he is a liar1 and therefore needs      
confirmation2 so he goes on3 ,i have    
witnesses1 if you want them4 ,shall ,i  
bring them up8 ,jesus ,christ gives his 
permission4 ,and now see1 at his word1 a
 band of lost spirits come up from hell4

 ,oh6 how pale and haggard they look1   
and how they glare on the sinner as they
 fix on him a look of recognition4 ,who 
is that who speaks to him first1 and    
holds out her long withered fingers to  
him1 and says1 with a horrid laugh3 ,i  
think you know me4 #bdg ,oh6 that is the
 poor girl he seduced4 ,she says3 ,i    
followed thee to ruin2 it is fitting    
thou shouldst follow me to hell4 ,but   
there is another woman4 ,who is that8   
,that is his poor wife2 his poor wife1  
who had to put up with all the cruelties
 and violence he practised in his       
beastly drunkenness2 who was led by want
 to steal1 and by despair to            
drunkenness4 ,she looks upon him with a 
blood-shot eye4 ,my husband1 she says3  
thou wert my tormentor in time2 ,i will 
be thy tormentor in eternity4 ,but who  
are those young people1 that young man  
and young woman8 ,oh1 they are his      
eldest children1 his boy and girl1 of   
whom he took no care2 who1 finding      
nothing but a hell at home1 went        

out--the one to the tavern and the      
gaming-room1 the other to the ball and  
the dance and the lonely place of       
assignation1 and1 after a short career  
of dissipation1 were both cut off in    
their sin4 ,they meet him1 and now they 
say3 ,father1 thou didst pave the way of
 perdition for us1 and now we will cling
 to thee1 and drag thee deeper1 who art 
at once the author of our life and of   
our destruction4 ,ah6 has not the demon 
made out his case8 ,can there be hope   
for one like that8 ,are you not ready to
 condemn him yourselves to hell8 ,but   
wait--perhaps he did good penance4 ,and 
the ,judge1 turning to the angel        
guardian says3 ,my good and faithful    
servant1 what has thou to say in behalf 
of this soul1 which was committed to thy
 especial care8 ,the angel looks down   
upon the ground and sighs1 and answers1 
,most just and holy ,sovereign1 alas6 ,i
 have nothing to say that can set aside 
the accusation ,thou hast beard4 ,all ,i
 can do is to vindicate ,thy justice and

 my fidelity4 ,i have given to the man  
all the graces ,thou hast prepared for  
him4 ,he was a ,catholic4 ,he had the   
sacraments4 ,he had warnings4 ,he had   
faith4 ,he had many special graces4 ,he 
had the mission2 and ,i myself often    
spoke to him in his heart1 calling him  
to do penance1 but he never did do      
penance4 ,he was careless in attendance 
at ,mass4 #bdh ,he was seldom at the    
confessional1 and when he did come he   
made his confession without a sincere   
purpose of amendment1 and soon relapsed 
into his former sins1 and at last he    
died without penance4 ,therefore there  
is nothing left for me but to resign my 
charge and to return the crown--here the
 angel takes up a beautiful crown--to   
return the crown which ,thou hadst made 
for him1 that ,thou mayst place it on   
another brow4 ,dost ,thou not hear1 the 
demon once more cries out               
impatiently--,dost thou not hear what   
the angel says8 ,yes1 this man is mine1 
has always been mine4 ,i did not create 

him1 and yet he always served me4 ,thou 
didst create him1 and yet he has refused
 to obey ,thee4 ,i never died for him1  
yet he has been my willing slave4 ,thou 
didst die for him1 and yet he has       
blasphemed ,thy name1 broken ,thy laws  
and despised ,thy promises4 ,thou didst 
allure him by kindness1 but wert not    
able to win his affection4 ,i led him to
 hell1 and found him willing to follow4 
,o ,jesus1 thou ,son of the living ,god1
 if ,thou dost not give me this soul1   
there is neither truth in ,thy word nor 
justice in ,thy awards4 ,the demon      
speaks boldly1 but ,jesus ,christ       
suffers him to speak so1 because he     
speaks truly2 and oh1 with what terror  
does the poor sinner hear that truth6   
,but terror is not the only feeling that
 is to fill his heart4 ,despair is to   
come in1 to make his misery complete4   
,he begins to cry for mercy4 ,o ,god1   
mercy6 have mercy1 ,o ,jesus ,christ6   
,do not let me perish whom ,thou hast   
redeemed4 ,i have had the faith2 oh1 do 

not let me come to perdition6 ,only one 
quarter of an hour to do penance6 ,can  
,jesus ,christ resist such an appeal8   
,no1 my brethren1 if there were a real  
disposition to do penance in the heart4 
,i will undertake to say that if the    
devils of hell were willing to do       
penance1 ,god would forgive them4 ,but  
there is no penance in the other world4 
,there is only the desire to escape     
punishment1 not the desire to escape    
sin2 and being out of the order of the  
present providence of ,god1 which leaves
 the will free1 there is no real        
conversion there4 #bdi ,therefore ,jesus
 ,christ answers3 ,o wicked man1 thy    
deeds condemn thee4 ,thou callest for   
mercy1 but it is too late4 ,the time for
 mercy is over6 ,mercy6 thou hast shown 
no mercy to thyself1 to thy wife or     
children4 ,mercy6 ,i have shown thee    
mercy all the days of thy life4 ,i sent 
thee my preachers1 and thou didst refuse
 to listen4 ,there is no mercy now but  
justice--and therefore ,i pronounce the 

everlasting sentence4 ,i consign this   
man's soul to hell1 and his body to the 
resurrection of damnation4 ,did you hear
 that howl8 ,that was the devil's howl  
of triumph4 ,jesus ,christ is gone4 ,the
 angel is gone2 and the devil goes to   
the body4 ,they have not done washing   
it4 ,he begins to wash too4 ,what is he 
doing4 ,he is washing the forehead2 for 
on that forehead1 the mark of ,christ1  
the holy cross1 was placed in baptism1  
and he is washing it out1 and with a    
brand from hell he places there his own 
signet--the signet of perdition4 ,and   
now the soul1 feeling the full extent of
 her misery1 cries out3 ,i am damned4 ,i
 am damned6 no hope more2 not even      
,purgatory4 ,oh1 ,i never thought it    
would come to this2 ,i did but do as the
 others4 ,i was no worse than my        
companions1 and now ,i am lost4 ,i that 
was a ,catholic1 ,i that had always a   
good name1 and was liked by my friends4 
,and oh1 are the judgments of ,god so   
strict8 ,what will become of my         

companions whom ,i left on the earth1   
wild and reckless like my self8 ,will   
they too follow me to this place of     
torment6 ,oh1 why did not the priest    
speak of this8 ,alas6 he did1 but ,i    
would not hear4 ,alas1 alas1 it is too  
late now6 ,shall ,i never see ,jesus    
,christ again8 ,must ,i forever despair8
 ,and a voice rises from the walls of   
eternity with ten thousand              
reverberations3 ,despair4 ,can there be 
any thing more dreadful still8 ,yes1 the
 sinner's cup has one more ingredient of
 bitterness--remorse4 ,you know what a  
comfort it is to be able to say1 ,it was
 not my fault1 ,i did what ,i could4    
,but the sinner will not have that      
comfort4 ,on the contrary1 he will say1 
,i might have been saved4 ,it is all    
true which the angel said4 #bej ,i was a
 ,catholic1 and had the means of        
salvation4 ,i might have been saved1    
saved easily1 more easily than ,i was   
lost4 ,i was never happy2 sin never made
 me happy4 ,i sinned1 and gained for    

myself misery even in the other world4  
,fool that ,i was1 ,i might have done   
penance1 and been happier after it1 in  
time and in eternity4 ,how little ,god  
asked of me6 ,i had the mission1 if ,i  
had but made it well4 ,oh1 what trouble 
,i took to be damned1 and how little was
 required of me to be saved6 ,yesterday1
 ,god was ready2 the sacraments were at 
hand1 the church door open1 the priest  
was awaiting me2 but now all is closed4 
,oh1 if ,i had them now6 ,but his       
complaints are silenced4 ,an iron grasp 
is on his throat4 ,the demon has his    
black hand on his throat and chokes him2
 then he puts his horrid arms around    
him1 and hugs him as the anaconda hugs  
her victims4 ,he carries him swiftly    
through the air3 down1 down they        
go--until at last they reach the gates  
of hell4 ,they creak upon their hinges1 
they open1 the demon enters with his    
prey1 and casts it on the bed of flames 
prepared for it4 ,then a yell is heard  
throughout those dismal regions3 ,one   

more ,catholic vocation thrown away1 one
 more soul lost1 one more devil in hell4
  ,come1 let us go back to that room    
where the corpse is laid out4 ,they have
 just finished preparing it for the     
grave1 and all that we have described   
has been taking place in that very room 
too1 and they have not known it4 ,they  
have smoothed the body and laid a white 
cloth over it2 and they say1 how natural
 it looks4 ,it wears the smile they     
remember it used to wear in youth1 and  
that poor soul they are talking of is   
damned4 ,jesus ,christ has been there1  
and adjudged it to hell4 ,and this is   
going on every day4 ,wherever death     
takes a man1 there judgment meets him4  
,jesus ,christ meets men in all kinds of
 places4 #bea ,you know how death met   
,baltassar4 ,he was a drunkard1 an      
adulterer1 a sacrilegious robber2 and   
one night1 when he was drunk1 and held a
 grand feast1 surrounded by his         
concubines1 and with the vessels of     
,god's house on his table1 a hand       

appeared on the wall and wrote this     
sentence3 ,mene1 ,mene1 ,thecel1        
,phares2 and that night he died4 ,yes6  
in the midst of their sin2 in the place 
where they go1 ,jesus ,christ meets the 
soul1 and condemns it to hell4 ,he meets
 it in the grogshop1 where wild         
companions are gathered together1 and   
one of them falls to the ground1 under  
the blow of a companion1 and dies4      
,there upon that spot1 with those bad   
companions standing around1 with the    
sound of blasphemy in his ear1 ,jesus   
,christ1 unseen1 meets that soul and    
condemns it to hell4 ,another is shot in
 the street1 on his way to keep an      
assignation1 and then and there1 in the 
street1 ,jesus ,christ meets him and    
condemns him to hell4 ,one dies in the  
low hovel1 where squalid vice and misery
 have done all they could to brutalise  
the inmates1 and then and there ,jesus  
,christ1 in that hovel1 meets the soul  
and condemns it to hell4 ,another dies  
in a bed covered with silken tapestry1  

and as he dies he sees the face of      
,jesus ,christ looking in through the   
silken curtains to pronounce the        
sentence against him1 who had made a god
 of this world4 ,another dies in prison1
 and there in that cell where human     
justice placed him1 divine justice meets
 him1 and in that prison ,jesus ,christ 
meets him and condemns him to hell4     
,yes1 wherever death meets you1 ,o      
sinner1 there ,jesus ,christ will meet  
you1 and there he will condemn you4 ,it 
may be tomorrow4 ,it may be in the very 
act of the commission of sin4 ,it may be
 without any opportunity of preparation1
 you will stand before an inflexible and
 unerring ,judge4 ,oh1 then1 do not     
delay now to propitiate ,him while you  
can4 ,in that tribunal after death1     
there is no mercy for the sinner2 but   
there is another tribunal1 which ,he has
 established1 where there is mercy--the 
tribunal of penance4 ,there the accuser 
is not the demon1 but the sinner        
himself2 and he is not only his own     

accuser1 but his own witness against    
himself4 ,there the angel guardian waits
 with joy1 not with sorrow4 ,there      
,jesus ,christ is present1 but not in   
wrath4 #beb ,there the sentence is1 ,i  
absolve thee from thy sin1 not ,i       
condemn thee for thy sin4 ,oh1 then1    
appeal from one tribunal to the other4  
,appeal from ,jesus ,christ to ,jesus   
,christ4 ,appeal from ,jesus ,christ at 
the day of judgment to ,jesus ,christ in
 the confessional4 ,and if thou wouldst 
not be condemned by ,him when thou seest
 ,him after death1 be sure thou gettest 
a favorable sentence from ,him now in   
the ,sacrament of ,penance4 ,make an    
agreement with thy adversary quickly1   
whilst thou art in the way with him3    
lest perhaps the adversary deliver thee 
to the judge1 and the judge deliver thee
 to the officer1 and thou be cast into  
prison4 ,amen4 ,i say to thee1 thou     
shalt not go out from thence till thou  
pay the last farthing4 ,footnote #bc    
,footnote #bc3 ,st4 ,matt4 v4 #be4      

---------------------------      ,sermon
 ,,iv4      ,heaven4      7,mission     
,sermon47      ,rejoice and be exceeding
 glad1    because your reward is very   
great in heaven4    --,st3 ,matt4 v4    
#ab4   ,some of you may remember the joy
 with which1 after a sea voyage1 you    
arrived at home4 ,the voyage had been   
very long and wearisome4 ,you had       
suffered1 perhaps had been in danger4   
,at last you heard the sailors cry      
,land2 and after a while1 your less     
practised eye began to discern the blue 
hills of your native country4 ,oh1 how  
that sight revived you6 ,how your       
sufferings and dangers were all         
forgotten in the thought of the welcome 
that awaited you at home6 #bec ,well1   
life is a voyage on the ocean of time2  
often a tempestuous1 always a dangerous 
voyage2 and in order to animate our     
courage1 to cheer and console us1 ,god  
has allowed us from time to time to     
catch a glimpse by faith of our distant 
home of heaven4 ,let us lift up our     

thoughts now to that happy land1 the    
land that is very far off1 the land that
 is wide and quiet2 the celestial       
paradise1 the home of the blessed1 the  
city of ,god4 ,i know that we cannot    
gain any sufficient idea of it4 ,i know 
that eye hath not seen its beauty1 ear  
hath not heard the story of it1 neither 
hath the heart of man conceived its     
image2 but we must do as men do with    
some costly jewel3 turn it first on one 
side1 then on another1 to catch its     
brilliancy2 and if at the last we fall  
down1 blinded and dazzled by the        
splendors which meet us1 we shall in    
this way at least conceive something of 
the greatness of those things which ,god
 has provided for those who love ,him4  
,the ,holy ,scripture represents the    
pleasures of heaven in three different  
lights3 first1 as ,rest2 second1 as     
,joy2 third1 as ,glory4 ,let us1 then1  
meditate upon them for a while1 under   
each one of these three aspects4        
,first1 then1 heaven is a place of rest1

 by which ,i understand the absence of  
all those things which disturb us here4 
,true1 there is happiness even in this  
life1 but how unsatisfactory1 how       
fleeting6 ,here we are never far off    
from wretchedness1 and never long       
without trouble4 ,you go into a great   
city3 how rich and gay every thing      
looks2 what crowds of well-dressed      
people pass you6 ,ah6 in the next street
 there is the dismal hovel where poverty
 hides its head1 and the children cry   
for bread1 and there is no one to break 
it to them4 ,you are strong and healthy1
 and it is a strange1 fierce joy for you
 on a cold day to struggle with the     
buffetings of the wintry blast2 but see1
 the rude wind that kindles a glow on   
your cheek steals away the bloom from   
yonder sick man1 whose feeble step and  
sharpened features tell of suffering and
 disease4 #bed ,you have a happy family1
 and when you go home your children     
clamber up on your knees1 and your wife 
meets you with a smile of affection4    

,alas6 next door1 the widow weeps the   
night long1 and there is none to comfort
 her1 for the young man1 the only son of
 his mother1 has been carried to his    
long home4 ,and as if this were not     
enough1 as if sickness and poverty and  
death did not cause misery enough in the
 world1 men's passions1 hate and envy1  
lust1 avarice1 and pride1 unite to make 
many a moment wretched that might else  
have been happy4 ,but in heaven these   
things shall be no more4 ,in heaven4    
there shall be complete and perfect     
rest4 ,the poor man will no more be     
forced to toil hardly and anxiously to  
put bread in his children's mouths--to  
rise up early1 and late take rest2 for  
there they shall not hunger nor thirst  
any more4 ,the sick man then shall leap 
as a hart2 he shall run and not be      
weary2 he shall walk and not faint4 ,the
 widow's tears shall be dried1 for      
husband and son shall be again restored 
to her4 ,oh1 what a day shall that be1  
when dear friends shall meet together1  

never to part again1 and ,god shall wipe
 all tears from their eyes1 and sorrow  
and sighing shall flee away2 when the   
bodies of the saints1 glorious and      
immortal1 no longer subject to decay or 
fatigue or death1 clothed in light1     
shall enter the gates of the celestial  
city1 and shall have a right to the tree
 of life6 ,and there shall be no sin    
there1 no gust of passion1 no reproach  
of conscience1 no sting of temptation4  
,in this life1 says ,st4 ,augustine1 we 
have the liberty of being able not to   
sin1 but in heaven we shall have the    
higher liberty of not being able to sin4
 ,brother shall not rise up against     
brother1 neither shall there be war any 
more1 for the former things are passed  
away4 ,there shall be no strife or      
hatred or envy2 no wrong or oppression2 
no unkindness or coldness2 no falsehood 
or insincerity2 but within a perfect    
peace1 and without an unalterable       
friendship between all the inhabitants  
of this happy land1 each rejoicing in   

the other's happiness and glory4 ,and   
there is no end to these joys of heaven4
 #bee ,here our best pleasures are      
alloyed by their transitoriness2 but    
there1 there is no fear for the future4 
,no wave disturbs the deep1 clear sea of
 crystal that lies before the throne of 
,god4 ,the angel has sworn that time    
shall be no longer1 and the great day of
 eternity has begun4 ,o heavenly        
,jerusalem6 ,o city of ,god6 which has  
no need of sun or moon to enlighten it1 
for there is no night there6 welcome    
haven of rest to the poor exiles of     
earth6 ,blessed are they that shall     
enter thy gates of pearl and tread thy  
streets of gold1 for thou art the       
perfection of beauty and the joy of the 
whole earth4 ,in thy secure recesses the
 wicked cease from troubling and the    
weary are at rest4 ,blessed are they    
that die in the ,lord1 for they rest    
from their labors4 ,they shall not hurt 
or destroy in all my holy mountain1     
saith the ,lord4 ,my people shall be all

 just2 they shall inherit the land      
forever1 the branch of my planting1 the 
work of my hands1 to glorify me4  ,but  
though it is easier to describe heaven  
as a place of rest1 that is not the     
whole description of it4 ,heaven is also
 a place of joy1 and of joy the most    
complete1 the most pure1 the most       
satisfying that the human heart can     
possess4 ,joy in seeing and loving ,god1
 or1 as it is called1 in the ,beatific  
,vision4 ,this it is in which consists  
essentially the ,christian idea of      
heaven4 ,i say the ,christian idea1 for 
our faith teaches us to look forward to 
a happiness very different from what we 
could have expected by nature4 ,of      
course natural reason teaches us to look
 forward to a future life1 but it       
promises no other knowledge of ,god but 
such as is possible to our own natural  
powers when fully developed4 ,but       
,christianity promises us a knowledge of
 ,god to which our natural powers1      
however enlarged1 could never aspire4   

,it teaches us that we shall see ,him as
 ,he is--not only think about ,him and  
commune with ,him and adore ,him1 but   
actually look upon ,his unveiled        
,divinity1 gaze upon ,him face to face4 
,it is not of our ,lord's glorified     
humanity that ,i speak4 #bef ,that1 too1
 we shall see1 and that will be a sight 
of unspeakable beauty and joy2 but we   
shall see more3 we shall look upon and  
into the ,divine ,essence4 ,now to our  
natural powers this is impossible4 ,a   
blind man can know a great deal about   
the sun4 ,he may hear it described1 he  
may reason about it1 he may feel its    
effects1 but he cannot lift up his eyes 
to heaven and see it4 ,so1 naturally    
speaking1 we have not the faculty       
whereby to see ,god4 ,no man hath seen  
,god at any time1 says ,st4 ,john4 ,whom
 no man hath seen1 or can see1 who      
inhabiteth the light inaccessible1 says 
,st4 ,paul4  ,footnote #bd              
,footnote #bd3 ,st4 ,john i4 #ah2 ,i4   
,tim4 vi4 #af4  ,clearly there must be  

some great change in us1 something given
 to us that does not belong to us as    
men1 in order to enable us to see ,god1 
and the ,holy ,scripture tells us what  
that change shall be3 ,we shall be like 
to ,him1 for we shall see ,him as ,he   
is1 says ,st4 ,john4 ,footnote #be      
,footnote #be3 ,i4 ,ep4 ,st4 ,john iii4 
#b4  ,we ourselves shall become divine  
and godlike4 ,the human intellect shall 
be marvellously strengthened by a gift  
which the ,church calls the light of    
glory1 which shall enable us to look    
upon ,god and live4 ,we are told in     
,scripture that ,god walked in the      
garden of ,eden and talked with ,adam   
and ,eve in the cool of the day4 ,this  
high companionship was broken by the    
fall4 ,man was reduced to the rank that 
essentially belonged to him1 and was    
deprived of that which had been accorded
 to him of grace4 ,but by baptism he    
acquires once more a right to that      
familiar intercourse with ,god1 and in  
heaven he enters upon its enjoyment4    

,for this reason heaven is called our   
fatherland4 ,it is our lost inheritance 
recovered4 ,there we ourselves shall be 
the sons of ,god1 and ,god will be our  
,father4 ,think what is the relation of 
an affectionate son to a good and wise  
father4 ,what submission with           
equality--what complete sympathy and    
community of interest--what intimate    
communication of thought and feeling6   
,so1 ,o ,christian soul6 shall it be    
between you and ,god4 ,god will be your 
,god1 and you will be ,his child4 #beg  
,thou shalt dwell in ,his home1 and all 
that ,he hath shall be thine4 ,all      
things are yours1 the world1 or life1 or
 death1 or things present1 or things to 
come2 for all are yours1 and you are    
,christ's1 and ,christ is ,god's4       
,footnote #bf      ,footnote #bf3 #a    
,cor4 iii #bc4  ,yes1 ,god himself shall
 be yours4 ,you shall look around you   
and see ,his towering altitudes1 and    
count them as your own4 ,you shall look 
deep down into the depths of ,his wisdom

 and be wise as ,god is4 ,you shall find
 yourself upborne by ,his power and     
goodness1 enveloped by ,his glory1 and  
adorned with ,his beauty4 ,oh6 my       
brethren1 is not this joy8 ,tell me1    
tell me1 young men1 tell me1 children1  
tell me truly1 one and all1 what have   
been the happiest moments of your life8 
,was it the moments you have spent in   
sin8 ,was it the hour of some earthly   
success or triumph8 ,or was it not      
rather at some hour when ,god was near  
to you1 and you felt the music of ,his  
voice and the perfume of ,his           
breath--some time when you were praying1
 or when you had made a good confession 
or communion1 or when you were listening
 to a sermon8 ,i know it was4 ,i know   
there are times when every man has felt 
the words of the ,psalmist3 ,what have  
,i in heaven8 and besides ,thee what do 
,i desire upon earth8 ,thou art the ,god
 of my heart1 and the ,god that is my   
portion forever4 ,footnote #bg          
,footnote #bg3 ,ps4 lxxxii4 #bf4  ,what 

are all the attainments of learned men  
to ,him who is all-wise8 ,what are all  
the conceptions of genius to ,him who is
 all-beautiful1 or the moral            
excellencies of good men to ,him who is 
all-holy8 ,yes1 the thought of ,god is  
the source of the purest and highest    
pleasure on earth4 ,that thought has    
ravished the saints with ecstasy1 and   
made the martyrs laugh at their         
torments4 ,and if merely to think about 
,god in this life can make us so happy1 
what must it be to see ,him in the life 
to come8 #beh ,to know ,god and to love 
,him1 to know ,him as we are known by   
,him1 to love ,him with our whole souls1
 to possess ,him without the fear of    
losing ,him1 to take part in ,his       
counsels1 to enter into ,his will1 and  
to share in ,his blessedness--this is a 
joy1 perfect and supreme2 and this is   
the joy of heaven4 ,this is the joy     
offered to you4 ,this is all-satisfying4
 ,the soul can desire nothing more4     
,this is permanent1 for heaven is       

eternal4 ,this is always new1 for ,god  
is riches and beauty inexhaustible and  
infinite4 ,oh1 my brethren1 do not envy 
those who were near our ,lord's person  
when ,he was upon earth4 ,i know it is  
natural to do so4 ,i know it is natural 
to say1 ,if ,i could but have seen ,his 
face1 or heard the sound of ,his voice2 
but no6 yours is a still happier lot4   
,do not envy ,magdalene1 who kissed ,his
 feet1 nor ,st4 ,john1 on whose breast  
,he leaned1 nor the ,blessed ,virgin1   
who bore ,him in her arms4 ,is it not   
permitted to the poorest and the weakest
 of you to see ,him1 not in ,his        
humility1 but in his glory--to converse 
with ,him and dwell with ,him in the    
land of the living8 ,oh6 blessed are    
they that dwell in ,thy house6 ,the     
world passeth away1 and the lust        
thereof1 but he that doeth the will of  
,god abideth forever4 ,blessed are they 
that hear the ,word of ,god and do it6  
,blessed are the pure in heart1 for they
 shall see ,god6 ,one would have thought

 that this was enough4 ,to be free from 
all the trials and sufferings of this   
present life1 and to enjoy the fullest  
happiness a human soul is capable       
of--one would think that were heaven    
enough1 and that no more could be added4
 ,but the bounty of ,god has added      
another element to the happiness of     
heaven4 ,heaven is a place of glory--not
 of rest only1 but of glory also4       
,glory1 honor and peace1 says the       
apostle1 to every man that doeth well4  
,heaven is the place of ,god's glory1   
and it is also the place of the glory of
 the saints4 ,even here the good are    
honored --the really good4 ,true1 for a 
while they may be despised and          
persecuted1 but1 in the long run1       
nothing is honored so much as virtue4   
#bei ,during the lifetime of ,nero and  
,st4 ,paul1 ,nero was a powerful        
emperor1 praised and flattered by his   
courtiers1 and ,st4 ,paul a friendless  
and despised prisoner2 now1 ,nero is    
abhorred as the wicked tyrant1 and ,st4 

,paul honored by all men as the saint   
and hero4 ,but this is not enough4 ,in  
heaven the honor of the saints will be  
magnificent4 ,god himself will honor    
them4 ,this is one reason for the last  
judgement1 that ,god may publicly give  
honor to the good4 ,whosoever shall     
glorify me1 him will ,i glorify1 says   
the ,almighty2 ,footnote #bh and they   
who are saved will be admitted to heaven
 with respect and solemnity1 as those   
whom the ,king delights to honor4       
,footnote #bh3 #a ,ki4 ii4 #cj4  ,this  
is represented to us in the description 
of the last judgment3 ,then shall ,he   
turn to them on the right hand and say3 
',come1 ye blessed of my ,father1       
possess the kingdom prepared for you    
from the foundation of the world4' ,see 
how ,he praises them4 ,see how ,he      
honors them and makes kings out of them4
 ,they are astonished3 it seems too     
much4 ,they know not how they have      
deserved it4 ,but ,he insists upon it as
 their right4 ,he repeats the good      

actions they have done4 ,i was hungry   
and ye gave me meat1 ,i was thirsty and 
ye gave me to drink4 ,i was naked and ye
 clothed me4 ,do you hear this1 my      
brethren8 ,so will it be with you when  
you stand before ,god to be judged4 ,he 
will hold in ,his hand a beautiful      
diadem of gold1 and he will say3 ,this  
is for thee4 ,and thou shalt be amazed  
and shalt say3 ,no1 ,lord1 this is not  
for me4 ,i am nothing but a laboring    
man4 ,i am but a poor boy4 ,i am only a 
servant-girl4 ,i am not the child of the
 rich and great4 ,no one ever made way  
for me in the street1 or rose up when ,i
 came into their company4 ,but ,christ  
shall say3 ,nay6 a prince thou art1 for 
thou hast done the deeds of a prince4   
#bfj ,then ,he will begin to mention    
them one by one--your kindness to your  
old mother and father--your humble      
confession that it was so difficult to  
make1 and which you made so well--the   
time you overcame that great temptation1
 and resolved1 once for all1 to be      

virtuous--the occasion of sin you       
renounced--the prayers you said in      
humility and sincerity--the sacrifices  
you made for your faith--the true faith 
you kept with your husband or wife--the 
patience you practised in pain or       
vexation4 ,then ,he will show you your  
throne in heaven1 so bright you will    
think it an apostle's1 or the ,blessed  
,virgin ,mary's1 or that it belongs to  
,god himself2 and then the tears of joy 
and surprise will drop from your eyes1  
and your heart will be nigh bursting    
with confusion2 but ,he will smile upon 
you1 and take you by the hand1 and say3 
,yes1 thou hast been faithful over a few
 things1 ,i will make thee ruler over   
many things4 ,then ,he will give thee a 
certain jurisdiction1 a certain power of
 intercession2 make thee an assessor in 
,his high court of heaven1 and make thee
 to sit on a throne with ,him1 judging  
the twelve tribes of ,israel4 ,and      
others shall honor thee4 ,the saints    
shall honor thee4 ,the ,blessed ,virgin 

shall honor thee4 ,now thou honorest    
her1 so much at a distance from thee1   
and callest her ,lady2 but then it shall
 be as it was when ,st4 ,john and the   
,blessed ,virgin dwelt together in one  
home4 ,thou shalt still honor her as the
 ,mother of ,jesus1 and she shall honor 
thee as ,his disciple4 ,st4 ,peter and  
,st4 ,john and ,st4 ,james and ,st4     
,andrew shall honor thee4 ,now thou     
makest thy litanies to them2 but then it
 will be as it was when ,peter and      
,thomas and ,nathanael and the sons of  
,zebedee were together1 and ,jesus came 
in the midst and dined with them4 ,the  
saints shall be one family with thee4   
,they will walk with thee1 and sit with 
thee1 and call thee by name1 and tell   
thee the secrets of ,paradise4 ,and the 
angels shall honor thee4 ,now thou      
addressest thy angel guardian on bended 
knee2 but then he will say to thee3 ,see
 thou do it not2 ,i am thy              
fellow-servant1 and of thy brethren1 who
 have the testimony of ,jesus4 ,and the 

,church on earth shall praise thee4 ,as 
long as time shall last1 she shall make 
mention of thee as one of those who     
rejoice with ,christ in ,his glorious   
kingdom1 and1 clothed in white1 follow  
the ,lamb whithersoever ,he goeth4 #bfa 
,yes1 and the wicked and the devils     
shall honor thee4 ,now they may affect  
to despise you--now they may persecute  
you and trouble you2 but then they will 
be forced to do you honor1 and1 groaning
 within themselves for anguish of       
spirit1 and amazed at the suddenness of 
your unexpected salvation1 shall say3   
,these are they whom we had sometime in 
derision1 and for a parable if reproach4
 ,we fools esteemed their life madness  
and their end without honor4 ,behold how
 they are numbered among the children of
 ,god1 and their lot is among the       
saints4 ,footnote #bi      ,footnote    
#bi3 ,wisd4 v4 #c1 #d1 #e4  ,such1 my   
brethren1 are the joys of heaven1 or1   
rather1 such is the faintest and poorest
 idea of the joys of heaven4 ,men seek  

for wealth as the means of defending    
themselves from the ills of life1 but   
there is perfect rest only in heaven4   
,men seek for pleasure1 but earthly joys
 are short and unsatisfactory2 the      
pleasures at ,god's right hand are for  
ever sure4 ,men seek for honor1 but the 
real honor comes from ,god alone4 ,and  
these are within the reach of each one  
of you4 ,when ,father ,thomas of ,jesus1
 was dying in captivity1 his friends    
came around his bedside1 and expressed  
their regret that he should die1 away   
from his home1 and their hope that the  
,king of ,spain would even yet ransom   
him2 but the holy man replied3 ,i have a
 better country than ,spain1 and the    
ransom has long been paid4 ,that country
 is heaven1 that ransom is the blood of 
,christ4 ,the ,holy ,church says3 ,when 
thou hadst overcome the sharpness of    
death1 thou didst open the kingdom of   
heaven to all believers4 ,yes6 by the   
blood of ,christ1 by the sacrament of   
baptism1 the gates of heaven are opened 

before us4 ,the path is straight and    
plain4 ,if by sin we have strayed from  
it1 by penance we have been recalled to 
it1 and now there is nothing to do but  
to advance and persevere1 and heaven is 
ours4 #bfb ,will you draw back1         
,christian8 ,will you1 by mortal sin1   
throw away that immortal crown8 ,no     
drunkard or adulterer1 nothing that is  
defiled1 can enter there4 ,there is only
 one road that leads to heaven--the road
 of ,christian obedience4 ,will you     
renounce your birthright8 ,will you1 by 
sin1 take the course that leads you away
 from your heavenly home8 ,oh6 ,i hear  
you say1 ,i will choose heaven4 ,but1   
remember1 heaven is to be won4 ,heaven1 
says ,st4 ,philip ,neri1 is not for the 
slothful and cowardly4 ,strive then1    
henceforth1 for the rewards that are at 
,god's right hand4 ,strive to attain    
abundant merits for eternity4 ,remember 
that he that soweth sparingly shall reap
 sparingly1 and he that soweth          
plentifully shall reap plentifully4 ,god

 is not unmindful of your works and     
labor that proceedeth from love4 ,things
 so small as not to be taken notice of1 
things that happen every day1 add a new 
glory to our mansions in heaven4 ,with  
this aim1 then1 let us henceforth work4 
,oh1 happy ,i1 says ,st4 ,augustine1 and
 thrice happy1 if1 after the dissolution
 of the body1 ,i shall merit to hear the
 songs that are sung in praise of the   
,eternal ,king1 by the inhabitants of   
the celestial city6 ,happy ,i1 if ,i    
myself shall merit to sing those        
strains1 and to stand before my ,lord   
and ,king1 and to see ,him in ,his      
glory1 as he promised6 ,he that loveth  
me shall be loved by my ,father1 and ,i 
will love him1 and will manifest myself 
to him4 ,how amiable are thy            
tabernacles1 ,thou ,lord of ,hosts6 ,my 
soul hath a desire and a longing to     
enter into the courts of the ,lord4     
,grant me this1 ,o ,lord4 ,give and     
withhold what ,thou wilt4 ,i do not ask 
length of days4 ,i do not ask for       

earthly honor and prosperity4 ,i do not 
ask to be free from care1 or labor1 or  
suffering4 ,but this ,i do ask1 ,o      
,lord3 when this life is over1 shut not 
up my soul in hell1 but let me look on  
,thy face in the land of the living4    
,make me so to pass through things      
temporal that ,i lose not the things    
eternal4 #bfc ,hail1 ,heavenly ,queen6  
our life1 our sweetness1 and our hope6  
to ,thee do we cry1 poor1 exiled        
children of ,eve4 ,oh1 then1 from ,thy  
throne in heaven1 lift upon us1 who are 
struggling in this world1 those merciful
 eyes of ,thine6 and when this our exile
 is over1 show us the blessed fruit of  
,thy womb1 ,,jesus6      ,note4--,this  
was the last ,sunday-,sermon which ,f4  
,baker preached1   two weeks before he  
was seized with his last illness4       
--------------------      ,sermon ,v4   
,the ,duty ,of ,growing ,in ,christian  
,knowledge4       7,first ,sunday in    
,advent47     ,the first man knew not   
wisdom perfectly1   no more shall the   

last find her out4   ,for her thoughts  
are vaster than the sea1   and her      
counsels deeper than the great ocean4   
--,eccles4 ,,xxiv4 #ch1 #ci4   ,i think 
we ,catholics1 when we lay claim to the 
possession of the whole truth--the      
entire revelation imparted to the world 
from ,christ through the                
apostles--sometimes forget how small a  
share of that truth each one of us      
possesses in particular4 ,it is the     
,church that the ,holy ,ghost leads into
 all truth1 not individuals4 ,each      
,catholic1 who is sufficiently          
instructed1 knows some truth2 he knows  
what is necessary to salvation2 but     
there are many things which he is       
totally ignorant of1 many things        
concerning which his conceptions are    
inadequate or distorted4 ,now if this be
 so1 it cannot but be useful to remember
 it1 and ,i will1 therefore1 this       
morning1 show you how it must be so1 and
 some of the consequences which flow    
from it4  #bfd  ,each one's knowledge of

 truth must be more or less partial and 
incomplete1 because it varies with each 
one's capacity for receiving truth4     
,when ,god gave man reason1 ,he         
conferred on him the faculty of         
receiving truth2 but the degree in which
 this or that man is capable of         
receiving truth1 depends upon the       
strength and cultivation of his         
particular reason4 ,the eye is the organ
 of sight1 but one man's eye is stronger
 and truer than another's4 ,slight      
variations of color or form1 wholly     
indistinguishable by one man1 are       
detected in a moment by another4 ,so1   
one man's reason is stronger than       
another's4 ,what makes the difference1  
is1 of course1 in part the diversity in 
natural endowments1 but it is not       
altogether due to this cause2 it is due 
in great measure also to cultivation4   
,moral dispositions1 too1 have a great  
deal to do with it2 and in the case of  
,christian truth1 the grace of ,god also
 exerts a special influence4 ,the       

degrees in which these various elements 
are found in particular cases1 are so   
different1 that there is an almost      
infinite gradation in the measure in    
which men are capable of receiving      
truth4 ,no two men can receive it in    
exactly the same degree4 ,in all this   
congregation1 where we recite the same  
,creed and use the same prayers1 there  
are1 perhaps1 no two of us who mean by  
them precisely the same thing4 ,the     
intelligence of each one1 his past      
history1 his moral dispositions1 will   
determine how far the faith that is in  
him corresponds to the faith that is    
without him--the faith as it is in      
itself1 the object of faith as it is in 
,god4 ,i can make what ,i mean plain to 
you by an illustration4 ,let us suppose 
a beautiful picture of the crucifixion1 
for instance1 is put up in a public     
gallery4 ,men of every kind enter and   
pass before it4 ,there comes a man who  
has never heard of ,christ2 he is       
ignorant and uneducated4 ,he looks up   

and sees the representation of extremest
 human agony1 mingled with superhuman   
dignity and patience4 ,some ray enters  
his mind2 he pauses1 is startled then   
passes on4 ,now there comes another1 who
 is an anatomist1 and he is arrested by 
the skill with which the body is        
proportioned1 and the play of the       
muscles and nerves is exhibited4 ,every 
line is a study to him1 and he stops a  
good deal longer than the first4 #bfe   
,then there comes an artist1 and he sees
 in the picture something greater even4 
,he takes in the genius of the          
conception1 the fitness of attitude and 
expression1 the light and shade1 the    
tints of color1 the difficulties        
overcome by art2 and he comes and sits  
before it1 day after day1 for hours1    
absorbed in the study of its beauties4  
,and another comes who is a poet1 and to
 him it brings back the scene of        
,calvary4 ,in a moment he is far away1  
and the sun is darkened1 and the earth  
quakes1 and there are thunderings and   

lightnings1 and once more the ,holy     
,city pours forth its multitude to      
witness the death of ,jesus4 ,and then  
there comes a sinner4 ,ah6 that story of
 love and suffering6 which tells how    
,god so loved the world1 and gave ,his  
only-begotten ,son1 that all who believe
 in ,him should not perish1 but have    
everlasting life4 ,to him1 that picture 
speaks of the horrors of sin1 of mercy1 
of heaven and hell1 and thoughts are    
awakened by it which lead him back to   
,god4 ,there hangs the picture1         
unaltered4 ,it is just what the artist  
made it1 neither more nor less1 yet see 
how different it has been to different  
beholders4  ,now1 just so it is with the
 preaching of the truth4 ,as we recite  
the ,creed1 as we preach to you1 ,sunday
 after ,sunday1 the ,creed itself is    
indeed unchangeable1 but it is a        
different thing to each one of us who   
preach1 and to each one of you who hear1
 according to your intelligence1 your   
past history1 and your present          

dispositions4 ,how can it be otherwise8 
,does not the very word1 ,god1 mean     
something different to us from what it  
does to a saint8 ,do not the words      
,presence of ,god1 mean something       
different to you and me from what they  
did to ,st4 ,teresa1 to whom the soul of
 man appeared as a castle with seven    
chambers1 each one more sacred than the 
others1 as you advanced into the        
interior1 until the innermost shrine was
 reached1 where ,god and the soul were  
joined together in a manner which human 
language knows not how to utter8 #bff   
,do you not see that the doctrine of the
 ,incarnation is something very         
different to us from what it was to ,st4
 ,athanasius1 who spent his whole life  
in conflict for it1 who endured years of
 exile and calumny1 the estrangement of 
friends1 the suspicion even of good men1
 rather than falter the least in        
fidelity to that verity on which his    
soul had fed8 ,or the ,real             
,presence--is that not a different thing

 to the crowd who come to church and    
kneel from custom1 but hardly remember  
why1 from what it was to ,st4 ,thomas1  
who composed in honor of it the         
wonderful hymns ,pange ,lingua and      
,lauda ,sion1 or to ,st4 ,francis       
,xavier1 who spent nights in prayer1    
prostrate upon the platform of the      
altar8 ,why1 ,st4 ,thomas1 who has so   
written of the ,christian faith that the
 ,church has named him the angelical    
doctor1 threw down his pen in           
hopelessness of being able to express   
the high knowledge of divine things     
which filled his soul4 ,and ,st4 ,paul  
confesses1 in writing to the ,hebrews1  
that even in that primitive community1  
taught by apostles and living in a      
perpetual call to martyrdom1 there were 
some points of ,christian truth which he
 found himself unable to utter1 because 
you are become weak to hear4 ,footnote  
#cj      ,footnote #cj3 ,heb4 v4 #aa4   
,i know that you are ,catholics1 that   
you have the ,apostles' ,creed by heart1

 that you believe in one ,god in ,three 
,persons1 in the ,incarnation and ,death
 of the ,second ,person of the ,blessed 
,trinity1 and in the two eternities     
before us2 but neither you nor ,i know  
what all this implies4 ,our knowledge is
 very imperfect3 we are but babes in    
,christ1 lisping and stammering the     
,divine alphabet--children1 wetting our 
feet in the waves which dash on the     
shore of the boundless ocean of truth4  
,it is good for us1 as ,i have already  
said1 to remember this1 for it gives us 
at once the true method of forming an   
estimate of ,christianity4 ,a tree is   
known by its fruit1 but it is by its    
best fruit4 #bfg ,if you have a tree in 
your garden bearing only a small        
quantity of very delicious fruit1 you   
prize it highly and take great care of  
it1 though many of the blossoms fall    
off1 and a great deal of the fruit never
 ripens4 ,so you must judge of the      
,catholic ,church1 by its best and most 
perfect fruit1 that is1 by the men of   

great wisdom and great virtue whom it   
produces1 and not by its imperfect      
members4 ,who is likely to be the best  
exponent and the truest specimen of his 
religion1 a man of prayer and study1    
deeply versed in the ,holy ,scriptures  
and sacred learning1 or one of small    
capacity1 little learning1 and little   
prayer8 ,evidently1 the former2 and yet 
how often do men take the contrary way  
of judging of the teaching and spirit of
 the ,church4 ,they visit some ,catholic
 country1 they see some instance of     
popular error1 ignorance1 or disorder1  
and they say3 ,this is ,catholicity4    
,or1 at home1 they see or hear a        
,catholic do or say something which     
gives them offence1 and they exclaim3   
,that is your doctrine6 ,that is your   
religion6 ,now1 supposing the offence   
they take to be justly taken1 which is  
not always the case1 what does it prove8
 ,it may prove that the rulers of the   
,church have not done their duty2 but it
 may prove just the contrary1 that they 

have done their duty-that in spite of   
the obstacles of ignorance and rudeness1
 they have succeeded in imparting to    
some darkened souls enough knowledge to 
lead them to ,god1 though it be the very
 least that is sufficient for that      
purpose4 ,but it does not show what the 
doctrine of the ,church really is as    
intelligently understood4 ,to find out  
this1 you must look at men who are in   
the most favorable circumstances for    
understanding it1 and they are the      
saints of ,god3 ,st4 ,basil1 ,st4       
,augustine1 ,st4 ,francis of ,sales1    
,st4 ,teresa4 ,st4 ,vincent of ,paul4   
,o my brethren6 how can men turn away   
from ,catholicity8 ,i understand how    
they can turn away from it as you and ,i
 express it2 how we can fail to remove  
their difficulties1 or even put new     
perplexity in their way4 ,but how can   
they turn away from ,catholicity as it  
is expressed by the great saints of the 
,church8 #bfh  ,what a divine religion6 
,what majesty1 what sweetness1 what     

wisdom1 what power6 ,how it commands the
 homage of the world6 ,what a universal 
testimony it has in its favor1 after    
all6 ,do you know1 my brethren1 ,i      
believe men are far more in favor of    
,catholicity than we suspect4 ,i believe
 half the difficulties they find in our 
religion are not in our religion at all1
 but in us2 in our ignorance1 in our    
prejudices1 in our short-sightedness and
 narrow-heartedness4 ,what renders the  
world without excuse is the line of     
saints1 the true witnesses to the genius
 and spirit of the ,catholic religion4  
,and yet1 even the saints themselves are
 not the perfect exponents of the faith1
 for even the saints were not altogether
 free from ignorance and error4 ,to     
understand fully the nobleness of the   
,christian faith1 we should need the    
help of inspiration itself4 ,did it     
never occur to you1 my brethren1 that   
the expressions of the prophets and     
apostles in reference to the light and  
grace brought by ,jesus ,christ into the

 world1 were extravagant8 ,behold1 ,i   
will lay thy stones in order1 and will  
lay thy foundations with sapphires1 and 
,i will make thy bulwarks of jasper3 and
 thy gates of graven stones1 and all thy
 borders if desirable stones4 ,all thy  
children shall be taught of the ,lord3  
and great shall be the peace of thy     
children4 ,thou shalt no more have the  
sun for thy light by day1 neither shall 
the brightness of the moon enlighten    
thee3 but the ,lord shall be unto thee  
for an everlasting light1 and thy ,god  
for thy glory4 ,footnote #ca            
,footnote #ca3 ,isaiah liv4 #aa-ac2 lx4 
#ai4  ,does the ,catholic ,church1 as   
you understand it1 come up to these     
descriptions8 ,is ,catholic truth1 as   
you appropriate it1 so high and glorious
 a thing as this8 ,no6 ,and the reason  
is1 that you are straitened in          
yourselves4 ,your conceptions are so    
low1 your knowledge of the truth is so  
partial and limited that you do not     
recognize the description when the ,holy

 ,ghost presents that truth as it is in 
itself1 as it is seen and known by ,god4
  #bfi  ,this thought leads us naturally
 to another2 namely1 that it is the duty
 of each one of us to extend his        
knowledge of ,christian truth as far as 
possible4 ,there is a story told of a   
foreign gentleman visiting ,rome1 who   
went one day to ,st4 ,peter's ,church1  
and1 after entering the vestibule1      
admired its noble proportions1 and      
returned home fully satisfied that he   
had seen the church itself1 which he had
 not even entered4 ,so it is with many  
persons who never pass beyond the       
vestibule of ,christian knowledge4 ,they
 never enter the inner temple1 or catch 
even a glimpse of its vast heights and  
its dim distances1 its receding aisles1 
its intricate archings1 its glory1 its  
richness1 and its mystery4 ,o misery of 
ignorance6 which has ever been the      
heaviest curse of our race4 ,o ,morning 
,star1 harbinger of eternal truth1 and  
,sun of ,justice1 when wilt thou come to

 enlighten those that sit in darkness   
and in the shadow of death6 ,alas6 this 
is our grief1 that the true ,light is   
come into the world1 but our eyes are   
holden that we cannot see it4 ,truths1  
the thought of which rapt the apostles  
into ecstasy1 truths which the angels   
desire to look into1 are published in   
our hearing1 and awaken no aspiration1  
no stirring in our hearts4 ,we go away1 
to eat and drink1 and work1 and play4 ,o
 brethren6 burst for yourselves these   
bonds of ignorance4 ,do not say1 ,i am  
not learned1 ,i am not acute or         
profound1 ,i cannot hope to understand  
much4 ,remember that there were some    
servants to whom one talent was given1  
who were called to account as well as   
those who had ten4 ,do what you can4 ,a 
pure heart1 a blameless life1 and       
prayer1 are great enlighteners4 ,read1  
listen1 meditate1 obey4 ,ask of ,god to 
enlarge your knowledge1 and to teach you
 what it means to say you believe in    
,him4 ,ask of ,jesus ,christ to teach   

you what it means to say that ,he was   
made man and died for us on the cross2  
what it is to receive ,his body and     
blood2 what is the meaning of heaven and
 hell4 #bgj ,awake thou that sleepest1  
and ,christ shall give thee light6 ,he  
will make you understand more and more  
what it is to be a ,christian4 ,often   
have ,i seen the fulfilment of this     
promise4 ,i have been at the bedside of 
poor people1 who would be called rude   
and illiterate1 but to whose pure hearts
 and earnest prayers ,god had imparted  
so clear a knowledge of the faith1 that 
,i have felt in their humble rooms like 
,jacob when he awoke from sleep and     
said3 ,indeed the ,lord is in this      
place4 ,footnote #cb      ,footnote #cb3
 ,gen4 xxviii4 #af4  ,men are talking   
about a ,church of the future4 ,they say
 the old ,church is decrepid1 her       
theology is obsolete1 she stimulates    
thought no more4 ,but we know better4   
,the ,church of the future is the       
,church of the past4 ,that ,church is   

ever ancient and ever new4 ,her truth is
 not exhausted4 ,men know not the half  
nor the hundredth part of her hidden    
wisdom4 ,o the victory6 when men shall  
understand this--when they shall come   
confessing to the ,holy ,church1 as the 
,queen of ,saba did to ,solomon3 ,the   
report is true1 which ,i heard in my own
 country1 concerning thy words and      
concerning thy wisdom4 ,and ,i did not  
believe them that told me1 till ,i came 
myself and saw with my own eyes1 and    
have found that the half hath not been  
told me2 thy wisdom and thy works exceed
 the fame which ,i heard4 ,blessed are  
thy men1 and blessed are thy servants   
who stand before thee always1 and hear  
thy wisdom4 ,footnote #cc      ,footnote
 #cc3 ,,iii4 ,ki4 x4 #f-h4  ,yes6 the   
history of the ,church is not           
accomplished1 her triumphs are not yet  
all written4 ,why does she1 ,advent     
after ,advent1 publish again the glowing
 predictions of the evangelical prophet1
 but because she knows that they await a

 still more magnificent fulfilment8     
,take courage--the cloud that rests on  
the people shall be lifted off1 and the 
burden taken away4 ,the ,ancient ,church
 shall no more be called forsaken1 nor  
her land desolate4 ,footnote #cd        
,footnote #cd3 ,is4 lxii4 #d4  #bga     
,arise1 be enlightened1 ,o ,jerusalem3  
for thy light is come1 and the glory of 
the ,lord is risen upon thee4 ,and the  
,gentiles shall walk in thy light1 and  
kings in the brightness of thy rising4  
,then shalt thou see and abound1 and thy
 heart shall wonder and be enlarged4    
,and the children of them that afflict  
thee shall come bowing down to thee1 and
 all that slandered thee shall worship  
the steps of thy feet1 and shall call   
thee the city of the ,lord1 the ,sion of
 the ,holy ,one of ,israel4 ,footnote   
#ce      ,footnote #ce3 ,isai4 lx4      
#a-ad4  --------------------            
,sermon ,,vi4     ,the ,mission ,of ,st4
 ,john the ,baptist4      7,second      
,sunday ,in ,advent47     ,this is he of

 whom it is written3   ,behold ,i send  
,my messenger before ,thy face1   who   
shall prepare ,thy way before ,thee4    
--,st4 ,matt4 xi4 #aj4   ,the           
,scriptures of the ,old ,testament had  
foretold that a special messenger should
 immediately precede the coming of the  
,messias1 whose duty would be to prepare
 men's hearts for ,his reception4 ,now1 
our ,lord in the text tells us that ,st4
 ,john the ,baptist was this messenger4 
,it is for this reason that the ,gospels
 read in the ,church for the season of  
,advent are so full of the sayings and  
doings of this saint4 ,in ,advent the   
,church desires to prepare us for the   
twofold coming of ,christ--at ,his      
,nativity and at the ,last ,judgment2   
and it is natural that she should avail 
herself of the labors of one who was    
divinely appointed for the same purpose4
 ,accordingly1 from ,sunday to ,sunday1 
during this season1 she bring ,st4 ,john
 the ,baptist from his cell in the      
desert1 clad in his rough garment1 to   

preach to us ,christians the same       
lessons he preached to the ,jewish      
people centuries ago4 #bgb ,it has      
seemed to me1 then1 that ,i could not   
better subserve the intentions of the   
,church1 than by considering this       
morning in what the mission of ,st4     
,john the ,baptist as a preparation for 
,christ's coming specially consisted1   
and what practical lessons it suggests  
to us4  ,st4 ,john the ,baptist was of  
the priestly race1 yet he never         
exercised the office of a priest4 ,he   
was not a prophet1 at least in the sense
 of one who foretells future events4 ,he
 worked no miracles4 ,he had no         
ecclesiastical position4 ,what was he   
then8 ,what was his office8 ,how did he 
prepare men for the coming of ,christ8  
,the ,scriptures tell us what he was4   
,he was a ,voice and a ,cry--the cry of 
conscience1 the voice of man's immortal 
destiny4 ,his mission was simple1       
elementary1 and universal4 ,it went     
deeper than ecclesiastical or ritual    

duties4 ,it touched human probation to  
the very quick4 ,he dealt with the great
 question of salvation1 protested       
vehemently against sin1 and published   
aloud that law of sanctity which is     
written on every man's heart by the     
finger of ,god4  ,we have some remains  
of his sermons1 from which we can learn 
his style4 ,begin not to say1 so he     
speaks to the ,jews1 we have ,abraham to
 our father1 for ,god is able to raise  
up of these stones children to ,abraham4
 ,footnote #cf      ,footnote #cf3 ,st4 
,luke iii4 #h4  ,see1 how he sweeps away
 external privileges1 and goes straight 
to every man's conscience4 ,the axe is  
laid now to the root of the trees1 and  
every tree that bringeth not forth good 
fruit shall be cut down and cast into   
the fire4 ,nothing but what is internal1
 nothing but what is sound at the core1 
can bear the scrutiny4 ,he descends to  
the particulars of each man's state and 
condition of life4 ,the people came to  
him and asked him1 ,what shall we do8   

,and he said3 ,he that hath two coats1  
let him impart to him that hath none2   
and he that hath meat let him do        
likewise4 #bgc ,that was a short and    
pithy sermon6 ,then the officers of the 
custom came and asked3 ,what shall we   
do8 ,and he answered3 ,take nothing more
 than that which is appointed you4 ,do  
not rob or swindle4 ,do not use bribery 
or extortion4 ,and the soldiers asked   
him1 saying3 ,and what shall we do8 ,and
 he said3 ,do violence to no man3       
neither calumniate any man2 and be      
content with your pay4  ,such was the   
preaching of ,st4 ,john the ,baptist1   
pointed1 direct1 homely1 practical3 an  
echo of that trumpet-blast which once   
shook the earth1 when ,god gave the ,ten
 ,commandments out of the ,mount4 ,and  
it did its work4 ,our ,lord himself has 
testified to the success of ,st4 ,john's
 mission4 ,it prepared men to believe in
 ,christ4 ,it was the school which      
trained disciples for ,christianity4    
,they that believed in ,st4 ,john       

believed afterwards in ,christ4 ,on one 
occasion the evangelist gives it as the 
explanation why some believed and some  
rejected the words of ,jesus1 that they 
had first believed or rejected the words
 of the ,baptist4 ,all the people1 such 
is the language ,i refer to1 justified  
,god1 being baptized with1 the baptism  
of ,john1 but the ,pharisees and the    
lawyers despised the counsel of ,god    
against themselves1 being not baptized  
of him4 ,footnote #cg      ,footnote    
#cg3 ,st4 ,luke vii4 #bi1 #cj4  ,nor is 
it difficult to explain how his         
preaching effected this result4 ,christ 
came to save sinners4 ,in point of fact1
 we know that this is the reason why ,he
 has come into the world4 ,he has come  
to seek and save that which was lost4   
,he has come to heal the broken-hearted4
 ,he has come to give us a new law1     
higher and holier than the old1 yet     
easier by the brightness of ,his        
example1 and the graces ,he imparts4    
,now1 unless a man feels the evil of    

sin1 unless he wants to keep the law1   
unless he feels an interest1 and a deep 
interest1 in the question of his        
destiny1 he does not care for ,christ4  
#bgd ,true1 our ,lord has given to the  
understanding proofs of ,his divine     
mission1 so that belief in ,him may be a
 reasonable act2 but until the          
conscience is stirred up1 the           
understanding has no motive for         
considering these proofs4 ,to the carnal
 and careless ,jews1 the announcement of
 ,christ's coming was1 ,i suppose1      
simply uninteresting4 ,in some points of
 view1 indeed1 they might have welcomed 
,him4 ,as a temporal prince and         
deliverer1 ,his advent would have been  
hailed by them1 but salvation from sin  
was a matter in which they felt no great
 concern4 ,what did they want with      
,christ8 ,why does ,he come at all to   
consciences which do not crave rest1 and
 wills that need no strength8 ,what need
 of a ,saviour1 if there is no sin to be
 shunned1 no hell to be feared1 no      

heaven to be won1 no great struggle     
between good and evil1 no eternity in   
peril8  ,but once let all this be fully 
understood4 ,let a man's conscience be  
fully awakened4 ,let him realize his    
destiny1 above and beyond this world2   
let him appreciate the evil of sin that 
defeats his destiny2 let him1 if the    
case be so1 perceive how far out of the 
way he has gone by his sins2 and then   
how full of interest1 how full of       
meaning1 becomes the exclamation of ,st4
 ,john1 as he points to ,christ and     
says3 ,behold the ,lamb of ,god1 that   
taketh away the sins of the world6 ,let 
a man's spiritual nature be stirred     
within him2 let him aspire to what is   
pure and high2 aim at regulating his    
passions2 struggle1 amid inordinate     
desires and the importunities of        
creatures which encompass him like a    
flood1 toward the highest good and the  
most perfect beauty2 and1 oh6 with what 
music do these words of ,christ fall on 
his soul3 ,come unto ,me1 all ye that   

labor and are heavy laden1 and ,i will  
refresh you4 ,take my yoke upon you and 
learn of ,me1 and you shall find rest to
 your souls4 ,for ,my yoke is sweet1 and
 ,my burden is light4 ,footnote #ch     
,footnote #ch3 ,st4 ,matt4 xi4 #bi1 #cj4
  #bge  ,it seems too good to be true4  
,he listens1 and asks1 ,may ,i believe  
this8 ,is there really a way through    
this world to heaven8 a sure1 clear1    
easy way8 ,he finds that his            
understanding not only allows1 but      
compels him to believe in ,christ3 he is
 happy2 he believes2 his faith is a     
conviction into which his whole nature  
enters2 it entwines itself with every   
fibre of his soul4  ,the connection1    
then1 between the preaching of the      
,baptist and the coming of ,christ was  
not a temporary one4 ,it is essential   
and necessary4 ,st4 ,john is still the  
forerunner of ,christ4 ,the preaching of
 the commandments is ever the           
preparation for faith4 ,the awakening of
 a man's conscience is the measure of   

his appreciation of ,christ4 ,our ,lord 
gives many graces to men without their  
own co-operation4 ,many of the gifts of 
,providence1 and the first gifts in the 
order of grace1 are so bestowed4 ,but an
 enlightened appreciation of            
,christianity1 a personal conviction of 
its truth1 a real and deep attachment to
 it1 will be always in proportion to the
 thoroughness with which a man has      
sounded the depths of his own heart1 to 
the sincerity with which sin is hated   
and feared1 and holiness aspired after4 
,christ is never firmly seated in the   
soul of man till he is enthroned on the 
conscience4 ,unto you that fear ,my     
name1 shall the ,sun of ,justice arise1 
and health in his wings4 ,footnote #ci  
,footnote #ci3 ,st4 ,matt4 iv4 #b4      
,and1 here1 my brethren1 in this law or 
fact which ,i stated1 we have the key to
 several practical questions of great   
importance4  #bgf  ,here we have1 in    
great part at least1 an explanation why 
conversions to the ,catholic ,church are

 not more frequent than they are4       
,surely the ,catholic ,church is        
prominent enough in the eyes of men4    
,from her church towers she cries aloud4
 ,in the streets1 at the opening of her 
gates1 she utters her word1 saying3 ,o  
children of men1 how long will you love 
folly1 and the unwise hate knowledge8   
,turn ye at my reproof4 ,her antiquity1 
her unity1 her universality1 the        
sanctity of so many of her children1 are
 enough to arrest the attention of every
 thoughtful man4 ,but how few heed her  
voice6 ,true1 here and there1 there are 
souls who recognise in her the true     
teacher sent by ,christ1 the guide of   
their souls1 and submit themselves to   
her safe and holy keeping4 ,altogether1 
they make a goodly company2 but how     
small in proportion to those who are    
left behind6 ,it reminds us of the words
 of the prophet3 ,i will take one of a  
city1 and two of a family and bring you 
into ,sion4 ,footnote #dj      ,footnote
 #dj3 ,jer4 iii4 #ad4  ,they come by    

ones and twos1 and the mass remains     
behind4 ,and what does that mass think  
of the ,catholic ,church8 ,some are     
entirely ignorant of her1 almost as     
though she did not exist4 ,some have    
wrong ideas about her1 and hate her4    
,some know a good deal about her        
doctrines1 and are conversant with the  
proofs of them1 and argue about them1   
and criticise them4 ,some are favorably 
inclined to her4 ,some patronise her4   
,it was just so with ,christ4 ,to some  
,he was simply unknown1 though ,he was  
in their midst4 ,to some ,he was an     
impostor and a blasphemer4 ,to many ,he 
was an occasion of dispute1 some        
affirming ,him to be a good man1 others 
saying1 ,nay1 ,he deceiveth the people4 
,to some ,he was an innovator on the    
established religion1 the religion of   
the respectable and educated4 ,to       
others1 ,his mysteries were an offence1 
and the severity of ,his doctrine a     
stumbling-block4 ,why is this8 ,why is  
it always thus8 ,why are men so slow to 

be wise1 and to be happy8 ,i do not     
wish1 my brethren1 to give too sweeping 
an answer4 ,i know there is such a thing
 as inculpable ignorance4 ,i believe    
there are many on their way to the      
,church who are not suspected of it1 and
 who1 perhaps1 do not suspect it        
themselves4 ,i know that ,god has ,his  
seasons of grace and providence4 ,i know
 that each human mind is different from 
every other1 and has its own law of     
working1 its own way of arriving at     
conviction4 #bgg ,but after all such    
deductions1 are there not very many of  
whom it is a plain matter of fact to say
 that they will not give their attention
 to this subject8 ,they may even have   
conscious doubts on their minds1 and    
live and die with these unattended to1  
unresolved4 ,it is a want of religious  
earnestness4 ,men do not ask3 ,what     
shall ,i do to be saved8 ,or at least1  
they do not give to that question their 
supreme attention4 ,they do not grapple 
with their destiny4 ,they are           

indifferent to it1 or hopeless about its
 solution4 ,they let themselves float   
on1 leaving the questions of the future 
to decide themselves as they may1 and   
live in the pleasures and interests of  
the present4  ,oh1 fatal supineness6    
unworthy a rational being1 defeating the
 end of our creation1 and entailing     
countless miseries here and hereafter4  
,nothing can be hoped for from the      
world1 till it awakes from its lethargy 
of indifference4 ,men must be men before
 you can make them ,christians--serious1
 thoughtful earnest men1 before you have
 any reason for expecting them to become
 ,catholics4 ,there is more hope of a   
conscientious bigot1 than for a man     
indifferent to his salvation4 ,he1 at   
least1 is in earnest4 ,if his mind      
should become enlightened1 if he should 
recognise the ,catholic ,church as the  
divinely-appointed guide to that heaven 
which he is seeking1 there is reason to 
hope that he will avail himself of her  
blessings4 ,he will not make frivolous  

objections2 he will not stumble at the  
,sacrament of ,confession1 or catch at  
every scandalous story of immorality on 
the part of a ,catholic1 or quarrel with
 every minute ritual arrangement2 but in
 a better1 higher1 nobler spirit1 in    
that spirit of obedience which so well  
becomes a man1 in that spirit of faith1 
in which man's reason asserts most      
clearly its high character1 by uniting  
itself to and embracing the ,reason of  
,god1 when he finds that the ,church is 
the guide to his immortal destiny1 he   
will come bending to her1 and will      
worship the steps of her feet1 and will 
call her the ,city of the ,lord1 the    
,sion of the ,holy ,one of ,israel4     
#bgh  ,and now1 to turn our eyes within 
the ,church1 we can in the same way     
account for those dreadful apostasies   
from the ,catholic faith which are here 
and there recorded in history4          
,mahometanism1 which in numbers is a    
rival to ,catholicity1 possesses some of
 the fairest lands once owned by        

,christ4 ,in modern times1 one of the   
most refined and enlightened nations of 
,christendom1 in a moment of frenzy1    
threw off the faith with which her      
history had been so adorned1 and        
professed ,atheism4 ,now1 how did these 
things happen8 ,not of a sudden1 or all 
at once4 ,men are not changed from      
,christians into ,turks or ,infidels in 
an hour4 ,there must have been some     
secret moral history1 which accounts for
 this wonderful change4 ,and so there   
was4 ,men became lax in their conduct4  
,the ,catholicity they practised was not
 the ,catholicity of ,christ and the    
,apostles4 ,public morals were conformed
 to the standard of heathenism rather   
than that of the gospel--nay1 sometimes 
outraged as much the decencies of       
heathenism as the precepts of ,christ4  
,it was the old story4 ,st4 ,john the   
,baptist imprisoned by an adulterous    
king2 ,st4 ,john the ,baptist1 conspired
 against and murdered by an ambitious   
queen2 the head of ,st4 ,john the       

,baptist1 eloquent and reproachful even 
in death1 brought in to point the jest  
and stimulate the revelry of a          
lascivious feast--this is but a figure  
of the treatment which conscience has   
received in ,christian courts1 and at   
the hands of ,christian princes4        
,morality and decency grew out of date1 
and were cast aside like old-fashioned  
garments1 and the restraints of the ,law
 of ,god were as feeble as cobwebs      
before the power of passion4 ,now1 what 
else could be the result of all this1   
but a disesteem of ,christianity itself8
 ,true1 it might retain some hold upon  
men's minds for a time4 ,the fact that  
it was the religion of their ancestors1 
the fact that they were baptized in it1 
the beauty of its ceremonies and        
architecture1 the soothing influence of 
its ordinances1 the services it has     
rendered to civilisation1 might keep it 
standing in its place for a time2 but   
these considerations are not strong     
enough to withstand the power of hell1  

when it is exerted in the way of        
persecution1 or a general apostasy4 #bgi
 ,every plant that my ,heavenly ,father 
hath not planted1 shall be rooted up1   
said ,christ4 ,footnote #da ,it must be 
a supernatural motive that binds us to  
our faith4 ,christ and the ,law cannot  
long remain divorced4 ,a people without 
conscience will soon be a people without
 faith2 and a nation of triflers only   
waits the occasion1 to become a nation  
of apostates4      ,footnote #da3 ,st4  
,matt4 xv4 #ac4  ,it is not1 then1      
without a special providence of ,god1   
that in these later days the missionary 
orders of the ,church have been         
multiplied4 ,in the sixteenth century   
the intellectual defence of the faith   
was the ,church's greatest need1 and    
that was most successfully accomplished4
 ,but there is needed something more to 
uphold the falling fabric of modern     
society4 ,men need to be reminded of the
 first principles of morality4 ,and1    
therefore1 a ,st4 ,alphonsus appears in 

,naples1 a ,st4 ,vincent of ,paul in    
,france2 missionary orders in every land
 go about teaching the people1 before it
 is too late1 the very first and        
fundamental truths--the doctrine of     
repentance and good works4 ,here1 in    
every age1 and every country1 is the    
real danger to faith4 ,we speak often of
 the dangers to faith in this country2  
and unquestionably we have our special  
trials here4 ,some of our children are  
lost by neglect4 ,some grow cold in the 
unfriendly atmosphere that surrounds    
them4 ,but the real danger to be dreaded
 is1 that the love of the ,church       
herself should grow cold2 that a        
wide-spread demoralisation should take  
place among ourselves2 that we should   
forget the keeping of the ,ten          
,commandments4 ,this1 indeed1 would be  
the prelude to our destruction4         
,practical morality makes a strong      
,church2 but let morality be forgotten1 
and the ,church1 while it has a name to 
live1 is dead4 #bhj ,and as a corpse    

long decomposed sometimes retains the   
human form until it is exposed to the   
air1 when it crumbles into dust2 so a   
dead ,church will be blown to atoms and 
swept away1 the first strong blast that 
hell breathes against it4  ,and1 in     
fine1 by the light of the thought which 
,i have been endeavoring to present to  
you this morning1 we see the means by   
which we ought to make sure our personal
 union with ,christ4 ,christ is coming4 
,he is coming at ,christmas to unite    
,himself with those whom ,he shall find 
prepared4 ,he is coming again1 and the  
mountains shall melt before ,him2 for   
,he is coming to judge the world4 ,who  
shall stand to see ,him8 ,for ,he shall 
be as a ,refining ,fire1 and shall try  
the ,sons of ,levi as gold and silver4  
,footnote #db      ,footnote #db3 ,st4  
,matt4 iii4 #b1 #c4  ,how shall we abide
 ,his coming1 my brethren ,i how shall  
we prepare to meet ,him8 ,i know no     
other way than that which ,st4 ,john the
 ,baptist recommended to the ,jews--a   

true and solid conversion4 ,whether a   
man has committed mortal sin or not1    
whether he is born a ,catholic or not1  
there comes upon him1 if he is a true   
,christian1 some time in his life1 a    
change which ,catholic writers call     
conversion4 ,it may not be sudden4 ,it  
may be all but imperceptible4 ,it may be
 more than once4 ,but at least once1    
there comes a time when religion becomes
 a matter of personal conviction with   
him4 ,he is different from what he was  
before4 ,a change has passed over him4  
,he has awakened to his moral           
accountability4 ,his manhood is         
developed4 ,his conscience is aroused4  
,and until that happens1 you cannot     
count on him4 ,he may seem innocent and 
pious1 but you cannot tell whether it   
will not be like the dew that passeth   
away in the morning4 ,you cannot say how
 he will act in temptation4 ,you cannot 
reckon on what he will be next year4    
,perhaps then he will draw sin as with a
 cart-rope4 #bha ,the trouble with such 

men is not that they sin sometimes4     
,alas6 such is human frailty that a     
single fall would not dishearten us2 but
 the real misery is1 that they have no  
principle of not sinning4 ,they are not 
preparing for ,christ's judgement4      
,their contrition1 such as it is1 is    
intended to prepare them for confession1
 not for eternity4 ,see1 then1 what we  
want6  ,and this is what ,i understand  
by the penance which ,st4 ,john the     
,baptist preached4 ,he practised it     
himself4 ,it is thought that in ,st4    
,john's case the use of reason was      
granted before birth2 and when as a babe
 he leaped in his mother's womb1 it was 
for conscious joy at the presence of his
 ,lord and ,saviour4 ,and since the     
,blessed ,virgin and ,st4 ,elizabeth    
were cousins1 doubtless ,st4 ,john and  
our ,blessed ,saviour knew each other as
 children4 ,it is more than probable    
that they used to play together when    
they were boys1 as the painters loved to
 represent them4 ,and oh6 what an effect

 did the knowledge of ,christ have on   
,st4 ,john6 ,it took the color out of   
earthly beauty1 and the music out of    
earthly joy4 ,there was with him        
afterward one overpowering desire--the  
desire of sanctity4 ,he had seen a      
vision of heaven4 ,not because he       
despised the world1 but because a higher
 beauty was opened to his soul1 he went 
into the desert1 and his meat was       
locusts and wild honey4 ,one aim he had3
 to purify his heart4 ,one thought3 to  
prepare for heaven1 and to help others  
also to prepare4  ,oh1 let us heed his  
words and example4 ,let us follow him1  
if not in the rigor of his fastings1 at 
least in the sincerity of his penance4  
,be converted1 and turn to the ,lord    
your ,god4 ,there is no other way of    
preparing for judgment4 ,remember what  
the ,church says to you at the ,font3   
,if thou wilt enter into life1 keep the 
commandments4 ,listen to what ,god      
,himself counsels1 when prophesying the 
terrors of the last day3 ,remember the  

law of ,moses1 ,my servant1 which ,i    
commanded him in ,horeb for all ,israel1
 the precepts and judgments4 ,footnote  
#dc      ,footnote #dc3 ,st4 ,matt4 iv4 
#d4  #bhb  ,the law commanded in        
,horeb--that eternal law of right1 and  
justice1 and purity1 and truth--examine 
yourself by this standard2 forsake every
 evil way and live a ,christian life4   
,happy are they who do so6 ,happy and   
secure shall they be in the evil time4  
,when the earth and heaven shall be     
shaken1 and sea and land give up their  
dead1 and the ,son of ,man appear in the
 heavens1 and the ,throne shall be set  
for judgment1 then look up and lift up  
your head1 for your redemption draweth  
nigh4 ,you have been true to your       
conscience2 you have believed in        
,christ2 you have kept ,his law2 now to 
you belongs the promise1 ,then they that
 feared the ,lord spoke every man with  
his neighbor1 and the ,lord gave ear1   
and heard it3 and a book of remembrance 
was written before the ,lord for them   

that fear the ,lord1 and think on ,his  
,name4 ,and they shall be ,my special   
possession1 saith the ,lord of ,hosts1  
in the day that ,i do judgment3 and ,i  
will spare them as a man spareth his own
 son that serveth him4 ,footnote #dd    
,footnote #dd3 ,st4 ,matt4 iii4 #af1    
#ag4  ----------------------            
,sermon ,,vii4      ,god's ,desire ,to  
,be ,loved4        7,christmas ,day47   
,thou art beautiful above the sons of   
men3   grace is poured abroad in ,thy   
lips2   therefore hath ,god blessed     
,thee forever4   ,gird ,thy sword upon  
,thy thigh1 ,o ,thou most mighty4       
,with ,thy comeliness and ,thy beauty1  
set out1 proceed prosperously and reign4
   --,ps4 xliv4 #c-e4   ,the ,church    
calls on us to-day to rejoice and be    
glad for the ,incarnation of the ,son of
 ,god4 ,with a celebration peculiar to  
this ,feast1 she breaks the dead silence
 of the night with her first ,mass of   
joy4 #bhc ,she repeats it again as the  
east reddens with the dawn4 ,and still  

again1 when the sun is shining in full  
day1 she offers anew a ,mass of         
thanksgiving for a blessing which can   
never be sufficiently praised and       
magnified4 ,i have thought that ,i could
 not better attune your hearts to all   
this gladness and gratitude than by     
reminding you of one of the motives of  
the ,incarnation4 ,why did our ,lord    
become man8 and why did ,he become ,man 
in the way ,he did8 ,i answer1 out of   
,his desire to be loved by us4 ,there is
 a love of benevolence1 which is content
 simply with doing good without asking a
 return4 ,god has this love for us4     
,nature and reason tell us so4 ,he      
maketh ,his sun to rise on the good and 
the bad1 and raineth upon the just and  
the unjust4 ,footnote #de      ,footnote
 #de3 ,st4 ,matt4 v4 #de4  ,and there is
 another love1 the love of friendship1  
which seeks to be united to the object  
of its love4 ,and the ,incarnation shows
 us that ,god has this kind of love for 
man4 ,his love makes us lovable in ,his 

eyes1 and this again makes ,him         
vehemently desire our love4 ,this will  
be my subject this morning--the         
,incarnation1 an evidence of ,god's     
desire to be loved by us4  ,and1 first1 
observe1 that there is no other reason  
given for the ,incarnation which        
sufficiently accounts for it in all its 
circumstances4 ,there are several       
reasons for the ,incarnation4 ,it is the
 doctrine of many ,catholic theologians 
that ,god would have become man even if 
man had never sinned2 that it was part  
of ,his original plan in forming the    
creature thus to unite it to ,himself4  
,again1 it is said that our ,lord became
 ,man in order to make satisfaction for 
sin4 ,and a third reason alleged for    
,his becoming man1 is1 that ,he might   
give us a perfect example4 ,now all     
these reasons are true3 but neither of  
them alone1 nor all of them together1   
entirely account for the ,incarnation   
with all its circumstances4 ,not the    
first1 for even if ,god had             

predetermined that ,his ,son should     
become ,man1 irrespective of man's      
transgression1 certainly in that case   
,he would not have come poor and        
sorrowful1 as ,he did4 #bhd ,the        
necessity of a satisfaction for sin     
accounts indeed for our ,lord's         
sufferings in part1 but not altogether2 
for ,he suffered far more than was      
necessary4 ,besides1 it was not         
necessary for a ,divine ,person to have 
suffered for us unless it had pleased   
,god to require a perfect satisfaction1 
which ,he was free to demand or dispense
 with4 ,the desire to give a good       
example may be suggested as the         
explanation of our ,lord's humiliation2 
but when we consider a moment1 we will  
see that though a good man really does  
give a good example1 he does very few1  
if any of his actions1 for the mere sake
 of giving it4 ,there are many things1  
then1 in our ,lord's becoming ,man1 and 
,his life as ,man1 that need some       
further reason4 ,what is that reason8   

,it is ,his great desire to be loved by 
us4 ,suppose this1 and every thing is   
clear4 ,i do not mean to say that this  
account of our ,lord's ,incarnation     
makes it any less wonderful--it makes it
 more so--but it gives a motive for it  
all4 ,suppose ,him influenced by an     
intense desire to gain our love1 and    
then we see why ,he stooped so low1 why 
,he did so much more than was necessary1
 why he was so lavish in                
condescension--in a word1 this is the   
explanation of what would otherwise seem
 to be the excess of ,his love4  ,then1 
again1 let us consider how our ,lord's  
,incarnation is adapted to win our love4
 ,when we see means perfectly adapted to
 an end1 we are apt to conclude that    
they were chosen in view of that end4   
,now1 our ,lord's humiliation is in all 
its parts wonderfully calculated to     
attract love4  ,his taking our nature is
 especially so4 ,there is a wonderful   
power in blood4 ,to be of kin is a tie  
that survives all changes and all times4

 ,now1 here our ,lord makes ,himself of 
kin to us1 of the same blood4 ,he is no 
stranger1 before whom we need feel at a 
great distance1 but our relation1 of our
 flesh and blood4  #bhe  ,and then as   
,man1 ,he has clothed ,himself with     
every thing that can make ,him          
attractive in the eyes of man4 ,he makes
 ,his first appearance in the world as  
an ,infant1 a beautiful ,babe4 ,how     
attractive is a beautiful child6 ,men   
even of rugged natures are softened by  
looking at it4 ,a little child brings a 
flood of grace and light into a house4  
,now1 to-day1 the ,son of ,god is a     
,babe at ,bethlehem4 ,he has the beauty 
of infancy1 but there is also a         
superadded beauty1 a light playing on   
,his features that is not of earth1 the 
light of ,infinite ,wisdom and ,eternal 
,love4 ,see1 ,he looks around and       
smiles1 and stretches out ,his hands1 as
 if inviting us to caress ,him4  ,in    
many children this beauty of infancy is 
evanescent1 but in our ,lord it was the 

earnest of a grace and loveliness that  
followed ,him through life4 ,it is      
evident that there was something most   
attractive about our ,lord to those who 
approached ,him4 ,as ,he grew in stature
 ,he increased in favor1 not only with  
,god but with men4 ,when ,he had        
attained to manhood1 ,he was such a one 
that children willingly gathered around 
,him in the streets1 and people stopped 
to look at ,him as ,he passed1 and men's
  minds were strangely stirred in them  
as ,he spoke1 and the thought came into 
women's hearts1 ,how happy to be the    
mother of such a ,son6 ,who but ,he knew
 how perfectly to mingle dignity with   
familiarity1 zeal with serenity1 and    
austerity with compassion8 ,even at the 
distance of time that we are from ,his  
earthly life1 ,his words reach us like  
the sweetest music4 ,what other preacher
 can say the same words again and again1
 and never make us weary8 ,whose tones  
are there that linger in our ears like  
,his1 and come like a spell to our      

hearts in times of temptation and       
sorrow8 ,why1 even scoffers have        
acknowledged this4 ,the beauty and      
excellence of our ,saviour's character  
have wrung a eulogium from a celebrated 
opponent of ,christianity1 and at least 
a momentary confession that its author  
was ,divine4  #bhf  ,then1 to the       
attractions of ,his character1 our ,lord
 has added the destitution of ,his      
circumstances1 in order to gain our     
love4 ,it is natural for us to love any 
thing that is dependent on us4 ,the sick
 child that needs to be nursed1 the     
helpless and depressed1 the poor that   
appeal to us1 even the bird and the dog 
that look to us for their food1 come to 
have a place in our hearts4 ,now1 our   
,lord1 at least even in this way to win 
us1 has placed ,himself in a state of   
complete dependence on us4 ,from the    
cradle to the grave1 and even beyond the
 grave1 ,he appeals to man for the      
supply of every want4  ,think what it   
might have been4 ,think of the twelve   

legions of angels that are impatient to 
come and minister to ,him4 ,but no6 ,he 
restrains them4 ,for his swathing-bands1
 ,he will be a debtor to ,mary's care4  
,for a habitation1 ,he will put up with 
the stall of the ox and the ass4 ,the   
manger from which the cattle are fed    
shall be ,his cradle4 ,st4 ,joseph shall
 bear the expenses of his early years2  
and when ,st4 ,joseph is gone1 and ,he  
has begun ,his ministry of preaching1   
,joanna and the other holy women shall  
minister to ,him of their substance4    
,and at last1 ,magdalene shall anoint   
,his body for burial1 and ,joseph of    
,arimathea shall give ,him a            
winding-sheet and a grave4  ,i said ,he 
carried ,his poverty beyond the grave4  
,and so ,he does4 ,for ,his churches1   
for the glory of ,his altars1 for ,his  
priests1 for ,his sacraments1 even for  
the bread and wine which shall serve as 
veils for ,his presence1 ,he depends on 
us1 that out of love we may minister to 
,him1 and by ministering may love ,him  

better4  ,and1 further3 while on the one
 hand our ,lord thus appeals to our     
affections by the poverty of ,his       
condition1 on the other ,he compels our 
love by the greatness of ,his sacrifices
 for us4 ,in ,his ,sermon on the ,mount1
 ,he bids us1 ,if any man force us to go
 with him a mile1 to go with him other  
two2 ,footnote #df and certainly it has 
been by this rule that ,he has acted    
toward us4      ,footnote #df3 ,st4     
,matt4 v4 #da4  #bhg  ,i have already   
said our ,lord has done far more than   
was necessary to redeem us4 ,why1 in    
strictness of justice1 ,he had ransomed 
us before ,he was born4 ,the very first 
act of love ,he made to ,his ,father1   
after ,his conception1 was enough to    
redeem countless worlds4 ,but ,he did   
not then go back to ,his ,father4 ,he   
staid on earth to do more for us4 ,he   
would not leave any thing undone that   
could be done4 ,he would not leave a    
single member of ,his body1 a single    
power of ,his soul1 that was not turned 

into a sacrifice for us4  ,no doubt1 if1
 at the birth of any child1 we could    
foresee all it would have to suffer     
during its life1 there would be enough  
to mingle sadness with our joy4 ,but    
this child was preeminently a child of  
sorrow2 and ,simeon1 when he took ,him  
up in his arms1 foresaw that the sad    
future would break ,his mother's heart4 
,yes1 that little ,child is the willing 
victim of our sins4 ,on that little head
 the crown of thorns shall be placed4   
,those tiny hands shall be pierced with 
nails4 ,those eyes shall weep4 ,those   
ears shall be filled with reproach and  
blasphemy4 ,that smooth cheek be spit   
upon4 ,that mouth be filled with vinegar
 and gall4 ,and why was all this8 ,he   
,himself has told us3 ,and ,i1 if ,i be 
lifted up from the earth1 will draw all 
things to ,myself3 ,footnote #dg ,that  
was the hope that urged ,him on4 ,that  
was the key to ,his whole life4 ,it was 
all an effort1 a struggle1 to gain our  
love4      ,footnote #dg3 ,st4 ,john    

xii4 #cb4  ,and1 once more3 the effect  
of the ,incarnation has been love4 ,we  
read ,god's purposes in their           
fulfilment4 ,we see what our ,lord      
intended in ,his humiliation1 by looking
 at what it has produced4 ,there is no  
doubt that the love of ,god has been far
 more general among men1 and far more   
tender1 since the ,incarnation4 #bhh    
,only compare ,st4 ,antony of ,padua1   
fondling the ,infant ,jesus1 with       
,elias1 covering his face with his      
mantle before the ,lord in the cave at  
,horeb4 ,compare the book of ,job with  
the epistles of ,st4 ,paul or ,st4      
,john4 ,god is in both books2 but the   
,prophet sees ,him through a glass      
darkly3 the ,apostles have seen and     
handled the ,word of ,life4 ,one of the 
most beautiful passages in the ,old     
,testament1 and one which approaches the
 nearest to the ,new1 is the history of 
the martyrdom of the seven sons with    
their ,mother in the time of ,judas     
,machabus4 ,but how this story pales    

before the ,acts of the ,christian      
,martyrs6 ,in these ,jewish heroes we   
see1 indeed1 faith in ,god1 and         
remembrance of ,his promises1 and hope  
in the ,resurrection2 but how different 
is this from the glowing language of an 
,ignatius1 who claimed to carry ,christ 
within him2 or of an ,agnes1 who claimed
 to be the ,spouse of ,christ1 whom ,he 
had betrothed with a ring1 and adorned  
with bridal jewels6  ,nor is it only in 
highly spiritual people1 or highly      
gifted people of any kind1 that we see  
this ,christian1 personal love of ,god4 
,the poor1 the dull1 the ignorant cannot
 understand the abstract arguments about
 ,god1 but they can understand a        
crucifix1 they know the meaning of      
,bethlehem and ,calvary4 ,and many an   
old woman1 who knows little more1 has   
learned enough to make her happy1 in the
 thought that ,god so loved the world as
 to give ,his only begotten ,son1 that  
whosoever believeth in ,him may not     
perish1 but may have life everlasting4  

,footnote #dh      ,footnote #dh3 ,st4  
,john iii4 #af4  ,then there are        
children2 some people complain that they
 find it very hard to interest them in  
religion4 ,i will tell you how to       
succeed4 ,tell them the story of ,joseph
 and ,mary1 and the ,babe lying in a    
manger4 ,tell them about the shepherds  
that were watching their flocks by      
night1 and the angels that came and     
talked to them4 #bhi ,tell them about   
the garden in which ,jesus was betrayed1
 and the cross on which he died1 and you
 will see their little eyes open wide   
with interest4 ,i knew a boy who1 when  
he read the story of ,peter's denial of 
our ,lord1 got up from his seat1 and1   
with tears in his eyes1 exclaimed1 ,oh1 
mother1 what made ,peter do that6 ,and  
,i have heard of a little boy who1 when 
he was dying1 called his mother to his  
side1 and told her that he had kept all 
the money she had given him1 in a little
 box1 and when he was dead he wanted her
 to take it and buy a coat for the      

,infant ,jesus4 ,i know it was a        
strange1 childish conceit2 but it showed
 that our ,saviour had found ,his way to
 that little boy's heart2 and sure ,i am
 that when1 in ,paradise1 he stood      
before the bright throne of ,christ1 and
 heard from those divine lips the praise
 of his short life1 that legacy was not 
forgotten4  ,yes2 our ,lord has found   
out the way to win hearts4 ,he has      
succeeded4 ,the issue proves the wisdom 
of his plan4 ,as heaven fills up with   
saints flaming with love1 ,he says1     
,whence are these8 and who hath begotten
 them8 ,then ,he remembers that they are
 the fruit of the travail of ,his soul1 
that they were born to ,him at          
,bethlehem and ,calvary1 and ,he is     
satisfied4  ,the truth is1 we are not so
 sensible of this effect of the         
,incarnation1 because we are so familiar
 with it4 ,we hardly realize how meagre 
men's notions about ,god naturally are4 
,of course1 we know by reason the       
existence of ,god1 and many of ,his     

attributes2 but without revelation1     
these are very indistinct4 ,we know that
 ,he is great and good and beautiful2   
but still there is a gulf between us and
 ,him4 ,partly1 no doubt1 this arises   
from our sense of guilt4 ,we fear ,god1 
because we have offended ,him4 ,but     
there is a dread of ,god1 and a sense of
 distance from ,him1 that does not come 
from guilt4 ,the most innocent feel it  
the keenest4 ,i know not why1 but we    
dread ,him because ,he is so spiritual4 
,he is so strange and mysterious4 #bij  
,we cannot think what ,he is like4 ,we  
lose ourselves when we try to think of  
,him4 ,there are so many things in the  
world that frighten us4 ,we do not know 
how ,god feels toward us4 ,we have a    
diffidence in approaching ,him which we 
cannot shake off4 ,now1 all the while1  
,god is full of the most wonderful love 
to man4 ,heaven is not enough for ,him4 
,even with the angels1 it is a          
wilderness because man is absent4 ,at   
last ,he resolves what ,he will do4 ,he 

will lay aside altogether that majesty  
which affrights man so much4 ,the       
distance is too great1 ,he says1 between
 ,me and ,my creatures4 ,i ,myself will 
become a creature4 ,man flies from ,me4 
,i will become ,man4 ,every thing loves 
its kind4 ,i will make ,myself like him4
 ',i will draw him with the cords of    
,adam1 with the bands of love4'         
,footnote #di    ,footnote #di3 ,osee   
xi4 #d4  ,i will tell him how the case  
stands--that ,i love him and desire his 
love4 ,i will tell him to love ,me1 not 
for his sake1 but ,mine2 and when ,i    
have made him understand this--when ,i  
have gained his love2 when ,i have      
healed his wound and made him           
happy--then ,i will come back1 and call 
on all the angels of heaven1 and say1   
',rejoice with ,me1 for ,i have found   
the sheep that ,i had lost4'  ,such is  
the enterprise that our ,lord enters on 
to-day4 ,he comes to tell you how ,he   
loves you1 and how ,he desires your     
love4 ,behold1 ,i bring to you glad     

tidings of great joy1 and this shall be 
the sign to you3 you shall find the     
,infant wrapped in swaddling-clothes1   
and laid in a manger4 ,it is a sign of  
,humanity4 ,it is a sign of ,beauty4 ,it
 is a sign of ,humility4 ,it is a sign  
of ,love4 ,he speaks to you1 not in     
words1 but in actions4 ,the cold wind   
whistles in ,his cavern1 but ,he will   
not have it otherwise4 ,david said3 ,i  
will not enter into the tabernacle of my
 home3 ,i will not go up into my bed4 ,i
 will not give sleep to my eyes1 or     
slumber to my eyelids1 or rest to my    
temples1 until ,i find out a place for  
the ,lord1 a tabernacle for the ,god of 
,jacob4 ,footnote #ej      ,footnote    
#ej3 ,isai4 cxxxi4 #c-e4  #bia  ,so the 
new-born ,saviour will not take any     
comfort till ,he has got your love4 ,he 
is waiting in the manger1 and until you 
come and take ,him home1 ,he will accept
 no other4 ,the palaces of the world1   
and all the jewels and the gold are     
,his1 but ,he will have none of them4   

,he wants to abide in your lowly house1 
and in your poor heart4 ,his head is    
full of dew1 and ,his locks of the drops
 of the night1 and ,he knocks for you to
 open to ,him4 ,oh1 to-day1 ,i do not   
envy those who will not receive ,him4 ,i
 do not envy those who are wandering    
about in error1 and know not the true   
,bethlehem1 the ,house of ,bread1 the   
,holy ,church of ,god4 ,i do not envy   
the disobedient ,christian4 ,i do not   
envy the indifferent man1 for whom      
,christ is born in vain4 ,but ,i praise 
those who make it their first care to   
keep themselves united to ,jesus        
,christ4 ,and most of all1 ,i praise    
those who strive to maintain a holy     
familiarity with ,jesus ,christ2 who by 
prayer1 by communion1 by self-denial1 by
 generous obedience1 return their       
,saviour love for love4  ,o my brethren1
 why do we grovel on earth1 when we     
might have our conversation in heaven8  
,why do we set our hearts on creatures1 
when we might have the ,creator for our 

friend8 ,why do we follow the ,evil     
,one1 when ,he that is beautiful above  
the sons of men is our ,master and our  
,lord8 ,why are we so weak in           
temptation1 so despairing in trial1 when
 we might have the peace and joy of the 
children of ,god8 ,what more can we     
want8 ,god has given us the             
,only-begotten ,son1 the ,mighty ,god1  
the ,wonderful ,counsellor1 the ,prince 
of ,peace2 and how shall ,he not with   
,him freely give us all things8 ,all we 
want is to recognize our happiness4     
,when ,jacob woke from sleep1 he said3  
,the ,lord is in this place1 and ,i knew
 it not4 ,so we do not realize how near 
,god is to us4 ,what is the sound that  
reaches us to-day8 ,it is the voice of  
the ,beloved1 calling to us3 ,my love1  
,my spouse1 ,my undefiled6 ,yes1 my     
,lord1 ,i answer to ,thy call4 ,i enter 
to-day into the school of ,thy ,holy    
,love4 #bib  ,i make now the resolution 
that henceforth neither life nor death1 
nor height nor depth1 nor any other     

creature shall be able to separate me   
from the love of ,god1 which is in      
,christ ,jesus our ,lord4 ,footnote #ea 
,footnote #ea3 ,romans viii4 #ci4       
----------------------       ,sermon    
,,viii4       ,the ,failure ,and        
,success ,of ,the ,gospel4              
7,sexagesima47       ,saying these      
things he cried out3     ,he that hath  
ears to hear1 let him hear4     ,st4    
,luke  ,,viii4 #h4   ,there is one      
measure by which1 if our ,lord's work   
were tried1 it might be pronounced a    
failure2 and that is by the measure of  
great immediate1 visible results4 ,the  
thought might come into our mind1 that  
it is strange our ,lord was not more    
successful than ,he was4 ,he was the    
,son of ,god1 no one ever spake as ,he  
did4 ,he conversed with a great number  
of men--in ,jerusalem1 in ,judea1 in    
,galilee4 ,he was always going about    
from place to place4 ,he died in the    
sight of a whole city4 ,yet what was the
 result of all8 ,on the ,day of         

,pentecost1 ,his disciples were gathered
 together in the upper chamber1 and they
 numbered1 all told1 one hundred and    
twenty4 ,so it is1 likewise1 with the   
,church4 ,after all1 what has she done8 
,put her numbers at the highest4 ,say   
she has two hundred millions of souls in
 her communion4 ,what are they to the   
eight hundred millions that inhabit the 
globe4 ,footnote #eb      ,footnote #eb3
 ,recent estimates of the population of 
the globe     vary from #hdj1jjj1jjj1 to
 #a1cjj1jjj1jjj1 and of the number      
of ,catholics from #afj1jjj1jjj to      
#bjh1jjj1jjj4     ,other ,christians are
 about #acj1jjj1jjj4  #bic  ,and how    
many of her members are there who can be
 called ,catholics or ,christians1 only 
in a broad1 external sense6 ,has        
,christianity1 then1 accomplished the   
results that might have been looked for8
 ,is it not a failure8  ,i will attempt 
this morning to give some reasons       
showing that ,christianity is not a     
failure1 although it has accomplished   

only partial results4 ,and the first    
remark ,i make is this3 that partial    
results belong to every thing human4    
,although ,christianity is a divine     
religion1 by coming into the world it   
became subject in many respects to the  
laws that govern human things4 ,to      
specify one1 ,christianity demands      
attention4 ,he that hath ears to hear1  
let him hear4 ,without attention1       
,christianity will never produce its    
impression on our conduct4 ,now1        
attention is a thing hard to get from   
men4 ,it is one of the greatest wants in
 the world1 the want of attention4 ,with
 desolation is all the land made        
desolate1 says the ,holy ,scripture1    
because there is none that considereth  
in the heart4 ,footnote #ec    ,footnote
 #ec3 ,jer4 xii4 #aa4  ,we see examples 
of this on every side4 ,take the        
instance of young men at college4 ,after
 passing several years there1 at a      
considerable expense to their parents1  
professedly for the sake of acquiring an

 education1 a certain number of them    
know nothing but the names of the things
 they have been studying4 ,this is the  
entire result of all they have heard or 
read1 an acquisition of some of the     
terms made use of in science4 ,others   
have gained some confused and partial   
knowledge1 which for practical purposes 
is all but useless2 while those who have
 acquired precise1 accurate1 useful     
information1 that is1 who have gained   
any real science1 are few indeed4 ,it is
 the same in business4 ,every trade and 
profession is crowded with bunglers who 
do not know their own business1 because 
they have been too lazy to learn it1 and
 who grumble at the success of others   
who have not spared the pains necessary 
to become masters4  #bid  ,so also it is
 in politics4 ,we hear a great deal     
about the general diffusion of          
intelligence in this country1 and are   
told how the sovereign people watch the 
actions of public men and call them to  
account4 ,now1 ,i suppose there is more 

wide-spread information on public       
matters in this country than in any     
other in the world1 but what does it    
amount to after all8 ,a great many read 
the newspapers without passing any      
independent judgment on their           
statements1 while those who really shape
 political opinions and action are but a
 small clique in each locality4  ,this  
being so1 it ought not to surprise us   
that men give but little attention to   
religion4 ,if learning1 business1       
politics1 things that touch our present 
interests so closely1 can only to a     
superficial extent engage the thoughts  
of men1 will religion1 which relates    
chiefly to man's future welfare1 be more
 successful8 ,in one sense1             
,christianity is as old as the world2   
for there has been a continuous         
testimony to the truth from the first1  
but it has never yet had a full hearing4
 ,how do men act about religion8 ,some  
listen to its teaching only with their  
ears1 as a busy man in his office       

listens to a jew's-harp or a band-organ 
on the street4 ,so ,gallio listened1 who
 cared for none of these things4 ,some  
listen with their hearts1 that is1 with 
attention enough to awaken a passing    
emotion or sentiment4 ,so ,felix        
listened1 when he trembled at ,st4      
,paul's preaching1 and promised to hear 
him again at a more convenient season4  
,only a few listen with attentive ears  
and hearts and hands1 the only true way 
of listening1 the way ,st4 ,paul        
listened1 when he said1 ,lord1 what wilt
 ,thou have me to do8 ,footnote #ed     
,footnote #ed3 ,acts ix4 #f4  ,when you 
say1 then1 that ,christianity has       
produced but partial results1 you are   
but saying that men are frivolous and   
thoughtless1 that there are many who do 
not listen to religion1 or do not listen
 to it with earnestness and lay to heart
 its practical lessons4 ,wisdom         
preacheth abroad2 she uttereth her voice
 in the streets2 at the head of         
multitudes she crieth out2 but it is of 

no avail to the greater number1 because 
they have hated instruction1 and        
received not the fear if the ,lord4     
,footnote #ee      ,footnote #ee3       
,proverbs i4 #bj1 #ba1 #bi  #bie        
,moreover1 our ,lord foresaw that the   
success of ,his gospel would be but     
partial4 ,we see this in the very       
passage from which the text is taken4   
,there is something melancholy in the   
way the evangelist introduces the       
parable of the sower3 ,and when a very  
great multitude was gathered together   
and hastened out of the cities to ,him1 
,he spoke by a similitude3 ,a sower went
 out to sow his seed1 etc4 ,this was the
 thought which the sight of a very great
 multitude pressing around ,him awoke in
 the mind of our ,lord3 how small a part
 would really give heed to ,his words1  
or really appreciate them3 how in some  
hearts the word would be trodden down1  
in others be choked or wither away2 and 
this is the secret of the energy with   
which ,he cried out at the end of the   

parable1 ,he that hath ears to hear1 let
 him hear4 ,the same thought comes out  
in the conversation which he had        
afterward with ,his disciples1 when they
 asked an explanation of the parable3   
,the heart of this people is grown      
gross2 and with their ears they have    
been dull of hearing1 and their eyes    
they have shut3 lest at any time they   
should see with their eyes1 and hear    
with their ears1 and understand with    
their heart1 and should be converted1   
and ,i should heal them4 ,but blessed   
are your eyes because they see1 and your
 ears because they hear4 ,footnote #ef  
,footnote #ef3 ,st4 ,matt4 xiii4 #ae1   
#af4  ,our ,lord was as far as possible1
 then1 from expecting that the course of
 things would stand still1 and all men  
comply instantly with his preaching4    
,nor were ,his predictions respecting   
,his ,church such as to warrant more    
sanguine expectations of her success4   
#bif ,in ,his charge to ,his disciples1 
,he let them know what they were to     

expect3 ,when you come into a house     
salute it1 saying3 ,peace be to this    
house4 ,and if that house be worthy1    
your peace shall come upon it2 but if it
 be not worthy1 your peace shall return 
to you4 ,and when they shall persecute  
you in this city1 flee into another4    
,footnote #eg      ,footnote #eg3 ,st4  
,matt4 x4 #ab1 #ac1 #bc4  ,nor were     
their trials to be altogether external4 
,and then shall many be scandalised1 and
 shall betray one another1 and shall    
hate one another4 ,and because iniquity 
hath abounded1 the charity of many shall
 wax cold4 ,footnote #eh      ,footnote 
#eh3 ,ib4 xxiv4 #aj1 #ab4  ,when1 then1 
you say1 ,see6 in that country the      
,church has all but died out2 in that   
country faith is weak1 and the most     
active minds in it are estranged from   
religion2 in that country scandals      
abound2 in that country there was a     
great apostasy2 that other was fruitful 
in heresies3--,i reply1 you are only    
verifying our ,lord's predictions2 you  

are only saying what ,he said before the
 event4 ,if religion has not            
accomplished all that could be desired1 
it has at least done what it promised4  
,nor is this all4 ,not only did our     
,lord foresee that many would reject    
,his grace1 but ,he acquiesced in it4   
,his work is not a failure1 because ,he 
does not account it so4 ,what though    
many refuse to listen8 ,they that will  
be saved1 those of good will and honest 
hearts1 they will be saved1 and that is 
enough4 ,he saw of the travail of ,his  
soul1 and was satisfied4 ,our ,lord shed
 ,his blood for all men2 ,he willed     
seriously the salvation of all men2 but 
since all will not be saved1 ,he is     
content to give it for those who will4  
,he is the ,saviour of all men1         
especially of the faithful4 ,footnote   
#ei      ,footnote #ei3 #a ,tim4 iv4    
#aj4  ,when ,he came to ,jerusalem to   
die1 looking at the city1 ,he wept to   
think how many were there who knew not  
the time of their visitation2 but that  

did not deter ,him from marching on to  
,mount ,calvary4 ,when ,he foretold to  
,st4 ,peter1 before ,his passion1 all   
,he was about to suffer1 ,st4 ,peter1   
with mistaken affection1 begged ,him to 
spare ,himself4 ,far be this from ,thee4
 #big ,how much more would he have      
dissuaded our ,lord1 if he could have   
foreseen in how many cases these labors 
and sufferings would have been          
fruitless4 ,would he not have said to   
,him1 ,o ,lord6 do not suffer so much1  
turn away thy face from the smiter1 and 
thy mouth from gall4 ,do not crush ,thy 
heart with cruel grief1 or bathe ,thy   
body in a sweat of agony4 ,the very men 
for whom ,thou diest will disbelieve    
,thee1 or1 believing1 will disobey      
,thee4  ,can we doubt to what effect our
 ,saviour would have answered8 ,if ,i be
 lifted up ,i will draw all men to ,me1 
and all will not resist ,me4 ,i shall   
see of the travail of ,my soul1 and     
shall be satisfied4  ,or ,i can imagine 
that at the ,last ,supper1 as our ,lord 

was about to institute the ,blessed     
,sacrament of ,his body and blood1 the  
same warm-hearted disciple laying his   
hand on his ,master's arm1 might have   
said1 ,do not do it6 ,thou thinkest they
 cannot withstand this proof of love4   
,but1 alas6 they will pass by unheeding4
 ,thou wilt remain on the altars of ,thy
 churches night and day1 but the        
multitude will not know ,thee1 or ask   
after ,thee1 and they that do know ,thee
 will insult ,thee in ,thy very gifts1  
will treat ,thee with disrespect1 and   
receive ,thee with dishonor4 ,but our   
,lord gently disregards his             
remonstrance1 and having loved ,his own 
who were in the world1 loves them to the
 end1 and for them is contented to make 
,himself a perpetual prisoner of love4  
,oh1 my brethren1 our statistics and our
 arithmetic are sadly at fault when we  
are dealing with divine things4 ,when   
,abraham went to plead with ,almighty   
,god to spare ,sodom1 he began by asking
 as a great matter that the city might  

be spared if fifty just men were found  
in it1 and the answer was prompt and    
free1 ,i will not do it for fifty's     
sake4 ,somewhat emboldened1 he came down
 by degrees to ten1 and received the    
same answer1 but stopped there1 thinking
 that he could make no further demand on
 the mercy of ,god4 ,it is a thing we   
will never understand1 how much ,god has
 the heart of a father4 #bih ,when news 
was brought to the patriarch ,jacob1    
that ,joseph1 his son1 was yet living1  
all his woes and hardships were         
forgotten in a moment1 and he said3 ,it 
is enough4 ,joseph1 my son1 is yet      
alive4 ,so1 all the unkindness1         
disobedience1 unbelief of men1 are      
compensated to the heart of ,christ by  
the fervor of ,his true children1 ,his  
servants whom ,he hath chosen1 ,his     
elect in whom ,his soul delighteth4     
,weary on the cross1 ,his fainting eye  
sees their fidelity and their love1 and 
,his heart revives1 and ,he says3 ,it is
 enough4 ,christ accounts the fruits of 

,his redemption great1 and they are     
great4 ,this is our temptation1 to      
undervalue the good that is in the      
world4 ,evil is so obtrusive1 that we   
are but too apt to attribute to it a    
larger share in the world than it really
 holds4 ,how much of good1 then1 has    
been and is in the world8  ,the ,blessed
 ,virgin1 the ,queen of ,heaven1 the    
perfect fruit of ,christ's redemption1  
once walked the earth1 engaged in lowly1
 every-day duties1 like any maid or     
mother among us4 ,moses and ,elias and  
,st4 ,john the ,baptist once lived our  
life here on the earth2 and the hundred 
and forty-four thousand who sing a new  
song before the throne of ,god1 and the 
great multitude that no man can number  
out of all people and kindreds and      
tribes and tongues1 clothed in white and
 with palms in their hands4 ,you talk of
 failure6 ,why has not the sound of the 
gospel gone into all lands1 and its     
words to the end of the world8 ,have not
 empires owned its sway1 and kings come 

bending to seek its blessings8 ,have not
 millions of martyrs loved it better    
than their lives8 ,has not the solitary 
place been made glad by the hymns of its
 anchorites1 and the desert blossomed   
like a rose under their toil8 ,is there 
a profession1 or trade1 or court1 or    
country which has not been sanctified by
 moral heroes who drew in their holy    
inspirations from its lessons8 ,and who 
can tell us the amount of goodness in   
every-day life1 to some extent          
necessarily hidden1 but of which we     
catch such unearthly glimpses1 and which
 is the practical fruit of its          
principles8 #bii ,the virtuous families1
 the upright transactions1 the glorious 
sacrifices1 the noble charities1 the    
restraint of passion1 the interior      
purity1 the patient perseverance6       
,listen to the description which ,god   
,himself gives of the results of the    
gospel3  ,who are these1 that fly as    
clouds1 and as doves to their windows8  
,for the islands wait for me1 and the   

ships of the sea in the beginning2 that 
,i may bring thy sons from afar2 their  
silver and their gold with them1 to the 
name of the ,lord thy ,god1 and to the  
,holy ,one of ,israel1 because ,he hath 
glorified thee4 ,iniquity shall no more 
be heard in thy land1 wasting nor       
destruction in thy borders2 and         
salvation shall possess thy walls1 and  
praise thy gates4 ,thy sun shall go down
 no more1 and thy moon shall not        
decrease3 for the ,lord shall be unto   
thee for an everlasting light1 and the  
days of thy mourning shall be ended4    
,and thy people shall be all just2 they 
shall inherit the land forever1 the     
branch of my planting1 the work if my   
hand1 to glorify me4 ,the least shall   
become a thousand1 and a little one a   
most strong nation4 ,i1 the ,lord1 will 
suddenly do this thing in its time4     
,footnote #fj      ,footnote #fj3 ,isai4
 lx4 #h1 #i1 #ah1 #bj1 #ba4 #bb4  ,now1 
this is the ,catholic ,church1 as ,god  
saw it in the future1 and as ,he sees it

 now4 ,these beautiful words are true in
 their measure1 of every diocese1 of    
every parish1 in our day4 ,to-day1 as   
the ,holy ,church throughout the world  
flings open her doors and rings her     
bells1 and the crowd press in1 in       
cities1 in villages1 in country places1 
,god recognizes thousands of his true   
worshippers1 who worship ,him in spirit 
and in truth4 ,we see and know some of  
them1 but only ,his all-seeing eye sees 
them all1 and only ,his omniscience1    
which foreknows the number of those who 
shall be ,his by faith and good works1  
can measure the greatness of the harvest
 of souls which ,he will reap at the end
 of the world4 ,the ,lord cometh with   
ten thousand of ,his saints4 #cjj ,the  
,last ,judgment is the victory of       
,christ4 ,then again1 surrounded by the 
fruit of ,his passion1 ,he may repeat   
the words which ,he spoke at the close  
of ,his earthly ministry3 ,i have       
glorified thee upon the earth4 ,i have  
finished the work which thou gavest me  

to do4 ,those whom thou gavest ,me ,i   
have kept1 and none of them hath        
perished except the son of perdition4   
,footnote #fa      ,footnote #fa3 ,st4  
,john xvii4 #d1 #ab4  ,these thoughts   
point the way to two practical lessons1 
one relating to our duty to others1 the 
other relating to our duty to ourselves4
  ,we see here the spirit in which we   
ought to labor for the conversion of    
others4 ,there is certainly a great deal
 of good to be done around us4 ,how many
 in this country are out of the ,ark of 
safety1 the ,catholic ,church of        
,christ6 ,how many in her fold need our 
efforts and labors to make them better6 
,why are we not more active in laboring 
for them8 ,we say it is of no use2 we   
have tried and failed4 ,those whose     
conversion we had most at heart seem    
farther off from the truth than ever4   
,it is no use hoping for the conversion 
of those who are not ,catholics2 they   
are too set in their ways4 ,many of     
those ,catholics1 too1 who were doing   

well as we hoped1 have fallen off again1
 and we are weary of laboring with so   
little success4 ,oh6 what a mean spirit 
this is2 how unlike the spirit of       
,christ6 ,how unlike the spirit of that 
apostle who made himself all things to  
all men that he might save some4 ,you   
will put up with no failures4 ,christ   
and ,st4 ,paul were content to meet with
 many failures for the sake of some     
success4 ,how unlike the spirit of ,st4 
,francis of ,sales1 who labored so hard 
during so many discouraging years1 for  
the conversion of his misguided ,swiss4 
,christ was rejected and crucified by   
those whom ,he came to teach4 ,the      
apostles were despised and their names  
cast out as evil4 ,and you will not     
labor because you cannot have immediate 
and full success4 ,but some success you 
will meet with4 #cja ,you may not       
convert the one you desire to convert1  
but you will convert another4 ,you may  
not succeed in the way or at the time   
you look for1 but you will succeed in   

some other way and at some other time4  
,there is nothing well done and         
charitably done for the truth that falls
 to the ground4 ,god's word does not    
return to ,him void1 but accomplishes   
the thing whereunto ,he sent it4 ,we    
labor1 and other men enter into our     
labors4 ,but the good work is done1 and 
the fruits are garnered in heaven4 ,be  
of great hopes1 then4 ,you1 my brethren 
of the priesthood1 dare to undertake    
great things for the honor of our ,lord 
and the extension of ,his kingdom4 ,use 
every means that prudence and charity   
can suggest to gain souls to ,christ4   
,in the morning sow your seed1 and in   
the evening withhold not your hand4     
,labor in season and out of season4 ,for
 ,sion's sake hold not your hand1 and   
for ,jerusalem's sake do not rest1 until
 her justice come forth as a brightness1
 and her salvation be lighted as a lamp6
 ,and you1 my brethren of the laity1    
labor each in your place1 as far as may 
be given you1 in the same work4         

,blessing must come from labor1 and     
reward from ,him who has promised that  
they that instruct many to justice shall
 shine as stars for all eternity4       
,footnote #fb      ,footnote #fb3 ,dan4 
xii4 #c4  ,the other lesson we learn is 
one which teaches us how to guide       
ourselves in a world of sin and scandal4
 ,it is no uncommon thing for men to    
draw injury to their own souls from the 
disorders around them1 by making them a 
pretext for neglecting their own        
salvation1 or taking a low standard of  
duty4 ,one says1 there is a man who does
 not attend to his religious duties1 and
 makes out of this an excuse for his own
 neglect4 ,what is that to thee8 ,follow
 thou ,me1 is the answer of ,christ4    
,there is another who does go to the    
sacraments1 but whose life is           
disedifying4 ,he is profane1            
quarrelsome1 untruthful1 and artful4    
#cjb ,perhaps he is guilty of worse sins
 than these4 ,what is that to thee8 is  
again the answer3 ,follow thou ,me4 ,my 

love1 ,my life1 my teaching is to be the
 rule of thy conduct1 not the doctrines 
of others4 ,oh6 how this cuts the way   
open to a solution of that question with
 which we sometimes vex ourselves4 ,are 
there few or many that will be saved8   
,there are few if few1 many if many4    
,few if few hear and obey1 many if many 
hear and obey4 ,wisdom crieth aloud1 she
 uttereth her voice in the streets2 he  
that hath ears to hear1 let him hear4   
,one hears1 lays up and ponders in his  
heart1 like ,mary1 what he hears1 and   
becomes a saint4 ,another hears as one  
who looks in a glass and immediately    
forgets what he saw reflected in it4    
,here is the distinction which produces 
election and reprobation1 salvation and 
damnation4 ,this is the practical       
question for each one of us3 ,to which  
of these classes do ,i belong8 ,this is 
the prayer which ought to be our daily  
petition3 ,give me1 ,o ,lord1 an        
understanding heart1 to know the things 
that belong to my peace1 before they are

 forever hid from my eyes4 ,how great   
the misery of passing through life      
slothful1 careless1 inattentive1 and so 
losing the heavenly wisdom we might     
learn6 ,how great the happiness of      
keeping the word in a good heart1 and   
bringing forth fruit with patience6     
,those who do this not only secure their
 salvation1 but they console ,christ for
 all ,his cruel sufferings1 for they    
constitute the fruit of ,his ,passion1  
the success of ,his ,gospel1 the crown  
of ,glory which ,he receives from the   
hand of ,his ,father1 the ,royal ,diadem
 which ,he will wear for all eternity4  
---------------------  #cjc             
,sermon ,,ix4    ,the ,work ,of ,life4  
7,septuagesima7      ,why stand ye here 
all the day idle4    --,st4 ,matt4 xx4  
#f4   ,the parable in to-day's ,gospel  
is intended to describe the invitations 
which ,god has given1 from time to time 
in the history of the world1 to various 
races and peoples1 to enter the true    
,church and be saved4 ,but it may be    

applied by analogy to ,his dealings with
 each individual soul1 and our ,lord's  
question in the text may be understood  
by each one of us as addressed directly 
to himself4 ,taken in this sense1 it    
affords instruction and admonition1     
useful at all times1 but more especially
 suitable on this day1 when the ,church 
first strikes the keynote of those      
stirring lessons of personal duty and   
accountability which are to be the      
burden of her teachings through the     
coming season of ,lent4  ,and1 first1 it
 reminds us of that solemn truth1 that  
we have an appointed work to do on      
earth4 ,it is difficult for us not to be
 sceptical sometimes on this point4     
,life is so short and uncertain1 man is 
so frail and erring1 that it seems      
strange the few years spent here on     
earth should exert any great influence  
on our eternity4 ,some such feeling as  
this was at the bottom of the old idea  
of heathen philosophy that ,god does not
 concern ,himself with the affairs of   

men1 that we and our doings are of too  
little consequence to occupy ,his       
attention4 ,the book of ,wisdom well    
expresses this creed3 ,for we are born1 
say they 7that is1 the unbelieving71 of 
nothing1 and after this we shall be as  
if we had not been2 and our life shall  
pass away as the trace of a cloud1 and  
shall be dispersed as a mist1 which is  
driven away by the beams of the sun1 and
 overpowered by the heat thereof4 ,and  
our name in time shall be forgotten3 and
 no man shall have any remembrance of   
our works4 ,footnote #fc      ,footnote 
#fc3 ,wisdom ii4 #b-d4  #cjd  ,but such 
a view of life does not agree either    
with reason or revelation4 ,god1 being  
,infinite ,wisdom1 must have an end in  
every thing which ,he created4 ,if it   
was not beneath ,him to create1 it      
cannot be beneath ,him to govern ,his   
creatures2 and reason and free will must
 have been given to ,his rational       
creatures to guide them to their end4   
,it is absurd to suppose a moral and    

intellectual being without a law and a  
destiny4 ,and revelation confirms this  
decision of reason4 ,it seems as if the 
,bible were written1 in great part1 to  
dispel the notion that ,god is a mere   
abstraction1 and to exhibit ,him to us  
as a personal ,god1 interfering in ,his 
creation1 giving to each created thing  
its place1 and taking note of its       
operation4 ,in the pages of ,scripture  
the world is not a chance world1 where  
every thing is doubt and confusion2 but 
an orderly world1 where every thing has 
its place4 ,it is a vineyard1 into which
 laborers are sent to gather the        
harvest4 ,it is a house1 in which each  
part has its order and use4 ,it is a    
body1 in which each member shares the   
common life1 and contributes to it4 ,it 
is a school1 in which each scholar is   
learning a special lesson4 ,it is a     
kingdom1 in which citizen is bound to   
the other in relations of duty or       
authority4 ,yes1 ,god has left a wide   
field for the free exercise of human    

choice and will4 ,the pursuits of men1  
their studies1 their pleasures1 may be  
infinitely varied at their will2 but not
 to have a mission from ,heaven1 not to 
have a work to do on earth1 not to be   
created by ,god with a special          
vocation--this is not possible for man4 
,he is too honorable and great4 ,the    
image of ,god1 which is traced on his   
soul1 is too deep and enduring2 his     
relation to ,god is too direct and      
immediate4 ,no man can live unto        
himself1 and no man can die unto        
himself4 ,each man that comes into the  
world is but an agent sent by ,god on a 
special embassy4 ,and each man that     
dies1 but goes back to give an account  
of its performance4  #cje  ,do not      
accuse me of saddening and depressing   
you by thus covering man's life1 from   
the cradle to the grave1 with the pall  
of accountability4 ,if ,god were a      
tyrant1 if ,he reaped where ,he did not 
sow1 if ,he exacted what was beyond our 
strength1 if ,his service did not make  

us happy1 if in ,his judgment of our    
actions ,he did not take into account   
the circumstances of each one1 his      
opportunities1 his ignorances1 and even 
his frailties1 then1 indeed1 the thought
 of our accountability would be a       
dreadful and depressing one4 ,but while 
our ,master and ,judge is a ,god whose  
compassion is as great as ,his power1   
whose service is our highest            
satisfaction1 who knows whereof we are  
made1 and who in ,his judgment remembers
 mercy1 the thought that each one of us 
has an appointed work to do is not only 
an incentive to duty1 but the secret of 
happiness4 ,there is nothing pleasant in
 a life without responsibility4 ,rest1  
indeed1 is pleasant1 but rest implies   
labor that has gone before1 and it is   
the labor that makes the rest sweet4    
,the sleep of a laboring man is sweet1  
says the ,holy ,scripture4 ,but a life  
all rest1 with nothing special to do1   
without aim1 without obligation1 is a   
life without honor and without peace4   

,they who spend their time in rushing   
from one amusement to another are       
commonly listless and wretched at heart1
 and seek only to forget in excitement  
the weariness and disappointment within4
 ,god has made the law1 ,in the sweat of
 thy face thou shalt eat bread1         
medicinal as well as vindicative4 ,when1
 then1 you tell me that this world is   
not my all2 that ,i have an immortal    
destiny1 that life is a preparation for 
it2 that the infinite truth is mine to  
know1 the infinite beauty mine to       
possess2 that ,i have a mission to      
fulfil2 sin to conquer2 duties to       
perform2 merits to acquire2 an account  
to render2 you tell me that which indeed
 makes my conscience thrill with awe1   
but which1 at the same time1 takes all  
the meanness1 the emptiness1 the        
littleness out of life1 covers it with  
glory1 blends it with heaven1 expands   
the soul1 and fills it with hope and    
joy4  #cjf  ,o truth too little known6  
,religion is not meant to be only a     

solace in affliction1 a help in         
temptation1 a refuge when the world     
fails us4 ,all these it is1 but much    
more4 ,it is the business and employment
 of life4 ,it is the task for which we  
were born4 ,it is the work for which our
 life is prolonged from day to day4 ,it 
is the consecration of my whole being to
 ,god4 ,it is to realize that wherever  
,i am1 whatever ,i do1 ,i am the child  
of ,god1 doing ,his will1 and extending 
,his kingdom on earth4 ,this is the     
secret of life4 ,this is the meaning of 
the world4 ,this is ,god's way of       
looking at the world4 ,as ,he looks down
 from heaven1 all other distinctions    
among men vanish1 distinctions of       
nationality1 differences of education1  
differences of station1 and wealth1 and 
influence1 and only one distinction     
remains--the distinction between the    
righteous and the wicked1 between him   
that serveth ,god and him that serveth  
,him not4 ,when we look at the world1 it
 dazzles us by its greatness1 and       

overpowers us by its multiplicity4 ,it  
is so eager and restless4 ,it is so     
importunate and overbearing4 ,here is   
the secret which disenchants us from its
 spell4 ,the world is not for itself4   
,it is not its own end4 ,it is but the  
field of human probation4 ,it is but the
 theatre on which men are exercising    
each day their highest faculty1 the     
power of free will4 ,it is the scene of 
the great struggle between good and     
evil1 between heaven and hell1 the      
battle that began when ,michael and his 
angels fought with the dragon1 and the  
dragon fought and his angels4 ,footnote 
#fd      ,footnote #fd3 ,apoc4 xii4 #g  
,into this arena each generation has    
entered1 one after another1 to show     
their valor4 ,once the saints of whom we
 read in the ,bible and the history of  
the ,church were upon the earth1 and it 
was their turn1 and heaven and earth    
were watching them4 ,they did their work
 well4 #cjg ,so penetrated were they    
with the great thought of eternity that 

some of them1 like ,abraham1 left home  
and kindred1 and went out not knowing   
whither they went2 and others1 like the 
martyrs1 gave their hearts' blood for a 
sacrifice4 ,and there were others who   
were not saints1 for they were not      
called to deeds of heroism1 but they    
were good men1 who in simplicity of     
heart fulfilled each duty1 and served   
,god with clean hands and pure hearts4  
,and penitents have come in their turn4 
,once they were unwise1 and the world   
deceived them1 and they followed their  
own will1 but afterward they turned to  
,god1 and redeemed their former sins by 
a true penance1 and died in the number  
of those who overcame the ,wicked ,one4 
,and now it is our turn4 ,there are many
 adversaries4 ,all things are ready4    
,the herald has called our name4 ,and as
 the primitive martyrs1 condemned to the
 wild beasts in the amphitheatre1 nerved
 themselves for the encounter by the    
thought of the thousand spectators      
ranged around1 so to animate our courage

 let us give heed to the sympathizing   
witnesses who watch our strife1 and who 
cry to us from heaven and from earth3   
,be valiant6 ,do battle for the right6  
,acquit you like men6 ,be strong6  ,and 
again1 as our ,lord's words in the text 
remind us that we have an appointed work
 to do1 they remind us also that we have
 an allotted time to do it in4 ,all men 
acknowledge that religion is a thing to 
be attended to4 ,but when8 ,some seem to
 think that it is enough to attend to   
religion at ,easter and ,christmas1 and 
that at other times it may be left      
alone4 ,some at still more distant      
intervals1 when the time has been too   
long1 and the number of sins too great1 
and the burden on the conscience too    
heavy4 ,others propose to attend to it  
in the leisure of old age1 or just      
before they leave this world4 ,and very 
many imagine that1 if a man actually    
makes his peace with ,god at any time   
before he dies1 there is not much to be 
regretted4 ,how different is ,god's     

intention in this matter6 ,man goeth    
forth1 to his work and to his labor     
until the evening4 ,think of a          
day-laborer4 #cjh ,he rises very early  
in the morning1 in the winter1 long     
before it is light1 and goes off to his 
work4 ,he works all day until the       
evening1 pausing only at noon1 when he  
seeks some hollow in the rock1 or the   
shelter of some overhanging shrub1 to   
protect him from the cold or the heat1  
while he eats his frugal dinner4 ,now1  
it is after this pattern that ,god      
wishes us to work out our salvation4    
,the ,christian should work from the    
morning till the evening1 from the      
beginning of life to the end of it4     
,there is not a day that ,god does not  
claim for his own4 ,there is not an hour
 over which ,he has resigned ,his       
sovereignty4 ,a man who perfectly       
fulfils his duty begins to serve ,god   
early in the morning4 ,in the morning of
 life1 in early youth1 when the dewdrops
 sparkle in the sunshine1 and the birds 

sing under the leaves1 and the flowers  
are in their fresh bloom and fragrance1 
and every thing is full of keen         
enjoyment1 there is a low1 sweet voice  
that speaks to the soul of the happy    
boy3 ,my son1 give me thy heart4 ,and he
 heeds that voice4 ,it is time for first
 communion1 and he has leave to go4 ,he 
does not know fully the meaning of the  
act4 ,it is too great and deep4 ,but he 
knows that he is making a choice of     
,god4 ,he knows that ,god is very near  
him1 and he is very happy4 ,by and by   
the time has come for confirmation4 ,the
 candidates stand before the bishop1 and
 see1 that boy is among the number4 ,he 
is changed from what he was4 ,he has    
grown to be a youth now4 ,he is more    
thoughtful and reserved4 ,he knows now  
what temptation means2 he has seen the  
shadow of sin2 he has caught the tones  
of the world's song of pleasure2 but he 
does not waver2 he is bold and resolute 
for the right1 and he is come to fortify
 himself for the conflict of life by the

 special grace of the ,almighty4 ,and   
now time goes on1 and he passes through 
the most dangerous part of life3 he is a
 young man1 he goes into business1 he   
marries4 ,there are times of fierce     
temptation1 there are times when the    
objects of faith seem all to fade away  
from his mind1 there are times when it  
seems as if the only good was the       
enjoyment of this world1 but prayer and 
vigilance and a fixed will carry him    
through1 and he passes the most critical
 period of life without any grievous    
stain on his soul4 #cji ,thus passes the
 noonday of his life1 and he comes to   
its decline4 ,it draweth toward evening4
 ,the shadows are getting long4 ,the sun
 and the light and the moon are growing 
dark1 and the clouds return after the   
rain4 ,he is an old man and feeble1 but 
there he is with the same heart he gave 
to ,god in youth2 he has never recalled 
the offering4 ,he has been true to his  
faith1 true to his promises1 true to his
 conscience1 and at the hour of death he

 can sing his ,nunc dimittis1 and go to 
the judgment seat of ,christ humbly but 
confidently to claim the reward of a    
true and faithful servant4 ,beautiful   
picture6 ,life to be envied6 ,a life    
spent with ,god1 over which the devil   
has never had any real power4 ,but you  
tell me this is a mere fancy picture2 no
 one lives such a life4 ,i tell you this
 is the life ,god intended you and ,i   
should live4 ,there have been men who   
have lived such lives1 though1 indeed1  
they are not many4 ,but the number is   
not so small of those who approximate to
 it4 ,even suppose a man falls into     
mortal sin1 and more than once1 all is  
not lost4 ,suppose him1 in some hour of 
temptation1 to cast off his allegiance  
to ,god1 and in his discouragement to   
look upon a life of virtue as a dream2  
yet1 if such a one gathers up his       
manhood1 if in humble acknowledgment of 
his sin he returns with new courage to  
take his place in the ,christian race1  
such a man recovers not only the        

friendship of ,god1 but the merits of   
his past obedience4 ,there is a process 
of restoration in grace as well as in   
nature4 ,penance has power to heal the  
wounds and knit over the gaps which sin 
has made4 ,what does the ,holy          
,scripture say8 ,i will restore to you  
the years which the locust1 and the     
canker-worm1 and the mildew1 and the    
palmer-worm hath eaten4 ,footnote #fe   
,footnote #fe3 ,joel ii4 #be4  #caj     
,many a man's life1 which has not been  
without sin1 has yet a character of     
continuity and a uniform tending toward 
,god4 ,i believe there are many who have
 this kind of perfection4 ,they cannot  
say1 ,i have not sinned1 for they have  
had bitter experience of their own      
frailty2 but they can say1 ,i have      
sinned1 but ,i have not made sin a law  
to me4 ,i have not allowed myself in    
sin1 or withdrawn myself from ,thy      
obedience4 ,i have not gone backward    
from ,thee4 ,i have fallen1 but ,i have 
risen again4 ,o ,lord1 ,thou hast been  

my hope1 even from my youth1 from my    
youth until now1 until old age and gray 
hairs4  ,and now1 my brethren1 if we try
 our past lives and our present conduct 
by the thought of the work we have to do
 on earth and the persevering attention 
we ought to pay to it1 do we not find   
matter for alarm8 and does not our      
,lord's question convey to us the       
keenest reproach8 ,why stand ye here all
 the day idle8 ,yes1 idle2 that is the  
word4 ,there is all the difference in   
the world between committing a sin in   
the time of severe temptation1 for which
 we are afterward heartily sorry1 and   
doing nothing for our salvation4 ,and is
 not this our crime1 that we are idlers 
and triflers in religion8 ,what have our
 past lives been8 ,what years spent in  
neglect1 or even in sin8 ,what long     
periods of utter forgetfulness of ,god8 
,what loss of time8 ,what excessive     
anxiety about this world8 ,what devotion
 to pleasure8 ,and are we now really    
doing any thing for heaven8 ,are we     

really redeeming the past by a true     
penance8 ,are we diligent in prayer1    
watchful against temptation1 watchful of
 the company we keep1 watchful of the   
influence we exert1 watchful over our   
tempers1 watchful to fulfil our duties1 
watchful against habits of sin8 ,are we 
living the lives ,god intended us to    
live8 ,can we say1 ,i am fulfilling the 
requirements of my conscience1 in the   
standard which ,i propose to myself8    
,ah6 is not this our misery1 that we    
have left off striving8 that we are     
doing nothing1 or at least nothing      
serious and worthy of our salvation8    
,why stand ye all the day idle8 ,all the
 day4 ,time is going4 #caa ,time that   
might have made us holy1 time that has  
sanctified so many others who set ,out  
with us in life1 is gone1 never to      
return4 ,the future is uncertain2 how   
much of the day of life is left to us we
 know not4 ,and graces have been        
squandered4 ,no doubt1 as long as we    
live we shall have sufficient grace to  

turn to ,god1 if we will2 but we know   
not what we do1 when we squander those  
special graces which ,god gives us now  
and then through life4 ,the tender      
heart1 the generous purpose that we had 
in youth2 the fervor of our first       
conversion2 the kind warnings and       
admonitions of friends long dead2 these 
have all passed away4 ,oh1 what         
opportunities have we thrown away6 ,what
 means of grace misused6 ,why stand ye  
all the day idle8 ,you cannot say1 ,no  
man hath hired us4 ,god has not left you
 to the light of natural reason alone1  
to find out your destiny4 ,in baptism   
,he has plainly marked out for you your 
work4 ,and now in reproachful tones ,he 
speaks to your conscience3 ,creature of 
my hand1 whom ,i made to serve and      
glorify me2 purchase of my blood1 whom  
,i bought to love me2 heir of heaven1   
for whose fidelity ,i have prepared an  
eternal reward1 why is it that you      
resist my will1 withstand your own      
conscience and reason1 despise my blood1

 and throw away your own happiness8     
,but the words of ,christ are not only a
 reproach1 but an invitation4 ,why stand
 ye here all the day idle8 ,it is not1  
then1 too late4 ,god does nothing in    
vain2 and when ,he calls us to ,his     
service1 ,he pledges himself that the   
necessary graces shall not be wanting1  
nor the promised reward fail4 ,church   
history is full of beautiful instances  
of souls that1 after long neglect1      
recovered themselves by a fervent       
penance4 ,some even1 who are high in the
 ,church's ,calendar of ,saints1 had the
 neglect and sin of years upon their    
consciences when they began4 ,there is  
only one unpardonable sin1 and that is  
to put off conversion until it is too   
late4 ,as long as ,god calls1 you can   
hearken and be saved4 ,to-day1 then1    
once more ,he calls4 ,to-day1 once more 
the trumpet-blast of penance sounds in  
your ears4 #cab ,another ,lent is       
coming1 a season of penance and prayer4 
,prepare yourself for that holy season  

by examination of your conscience4      
,refuse no longer to work in the ,lord's
 vineyard4 ,offer no more excuses2 make 
no more delay4 ,work while it is called 
to-day1 that when the evening comes1 and
 the ,lord gives to the laborers their  
hire1 you may be found a faithful       
workman1 that needeth not to be ashamed4
  ---------------------      ,sermon ,x4
    ,the ,church's ,admonition ,to ,the 
,individual ,soul4     7,ash            
,wednesday47    ,take heed to thyself4  
--#a ,tim4 iv4 #af4   ,the services of  
the ,church to-day are very impressive4 
,the matter of her teaching is not      
different from usual4 ,the shortness of 
life1 the certainty of judgment1 the    
necessity of faith and repentance1 are  
more or less the topics of her teaching 
at all times of the year4 ,but this     
teaching is ordinarily given to the     
assembled congregation1 to crowds1 to   
multitudes4 ,but to-day she speaks to us
 as individuals4 ,she summons us1 one by
 one1 young and old1 and1 as we kneel   

before her1 she says to us1 while she   
scatters dust on our foreheads1 ,dust   
thou art1 and unto dust thou shalt      
return4 ,it is in this individual and   
personal character of her warning that  
,i find its special significance and    
impressiveness4 ,there is no mistaking  
what she means4 ,remember1 ,o man1 that 
thou art dust1 and unto dust shalt thou 
return4 ,she separates each one of us   
from all others1 and gives her message  
to him in particular4 ,it is an emphatic
 mode of conveying ,st4 ,paul's         
admonition to ,st4 ,timothy3 ,take heed 
to thyself4  #cac  ,if we take only the 
sound of the words1 it might seem that  
no such admonition was necessary4 ,for1 
in one sense1 men attend to themselves  
quite enough4 ,but1 in fact1 there is   
more than one self in a man4 ,there is  
the self that is made up of our         
passions1 our failings and disgusts1 our
 comforts and conveniences3 this is the 
self that speaks so loudly in the heart1
 and obtrudes itself so disagreeably on 

others4 ,this1 when indulged1 is what we
 call selfishness1 and this it is which 
it is one main object of religion to    
repress4 ,but there is another self in a
 man1 his true and noble self1 that self
 which makes him an individual being1   
which asserts itself most distinctly in 
that part of his soul where it comes    
into closest contact with ,god1 namely1 
his conscience4 ,and this self it is    
very possible for men to forget4 ,a man 
may be a priest and have the care of    
souls1 and be employed in preaching and 
administering the sacraments1 or he may 
be a bishop1 and live an active life in 
governing his church1 and yet he may    
forget himself in this sense4 ,st4      
,timothy was a bishop1 a sharer in      
apostolic character and apostolic gifts1
 and yet ,st4 ,paul did not think it    
unnecessary to give him the warning of  
the text4 ,how must1 then1 a man forget 
himself whose occupation is more        
secular8 ,tell me3 those eager crowds   
one meets with in the streets1 hurrying 

hither and thither1 do you think each   
one of these realizes that in some sense
 there is no other in the world but ,god
 and he8 ,or in a crowded church1 on    
,sunday1 when the preacher1 in ,god's   
name1 is enforcing this duty1 or        
denouncing that vice1 that woman sitting
 in the pew1 that man standing in the   
aisle1 does he1 does she realize that   
the words are spoken to them            
individually1 that it is a lesson they  
are to lay to heart--to practise8 ,no6  
,i must say what ,i think1 that there   
are some who pass through life1 from the
 cradle to the grave1 almost without    
ever once fully awakening to their own  
self-consciousness2 to their own        
individual existence1 apart from the    
world around them2 and their own        
individual relations to ,god4 #cad ,a   
man may even practise his religion1 may 
know a great deal about it1 may talk    
about it1 may listen to every word of   
the sermon in the church1 may say his   
night prayers1 may even go through some 

kind of a confession and communion1     
without fully awaking to these things4  
,paradoxical as it may seem1 ,i believe 
that there are not a few men1 who1 of   
all persons in the world of whom they   
have any knowledge1 are on terms of the 
slightest and most distant acquaintance 
with themselves4  ,and ,i will give you 
one proof that this is true4 ,you know  
how troubled many men are in sickness1  
or on a sleepless night1 or in times of 
great calamity4 ,some persons are       
greatly troubled in a storm1 when the   
thunder rolls over their heads1 and the 
lightning flashes in their eyes4 ,now1  
of course1 nervousness1 physical causes1
 mental laws1 and social considerations1
 may enter more or less into the        
production of this uneasiness1 but is   
there not very often something deeper   
than any of these8 ,is it not something 
that the man has done yesterday1 or last
 week1 or last year1 and that he has    
never set right2 some unjust            
transaction1 some evil deed1 some act of

 gross neglect of duty1 some miserable  
passion cherished1 some impure words    
spoken1 some cruelty or shrinking from  
what is right1 or falsehood1 or         
mischief-making4 ,it is not a matter of 
imagination4 ,it is not fancy1 but fact4
 ,he remembers but too well2 he knows   
when it was done1 and all the           
consequences of it1 every thing comes up
 distinctly4 ,he shuts his eyes1 but he 
cannot shut it out4 ,you know the clock 
ticks all day long2 amid the various    
cares of the day you do not hear it1 but
 oh1 how distinct and loud it is at     
night when your ear catches it4 ,did you
 ever have an aching tooth1 which you   
could just manage to bear during the    
excitement of the day1 but which began  
to throb and become intolerable when all
 was still at night1 and you had gone to
 bed8 ,so the uneasiness ,i have denoted
 is a real pain of the soul1 which we   
manage to keep down and forget1 or      
deaden1 during our seasons of business  
and enterprise1 but in hours of         

loneliness and danger makes itself felt4
 #cae ,and what does this show but that 
you do not attend to your real self2    
that there is some dark corner of your  
heart in which you fear to look4 ,you   
keep the veil down1 because you know    
there is a skeleton behind it and you   
are afraid to look at it4 ,and so you go
 through life1 playing a part1 something
 that you are not1 with smiles on your  
lips and honeyed words in your mouth1   
laughing and jesting1 eating and        
drinking and sleeping1 working and      
trading1 going in and out1 paying visits
 and receiving them1 seeking admiration 
and flattering others1 while all the    
while1 deep down in your soul1 there is 
that nameless something1 that grief like
 lead in the bottom of your heart1 that 
wound that you are afraid to probe1 or  
to uncover1 or even to acknowledge4     
,and now1 it is this deceitful way in   
which men deal with themselves1 this    
forgetfulness of themselves1 that makes 
death and judgment so terrible4 ,death  

brings out the individuality of the soul
 in the most distinct light4 ,every     
thing that hides us from ourselves shall
 then be removed1 every veil and shred  
torn away1 and only ourselves shall     
remain4 ,a well-known writer has        
expressed this in a few short words3 ,i 
shall die alone2 and the same thought is
 suggested by the language of the       
,gospel in reference to the end of the  
world3 ,two men shall be in the field1  
one shall be taken and the other left4  
,two women shall be grinding at the     
mill1 one shall be taken and the other  
left4 ,one shall be taken1 and he shall 
be taken alone--out of all the          
surroundings which have enveloped him   
here like an atmosphere1 and into which 
he has been fitted like a long-worn     
garment4 ,when our first parents heard  
the voice of the ,lord ,god calling to  
them in the garden after the fall1 they 
hid themselves1 and ,adam said3 ,i was  
afraid1 because ,i was naked1 and ,i hid
 myself4 ,so will it be when the soul   

stands before ,god in its nakedness1    
ashamed because of its guilty           
self-consciousness4 #caf ,so it was with
 the rich man in our ,lord's parable4   
,he lived like the multitude4 ,he had   
four brothers1 and they were all alike4 
,they had heard the sermons of ,moses   
and the ,prophets1 but little did they  
think it all concerned them4 ,but at    
last one of them died1 and then he woke 
up to himself4 ,his life is all before  
him4 ,thou in thy lifetime receivedst   
thy good things4 ,that was the story of 
it4 ,he sees it all now3 he sees what a 
glutton1 what a proud1 hardhearted1     
avaricious man he had been2 he sees what
 a creature of sensuality and           
self-indulgence he is4 ,very different  
is his judgment of himself now1 from    
what it was when1 in his purple robes1  
he revelled in his banqueting-hall1 the 
air heavy with perfume1 and the table   
flowing with silver and flowers1 and the
 slaves bringing in the costly dishes1  
while ,lazarus1 the beggar1 sat at his  

gates1 full of sores1 and hungering for 
the crumbs that fell from his table4    
,and so it will be with us3 awakened to 
a full consciousness that our relations 
to ,god are the only reality4 ,stripped 
of all the circumstances that deceived  
and misled and blinded us here2 with    
conscience fully awakened1 with all the 
consequences of sin open before me and  
all its guilt manifest2 ,i shall be     
brought face to face with myself1 with  
what ,i am1 with what ,i have been1 with
 what ,i have done1 with my sins1 and my
 self-will1 and my pride4 ,yes1 this is 
the real terror of death and judgment4  
,we think its fearfulness will be in the
 frowning ,judge1 and the throne set    
amid thunder and lightnings4 ,oh1 no6   
the ,judge does not frown1 ,he is calm  
and serene4 ,he sits radiant in beauty  
and grace4 ,when these things begin to  
come to pass1 says the evangelist1      
speaking of the signs of the end of the 
world1 then look up and lift up your    
heads1 for your redemption draweth nigh4

 ,no6 ,christ is not transported with   
anger4 ,he is always the same2 but the  
way of ,his coming is different as they 
to whom ,he comes are different4 ,the   
object is unchanged1 but the medium     
through which we view it will be        
different4 #cag ,there shall be an      
apparition of terror to the wicked1 but 
it will not be ,christ1 it will be      
themselves4 ,the face of ,christ shall  
be a mirror in which each man shall see 
himself4 ,young man1 after your career  
of vice and profligacy1 you shall see   
yourself1 the moral leper that you are4 
,there the extortioner1 the fraudulent  
merchant1 shall see himself as he is1   
the unconvicted thief and robber2 there 
the unfaithful husband or wife shall see
 themselves branded with the mark that  
tells their shame4 ,the proud woman     
shall see there the deep stains of her  
soul in all their blackness1 and her    
worldly1 guilty heart1 all laid bare4 ,o
 sight of piercing anguish6 ,o hills and
 mountains fall on us1 and cover us1 and

 hide us from the wrath of ,god and of  
the ,lamb4 ,but no1 it is not from the  
wrath of ,god and of the ,lamb1 that we 
need to be hidden1 it is from ourselves4
 ,which way ,i fly is hell1 myself am   
hell4 ,a lost destiny1 an existence     
bestowed in vain4 ,a life passed as a   
dream2 capacities for happiness never   
used2 graces refused2 time gone2        
opportunity lost2 not merely a law      
broken1 a punishment inflicted2 but ,i1 
myself1 with my supernatural grace and  
destiny--,i1 with all my lofty hopes and
 powers--,i1 ruined and crushed forever3
 that is the hopeless1 boundless misery4
 ,this is the sore affliction of the    
guilty after death2 and it is the dread 
of this dismay that keeps thee trembling
 all thy life4 ,but1 on the other hand1 
for a man to face himself1 to excite    
himself to a consciousness of his own   
individuality1 and to a fulfilment of   
his own personal obligation to ,god1 is 
the way to a peaceful and happy life4   
,the ,scripture uses a notable          

expression when describing the return of
 the prodigal3 ,he came to himself2 and 
in our ordinary language1 when we wish  
to express the idea of a man's seriously
 reflecting on his destiny and duty1 we 
say he enters into himself4 ,these      
expressions are full of significance4   
,they teach us that something is to be  
done that no one can do for us4 ,others 
can help us here1 but each one for      
himself must make his own individual and
 personal election sure4 #cah ,each must
 go down into his own heart1 search out 
all the dark corners1 repent of its     
sins1 resist its passions1 direct its   
aims and desires4 ,it is not a work done
 in a day4 ,it is sometimes a difficult 
work4 ,there are times in which it      
pierces to the very quick of our        
sensitive being1 but it is the real and 
only way to true peace4 ,and oh6 it is  
true and living peace when the soul in  
its deepest centre is anchored to ,god2 
when nothing is covered over1 nothing   
kept from ,his sight4 ,there may be     

imperfections1 there may be sins and    
repentances1 but there must be1 when    
such a course is habitual1 a true and   
growing peace4 ,do not look abroad1 my  
brethren1 for your happiness4 ,it is to 
be found in yourselves4 ,happy he who   
knows the meaning of that word3 ,my ,god
 and ,i4 ,this is to walk with ,god like
 ,abraham4 ,of this man the ,almighty   
says1 as he did of ,jacob1 ,i have known
 thee by thy name4 ,his relations to    
,god are not merely those general ones  
that grow out of creation and           
redemption3 to him ,god is his life1 his
 very being1 the soul of his soul4      
,to-day1 my brethren1 if ,i have led    
your thoughts in the direction ,i have  
wished1 you see that each one of you has
 a great work to do1 that he must do    
himself4 ,it will not do for you that   
you have had a pious mother or a good   
wife4 ,it is not enough that some one   
around you1 who lives near you1 or sits 
near you in the church1 is a good       
,christian4 ,it is not enough that you  

are a ,catholic1 one of the vast body of
 believers in the world4 ,religion is a 
personal1 individual thing4 ,all other  
men in the world may stand or fall3 that
 does not affect you4 ,each one of us   
has his own independent position before 
,god4 ,if you are one of a family1 if   
you live in a house with others1 or work
 in a room with many companions1 if you 
are one of a gang of laborers1 or a     
clerk in an office where many others are
 employed1 or a scholar in a school     
where there are many others of your age1
 there is a circle around you that      
separates you from each one of your     
companions4 #cai ,if you were to die    
to-night1 your sentence would be        
different from that of every other4 ,it 
might be contrary to those of all the   
others4 ,they might be friends of ,god1 
and you ,his only enemy4 ,and the       
difference would be not from any outward
 cause1 but from yourself4 ,i shall see 
,god1 says the prophet1 whom ,i myself  
shall see1 and my eyes shall behold and 

not another4 ,footnote #ff ,and now1 if 
your conscience tells you that there is 
something unsatisfactory in your        
character1 something sinful in your     
conduct1 it is for you to set it right1 
and to do it without delay4 ,it is the  
first duty of ,lent4 ,the forty days of 
grace and penance are given for         
redeeming our sins and saving our souls4
 ,what1 then1 should be each one's      
resolution8 ,i will enter into myself1  
not we will do this1 or ,i will do it if
 my friend does1 but ,i1 myself1 ,i will
 enter into myself4 ,i will ask myself  
what this strange1 mysterious life of   
mine in earnest means1 and whether ,i am
 to-day advancing to my destiny4 ,i will
 break off my sins1 and ,i will pray4   
,it is in prayer that ,i shall          
understand my duty4 ,it is in ,god that 
,i shall find myself4 ,the solemn words 
of the ,church shall not be uttered in  
vain for me3 ,thou art dust1 and unto   
dust thou shalt return4 ,how many have  
heard that warning and are now no more4 

,the young have died1 the old1 the      
pious1 the careless1 the rich1 and the  
poor1 and each has gone to his own      
place1 the place and portion fitted to  
his deeds and his character4 ,perhaps it
 will not be very long before these     
words will be verified in me4 ,the ,mass
 shall be said for me1 the holy water   
sprinkled over my lifeless form4 ,what  
shall it then profit me what others have
 said in my favor or against me8 ,i     
shall be simply what ,i am before ,god4 
,what shall it profit a man to gain the 
whole world and lose his own soul8 ,i   
shall see ,god1 whom ,i myself shall    
see1 and my eyes shall behold and not   
another4      ,footnote #ff3 ,job xix4  
#bg4  ,,note--,this appears to be the   
last sermon which ,f4 ,baker wrote4 ,it 
was preached on the evening of the      
,ash-,wednesday before his death as the 
first of the ,lenten ,course of         
,sermons4                               
----------------------------------------
--  #cbj            ,sermon ,,xi4       

,the ,negligent ,christian4             
7,third ,sunday ,in ,lent47     ,he that
 is not with ,me is against ,me2   and  
he that gathereth not with ,me1         
scattereth4   --,st4 ,luke ,,xi4 #bc4   
,there are many seeds planted in the    
ground that never come up4 ,there is a  
great deal of fruit on the trees that   
never comes to ripeness4 ,so among      
,christians there is a great deal of    
good that always remains incomplete and 
inadequate4 ,who of us has not seen     
such8 ,who of us does not know such8    
,they have some faith1 some religion1   
but they bring no fruit to perfection4  
,now1 what is the blight that destroys  
all their goodness8 ,it is sloth1       
negligence1 tepidity1 call it what you  
will4 ,religion influences them1 but    
does not control them4 ,they do not     
reject it1 but they do not obey it1 at  
least consistently and in principle4    
,they are languid ,christians4 ,they are
 not the worst1 but they are not good4  
,they seek with eagerness the pleasures 

of the world1 and make no conscience of 
avoiding smaller sins1 even when wilful 
and deliberate4 ,they neglect the means 
of grace1 prayer1 sermons1 and          
sacraments1 with but little scruple1 or 
approach them carelessly4 ,they allow   
themselves a close familiarity with     
evil1 dally with temptation1 and now and
 then fall into mortal sin4 ,so they go 
through life1 conscious that they are   
living an unsatisfactory life1 but      
making no vigorous efforts to better it4
 ,it is of such men that ,i would speak 
this morning2 and ,i propose to show how
 displeasing this negligence of our     
salvation is to ,god1 and how dangerous 
it is to ourselves4  #cba  ,the         
negligent ,christian displeases ,god    
because he does not fulfil the end for  
which he was created4 ,what is the end  
for which ,god created us8 ,certainly it
 is not for ourselves1 for before ,god  
created us we were not1 and could not   
have been the end for which ,he made us4
 ,he must have made us for ,himself1 for

 ,his glory4 ,yes1 this is the end for  
which ,he does every thing1 for         
,himself4 ,from the very fact that we   
are created1 our end must be to love and
 serve ,god4 ,we are bound1 then1 to    
love and serve ,god1 and we are bound to
 do it with perfection and alacrity4    
,what kind of creature is that which    
renders to ,god a reluctant and         
imperfect service8 ,suppose a king were 
to appoint a day to receive the homage  
of his subjects1 and while he was       
holding his court1 and one after another
 was coming forward to kiss his hand or 
bend the knee1 some one1 ill-attired1   
and with slovenly demeanor1 should      
approach and offer a heedless reverence4
 ,would it not be taken as an act of    
contempt and an offence8 ,now1 ,god is  
our ,king1 and ,he holds a levee every  
morning and invites the creation to     
renew its homage4 ,the world puts on its
 best array4 ,the sun comes forth as a  
bridegroom out of his chamber1 and      
rejoiceth as a giant to run his course4 

,the mountains and hills clothe         
themselves in blue1 and the trees put on
 their robes of green4 ,the birds sing1 
and the waters move and sparkle4 ,holy  
and humble men of heart rise from their 
beds to enter on their daily course of  
duty and of prayer1 while within the    
veil the spirits of the just and the ten
 thousand times ten thousand angels bow 
before the ,throne of ,him that lives   
forever4 ,and now in this great ,act of 
,praise1 this ceaseless sacrifice that  
creation is offering to its ,maker1     
there comes in the negligent ,christian1
 cold1 distracted1 and unprepared to    
take his part4 ,he does not kneel down  
to pray4 ,he goes to work without a     
blessing4 ,he does not think of ,god4   
,nay1 in ,his very presence says and    
does unseemly things4 ,oh6 is he not a  
blot on the scene8 ,is not his presence 
an offence8 #cbb ,in the ,old           
,testament1 ,god complains of the       
,jewish priests because they brought to 
,him the halt and the blind and the sick

 for sacrifice4 ,he says3 ,offer it now 
to thy prince1 will he be pleased with  
it1 or will he regard thy face8         
,footnote #fg      ,footnote #fg3 ,mal4 
i4 #h4  ,so in like manner1 negligent   
,christian1 ,god complains of you4 ,you 
bring to ,him a lame sacrifice1 those   
feet of thine that stumble so often in  
the way of justice2 a blind and sick    
sacrifice1 that heart of thine1 so fond 
of the world and so weak in the love of 
,god4  ,yes1 ,god requires of us all    
fervor and perfection--of each one of   
us4 ,it is a great mistake to suppose   
that perfection is required only of     
priests or religious2 it is required of 
every one4 ,we are not all required to  
seek perfection in the same way4 ,the   
married seek it in one way1 the         
unmarried in another4 ,the man of       
business seeks it one way1 the recluse  
in another4 ,but everyone is required to
 seek it in such way as accords with his
 state in life4 ,that is a faithful     
servant1 says ,st4 ,gregory1 who        

preserves every day1 to the end of his  
life1 an inexhaustible fervor1 and who  
never ceases to add fire to fire1 ardor 
to ardor1 desire to desire1 and zeal to 
zeal4 ,our own hearts tell us this when 
they are really under the influence of  
the ,spirit of ,god4 ,take a man at his 
first conversion1 either to the faith or
 to a good life1 and how fervent he is6 
,it is not enough for him to come to    
,mass always on a ,sunday1 he will come 
now and then on a week-day4 ,it is not  
enough for him to keep from what is     
sinful1 he will not allow himself all   
that is innocent4 ,he does not think of 
bargaining with ,god4 ,this is his      
thought--that ,god is ,all1 and he is a 
creature1 and that ,god deserves his    
best1 his all4 ,by-and-by1 alas6 as he  
becomes unfaithful1 another spirit comes
 over him4 ,he asks3 ,is this binding   
under mortal sin8 ,that duty is irksome2
 is it a great matter if ,i omit it now 
and then8 ,god tells us what he thinks  
of such a man in the parable of the     

,talents4 #cbc ,when the ,lord came to  
reckon with his servants1 he that had   
received one talent came and said1      
,lord1 ,i know that thou art a hard man1
 thou reapest where thou hast not sown1 
and gatherest where thou hast not       
strewed4 ,and being afraid1 ,i went and 
hid thy talent in the earth4 ,and his   
,lord in answer said to him3 ,thou      
wicked and slothful servant6 thou       
knewest that ,i reap where ,i sow not   
and gather where ,i have not strewed4   
,thou oughtest therefore to have        
committed my money to the bankers1 and  
at my coming ,i should have received my 
own with usury4 ,cast ye the            
unprofitable servant into exterior      
darkness4 ,footnote #fh      ,footnote  
#fh3 ,st4 ,matt4 xxv4 #bd4  ,again1 if  
fervor in our duties is due to ,god as  
our ,creator1 it is none the less due to
 ,christ as our ,redeemer4 ,oh1 how     
strong are the words of ,st4 ,paul3 ,the
 love of ,christ presseth us2 judging   
this1 that if one died for all1 then    

were all dead4 ,and ,christ died for    
all1 that they also that live may not   
now live to themselves but to ,him who  
died for them4 ,footnote #fi            
,footnote #fi3 ,,ii4 ,cor4 v4 #ad4  ,you
 see what his idea was--that the love of
 ,christ was a debt that could never be 
paid1 that it was a claim on us that    
pressed continually1 and was never      
satisfied4 ,and surely it is so4 ,when  
we think at all1 we must all acknowledge
 that it is so4 ,who is ,christ8 the    
,son of ,god1 the ,splendor of ,his     
,father's ,glory1 and the ,image of ,his
 ,substance4 ,who are we8 lost sinners4 
,and for us ,he did not abhor the       
,virgin's womb4 ,he did not refuse to   
bear our infirmities1 and carry our     
sorrows4 ,he gave ,his body to the      
smiters1 and turned not away from those 
that rebuked ,him and spat upon ,him4   
,he gave ,his blood as a ransom for     
many1 and laid down ,his life for sin4  
,was there ever love like this8 ,while  
gratitude lives among men1 what shall be

 the return given to ,christ by those   
whom ,he has redeemed8 ,is the return we
 are actually making such as ,he        
deserves8 #cbd ,was it for this that ,he
 died1 that we should not commit quite  
so many mortal sins8 ,was it for this   
that ,he hung on the cross1 that only   
now and then we should omit some        
important duty8 ,was it for this that   
,he sweat those great drops of blood1   
that we should live a slothful and      
irreligous life8 ,o my brethren1 when ,i
 see how men are living2 when ,i look at
 some ,christians1 and see how when     
,easter comes round it is an even chance
 whether they go to their duties or not2
 when ,i see them on ,sunday stay away  
from ,mass so lightly1 or listen to the 
word of ,god so carelessly2 when ,i see 
them omit most important duties toward  
their families2 when ,i see how freely  
they expose themselves to temptation1   
and how easily they yield to it2 when ,i
 see how slow they are to prayer1 how   
cold1 sluggish1 sensual and worldly they

 are2 above all1 when ,i hear them give 
for an answer1 when they are questioned 
about these things1 so indifferently1 ,i
 neglected it1 ,i ask myself1 ,did these
 men ever hear of ,christ8 ,do they know
 in whose name they are baptized8 ,did  
they ever look at a crucifix1 or read   
the story of the ,passion8 ,alas6 yes1  
they have seen and heard and read1 and  
have taken their side1 if not with      
,judas in his deceitful kiss1 or the    
soldiers in their mockery1 with the     
crowd of careless men who passed by1    
regardless and hard-hearted4 ,but let   
these men know that their ,saviour sees 
and resents their neglect4 ,because thou
 art lukewarm1 ,he says1 and neither    
cold nor hot1 ,i will begin to vomit    
thee out of my mouth4 ,footnote #gj ,his
 soul loathes the slothful and          
half-hearted4 ,yes1 slothful ,christian1
 far different will be the estimate thou
 wilt make of thy life when thou comest 
to die1 from what thou makest now4 ,then
 that negligence of thine1 of which thou

 makest so little1 will seem the crime  
it really is2 and bitter will be the    
account thou shalt render of it to      
,christ thy ,judge4     ,footnote #gj3  
,apoc4 iii4 #af4  #cbe  ,but if it be   
not enough to rouse us from our torpor1 
to think that we are offending ,god1 let
 us reflect how great is the danger     
which we are bringing on our own souls4 
,a negligent ,christian is in very great
 danger of being lost4 ,i said just now 
that he falls into mortal sins now and  
then4 ,it is hardly possible it should  
be otherwise4 ,one will certainly fall  
into mortal sin if he does not take     
pains to avoid it4 ,we all have within  
us concupiscence1 or a tendency to love 
the creature with a disordered love1 and
 this tendency is much increased in most
 men by actual sins of their past lives4
 ,now1 this principle acts as a weight  
on the will1 always dragging it down to 
the earth4 ,fervent men make allowance  
for this4 ,they aim higher than it is   
necessary to reach4 ,they leave a margin

 for failures1 weakness1 and surprise4  
,they build out-works to guard the      
approaches to the citadel4 ,but with the
 negligent ,christian it is the contrary
 of all this4 ,unreflecting1 unguarded1 
unfortified by prayer1 in his own       
weakness1 and with his strong bent to   
evil1 he must meet the immediate and    
direct temptations to mortal sin which  
befall him in his daily life4 ,is not   
his fall certain8 ,not to speak of very 
strong temptations which can only be    
overcome by a special grace1 which grace
 ,god has not promised to grant except  
to the faithful soul--even ordinary     
temptations are too much for such a man4
 ,he falls into mortal sin almost       
without resistance4  ,and what is also  
to be taken into the account is1 that   
the difference between mortal and venial
 sin is often a mere question of more or
 less4 ,so much is a mortal sin3 so much
 is not4 ,the line is often very        
difficult1 nay1 impossible to be drawn1 
even by a theologian4 ,now1 who can tell

 us in practice when we have arrived at 
the limit of venial sin1 when we have   
passed beyond it and are in mortal sin8 
,will not a careless1 thoughtless man1  
such as ,i have described1 will he not  
be certain sometimes to go over the     
fatal line8 ,yes1 my brethren1 negligent
 ,christians commit mortal sins4 ,they  
commit mortal sins almost without       
knowing it4 ,they commit mortal sins    
oftener than they imagine4 #cbf ,without
 opposing religion1 without abandoning  
themselves to a reprobate life1 just by 
neglecting ,god and their duties1 they  
fall into grievous sins2 bad habits     
multiply upon them apace1 their passions
 grow stronger1 grace grows weaker1     
their good resolutions less frequent and
 less hopeful1 until they are near to   
spiritual ruin4 ,the wise man gives us  
in a striking picture the description of
 such a soul3 ,i passed by the field of 
the slothful man and by the vineyard of 
the foolish man3 ,and behold1 it was all
 filled with nettles1 and thorns had    

covered the face thereof3 and the stone 
wall was broken down1 which when ,i had 
seen1 ,i laid it up in my heart1 and by 
the example ,i received instruction4    
,thou will sleep a little1 said ,i3 thou
 will slumber a little3 thou will fold  
thy hands a little to rest3 ,and poverty
 shall come upon thee as one that       
runneth1 and want as an armed man4      
,footnote #ga      ,footnote #ga3       
,proverbs xxiv4 #cj4  ,and what is to   
secure you from dying in such a state8  
,our ,lord says1 ,if the master of the  
house had known in what hour the thief  
would come1 he would have watched1 and  
would not have suffered his house to be 
broken open4 ,footnote #gb              
,footnote #gb3 ,matt4 xxiv4 #dc4  ,but  
he knew not1 and so in the dead of      
night1 when deep sleep falleth on man1  
the thief came4 ,and so it is with      
death4 ,it comes like a thief in the    
night4 ,death is almost always sudden4  
,sometimes it comes without any warning 
at all4 ,a man is sent into eternity in 

a moment1 without time to utter a       
prayer4 ,sometimes it comes after       
sickness1 but sickness does not always  
prepare for death4 ,the sick man says3  
,oh1 it is nothing2 ,i shall soon be    
well4 ,his friends say the same4 ,if he 
gets worse the priest is sent for2 he   
would like to receive the sacraments4   
,but too often he has not yet looked    
,death in the face1 he has not heard the
 dreadful truths he has to tell1 he is  
much as he was in life1 slothful and    
negligent4 ,and after the priest is     
gone1 when he is alone1 at midnight1    
that comes to pass of which he has      
thought so little4 #cbg ,death enters   
the room1 and with his icy hand unlocks 
the prison of the body1 whispering to   
the soul with awful voice1 ,arise1 and  
come to judgment4 ,o my brethren1 how   
dreadful1 if at that hour you find      
yourself unready6 ,if like the foolish  
virgins you are forced to cry3 ,our     
lamps are gone out4 ,cursed is he that  
doeth the work of the ,lord negligently1

 ,footnote #gc saith the ,holy          
,scripture4 ,the work of the ,lord is   
the work of our salvation4 ,that is the 
work of our life1 the work for which we 
are created1 and he1 who through        
negligence leaves this work undone1     
shall hear at the last that dreadful    
sentence3 ,depart ye cursed4            
,footnote #gc3  ,jer4 xlviii4 #aj4  ,we 
come back1 then1 to this truth1 that the
 only way to secure our salvation is to 
be not slothful in that business1 but   
fervent in spirit1 serving the ,lord4   
,salvation is a serious work4 ,we are   
not sufficiently aware of this4 ,we seem
 somehow to have got in the belief that 
the way of life is not strait1 and the  
gate not narrow4 ,certainly we feel very
 differently about our salvation from   
what our fathers in the ,catholic       
,church felt4 ,how many have gone out   
into the desert and denied themselves   
rest and food1 and scourged themselves  
to blood6 ,how many have devoted        
themselves to perpetual silence6 ,how   

many have willingly given up wealth and 
friends and kindred6 ,how many1 even    
their own lives6 ,will you tell me they 
were but seeking a more perfect life8   
they were but following the counsels of 
perfection1 which a man is free to      
embrace or decline8 ,i tell you they    
were seeking their salvation4 ,they were
 afraid of the judgment to come1 and    
were trying to prepare for it4 ,whatever
 ,i do1 says ,st4 ,jerome1 ,i always    
hear the dreadful sound of the last     
trumpet3 ',arise1 ye dead1 and come to  
judgment4' ,now1 can salvation be a work
 so serious to them and so trivial for  
us8 ,grant that yon are not bound to do 
precisely what they did1 are you at     
liberty to do nothing8 #cbh ,if you are 
not bound to a perpetual fast1 are you  
at liberty to darken your mind and      
inflame your passions by immoderate     
drinking8 ,if yon are not required to   
walk with downcast eyes and to observe  
perpetual silence1 are you free to gaze 
on every dangerous object1 and to speak 

words of profanity1 falsehood1 impurity1
 or slander8 ,if you are not required to
 flee from your homes1 are you not      
required to forsake the occasions of    
sin8 ,if you are not called to forego   
all innocent pleasures1 are you exempt  
from every sort of self-denial8 ,if no  
rule obliges you to spend the night in  
prayer1 are you not obliged to pray     
often8 ,yes1 it was the desire to place 
their salvation in security that led our
 fathers into the desert4 ,surely1 we   
have to work out our salvation with fear
 and trembling1 who remain behind in a  
world which they left as too dangerous1 
and have to contend with passions which 
they felt wellnigh too strong for them4 
,we must be what they were4 ,the time is
 short3 it remaineth that they who have 
wives be as those who have not2 and they
 who weep as they who weep not2 and they
 who rejoice as they who rejoice not2   
and they who buy as they who possess    
not2 and they who use this world as if  
they used it not2 for the figure of this

 world passeth away4 ,footnote #gd      
,footnote #gd3 ,i4 ,cor4 vii4 #bi1 #cj4 
,my brethren1 then be earnest in the    
work of your salvation4 ,while we have  
time let us do good1 and abound in the  
work of the ,lord4 ,serve the ,lord with
 a perfect heart4 ,he deserves our very 
best4 ,our own happiness1 too1 will be  
secured by it1 for ,he says3 ,take ,my  
yoke upon you1 and learn of ,me1 and you
 shall find rest to your souls4         
,footnote #ge ,and to the fervent3 ,an  
entrance shall be ministered abundantly 
into the everlasting kingdom of ,jesus  
,christ4 ,footnote #gf      ,footnote   
#ge3 ,matt4 xi4 #bi4      ,footnote #gf3
 ,,ii4 ,pet4 i4 #aa4  #cbi  ,this is my 
desire for you1 to see you fervent      
,christians4 ,i would like to know that 
you are anxious to assist at the ,holy  
,mass on week-days as well as on        
,sundays4 ,i would like to know that you
 pray morning and evening4 ,i would like
 to believe that you speak with ,god    
often as the day goes on4 ,i would like 

to know that you are watchful over your 
lips for fear of giving offence with    
your tongue2 that you are prompt to     
reject the first temptations to evil2   
that you are exact in the fulfilment of 
your duties2 that you are careful in    
confession1 and devout at communion--in 
a word1 that you are living a life of   
watchfulness against the coming of      
,christ to judgment4 ,this includes all4
 ,this is what our ,saviour enjoined on 
us3 ,take heed2 watch and pray2 for you 
know not when the ,lord of the house    
cometh3 at even1 or at midnight1 or at  
cock-crowing1 or in the morning4 ,lest  
coming of a sudden1 ,he find you        
sleeping4 ,footnote #gg      ,footnote  
#gg3 ,st4 ,mark xiii4 #ce4              
-------------------------------------   
,sermon ,,xii4      ,the ,cross1 ,the   
,measure of ,sin4         7,passion     
,sunday7    ,for my thoughts are not as 
your thoughts2   nor your ways my ways1 
saith the ,lord4   ,for as the heavens  
are exalted above the earth1   so are my

 ways exalted above your ways1   and my 
thoughts above your thoughts4           
--,isa4 ,,lv41 #h1 #i4   ,to-day1 my    
brethren1 is the beginning of           
,passion-tide1 the most solemn part of  
the season of ,lent4 ,the two weeks     
between now and ,easter are set apart   
especially for the remembrance of the   
sufferings of ,christ4 ,therefore the   
,church assumes the most sombre apparel1
 and speaks in the saddest tone4 ,the   
actual recital of the ,passion1 the     
following of our ,blessed ,saviour step 
by step in ,his career of woe1 she      
reserves for the last three days of this
 sorrowful fortnight4 #ccj ,in this1 the
 earlier part of it1 her aim is rather  
to suggest some thoughts which lead the 
way to ,calvary1 and prepare the mind   
for the great event that happened there4
 ,i shall then be saying what is        
suitable to the season1 and at the same 
time directing your minds to what ,i    
regard as one of the most useful        
reflections connected with this subject1

 by asking you this morning to consider 
the sufferings of ,christ as a          
revelation of the evil of sin4  ,but1 it
 may be asked1 does man need a          
revelation on this point8 ,is not the   
natural reason and the natural          
conscience sufficient to tell us that   
sin is wrong8 ,undoubtedly a man        
naturally knows that sin is an evil1 and
 without this knowledge1 indeed1 he     
would be incapable of committing sin1   
since in any action a man is only guilty
 of the evil which his conscience       
apprehends4 ,but this natural perception
 of sin is more or less confused and    
indistinct4 ,our ,saviour on the cross  
prayed for ,his murderers in these      
words3 ,father1 forgive them2 for they  
know not what they do4 ,he did not mean 
that they were ignorant that they were  
doing wrong1 for then they could have   
needed no forgiveness1 but that they did
 not realize the full atrocity of the   
deed4 ,they were acting guiltily indeed1
 but inadvertently and blindly3 ,and the

 same may be said of very many sinners4 
,sin is for the most part a leap in the 
dark4 ,a man knows he is doing a        
dangerous thing1 but he does not realize
 the full danger4 ,he does not take in  
the full scope of his action1 nor its   
complete consequences4 ,st4 ,paul speaks
 of the deceitfulness of sin1 and the   
expression describes very well the      
source of that disappointment and       
unhappiness which often overtakes the   
transgressor when he finds himself      
involved in difficulties from which it  
is all but impossible to extricate      
himself and sorrows which he never      
anticipated4 ,it is the old story4 ,sin 
beginneth pleasantly1 but in the end it 
will bite like a snake and will spread  
abroad poison like a serpent4 ,footnote 
#gh ,oh6 how many are there who are     
finding this true in their own          
experience every day4      ,footnote    
#gh3 ,prov4 xxiii4 #ca1 #cb4  #cca      
,tell me1 my brethren1 do you think that
 young persons who contract habits of   

sin that undermine their health know all
 they are bringing on themselves--the   
weakness of body1 the feebleness of     
mind1 the early decay1 the shame1 the   
remorse1 the impotence of will1 the     
tyranny of passion1 the broken vows and 
resolutions1 the hopelessness1 the      
fear--perhaps the premature disease and 
death8 ,no1 all this was not in their   
thoughts at first4 ,these are the bitter
 lessons which the youth has learned in 
the school of sin4 ,he has not found out
 what he was doing till it was all but  
too late4 ,or that married woman who has
 stepped aside from the path of virtue1 
did she realize what she was doing8 ,did
 she think of the plighted faith broken2
 did she think of the horrible guilt of 
the adulteress1 of the agony1 the       
remorse1 the deceit1 the falsehood1 the 
trembling fear of her whole future life2
 did she realize the moment when her    
guilt would be detected1 the fury of her
 wronged husband1 her family dishonored1
 her children torn from her embrace1 her

 name infamous1 herself forlorn and     
ruined8 ,oh1 no6 these things she did   
not realize4 ,there was indeed1 on the  
day when she committed the dreadful     
crime1 a dark and fearful form in her   
path1 that raised its hands in warning1 
and frowned a frown of dreadful menace4 
,it was the awful form of conscience1   
but she turned away from the sight1 and 
shut her ear to the words1 and heard not
 half the message4 ,and so the dreadful 
consequences of her sin have come upon  
her almost as if there had been no      
warning4 ,or that drunkard1 when he was 
a handsome young man1 with a bright eye 
and a light step1 and was neatly        
dressed1 and was succeeding in his      
business2 when he first began to tipple1
 did he realize that he would soon be a 
diseased1 bloated1 dirty vagabond2 that 
his children would be half naked1 and   
his wife half starved2 or that he would 
spend the last cent in his pocket1 or   
the last rag on his back1 in the vain   
effort to allay that thirst for drink   

which is almost as unquenchable as the  
fire of hell8 #ccb ,no1 he little       
foresaw it1 and if it had been told him1
 he would have said with ,hasael1 the   
,syrian captain1 when ,elisha showed him
 the abominations he was about to       
commit1 ,what1 am ,i a dog1 that ,i     
should do such things8 ,or that thief1  
when he yielded to the glittering       
temptation1 and made himself rich for a 
while with dishonest riches1 did he then
 see before him the deeper poverty that 
was to follow2 the loss of all that     
makes a man's heart glow and his life   
happy2 the lies that he must tell1 the  
subterfuges he must resort to1 the      
horrible detection1 the loss of         
situation1 the public trial1 the        
imprisonment8 ,no4 ,of course these were
 all daily in his thoughts1 for they    
were part of the risk he knew he was    
running2 but so little did he bring them
 home to himself1 and the suffering he  
was to endure1 that when they came it   
seemed almost hard1 as if a wholly      

unlooked-for calamity had overtaken him4
 ,so it is4 ,wherever we look it is the 
same thing4 ,men imagine sin to be a    
less evil than it really is4 ,it is so  
easy to commit it1 it is so soon done1  
the temptation so strong1 that it does  
not seem as if such very bad            
consequences would come of it4 ,so it is
 done1 and the bitter consequences come4
 ,it seems as if the lie that ,satan    
told to ,eve in the garden1 when he     
tempted her to eat the forbidden fruit1 
,thou shalt not surely die1 still echoes
 through the world and bewitches men's  
ears so that they always underrate the  
guilt and punishment of sin2 and        
although the lie has been exposed a     
thousand times1 although in their own   
bitter experience men find its          
falsehood1 yet they do not grow wiser1  
they still go on thoughtless1 insensible
 to their greatest danger and their     
greatest evil1 and when they stand on   
the shore of time1 and hear ,god        
threatening eternal punishment hereafter

 to the sinner1 they still set aside the
 warning with the same fatal            
insensibility4 #ccc ,if they are not    
,catholics1 they deny or doubt the      
existence of hell2 if they are          
,catholics1 they think somehow they will
 escape it4  ,oh1 my brethren1 before   
you allow yourselves to act on this     
estimate of sin1 so prevalent in the    
world1 ask yourselves how it accords    
with ,god's estimate of sin4 ,that is   
the true standard4 ,god is ,truth4 ,he  
sees things as they are1 and every thing
 is just what ,he considers it4 ,he is  
our ,judge1 and it will not save us when
 we stand on trial at ,his bar to tell  
,him that we have rejected ,his standard
 and taken our own4 ,what1 then1 is     
,god's estimate of sin8 ,look at the    
,cross1 and you have the answer4 ,let me
 for a moment carry you back to the     
scene and time of the ,crucifixion4 ,it 
is the eve of a great festival in the   
city of ,jerusalem4 ,it is the          
,parasceve1 or ,preparation of the      

,passover4 ,on this day the ,jews were  
required1 each family by itself1 to kill
 a lamb and eat it with unleavened bread
 and bitter herbs4 ,they were required  
to eat it standing1 with loins girded1  
and with staves in their hands1 because 
this feast was in memory of the sudden  
deliverance of their fathers from the   
bondage of ,egypt1 when ,god smote the  
first-born of the ,egyptians with death1
 passed over the houses of the          
,israelites1 and conducted them         
miraculously through the waters of the  
,red ,sea4 ,it was a great feast among  
the ,jews1 and always collected together
 a great multitude of strangers in the  
holy city4 ,but on this occasion a new  
excitement was added to the interest of 
the holy city1 for there was a public   
execution on ,mount ,calvary1 and       
turbaned priests1 and ,pharisees with   
broad fringes on their garments1 and    
scribes and doctors of the law1 mingled 
in the throng of mechanics and laborers1
 and women and children1 who hastened to

 the spot4 ,the day is dark1 but as you 
draw near the ,mount1 you see1 high up  
in the air1 the bodies of men crucified2
 and sitting on the ground1 or standing 
in groups1 talking and disputing among  
themselves1 or watching in silence with 
folded arms1 are gathered a vast        
multitude of spectators4  #ccd  ,what is
 there in this execution thus to gather 
together all classes of the people8 ,the
 punishment of crucifixion was inflicted
 only on slaves or malefactors of the   
worst kind1 and two of the three that   
are hanging there are vulgar and        
infamous offenders4 ,what is it1 then1  
that gives such interest to this scene8 
,it is ,he who hangs upon that cross1 at
 whose feet three sorrowing women kneel4
 ,read the title1 it will tell you who  
,he is4 ,this is ,jesus1 the ,king of   
the ,jews4 ,yes1 this is ,jesus1 the    
merciful and kind2 ,he who went about   
doing good1 healing all manner of       
sickness1 and delivering all that were  
possessed with the devil2 ,he who spoke 

words of truth and love4 ,this is       
,jesus1 the ,king of the ,jews1 whom a  
thousand prophecies fulfilled in him and
 a thousand miracles performed by ,him  
pointed out as the promised ,messias3   
,jesus1 whom the ,eternal ,father1 by a 
voice from heaven1 had acknowledged as  
,his own ,son4 ,this is my beloved ,son 
in whom ,i am well pleased4 ,why is     
this8 ,why is it that the just man      
perisheth8 ,the apostle tells us3       
,christ must needs have suffered4 ,he   
was the true ,paschal ,lamb that must   
die that we might go free4 ,he was the  
victim of our sins4 ,pilate and ,herod  
and the ,jews were but the instruments  
by which all the consequences of our    
sins fell upon ,him who came to bear    
them4 ,surely ,he hath borne our        
infirmities and carried our sorrows2 and
 we have thought ,him1 as it were1 a    
leper1 and as one struck by ,god and    
afflicted4 ,but ,he was wounded for our 
iniquities1 ,he was bruised for our     
sins4 ,the chastisement of our peace was

 upon ,him1 and by ,his bruises we are  
healed4 ,all we like sheep have gone    
astray1 everyone hath turned aside into 
his own way1 and the ,lord hath laid on 
,him the iniquity of us all4 ,footnote  
#gi      ,footnote #gi3 ,isia4 liii4 #d1
 #e1 #f4  #cce  ,yes1 every sin of every
 kind received its special reparation in
 the sufferings of ,christ4 ,his mouth  
is filled with vinegar and gall to atone
 for our luxury4 ,his ear is filled with
 revilings to expiate the greediness    
with which we have drunk in poisonous   
flattery4 ,his eyes languish because    
ours have been lofty1 and ,his hands and
 feet are pierced with nails because    
ours have been the instruments of sin4  
,he suffered death because we deserved  
it4 ,he was accursed1 because we had    
made ourselves liable to the curse of   
,god1 and hell had its hour of triumph  
over ,him1 because we had made ourselves
 its children4 ,nor was it our ,lord's  
body alone that suffered4 ,it would be a
 great mistake to suppose that ,his     

sacrifice was merely external4 ,the     
chief part of man is his soul4 ,st4 ,leo
 says that our ,lord on the cross       
appeared as a penitent4 ,it was not only
 that ,he suffered for the sins of men1 
but it was as if ,he had committed them4
 ,the horror of them filled ,his soul2  
sorrow for the outrage they had done to 
the ,majesty and ,holiness of ,god      
consumed ,him4 ,my soul is exceedingly  
sorrowful1 even unto death1 ,he said4   
,afterward the evangelist says ,he began
 to be very heavy1 and it was sinners   
that on the cross made ,him bow ,his    
head and give up the ghost4 ,he was not 
killed4 ,his enemies did not take ,his  
life4 ,the flood of sorrow for sin came 
into ,his soul1 and overwhelmed ,him4   
,it was too much4 ,his heart was broken4
 ,oh1 the weight of that sorrow6 ,he    
bowed ,his head and gave up the ghost4  
,then sin was expiated4 ,then the work  
of man's atonement was completed4 ,at   
last man had done adequate penance4 ,at 
last sorrow for sin had reached its just

 proportion as an offence against ,god4 
,here1 ,i say1 we have a revelation of  
the evil of sin4 ,god does nothing in   
vain3 ,his works are as full of wisdom  
as they are of power4 ,since1 therefore1
 ,christ died for sin1 the cross of     
,christ is the measure of sin4 #ccf     
,from the consideration of the remedy1  
says ,st4 ,bernard1 learn1 ,o my soul1  
the greatness of thy danger4 ,thou wast 
in error1 and behold the ,son of the    
,virgin is sent1 the ,son of the ,most  
,high ,god is ordered to be slain1 that 
my wounds may be healed by the precious 
balsam of ,his blood4 ,see1 ,o man1 how 
grievous were thy wounds1 for which1 in 
the order of ,divine wisdom1 it was     
necessary that the lamb ,christ should  
be wounded4 ,if they had not been unto  
death1 and unto eternal death1 never    
would the ,son of ,god have died for    
them4 ,the cross of ,christ is not only 
an altar of sacrifice1 but a pulpit of  
instruction4 ,from that pulpit1 lifted  
up on high1 ,jesus ,christ preaches a   

lesson to the whole world4 ,the burden  
of the lesson is the evil of sin4 ,the  
law was given by ,moses1 but grace and  
truth came by ,jesus ,christ4 ,and yet1 
my brethren1 the law was published      
afresh by ,jesus ,christ4 ,mount        
,calvary but repeats the message of     
,mount ,sinai--nay1 repeats it with more
 power4 ,here1 indeed1 ,god does not    
speak in thunders and lightnings1 as ,he
 did there1 but ,he speaks in the still 
small voice of the suffering ,saviour4  
,oh1 what meaning is there in those sad 
eyes as they bend down upon us6 ,oh1    
what power in those gentle words ,he    
utters6 ,he does not say1 ,thou shalt   
not commit adultery2 thou shalt not     
steal2 thou shalt not bear false        
witness4 ,no4 ,he cries to a guilty     
people1 a people who have already broken
 the law1 and ,he says to them3 ,see    
what you have done4 ,see ,my            
thorn-crowned head4 ,see ,my hands and  
feet4 ,look at ,me whom you have        
pierced4 ,is it a light thing that could

 have reduced ,me to such a state of    
woe8 ,is it a light thing that could    
have bound ,me to this cross8 ,me1 the  
,creator of all things1 to whom you owe 
all life and liberty8 ,who by ,my word  
and touch have so often healed the sick 
and released them that were bound to    
,satan4 ,they say of ,me1 ',he saved    
others1 ,himself ,he cannot save4' ,and 
they say truly4 ,here must ,i hang4 ,not
 the ,jews have nailed ,me to this      
cross1 but ,my love1 and thy sins4 ,yes1
 see in ,my sufferings your sin         
displayed4 ,see in the penalty ,i pay   
the punishment you have deserved4 ,see  
your guilt in ,my sorrow4 ,look at ,me1 
and see what sin is in the presence of  
the ,all ,holy ,god6  #ccg  ,can any    
thing show more than this what a        
mysterious evil sin is1 that it is an   
offence against ,god1 an assault upon   
,his throne1 an attack upon ,his life1  
an evil all but infinite8 ,all the other
 expressions of the evil of sin1 the    
cries of misery which it has wrung from 

its victims1 the warnings which natural 
reason has uttered against it1 the      
tender lamentations with which the      
saints have bewailed it1 the penalties  
with which ,god has threatened to visit 
it1 all pale before the announcement    
that ,god sent ,his ,son into the world 
to die for it4 ,i do not wonder that1 as
 the evangelist tells us1 the multitudes
 who came together at the sight of our  
,saviour's crucifixion returned smiting 
their breasts4 ,oh1 what an awakening of
 stupefied consciences there must have  
been that day6 ,how many1 who came out  
in the morning careless and thoughtless1
 went back to the city with anxious     
hearts1 with a secret grief and fear    
within they had never felt before4 ,i   
suppose that even the scribes and       
,pharisees1 who had plotted our         
,saviour's death1 felt1 for the moment  
at least1 a guilty fear4 ,why1 even     
,judas1 when he saw what he had done1   
repented1 and went and hanged himself   
saying3 ,i have sinned in that ,i have  

betrayed the innocent blood4 ,and this  
book of the ,passion has been ever since
 the source from which penitents have   
drawn their best motives for conversion1
 and saints their strongest impulses to 
perfection4 ,here1 on the cross1 is the 
root of that uncompromising and awful   
doctrine about sin--the doctrine1 ,i    
mean1 that sin is in no case whatever to
 be allowed1 that even the smallest sin 
for the greatest result can never be    
permitted2 that it is an evil far       
greater than can be spoken or imagined2 
that it must never be trifled with1 or  
made light of2 that it is to be shunned 
with the greatest horror1 and avoided1  
if need be1 even at the cost of our     
life--which has always been so essential
 a part of ,christianity4  #cch  ,and   
now1 my brethren1 it is because men     
forget the cross1 because their minds no
 longer move on a ,christian basis1 that
 they make light of sin4 ,there is a    
tendency in our day to do so4           
,crime--men acknowledge that1 an offence

 against law1 an offence against good   
order4 ,vice--they acknowledge that1 a  
hurtful and excessive indulgence of     
passion2 but sin1 a creature's offence  
against ,god1 that they think           
impossible4 ,what6 can ,i1 a frail      
creature1 say they1 ignorant and        
passionate1 can ,i do an injury to ,god8
 ,i err by excess or defect in my       
conduct2 ,i bring evil on myself it is  
true2 but what difference can that make 
to the ,supreme ,being8 ,can ,he be very
 much displeased at my follies8 ,will   
,his serene ,majesty in heaven be       
affected because ,i on this earth am    
carried too far by passions8 ,can ,he   
care what my religious belief is8 or    
will ,he separate ,himself from me      
eternally because ,i have happened to   
violate some law8 ,such language is an  
echo of heathenism1 and heathenism not  
of the best kind1 for some heathens have
 had a doctrine about sin which         
approached very near to the ,christian  
doctrine4 ,it is moreover1 a degrading  

doctrine2 for1 while it leaves a man his
 intellect and animal nature1 it takes  
away his conscience4 ,what is that      
conscience within us but a witness that 
,god does concern ,himself about        
us--that my heart is ,his throne1 and   
that my everlasting destiny is union    
with ,him4 ,every one that is born of   
,god1 says the apostle1 doth not commit 
sin1 for he cannot sin1 because he is   
born of ,god4 ,not that sin is a        
physical impossibility with him1 but it 
is in contradiction to his regenerate   
nature4 ,in order1 then1 to soothe      
yourself into the belief that sin is not
 so very bad1 that ,god cannot be very  
angry with you for it1 you have got to  
tear conscience from your heart1 you    
have got to give up the good gift1 and  
the powers of the world to come1 which  
came upon you at your baptism2 and you  
have to give up all the brightest hopes 
of ,christianity for the life hereafter4
 ,nay1 more1 you have got to deny the   
cross1 to deny our ,lord's divinity1 to 

deny ,his sufferings for sin1 and thus  
to render yourself without faith as well
 as without conscience4 #cci ,i conclude
 with the affectionate exhortation of   
,st4 ,john the ,apostle4 ,my children1  
these things ,i write to you that ye sin
 not4 ,all unrighteousness is sin4      
,every breach of the moral law is a     
failure in that homage1 that obedience1 
that service we owe to ,god4 ,it is a   
direct offence against ,god4 ,it is a   
thing exceedingly to be feared and      
dreaded4 ,a wrong word spoken or a wrong
 action done has consequences which go  
far and wide4 ,do not say1 you have     
sinned1 but have done harm to no one4   
,you have done harm to ,god1 and you    
have certainly done harm to yourself4   
,do not sin4 ,do not commit mortal or   
venial sin4 ,do not make light of sin4  
,do not abide in sin4 ,if you are in sin
 now1 remember at this holy time to     
repent and turn back to ,god3 and if    
your conscience tells you that you are  
now in the friendship of ,god1 oh1 let  

it be all your care to avoid sin4 ,fly  
from the face of sin4 ,fly from the     
approach of sin4 ,avoid the occasions of
 sin4 ,watch against sin1 and pray      
continually1 not to be led into sin3 and
 when your hour of trial comes1 when    
some strong temptation assails you1 then
 be ready to say1 as the prophet        
,joseph1 ,what6 shall ,i do this wicked 
thing1 and offend against ,god8 ,this is
 that fear of ,god which is the         
beginning of wisdom4 ,this is the       
happiness of which the ,psalmist spoke3 
,blessed is the man that hath not walked
 in the council of the ungodly1 nor     
stood in the way of sinners1 nor sat in 
the chair of pestilence2 but his will is
 in the law of the ,lord1 and on ,his   
law he shall meditate day and night4    
,and he shall be like a tree which is   
planted near the running waters1 which  
shall bring forth its fruit in due      
season4 ,and his leaf shall not fall    
off2 and all1 whatsoever he shall do1   
shall prosper4 ,footnote #hj            

,footnote #hj3 ,ps4 i4 #a-c4            
--------------------------------  #cdj  
,sermon ,,xiii4       ,divine ,calls    
,and ,warnings4         7,a ,sermon ,for
 ,lent47     ,seek ye the ,lord while   
,he may be found1   call upon ,him while
 ,he is near4      --,isai4 ,,lv4 #f4   
,the ,wise ,man tells us that all things
 have their season1 and in their times  
all things pass under heaven4 ,footnote 
#ha ,certainly1 it is so in the natural 
world4 ,there is a time for the birds to
 migrate4 ,the kite in the air knows her
 time1 the turtle and the swallow and   
the stork observe the time of their     
coming4 ,footnote #hb      ,footnote    
#ha3 ,eccl4 iii4 #a4      ,footnote #hb3
 ,jer4 viii4 #g4  ,there is a time for  
seeds and shrubs to grow4 ,seed-time and
 harvest do not fail4 ,there is a busy  
time and a slack time in the world of   
commerce4 ,there is a time for          
education1 a time when the mind is      
inquisitive and the memory retentive1   
and it is easy to acquire knowledge2 and

 another time1 when the powers of the   
mind1 like the limbs of the body1 seem  
to grow stiff and rigid1 and can be     
employed only with difficulty4 ,but does
 this law reach also to the supernatural
 world8 ,has the grace of ,god also its 
seasons and its times8 ,i believe it    
has2 and it is to this fact1 so         
important in its bearing on our         
salvation1 that ,i wish now to direct   
your attention4  ,but you may ask me    
what ,i mean by saying that the grace of
 ,god has its special times and seasons4
 ,are not all times alike to ,god8 ,is  
not ,god always ready to save the       
sinner1 and to bestow the graces        
necessary to his salvation8 ,undoubtedly
 ,he is4 ,we1 ,catholics1 believe that  
,god gives to every man living          
sufficient grace1 that is1 ,he gives him
 the grace to pray2 and if he prays1    
,god is ready to give him other and     
higher graces1 which will carry him on  
to salvation2 but1 ordinarily speaking1 
men do not use this common grace1 unless

 some special and particular grace is   
given which excites them to do so4 #cda 
,now1 it is of these special graces of  
which ,i speak1 when ,i say that they   
have their times and their seasons4 ,i  
refer to those ,divine ,calls and       
,warnings1 those ,providences1 those    
sacred inspirations1 which stir the     
heart beneath its surface1 and bring it1
 for a time at least1 in conscious      
contact with the ,infinite and ,eternal4
 ,these1 ,i say1 come and go4 ,they have
 a law of their own4 ,we cannot have    
them all the time4 ,we cannot appoint a 
time1 and say we will have them         
to-morrow1 or next year4 ,they are like 
the wind that blows2 we hear the sound  
of it1 but we cannot tell whence it     
comes and whither it goes4 ,they are    
like the lightning1 that shines from the
 east even unto the west4 ,they come    
suddenly1 and dart a flash of light upon
 our path1 then they are gone4 ,they are
 like the visit of ,christ to the two   
disciples at ,emmaus3 as soon as their  

hearts began to burn within them1 and   
they discovered who it was that talked  
with them1 ,he vanished out of their    
sight4  ,certainly there are proofs     
enough that such is the law of ,god's   
dealings with the soul4 ,if we look back
 at our own lives1 do we not see that we
 have had our special times when ,christ
 visited us8 our times of grace8        
red-letter days in the calendar of our  
life8 ,i know ,god's grace acts         
secretly2 and oftentimes when we are    
under the strongest influence of grace1 
we are least conscious of it4 ,but when 
the time is past and over1 and we look  
back upon it1 we can see that there was 
a ,divine influence upon us1 especially 
if we have corresponded to it4 ,i think 
each one of us1 if he looks back upon   
the past1 will see clearly the times    
when he has been under the impulse of   
some unusual movement of the mind1 the  
result of some special grace of ,god4   
,perhaps it came in the shape of some   
great affliction4 ,you had a happy home4

 #cdb ,the purest of earthly joys was   
yours--domestic happiness1 perfect      
sympathy in gladness and in sorrow4 ,but
 death entered your abode1 and the      
loving voice was silenced1 and the      
kindly eye was closed4 ,and in that deep
 grief1 in that darkness and loneliness 
,christ spoke to your sinking heart1    
saying1 ,fear not2 and you came forth   
out of that affliction with a new       
strength1 with purer aims1 with a       
quietness and peace of heart which only 
suffering can give4  ,or1 perhaps1 the  
crisis in your history was your         
attendance on a mission4 ,you had lived 
in neglect of religion1 almost complete4
 ,confession was a bugbear to you4      
,years of sin and forgetfulness of ,god 
had hardened your conscience4 ,but      
suddenly all was changed4 ,you seemed a 
new man4 ,your faith was illuminated    
with a new brilliancy4 ,sin had a new   
horror4 ,the string of your tongue was  
loosed1 and oh1 with what ease1 with    
what fidelity and exactness1 you made   

that dreaded confession6 ,what comfort  
you derived from it6 and with what      
energy and determination did you enter  
on the duties of a ,christian life6     
,or1 it might have been in less striking
 ways that grace did its work4 ,it may  
have been a book1 a word1 an interior   
inspiration1 some of the seasons of the 
holy ,church1 holy communion1 some of   
the lesser changes of life1 a fit of    
sickness1 a violent temptation3 these   
may have been the instruments which ,god
 made use of1 from time to time1 to     
convey special graces to your soul4     
,sometimes the aim of these graces was  
to arouse you out of some deeply-seated 
habit of sin2 sometimes to draw your    
heart away from the world to heaven2    
sometimes it was a call to prayer2      
sometimes a warning of danger3 in fine1 
for some purpose bearing on your        
salvation1 there they are1 those visits 
of grace in your past life1 as distinct 
and unmistakable as any other part of   
your history4 ,when we read the ,bible  

story of such saints as ,abraham1       
,moses1 and ,elias1 what strikes us as  
most wonderful and most beautiful is the
 familiarity in which they lived with   
,god1 how ,god drew near to them and    
spoke to them4 #cdc ,now1 such passages 
have a parallel in the history of each  
one of us4 ,there are times in our      
lives1 and not a few such times1 when   
,god draws near to the soul1 when ,he   
confronts it1 makes special demands upon
 it1 addresses it no longer in general1 
but particularly and individually2 when 
,he says to the soul1 ,go and do this1  
,do not do that1 as unmistakably as when
 ,he said to ,abraham3 ,go forth out of 
thy country1 and from thy kindred1 and  
out of thy father's house1 and come into
 the land which ,i shall show thee4     
,footnote #hc      ,footnote #hc3 ,gen4 
xii4 #a4  ,and if this be so1 the mode  
in which we receive these divine        
communications must have a great deal to
 do with our guilt or innocence before  
,god4 ,we read in the ,book of ,judges1 

that on a certain occasion an angel of  
the ,lord appeared to ,manne and his    
wife1 with a message from on high4 ,he  
appeared to them in a human shape1 and  
spoke with a human voice1 and they did  
not know that he was an angel4 ,it was  
not until they saw him ascend to heaven 
in the flame from the altar that they   
understood that they had been talking   
with one of the heavenly host4 ,then    
they said3 ,we shall certainly die      
because we have seen ,god6 ,footnote #hd
      ,footnote #hd3 ,judges xiii4 #bb4 
,now1 there is a sense in which this    
exclamation is neither superstitious nor
 strange1 as the expression1 that is1 of
 their anxiety lest in their ignorance  
they might have treated their heavenly  
visitor in some unseemly way4 ,o my     
brethren1 it is no light thing for ,god 
to draw near to a human soul4 ,it is no 
light thing for ,him to speak to us4    
,when ,he speaks we cannot be as if ,he 
had not spoken4 ,his word shall not     
return to ,him void4 ,the relation      

between the ,creator and the creature is
 such1 that the moment ,he speaks our   
position is altered4 ,when ,he calls we 
must either follow or refuse to follow2 
there is no neutrality possible4  #cdd  
,oh1 what a thought1 that if indeed ,god
 has spoken to us often in our past     
lives1 if ,he has given us special calls
 and warnings1 we must often have       
resisted ,him6 ,there are many of us1 ,i
 fear1 who have altogether too little   
conscience on this subject4 ,a man comes
 to confession after an absence of      
several years4 ,he confesses his more   
prominent sins against the divine       
commandments1 but perhaps he does not   
even mention his failure to perform each
 year his ,easter duty4 ,and if the     
confessor calls his attention to it1 he 
has nothing to say but1 ,oh1 yes1 ,i    
neglected that4 ,you see1 he does not   
realize at all that ,god has been       
calling him from year to year1 has met  
him again and again1 and exhorted him to
 repent1 and he has refused4  ,another  

man hears a sermon which thoroughly     
awakens his conscience4 ,he sees in the 
clearest light the danger of his        
besetting sin4 ,his conscience is       
stirred1 he almost resolves to break off
 his sin1 but he does not quite come to 
the point1 he postpones his conversion1 
and1 after a little1 dismisses the      
subject from his mind4 ,now here again1 
you see1 is a distinct resistance to    
grace4 ,the man has not only continued  
in sin1 but has continued in sin in     
spite of ,god's warning4  ,again1 a     
person1 free from the grosser forms of  
sin1 has some radical fault of          
character2 some fault which is apparent 
to everyone but himself2 a deep         
obstinacy2 a dangerous levity2 an       
inveterate slothfulness2 an overbearing 
temper2 a domineering spirit--faults    
which are the source of innumerable     
difficulties--and he is plainly warned  
of these faults1 but refuses to         
acknowledge them1 strengthens himself in
 his self-deception1 and clings to these

 faults as if they were a necessary part
 of his character4 ,what is he doing1   
but frustrating the designs of ,god1    
despising ,his reproof1 and rejecting   
the grace which was meant to make him so
 much better1 so much happier1 so much  
more useful8  #cde  ,resisted grace6    
,what is that but to withstand ,god to  
,his face1 and to say3 ,i will not      
serve8 ,to resist grace1 what is that   
but to despise the precious ,blood of   
,christ4 ,to obtain for us those graces1
 the ,blood of ,christ and all ,his     
sufferings were given1 and without them 
we should have been left in our sins and
 miseries2 and so to refuse these graces
 is to make light of ,christ's most     
bitter ,death and ,passion4 ,to resist  
grace1 what is that but to refuse glory4
 ,for each grace of ,god has a          
corresponding degree of glory attached  
to it2 and1 if we refuse the one1 we    
reject the other4 ,the truth is1 we     
forget too much ,god's personal agency  
in our salvation4 ,we are on earth1 and 

,god is far away in heaven4 ,he has     
indeed left us ,his ,law1 and ,he is    
coming to judge us at the last day1 but 
,he is not now a present1 watchful1     
living1 speaking ,god to us4 ,we forget 
that ,he is not far from every one of   
us4 ,we forget that ,he is about our    
path1 and about our bed2 that ,he       
watches us with the eagerness and       
tenderness of a mother for her child2   
that ,he intensely desires our          
salvation2 that ,he pleads with us1     
warns us1 calls to us1 stretches out    
,his ,hand to us all the day long4 ,it  
is nothing that ,he ,himself tells us   
,he stands at the door and knocks2 it is
 nothing that ,he calls to us from      
without1 saying3 ,open to ,me1 ,my love1
 for my head is wet with dew1 and ,my   
locks with the drops of the night2 we   
open not2 we heed ,him not2 we hear ,him
 not4 ,oh6 ,i believe1 at the ,judgment 
,day1 many a man will be appalled to see
 how he has treated ,christ4 ,in the    
description which our ,lord has given us

 of that day1 ,he tells us that the     
wicked shall say1 in answer to ,his     
reproofs3 ,when saw we ,thee hungry or  
thirsty1 or a stranger1 or naked1 or    
sick1 or in prison1 and did not minister
 to ,thee8 ,so1 ,i believe1 many will   
say3 ,o ,lord1 when did we refuse to    
hear ,thee8 ,when did we shut our hearts
 to ,thy grace8 ,and ,he will answer3   
,when1 at the voice of ,my preacher1 you
 refused to forsake that sin2 when1 at  
the invitation of ,my ,church1 you      
refused to repent and amend2 when1 at   
the call of ,my ,spirit1 you refused to 
awake from your sloth1 and follow after 
that perfection ,i demanded of you4 ,in 
rejecting ,my agents1 you have rejected 
,me4 ,it was ,i2 ,i1 your ,god and your 
,saviour2 ,i1 your ,end and ,reward1 who
 walked with you on your way through    
life1 who opened to you the ,scriptures1
 and sought to enter in and tarry with  
you4  #cdf  ,and1 again1 as resistance  
to grace is a special sin in itself1 and
 a special matter about which we must   

render an account to ,god1 so1 when     
persisted in1 it is the sure road to    
final impenitence and reprobation4 ,let 
me bring before your mind some of our   
,lord's emphatic teaching on this point4
  ,toward the latter part of our ,lord's
 life1 in preaching to ,his disciples on
 a certain occasion1 ,he used this      
parable3 ,a certain man had a fig-tree  
planted in his vineyard1 and he came    
seeking fruit on it and found none4 ,and
 he said to the tiller of the vineyard3 
,behold1 these three years ,i came      
seeking fruit on this fig-tree1 and ,i  
find none4 ,cut it down therefore2 why  
doth it take up the ground8 ,but he     
answering1 said to him3 ,lord1 let it   
alone this year also1 until ,i dig about
 it and dung it4 ,and if happily it bear
 fruit3 but if not1 then after that thou
 shalt cut it down4 ,footnote #he       
,footnote #he3 ,st4 ,luke xiii4 #f-i4   
,the same lesson which in this parable  
,christ conveyed to the ear1 ,he        
addressed1 about the same time1 by a    

striking action1 to the eye4 ,as ,he was
 going from ,bethany to ,jerusalem1 ,he 
saw a fig-tree by the wayside4 ,and he  
came to it1 and found nothing but leaves
 only1 and ,he said to it3 ,may no fruit
 grow on thee henceforward forever4 ,and
 immediately the fig-tree withered away4
 ,and the disciples seeing it1 wondered1
 saying3 ,how is it presently withered  
away8 ,footnote #hf      ,footnote #hf3 
,st4 ,matt4 xxi4 #ai4  ,the apostles    
could not fail to connect this action   
with the parable quoted above1 and to   
understand them both as referring to the
 rejection of the ,jewish people4 ,for  
three years ,he preached to that people1
 warned them1 and instructed them4      
,then1 at last1 when they refused to    
listen to ,him1 ,he withdrew from them  
,his presence1 grace1 and blessing1 and 
left them to the consequences of their  
unbelief and hardness of heart2 left    
them to wither away4 #cdg ,listen to    
,his lamentation over that guilty city4 
,it is ,palm ,sunday4 ,he is coming to  

the city in triumph4 ,the crowds are    
shouting hosannas4 ,at last1 in ,his    
journey ,he comes to the ,mount of      
,olives1 whence the ,holy ,city is full 
before ,his view4 ,he looks at it2 ,he  
thinks of all ,he has done to warn that 
people and convert them2 ,he thinks of  
the ill success ,he has met with2 ,he   
knows that he is going there for the    
last time1 and that in a few days they  
will fill up the measure of their sins  
by nailing him to the cross2 and1 as he 
looked upon it1 ,he wept over it1 and   
said3 ,if thou hadst known1 and that in 
this thy day1 the things that are for   
thy peace3 but now they are hidden from 
thy eyes4 ,for the days shall come upon 
thee1 and thy enemies shall cast a      
trench about thee1 and compass thee     
round1 and straiten thee on every side1 
and beat thee flat to the ground1 and   
thy children who are in thee3 and they  
shall not leave in thee a stone upon a  
stone1 because thou hast not known the  
time of thy visitation4 ,footnote #hg   

,behold the end6 a people resisting     
grace1 until at last grace forsakes     
them1 and they are left to their own    
impenitence and hardness of heart6 ,and 
behold the fearful image of a soul which
 has resisted grace1 until its final    
reprobation6      ,footnote #hg3 ,st4   
,luke xix4 #da-dd4  ,yes1 my brethren1  
this is but the fearful image of what   
passes in many a soul4 ,what does the   
,holy ,scripture say8 ,the man that with
 a stiff neck despiseth him that        
reproveth him shall suddenly be         
destroyed2 and health shall not follow  
him4 ,footnote #hh      ,footnote #hh3  
,prov4 xxix4 #a4  ,god does not desire  
the death of the wicked4 ,god never     
entirely ceases to strive with man4 ,god
 never leaves a man altogether destitute
 of grace4 ,but then ,god is not bound  
to impart special graces2 and when ,he  
finds that these graces are uniformly   
rejected1 when he meets only a hardened 
heart and a will obstinately bent on    
evil1 ,he withholds them1 or gives them 

less frequently4 ,meanwhile bad habits  
increase2 sins multiply2 the root of sin
 in the heart becomes deeper and        
stronger3 years pass on in sin1 and at  
last death comes4 ,what kind of a death 
naturally follows such a life8 #cdh     
,what kind of death often1 in point of  
fact1 follows such a life8 ,i will tell 
you3 an impenitent death2 the death of  
the reprobate and the lost4 ,perhaps the
 man dies a sudden death4 ,he may die in
 his bed1 but die a sudden death for all
 that2 for he may die out of his senses1
 and unable to do any thing whatever    
toward making his peace with ,god4 ,or1 
he may die in daring rebellion against  
,god4 ,it is possible for men to die so4
 ,it is possible for a man who has a    
deep enmity in his heart to refuse to   
give it up at the last hour2 and it does
 happen4 ,it is possible for a man who  
has dishonest wealth in his possession  
to clutch it even while his fingers are 
cold and blue in the last agony2 and    
that does happen4 ,it is possible for a 

man who has lived in shameful sins of   
unchastity to refuse to dismiss the     
partner of his guilt1 though in five    
minutes his soul will be in hell2 and   
that too has happened4 ,or1 a man may   
die in despair4 ,the devil may bring the
 fearful catalogue of his sins before   
his mind1 in all their blackness and    
enormity2 the remembrance of bad        
confessions and broken resolutions may  
paralyze his will2 and the dreadful     
record of communions made in sacrilege  
may complete the temptation1 and the    
poor soul turn away from the crucifix1  
turn away from the priest1 and die      
pouring forth the ravings of despair4   
,or1 on the contrary1 he may die in     
presumption1 in self-deceit4 ,he may    
indeed go through the form of a         
confession1 may receive the sacraments1 
and cheat himself into thinking it is   
all right1 and be all the time a        
hypocrite1 turning from his sins1 not   
because he hates them1 but because he   
can no longer enjoy them2 and may       

receive the absolution of the priest    
only to hear it reversed the moment he  
gets into the presence of the unerring  
,judge1 before whom are open all the    
secrets of the heart4  #cdi  ,death in  
some such form is1 ,i say1 the natural  
end of neglect of divine calls and      
warnings2 and such a death is1 in point 
of fact1 not unfrequently the actual end
 of such a course4 ,for1 says the       
apostle1 the earth that drinketh in the 
rain1 which cometh often upon it1 and   
bringeth forth herbs useful for them by 
whom it is tilled1 receiveth blessing   
from ,god4 ,but that which brngeth forth
 thorns and briers1 is rejected1 and    
very near to a curse1 whose end is to be
 burnt4 ,footnote #hi      ,footnote    
#hi3 ,heb4 vi4 #g1 #h4  ,and1 ,o my     
brethren1 if this is so1 you who are    
putting off your conversion1 putting off
 your return to ,god1 to what a risk are
 you exposing your salvation6 ,you say  
you will go to your confession at some  
other time4 ,you are young2 you imagine 

it will be easier in coming years2 you  
think your passions will be weaker1 your
 temptations less4 ,but you are         
deceiving yourselves4 ,you are counting 
on that which you do not know will ever 
be yours4 ,you cannot promise yourself  
another year4 ,how many who were here a 
year ago are now numbered with the dead6
 some of them as young as you are1 and  
who a year ago felt as you do now4 ,you 
count on special graces1 and you have no
 right to count on them4 ,you are       
deceiving yourselves1 my brethren1 you  
are deceiving yourselves4 ,the freeness 
and abundance of grace1 the cheapness of
 grace1 if ,i may so express myself1    
deceives you4 ,god invites1 and seems to
 plead and to beseech you to be saved1  
and you think it will always be so4 ,you
 think a time is coming when ,god will  
save you in spite of yourselves4 ,you   
know that you are not now on the road to
 heaven1 you know that you are living in
 sin1 but you think somehow ,god will   
interfere and make it right4 ,we are    

told in the gospel that there was at    
,jerusalem a pool1 around which usually 
lay a great multitude of sick and       
afflicted people1 waiting for the moving
 of the water2 for an angel came down at
 certain times and troubled the water1  
and whoever stepped in first after the  
troubling of the water was healed4 #cej 
,so it is with slothful1 negligent1     
procrastinating ,christians4 ,they lie  
in their sins1 waiting for some aid     
which will raise them to their feet1 and
 make them whole without any effort of  
their own4 ,vain hope6 ,they will die in
 their sins4 ,you shall seek me1 said   
,christ1 and you shall die in your sins4
 ,footnote #ij      ,footnote #ij3 ,st4 
,john viii4 #ba4  ,these fearful words  
are addressed to you1 ,o despiser of    
,god's grace2 to you1 ,o young man1 who 
deferrest conversion2 to you1 lover of  
pleasure1 who will not break with your  
idols2 to you1 ,o drunkard1 who will not
 throw away the intoxicating glass2 to  
you1 ,o avaricious man1 who are getting 

rich by fraud or by the blood of souls4 
,you shall die in your sins4 ,that is   
the end to which you are tending4 ,as   
you have despised ,god1 so ,he will     
despise you4 ,you shall seek ,him1 but  
you shall not find ,him4 ,you shall call
 upon ,him1 but ,he will not hearken4   
,at your dying hour1 every thing will   
fail you4 ,prayer will die on your lips1
 unused to pray4 ,your mind1 so long    
accustomed to love sin1 will find it    
hard to turn from it with true          
contrition4 ,the priest1 ah6 the priest 
cannot save you4 ,he can only help you1 
can only give you the consolations of   
religion if you are rightly disposed4   
,and how can you dispose yourself at    
that dreadful hour1 when your mind is   
filled with a fearful looking for of    
judgment1 when all your sins1 and all   
the graces you have rejected1 rise up   
before your guilty conscience8 ,oh6 meet
 this danger4 ,do not run this risk4    
,resist no longer the grace of ,god4    
,behold1 now once more ,god calls you to

 ,his fear4 ,behold1 the days have come 
to do penance1 and to redeem your sins4 
,god by ,his ,holy ,church makes you    
another offer4 ,turn unto me1 and ,i    
will turn unto you1 saith the ,lord4    
,let the wicked forsake his way1 and the
 unjust man his thoughts1 and let him   
return to the ,lord1 and he will have   
mercy on him4 ,footnote #ia ,to-day1    
then1 if you will hear ,his voice1      
harden not your hearts4 ,resolve to     
prepare for your ,easter confession4 ,if
 you came last ,easter and have         
persevered1 bless ,god1 and come now4   
,if you have fallen away1 see where the 
error was1 and learn a deeper humility1 
and make a stronger purpose1 and come   
again4      ,footnote #ia3 ,isai4 lv4   
#g4  #cea  ,and1 oh if you have stayed  
away in former years1 and are purposing 
to stay away this ,easter1 too--or if   
you are too negligent to have formed any
 purpose2 if you are just floating on1  
heedless and careless1 then know1 that  
for all these things ,god will bring you

 into judgment1 that the severest part  
of your account will be for graces      
resisted and rejected2 and that you are 
preparing for yourselves the retribution
 threatened in those dreadful words3    
,because ,i called and you refused3 ,i  
stretched out ,my ,hand2 and there was  
none that regarded4 ,you have despised  
all my counsel1 and have neglected my   
reproofs4 ,i also will laugh in your    
destruction3 and will mock1 when that   
shall come upon you which you feared4   
,when sudden calamity shall fall upon   
you1 and destruction as a tempest shall 
be at hand3 when tribulation and        
distress shall come upon you3 ,then they
 shall call upon ,me1 and ,i will not   
hear3 they shall rise in the morning1   
and shall not find ,me3 ,because they   
hated instruction1 and received not the 
fear of the ,lord1 nor consented to ,my 
counsel1 but despised all ,my reproof4  
,therefore they shall eat the fruit of  
their own way1 and shall be filled with 
their own devices4 ,footnote #ib        

,footnote #ib3 ,prov4 i4 #bd-ca4        
----------------------------------  #ceb
            ,sermon ,,xiv4        ,the  
,tomb ,of ,christ1     ,the ,school ,of 
,comfort4        7,easter ,sunday47     
,jesus saith to her3    ,woman why      
weepest thou8    ,whom seekest thou8    
,st4 ,john xx4 #ae4   ,how full of      
tenderness are these words6 ,they were  
spoken on the first ,easter ,day4 ,this 
weeping woman was ,mary ,magdalene1 she 
that had been a great sinner1 and was   
converted1 and loved our ,lord so much4 
,she had been at ,his ,cross3 she is now
 at ,his ,tomb1 with her spices and     
ointments to anoint ,his body4 ,but our 
,lord's body was not in the grave4 ,the 
stone is rolled away4 ,the tomb is open1
 and ,he is not there4 ,and yet ,he is  
not far away4 ,risen from the dead to a 
new and mysterious life1 ,he hovers     
about the garden1 and draws near to her 
as she approaches the sepulchre4 ,at the
 outburst of her grief on finding the   
sepulchre empty1 ,he breaks silence4    

,woman why weepest thou8 ,whom seekest  
thou8 ,these are the first words our    
,lord spoke after ,his ,resurrection4   
,they are the same words that were used 
by the angel a little before4 ,they seem
 to be the antiphon1 the key-note which 
,heaven has given us to guide our       
,easter thoughts4 ,no tears on ,easter  
,day4 ,nay1 no tears any more of the    
bitter1 hopeless kind1 for ,christ is   
,risen4 ,st4 ,mary ,magdalene at the    
tomb of ,christ represents ,humanity    
sitting in the region and shadow of     
death4 ,now to-day ,christ comes        
forward1 and speaks comfortable words to
 the human race4 ,why weepest thou8     
,whom seekest thou8 ,he challenges us4  
,i1 thy risen ,saviour1 ,he seems to    
say1 am thy consoler4 ,what grief is    
there that ,i have not removed8 ,and is 
it so8 ,are all our real sorrows removed
 or alleviated by the resurrection of   
,christ8 ,yes2 heavenly messengers have 
appeared bringing good tidings4 ,christ 
is risen4 #cec ,the stroke of our wound 

is healed4 ,to them that sat in the     
region of the shadow of death1 light is 
sprung up4 ,the ,day-,spring from on    
high hath visited us4 ,the earth feels  
herself to be lightened of her darkness1
 and in every church in ,christendom the
 cry is again and again repeated3       
,alleluia3 ,praise the ,lord4  ,it would
 be too long to attempt to show how     
every human sorrow can gather           
consolation from the ,resurrection of   
,christ4 ,all ,i can hope to do this    
morning is to show how the three        
heaviest troubles of our race--doubt1   
guilt1 and bereavement--find their      
relief in that event4  ,i call doubt1   
guilt1 and bereavement the heaviest woes
 of man4 ,in regard to the first1       
religious doubt1 many of you have had no
 experience4 ,brought up in the         
,catholic ,church1 with her teaching    
always sounding in your ears1 you have  
never known what it was to have real    
doubts about religious truth4 ,but there
 are others who have known that anguish 

by experience4 ,the soul of man thirsts 
for truth4 ,deep in every man's soul is 
a desire for ,god4 ,it may be stifled1  
it may be silenced for a time by        
passion1 but there it is1 that          
stretching forth to the ,fountain of    
,goodness and ,beauty1 that longing to  
know ,him and ,his will4 ,in generous   
souls1 in souls that are conscious of   
their dignity1 the finding of truth is  
an indispensable necessity4 ,the search 
for truth is an occupation that must be 
pursued with whatever pain and trouble1 
and until it be found life is really    
insupportable4 ,o my brethren1 ,i do    
believe that there are souls around us  
who hunger for truth as a famishing man 
hungers for food4 ,they labor and toil  
harder than any day-laborer4 ,they are  
like men exploring a dark and           
many-chambered mine4 ,they go with      
stooping head1 and the sweat rolls off  
their foreheads1 and their feet stumble1
 and with their dim light they can see  
but a little way before them1 and they  

are in danger of losing their way4 #ced 
,no doubt they learn something2 for ,god
 is everywhere2 ,god is in our hearts1  
and in ,nature1 and in men1 and in      
books1 and in the past1 and we cannot   
look for ,him anywhere without finding  
,his footprints2 but we want more than  
this4 ,we want ,god to speak to us4 ,we 
sigh for the lost happiness of ,eden1   
where ,god walked with our first parents
 in the cool of the day4 ,this is what  
men need4 ,they need ,god to reveal     
,himself to them1 to give them certainty
 in religious truth1 at least on the    
most important points4 ,everywhere men  
have been seeking this4 ,oh that ,god   
would rend the heavens and come down6   
,footnote #ic      ,footnote #ic3       
,isaias lxiv4 #a4  ,this is the cry of  
humanity1 that ,god would speak to us   
and make us hear ,his voice4 ,and they  
have sought for this voice4 ,they have  
strained their ears to listen to it4    
,they have sought it of the moon and    
stars as they moved through the heavens 

by night2 they have sought it in the    
whispers of the grove2 they have sought 
it at the lips of men of science and    
pretended religious teachers4 ,but they 
have met in such sources only with      
disappointment or deceit4 ,and yet that 
voice has always been in the world4 ,it 
spoke at first feebly and low1 but      
louder and louder as time went on1 until
 ,jesus ,christ came and spake as never 
man spake4 ,he claimed to be the ,son of
 ,god1 taught us clearly about ,god and 
our destiny1 promised ,his unfailing    
protection to ,his ,church in           
transmitting ,his doctrine to all       
generations1 and confirmed the truth1   
both of ,his ,teaching and ,promises1 by
 rising from the dead according to ,his 
,word4 ,to ,him1 therefore1 belongs the 
glorious title3 ,the ,faithful and ,true
 ,witness1 the ,first-,begotten of the  
,dead4 ,footnote #id      ,footnote #id3
 ,apoc4 i4 #e4  ,eighteen hundred years 
have passed away1 but ,his ,word has    
lost none of its authority1 and now this

 morning we can say1 as to every point  
of the ,catholic creed1 with as much    
certainty as on the morning of the      
,resurrection the ,apostles felt in     
regard to all the words of ,christ--,i  
believe4 ,o glorious privilege of a     
,catholic6 ,rejoice1 says the prophet1  
and be glad in the ,lord1 ,o children of
 ,sion1 because ,he hath given to you a 
,teacher of ,justice4 ,footnote #ie     
,footnote #ie3 ,joel ii4 #bc4  #cee     
,obedient to this inspired injunction1  
the ,church requires the ,creed to be   
sung at her great solemnities4 ,it is   
not enough to recite it4 ,no2 it must be
 sung1 sung in full chorus1 accompanied 
with instruments of music4 ,and fitting 
it is and right4 ,worship would be      
incomplete without it4 ,litanies and    
hymns are the means by which the heart  
does homage to ,god2 but ,,credo1 ,i    
believe1 that is the intellect's cry of 
joy at its emancipation from the bondage
 of doubt4 ,oh1 how mistaken are those  
who imagine that the articles of the    

,creed are like fetters on the mind4 ,on
 the contrary1 they are to us the       
evidences of that liberty wherewith     
,christ has made us free4 ,we reject    
temptations against faith1 as attacks on
 our happiness4 ,we feel that to doubt  
the doctrine of faith would be to doubt 
the ,son of ,god1 and to doubt ,him     
would be to discredit our own soul4 ,be 
firm1 then1 my brethren in faith4       
,remember that faith is part of your    
birthright and privilege as ,christians4
 ,the ,sepulchre of ,christ is the gate 
to the ,palace of ,truth4 ,see1 the door
 is open4 ,the stone is rolled away4    
,oh1 enter and be blest4 ,with ,thomas  
look at ,his wounded side and say1 ,my  
,lord and my ,god6 ,with ,magdalene fall
 at ,his feet and call ,him ,master4    
,listen to ,his words and doubt no more4
 ,being no more children1 tossed to and 
fro1 and carried about with every wind  
of doctrine1 but holding the truth in   
charity1 in all things grow up in ,him  
who is the ,head1 ,christ4 ,footnote #if

      ,footnote #if3 ,eph4 iv4 #ad4     
,again1 as doubt is the bondage of the  
intellect1 so guilt is the burden of the
 conscience4 ,who can give peace to a   
soul that has sinned8 ,the prophet      
,micheas well describes the anxiety of  
such a soul4 ,what shall ,i offer to the
 ,lord that is worthy8 ,wherewith shall 
,i kneel before the ,high ,god8 ,shall  
,i offer holocausts unto ,him1 and      
calves of a year old8 ,will ,he be      
appeased with thousands of rams8 ,shall 
,i give my first-born for my wickedness1
 the fruit of my body for the sin of my 
soul8 ,footnote #ig      ,footnote #ig3 
,mich4 vi4 #f4  #cef  ,now1 must we for 
ever go on in this uncertainty8 ,shall  
we never1 after we have sinned1 have    
again the assurance that we are         
pardoned8 ,must we go trembling all our 
days1 and be terror-stricken at the hour
 of death8 ,are we left to our own      
fancyings and feelings to decide whether
 we are pardoned or not8 ,shall we never
 hear that sweet consoling word3 ,go in 

peace1 thy sins are forgiven thee8 ,yes1
 ,christ is risen4 ,he is come from the 
grave with healing in ,his wings4 ,he is
 come as a conqueror1 with the trophies 
of victory4 ,hear what ,he says of      
,himself3 ,i am ,he that liveth and was 
dead1 and behold ,i live forever1 and   
have the keys of ,hell and ,death4      
,footnote #ih    ,footnote #ih3 ,apoc4  
i4 #ah4  ,he has come back from the     
grave with the keys of ,hell in ,his    
hand4 ,while ,he was yet among men ,he  
had promised to give those keys to ,st4 
,peter and the ,apostles1 but it was    
only after ,his death1 by which ,he had 
merited our pardon1 and after ,his      
,resurrection1 by which ,his ,father had
 attested ,his acceptance of the        
,ransom1 that ,he proceeded solemnly to 
deliver them4 ,now when it was late1    
says ,st4 ,john1 that same day 7,easter 
day7 ,jesus came and stood in the midst 
and said to them3 ,peace be to you4 ,as 
the ,father hath sent ,me1 ,i also send 
you4 ,when ,he had said this1 ,he       

breathed on them3 and ,he said to them1 
,receive the ,holy ,ghost3 ,whose sins  
you shall forgive1 they are forgiven    
them2 and whose sins you shall retain1  
they are retained4 ,footnote #ii        
,footnote #ii3 ,st4 ,john xx4 #ai4  ,do 
you hear this1 ,o sinner8 ,he offers you
 pardon1 and ,he assures you of it4 ,all
 ,he asks of you is a true sorrow2 all  
,he asks is a fervent and true purpose  
to offend ,him no more4 ,come1          
confessing your sins2 come1 forsaking   
them1 and ,he has promised that ,his    
priest shall declare to you1 in ,his    
name3 ,i absolve thee from thy sins4    
#ceg ,he has promised to ratify the     
sentence in heaven4 ,can you doubt ,his 
power8 ,can you doubt ,his truth8 ,no3  
,he has risen for our justification4    
,what shall we say then to these things8
 ,if ,god be for us1 who shall be       
against us8 ,who shall lay anything to  
the charge of the elect of ,god8 ,it is 
,god that justifieth4 ,who is he that   
shall condemn8 ,it is ,christ that died1

 yea also ,who is risen again4 ,footnote
 #ajj      ,footnote #ajj3 ,rom4 viii4  
#cc4  ,do not look on us1 the ministers 
of ,his grace1 weak and frail as we are4
 ,look at the ,saviour4 ,look at ,him   
dying on the cross1 a ransom for our    
sins4 ,look at ,him1 rising from the    
dead on the third day1 having           
accomplished a complete victory over our
 spiritual enemies1 and bringing to us  
life and pardon4 ,see ,him in ,his      
divine power1 instituting sacraments by 
which that life and pardon might be     
communicated to us4 ,believe ,his word1 
trust ,his merits1 have recourse to ,his
 sacraments1 and thus1 being justified  
by faith have once more peace with ,god1
 and rejoice again in hope of the ,glory
 of ,god4 ,footnote #aja      ,footnote 
#aja3 ,rom4 v4 #a4  ,come1 forgiven     
sinner1 lift up your head1 for ,god hath
 cleansed you4 ,be happy3 be a          
,christian3 be a man once more1 for you 
are clothed again in the garments of    
innocence and sanctity4 ,it is no       

incomplete and grudging pardon ,he has  
given you4 ,though your sins were as    
scarlet1 they are now as white as snow2 
though they were red like crimson1 they 
are as white as wool4 ,he hath cast your
 sins into the bottom of the sea4 ,they 
shall never be mentioned to you again4  
,he has even restored to you again the  
merits you had acquired in days of      
innocence1 and lost again by sin4 ,he   
has restored to you the years which the 
locust and the caterpillar and the      
mildew and the palmer-worm hath eaten4  
,footnote #ajb ,let1 then1 gratitude    
fill your heart1 let joy be written on  
your face1 and let holy resolves for the
 future correspond to the mercy you have
 received4      ,footnote #ajb3 ,joel   
ii4 #be4  #ceh  ,yes1 my brethren1      
,christ at ,his ,sepulchre satisfies the
 intellect and heals the conscience--and
 ,he also silences another cry of human 
woe4 ,it is that of which the prophet   
spoke when he said3 ,a voice was heard  
of lamentation1 of mourning and weeping1

 ,rachel weeping for her children and   
refused to be comforted1 because they   
are not4 ,footnote #ajc      ,footnote  
#ajc3 ,jer4 xxxi4 #ae4  ,oh6 it is hard 
to see one we love die1 but is it not   
harder to our sensitive nature to bury  
them8 ,that makes us feel what we have  
lost4 ,reason tells us that the soul is 
immortal1 but we need something more for
 our comfort4 ,the heart asks1 ,what is 
to become of the body that ,i loved so  
much8 ,talk of the lifeless and         
speechless corpse4 ,it is not lifeless  
and speechless to me4 ,those cold lips  
smile the old smile on me1 and whisper  
in my ear a thousand words of kindness4 
,and oh1 to part with that6 ,to lose    
even that sad comfort6 ,to have the body
 of the dead taken away from us1 is not 
that a grief8 ,such was ,mary           
,magdalene's sorrow4 ,they have taken   
away my ,lord out of the ,sepulchre1 and
 ,i know not where they have laid ,him4 
,footnote #ajd      ,footnote #ajd3 ,st4
 ,john xx4 #b4  ,she could bear any     

thing but that4 ,she had borne up at our
 ,lord's death4 ,it was a bitter thing1 
but then she stood at the foot of the   
cross on which ,he hung1 and she could  
look up at ,him and see ,him4 ,she had  
borne up on ,friday evening1 for then   
she was busy preparing her spices and   
ointments4 ,she had borne up on         
,saturday1 for she was thinking all day 
of her visit to the grave next morning4 
,but on ,sunday1 to go and find ,his    
body gone--never again to look upon     
those lips that had spoken peace to her 
soul2 never again to kiss with affection
 those sacred feet1--oh1 this was too   
much4 ,and ,mary stood at the ,sepulchre
 weeping4 ,but lo6 what voice is that   
which speaks3 ,woman1 why weepest thou8 
,it is the voice of ,jesus himself1 of  
,jesus whom she mourns4 ,himself1 flesh 
and blood1 the very ,jesus whom she had 
known and loved4 #cei ,so1 my brethren1 
as you weep at the graves of your       
friends1 those very friends stand near  
you and say1 ,why weepest thou8 ,weep   

not for me4 ,weep not for me1 childless 
mother6 ,weep not for me1 my orphan     
child6 ,weep not for me1 my sorrowing   
friend6 ,leave my body awhile in the    
grave4 ,it is not dead but sleeps4 ,for 
,i know that my ,redeemer liveth1 and in
 the last day ,i shall arise out of the 
earth4 ,and ,i shall be clothed again   
with my skin and in my flesh ,i shall   
see my ,god3 ,whom ,i myself shall see1 
and my eyes shall behold1 and not       
another's4 ,footnote #aje      ,footnote
 #aje3 ,job xix4 #be4  ,touch me not    
yet3 wait awhile1 and you shall see my  
hands and feet1 that it is ,i myself4   
,for as in ,adam all die1 so also in    
,christ all shall be made alive4 ,but   
every one in his own order2 the first   
fruits ,christ1 then they that are of   
,christ1 who have believed in ,his      
coming4 ,footnote #ajf      ,footnote   
#ajf3 ,i4 ,cor4 xv4 #bb4  ,strange it is
 that our comfort and joy should come   
out of the grave4 ,but so it is4 ,by the
 resurrection of ,christ all our woes   

are healed4 ,our new life springs from  
the sepulchre of ,christ4 ,christ is    
risen  we believe4 ,christ is risen2 we 
are pardoned4 ,christ is risen2 death   
loses its power to separate ,christians4
 ,mourn then no longer1 my brethren1 it 
is ,easter4 ,believe1 and rejoice4      
,forsake your sins1 and rejoice4 ,bury  
your dead in ,christ1 and rejoice in    
hope4 ,the former things are passed     
away2 all things are become new4 ,the   
winter is now passed2 the rain is over  
and gone4 ,the flowers have appeared2   
the time of pruning is come2 the voice  
of the dove is heard in our land4       
,footnote #ajg      ,footnote #ajg3     
,cant4 ii4 #aa1 #ab4  ,it is ,easter4   
,this is that day which the ,lord hath  
made4 ,this is the ,lord's ,passover4   
,the ,red ,sea is crossed3 we are       
delivered out of ,egypt1 and are        
marching to the promised land4 ,it is   
,easter4 ,mary has been at the sepulchre
 early this morning and has seen the    
,saviour4 ,jesus has appeared in the    

midst of the disciples1 saying1 ,peace  
be with you4 ,some have known ,him in   
breaking of bread4 ,to some ,he has     
drawn near as they walked along and     
discoursed together4 ,some that were sad
 ,he has comforted4 ,how has it been    
with each of you8 #cfj ,has this day    
been a day of joy to you8 ,has it       
awakened you to new life1 new hopes1 new
 aspirations8 or does it find you cold1 
dead to spiritual things1 perhaps not   
even in the grace of ,god1 and in love  
with your sins6 ,oh1 at least now awake 
to the hopes and desires of a           
,christian4 ,the day is far spent2 it   
draweth toward evening4 ,let not this   
glorious feast depart and leave you as  
you are4 ,while angels and the ,son of  
,god are abroad on the earth1 scattering
 grace and consolation1 do not you alone
 remain unblest4 ,claim your privileges 
as a ,christian1 and1 risen with ,christ
 in baptism1 seek those things that are 
above1 where ,christ sitteth at the     
right hand of ,god4  ,and you1 faithful 

souls who have done your duty1 who have 
found in this ,feast a joy and comfort  
that passes understanding1 know that the
 gladness of ,easter is but an earnest  
of another day1 the great day of        
eternity1 which will open on the morning
 of resurrection1 and which knows no    
evening2 which has no need of the sun1  
for ,god is the light thereof2 when ,god
 shall wipe away all tears2 and death   
shall be no more2 and sorrow and sighing
 shall flee away4                       
--------------------------              
,sermon ,,xv4       ,st4 ,mary          
,magdalene at the ,sepulchre4           
7,easter ,sunday4 ,footnote #ajh7       
,footnote #ajh3 ,the substance of this  
sermon     is from ,st4 ,thomas of      
,villanova4     ,but ,he rising early   
the first day of the week1   appeared   
first to ,mary ,magdalene4     --,st4   
,mark ,,xvi4 #i4  #cfa  ,st4 ,mary      
,magdalene may be called the ,saint of  
the ,resurrection4 ,she is intimately   
associated with that event in the pages 

of the ,scriptures1 and in the minds of 
,christians4 ,indeed1 the ,gospel       
account of the ,resurrection embraces an
 almost continuous record of the actions
 of this holy woman from the            
,crucifixion until ,easter day2 and ,i  
have thought that in tracing that record
 this morning1 while ,i am presenting to
 you the great mystery of to-day's      
celebration1 ,i shall at the same time  
be pointing out to you the means of     
obtaining those graces which our risen  
,lord has come to impart4 ,st4 ,mary    
,magdalene's history for these three    
days is a history of love4 ,every thing 
she does1 every thing she says1 is a    
proof of her love for our ,lord4 ,and   
the distinguishing favors our ,lord     
bestowed on her are a pledge of what we 
may look for to-day1 if we imitate her  
love4  ,first1 then1 we are told1 that  
when our ,lord was taken down from the  
cross1 and laid in the new tomb of      
,joseph of ,arimathea1 she went and saw 
how the body was laid4 ,one might have  

thought it would have satisfied her to  
stand by the cross1 through those       
fearful hours1 till it was an over1 and 
then to have returned home4 ,no2 love   
will see the last4 ,she will follow on  
to the grave4 ,it is true the dead      
bodies of our friends feel not our      
kindness1 but still we want them treated
 with tenderness and care4 ,so ,mary    
follows the corpse to the burial1 and1  
when it is laid in the sepulchre1 she   
looks in to see how it is laid4 ,not a  
superficial look3 no1 an earnest        
scrutinizing gaze4 ,she sees how the    
drooping head lays on its stony pillow1 
and how the pierced hands and feet are  
disposed4 ,she makes a picture of it all
 in her own mind1 and then returns to   
the city to prepare spices and          
ointments4 ,now1 there was no need at   
all of this4 ,nicodemus had come1 as    
soon as ,pilate had given the disciples 
possession of our ,lord's body1 and     
brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes1 a 
hundred pounds weight4 ,but ,mary does  

not care for that4 ,others may do what  
good works they choose1 but she will not
 be cheated of hers4 ,and what she does 
she will do prodigally1 too4 ,it was her
 way4 #cfb ,you remember how1 at the    
house of ,simon1 she brought her        
alabaster box of ointment1 and broke it1
 and scattered it over the feet of      
,jesus1 so that the whole house was     
filled with the perfume2 and how ,judas 
found fault with her1 saying1 ,this     
ointment might have been sold for more  
than three hundred pence1 and given to  
the poor4 ,our ,lord attempted then to  
excuse her extravagance1 saying1 ,she   
hath done this against the day of ,,my  
burial4 ,no1 she would do it then1 and  
she would do it at ,his burial1 too4    
,nicodemus and the holy women may bring 
as much as they like1 but she will do   
her part4 ,precious and costly shall her
 offering be as she can make it1 not    
because ,he needs it1 but because her   
heart is straitened to express its love4
 ,it is her pleasure to spend and be    

spent for ,him whom she loved2 and all  
she can do is too little4  ,but while   
,mary's love was impulsive and generous1
 it was obedient4 ,she rested on the    
,sabbath day1 according to the          
commandment4 ,here is a test of true    
love4 ,we want to do something very     
much2 we think the motive is good2 but  
there comes a providential obstacle in  
the way4 ,we cannot do it just now4 ,we 
cannot do it just in the way we want4   
,and too often our love is not pure     
enough for this test4 ,we murmur and    
complain1 and commit a thousand         
disobediences1 and show how much        
self-love had to do with our            
undertakings4 ,it was not so with this  
holy woman4 ,she waited all the ,sabbath
 day4 ,it was ,god's command4 ,the      
seventh day was kept by the ,jews with a
 ceremonial strictness that forbade all 
work2 and she would keep the commandment
 to the letter4 ,so not a step would she
 take on the ,sabbath1 not even to the  
,saviour's grave4 ,i am sure that       

,sabbath was a long one to her4 ,never  
was time's foot so heavy4 ,never did the
 hours go so slow4 ,never were the      
sacred services so tedious4 ,a thousand 
times she goes to the window to see if  
the shadows were getting long1 and each 
time it seems to her that the sun is    
standing still4 ,o loving heart6 loving 
in what she did not do1 as well as in   
what she did4 ,she will not take        
liberties with her conscience4 #cfc ,she
 will not be officious or intrusive4    
,she will not please herself on pretence
 of doing something for ,god4 ,and so1  
though her heart is at the sepulchre all
 day1 though she yearns to go thither1  
not a foot will she stir1 not a hand    
will she lift1 till she knows that the  
fitting time is come4 ,her love was that
 orderly charity of which the ,holy     
,scripture speaks4 ,footnote #aji       
,footnote #aji3 ,cant4 ii4 #d4  ,but the
 longest day has an end1 and the end of 
that ,sabbath at last arrived4 ,the sun 
sinks beneath the horizon4 ,the evening 

sacrifice is over4 ,darkness falls upon 
the temple aisles1 and the last         
worshipper departs4 ,by degrees the     
streets of ,jerusalem become silent and 
deserted4 ,it is night1 a glorious      
night2 for the full paschal moon pours  
down its floods of light upon the holy  
city4 ,and now the good woman1 laden    
with her ointments and spices1 sets out 
for the sepulchre4 ,alone1 or only with 
a feeble woman like herself1 she goes   
out late at night1 and whither8 ,to a   
garden outside the city1 where a band of
 soldiers keep watch over a grave1      
closed with a great stone1 and sealed   
with the seal of state4 ,is she not     
afraid8 ,docs she not run a thousand    
risks8 ,even supposing she reaches the  
place in safety1 will she be permitted  
to approach the grave8 ,who will roll   
the stone from the door8 ,who will dare 
to break the seal8 ,o holy boldness of  
love6 which1 when a duty is to be done1 
asks no questions1 and knows no         
difficulties4 ,o love6 stronger than    

death1 despising torments and casting   
out fear6 ,here is the wisdom of the    
saints4 ,here is the secret of all the  
great things that have been done for    
,god4 ,there is a higher wisdom and a   
higher prudence than the wisdom and the 
prudence of this world4 ,there is a     
trust in ,god which is ever regarded as 
daring and enthusiastic1 but which ,god 
justifies1 and men themselves are forced
 at last to applaud4  #cfd  ,such were  
the sentiments with which ,st4 ,mary    
,magdalene went to the sepulchre4 ,but  
here a new circumstance demands our     
attention4 ,she set out1 we are told1   
while it was yet dark4 ,it was night1   
the dead of night1 when she left her    
house1 and she did not reach the        
sepulchre till the sun was risen4 ,how  
did this happen8 ,the place in which our
 ,lord was crucified was1 as the        
evangelist tell us1 near the city4 ,and1
 one reason why ,pilate suffered the    
disciples to lay our ,lord's body in    
,joseph's tomb was1 because it was close

 to the place of crucifixion1 and the   
body could be laid there before the     
,passover began4 ,what1 then1 delayed   
,st4 ,mary ,magdalene so long8 ,what is 
the meaning of this8 so prompt and eager
 in setting out1 so tardy in arriving8  
,love1 again1 my brethren1 is the       
explanation4 ,she had to pass through   
the city4 ,her road was what is called  
the ,way of ,sorrows1 which ,jesus took 
when ,he was led to ,calvary1 and along 
which she had followed ,him on ,good    
,friday4 ,how could she go fast8 ,every 
step brought its own memories4 ,there   
was the house of ,caiaphas4 ,there the  
judgment-hall of ,pilate4 ,there the    
balcony at which ,jesus had been        
presented to the crowd1 clad in a purple
 robe and crowned with thorns4 ,there   
stood the pillar at which ,he had been  
scourged1 and there was the spot at     
which he had fallen under the weight of 
,his cross1 and it was given to ,simon  
of ,cyrene to carry4 ,no1 her course was
 a pilgrimage4 ,each step was a holy    

station1 at which she stopped awhile to 
pray and call to mind the events of that
 dreadful morning4 ,and when she came to
 ,calvary1 where the cross was still    
standing1 and threw herself on the      
ground to kiss the sod still wet with   
the ,saviour's ,blood1 the hours pass by
 unheeded1 for ,jesus hangs there again1
 and ,mary1 ,his mother1 is by her side1
 and each tender word1 each look of     
sorrow is again repeated4 ,love         
meditates4 ,love lingers in the         
footsteps of its beloved1 and the       
shortest1 sweetest hours it finds on    
earth are hours of prayer4 ,what wonder1
 then1 that ,mary kneels1 embracing the 
foot of the cross1 in perfect           
forgetfulness of all else besides1      
until1 as she raises her eyes to cast an
 adoring glance1 she sees that the cross
 is gilded by the red gleam of the      
coming ,easter sun--that it is already  
day4 ,thus recalled to herself1 she     
kisses that sacred tree for the last    
time1 tears herself from it1 and hurries

 off to fulfil the work she had in hand4
  #cfe  ,and she arrived at the         
sepulchre just in time1 or rather ,god  
was there to meet her to reward her     
love4 ,for the moment she arrived1 there
 was a great earthquake1 and an angel of
 the ,lord descended from heaven1 and   
coming1 rolled back the stone1 and sat  
upon it4 ,and his countenance was like  
lightning and his raiment as snow4 ,and 
for fear of him the guards were struck  
with terror1 and became as dead men4    
,and the angel1 answering1 said to the  
woman3 ',fear not you1 for ,i know that 
you seek ,jesus who was crucified4 ,he  
is not here1 for ,he is risen1 as ,he   
said4 ,come and see the place where the 
,lord was laid4 ,and go quickly1 tell   
his disciples that ,he is risen1 and    
behold1 ,he will go before you into     
,galilee4 ,and they went out quickly    
from the sepulchre with fear and great  
joy1 running to tell his disciples4'    
,footnote #aaj      ,footnote #aaj3 ,st4
 ,matt4 xxviii4 #b-h4  ,see her running 

from the sepulchre as fast as she had so
 lately run to it2 for love easily      
changes its employment at the voice of  
its beloved4 ,she had come to anoint the
 body of ,jesus2 there is no need of    
that now1 for ,jesus is alive2 but still
 there is something to do for ,jesus--to
 tell ,his disciples4 ,peter1 ,james1   
,john1 and the other disciples are at   
home1 sorrowful and fearful4 ,he whom   
they loved and trusted is no more2 and  
they1 whither shall they go8 ,besides   
this1 there was an additional sorrow4   
,they had forsaken their good ,master in
 the day of ,his distress2 ,peter had   
even denied with an oath that he knew   
,him2 and they now sat depressed and    
anxious in that upper chamber in which  
so lately they had eaten the ,passover  
with ,him4 ,but ,he is alive6 and ,mary 
knows it6 ,shall she wait to see ,him8  
#cff ,no1 she must go quickly and tell  
,his disciples4 ,this commandment have  
we from ,god1 that ,he that loveth ,god1
 love his brother also4 ,footnote #aaa  

,footnote #aaa3 ,i4 ,st4 ,john iv4 #ba4 
,and ,mary leaves the sepulchre1 leaves 
,christ1 to go and carry the joyful news
 to ,his afflicted brethren4 ,with      
nimble feet1 with eager countenance1 she
 returns to the city1 seeks out the     
well-known house1 and appears in the    
midst of the sorrowing group1 with the  
exclamation3 ,jesus is alive6 ,he is    
risen from the dead6  ,alas6 poor       
,magdalene6 ,her words seemed to them as
 an idle tale4 ,to us1 familiar with the
 doctrine and proofs of our ,lord's     
,resurrection1 it is wonderful how slow 
the apostles were to believe it4 ,no    
doubt1 their slowness to believe is a   
benefit to us1 because it was the       
occasion of multiplying the proofs4     
,perhaps1 too1 it was not unnatural2 for
 faith does not come all at once4 ,there
 is often a period between doubt and    
faith1 a period of inconsistency2 in    
which one is at one moment all          
,christian1 and at another believes     
nothing4 ,certainly it was so with the  

apostles on ,easter ,day1 and ,mary     
,magdalene seems to have shared their   
infirmity4 ,the apostles1 as soon as    
they had heard the news that ,christ has
 risen1 set out for the sepulchre4 ,when
 they came to the place1 they found     
indeed the grave open1 and the linen    
cloths1 in which the ,lord's body had   
been wrapped1 lying in it1 and the guard
 gone2 but ,him they saw not4 ,mary     
,magdalene accompanied them1 and when   
she saw neither the ,lord ,himself1 nor 
the angel who had spoken to her1 and    
when she saw the incredulous looks of   
the disciples1 she herself began to     
doubt4 ,but though her faith was weak1  
her love was strong2 and she stood at   
the door of the sepulchre1 weeping4 ,at 
least she will not give up the idea of  
finding the ,lord's body1 and carrying  
out her first intention of embalming it4
 ,so she stands at the sepulchre1 and   
looks in4 #cfg ,she had looked in many  
times already2 she had every corner of  
it by heart2 but she looks in again4    

,she will see the place where the ,lord 
lay1 if she cannot see ,himself3 and lo6
 this time she sees a new sight4 ,there 
are two angels1 in white1 sitting1 one  
at the head and the other at the feet1  
where the body of ,jesus had lain4      
,angels again6 but this time not angels 
of fear1 with a terrible countenance1 as
 the first had been1 but angels of      
comfort and peace4 ,and they spoke to   
her3 ,woman1 why weepest thou8 ,why dost
 thou seek the living among the dead8   
,one would have thought it was something
 to see an angel1 and hear his voice3   
but this good woman makes very little of
 it4 ,no angel will satisfy her now4    
,they have taken away my ,lord1 she     
replies1 and ,i know not where they have
 laid ,him4 ,is not this grief enough to
 have lost a ,lord1 a ,friend1 a        
,saviour1 such as ,jesus was1 and not   
even to have so much as ,his lifeless   
body left on which to lavish her        
endearments4 ,o my brethren1 no created 
thing can satisfy the soul4 ,i say not1 

though we had all the treasures of      
earth1 but though we had all the        
treasures of heaven2 though angels and  
saints were ours2 though we had visions 
and revelations2 yet all would be       
nothing if we had not ,god4 ,heaven     
would be hell without ,him1 and at the  
very gate of ,paradise the soul would   
weep and say1 ,they have taken away my  
,lord4  ,but at this point a new actor  
appears on the scene4 ,a man approaches1
 and addresses ,magdelene in the same   
words that the angels had used3 ,woman1 
why weepest thou8 ,whom seekest thou8   
,she takes him for the gardener1 and    
suddenly a suspicion seizing her that he
 might know something of the treasure   
she had lost1 turned upon him and said3 
,sir1 if thou hast borne ,him away1 tell
 me where thou hast laid ,him2 and ,i   
will take ,him away4 ,she does not      
answer his question4 ,she does not tell 
him whom she is seeking4 ,for1 as ,st4  
,bernard observes1 ,love imagines       
everyone is as full of the object of its

 love as it is itself2 and so she says3 
,if thou hast borne ,him away1 tell me  
where thou hast laid ,him1 and ,i will  
take ,him away4 #cfh ,no need to mention
 ,his ,name4 ,all things knew it4 ,the  
sun publishes it4 ,it is written on the 
leaves4 ,the wind utters it4 ,it is the 
,name that is above every name--the     
,name at which every knee must bow4     
,tell me where thou hast laid ,him1 and 
,i will go and carry ,him away4 ,what1  
you6 a weak woman6 ,can you carry away a
 heavy corpse8 ,yes1 she can2 and they  
that doubt it do not know how strong    
love is1 how great a weight it can      
carry1 what hard things it can do1 and  
how it makes a man do what is above     
nature1 or1 rather1 how1 with faith and 
grace1 it brings out the power that is  
in these human hearts of ours1 and      
awakens their latent energies4  ,and now
 ,jesus can restrain ,himself no longer2
 for ,jesus it is who now speaks with   
her4 ,she had charged ,him with taking  
away the ,sacred ,body1 and she was     

right4 ,he it was who had taken it from 
the grave4 ,i have power to lay it down1
 said ,he1 and ,i have power to take it 
up again4 ,footnote #aab      ,footnote 
#aab3 ,st4 ,john x4 #ah4  ,yes1 it was  
,jesus4 ,he had seen her tears1 listened
 to her complaint1 watched her efforts1 
and now the time had come when ,he would
 disclose ,himself to her4 ,he said to  
her3 ,mary6 ,oh6 what voice is that8    
,what sweet and tender memories it wakes
 up6 ,the home of ,bethany1 the         
banqueting-hall of ,simon1 ,mount       
,calvary1 all are brought before her4   
,she turns and looks keenly at the      
speaker1 and one look is enough4 ,it is 
,he1 the same--the very same who spoke  
pardon and peace to her soul1 when      
first1 a guilty woman1 she had washed   
,his feet with her tears4 ,it is ,jesus4
 ,he lives again4 ,and1 with her        
accustomed salutation1 she kneels before
 ,him1 and says3 ,rabboni6 which is to  
say1 ,master6  #cfi  ,how much is       
expressed in this brief interview4      

,mary6 ,it is a word of gentle reproach4
 ,mary1 dost thou not remember ,my      
words--,my promise--that ,i would rise  
again8 ,mary1--dost thou not believe ,my
 angels1 bearing testimony to ,my       
,resurrection8 ,mary1 whose brother     
,lazarus ,i have raised from the grave1 
dost thou not think that ,i am as       
powerful to rise from the dead as to    
restore life to others8 ,mary6 ,it is a 
term of affection4 ,as much as to say3  
,i am risen2 but ,i am still thy friend4
 ,i do not forget the past1 and now1 on 
this glorious morning of ,my            
,resurrection1 ,i tell thee that ,i know
 thee by thy name1 and love thee with   
the same love with which ,i loved thee  
in the days of ,my sorrow'4 ,and1       
,master6 is her fitting reply4 ,master  
of my heart1 whom only ,i have loved6   
,master of my faith1 whom now' ,i       
acknowledge as indeed risen from the    
dead6 ,master1 whose ,truth and ,power  
,i have been so slow to understand6     
,master1 whom all my future life shall  

honor and obey6 ,o happy ,magdalene6    
,her search is ended4 ,her tears are    
dried4 ,o joy beyond all thought6 ,she  
has seen ,him1 and talked with ,him6  ,o
 my brethren1 need ,i say more8 ,has not
 ,st4 ,magdalene preached an ,easter    
sermon8 ,love is the way to keep this   
feast4 ,love is the way to faith and    
joy4 ,it is the way to faith1 for our   
,lord says3 ,if any man shall do the    
will of ,god he shall know of the       
doctrine1 whether it is of ,god4        
,footnote #aac      ,footnote #aac3 ,st4
 ,john vii4 #ag4  ,it is said of        
,magdalene that she loved much because  
she was pardoned much2 ,i say she       
believed much because she loved much4   
,and love is the way to joy4 ,who are   
they that are truly happy on this day8  
,they who with ,magdalene have sought   
,jesus2 they who by a true confession   
and a devout communion have united      
themselves to the risen ,saviour1 and   
conversed with him in sweet familiarity4
 ,for to them our ,lord speaks and says3

 ,fear not1 ,i have called thee by thy  
name1 thou art mine4 ,i am the ,lord1   
thy ,saviour1 thy ,redeemer1 the mighty 
,one of ,jacob4 ,behold ,my hands and   
feet1 that it is ,i ,myself6 ,fear not1 
,israel my chosen1 and ,jacob mine      
elect1 for ,i am ,he that liveth and was
 dead1 and have the keys of hell and    
death4 ,and behold6 ,i am alive for ever
 more6  -----------------------------   
#cgj                ,sermon ,,xvi4      
,the ,preacher1 ,the ,organ ,of ,the    
,holy ,ghost4        7,fourth ,sunday   
,after ,easter47    ,when ,he the       
,spirit of ,truth shall come1   ,he will
 lead you into all truth4     ,st4 ,john
 ,,xvi4 #ac4   ,i need hardly say that  
the words all truth in this promise mean
 all truth relating to our salvation4   
,it is no part of our ,lord's plan to   
teach us the truths of natural science4 
,he leaves us to discover these by our  
own intelligence4 ,he comes to teach us 
faith and morals--what we are to        
believe1 and what we are to do1 in order

 to be saved4 ,he did this while ,he was
 on earth by ,his conversations with    
,his disciples1 and by ,his public      
sermons to the ,jews2 but ,he promised  
that this work should be carried on     
after ,his death more extensively and   
systematically4 ,thus1 in the words of  
the text3 ,when ,he the ,spirit of      
,truth shall come ,he will lead you into
 all truth4 ,footnote #aad ,and again3  
,the ,paraclete1 the ,holy ,ghost1 ,whom
 the ,father will send in ,my name1 ,he 
will teach you all things and will bring
 all things to your mind whatsoever ,i  
shall have said to you4,footnote #aae   
,it cannot but be a matter of interest  
to inquire in what manner this promise  
has been fulfilled4      ,footnote #aad3
 ,st4 ,john xvi4 #ac4      ,footnote    
#aae3 ,st4 ,john xiv4 #bf4  ,i answer1  
the ,holy ,ghost leads us into all truth
 necessary to our salvation by the      
public preaching of the ,word of ,god4  
,if we examine our ,lord's words        
attentively1 we shall be led to the     

conclusion that the ministry of the     
,holy ,ghost to which ,he alludes is a  
public ministry4 ,his own ministry was a
 public one1 and in promising that the  
,holy ,ghost should carry it on and     
complete it1 ,he leads us to anticipate 
that the ministry of the ,holy ,ghost   
would also be public4 #cga ,and ,his own
 subsequent language shows that this is 
really so1 and acquaints us with the way
 in which this ministry is to be        
exercised4 ,just before our ,lord's     
,ascension ,he met the ,apostles on a   
mountain in ,galilee1 and said to them3 
,all power is given to ,me in heaven and
 in earth4 ,go ye1 therefore1 and teach 
all nations2 baptizing them in the name 
of the ,father and of the ,son and of   
the ,holy ,ghost2 teaching them to      
observe all things whatsoever ,i have   
commanded you2 and behold ,i am with you
 all days1 even to the consummation of  
the world4 ,footnote #aaf ,august and   
extensive as this commission was1 it did
 not by itself qualify the ,apostles for

 their great work4 ,they were to wait in
 ,jerusalem till they were endued with  
power from on high4 ,this power was the 
,holy ,ghost which actually did descend 
on them at the feast of ,pentecost4     
,here we find a company of men          
commissioned by ,christ to teach the    
world in ,his name1 and empowered by the
 ,holy ,ghost for that purpose4 ,we find
 these men afterward everywhere claiming
 to be the organs of the ,holy ,ghost4  
,thus1 at the council of ,jerusalem1    
they did not hesitate to publish their  
decrees with this preface3 ,it hath     
seemed good to the ,holy ,ghost and to  
us4 ,footnote #aag ,and ,st4 ,paul tells
 the bishops of ,ephesus1 that they were
 placed over the ,church by the ,holy   
,ghost4 ,footnote #aah      ,footnote   
#aaf3 ,st4 ,matt4 xxviii4 #ah-bj4       
,footnote #aag3 ,acts xv4 #bh4          
,footnote #aah3 ,acts xx4 #bh4  ,now1   
who does not see here the realization   
and fulfilment of the great promise of  
,christ which ,i have quoted as my text8

 ,that teaching of the ,holy ,ghost     
which was to follow ,his1 which was to  
bring all things to remembrance which   
,he had said1 which was to abide        
forever1 and which was to make known all
 necessary truth1 was the teaching of   
the ,apostles and their successors4 ,it 
is the teaching of the ,holy ,ghost1    
because the ,holy ,ghost moves them to  
preach1 furnishes them with the rule of 
their doctrine1 and gives them their    
warrant and authority4 ,in this sense it
 is that our ,lord's promise is to be   
understood4 ,it is a promise that       
reaches to all time4 #cgb ,it concerns  
us here and now4 ,it assures us that at 
this day1 far removed as we are from the
 times of ,christ1 across so many       
centuries1 the ,holy ,ghost through the 
agency of the ,church still brings to us
 the echoes of ,his words4 ,he does this
 in the most solemn and authoritative   
way by those great decisions of the     
,church to which ,he sets the seal of   
,his ,infallibility2 but he does it in  

less solemnity1 less authoritatively1   
but more frequently1 by the preaching of
 each individual priest4 ,it is for this
 end that the priest is ordained4 ,he is
 consecrated and set apart1 not merely  
to say ,mass1 not merely to receive the 
confessions of penitent sinners and     
absolve them1 but to publish the ,word  
of ,god2 and ,he is empowered by the    
,holy ,ghost for this very purpose4 ,the
 ,christian preacher is no mere         
lecturer1 but an authorized agent and   
messenger of ,god1 to deliver to the    
people the will of ,god4 ,it is chiefly 
by the ordinance of preaching1 in its   
various forms1 that the ,holy ,ghost    
carries on the work of instructing men's
 faith1 and regulating their morals4    
,and here1 ,i think1 is to be found the 
real answer to a misconception of our   
principles so common among ,protestants4
 ,it is very commonly said and believed 
that the ,catholic ,church wishes to    
keep the people in ignorance of the     
,scriptures4 ,now1 this is not true4    

,the ,church does not wish to keep the  
,scriptures from the people4 ,on the    
contrary1 in all cases in which they are
 likely to prove beneficial she approves
 and encourages their use2 but she does 
not regard the reading of the           
,scriptures as the necessary1 or even as
 the ordinary mode of familiarizing the 
people with the ,word of ,god4          
,thousands have gone to heaven who never
 read one page of the ,bible4 ,st4      
,irenus instances whole nations who     
professed and practised ,christianity in
 entire ignorance of the ,divine        
,records4 ,how many people in every     
generation are unable to read4 ,now1    
,god has not made a twofold system of   
salvation2 one for the ignorant and one 
for the educated4 #cgc ,no3 according to
 the ,catholic idea1 for rich and poor1 
for learned and unlearned alike1 there  
is one way of truth--the living voice of
 the preacher4 ,this is ,god's way4     
,this is the ,voice of the ,holy ,ghost4
 ,this is the publication of the ,word  

of ,god4 ,this is the sword of the      
,spirit4 ,the decree has never been     
revoked3 ,the priest's lips shall keep  
knowledge2 and the people shall seek the
 law at his mouth2 because he is the    
messenger of the ,lord of ,hosts4       
,footnote #aai      ,footnote #aai3     
,mal4 ii4 #g4  ,but an objection may be 
drawn against this high view of the     
ordinance of preaching1 from the        
infirmities of the preacher himself4 ,it
 may be said3 ,you tell us that the     
,holy ,ghost speaks by the voice of the 
preacher1 yet the preacher is but a     
fallible man1 ignorant of many things1  
liable to be deceived himself1 not free 
from passions which may affect his      
judgment4 ,may he not falsify his       
message8 ,may ,he not dishonor it8 ,i do
 not deny the fact on which this        
objection is founded4 ,undoubtedly1 the 
preacher may be unfaithful in the       
delivery of his message4 ,in the        
,catholic ,church1 however1 the         
watchfulness of discipline1 and the     

general acquaintance on the part of the 
people with the standards of faith and  
practice1 will prevent any very serious 
error finding its way into the public   
teaching of the priest4 ,who supposes1  
for instance1 that any ,catholic        
congregation would tolerate from the    
pulpit a denial of ,transubstantiation1 
or the true ,divinity of our ,lord1 or  
the necessity of good works8 ,but within
 a certain limit1 no doubt1 there may be
 much imperfection in the preacher1 much
 that detracts from the purity1 the     
majesty1 and the dignity of the ,word of
 ,god4 ,what then8 ,i affirm1           
nevertheless1 that preaching is the     
great instrument of the ,holy ,ghost for
 the conversion of souls4 ,strange1 that
 we should start back at every new      
manifestation of a law that goes all    
through ,christianity1 and even through 
all the arrangements of the natural     
world4 #cgd ,in every department of     
human life1 ,god makes man ,his         
representative--man fallible and weak4  

,the judge on the bench represents      
,god's ,wisdom and ,equity1 though his  
decisions are often far enough from that
 ,divine pattern4 ,the magistrate       
represents ,god's authority1 though in  
his hands that authority is sometimes   
made the warrant for tyranny and        
oppression4 ,so1 in like manner1 the    
preacher represents the ,holy ,ghost1   
though he does not always represent ,him
 worthily either in manner or matter4   
,it is part of a plan4 ,he who chooses  
man1 sinful like ourselves1 and         
encompassed with infirmities1 to convey 
,his pardon to the guilty1 chooses as   
the organ of the ,eternal ,wisdom1 holy1
 one1 manifold1 subtle1 eloquent1       
undefiled1 having all power1 overseeing 
all things1 the ,brightness of ,eternal 
,light1 the unspotted mirror of ,god's  
,majesty ,footnote #abj --man1 with     
stammering lips1 with a feeble intellect
 and an impure heart4      ,footnote    
#abj3 ,wisd4 vii4 #bb-bf4  ,and there is
 a reason in this plan4 ,when the       

,church goes out to evangelize a new and
 strange people1 she seeks1 as soon as  
possible1 to secure some of the natives 
to aid her in her work1 who know the    
speech1 and the manners1 and the habits 
of thought1 of those with whom they have
 to deal4 ,no doubt her old1 tried      
missionaries could furnish an           
instruction which would be more complete
 in itself1 but the words of the        
neophyte will be better understood and  
received4 ,so ,god1 when ,he speaks to  
man1 chooses as ,his instrument one who 
understands the dialect of earth4 ,an   
angel would be a messenger answering    
better to ,his dignity1 but less to our 
necessities2 so ,he considers our       
welfare alone1 and passes by ,raphael1  
who is one of the daily angels1 and     
,michael1 who is one of the chief       
princes1 and ,gabriel1 who is the       
strength of ,god1 and chooses ,moses1   
who was slow of speech1 and ,jeremias1  
who was diffident as a child1 and ,amos1
 who was but a herdsman1 following the  

flock--to utter ,his will to man4 #cge  
,the human alloy in the ,divine ,word1  
no doubt1 makes it less accurate1 but it
 makes it more easily understood4 ,oh6  
it is a mercy of ,god thus to disguise  
,himself and dilute ,his word4 ,the     
children of ,israel said to ,moses3     
,speak thou to us1 and we will hear4    
,let not the ,lord speak any more to us1
 lest we die4 ,footnote #aba ,who could 
look upon the ,lord and live8 ,who could
 listen to ,his voice in its untempered 
majesty and not be afraid8 ,the word of 
,god is more penetrating than any       
two-edged sword1 reaching unto the      
division of the soul and the spirit1 of 
the joints also1 and the marrow4        
,footnote #abb      ,footnote #aba3     
,exod4 xx4 #ai4      ,footnote #abb3    
,heb4 iv4 #ab4  ,do not be displeased1  
then1 because ,god has sent to thee a   
messenger like thyself1 one who speaks  
thy language1 who shares thy ignorance  
and thy frailties2 pardon him1 forgive  
him his defects1 strain your ear to     

detect in his lowly language some notes 
of that great message of ,eternal ,truth
 and ,infinite ,love1 the story so old  
yet ever new--the love of ,christ1 the  
will of ,god1 the end of man1 grace1    
holiness1 and eternity1 those things on 
which depend our happiness here and our 
salvation hereafter4  ,but here ,i feel 
as if ,i ought to add a word or two of  
explanation4 ,when ,i say that the ,holy
 ,ghost teaches by the voice of the     
preacher1 ,i do not mean to assert that 
,he teaches in no other way4 ,a very    
great part of the preacher's message    
consists of truths which are already    
written by the finger of ,god on every  
man's natural conscience4 ,a preacher is
 not required to make us understand that
 it is wrong to break the precepts of   
the moral law4 ,natural reason1 the     
light that enlighteneth every man that  
comes into this world1 tells us that4 ,i
 could not but be struck the other day1 
as ,i passed two young men in the       
street1 at hearing the honest protest   

with which one of them met the sophistry
 in which his companion was evidently   
trying to indoctrinate him3 ,what6 said 
he1 you don't mean to say it isn't a sin
 to get drunk6 #cgf ,indeed1 it is      
seldom that men justify themselves for  
actions that are plainly wrong4 ,they   
are still too full of the ,holy ,ghost  
for that4 ,passion corrupts their will1 
but does not always darken their        
understanding4 ,they know the right     
while they pursue the wrong4 ,but this  
circumstance does not make the office of
 the preacher unnecessary2 by no means4 
,on the contrary1 it is from this that  
the preacher derives a great part of his
 power4 ,what he says finds an echo in  
the hearts of his hearers4 ,one of the  
strongest things that ,st4 ,paul said in
 his defence before ,agrippa was the    
appeal3 ,king ,agrippa1 believest thou  
the prophets8 ,i know that thou         
believest4 ,footnote #abc      ,footnote
 #abc3 ,acts xxvi4 #bg4  ,and so when   
the preacher is speaking before a       

congregation1 of justice1 of temperance1
 of judgment to come1 do you know what  
it is that gives him such boldness and  
daring8 ,my brethren1 ,i will tell you a
 secret4 ,perhaps you may sometimes have
 felt surprise when you have heard us1  
who have so many reasons for feeling    
diffident before you1 so keen in        
denouncing your sins1 so vehement in    
urging you to your duties4 ,are we not  
afraid of wounding your pride1 of       
alienating your affections8 ,no3 it is  
in your hearts that we have our         
strength4 ,we would not dare to speak so
 unless we knew that we had a powerful  
ally in your hearts--your better nature1
 your reason1 your conscience1 the      
divinity that is within you4 ,it is the 
greatest mistake in the world to suppose
 that it is unnecessary to tell people  
what they know already4 ,half the good  
advice that is given in the world       
consists of the most commonplace and    
familiar truths1 but will anyone say for
 that reason that it is useless8 ,no3   

the fact is1 it is a great help to hear 
our own convictions uttered outside of  
us4 ,a man believes more1 is more       
conscious of his belief1 his belief     
becomes more distinct1 more serviceable1
 when he hears it from another's lips4  
#cgg ,what a mercy of ,god it is1 then1 
in a world like this1 where there are so
 many temptations1 where there are so   
many evil examples1 so much to draw off 
the mind from ,god1 where it is so easy 
to obscure the line between right and   
wrong1 that there should be an          
authoritative voice lifted up from time 
to time in warning6 ,what a mercy1 in   
those dreadful moments when the conflict
 rages high between passion and         
principle1 and the soul1 weary of the   
strife1 is on the point of surrender1 to
 be re-enforced by ,god ,almighty's     
aid--to hear ,his voice amid the strife1
 saying3 ,this is the way2 walk ye in   
it6 ,footnote #abd      ,footnote #abd3 
,isaiah xxx4 #ba4  ,and then it must be 
remembered1 too1 that there is much of  

the preacher's message that is not known
 to man's natural reason1 consisting of 
mysteries deep and high1 which at the   
best can be known only in part2 and it  
is apparent how much it must depend on  
the preacher's office to keep these     
mysteries in men's minds1 and to secure 
for them a place in men's intelligence  
and affections4 ,the ,christian ,faith  
has always1 from the beginning1 been    
surrounded by adversaries who have      
attacked it1 now on one side1 now on    
another4 ,we are apt to think it our    
peculiar misfortune to hear continually 
the doctrines of our faith disputed2 but
 in fact such has been1 more or less1   
the trial of each generation of         
,christian believers4 ,now1 amid such   
ceaseless controversies1 what means has 
our ,lord left to protect and defend    
,his people from doubt and error8 ,the  
ministry of preaching4 ,therefore1 says 
the ,holy ,scripture3 ,some ,he gave to 
be ,apostles1 and some prophets1 and    
others evangelists1 and others pastors  

and teachers1 that we may not now be    
children1 tossed to and fro1 and carried
 about with every wind of doctrine1 in  
the wickedness of men1 in craftiness by 
which they lie in wait to deceive4      
,footnote #abe       ,footnote #abe3    
,eph4 xi4 #aa-ad4  #cgh  ,it is the     
office of the preacher to declare       
,christian doctrine1 to defend and      
explain it1 to show its consistency and 
excellence1 to answer objections against
 it1 and thus to add to the power of    
hereditary faith the force of personal  
conviction4 ,the ,church has always     
understood this1 and therefore1 whenever
 a new heresy arises1 she sends out a   
new phalanx of preachers to confront it 
by good and sound doctrine4 ,and the    
enemies of the ,church have always      
understood it1 and therefore1 in times  
of persecution1 when they wished to deal
 the ,christian faith a deadly blow1    
they sought in the first place1 by the  
murder of bishop and priest1 to silence 
the voice of the teacher4 ,it was one of

 the last woes threatened against       
,jerusalem that the people should seek  
in vain for a vision of the prophet1 and
 that the law should perish from the    
priests2 ,footnote #abf and when in the 
,christian ,church there shall be heard 
no more the message of truth1 when there
 shall be no more reproof1 no more      
instruction in justice1 the iniquity    
shall come in like a flood2 then shall  
be the abomination of desolation1 and   
the time of ,antichrist4      ,footnote 
#abf3 ,ezech4 vii4 #bf4  ,great1 then1  
my brethren1 is the dignity of          
preaching4 ,it is ,god speaking on      
,mount ,sinai4 ,it is ,jesus preaching  
on the ,mount4 ,it is the ,divine ,sower
 scattering the seeds of truth and      
virtue4 ,the ,holy ,ghost has not left  
the world4 ,in every ,christian church1 
at every ,mass1 the day of ,pentecost is
 renewed4 ,see1 the priest has clothed  
himself to celebrate the unbloody       
sacrifice4 ,he has ascended the altar4  
,already the clouds of incense hang over

 the mercy-seat1 and hymns of praise    
ascend2--but he stops1 he turns to the  
people4 ,why does he interrupt the      
,mass8 ,has he seen a vision8 ,has an   
angel spoken to him1 as of old to the   
prophet ,zacharias8 ,yes1 he has seen a 
vision4 ,he has heard a voice4 ,a fire  
is in his heart4 ,a living coal hath    
touched his lips1 the ,breath of the    
,spirit hath passed over him1 and he    
speaks as he is moved by the ,holy      
,ghost4 ,listen to him1 for he is a     
prophet4 ,he speaks to thee from ,god4  
,what is thy misery8 ,what is thy       
sorrow8 ,what is thy trial8 #cgi ,now   
thou shalt find relief4 ,are you in     
doubt about religious truth8 ,listen1   
and you shall find the answer to those  
doubts4 ,are you sorely tempted to sin8 
,now ,god will give you an oracle to    
strengthen you4 ,are you distressed and 
suffering8 ,have you a secret sorrow8   
,now you shall receive an answer of     
comfort4 ,do you wish to know how to    
advance in ,god's love8 ,now the way    

shall be made plain before your face4 ,o
 blessed truth6 ,god has not left       
,himself without a witness4 ,the world  
is not to have it all its own way4 ,the 
teachings of ,satan are not to go on all
 the week uncontradicted4 ,the dream of 
the heathen1 that there are sacred spots
 on earth whence ,divine ,oracles issue1
 is fulfilled4 ,the ,chair of ,truth is 
set up for the enlightenment of the     
nations4 ,the people that walked in     
darkness have seen a great light2 to    
them that dwelt in the region of the    
shadow of death light is sprung up4 ,the
 earth is filled with the knowledge of  
the ,lord1 as the waters cover the sea4 
,footnote #abg      ,footnote #abg3     
,isaias ix4 #b1 #ai4  ,this subject     
suggests some very practical            
reflections4 ,i am not unmindful that   
some of them concern the preacher       
himself4 ,i do not forget that the      
thought of the high dignity of his      
office calls for the greatest purity of 
purpose and diligence of preparation2   

but while ,i remember this1 suffer me   
also to remind you of your duty in      
listening to the preacher4 ,st4 ,paul   
praises the ,thessalonians because they 
listened to his words1 not as the words 
of man1 but as the words of ,god4 ,in   
the sense in which the teaching of an   
uninspired man can be so designated1    
have you thus listened to the preacher's
 words8 ,has it been a task to you to   
listen to the sermon8 ,have you sought  
only to be amused8 ,have you been       
critical and captious8 ,or1             
acknowledging the truth you have heard1 
have you been careless about putting it 
in practice8 ,oh1 how much the preaching
 of ,god's word might profit us1 if we  
brought the right dispositions to the   
hearing of it6 #chj ,if we came to      
,church1 eager to know more of ,god1    
with a single heart desirous to nourish 
our souls with ,his ,truth1 what        
progress we should make6 ,a single      
sermon has before now converted men4    
,st4 ,anthony1 hearing but a single     

text1 embraced a saintly life4 ,if we   
had such dispositions1 if each ,sunday  
found us diligent hearers of ,god's     
,word1 anxious to get some new thoughts 
about ,him1 some new motive to love     
,him1 some new practical lesson1 some   
new help against sin1 it would not be   
long before the effect would be visible 
in us all4 ,we should make progress in  
the knowledge of our religion4 ,the     
devil and the world would assail us in  
vain4 ,scandals and sins would become   
rare4 ,heavenly virtues would spring up4
 ,piety would become strong and manly4  
,and that which the prophet describes   
would be fulfilled3 ,the ,lord will fill
 thy soul with brightness4 ,and thou    
shalt be like a well-watered garden1 and
 like a fountain of water1 whose waters 
shall not fail4 ,footnote #abh          
,footnote #abh3 ,isaias lviii4 #b4      
------------------------------          
,sermon ,,xvii4           ,the ,two     
,wills ,in ,man      7,fourth ,sunday   
,after ,easter47       ,the spirit      

indeed is willing1     but the flesh is 
weak4       --,st4 ,matt4 ,,xxvi4 #da4  
,the word flesh here does not mean the  
body1 but the lower or sensitive part of
 the soul in which the fleshly appetites
 reside4 ,our ,lord is warning ,st4     
,peter of the necessity of prayer in    
order to meet the temptation which was  
coming upon him1 and ,he tells him not  
to trust to the willingness of his      
spirit1 that is1 his good intentions and
 resolutions1 because he had an inferior
 nature which might easily be excited to
 evil1 and which in the hour of         
temptation might1 without a special     
grace of ,god1 drag his will into sin4  
#cha ,what our ,lord is declaring1 then1
 is the fact attested by universal      
experience1 that there are in the heart 
of man two conflicting                  
principles--inordinate passion on one   
side1 and reason and grace on the other4
 ,this truth1 though so well known1     
touches our happiness and salvation too 
closely not to possess at all times an  

interest and importance for each one of 
us2 and ,i propose1 therefore1 to make  
it the subject of my remarks this       
morning4  ,in the first place1 then1    
what is the source and nature of the    
conflict thus indicated by our ,lord8   
,whence does it arise8 ,how does it come
 to pass that there are those two       
principles within us8 ,how does it      
happen that every child of man finds    
himself drawn1 more or less1 two        
contrary ways1 toward virtue and toward 
vice1 toward ,god and toward the devil1 
toward ,heaven and to-ward ,hell8 ,the  
answer commonly given is1 that this     
conflict we feel within us comes from   
the fall1 that it is the fruit of       
original sin4 ,but the fall1 according  
to the ,catholic doctrine1 introduced no
 new principle into our nature1 infused 
no poison into it1 and deprived it of   
none of its essential elements4 ,we must
 look farther back1 then1 than the fall 
for the radical source of this conflict2
 and we find it in the very essential   

constitution of our nature4 ,man1 in his
 very nature1 is twofold4 ,he is created
 and finite1 yet he has a divine and    
eternal destiny4 ,he has a body and a   
soul1 and therefore he must have all the
 passions which are necessary to his    
animal and sensible life1 as well as the
 intellectual and moral powers which are
 necessary to his spiritual life4 ,here1
 then1 we have1 in the very idea of     
man's nature1 the possibility of a      
conflict4 ,we have two different        
principles1 which it is conceivable     
might come into collision4 ,man's       
appetites and passions1 no less than his
 reason1 are given to him by ,god1 are  
good1 are necessary1 but since his      
appetites and passions are blind        
principles1 it is conceivable that they 
might demand gratifications which would 
not be in accordance with his reason and
 spiritual nature4 #chb ,as human nature
 was at first constituted by the        
,almighty1 any actual collision between 
these parts was prevented by a gift1    

which is called the gift of integrity1 a
 gift which was no essential part of our
 nature1 but was conferred on it by mere
 grace1 and which bound together the    
various powers of the soul in a wondrous
 harmony1 so that the movements of      
passion were always in submission to    
reason4 ,when ,adam sinned1 this grace  
was withdrawn from him2 and since it was
 no necessary part of our nature1 since 
it was given of mere grace1 it was      
withdrawn from the whole human race4    
,hence men now find in themselves an    
actual conflict between the higher and  
lower parts of the soul4 ,in a          
complicated piece of machinery1 if a    
bolt or belt is broken that bound it    
together1 the parts clash4 ,each part   
may in itself remain unchanged1 but it  
no longer acts harmoniously with the    
other parts4 ,so in fallen man1 the bolt
 that braced the soul together is       
broken1 and the powers of the soul clash
 together4 ,the passions1 the will1 the 
reason1 all1 in themselves1 remain as   

they were1 undepraved2 but they are no  
longer in harmony together1 and man     
finds himself weakened by an intestine  
conflict4 ,this1 together with the loss 
of supernatural grace and a supernatural
 destiny1 is the evil which1 according  
to ,catholic theology1 accrued to man by
 the fall4  ,this conflict1 then1 which 
we find within us2 this clamor of the   
lower nature against the higher2 this   
propensity of the passions to rebel     
against reason--in other words1 this    
proneness to sin1 which is the universal
 experience of humanity1 does not prove 
that we have lost any constituent part  
of our nature1 that there is any thing  
positively vicious in us1 nor does it   
prove that we are hateful to ,god4 ,it  
proves1 indeed1 that we are not divine1 
that we are not angels1 that we are not 
in the condition of human nature before 
,adam's transgression2 it proves that a 
source of weakness1 inherent in our     
nature1 has been developed by the fall1 
that we need grace2 but it gives not the

 slightest reason for supposing that our
 manhood has been wrecked1 that the will
 is not free1 that the reason of man has
 been extinguished1 or that the passions
 are not in themselves good1 and have   
not their legitimate sphere and         
exercise4 #chc ,so true is this1 that   
this propensity to sin remains even in  
the baptized4 ,baptism does a great deal
 for a man4 ,it takes away original sin1
 by supplying that justifying grace     
which our race forfeited in ,adam4 ,it  
restores to man his supernatural        
destiny4 ,in the language of the        
,council of ,trent1 it renders the      
newly-baptized innocent1 immaculate1    
pure1 harmless1 and beloved of ,god1 an 
heir of ,god1 and a joint heir with     
,christ1 so that there is nothing       
whatever to retard his entrance into    
heaven4 ,but there is one thing it does 
not do4 ,it does not remove the         
propensity of the passions to rebel4    
,and the ,council uses this fact--that  
concupiscence remains in the            

baptized--to prove that concupiscence1  
or the propensity to evil1 cannot itself
 be sin2 and enforces its conclusion by 
the seal of its infallibility and the   
warrant of its censures1 saying3 ,if    
anyone is of the contrary sentiment     
7that is1 declares that the incentive to
 sin1 which remains in the baptized1    
hath in it the true and proper nature of
 sin71 let him be anathema4 ,footnote   
#abi      ,footnote #abi3 ,sess4 ,v4    
,decree on ,original ,sin4  ,thus1      
,christianity explains the origin of    
this conflict in the human heart1 in a  
manner agreeable to reason and human    
experience4 ,but it does more4 ,it      
reveals to us the purpose of this       
conflict4 ,why does our ,lord leave us  
subject to this strife8 ,the same holy  
,council ,i have quoted already1 answers
 distinctly2 this incentive to sin is   
left in the soul to be wrestled with4   
,the state of the case is this3 ,the    
passions desire to be gratified without 
waiting for the sanction of reason1     

sometimes even in defiance of reason4   
,morally speaking1 this is no evil4 ,the
 passions are but blind instincts2 it is
 the province of the will to restrain   
them in their proper limits1 and to help
 her in this work she has reason and the
 grace of ,god4 #chd ,if she fails to do
 her work1 then she sins4 ,whenever sin 
is committed1 it is the will that       
commits it4 ,it is only the will that   
can sin4 ,the sin lies not in the       
inordinate desire1 but in the will's not
 resisting that desire4 ,the will is the
 viceroy of ,god in the heart1 appointed
 to keep that kingdom in peace4 ,and    
herein lies the root of ,christian      
morality1 the secret of sanctification1 
and the essence of human probation4 ,we 
speak of outward actions of sin2 but all
 sin goes back to the will4 ,there was  
the treason4 ,out of the heart1 says our
 ,blessed ,lord1 proceed murders1       
adulteries1 fornications1 thefts1 false 
testimonies1 blasphemies4 ,footnote #acj
      ,footnote #acj3 ,st4 ,matt4 xv4   

#ai4  ,each black deed is done in the   
secret chamber of the heart before the  
hand proceeds to execute it4 ,each      
false1 impure1 and blasphemous word is  
whispered first by the will before the  
lips utter it4 ,yes1 man's heart is the 
battle-field4 ,there is the scene of    
action4 ,we speak sometimes of a man's  
being alone or being idle3 why1 a man is
 never alone2 never idle4 ,he may1      
indeed1 be silent1 his hands may be     
still1 no one may be near him2 but in   
that kingdom within great events are    
going on all the time4 ,angels and      
saints are there4 ,the armies of ,heaven
 and the armies of ,hell meet there4    
,attack and repulse1 parley and         
defiance1 truce and surrender1 stratagem
 and treason1 victory and defeat--are   
things of daily occurrence there4  ,of  
course1 this is all very well known1    
very simple1 very elementary1 but yet   
there are some who never seem to        
understand it4 ,they do not understand  
it who confound temptation with sin4    

,this is a mistake often made1 and by   
those too who ought to know better4 ,if 
a man feels a strong inclination to     
evil1 if an evil thought passes through 
his mind1 or a doubt against the faith  
assails him1 immediately he imagines    
that he has fallen under ,god's         
displeasure4 #che ,to state such an     
error is to refute it4 ,never1 my       
brethren1 fall in to this mistake4 ,no3 
between temptation and sin there lies   
all that gulf that separates ,heaven    
from ,hell4 ,let the devil fill your    
mind with the most horrid thoughts1 let 
all your lower nature be in rebellion1  
let you have temptations to unbelief1 to
 despair1 to blasphemy2 yet if that     
queenly will of yours keeps her place1  
if she stand steadfast and immovable1   
not only have you not sinned1 but you   
are purer1 more spiritual1 more full of 
faith and reverence than if you had had 
no such trial4 ,when ,st4 ,agnes was    
before the heathen judge1 he ordered her
 to be sent to the stews and thrown     

among harlots1 but she answered3 ,i     
shall come out of that place virgin as  
,i entered it4 ,yes1 all the powers of  
earth and hell cannot make a resolute   
soul commit a single sin4 ,it is said   
that the walls of that house of         
prostitution1 to which the holy maiden  
was condemned1 still stand1 and form the
 walls of a church dedicated in her     
honor--a visible proof how the soul1    
faithful to itself and ,god1 turns the  
very means and instruments of its       
temptations into trophies of its most   
magnificent victories4  ,nor do those   
understand the nature of the ,christian 
conflict who make strong passions the   
pretext for the neglect of religious    
duties4 ,there are such4 ,their hearts  
are too tumultuous1 their passions too  
strong1 their virtue too weak1 their    
circumstances too difficult2 and they   
must wait till they become more         
composed1 calmer1 more devout1 until    
religion becomes more natural to them4  
,error1 dangerous as common6 ,i tell    

you1 ,christianity takes hold of every  
man just as he is1 and just where he is1
 and claims him4 ,no doubt1 a quiet     
temper1 a tranquil disposition1 a devout
 spirit1 are valuable gifts1 but the    
root of religion does not lie in them1  
but in the will4 ,that is it4 ,god never
 intended religion to be confined to the
 passive and gentle1 and to be neglected
 by the strong and impulsive4 ,you1     
young man of pleasure2 you1 man of      
business and enterprise2 you1 proud and 
worldly man2 you1 passionate woman1 with
 your wild and wayward nature1 ,god1    
this day1 here and now challenges you3  
,why are you not working with ,me1 and  
for ,me8 ,why are you not religious8    
#chf ,me6 you say1 it is impossible4 ,i 
am sensual and avaricious1 ,i am selfish
 and revengeful1 ,i am full of hatred   
and jealousy1 ,i am worldly to the      
heart's core4 ,no matter3 you know what 
is right2 are you willing to do it8 ,oh6
 ,i cannot4 ,i do not love ,god4 ,my    
heart is cold4 ,no matter3 are you      

willing to serve ,god with a cold heart8
 ,that is the question4 ,i cannot1 ,i   
cannot4 ,i have no faith4 ,i cannot     
pray4 ,i have not a particle of         
spirituality4 ,religion is wearisome to 
me1 and strange4 ,it is as much as ,i   
can do to stay through a ,high ,mass4   
,no matter1 ,i say once more4 ,do you   
want to have faith8 ,are you willing to 
practise what you do believe8 ,then if  
you are1 begin your work here and now4  
,you cannot be of so rough a nature that
 ,christ will reject you4 ,no matter who
 you are and what you are1 no matter    
what your trials have been1 and what    
your past life1 if you are a man1 with a
 human heart1 with human reason and a   
human will1 ,christ calls you by your   
name1 and points out a way that will    
lead you to peace and heaven4  ,but     
least of all do they understand the     
nature of the ,christian life1 who make 
temptation an apology for sin2 who      
excuse themselves for a wrong action by 
simply saying1 ,i was tempted4 ,far be  

it from me1 my brethren1 to undervalue  
the danger of temptation1 or to forget  
the frailty of the human heart1 or to   
lack compassion for the fallen2 but it  
is one thing to fall and bewail one's   
fall1 and another to make the temptation
 all but a justification of the fall4   
,and are there not some who do this8 who
 do not seek temptation1 but invariably 
yield to it when it comes across them8  
who only steal when some trifle falls in
 their way2 who only curse when they are
 angry2 who only neglect ,mass when they
 feel lazy and self-indulgent2 and are  
always sober and chaste except when the 
occasion invites to libertinism and     
intemperance8 #chg ,what6 is this       
,christianity8 ,to abstain from sin as  
long as we have no particular           
inclination to commit it1 and to fall   
into it as soon as we have6 ,o miserable
 man1 ,o miserable woman1 go and learn  
the very first principles of the        
doctrine of ,christ4 ,go to the ,font of
 ,baptism1 and ask why you renounced    

,satan1 and promised to keep ,god's     
commandments4 ,go to the ,bible and     
learn why ,christ died1 and what is the 
duty of ,his followers4 ,temptations    
come upon you in order that you may     
resist them4 ,you are subject to gusts  
of anger1 in order that you may become  
meek4 ,you are tempted to unchastity1 in
 order that you may become pure4 ,you   
are tempted against faith1 that you may 
learn to believe4 ,that you are tempted1
 is precisely the reason that you should
 not yield2 for it shows that your hour 
is come1 and the question is whether you
 will belong to ,christ or ,satan4      
,yes1 my brethren1 our conflict is for  
the trial of our virtue4 ,it is a       
universal law of humanity4 ,it was so   
even in the garden of ,eden4 ,in the    
fields of ,paradise1 where the trees    
were in their fresh verdure1 and the air
 breathed a perpetual spring1 and all   
things spoke of innocence and peace1    
there ,adam had to meet this trial4 ,and
 each child of man since then has met it

 in his turn4 ,and ,christians must meet
 it too4 ,in the sheltered sanctuary of 
the ,church1 where we have so many      
privileges1 so much to strengthen and   
gladden us1 even there each one must    
abide the test4 ,as the ,canaanite was  
left in the promised land1 to keep the  
children of ,israel in vigilance and    
activity1 so the sting of the flesh1 the
 power of our inferior nature1 is left  
in the baptized1 to school us in virtue1
 to make us men1 to make us ,christians1
 to make us saints4 ,this is the        
foundation principle of religion4 ,he   
who has learnt this1 has found out the  
riddle of life4  #chh  ,and now1 my     
brethren1 that ,i have explained to you 
the source of the conflict that we feel 
within us1 and the purpose it is        
designed to answer1 you will see what   
the result of it must be1 how it issues 
in the two eternities that are before   
us4 ,he that soweth in his flesh1 of the
 flesh also shall reap corruption2 but  
he that soweth in the ,spirit1 of the   

,spirit shall reap life everlasting4    
,footnote #aca      ,footnote #aca3     
,gal4 vi4 #h4  ,the ,judgment ,day is   
but the revelation of the faithfulness  
or unfaithfulness of each one of us in  
the struggle to which he has been       
called4 ,every act1 every choice we     
make1 tells for that great account4 ,the
 day will declare it4 ,then the secret  
of each man's heart shall be revealed1  
and how that battle in his heart has    
been fought4 ,oh1 what a spectacle must 
this world present to the angels who    
look down upon the solemn strife that is
 going on here below6 ,there is a man   
who has ceased to strive4 ,no longer    
making any resistance1 he is led on     
wholly and completely by his inferior   
nature4 ,the slave of sin1 he hardly    
feels the conflict in his soul1 but it  
is because the voice of reason and the  
voice of grace have been so long        
resisted that they have become almost   
silent4 ,and there are others who have  
given up the pure strife1 but not so    

determinedly1 not so completely4        
,occasionally they have better moments1 
regrets for the good they have forsaken1
 but still they float on with the       
careless world4 ,and there is the young 
girl taking her first step on the       
downward road1 looking back to the      
father's house she is leaving1          
reluctant1 but consenting4 ,then there  
is the penitent1 who has fallen but     
risen again2 who has learned wariness   
from his fall1 and new confidence in    
,god from ,his mercy and goodness1 and  
who is striving by penance and prayer to
 make up what he has lost4 ,and there is
 the man with feeble will1 ever sinning 
and ever lamenting his sin1 divided     
between good and evil1 with too much    
conscience to give free reins to his    
passions1 and too little to master them 
completely4 ,and there is the soul      
severely tried1 still struggling but    
almost overwhelmed1 and out of the      
depths calling upon ,god the ,holy and  
,true1 ,incline unto mine aid1 ,o ,god4 

#chi ,and there is the soul strong in   
virtue1 strong in a thousand victories1 
which stands unmoved amid temptations1  
like the deep-rooted tree in a storm1 or
 like the rock beaten by the waves4 ,oh1
 yes1 in the sight of the angels1 this  
world is full of interest4 ,there is    
nothing here trivial and common-place4  
,what prophecies of the future must they
 not read6 ,what saints do they see1    
ripening for ,heaven6 ,what sinners     
rushing madly to ,hell6 ,what           
unlooked-for falls6 ,what unexpected    
conversions6 ,what hidden sins1         
unsuspected by the world6 ,now they must
 rejoice1 and now they must weep4 ,now  
they tremble over some soul in danger1  
and now they exult because the danger is
 over4 ,so it is now2 but when the end  
shall come1 then fear and hope shall be 
no more1 the conflict will be ended1 the
 books shall be opened1 and the secrets 
of the heart published to the universe4 
,the struggle of life will be past1 only
 its results will remain--two separate  

bands1 one on either side of the ,judge1
 the good and the wicked1 those who have
 been true to their conscience1 to      
reason1 to grace1 and those who have    
not4  ,well1 then1 we will strive       
manfully against sin4 ,there are untold 
capacities in us for good and evil4 ,god
 said to ,rebecca3 ,two nations are in  
thy womb1 and two peoples shall be      
divided out of thy womb1 and one people 
shall overcome the other4 ,footnote #acb
      ,footnote #acb3 ,gen4 xxv4 #bc4   
,so1 my brethren1 in each heart there   
are two powers struggling for the       
mastery--the ,spirit and the ,flesh4    
,there are two sets of offspring        
struggling for the birth--the works of  
the flesh1 which are immodesty1         
uncleanliness1 fornication1 enmities1   
wrath1 envies1 emulations1 quarrels1    
murders1 drunkenness1 revellings2 and   
the works of the spirit1 which are love1
 joy1 peace1 patience1 kindness1 faith1 
modesty1 continence1 chastity4 ,it is   
for the will1 with and under ,god's     

grace1 to say which of these shall      
overcome the other4 #cij ,do you say    
that ,i put too much on the will8 that  
the will is too weak to decide this     
fearful contest8 ,o brethren1 the will  
is not weak4 ,on the side of ,god1 and  
with the help of ,god1 it is            
irresistible4 ,look at the martyrs'     
will4 ,did it not carry them through    
fire and sword8 ,did it not enable them 
to meet death with joy8 ,this is our    
mistake1 we do not know our strength4   
,we know our weakness1 but we do not    
know our strength4 ,we think ,god is to 
help us1 independently of ourselves1 and
 not through ourselves4 ,but this is not
 so1 ,god helps us by strengthening our 
will1 by enlightening our reason1 by    
directing our conscience4 ,we cannot    
distinguish between what ,god does and  
what we do in any act4 ,the two act     
together4 ,therefore1 ,i say1 you have  
it in your power to resist sin1 you have
 it in your power to become saints4 ,no 
matter though your evil dispositions    

have been increased by past sins1 you   
can overcome evil habits1 and be what   
,god wills you to be4 ,only do not be   
contented with a superficial religion1 a
 religion of feelings1 and frames1 and  
sensible consolations4 ,go down deep1 go
 down to the will4 ,let the sword of the
 ,,lord probe till it pierces even to   
the division of the soul and the spirit1
 the point at which our higher and lower
 natures meet each other4 ,make your    
religion not a sham1 but a reality4     
,school yourself for heaven4 ,day by day
 fight the good fight of faith1 and thus
 merit at last to die like a holy man at
 whose death ,st4 ,vincent of ,paul     
assisted3 ,he is gone to heaven1 said   
the saint1 speaking of ,m4 ,sillery1    
like a monarch going to take possession 
of his kingdom1 with a strength1 a      
confidence1 a peace1 a meekness1 which  
cannot be expressed4                    
---------------------------  #cia       
,sermon  ,,xviii4     ,the ,intercession
 ,of ,the ,blessed ,virgin      ,the    

,highest ,power ,of ,prayer4    7,sunday
 ,within the ,octave of the ,ascension47
     ,if you remain in me1 and my words 
remain in you1   ye shall ask whatever  
you will1 and it shall be done to you4  
--,john xv4 #g4   ,there is perhaps no  
,catholic doctrine which meets with more
 objection among those outside the      
,church1 than our devotion to the       
,blessed ,virgin4 ,expressions of love  
to her1 of hope in her intercession1    
which seem to us perfectly natural1     
which come from our hearts              
spontaneously1 when they are most under 
the influence of ,christian and holy    
principles1 seem to them altogether at  
variance with ,christianity4 ,i do not  
believe that this comes always from     
prejudice1 and a spirit of opposition on
 their part4 ,it comes often1 ,i am     
persuaded1 from not understanding us4   
,there is a link in our minds which     
connects this practice with other       
,christian doctrines1 and this link is  
wanting in theirs2 and therefore acts of

 devotion of this kind seem to them     
arbitrary and useless1 an excrescence on
 ,christianity1 and even alien to its   
spirit4 ,if this is the case1 it cannot 
but be a duty and charity for us to     
explain1 as far as possible1 what is in 
the mind of a ,catholic when he prays to
 the ,blessed ,virgin2 and ,i shall     
accordingly attempt to do so this       
morning4 ,perhaps while we are thus     
removing a stumbling-block out of some  
erring brother's way1 we shall be at the
 same time rendering our own ideas on   
this doctrine clearer1 and its practice 
more intelligent4  ,the ,blessed ,virgin
 ,mary1 then1 to a ,catholic1 represents
 the power of intercessory prayer in its
 highest form and degree4  #cib  ,i     
believe there are very few persons1     
indeed1 who realize at all the power    
which is attributed to intercessory     
prayer in the ,bible and in             
,christianity4 ,the ,apostles frequently
 exhort the ,christians to whom they are
 writing to pray for them4 ,they        

enjoined it upon them as a duty to pray 
for one another4 ,what does this mean8  
,had not ,st4 ,paul and ,st4 ,peter     
influence enough with ,heaven to carry  
their wants directly to the throne of   
grace8 ,was not the way of access to    
,god open and easy for every one8 ,did  
,god require to be reminded of the woes 
and wants of any child of man1 by the   
sympathizing cries of his               
fellow-creatures8 ,was not ,god's own   
heart as large as theirs8 ,could any    
thing ,he had made escape ,his          
knowledge1 or any sorrow fail to awaken 
,his compassion8 ,or1 if it did1 was the
 intercession of ,christ insufficient   
that any other had to be called in to   
supplicate8 ,no1 certainly4 ,none of    
these suppositions are true4 ,god's     
goodness and knowledge are infinite4 ,he
 needs not to be told what is in man4   
,he loves the work of ,his hands4 ,the  
meanest and the poorest are in the light
 of ,his ,providence4 ,christ's merits  
are infinite and universal4 ,but after  

all1 there stands the fact4             
,intercessory prayer is an ordinance of 
,god4 ,it is a duty to pray for others1 
and it is useful to have others pray for
 us4 ,you may call it a mystery if you  
like4 ,to me1 it does not seem so very  
wonderful4 ,no man lives to himself4 ,we
 are not the only ,christians4 ,many    
others walk alongside of us on the road 
to ,heaven4 ,many are ahead of us4 ,many
 have already reached their term4 ,shall
 there be no sympathy between us8 ,is   
that principle so deeply seated in our  
nature to have no play in ,christianity8
 ,are we to have no interest1 no feeling
 for each other8 ,or1 is that sympathy  
to be a barren sentiment1 and to have no
 results8 ,god1 in religion1 makes use  
of and commands this kindness and       
sympathy4 ,he makes use of it to bind   
all men together in a bond of love4 ,in 
order to do this1 ,he makes it a law    
that we shall pray for one another1 and 
suspends ,his gifts upon its execution4 
#cic ,it is1 then1 to meet that nature  

that ,he has framed--it is to exalt that
 nature craving for sympathy--it is to  
give rein to charity--it is to make us  
always sensible and mindful of that     
great human family to which we          
belong--it is for these reasons1 ,i     
conceive1 that ,god has instituted the  
ordinance of intercessory prayer4 ,but1 
explain it as you will1 the fact cannot 
be denied4 ,it is an appointment of     
,god1 and an appointment of great       
efficacy4 ,it plays a large part in the 
history of the ,bible4 ,elias was a man 
subject to like passions with us1 and he
 prayed earnestly that it might not     
rain1 and it rained not for three years 
and six months2 and he prayed again1 and
 the heavens gave rain4 ,abraham prayed 
for ,abimelech1 and ,god healed him4    
,when ,moses prayed for the ,israelites 
suffering under the fire with which ,god
 had visited them for their sins1 the   
fire was quenched4 ,in the prophet      
,ezechiel1 ,god speaks as if he could   
not act without this intercession--as if

 it were really a necessary condition   
for the bestowal of ,his graces4 ,i     
sought among them for a man1 he says1   
that might stand in the gap before me1  
in favor of the land1 that ,i might not 
destroy it1 and ,i found none4 ,footnote
 #acc ,st4 ,james even seems to make    
salvation depend on intercessory prayer4
 ,pray for one another1 is his language1
 that ye may be saved4 ,footnote #acd   
,footnote #acc3 ,ezechiel xxii4 #cj4    
,footnote #acd3 ,st4 ,james v4 #af4     
,these are but a sample of the many     
,scriptural proofs that might be brought
 to show that intercessory prayer is an 
ordinance of ,god4 ,it is one of the    
forms in which the goodness of ,god and 
the merits of ,christ flow over upon us4
 ,by it we obtain graces from ,god much 
more easily than we could without it4   
,and we obtain by it special graces1    
which we would not be likely to obtain  
at all without it4 ,in this sense1      
perhaps1 ,st4 ,james meant to imply that
 it was necessary to our salvation4 ,not

 that it was a matter of precept to ask 
the prayers of this or that particular  
person1 but that their intercession     
might be the condition of our obtaining 
graces without which our salvation would
 be a work of great difficulty4  #cid   
,but this is not all that the           
,scriptures tell us about intercessory  
prayer4 ,they not only declare its      
wonderful power1 but they make known to 
us that the efficacy of intercessory    
prayer depends on the goodness and merit
 before ,god of the one who offers it4  
,i do not mean that no one should pray  
for another unless he is very holy4 ,by 
no means4 ,no matter how great a sinner 
a man may be1 it is a good thing for him
 to pray for others1 and the mercy and  
compassion of ,god1 ,i am sure1 never   
turn away from such a petition4 ,but    
then1 in such a case1 it is mercy and   
compassion which moves ,god to hear the 
prayer4 ,in the case of a good man      
praying for another1 there is a sort of 
claim that he should be heard4 ,not an  

absolute claim1 by which he can demand  
any thing for another1 as of right1 but 
a claim of fitness1 a claim as if       
between friend and friend1 a claim on   
,god's bounty and generosity1 which will
 not allow ,him to turn a deaf ear to   
one who is faithfully striving to serve 
,him4 ,the passages of inspiration which
 express this are very clear and very   
strong4 ,the continual prayer of a just 
man availeth much4 ,footnote #ace ,there
 it is the prayer of a righteous man    
that has this efficacy4 ,and to this    
agree the words of our ,lord3 ,if ye    
remain in me1 and my words remain in    
you1 ye shall ask whatever ye will1 and 
it shall be done unto you4 ,footnote    
#acf ,could words express more clearly  
that the power of intercessory prayer is
 in direct proportion to the closeness  
of the union which we maintain with     
,god8 ,and ,st4 ,john reiterates the    
same principle when he says3 ,whatsoever
 we shall ask we shall receive of ,him1 
because we keep his commandments1 and do

 those things that are pleasing in ,his 
sight4 ,footnote #acg      ,footnote    
#ace3 ,st4 ,james v4 #ae4      ,footnote
 #acf3 ,john xv4 #g4      ,footnote     
#acg3 ,i4 ,st4 ,john iii4 #bb4  ,god's  
dealings1 as recorded in the ,bible1 are
 in exact accordance with this rule4 ,at
 the prayer of ,abraham1 ,god desisted  
from ,his purpose of destroying ,sodom1 
because ,abraham was ,god's friend4     
,when the three friends of ,job had     
displeased ,god by their wrong judgments
 and unjust suspicions1 ,god commanded  
them to go to ,his servant ,job1 and he 
would pray for them1 and him ,he would  
accept4 #cie ,and in the prophet        
,ezechiel1 when the ,almighty would     
express1 in the strongest possible      
manner1 the fact that ,his anger was    
enkindled against a people and a city2  
that nothing1 however strong1 should    
stay its effects1 ,he says3 ,and if     
these three men1 ,noe1 ,daniel and ,job1
 shall be in it1 they shall deliver     
their own souls only by their justice4  

,footnote #ach      ,footnote #ach3     
,ezechiel xiv4 #ad4  ,as if to say3     
,notwithstanding the intercession and   
merit of these great saints1 even though
 they were all combined in favor of that
 one city1 they should not avail to make
 ,me spare such wickedness4 ,what must  
be the wickedness that can force ,me to 
withstand the power of such an appeal8  
,here1 then1 we have two things clearly 
taught in ,holy ,scripture4 ,one is that
 intercessory prayer is an ordinance of 
,god of great power and utility4 ,the   
other is1 that the degree of power this 
prayer has in any particular case       
depends on the merit of him who offers  
it4 ,who1 then1 shall be the favored    
child of man1 the favored saint1 who    
shall exercise this power in the fullest
 degree8 ,of whom it can be said        
literally1 ,whatever thou askest of ,me 
,i will do it1 because the condition of 
union with ,god is perfectly fulfilled8 
,who shall this be whom ,holy ,scripture
 thus clothes with this tremendous      

power1 if it be not the ,blessed ,virgin
 ,mary8 ,my brethren1 our belief in the 
surpassing sanctity of the ,blessed     
,virgin is no fancy of later times4 ,it 
goes back to the very beginning of      
,christianity4 ,st4 ,ambrose wrote her  
praises as he had learned them from     
those who had received them from        
apostolic men4 ,grave1 austere men1 as  
far as possible removed from any thing  
like fancy religion or sentimentality1  
men who had suffered for the name of    
,christ1 and even faced death in its    
defence1 employed their art and care to 
coin words which might express the      
virtue and purity and exceeding sanctity
 of the ,virgin ,mary1 as they had      
learned it from their forefathers4 #cif 
,and in the most ancient writings of the
 ,church1 in the ,canon of the ,mass1   
when the priest recalls by name the     
glorious army of ,christian heroes who  
had gone before1 always in the first    
place she is mentioned1 the             
all-glorious1 undefiled1 immaculate     

,mary1 ,mother of ,god1 and ever        
,virgin4 ,this being so1 is not her     
power of intercession fixed beyond      
dispute8 ,does not ,scripture itself    
fashion out for her the glorious throne 
on which the ,catholic ,church places   
her8 ,did any remain in ,christ as she  
did8 ,did ,his words ever so abide in   
any heart as in hers8 ,suppose a        
,christian who lived in the times of the
 ,apostles1 before the ,blessed ,virgin 
had gone to her rest1 when she was just 
dying2 suppose such a one sorely tried  
and tempted within and without2 suppose 
him anxious about his salvation1        
distrustful of his own petitions1       
fearful of the coming storms of         
persecution2 and suppose him in this    
state of mind to have read that passage 
of ,st4 ,james1 ,the continual prayer of
 a just man availeth much1 what more    
natural than that he should have said to
 himself1 ,i will go to ask the prayers 
of the dear ,mother of ,christ4 ,i will 
ask her to use her power and influence  

with her ,divine ,son in behalf of a    
frail wanderer like me4 ,and when he    
came into her presence and knelt before 
her1 and kissed her hand and made his   
plea1 and looked up to her and saw that 
sweet grave smile1 and heard her say1   
,yes1 my child1 when ,i stand in the    
presence of my ,royal ,son1 and ,he     
holds out to me the golden sceptre1 and 
says to me1 what wilt thou8 what is thy 
request8 then ,i will remember thee6    
,oh6 how light his heart6 ,oh1 how      
strong his soul6 what a charm against   
sadness6 what a fortress in temptation6 
,mary prays for me in heaven to ,christ 
her ,son6 ,and is there any thing in    
this joy and confidence which reason or 
,christianity would condemn8 ,if so1 it 
must be either that intercessory prayer 
is not the power the ,scriptures say it 
is1 or that ,mary is not the saint the  
,church considers her4 ,why1 even       
,protestants have gone as far as this4  
#cig ,protestants who have made the     
primitive form of ,christianity their   

study and profess to accept it as their 
rule1 as1 for example1 ,high-,church    
,episcopalians1 have distinctly         
acknowledged in the seventeenth century1
 and in our own day1 that the saints in 
heaven do intercede for us1 and that    
this was the primitive doctrine of      
,christianity4 ,why1 then1 find fault   
with us for invoking the saints1 and say
 we ought only to ask ,god to hear their
 prayers for us1 as if invocation on our
 part were not the correlative of       
intercession on theirs2 as if it could  
be right to ask a saint to pray for us  
the moment before he died1 and wrong the
 moment after2 as if there could be any 
moral difference before ,god between a  
direct and an indirect supplication for 
the benefit of their prayers in heaven8 
,such1 my brethren1 is our idea when we 
address the ,blessed ,virgin for aid4   
,it is not that we cannot go directly to
 ,god4 ,it is not that ,god is not the  
nearest to us1 and at all times         
accessible4 ,it is not that1 sinful as  

we are1 we may not go with our miseries 
into the very presence of the ,almighty4
 ,it is not that prayer to ,god is not  
the best of all prayers4 ,it is not that
 we put the ,blessed ,virgin in the     
place of ,god4 ,o cruel charge6 ,it is  
not that we derogate from the merits of 
,christ4 ,o strange misconception6 ,but 
it is this--we believe in intercessory  
prayer4 ,we believe that man may help   
his brother4 ,we believe that           
,christianity is a human and a social   
relation2 we believe that heaven is very
 near this earth--oh1 how much nearer   
than ever we believed6 and that in      
,christ we are in communion with an     
innumerable company of angels1 and the  
,church of the ,first-born4 ,we believe 
that there is joy in the presence of the
 angels of ,god over the good deeds done
 on earth1 and that the litanies of the 
saints ascend over one sinner and his   
deeds4 ,and we believe that this power  
of intercessory prayer culminates in the
 ,blessed ,virgin4 ,we believe that she 

is the one undefiled1 whose way has been
 always in the law of the ,lord4 ,we    
believe that before the foundations of  
the earth were laid1 or ever the earth  
and the sea were made1 she was foreknown
 by the ,almighty1 spotless in purity1  
matchless in virtue4 #cih ,we believe   
that she was the flower of humanity1 the
 fairest type of ,christianity---and we 
believe1 therefore1 that ,god is as good
 as ,his word1 and whatever she asks of 
,him1 ,he gives it to her4 ,this is the 
doctrine on which we found our devotion 
to the ,blessed ,virgin4 ,take our      
strongest language4 ,it means no more   
than this3 ,pray for me4 ,you may       
amplify as you will1 but from the       
necessity of the case every thing we say
 comes to that4 ,put prayer for the     
,blessed ,virgin1 suppose prayer        
personified in her1 and you have the key
 to the ,catholic doctrine on this      
subject4 ,strong things are said of the 
power of the ,blessed ,virgin1 but so   
are strong things said in ,holy         

,scripture and by holy men of the power 
of prayer4 ,whatever can be said of     
prayer1 can be said of her4 ,cease1     
then1 to misunderstand us4 ,acknowledge 
that we are but obeying ,christ in      
praying to the ,blessed ,virgin4 ,and if
 you will still find fault1 find fault1 
not with us1 but with ,god1 who has     
instituted intercessory prayer and given
 such power to men4  ,and for you1 my   
brethren1 let these thoughts strengthen 
you in your confidence in the powerful  
intercession of the ,mother of ,god4    
,our work is too severe1 our            
difficulties are too great1 for us to   
neglect any help ,god has offered us4   
,there are many adversaries4 ,the world1
 with all its seductions1 passes in     
array before us4 ,why should we shut our
 eyes to the hosts of heaven that march 
unseen by our side8 ,why should we stay 
outside when we are invited to the      
marriage supper1 and ,jesus and ,his    
disciples are there1 and ,mary1 pleader 
for heavy hearts1 saying1 ,they have no 

wine2 and at her prayer ,jesus gives    
them that wine that maketh glad the     
heart of man with the abundance of ,his 
grace and love8 ,i have been glad to see
 you these bright ,may mornings around  
the altar4 ,persevere more and more4    
,your labor of love is not in vain4     
,god's words cannot fail4 ,his gifts are
 without repentance4 ,mary's power of   
intercession is as fresh this day as it 
was when her prayer made the miraculous 
wine to gush forth at the wedding feast2
 and until some one shall arise more    
blessed1 more holy1 nearer to ,christ   
than she1 it will remain as it is now1  
the highest and the most efficacious of 
all forms of prayer in heaven or on     
earth4  -----------------------------   
#cii          ,sermon ,,xix4            
,mysteries ,in ,religion       7,trinity
 ,sunday47     ,oh1 the depths of the   
riches   of the wisdom and knowledge of 
,god6   ,how incomprehensible are ,his  
judgments1   and how unsearchable are   
,his ways6     --,rom4 ,,xi4 #cc4   ,the

 word revelation means the discovery of 
something that was not known before1 or 
the making clear something that was     
obscure4 ,now1 with this idea in our    
mind1 it may excite surprise to find how
 much the ,christian ,revelation abounds
 in mysteries4 ,by mysteries1 ,i        
understand truths which are imperfectly 
comprehended4 ,a doctrine which         
contradicts reason is not a mystery it  
is nonsense4 ,a doctrine which is wholly
 unintelligible is not a mystery3 it is 
simply unmeaning1 and cannot be the     
object of any intellectual act on our   
part4 ,but a doctrine which is in part  
comprehended1 and in part not1 is a     
mystery4 ,now1 in ,christianity we meet 
such mysteries on every side4 ,the      
,sacraments are mysteries4 ,grace is a  
mystery4 ,the ,person of ,christ is a   
mystery4 ,and above all1 the great      
doctrine we commemorate to-day is a     
mystery4 ,to-day is the ,feast of the   
,most ,holy ,trinity4 ,to-day we call to
 mind that wonderful ,relationship which

 exists in ,god1 eternal and necessary1 
by which1 in the undivided ,unity of    
,his ,essence1 there are three distinct 
modes of subsistence1 the ,father1 the  
,son1 and the ,holy ,ghost4 #djj ,it    
seems1 then1 not unfitting on this day  
to give you some reasons why you should 
acquiesce in that mysteriousness of     
,christian doctrine1 which is certainly 
one of its marked characteristics1 and  
which has been urged against it as a    
serious objection4  ,and1 first1 ,i     
observe that mysteries are necessary    
attendants on religion4 ,there can be no
 revelation without them4 ,there can    
indeed be no knowledge without them4 ,to
 a little child the earth is a plane of 
no great extent1 and the stars are      
colored lamps hung in the canopy of the 
night4 ,but as he grows older1 he learns
 that the earth is very big1 and that   
the stars are very far off1 and that    
there are many systems of worlds above  
us2 and now how many questions press    
themselves upon his mind6 ,what is the  

history of this universe8 ,how old is   
the earth which we inhabit8 ,are the    
stars inhabited8 ,science with the hard 
earnings of human thought and labor     
gives him some little satisfaction1 but 
for every question that she sets at rest
 there are many new ones that she       
raises1 and at last in every department 
there comes a point where she gropes1   
and loses her way1 and stops altogether4
 ,if you light a candle in a large room 
it casts a bright light on the table you
 are sitting at1 and on the pages of the
 book you are reading1 but gives only a 
dim light in the distance4 ,you see that
 there are pictures on the walls1 but   
you cannot discover their subjects4 ,you
 see there are books on the shelves1 but
 you cannot read their titles4 ,when the
 room was quite dark you did not know   
that they were there at all1 and now you
 know them only imperfectly4 ,so every  
light which knowledge kindles brings out
 a new set of mysteries or              
half-knowledges4 ,for this reason it is 

that a man of true science is apt to be 
modest in his language4 ,your           
loud-talking philosopher1 who has no    
difficulties1 has but a very narrow     
scope of thought and vision4 ,he is     
clear because he is shallow4 ,but a     
highly educated man knows that there are
 a great many things he is ignorant of1 
and so his language is modified and     
qualified4 #dja ,i believe it was ,sir  
,isaac ,newton who used to say1 that in 
his scientific investigations he seemed 
to himself like a child gathering       
pebbles on the sea-shore4 ,it was his   
vast attainments that made him sensible 
that ,truth is as boundless as the sea4 
,and when scientific men forget this2   
when they forget how much they are      
ignorant of2 when they are boastful1    
over-positive1 or inconsiderate in their
 statements1 how applicable to them     
becomes the reproof which the ,almighty 
addressed to ,job3 ,where wast thou when
 ,i laid the foundations of the earth8  
tell ,me if thou hast understanding4    

,upon what are its bases grounded8 or   
who laid the corner-stone thereof8 ,by  
what way is light spread1 and heat      
divided on the earth8 ,who is the father
 of the rain1 or who hath begotten the  
drops of dew8 ,dost thou know the order 
of heaven1 and canst thou set down the  
reason thereof on the earth8 ,tell ,me1 
if thou knowest these things4  ,and this
 holds good just as well in regard to   
religious knowledge4 ,reason teaches us 
that there is a ,god1 and it tells      
something of ,his ,nature2 but it speaks
 to us about ,him only in riddles4 ,god 
is immutable1 and yet ,he is perfectly  
free3 who shall reconcile these         
together8 ,god is infinite1 infinite in 
,essence1 infinite in all ,his          
,attributes--try to comprehend          
infinitude if you can4 ,again1 what a   
mystery there is in the creation of this
 world6 ,what a mystery in the union of 
spirit and matter6 ,everywhere mystery  
is the necessary accompaniment of       
knowledge2 and the more we know1 the    

more mysteries will we have4 ,if1 then1 
,god reveals to us any thing about      
,himself additional to that which reason
 can ascertain1 mystery must still be   
the consequence4 ,the wider the view1   
the more indistinct and shadowy the     
outline4 #djb ,it is revealed to us that
 in ,god1 without injury to ,his        
,simplicity1 there is a ,threefold      
,relationship--that the ,father1        
contemplating ,himself from all         
eternity1 has conceived a perfect ,image
 of ,himself1 and that this ,image is   
,his ,son1 and that the ,father and the 
,son have loved each other from all     
eternity1 and that this ,love is the    
,holy ,ghost--that thus the ,father1 the
 ,son1 and the ,holy ,ghost are ,three  
distinct1 eternal1 necessary            
,subsistences4 ,do not be surprised at  
this4 ,here is nothing contradictory to 
reason4 ,true1 it is wonderful4 ,true1  
you cannot pierce it through and        
through4 ,it is full of darkness4 ,no   
matter4 ,you know1 when the moon comes  

out from behind a cloud1 how sharp and  
well-defined the shadows become4 ,so    
these darknesses of doctrine come       
because the light is brighter4 ,men talk
 of the simple doctrines of the gospel4 
,there are no such things4 ,the gospel1 
as a scheme of doctrine at least1 is a  
mystery4 ,st4 ,paul called it so1 and so
 it is4 ,it is a mystery because it     
reveals so much4 ,if we did not know    
that ,god is both ,one in substance and 
,three in the mode of subsistence1 our  
difficulties would be less1 but so would
 our knowledge4 ,well does the prophet  
exclaim3 ,verily1 ,thou art a hidden    
,god1 the ,god of ,israel1 the ,savior6 
,footnote #aci      ,footnote #aci3     
,isai4 xlv4 #ae4  ,what1 the ,god of    
,israel a hidden ,god6 ,did ,he not     
manifest ,himself to the patriarchs8    
,did he not speak face to face with     
,moses8 ,yes1 but ,he is all the more   
hidden1 the more ,he has manifested     
,himself4 ,it cannot be otherwise4 ,god 
yearns to make ,himself known to man1   

but ,he cannot4 ,the secret is too deep 
and high4 ,language is too weak4        
,thought too slow4 ,reason too narrow4  
,the very means ,he takes to reveal     
,himself conceal ,him4 ,clouds and      
darkness gather around ,mount ,sinai as 
,he descends upon it4 ,the ,flesh in    
which ,he was manifested to men serves  
as a veil to ,his ,divinity4 ,no1 we    
cannot find out the ,almighty to        
perfection4 ,the time will come in      
heaven when by the ,light of ,glory our 
intellects shall be marvellously        
strengthened1 and we shall see ,him as  
,he is--but now we see as through a     
glass darkly4 #djc ,our utmost happiness
 here is that of ,moses1 to be hidden in
 the rock1 while the ,almighty passes by
 and lifts ,his ,hand that we may see a 
ray of ,his ,glory4 ,do not complain if 
the ray dazzles thy feeble sight1 but   
receive each glimpse of that ,eternal   
,truth and ,beauty thankfully1 and give 
heed unto it1 as unto a light shining in
 a dark place4  ,but1 further1 mysteries

 are not only necessary attendants on   
revelation1 they are really sources of  
advantage to us4 ,in order to make this 
clear1 ,i must remind you that ,faith is
 one of the conditions of our acceptance
 with ,god4 ,there was a time when men  
laid too much stress on faith and made  
light of works2 then the ,church had to 
define that works are necessary1 and    
that there is no salvation without them4
 ,now the contrary error is afloat4 ,men
 say3 ,be moral1 ,be religious in a     
general way1 and it is no matter what a 
man believes4 ,now1 this is an error as 
great and as dangerous as the other4    
,abraham believed ,god1 and it was      
reputed to him unto justice4 ,footnote  
#adj ,the apostles believed ,christ1 and
 were praised for it4 ,on the other     
hand1 those who disbelieved are reproved
 as being guilty of a mortal fault4 ,the
 heart of this people is grown gross3   
and with their ears they have been dull 
of hearing1 and their eyes they have    
shut3 lest at any time they should see  

with their eyes1 and hear with their    
ears1 and understand with their heart1  
and should be converted1 and ,i should  
heal them4 ,footnote #ada      ,footnote
 #adj3 ,rom4 iv4 #c4      ,footnote     
#ada3 ,st4 ,matt4 xiii #ae4  ,in like   
manner1 when our ,lord took leave of    
unbelieving ,jerusalem1 ,he wept over   
it4 ,now1 why is this8 ,what is there1  
in the act of believing or disbelieving1
 that is of a moral nature1 that        
deserves praise or blame8 ,is not faith 
an act purely intellectual8 ,i reply1   
faith is an act partly intellectual1    
partly moral4 ,the intellect demands    
proof that a particular doctrine has    
been revealed by ,god1 but1 when that is
 once ascertained1 faith accepts the    
doctrine1 not because it is perfectly   
clear in itself1 but because ,god       
reveals it4 #djd ,clearly1 there enter  
into such an act many elements of       
morality--our reverence for ,god1 our   
desire to do ,his ,will1 our humility   
and docility4 ,you know it is an honor  

to a man for one to believe in his word1
 and especially for one to make ventures
 on the faith of his word4 ,just so1 to 
make ventures on ,god's word is a       
generous1 devout1 and noble act4 ,now1  
it is the mysteriousness of ,christian  
doctrine that gives faith this generous 
character--or rather1 that makes faith  
possible4 ,the obscurity of the         
revelation throws the weight on the     
authority of the ,revealer4 ,it is      
mystery which gives life to faith4 ,a   
man is not said to believe a thing he   
sees4 ,blessed are they1 said our       
,blessed ,lord1 that have not seen1 and 
yet have believed4 ,footnote #adb       
,footnote #adb3 ,st4 ,john xx4 #bi4     
,there are certain flowers that require 
the shade to bloom4 ,constant sunshine  
burns them up4 ,so ,faith requires the  
shadow of mystery4 ,it thrives under    
difficulties4 ,abraham's faith was so   
admirable1 because he considered not his
 own decrepitude1 nor ,sarah's          
barrenness1 but believed he should have 

a son at the time appointed by the      
,almighty4 ,the faith of the apostles   
was so pleasing to ,christ because they 
accepted ,his call so readily4 ,they    
might have stopped to ask a thousand    
questions1 but they rose up without     
delay and followed ,him4  ,you see1     
then1 what ,i meant when ,i said that   
mysteries are of advantage to us4 ,they 
enter into our probation4 ,they are the 
occasion of our practising the noble    
virtue of faith4 ,they are a test of    
moral character4 ,nay more1 by calling  
into action the best principles of our  
nature they exalt our character4 ,you   
know how it is in the world when some   
new and great social question is        
started--how everyone is affected by it4
 ,the indolent take their opinions about
 it from others4 ,the prejudiced and    
interested judge of it according to     
prejudice and interest4 #dje ,men of    
principle decide it on grounds of       
morality4 ,but everyone's position is in
 some way changed by it4 ,so it is with 

the gospel4 ,its preaching throws men   
into new attitudes4 ,the ,cross of      
,christ is to them that perish          
foolishness1 but to them that are saved 
it is the power of ,god4 ,footnote #adc 
,the proud and the perverse stumble at  
this stumbling-stone1 but men of good   
will1 the humble1 and the loving1 find  
it a precious corner-stone on which     
their faith has a solid foundation1 and 
on which they are built up to           
everlasting life4 ,so it was in the time
 of ,christ4 ,after our ,lord had been  
preaching for some time1 ,he inquired of
 the apostles into the effects of ,his  
preaching3 ,whom do men say that the    
,son of ,man is8 ,and they said3 ,some  
say that thou art ,john the ,baptist1   
and others ,elias1 and others ,jeremias1
 or one of the prophets4 ,but whom do   
you say that ,i am8 ,footnote #add --and
 ,faith1 undaunted by difficulties1     
answers by the mouth of ,st4 ,peter3    
,thou art ,christ1 the ,son of the      
living ,god4 ,on another occasion1 after

 ,he had performed the miracle of the   
multiplication of the loaves1 as we read
 in ,st4 ,john's ,gospel1 ,he taught the
 people the doctrine of the ,real       
,presence in ,holy ,communion3 ,unless  
you eat the flesh of the ,son of ,man1  
and drink ,his blood1 you shall not have
 life in you4 ,footnote #ade ,now1 what 
happened8 ,many were offended and walked
 with ,him no more4 ,it was too great a 
mystery4 ,how can this man give us his  
flesh to eat8 they said4 ,and our ,lord 
turned to ,his disciples and said--it   
seems to me ,i can see ,his anxious     
countenance1 and hear ,his tones of     
sorrow as ,he asks the question--,will  
you also go away8 ,and again ,peter     
answered on behalf of all3 ,to whom     
shall we go8 ,thou hast the words of    
,eternal ,life4 ,as much as to say1     
,thou art the ,truth2 no mystery at ,thy
 mouth can deter us4      ,footnote     
#adc3 ,i4 ,cor4 i4 #ah4      ,footnote  
#add3 ,st4 ,matt4 xvi4 #ac4             
,footnote #ade3 ,st4 ,john vi4 #ed4     

#djf  ,so it has been1 also1 throughout 
the history of the ,church4 ,what are   
all the heresies that have arisen but   
the scandal which the world has taken at
 the ,christian mysteries1 and what are 
all the decisions of the ,church but    
acts of loyalty and submission to ,him  
who is the ,faithful and ,true ,witness8
  ,and the same thing is going on in our
 day4 ,wisdom preacheth abroad3 she     
uttereth her voice in the streets4      
,footnote #adf ,the ,catholic ,church   
publishes those startling doctrines     
which have come down to her from the    
beginning1 which have been held         
everywhere and by all--the principality 
of the ,roman ,see1 the ,power of       
,forgiveness of ,sins1 the necessity of 
,penance1 the grace of the              
,sacraments--and what is the result8    
,the children of wisdom1 they whose     
hearts are tender1 enter her sacred fold
 and are blessed4 ,but many listen and  
say3 ,it is all very well1 if we could  
believe it4 ,if we could believe it6    

,and is it1 then1 not credible8 ,has not
 ,god given ,his revelation complete    
credibility8 ,can we not believe ,jesus 
,christ8 ,god1 ,who in times past spoke 
to the father's by the prophets1 hath in
 these days spoken unto us by ,his ,son4
 ,footnote #adg ,no one knoweth the     
,father but the ,son and ,he to whom the
 ,son will reveal ,him4 ,footnote #adh  
,footnote #adf3 ,prov4 i4 #bj4          
,footnote #adg3 ,heb4 i4 #a1 #b4        
,footnote #adh3 ,matt4 xi4 #bg4  ,jesus 
,christ has spoken4 ,miracles and       
prophecy attest ,his ,truth and         
,authority4 ,can you1 then1 innocently  
refuse to listen8 ,surely they will     
reverence my son1 was the language of   
the father in the parable2 will not ,god
 the ,father ,almighty look for an equal
 submission to ,his ,eternal and        
,coequal ,son8 ,can ,he speak1 and you  
go on as if ,he had not spoken8 ,can you
 pick and choose among ,his doctrines1  
and take up one and reject another8 ,no1
 to turn back1 to stand still1 to       

falter1 is a crime4 ,the trumpet has    
sounded3 men are marshalling themselves 
for the valley of decision4 ,oh1 take   
your part with the generation of        
faithful men1 the true children of      
,abraham1 who have attested by their    
seal that ,god is true4 ,have courage to
 believe4 ,plunge into the waters with  
,st4 ,peter1 for it is ,christ that is  
beckoning you on4 ,to believe is an act 
of duty--of fidelity to your own        
intelligence1 of generosity and devotion
 to ,god4 #djg ,without faith it is not 
possible to please ,god4 ,footnote #adi 
,faith is the door to all supernatural  
blessings4 ,there is a whole world that 
exists not to a man that has not faith4 
,faith enlarges our thoughts1 opens our 
hearts1 elevates us above ourselves and 
multiplies a thousand-fold our          
happiness4 ,why do men grope in         
darkness8 ,why do they remain in        
ignorance1 when by one generous resolve1
 one courageous act of faith1 an act so 
noble1 so meritorious1 they might enter 

into that ,glorious ,temple of ,truth   
that has come down out of heaven to man1
 might enter and dwell therein1 and     
their hearts wonder and be enlarged8    
,happy those who can say with the       
,psalmist3 ,thy testimonies are         
wonderful2 therefore hath my soul sought
 them4 ,footnote #aej ,they are         
wonderful--they rest for their evidence 
on ,thy ,word and ,thy ,truth1 therefore
 ,i believe them and love them1 for to  
believe ,thee is my first duty and my   
highest wisdom4      ,footnote #adi3    
,heb4 xi4 #f4      ,footnote #aej3 ,ps4 
cxviii #abi4  ,let not1 then1 the       
mysteries of our holy religion disturb  
us1 my brethren1 but rather let them    
make us rejoice4 ,for what are they but 
the evidences of the greatness of our   
religion8 ,they do not repel1 they      
attract us4 ,we believe them on the     
authority of ,god1 and we esteem it both
 a duty and a delight to do so4 ,neither
 are they all dark in themselves4 ,nay1 
they are only dark from excess of light4

 ,each one of them has much that        
addresses itself to our understanding1  
much that enlists our affections4 ,the  
angels in heaven worship the ,trinity   
with devoutest adoration4 ,i saw the    
,seraphim1 says the prophet1 and they   
covered their faces and cried3 ,holy1   
,holy1 ,holy ,lord ,god of ,hosts6      
,footnote #aea      ,footnote #aea3     
,isai4 vi4 #c4  ,incessantly sings the  
,church on earth3 ,glory be to the      
,father1 and to the ,son1 and to the    
,holy ,ghost4 ,there have been saints   
who so dwelt upon all that ,faith       
teaches us of ,god1 that they had to go 
by themselves1 in quiet places1 for     
their hearts were all but breaking with 
the sweet but awful sense of ,his       
,majesty4 #djh ,let us1 too1 learn to   
love these mysteries and meditate on    
them4 ,we live in the midst of great    
realities4 ,you are come to ,mount      
,sion1 and to the city of the living    
,god1 the heavenly ,jerusalem1 and to   
the company of many thousands of angels1

 and to the ,church of the first-born1  
who are written in heaven1 and to ,god  
the ,judge of all1 and to the spirits of
 the just made perfect1 and to ,jesus1  
the ,mediator of the ,new ,testament4   
,footnote #aeb      ,footnote #aeb3     
,heb4 xii4 #bb1 #bc1 #bd4  ,day by day1 
let it be our endeavor to pierce into   
these holy truths more and more1 that at
 last1 like ,moses1 our countenances may
 reflect some portion of their beauty   
and brightness1 that continually        
beholding the glory of the ,lord we may 
be transformed into the same image from 
glory to glory4 ,footnote #aec          
,footnote #aec3 ,,ii ,cor4 iii4 #ah4    
-------------------------------         
,sermon ,,xx4       ,the ,worth ,of ,the
 ,soul4    7,third ,sunday ,after       
,pentecost47     ,there shall be joy    
before the angels of ,god   over one    
sinner doing penance4     ,st4 ,luke xv4
 #aj4   ,this is what theologians call  
an accidental joy4 ,the essential joy of
 heaven consists in the perfect         

knowledge and love of ,god1 and is      
unchangeable and eternal2 but the       
accidental joy of heaven springs from   
the knowledge of those events in time   
which display the goodness and greatness
 of ,god4 ,the first of these events was
 the creation itself1 when the hand of  
,god spread the carpet of the earth1 and
 stretched the curtains of the heavens4 
#dji ,then the morning stars praised    
,him together1 and all the sons of ,god 
made a joyful melody4 ,footnote #aed    
,footnote #aed3 ,job xxxviii #g4  ,after
 this the great historic events of the  
world have been successively the burden 
of the angelic songs--the unfolding of  
the plan of ,redemption1 the birth of   
,christ1 the triumphs of the ,church4   
,but lo6 of a sudden these lofty strains
 are stopped4 ,there is silence for a   
moment1 and then the golden harps take  
up a new and tenderer theme4 ,what is it
 that has happened8 ,what is the event  
that can interrupt the great harmonies  
of ,heaven1 and furnish the ,angels with

 a new song8 ,in some corner of the     
earth1 in some secret chamber1 in some  
confessional1 on some sickbed1 in some  
dark prison1 a sinner is doing penance4 
,he prays1 whose mouth had been full of 
cursings4 ,he weeps1 who had made a mock
 at sin4 ,the slave of ,satan and of    
,hell turns back to ,god and            
,heaven--and that is the reason of this 
unusual joy4 ,it is not that a recovered
 sinner is really of more account than  
one who has never fallen1 but his       
recovery from danger is the occasion of 
expressing that esteem and love for the 
souls of men which always fills the     
heart of ,god and the ,angels4          
,therefore1 as that contrite cry reaches
 heaven1 the ,angels are silent1 for    
they know that there is no music in the 
ear of ,god like that4 ,and then1 when  
,god has ratified the absolving words of
 the priest1 and restored the contrite  
sinner to ,his favor1 they cast         
themselves before the throne1 and break 
forth into loud swelling strains of     

ecstasy and triumph1 while ,he ,himself 
smiles ,his sympathy and joy4 ,o my     
brethren1 what a revelation this is6 ,a 
revelation of the value of the soul4    
,there are great rejoicings on earth    
when a battle is won1 or upon the       
occasion of the visit of some great     
statesman or warrior1 or when some great
 commercial enterprise is successful1   
but these things do not cause joy in    
,heaven4 ,the conversion of one soul--it
 may be a child1 or a young man1 or an  
old woman--the conversion of one soul1  
that it is that makes a gala day in     
,heaven4 #daj ,now1 ,god sees every     
thing just as it is1 and if there are   
such rejoicings in ,heaven when a soul  
is won1 what must be the value of a     
soul6 ,let us confess the truth1 we have
 not thought enough of the value of a   
soul4 ,we have thought too much of the  
world1 of its pleasures1 of its profits1
 of its honors1 but too little of our   
own souls4 ,we have not thought of them 
as ,god thinks of them4 ,let us1 then1  

strive to exalt our ideas1 by           
considering some of the reasons why we  
should put a high value on our souls4   
,in the first place1 we should value a  
human soul1 because it is in itself     
superior to any thing else in the world4
 ,the whole world1 indeed1 with every   
thing in it1 is good1 for ,god made it4 
,but ,he proceeded in a very different  
manner in the creation of the material  
world from what ,he did when ,he made   
the soul4 ,he made the world1 the trees1
 the rivers1 the lights of heaven1 the  
living creatures on the earth1 by the   
mere word of his power4 ,god said1 ,be  
light made4 ,and light was made4        
,footnote #aee      ,footnote #aee3     
,gen4 i4 #c4  ,and ,god said1 ,let the  
earth bring forth the green herb1 and   
the fruit tree yielding fruit after its 
kind4 ,and it was so4 ,footnote #aef    
,but when ,he made the soul1 the        
,scriptures tell us1 ,he breathed into  
the face of man and he became a living  
soul4 ,footnote #aeg      ,footnote     

#aef3 ,gen4 i4 #ab4      ,footnote #aeg3
 ,gen4 i4 #bf4  ,by this action we are  
to understand that ,god communicated to 
man a nature kindred to his own         
divinity4 ,the ,holy ,ghost1 the ,third 
,person of the ,blessed ,trinity1 is the
 uncreated ,spirit of ,god1 eternally   
breathing forth and proceeding from the 
,father and the ,son2 and ,god1 when ,he
 breathed into the face of man1         
signified that ,he imparted to man a    
created spirit kindred to his own       
eternal ,spirit4 ,the ,holy ,scriptures1
 indeed1 expressly tell us that such was
 the case3 ,let us make man to our image
 and our likeness4 ,footnote #aeh       
,footnote #aeh3 ,gen4 i4 #bf1 #bg4  #daa
  ,this likeness consisted in the       
possession of understanding and free    
will1 the power of knowledge and        
love--the two great attributes of ,god  
himself4 ,you are1 then1 my brethren1   
endowed with a soul which raises you    
immeasurably above ,god's material      
creation4 ,you have a soul made after   

,god's image4 ,this is the source of    
your power4 ,the two things go together 
in ,holy ,scripture4 ,let us make man to
 our image and likeness2 and let him    
have dominion over the fishes of the sea
 and the fowls of the air1 and the      
beasts1 and the whole earth1 and every  
creeping creature that moveth upon the  
earth4 ,footnote #aei ,in the state of  
original innocence1 no doubt1 this      
dominion was more perfect1 but even now 
it exists in a great degree4 ,every kind
 of beast1 and of birds1 and of         
serpents1 and of the rest1 is tamed1 and
 hath been tamed by mankind4 ,footnote  
#afj      ,footnote #aei3 ,gen4 ii4 #g4 
,footnote #afj3 ,st4 ,james iii4 #g4    
,see how a little boy can drive a horse4
 ,see how a dog obeys his master's eye  
and voice4 ,see how even lions and      
tigers become submissive to their       
keepers4 ,and the elements1 often wilder
 than ferocious beasts1 are obedient to 
you4 ,the fire warms you and cooks for  
you1 and carries you when you want to   

travel for business or pleasure4 ,the   
wind fans the sails of your vessels1 and
 the waters make a path for them under  
your feet4 ,even the lightning leaps and
 exults to do your bidding and to be the
 messenger of your will4 ,thus every    
thing falls down before you and does you
 homage1 and proclaims you lord and     
master4 ,what is the reason that every  
thing thus honors you8 ,it is on account
 of the soul that is in you--the power  
of reason and will--the godlike nature  
with which you are endowed4  ,yes1 and  
your soul is the source of your beauty1 
too4 ,in what consists the beauty of a  
man8 ,is it a mere regularity of form   
and feature8 ,do you judge of a man as  
you do of a horse or a dog8 #dab ,no2   
the most exquisitely chiselled features 
do not interest you1 until you see      
intelligence light up the eye1 and      
charity irradiate the countenance--then 
you are captivated4 ,a man may be a     
perfect model of grace in his movements 
without exciting you1 but when he       

becomes warm with inspirations of wisdom
 and virtue1 when his words flow1 his   
eye sparkles1 his breast heaves1 his    
whole frame becomes alive with the      
emotions of his soul1 then it is you are
 carried away1 you are ready almost to  
fall down and worship4 ,what is the     
reason that ,christian art has so far   
surpassed heathen art8 that the ,madonna
 is so far more beautiful than the      
,venus de ,medicis8 ,it is because the  
heathens portrayed mere natural beauty2 
the ,christians portrayed the beauty of 
the soul4 ,and if the soul is so        
beautiful in the little rays that escape
 from the body1 what must it be in      
itself8 ,god has divided his universe   
into several orders1 and we find the    
lowest in a superior order higher than  
the highest in the inferior order4 ,the 
soul1 then1 is more beautiful than any  
thing material4 ,she is more beautiful  
than the sun1 and above all the order of
 the stars3 being compared with the     
light she is found before it4 ,footnote 

#afa      ,footnote #afa3 ,wisdom vii4  
#bi4  ,o my brethren1 do not admire men 
for their form1 or their dress1 or their
 grace1 but admire then for the soul    
that is in them1 for that is the true   
source of their beauty4  ,it is also the
 secret of their destiny4 ,god did not  
give you this great gift to be idle4 ,he
 gave it for a worthy end4 ,he gave     
understanding that you might know ,him1 
and free will that you might love ,him2 
and this is the true destiny of man4    
,you were not made to toil here for a   
few days1 and then to perish4 ,you were 
made to know ,god1 to be the friend of  
,god1 the companion of ,god1 to think of
 ,god1 to converse with ,god1 to be     
united to ,god here1 and then to enjoy  
,god hereafter forever4 ,once more1     
then1 ,i say1 do not admire a man for   
his wealth1 or his appearance1 or his   
learning4 ,do not ask whether he is poor
 or rich1 ignorant or learned1 from what
 nation he springs1 whether he lives in 
a cabin or palace4 #dac ,let it be      

enough that he is a man1 possessed of   
understanding and free will1 spiritual  
and immortal1 with a soul and an eternal
 destiny4 ,that is enough4 ,bow down    
before him with respect4 ,yes1 respect  
yourselves--not for your birth1 or your 
station1 or your wealth1 but for your   
manhood4 ,let not the wise man glory in 
his wisdom1 and let not the strong man  
glory in his strength1 and let not the  
rich man glory in his riches4 ,but let  
him that glorieth glory in this1 that   
,,he ,,understandeth ,,and ,,knoweth    
,,me4 ,footnote #afb ,yes1 my brethren1 
this is your true dignity1 the soul that
 is in you--the soul1 that makes you    
capable of knowing and loving ,god4     
,footnote #afb3 ,jer4 ix4 #bc1 #bd4     
,and yet1 there is another reason why   
you should value your souls1 besides    
their intrinsic excellence--,i mean1 the
 great things that have been done for   
them4 ,do you ask me what has been done 
for your souls8 ,i ask you to look above
 you1 and around you1 and under you4    

,oh1 how fair the earth is6 ,see these  
rivers and hills6 ,look on the green    
grass6 ,behold the blue vault of heaven6
 ,well1 this is the palace ,god has     
prepared for your abode2 nay1 not for   
your abode--your dwelling-place is      
beyond the skies1 where the light of the
 moon is as the light of the sun1 and   
the light of the sun seven-fold1 as the 
light if seven days1--but for the place 
of your sojourn4 ,this earth was made   
for you2 and1 as your destiny is        
eternal1 therefore the earth must have  
been made to subserve your eternal      
destiny4 ,why does the sun rise in the  
morning1 and go down at night8 ,it is   
for you--for your soul4 ,why do summer  
and winter1 seed-time and harvest1      
return so regularly8 ,it is for you1 and
 your salvation4 ,the earth is for the  
elect4 ,when the elect shall be         
completed1 the earth1 having done its   
work1 will be destroyed4 ,this is the   
end to which1 in ,god's design1 all     
things are tending4 ,god does not look  

at the world1 or its history1 as we do4 
#dad ,we say3 ,here such a great battle 
was fought2 there such a celebrated man 
was born2 in this epoch such an empire  
took its rise1 such a dynasty came to an
 end4 ,but ,god says3 ,here it was a    
little child died after baptism1 and    
went straight to heaven2 there it was ,i
 recovered that gifted soul1 which had  
wandered away into error and sin1 but   
which afterward became so great in      
sanctity2 in such an age it was that ,i 
lost that great nation which fell away  
from the faith1 and in such another1 by 
the preaching of ,my missionary1 ,i won 
whole peoples from heathenism4 ,i know  
we shrink from this in half unbelief3   
,when it is brought home to us that this
 little earth is the centre of ,god's   
counsels1 and our souls of the universe1
 we are amazed and offended4 ,but so it 
is4 ,all things work together unto good 
to them that love ,god4 ,footnote #afc  
,all things2 not blindly1 but by the    
overruling ,providence of ,him who made 

them for this end4      ,footnote #afc3 
,rom4 viii4 #bh4  ,do you ask me what   
has been done for your souls8 ,i answer1
 the ,church has been established for   
them4 ,look at the ,church1 and see how 
many are her officers and               
members--,bishops1 ,priests1 ,levites1  
,teachers1 ,students4 ,all are          
yours--all are for you4 ,for you the    
,pope sits on his throne2 for you       
,bishops rule their ,sees2 for you the  
,priest goes up to the altar2 for you   
the ,teacher takes his chair1 and the   
,student grows pale in the search for   
science4 ,that the ,apostolic commission
 might come down to you1 ,st4 ,peter and
 ,st4 ,linus and ,cletus ordained       
,bishops in the churches4 ,that the true
 doctrine of ,christ might come down to 
you uncorrupted1 the ,fathers of the    
,church gathered in council1 at ,nice1  
and ,ephesus1 and ,chalcedon1 and       
,trent4 ,that you might hear of the glad
 tidings of ,christ1 ,st4 ,paul and ,st4
 ,patrick labored and died4 ,for you1   

for each one of you1 as if there were no
 other1 the great machinery of grace1 if
 ,i may express myself so coarsely1 goes
 on4  #dae  ,do you ask what has been   
done for your souls8 ,angels and        
,archangels1 and ,thrones and           
,dominions1 and ,principalities and     
,powers--all the hosts of ,heaven--have 
labored for them4 ,are they not all     
ministering spirits1 sent to minister   
for those who shall receive the         
inheritance of salvation8 ,footnote #afd
      ,footnote #afd3 ,heb4 i #ad4  ,for
 you the whole ,court of ,heaven is     
interested1 and one bright particular   
,angel is commissioned to be your       
guardian4 ,for you ,st4 ,gabriel flew on
 his message of joy to the ,blessed     
,virgin ,mary1 and ,st4 ,michael1 the   
standard-bearer1 waits at the gate of   
death4  ,do you ask what has been done  
for your souls8 ,from all eternity ,god 
has thought of them1 the means of       
salvation have been determined on1 the  
chain of graces arranged4 ,and the ,son 

of ,god has worked for them4 ,galilee1  
and ,judea1 and ,calvary were the scenes
 of ,his labors on earth1 and on ,his   
mediatorial throne in heaven ,he carries
 on still ,his unceasing labors in our  
behalf4 ,and the ,holy ,ghost has       
worked4 ,he spake by the ,prophets1 and 
on the day of ,pentecost ,he came to    
take up ,his abode in the ,church1 never
 to be overcome by error1 or grieved    
away by sin1 to vivify the ,sacraments1 
and to enlighten the hearts of the      
faithful by the preaching of the ,gospel
 and ,his own holy inspirations4  ,why1 
who are you1 my brethren8 ,the woman at 
,endor1 when she had pierced the        
disguise of ,saul1 and knew that she was
 talking with a king1 was afraid1 and   
said with a loud voice3 ',why hast thou 
deceived me1 for thou art ,saul8'       
,footnote #afe      ,footnote #afe3 ,i4 
,kings xxviii4 #ab4      ,transcribers  
,note3 ,the correct reference is ,i4    
,samuel     xxviii4 #ab4  ,so1 ,i ask   
you1 who are you8 ,i look upon your     

faces1 and ,i see nothing to make me    
afraid2 but faith tears away the        
disguise1 and ,i see each one of you    
radiant with light1 a true prince1 and  
an heir of heaven4 ,i look above1 and   
see ,heaven open and the ,angels of ,god
 ascending and descending on errands of 
which you are the object4 #daf ,i look  
higher yet1 and ,i see ,god the ,father 
watching you with anxiety1 and the ,son 
offering his blood for you1 and the     
,holy ,ghost pleading with you1 and the 
,saints and ,angels1 some with folded   
hands supplicating for you1 and others  
pointing with outstretched finger to the
 glorious throne reserved in ,heaven for
 you4  ,have you1 my brethren1 so       
regarded yourselves8 ,have you valued   
that soul of yours8 ,have you kept it as
 your most sacred treasure8 ,is it now  
safe and secure8 ,oh1 how carefully do  
men keep a treasure they value highly6  
,kings spend many thousand dollars      
yearly just to take care of a few       
jewels4 ,the crown jewels of ,england   

are kept1 as you know1 in the ,tower4   
,it is a heavy fortress1 guarded by     
soldiers who are always on watch4 ,at   
each door and avenue there is an armed  
sentinel4 ,the jewels themselves are    
kept in glass cases1 and visitors are   
not allowed to touch them4 ,and all this
 pains and outlay to take care of a few 
stones that have come down to the ,queen
 by descent1 or been taken from her     
enemies6 ,and that precious soul of     
yours1 before which all the wealth of   
the world is but worthless dross with   
what care have you kept that8 ,alas6    
every door has been left open4 ,no guard
 has been at your eyes to keep out evil 
looks4 ,no guard at your ears to keep   
out the whispers of temptation4 ,no     
guard at your lips to stop the way to   
the profane or filthy word4 ,nay1 not   
only have you kept up no guard1 but you 
have carried your soul where            
soul-thieves congregate4 ,the ,holy     
,scripture says3 ,a net is spread in    
vain before the eyes of a bird4         

,footnote #aff      ,footnote #aff3     
,provo i4 #ag4  ,yes1 the birds and     
beasts are cunning enough to avoid an   
open snare2 but you go rashly into      
dangers that are apparent to all but    
you4 ,sinners lie in wait for you4 ,they
 say1 in the language of ,scripture3    
,come1 let us lie in wait for blood2 let
 us hide snares for the innocent without
 cause4 ,let us swallow him up alive    
like hell1 and whole as one that goeth  
down into the pit--and you trust        
yourself in their power4 ,oh1 fly from  
them6 #dag ,consider the treasure you   
carry4 ,what shall it profit a man to   
gain the whole world and lose his own   
soul8 ,will you sin against your own    
soul8 you that are made after ,god's    
likeness2 you that are princely and of  
noble rank1 will you defile that image1 
and degrade yourselves to a level with  
the brutes that perish8  ,but there are 
others whose offence is of another kind4
 ,they let their salvation go by sheer  
neglect4 ,if a man plants a seed1 he    

must water it1 or it will not grow4 ,so 
the soul needs the dew of ,god's grace2 
and prayer and the sacraments are the   
channels of ,god's grace4 ,yet how men  
neglect the ,sacraments6 ,even at       
,easter1 when we are obliged to receive 
them1 some absent themselves4 ,it has   
been a matter of the keenest pain to us 
to miss some members of this            
congregation during the late ,paschal   
season4 ,you say1 you have nothing on   
your conscience1 and it is not necessary
 to go to confession4 ,but is it not    
necessary to go to communion8 ,will you 
venture to deprive yourselves of that   
food of which1 unless ye eat1 the       
,saviour has said1 ,ye have no life in  
you8 ,or2 you have a sad story to tell4 
,you have fallen into mortal sin1 and   
you are afraid to come4 ,but do you     
think we have none of the charity of the
 ,angels8 ,only convert truly1 for it is
 a true conversion that gives the       
,angels joy1 and we can give you the    
promise that ,thomas  ,kempis puts into 

the mouth of ,him whose place we fill3  
,how often soever a man truly repents   
and comes to ,me for grace and pardon1  
as ,i live1 saith the ,lord1 who        
desireth not the death of a sinner1 but 
rather that he should be converted and  
live1 ,i will not remember his sins any 
more1 but all shall be pardoned him4    
,and to you1 my brethren1 who1 during   
the ,easter season just past1 have      
recovered the grace of ,god1 ,i have a  
word of advice to give in conclusion4   
,keep your souls with all diligence4    
,keep your souls2 that is your chief1   
your only care4 ,keep them by fleeing   
from the occasions of sin4 #dah ,keep   
them by overcoming habitual sins4       
,nourish them by prayer and the         
sacraments4 ,how great a disgrace1 that 
all the irrational world should do the  
will of ,god1 and you1 the rulers of the
 world1 should not do it6 ,the kite in  
the air hath known her time2 the turtle1
 and the swallow1 and the stork have    
observed the time of their coming2 but  

my people have not known the judgment of
 the ,lord4 ,footnote #afg              
,footnote #afg3 ,jer4 viii4 #g4  ,how   
great an evil it is in a state when an  
unworthy ruler is at its head4 ,the     
people mourn and languish1 and at last  
rebel4 ,so1 when a man neglects the end 
for which he was made1 the whole        
creation cries out against him4 ,the    
stones under his feet cry out4 ,the air 
he breathes1 the food he eats1 protest  
against the abuse he makes of them4     
,balaam's ass rebuked the madness of the
 prophet2 so1 when you live in sin1 the 
very beasts cry out3 ,if we had souls1  
we would not be as you4 ,now we serve   
,god blindly1 and of necessity2 but if  
we had souls1 it would be our pride and 
happiness to give ,him our willing      
service4 ,all things praise the         
,lord2--showers and dew2 fire and heat2 
mountains and hills2 seas and rivers2   
beasts and cattle4 ,o sons of men1 make 
not a discord in the universal harmony6 
,receive not your souls in vain6 ,serve 

,god2 praise ,him and exalt ,him        
forever4                                
-------------------------------         
,sermon ,,xxi4      ,the ,catholic's    
,certitude ,concerning          ,the    
,way ,of ,salvation4       7,fifth      
,sunday ,after ,pentecost47      ,i know
 whom ,i have believed1 and ,i am       
certain    that ,he is able to keep that
 which ,i have committed    to ,him     
against that day4      --,,ii4 ,tim4 ,i4
 #ab4   ,no one can deny that this      
sentiment of the ,apostle is a very     
comfortable one4 ,to be confident of    
salvation is surely an excellent and    
desirable thing4 ,but the question with 
many will be1 is it possible to attain  
it8 #dai ,now1 there is one sense in    
which we cannot have a security of our  
salvation4 ,we cannot have personally an
 infallible assurance that we are now   
and shall always continue in the grace  
of ,god1 and shall at last taste the    
joys of heaven4 ,our free-will forbids  
such an assurance1 and neither our      

happiness nor the attributes of ,god    
demand it4 ,but there is another sense  
in which a man may be said to have a    
security of his salvation1 viz43 that he
 has within his reach1 beyond all doubt1
 the proper and necessary means for     
attaining that end2 for if the means are
 certain1 it is plain that in the use of
 those means he may acquire a moral     
certainty that he is doing those things 
which ,god requires of him1 and a       
well-grounded hope of everlasting life4 
,such a security it would seem a man    
ought to be able to attain4 ,without it 
the service of ,god must be slavish4    
,there can be no free and generous      
service where there is not confidence4  
,when one is travelling at night on a   
road he is ignorant of1 he goes slow1 he
 falters2 but in the broad daylight1 in 
a road he is sure of1 he walks with a   
free1 bold step4 ,so in religion1 if we 
have no security that we are right1 we  
can never do much for ,god4 ,man is not 
an abject being2 he is erect2 he looks  

up to heaven2 he seems to face his      
,maker and to demand from ,him to know  
the terms on which he stands toward     
,him4 ,a confidence1 then1 at least of  
being able to secure our salvation1 must
 be within our reach4 ,the only question
 is1 how is it to be attained8 ,i       
answer1 the ,catholic has within his    
reach the security of his salvation1 and
 he alone4  ,in order to show this to   
you1 ,i must remind you of what ,i mean 
by salvation4 ,put out of your minds    
that childish idea that salvation is an 
external1 arbitrary reward1 given to    
some men when they die1 and denied to   
others1 as a father gives a book or a   
plaything to an obedient child1 and     
refuses it to a disobedient4 ,salvation 
is union with ,god4 ,we are made for    
,god4 ,that is our high destiny4 ,in    
,god are our life and happiness2 and out
 of ,god our death and ruin4 #dbj       
,salvation is our union with ,god for   
all eternity1 and1 in order to be united
 to ,god for all eternity1 we must be   

united to ,him here4 ,our salvation must
 begin here4 ,now1 we are united to ,god
 when our intelligence is united to ,his
 intelligence by the knowledge of ,his  
truth1 and our will united to ,his will 
by the practice of ,his love4 ,when ,i  
affirm1 then1 that the ,catholic alone  
has the means of attaining a security of
 salvation1 ,i mean that he alone has   
the certain means of coming to the      
knowledge of ,his truth1 and the        
practice of ,his will4  ,i say the      
certain means of coming to the knowledge
 of ,his truth1 for it is one thing to  
have a certain knowledge of a thing1 and
 another to have only some ideas about  
it4 ,we see this difference when we     
contrast the language of a man who is   
master of a science with that of one who
 has only vague notions about it4 ,one  
possesses his knowledge--knows what he  
knows--can make use of it2 while the    
other is embarrassed the moment he      
attempts to use his knowledge--is       
uncertain whether he is right or        

wrong--is driven to guesses and         
conjectures4 ,in the same way1 in       
religion1 it is one thing to have       
convictions more or less deep--opinions 
more or less probable1 to be acquainted 
with its history and able to talk about 
it--and quite another to have certainty 
in religion1 to know that one is right4 
,this is the assurance ,i claim as the  
special possession of the ,catholic4    
,there can be no doubt that ,catholics  
do1 in point of fact1 show a much deeper
 conviction of the truth of their       
religion than ,protestants4 ,this is a  
matter of common observation1 and the   
proofs of it are on every side4         
,officers who come back from the army   
tell how struck they have been with the 
fact that the ,catholic soldiers believe
 their religion and carry it with them  
to the camp4 ,proselyting societies make
 frequent confession of the difficulty  
they find in undermining the faith even 
of ignorant and needy ,catholics4 ,those
 who have experience at death-beds1 know

 that faith is found sometimes surviving
 almost every other good principle1 and 
making a return to ,god possible4 #dba  
,those who are familiar with the history
 of the ,church know that this faith is 
strong enough to bear the severest tests
 which can be applied to it2 that it has
 often led men to despise what the world
 most esteems--wealth1 pleasures1 honor2
 that it sends the missionary to heathen
 countries without a regret for the home
 and the native land he leaves behind   
him2 that1 in fine1 it has often led men
 in times past1 and still at this day   
leads them joyfully to the rack1 the    
stake1 and the scaffold4 ,now1 whence   
comes this deep and fixed certainty in  
religion8 ,is it a mere prejudice that  
melts before investigation8 ,is it a    
stupid fanaticism8 ,or has it a         
reasonable basis1 and are its           
foundations deep in the laws of the     
human mind8 ,i answer1 ,catholics have  
this undoubting conviction on the       
principle of faith in an infallible     

authority4 ,there are but two principles
 of ,christian belief1 when we come to  
the bottom of the matter4 ,one is the   
,protestant principle1 viz43 that each  
one is to settle his faith for himself1 
by a study of the clear records of      
,christianity4 ,the other is the        
,catholic principle1 viz43 that each one
 is to receive his faith from an        
infallible authority4 ,i feel as if ,i  
ought to pause here for a while to      
explain to you what is meant by this    
principle1 for there exists in regard to
 it in some minds a misconception which 
does us the grossest injustice4 ,some   
persons imagine that our creed is       
manufactured for us by the ,pope and the
 ,bishops2 that whatever they may think 
right and good they may decree1 and     
forthwith we are bound to believe it4   
,but this is an enormous mistake4 ,the  
authority to which ,i submit myself is  
something far more august4 ,it lies     
behind ,pope and ,bishop1 and they must 
bow to it as well as ,i4 ,the ,pope and 

the ,bishops are the organs of this     
authority1 not its sources4 ,when we    
speak of learning from an infallible    
authority1 we mean that a man is to find
 out the truth by putting his           
intelligence in communication with that 
living stream of truth that flows down  
through the channel of tradition1 that  
living word of ,god1 that public        
preaching of the truth in the true      
,church1 begun by the ,apostles1 carried
 on by their successors1 confessed by so
 many people1 recorded in so many       
monuments1 adorned by so many           
sacrifices1 attested by so many         
miracles4 #dbb ,unquestionably1 this was
 the mode in which men were expected to 
learn the truth in apostolic days4 ,it  
would not have been of the least avail  
for a man to have said to the ,apostles 
that his convictions differed from      
theirs4 ,he would have been instantly   
regarded as in error4 ,we are of ,god1  
says ,st4 ,john2 he that is of ,god1    
heareth us2 he that is not of ,god1     

heareth not us4 ,by this shall ye know  
the spirit of truth1 and the spirit of  
error4 ,footnote #afh      ,footnote    
#afh3 ,i ,st4 ,john iv4 #f4  ,nor is    
there the least intimation in the ,new  
,testament that this principle was to be
 departed from after the death of the   
,apostles4 ,on the contrary1 we find    
that the ,apostles ordained others1 and 
communicated to them their doctrine and 
authority1 that they might go on and    
preach just as they had done4 ,and we   
find in the early ,church that whenever 
a dispute arose about doctrine it was   
settled on the same principle1 viz43 by 
an appeal to the tradition of the       
churches that had been founded by the   
,apostles4 ,thus1 when a heresy arose in
 the second century1 ,tertullian        
confronts it by bidding them compare    
their doctrine with that of the         
,apostolic ,churches3 ,if thou art in   
,achaia1 he says1 thou hast ,corinth2 if
 thou art near ,macedonia1 thou hast    
,philippi2 if thou art in ,italy1 thou  

hast ,rome4 ,happy ,church6 to which the
 ,apostles bequeathed not only their    
blood1 but all their doctrines4 ,see    
what she has learned1 see what she has  
taught4 ,footnote #afi      ,footnote   
#afi3 ,adv4 ,prscr4 ,hr4 n4 #cb-f4      
,such is the principle on which the     
,catholic ,church acts to this day4     
,now1 while the ,protestant principle of
 private judgment in its own nature     
cannot lead to certainty1 while in point
 of fact it has led only to endless     
dispute1 until in our own day it has    
ended by bringing those ,divine         
,records1 which it began by exalting so 
highly1 into doubt and contempt2 the    
,catholic principle1 which1 ,i have     
stated1 is the principle of tradition1  
is adapted to give a complete and a     
reasonable certainty and assurance4 #dbc
 ,the reasons why this public tradition 
of the living ,church has this power are
 manifold4 ,they are in part natural1   
and in part supernatural--universal     
consent1 internal consistency1 ,divine  

,attestation1 the ,warrant and ,promise 
of ,christ2 all of which are so well    
summed up by ,st4 ,augustine1 in that   
famous letter of his to the ,manichees3 
,i am kept in the ,catholic ,church1 he 
says1 by the consent of peoples and     
nations4 ,by an authority begun with    
miracles1 nourished by hope1 increased  
by charity1 confirmed by antiquity4 ,by 
the succession of priests from the chair
 of ,st4 ,peter the ,apostle--to whom   
our ,lord after ,his resurrection gave  
,his sheep to be fed--down to the       
present ,bishop4 ,in fine1 by that very 
name of ,catholic1 which this ,church   
alone has held possession of2 so that   
though heretics would fain have called  
themselves ,catholics1 yet to the       
inquiry of a stranger1 ',where is the   
meeting of the ,catholic ,church held8' 
no one of them would dare to point to   
his own basilica4 ,footnote #agj        
,footnote #agj3 ,con4 ,ep4 ,manich4 i4  
#e4 #f4  ,the conviction which such     
considerations produce is so deep that a

 ,catholic rests in it with the most    
undoubting certainty4 ,he can bear to   
look into his belief1 to examine its    
grounds2 he feels it is a venerable     
belief4 ,he says it is impossible that  
,god would allow error to wear so many  
marks of truth4 ,to imagine it1 would be
 to impugn ,his ,truth1 ,his ,justice1  
,his ,power1 ,his ,goodness4 ,and       
therefore1 our belief in the ,catholic  
religion is only another form of our    
belief in ,god4 ,the foundation of that 
belief is deep and abiding1 for it is   
the ,eternal ,throne of ,god4 ,that     
desire for truth which is implanted in  
man's nature is not1 then1 given only to
 be baffled and disappointed--here is   
its fulfilment4 ,man is not raised to a 
participation in ,christ of the ,divine 
,nature1 to be left in doubt of the most
 essential truths4 #dbd ,to the         
,catholic are fulfilled those pleasant  
words of ,christ3 ,i will not now call  
you servants1 for the servant knoweth   
not what his ,lord doeth2 but have      

called you friends1 because all things1 
whatsoever ,i have heard from my        
,father1 ,i have made known to you4     
,footnote #aga      ,footnote #aga3 ,st4
 ,john xv4 #ae4  ,but some one may make 
an objection to my doctrine that        
certainty about truth is the result only
 of the ,catholic principle of faith1   
and say3 ,you do not mean to assert that
 ,protestants have no faith at all8 ,a  
,protestant may say to me3 ,i           
acknowledge that we have among us a     
great deal of disunion1 and a great deal
 of doubt1 but after all there are some 
things that are believed by some of us1 
that are believed without doubt1 and you
 will not deny it4 ,no1 ,i will not deny
 it4 ,i am glad to think that it is     
true4 ,but how did you come by that     
belief8 ,you did not come by it on the  
principle of ,protestantism4 ,the truth 
is1 that principle never has been1 and  
never can be carried out4 ,thank ,god1  
it is so4 ,utter unbelief would be the  
consequence4 ,you have a child--a child 

that you love dearly4 ,will you wait1 as
 your ,protestantism requires you to do1
 till he is grown up1 for him to form   
his religious convictions8 ,no2 if you  
love him1 you will not4 ,your heart will
 teach you a better wisdom4 ,you will   
tell him about ,god1 you will tell him  
,who ,christ is1 and what ,he has done  
for him4 ,you will tell him these things
 not doubtingly1 not as if he was to    
suspend his judgment on them1 but as    
true1 and as to be believed then and    
there4 ,and as he looks up at you out of
 his trusting eyes1 he believes you4    
,but how does he believe you8 ,on the   
principle of a ,protestant1 or a        
,catholic8 ,on the principle of private 
judgment1 or on faith in an infallible  
authority8 ,surely it is as a ,catholic 
he believes8 ,you represent to him the  
,great ,teacher1 and his childish soul1 
in listening to you1 hears the voice of 
,god1 performs a great act of religion1 
and does his first act of homage to     
,truth4 ,his nature prompts him to      

believe you4 ,perhaps he is baptized1   
and then there is a grace in his heart  
which secretly inclines him the more to 
credit you1 and he believes without     
doubting4 ,he is a ,catholic4 #dbe ,yes1
 my brethren1 there is many a child of  
,protestant parents who is a            
,catholic--a ,catholic1 that is1 in all 
but the name1 and the fulness of        
instruction1 and the richness of        
privilege4 ,he may grow up in this way1 
perhaps continue all his life in this   
childish faith and trust4 ,i will not   
say it may not be so4 ,but let his      
reason fully awaken4 ,let him honestly  
go down to the foundation of his faith  
and see on what it rests1 and then let  
him remain a ,protestant1 and retain his
 undoubting assurance if he can4 ,he    
cannot--a crisis in his history has     
come4 ,the sun has arisen with its      
living heat4 ,the flower begins to      
wither4 ,it must be transplanted or it  
will die4 ,one of three things will     
happen3 either the man1 finding that he 

has not learned all that the ,great     
,teacher has revealed1 will go on to    
accept the rest and will become a       
,catholic2 or he will learn to doubt    
what he has received already and become 
a sceptic2 or he will stick to the creed
 he has received from his fathers or    
picked up for himself1 and doggedly     
refuse to add to it1 thus rendering     
himself at the same moment amenable in  
the ,court of ,reason for               
unreasonableness in what he holds1 and  
in the ,court of ,faith for unbelief in 
what he rejects4 ,so true it is that all
 the faith there is in the world is     
naturally allied to ,catholicity4 ,if   
men were perfectly reasonable and       
consistent1 there would be only two     
parties in the religious world4         
,protestantism would disappear4 ,on the 
one side would be faith1 certainty1     
,catholicity2 on the other1 doubt and   
unbelief4  ,nor is this all4 ,the       
,catholic has not only a certain means  
of arriving at the knowledge of ,god's  

,faith1 but he has also the sure means  
of knowing what he is bound to do in    
order to obtain salvation4 ,christianity
 is a supernatural religion1 and        
therefore it suggests many questions to 
which natural reason cannot give the    
answer4 ,by what means can ,i be united 
to ,christ8 ,suppose ,i am in mortal    
sin1 how can ,i be forgiven8 #dbf ,what 
are the precise obligations binding on  
me as a ,christian8 ,now1 how           
distinctly1 how promptly were such      
questions answered in the time of the   
,apostles6 ,when ,st4 ,paul came to     
,ananias to know what he was to do1 the 
answer was given to him3 ,arise1 and be 
baptized1 and wash away thy sins4 ,in   
the same way in the ,catholic ,church of
 this day1 when a convert asks the same 
question1 he gets the same answer3 ,seek
 in faith and repentance the cleansing  
of baptism1 and thou shalt be joined    
unto ,christ4 ,dost thou wish to know   
the life thou must practise8 ,it is     
written in the ten commandments and the 

precepts of the ,church4 ,dost thou wish
 to know where thou wilt gain strength  
to keep these laws8 ,in prayer and the  
sacraments4 ,the ,church tells you how  
many there are1 what is their efficacy1 
and the conditions of their saving      
operation4 ,art thou in sin after       
baptism8 ,dost thou ask the way back to 
,god8 ,the ,church tells thee that      
sorrow for sin is the way back1 and that
 this sorrow1 when it is completed by   
confession1 and accepted by the         
absolution of the priest1 has a         
sacramental efficacy4 ,so precise are   
the answers of ,catholicity to the      
important practical questions of        
,christianity2 and the authority which1 
,i have already said1 attaches to her   
words1 gives ease and certainty to the  
conscience4 ,but how different is all   
this in ,protestantism6 ,how various the
 answers given to these questions by the
 different sects6 ,nay1 how             
contradictory sometimes the answers     
given in the same sect6 ,it would be    

odious to go into particulars on this   
subject1 but ,i say what ,i know when ,i
 affirm that an intelligent ,protestant 
cannot have faith in his ,church1 if he 
would2 he may adopt a set of opinions   
and associate with those who hold them1 
but he cannot have faith in his ,church 
as a ,church4 ,it is not long since an  
intelligent member of one of the most   
enlightened ,protestant denominations   
told me that the members of that ,church
 did not seem to be satisfied with it1  
only they did not know whether there was
 any other ,church in the world that    
would satisfy them4 #dbg ,i say what ,i 
know when ,i affirm that there are young
 children in ,protestant ,churches who  
weep because they are told that ,god    
hates them1 and they do not know how to 
gain ,his love4 ,that there are numbers 
of young men1 full of generous and noble
 thoughts and impulses1 who are utterly 
destitute of any fixed ,christian       
belief2 who say they would like to      
believe1 but they cannot4 ,that there   

are multitudes and multitudes who die in
 this land1 who die without one single  
,christian act1 and many who submit at  
their last hour to take part in such    
acts at the request of friends1 and on  
the chance that there may be some good  
in them4 ,that there are some who openly
 lament that they were not born         
,catholics1 that they might have had    
faith2 some who rise in the night to cry
 to ,god out of the hopeless darkness   
that surrounds them2 some who1 in       
despair of seeing ,god with an          
intelligent faith1 take up a substitute1
 the best of all1 it is true1 but still 
very insufficient--works of benevolence 
and philanthropy1 and the beauties of a 
merely moral life2 some who would       
welcome death itself if it would but    
remove their agony of doubt4  ,i do not 
say these things1 my ,protestant        
friends1 if any such are present1 to    
mock your miseries4 ,far from it4 ,i    
know you too well4 ,i love you too much4
 ,i say these things to lead you to     

truth and peace4 ,i call to you         
struggling with the waves1 from the rock
 whereon our feet have found a          
resting-place4 ,i speak to you to the   
same effect as ,christ spoke to the     
woman at the well of ,jacob1 who was a  
member of the schismatical ,samaritan   
,church4 ,you worship you know not what4
 ,we know what we worship2 for salvation
 is of the ,jews4 ,you know not what you
 worship4 ,your religion is at the best 
one of doubt and uncertainty4 ,we know  
what we worship4 ,we are certain we are 
right1 for salvation is of us4 ,we are  
the ,israelites4 ,to us belongeth the   
adoption of children1 and the glory1 and
 the covenant1 and the giving of the    
law1 and the service of ,god1 and the   
promises4 #dbh ,this is the mountain of 
the ,lord established in the last days  
on the top of the mountains1 and exalted
 above the hills1 into which the nations
 flow4 ,o you who know not this home of 
peace1 ,god did not make you to be as   
you are1 to be tossed to and fro and    

carried about with every wind of        
doctrine1 to follow blind guides1 to    
give your money for that which is not   
bread1 and your labor for that which    
satisfieth not4 ,no1 come with us and be
 happy4 ,come with us and be blessed4   
,come1 let us go the mountain of the    
,lord1 and to the house of the ,god of  
,jacob1 and ,he will teach us ,his ways1
 and we will walk in ,his paths1 for the
 law shall come forth from ,sion1 and   
the word of the ,lord from ,jerusalem4  
,incline your ear unto me and you shall 
live--the life of faith--the life of    
certainty and hope4 ,you shall go out   
with joy and be led forth with peace4   
,instead of the shrub shall come up the 
fir tree3 and instead of the nettle     
shall come up the myrtle tree4 ,all     
nature shall sympathise in your         
happiness4 ,the mountains and hills     
shall break forth into singing before   
you1 and all the trees of the country   
shall clap their hands4  ,and you1 my   
dear ,catholics1 be not indifferent to  

the graces ,god has given you1 nor      
slothful in their use4 ,you have it your
 power to make sure your salvation4     
,about the means there is no            
uncertainty4 ,they are infallible4 ,it  
is of the ,catholic ,church that the    
prophet spoke when he said3 ,a path     
shall be there1 and a way1 and it shall 
be called a holy way1 and this shall be 
unto you a straight way1 so that even   
fools shall not err therein4 ,footnote  
#agb ,and again3 ,this saith the ,lord  
,god3 ,i will lay a stone in the        
foundation of ,sion1 a tried stone1 a   
corner-stone1 a precious stone1 founded 
in the foundation4 ,footnote #agc       
,footnote #agb3 ,isai4 xxxv4 #h4        
,footnote #agc3 ,ibid4 xxviii4 #af4     
#dbi  ,a way to heaven in this dark1    
uncertain world6 a straight1 a sure1 a  
certain way6 ,a rock under our feet     
under this swelling sea6 ,o my brethren1
 what blessings are these6 ,let them not
 be in vain4 ,be not found at the last  
day with your lights gone out6 ,the just

 shall live by faith4 ,live by yours4   
,do you wish to advance in a good life8 
,your faith tells you how4 ,does sin    
wage a war against you8 ,your faith     
tells you how to meet the combat4 ,are  
you in sin8 ,your faith tells you how to
 be forgiven4 ,correspond1 then1        
honestly with this faith1 and you may   
enjoy a firm hope of heaven1 a hope not 
based on excited feelings1 not claiming 
to be a direct inspiration from on high1
 but a reasonable hope1 that will stay  
by you in adversity1 and support you at 
the hour of death4 ,claim1 then1 your   
privilege4 ,assert the freedom wherewith
 ,christ has made you free4 ,be not     
troubled or anxious all your days4 ,do  
your part1 act up to your ,catholic     
conscience1 then lift up your heads1 eat
 your bread with joy1 and let your      
garments be always white1 for ,god now  
accepteth your works4 ,in this is the   
love of ,god perfected in us1 that we   
may have confidence in the day of       
judgment4 ,wherefore1 be ye steadfast1  

unmovable1 always abounding in the work 
of the ,lord1 forasmuch as ye know that 
your labor is not in vain in the ,lord4 
,footnote #agd      ,footnote #agd3 ,i4 
,cor4 xv4 #eh4                          
----------------------------------      
,sermon ,,xxii4            ,the         
,presence ,of ,god4       7,fifth       
,sunday ,after ,pentecost47     ,indeed 
the ,lord is in this place1 and ,i knew 
it not4   ,how terrible is this place2  
this is no other than the house of ,god 
and the gate of heaven4     --,gen      
,,xviii4 #af1ag4   ,these words were    
spoken by the ,patriarch ,jacob when he 
was journeying to ,syria to visit his   
uncle4 ,he had stopped for the night at 
a place which was afterward called      
,bethel1 and as he lay on the ground    
with a stone for his pillow1 the ,lord  
appeared to him in a vision1 and blessed
 him1 and foretold his future greatness 
and increase4 #dcj ,then1 penetrated    
with a sense of the nearness and        
greatness of ,god1 with whom he had been

 conversing1 he rose up and exclaimed3  
,indeed the ,lord is in this place1 and 
,i knew it not4 ,and trembling1 he said3
 ,how terrible is this place2 this is no
 other than the house of ,god1 and the  
gate of heaven4 ,now1 my brethren1 we   
may make every morning and every night a
 similar declaration4 ,wherever we are1 
we may say3 ,indeed the ,lord is in this
 place4 ,every spot on earth1 on which a
 man tarries for a moment1 becomes the  
house of ,god1 and the gate of heaven4  
,you understand what ,i mean4 ,i am     
speaking of the omnipresence of ,god4   
,reason and faith both proclaim to us   
this great truth of the universal       
presence of ,god4 ,he is present by ,his
 immensity to all creatures in the      
universe1 whether living or inanimate4  
,when ,god created the world1 ,he did   
not leave it to itself4 ,he sustains it 
by ,his presence and power1 and it is in
 ,him that we live and move and have our
 being4 ,he is present to our           
intellectual and moral being as the     

light of reason and the object of the   
will1 for without ,him there would be no
 rational or moral life4 ,he is present 
with us also as the source of that      
supernatural life which begins in       
baptism and ends in the uncreated vision
 of the ,blessed ,trinity in heaven4 ,he
 that loveth ,me1 shall be loved by ,my 
,father2 and ,i will love him1 and will 
manifest ,myself to him4 99 99 99 ,and  
,my ,father will love him1 and ,we will 
come to him1 and will make an abode with
 him4 ,footnote #age      ,footnote     
#age3 ,st4 ,john xiv4 #ba1 #bc4  ,o my  
brethren1 what a piercing thought is    
this of the presence of ,god1 if we did 
but realize it6 ,think for a moment of  
the doctrine of the real presence of our
 ,lord in the ,holy ,eucharist4 ,we     
believe that ,jesus ,christ1 true ,god  
and true man1 with ,his deity1 ,his     
soul1 ,his flesh and blood1 is present  
in the holy sacrament of the altar4     
,what consequences this doctrine has6   
#dca ,the whole ,catholic ritual1 the   

ceremonies of worship1 the respect paid 
to churches1 the bowing of the knees1   
the incense1 the lights1 the music--all 
flow from this4 ,in the early ages1     
during the times of persecution1 it was 
customary for ,christians to take home  
with them the ,blessed ,sacrament1 that 
they might communicate themselves in    
case of necessity4 ,imagine that such   
were the custom now4 ,imagine you were  
to take away with you1 this day1 as you 
left the church1 and carry to your      
homes1 the sacred host which is kept in 
the tabernacle4 ,how silently would you 
go along the streets6 ,with what care   
would you seek out a place for our      
,saviour's body to repose in6 ,with what
 care would you go about your home as   
long as ,he remained your guest6 ,how   
would your heart thrill as you          
reflected1 on a awaking in the morning1 
that indeed the ,lamb of ,god1 once     
crucified for you1 was now a dweller in 
your own home6 ,yet1 if such were the   
case1 if the ,blessed ,sacrament were   

actually kept in your houses and in your
 rooms1 ,god would not be any more      
present to you than ,he is now4 ,he is  
indeed present in a different manner in 
the ,blessed ,eucharist4 ,that          
sacramental presence1 that sweet1       
precious1 consoling presence of the body
 once broken1 and the blood once shed   
for us1 is confined to the sacramental  
species4 ,but the presence of the deity1
 the real presence of ,god1 is just as  
much outside as it is inside the church2
 just as much with us when we are at    
home as when we are at ,mass4 ,not if   
,his footstep shook the heavens and the 
earth1 as it will on the ,last ,day when
 ,he comes to judgment1 would ,god be   
one whit closer to us or more present to
 us than ,he is now to everyone of us1  
every day1 and everywhere4 ,even sin    
cannot separate us from ,god4 ,we       
sometimes say that mortal sin separates 
a man from ,god4 ,as a figure of speech1
 implying the loss of ,god's grace and  
friendship which sin occasions1 this    

language may pass1 but taken literally  
it is untrue4 ,a man can never be       
separated from ,god4 ,that would be     
annihilation4 ,even when we are in sin1 
even when we are committing sin1 ,god is
 with us and in us1 the soul of our     
soul1 the life of our life4 #dcb ,yes1  
here is a bond that can never be broken4
 ,never can we escape that awful        
presence--never for a moment1 here or   
hereafter4 ,we shall not be more in     
,god's presence in heaven or less in    
hell than we are now at this moment4    
,god is not a ,god afar off up in       
heaven4 ,he is here4 ,this whole        
universe is only ,god's shadow4 ,every  
thing that is attests1 not only ,god's  
creating power1 but ,his living         
presence4 ,he is in the flames and in   
the light1 and in the pastures1 in the  
air1 in the ground1 in the body1 and in 
the soul1 in the head1 in the eye1 in   
the ear1 and in the heart4 ,he is in us1
 and we are in ,him1 bathed in ,his     
presence as in an ocean1 breathing in it

 as in an atmosphere4 ,this is what the 
,psalmist expresses so beautifully3     
,whither shall ,i go from ,thy spirit8  
or whither shall ,i flee from ,thy face8
 ,if ,i ascend into heaven1 thou art    
there2 if ,i descend into hell1 thou art
 present2 if ,i take my wings early in  
the morning1 and dwell in the uttermost 
parts of the sea1 even there also shall 
,thy hand lead me1 and ,thy right hand  
shall hold me4 ,and ,i said3 ,perhaps   
darkness shall cover me2 and night shall
 be light in my pleasures4 ,but darkness
 shall not be dark to thee2 and night   
shall be light as the day2 the darkness 
thereof1 and the light thereof1 are     
alike to ,thee4 ,footnote #agf          
,footnote #agf3 ,ps4 cxxviii4 #g-ab4    
,if we thought more frequently of this1 
how many sins should we avoid6 ,when a  
man is going to commit a crime1 he takes
 precautions against discovery4 ,he     
seeks out a secret place4 ,he chooses a 
fitting hour4 ,vain precautions6 ,there 
is no secret place on earth1 no lonely  

spot1 no time of darkness4 ,there is a  
proverb among men that walls have ears1 
and the counsel of the wise man is1     
,detract not the king1 no1 not in thy   
thought2 and speak not evil of the rich 
man in thy private chamber2 because even
 the birds of the air will carry the    
voice2 and he that hath wings will tell 
what thou hast said4 ,footnote #agg     
,footnote #agg3 ,eccles4 x4 #bj4  #dcc  
,what is it that has impressed on men   
this universal fear of detection8 ,is it
 not an unconscious acknowledgment of   
the presence of ,god8 ,yes1 we cannot   
shut the door against ,him4 ,we cannot  
leave ,him out4 ,we cannot draw the     
blind before ,his eye4 ,the eyes of the 
,lord in every place behold the good and
 the evil4 ,footnote #agh ,before that  
,philip called thee1 when thou wast     
under the fig-tree1 ,i saw thee1        
,footnote #agi said our ,lord to        
,nathanael4      ,footnote #agh3 ,prov4 
xv4 #c4      ,footnote #agi3 ,st4 ,john 
i4 #dh4  ,i wish you thought more of    

this2 ,i am sure it would save you from 
many a sin4 ,i have read of a holy man  
who1 on hearing a person say that       
circumstances were favorable to the     
commission of a shameful sin1 because no
 one was present1 exclaimed3 ,what6 are 
you not ashamed to do that before the   
living ,god which you would be ashamed  
to do before a man like yourself8 ,even 
the eye of a dog has restrained men from
 the commission of crime--how much more 
ought the eye of ,god6 ,listen to the   
language you hear as you pass through   
the streets4 ,the sacred names of ,god  
and ,jesus ,christ1 how they are bandied
 about6 ,would men speak so1 if they    
realized that ,god and ,christ were then
 and there present8 ,would they insult  
,god to ,his face8 ,suppose our ,saviour
 were to appear to one of these men as  
he was pouring out his oaths and        
blasphemies1 in the guise in which ,he  
was as ,he journeyed to ,calvary to die 
for man1 with sorrow in ,his eye1 and   
sweat and blood on ,his forehead1 with  

weak and faltering steps1 and lips mute1
 but full of appealing love and agony2  
would he still go on with his dreadful  
oaths8 ,no6 ,the knee would be bent1 the
 head would be bowed1 and the very      
ground on which ,he walked would be     
regarded with reverent awe4 ,why so8    
,merely because he saw ,him with his    
bodily eyes8 ,would it not be the same1 
if he were to close ,his eyes1 and yet  
be aware of ,his presence8 ,and is ,he  
not present to you as truly as if you   
saw ,him1 hearing each imprecation and  
blasphemy which you utter8 #dcd ,oh1    
spare ,him6 spare those sacred ears2    
spare ,his majesty and ,his goodness1   
and cease to profane ,his holy name4    
,tertullian1 speaking of the early      
,christians1 says they talked as those  
who believed that ,god was listening4   
,let the thought of ,god's presence be  
deeply graven on your soul1 and it will 
teach you to use the language of a      
,christian--at least it will cure you of
 blasphemy4  ,it will cure you also of  

another sin of the tongue3 that is of   
falsehood4 ,lying implies a virtual     
denial of ,god's presence1 as well as   
blasphemy4 ,when you lie1 you forget the
 there is ,one who know's the truth--who
 is ,himself the ,eternal ,truth2 and   
you act as if ,he knew not1 or would be 
a party to your fraud4 ,every lie is1 in
 this respect1 like the lie of ,ananias 
and ,sapphira--a lie to ,god4  ,oh6 how 
much must ,god be displeased by all the 
sins ,he witnesses4 ,it is said of      
righteous ,lot1 that from day to day he 
vexed his righteous soul at all the sins
 which he witnessed in ,sodom1 where he 
dwelt4 ,how must the ,holy ,god be vexed
 every day at all the dark deeds1 the   
injustices1 the impurities1 the         
falsehoods1 the deceits1 the            
treacheries1 the cruelties1 to which men
 compel ,him to be a witness6 ,is it not
 a necessity that ,christ should come   
with ten thousand of ,his saints to take
 vengeance on the ungodly6 ,would it not
 seem1 otherwise1 that ,god made        

,himself a party to our sins by keeping 
silence8 ,these things hast thou done1  
says the ,almighty1 and ,i was silent4  
,thou thoughtest unjustly that ,i shall 
be like to thee3 but ,i will reprove    
thee1 and set before thy face4 ,footnote
 #ahj      ,footnote #ahj3 ,ps4 xlix4   
#ba4  ,david committed adultery in      
secret2 but ,god declared to him that   
,he would punish him before all ,israel1
 and in the sight of the sun4 ,so the   
,judgment ,day will bring to light every
 secret thing1 and manifest1 in the     
sight of all1 those hidden sins which   
have been committed in the presence and 
with the full knowledge of ,god4 #dce   
,they have never been hidden from ,god1 
and the disclosures of the ,last ,day   
are only the ,presence and the          
,knowledge of ,god asserting and        
manifesting themselves to men4 ,the     
thought of ,god1 and of ,his            
,omnipresence1 is thus the greatest     
preservative against sin4  ,but this is 
not all4 ,the thought of ,god's         

perpetual and universal presence is our 
greatest strength and consolation4 ,what
 a comfort it would be to have a friend1
 who loved us truly1 who was most       
sincerely desirous of our welfare and   
happiness1 who was very wise and able to
 help us in difficulties1 never variable
 or capricious1 but always true and     
faithful and trustworthy6 ,the          
possession of such a friend will go as  
far as any thing earthly can go to make 
one perfectly happy4 ,now1 each one of  
us really has such a friend4 ,such a    
friend8 ,ah6 far better1 far wiser1 far 
more loving--even the good ,god6 ,god1  
in the ,holy ,scriptures1 represents the
 soul of man as a garden1 in which it is
 ,his delight to walk about4 ,what an   
idea this gives us of the familiarity a 
man may have with ,god4 ,why do not men 
take advantage of this loving           
condescension8 ,why do they not converse
 with ,god8 ,why do they not think of   
,him8 ,the face of ,moses shone after he
 had been talking to ,god on ,mount     

,sinai1 and our countenance would be    
light and joyous if we dwelt more in    
,god's presence4 ,oh1 to think of it6   
,when we walk in the streets1 when we   
sit down and rise up1 there is one ever 
at our side--no1 not at our side2 but in
 us--our very life and being2 ,god1 the 
,beautiful and ,good4 ,god1 ,who made   
the heavens and the earth2 the ,god of  
our fathers4 ,god1 ,who has been the    
comfort and stay of the just in all     
ages1 ,who talked with ,abraham1 and    
went before the children of ,israel in a
 cloud by day1 and a pillar of fire by  
night4 ,god1 ,who gave manna from       
heaven1 ,who spoke by the prophets1 and 
in the still1 small voice on ,mount     
,horeb2 ,who awoke ,samuel1 as he lay   
sleeping in his little crib in the      
priest's chamber1 and chose ,david1 the 
youth1 fair and of a ruddy countenance1 
to be the prince of ,his people2 and    
who1 in these last days1 hath revealed  
,himself in ,his ,only ,begotten ,son1  
full of grace and truth4  #dcf  ,he it  

is ,who is with you and me1 even from   
our youth unto this day4 ,o thou who art
 afflicted1 tossed with tempests and not
 comforted1 what dost thou want8--what  
wouldst thou have8 ,the ,eternal ,god is
 thy refuge1 and underneath thee are the
 everlasting arms4 ,thou hast but to    
open thy soul1 and floods of comfort and
 strength will pour into thee4 ,art thou
 weak8 ,he is thy ,strength4 ,art thou  
sad and lonely8 ,he is thy ,consoler4   
,art thou guilty8 ,he is thy            
,redeemer--the ,god ready to pardon4    
,does the world allure thee8 ,his       
,beauty will make its attractions pale4 
,is thy heart weary and inconstant8 ,he 
is unfailing and unchanging4 ,o source  
of strength1 too much slighted6 ,o      
happiness1 too often blindly rejected6  
,in the presence of ,god there is       
pleasure and life4 ,they that hope in   
the ,lord shall renew their strength2   
they shall take wings as eagles2 they   
shall run and not be weary2 they shall  
walk and not faint4 ,for ,he is a covert

 from the wind1 a hiding-place from the 
storm1 as rivers of waters in a dry     
place1 and the shadow of a great rock in
 a weary land4 ,footnote #aha           
,footnote #aha3 ,isai4 xl4 #ca2 xxxii4  
#b4  ,learn1 then1 my brethren1 to keep 
yourselves in the presence of ,god4 ,to 
forget ,god1 what is it1 but to plunge  
ourselves into sin and misery4 ,to      
remember ,god1 what is it1 but to be    
strong and happy4 ,walk before ,me1 and 
be thou perfect1 said ,god to ,abraham4 
,that is the secret of perfection1 the  
way to heaven4 ,it is not necessary to  
go out of your own mind4 ,it is not     
necessary to lift the eye to heaven1 or 
bend the knee4 ,closer than the union of
 soul and body is the union between ,god
 and thee4 #dcg ,quicker than thought is
 the communion between thy soul and its 
,maker4 ,thou shalt cry1 says the       
,almighty1 and ,i will say3 ,here ,i    
am--yea1 even before thy call1 ,i will  
hear1 and even while thou art yet       
speaking ,i will answer4 ,footnote #ahb 

,footnote #ahb3 ,isai4 lviii4 #i2 lxv4  
#bd4  ,practise1 then1 attention to the 
presence of ,god4 ,i do not speak so    
much now of daily prayers1 and of your  
devotions in the church4 ,but when you  
are abroad in the busy world1 or in your
 homes1 accustom yourselves from time to
 time to think of ,god4 ,complicated    
pieces of machinery require the care of 
an overseer from time to time1 lest they
 get out of gear4 ,so we must think of  
,god from time to time during the day1  
and keep the powers of our soul in      
harmony with the will of ,god1 lest they
 fall into disorder1 and the work of    
life be hindered4 ,it is not a work of  
very great difficulty4 ,the chief       
difficulty lies in its simplicity4 ,it  
is so much easier to pray than we think1
 that oftentimes we have already prayed 
when we are perplexing ourselves how to 
pray1 and busying ourselves with        
preparing to pray4 ,god is in us1 in the
 very centre of our soul4 ,he knows its 
most secret thoughts1 and thus a simple 

act of the will is enough to bring us   
into communion with ,him4 ,to realize   
this is to be men of prayer1 to be as   
happy as it is possible for us to be in 
this life1 and to begin here that       
contemplation of ,god which will        
constitute our everlasting beatitude in 
heaven4                                 
----------------------------------------
-          ,sermon ,,xxiii4             
,keeping ,the ,law ,not ,impossible4    
7,ninth ,sunday ,after ,pentecost47     
,i can do all things in ,him who        
strengtheneth me4     --,phil4 ,,vi4    
#ac4   ,if ,i am not mistaken1 a very   
great number of the sins that men       
commit1 are committed through           
hopelessness4 ,the pleasures of sin are 
by no means unmixed4 ,indeed1 sin is a  
hard master2 and all who practise it    
find it so4 #dch ,i never met a man who 
said it was a good thing1 or that it    
made him happy4 ,on the contrary1 all   
lament it1 and say that it makes them   
miserable4 ,why1 then1 do they commit   

it8 ,very often1 ,i am persuaded1       
because they think they have no power to
 resist it4 ,they feel in themselves    
strong passions2 they have yielded to   
them in times past1 they see that others
 yield to them1 and so they come to     
think it impossible not to yield to     
them4 ,the law of ,god is too difficult1
 they say4 ,it is impossible to keep it4
 ,it may do for priests or nuns who are 
cut off from the world1 or for women1 or
 for the old1 or for children1 but for  
us who mix in the world1 whose blood is 
warm1 and whose passions are strong1 it 
is too high and pure4 ,it is all very   
well to talk about2 it is all very well 
to hold up a high standard to us1 but   
you must not expect us to attain it4    
,the utmost that you can expect of us is
 to stop sinning1 now and then1 and make
 the proper acknowledgments to ,god by  
going to confession2 but actually to try
 not to sin1 to keep on endeavoring not 
to sin at any time1 or under any        
circumstances1 that is impossible1 or at

 least so extremely difficult that1     
practically speaking1 it is impossible4 
,are there none of you1 my brethren1 who
 recognise this as the secret language  
of your hearts8 ,is there not an        
impression in your minds that the law of
 ,god is too strict1 or at least that it
 is too strict for you1 and that you    
cannot keep it8 ,if so1 do not harbor   
it4 ,it is a fatal error4 ,no2 it is not
 impossible to keep ,god's law4 ,it is  
not impossible to keep from mortal sin4 
,it is1 ,i admit1 impossible to keep    
from every venial sin1 though even here 
we can do a great deal1 if we try4 ,such
 is the frailty of human nature that    
even the best men1 as time goes on1 fall
 into some slight faults1 only the      
,blessed ,virgin having been able1 as we
 believe1 to pass a whole life without  
even in the smallest thing offending    
,god4 ,but it is possible for all of us 
to keep from mortal sin1 at all times   
and under all circumstances4 ,this1 ,i  
think1 you will acknowledge when you    

consider the character of ,god1 the     
nature of ,god's law1 and the power of  
,god's grace which is promised to us4   
#dci  ,i say the character of ,god is a 
pledge of our ability to keep from      
mortal sin4 ,god requires us to be free 
from mortal sin1 and ,he requires it    
under the severest penalties1 and       
therefore it must be possible for us4   
,you may say1 ,god requires us to be    
free from venial sin too1 and yet you   
have just said we cannot avoid every    
venial sin4 ,but the case is far        
different4 ,a venial sin does not       
separate us from ,god1 and does not     
receive extreme punishment from         
,him--nay1 those venial sins which even 
good men commit1 and which are only in  
small part voluntary1 are very easily   
forgiven--but a mortal sin cuts us off  
entirely from ,god1 and deserves eternal
 punishment4 ,you know1 one mortal sin  
is enough to damn a man--one single sin 
of drunkenness1 for instance1 or        
impurity2 a cherished hatred1 a false   

oath1 or an act of grave injustice4 ,one
 such sin is sufficient to sink a man in
 hell1 and although we know very little 
in particular of the torments of hell1  
we have every reason to believe that    
they are most bitter1 and we know that  
they are eternal4 ,now1 can it be       
thought that a being of justice and     
goodness1 as we know ,god to be1 would  
inflict so extreme a punishment for an  
offence which was unavoidable1 or could 
only be avoided with the utmost         
difficulty8 ,holy ,scripture sends us to
 an earthly parent for an example of    
that tenderness and affection which we  
are to expect from our ,heavenly        
,father4 ,if you1 being evil1 know how  
to give good gifts to your children1 how
 much more will your ,father who is in  
heaven1 give good things to them that   
ask ,him4 ,footnote #ahc      ,footnote 
#ahc3 ,st4 ,matt4 vii4 #aa4  ,what would
 be the thought of an earthly father who
 laid upon his son a command which it   
was all but impossible for him to comply

 with1 and then punished him with the   
utmost rigor for not fulfilling it8 #ddj
 ,you would not call that man a father1 
but a tyrant2 a tyrant like ,pharaoh1   
who would not give straw to the children
 of ,israel1 and yet set taskmasters    
over them to exact of them the full     
measure of bricks as when straw had been
 given them4 ,why1 if you were going    
along the street and saw a man whipping 
unmercifully an overloaded horse1 you   
would not bear it patiently4 ,and would 
you attribute conduct so disgraceful    
among men to our ,father in heaven8 ,god
 forbid6 ,far be such a thought from us6
 ,it is not so4 ,we must not think it4  
,at least we cannot think it as long as 
we remain ,catholics2 for when the      
earlier ,protestants proclaimed the     
shocking doctrine that though ,god      
punished men for disobeying his law1 man
 was really unable to obey it1 the      
,church branded the doctrine as a heresy
 to be abhorred of all men1 as most     
false in itself1 and most injurious to  

,god4 ,no2 ,god loves his creatures far 
more than we conceive of3 ,he does not  
desire the death of a sinner4 ,he wills 
truly the salvation of all men4 ,his    
goodness and mercy1 ,his truth and      
justice1 are all so many infallible     
guarantees of our ability to keep ,his  
law4 ,he would not have given us ,his   
law unless ,he had meant us to keep it4 
,he would not punish us so severely for 
breaking it1 unless our breaking it was 
an act of deliberate1 wilful1 determined
 rebellion4  ,but there is another      
source from which ,i draw the conclusion
 that it is possible to keep the law of 
,god--from the nature of the law itself4
 ,the law of ,god is of such a nature   
that1 for the most part1 in order to    
commit mortal sin1 it is necessary to do
 or to leave undone some external act1  
which of its own nature it is entirely  
in our power to do or not to do4 ,for   
instance1 the law says1 ,thou shalt not 
steal2 now1 to steal1 you have got to   
put your hand into your neighbor's      

pocket4 ,the law says3 ,thou shalt do no
 murder2 to murder1 you must stretch out
 your hand against your neighbor's life4
 ,nay1 it requires ordinarily several   
external actions before a mortal sin is 
consummated4 ,thus the thief has his    
precautions to take1 and his plans to   
lay4 #dda ,the drunkard has to seek the 
occasion4 ,he seeks the grogshop4 ,every
 step he takes is a separate act4 ,when 
he gets there1 it is not the first glass
 that makes him drunk4 ,he drinks again 
and again1 and it is only after all     
these different and repeated actions    
that he falls into the mortal sin of    
drunkenness4 ,now1 here you see are     
external acts--acts in which the hand1  
the foot1 the lips1 are concerned1 and  
which1 therefore1 it is perfectly in our
 power to do or to let alone4 ,this     
requires no proof1 but admits of a      
striking illustration4 ,you have heard  
of the great sufferings of the martyrs2 
how some of them were stoned to death1  
others flayed alive1 others crucified1  

others torn to pieces by wild beasts1   
others burned to death4 ,now1 what was  
it all about8 ,you answer1 ,they        
suffered because they would not deny    
,christ4 ,very well2 but how were they  
required to deny ,christ8 ,what was it  
they were required to do8 ,i will tell  
you4 ,sometimes they were required to   
take a few grains of incense and throw  
it on the altar of ,jupiter2 that would 
have been enough to have saved them from
 their sufferings4 ,they need not have  
said1 ',i renounce ,christ2 only to have
 taken the incense would have been      
sufficient4 ,sometimes they were        
required to tread on the cross4         
,sometimes to swear by the genius of the
 ,roman emperor2 that was all4 ,and the 
fire was kindled to make them do these  
things2 but they would not4 ,the flames 
leaped upon them1 but not a foot would  
they lift from the ground4 ,their hands 
were burnt to the bone1 but no incense  
would they touch4 ,the marrow of their  
bones melted in the heat1 and forced    

from them a cry of agony1 but the name  
of the emperor's tutelary genius did not
 pass their lips4 ,now1 will you tell me
 that you cannot help doing what the    
martyrs would not do to save them from  
death8 ,they had a fire before them and 
a scourge behind them1 and they refused2
 and you say you cannot help yourself   
when you are under no external violence 
whatever6 ,they died rather than lift a 
hand to do a forbidden thing2 have you  
not the same power over your hand that  
they had8 #ddb ,they died rather than   
utter a sinful word2 have you not as    
much power over your tongue as they8    
,indeed you have1 for you control both  
one and the other whenever you will4 ,i 
say there is no sinner whose conduct    
does not show that his actions are      
perfectly in his own power4 ,the thief  
waits for the night to carry on his     
trade2 during the day he is honest      
enough4 ,the greatest libertine knows   
how to behave himself in the presence of
 a high-born and virtuous female4 ,and  

even that vice which men say it is most 
difficult of all to restrain when once  
the habit is formed--profane            
swearing--you know how to restrain it   
when you will1 for even the heaviest    
curser and swearer ceases from his oaths
 before the priest1 or any other friend 
whom he greatly respects4 ,now1 if you  
can stop cursing before the priest1 why 
can you not before your wife and        
children8 ,if you can be chaste in the  
presence of a virtuous female1 why can  
you not be chaste everywhere8 ,if you   
can be honest when the eye of man is on 
you1 why can you not be honest when no  
eye sees you but that of ,god8  ,but1   
someone may say1 there is a class of    
sins to which the remarks you have made 
do not apply1 that is1 sins of thought4 
,you must admit that they are of such a 
nature that it is all but impossible not
 to commit them4 ,no1 ,i do not admit   
it4 ,i acknowledge that sins of thought 
are more difficult to guard against than
 sins of action2 but ,i do not          

acknowledge that it is impossible to    
guard against them4 ,to prove this1 ,i  
have only to remind you that an evil    
thought is no sin until we give consent 
to it4 ,to keep always free from evil   
thoughts may be impossible1 because the 
imagination is in its nature so         
volatile1 that but few men have it in   
control2 but1 though it be not possible 
to restrain the imagination1 it is      
always possible to restrain the will4   
,in order for the will to consent to    
evil it is necessary both to know and to
 choose1 and therefore from the nature  
of the thing one can never fall into sin
 either inevitably or unawares4 #ddc    
,and besides1 the will has a powerful   
ally in the conscience1 whose province  
it is to keep us from sin and to        
reproach us when we do sin--so that it  
is scarcely possible1 for one who       
habitually tries to keep free from      
mortal sin1 to fall into it without his 
conscience giving a distinct and        
unmistakable report4 ,and this is so    

certain that spiritual writers say that 
a person of good life and tender        
conscience1 who is distressed with the  
uncertainty whether or no he has given  
consent to an evil temptation1 ought to 
banish that anxiety altogether and to be
 sure that he has not consented4 ,but   
suppose these evil temptations are      
importunate1 and remain in the soul even
 when we resist them1 and try to turn   
from them8 ,no matter4 ,they do not     
become sins on that account2 nay1 they  
become the occasion of acts of great    
virtue4 ,it is related in the life of   
,st4 ,catharine of ,sienna that on one  
occasion that pure virgin's soul was    
assailed by the most horrible           
temptations of the devil4 ,they lasted  
for a long time1 and after the conflict 
our ,saviour appeared to her with a     
serene countenance4 ,o my ,divine       
,spouse1 she said1 where wast thou when 
,i was enduring these conflicts8 ,in thy
 soul1 he replied4 ,what1 with all these
 filthy abominations8 ,yes1 they were   

displeasing and painful to thee2 this   
therefore was thy merit1 and thy victory
 was owing to ,my presence4 ,so that we 
see even here1 where the danger is      
greatest1 the law of ,god exacts of us  
nothing but what in its own nature is in
 our power to do or not to do4  ,but if 
you wish another proof of your ability  
to keep ,god's law1 ,i allege the power 
of ,his grace4 ,i can imagine an        
objector saying3 ,you have not touched  
the real difficulty1 after all4 ,the    
difficulty is not on ,god's side2 no    
doubt4 ,he is good and holy4 ,neither   
are the requirements of his law so very 
hard4 ,the difficulty is in us4 ,we are 
fallen by nature4 ,we have sinned after 
baptism4 ,we are so weak1 so frail1 that
 to us continued observance of the      
divine commandments is impossible4 ,no1 
my brethren1 neither is this true4 #ddd 
,it is not true from the mouth of any   
man2 least of all from the mouth of a   
,christian4 ,no temptation1 says the    
,apostle1 hath taken hold of you but    

,such as is human3 ,and ,god is         
faithful1 who will not suffer you to be 
tempted above that which you are able2  
but will also with the temptation make a
 way of escape that you may be able to  
bear it4 ,footnote #ahd      ,footnote  
#ahd3 ,i ,cor4 x4 #ac4  ,the weakest and
 frailest are strong enough with ,god's 
grace1 and this grace ,he is ready to   
give to those that need it4 ,at all     
times and in all places ,he has been    
ready to give ,his grace to them that   
need it1 but especially is this true    
under the gospel4 ,the ,holy ,scriptures
 make this the distinguishing           
characteristic of the times of the      
gospel1 that they shall abound in grace4
 ,take courage1 and fear not1 the       
prophet says1 in anticipation of the    
time when ,christ should come in the    
flesh1 ,behold1 ,god will come and save 
you4 ,then shall the eyes of the blind  
be opened1 and the ears of the deaf     
unstopped4 ,then shall the lame man leap
 as an hart1 and the tongue of the dumb 

shall be free2 for waters are broken out
 of the desert1 and streams in the      
wilderness4 ,and that which was dry land
 shall become a pool1 and the thirsty   
land springs of water4 ,footnote #ahe   
,such was the promise1 hundreds of years
 before ,christ1 of a time of peace1 of 
happiness and grace2 and when our ,lord 
was come1 ,he published that the good   
time had indeed arrived3 ,the spirit of 
the ,lord hath anointed me to preach the
 gospel to the poor4 ,he hath sent me to
 heal the contrite of heart4 ,to preach 
deliverance to the captive1 and sight to
 the blind1 to set at liberty them that 
are bruised1 to preach the acceptable   
year of the ,lord4 ,footnote #ahf       
,footnote #ahe3 ,is4 xxxv4 #d-g4        
,footnote #ahf3 ,st4 ,luke i,v4 #ah1    
#ai4  ,yes1 the great time has come2 the
 cool of the day2 the evening of the    
world2 the time when labor is light and 
reward abundant4 ,o my brethren1 you    
know not what a privilege it is to be a 
,christian6 ,you enter a church4 ,you   

see a priest in his confessional4 ,a    
penitent is kneeling at his feet4 #dde  
,the sight makes but little impression  
on you1 for you are accustomed to it1   
but this is that fountain promised by   
the prophet to the house of ,david and  
to the inhabitants of ,jerusalem1 for   
the washing of the sinner2 a fountain   
that flows from the ,saviour's side1 and
 not only cleanses1 but strengthens and 
makes alive4 ,you pass an altar4 ,the   
priest is giving communion4 ,stop6 it is
 the ,lord himself6 the bread of angels6
 the wine of virgins6 the food whereof  
if a man eat he shall live forever4 ,and
 not only in the church do you find     
grace2 it follows you home4 ,you shut   
your door behind you1 and your ,father  
in heaven waits to hear and grant your  
prayer4 ,nay1 at all times ,god is with 
you1 for you are the temple of ,god1 and
 ,he sits on the throne of your heart to
 scatter ,his grace on you whenever and 
wherever you ask ,him4 ,do not say1     
then1 ,christian1 that you are unable to

 do what ,god requires of you4 ,it is a 
sin of black ingratitude to say so4     
,even if it were impossible for others  
to keep the law of ,god1 it is not for  
you4 ,he hath not done to every nation  
as he hath done to you4 ,when the       
patriarch ,jacob was dying1 he blessed  
all his children1 but his richest       
blessing was for ,joseph4 ,so ,god has  
blessed all the children of ,his hand1  
but you1 ,christian1 are the ,joseph    
whom ,he hath loved more than all ,his  
other sons4 ,to others ,he hath given of
 dew dew of heaven1 and the fatness of  
the earth1 but you ,he hath blessed with
 all spiritual blessings in ,christ4    
,away1 then1 with the notion that       
obedience to the commandments of ,god is
 impracticable--a notion dishonorable to
 ,god and to ourselves4 ,it is possible 
to keep free from mortal sin--for       
all--at all times1 under all            
temptations4 ,nay1 ,i will say more4 ,it
 is1 on the whole1 easier to live a life
 of ,christian obedience1 than a life of

 sin4 ,i say on the whole1 for ,i do not
 deny that here and there1 in particular
 cases1 it is harder to do right than   
wrong2 but taking life all through1 one 
who restrains his passions will have    
less trouble than one who indulges them4
 #ddf ,heroic actions are not required  
of us every day4 ,in order to be a      
,christian1 it is not necessary to be   
always high-strung and enthusiastic4 ,it
 is not necessary to be a devotee1 to   
adopt set and precise ways1 to take up  
with hypocrisy and cant--in a word1 to  
be unmanly4 ,it is just1 for the most   
part1 the most matter of fact1 the most 
practical1 the most simple and          
straight-forward thing in the world4 ,it
 is to be a man of principle4 ,it is to 
have a serious1 abiding purpose to do   
our duty4 ,it is to be full of courage2 
not the courage of the braggart1 but the
 courage of the soldier--the courage    
that thrives under opposition1 and      
survives defeat1 the courage that takes 
the means to secure success--vigilance1 

humility1 steadfastness1 and prayer4    
,before this1 all difficulties vanish1  
and this is what we want most of all4   
,it is amazing how little courage there 
is in the world4 ,we are like the       
servant of ,eliseus1 the prophet1 who1  
when he awoke in the morning1 and saw   
the great army that had been sent by the
 ,king of ,syria to take his master1    
said1 ,alas1 alas1 alas1 my lord2 what  
shall we do6 ,but ,eliseus showed him   
another army--the army of angels ranged 
on the mountain1 with chariots of fire  
and horses of fire1 ready to fight for  
the servants of ,god1 and he said1 ,fear
 not3 for there are more with us than   
with them4 ,footnote #ahg      ,footnote
 #ahg3 ,,iv4 ,kings vi4 #ae-ag4  ,why   
should we fear8 ,christianity is no new 
thing4 ,the path of ,christian obedience
 is not an untried path4 ,thousands have
 trod it and are now enjoying their     
reward4 ,god1 and the angels1 and the   
saints1 are on our side4 ,and there are 
multitudes of faithful souls in the word

 who are fighting the good fight1 and   
keeping their souls unsullied4 ,we      
cannot distinguish them now1 but one day
 we shall know them4 ,oh6 let us join   
them4 ,yes1 we will make our resolution 
now4 ,others may guide themselves by    
pleasure or expediency2 we will adopt   
the language of the ,psalmist3 ,thy     
,word is a lamp to my feet1 and a light 
to my paths4 ,footnote #ahh    ,footnote
 #ahh3  ,ps4 cxviii4 #aje4  #ddg  ,we   
will be ,christians1 not in name1 but in
 deed4 ,not for a time only1 but always4
 ,one thought shall cheer us in sadness 
and nerve us in weakness1 ,i have sworn 
and am determined to keep the judgments 
of ,thy justice4 ,footnote #ahi         
,footnote #ahi3 ,ibid4 #ajf4            
---------------------------------       
,sermon ,,xxiv4       ,the ,spirit ,of  
,sacrifice44    7,for ,the ,feast ,of   
,st4 ,laurence1 ,martyr47     ,i beseech
 you therefore1 brethren1 by the mercies
 of ,god1   that you present your bodies
 a living sacrifice1   holy1 pleasing to

 ,god1 your reasonable service4         
--,rom4 ,,xvii4 #a4   ,there is1 my     
brethren1 among many men who practise   
,christian duties to a certain extent1  
one remarkable want4 ,i will call it the
 want of the ,spirit of ,sacrifice4     
,compare such men with any of the       
saints1 and you will see at once what ,i
 mean4 ,one saint may differ a great    
deal from another1 but this is common to
 them all--a vivid sentiment of ,god's  
greatness and ,sovereignty1 of ,his     
right to do with us what ,he wills1 and 
a willing and reverent recognition of   
that right4 ,now the defective          
,christianity to which ,i allude lacks  
this spirit altogether4 ,it differs from
 the ,christianity of the saints not    
only in degree but in kind4 ,not only   
does it fail to produce as many         
sacrifices as the saints made for ,god1 
but the idea of ,sacrifice is completely
 strange and foreign to it4 ,it bargains
 about the commandments of ,god1 and1   
when any commandment is difficult1      

postpones fulfilment1 or refuses it     
altogether4 ,to prevent any of you from 
being content with so imperfect and     
unsatisfactory a sort of religion1 ,i   
will give you this morning some reasons 
why you should aim to serve ,god in the 
spirit of sacrifice4  #ddh  ,first1     
then1 ,i assert that the spirit of      
sacrifice is necessary4 ,god requires it
 of us4 ,on this point ,i think some    
people make a mistake4 ,they seem to    
think that a willingness to make        
sacrifices for ,god is one of the       
ornamental or heroic parts of religion1 
and that everyday people are not        
required to have it4 ,but this is not   
so4 ,the ,spirit of ,sacrifice is       
required of everyone4 ,i infer this from
 the fact that an external sacrificial  
worship is necessary4 ,it is frequently 
said that there is no religion without a
 sacrifice4 ,and this is true4 ,there   
never has been1 nor indeed could there  
be1 a true religion without having some 
external act of sacrificial worship4    

,but why is this necessary8 ,not simply 
because we are sinners and need         
propitiation1 for some theologians have 
thought that sacrifices would have been 
necessary1 though man had never sinned4 
,what religion requires a sacrifice for1
 is this--to express our sense of ,god's
 supreme ,sovereignty4 ,in a ,sacrifice 
there is something offered to ,god and  
destroyed1 thus signifying that ,god is 
the ,author of ,life and ,death1 our    
,creator1 our ,ruler1 our ,supreme      
,judge4 ,the excellence of the          
,christian ,sacrifice--the ,sacrifice of
 the ,mass--consists in this1 that the  
victim offered is a living1 reasonable1 
,divine ,victim1 even the ,son of ,god  
,incarnate1 ,who by ,his ,life and      
,death rendered most worthy homage to   
the ,divine ,majesty1 and still in every
 ,mass1 continually1 offers it anew4    
,this1 then1 is what the ,mass is given 
us for1 and this is why we are required 
to assist at the ,mass1 that we may in a
 perfect and worthy manner recognize    

,god's ,sovereignty and our dependence  
on ,him4 ,when we assist at ,mass1 the  
meaning of our action1 if put into      
words1 would be something like this3 ,i 
acknowledge ,thee1 ,o ,god1 for my      
,sovereign ,lord1 and the ,supreme      
,disposer of my ,life and ,death1 and   
because ,i am not able worthily to      
express ,thy ,greatness1 ,i beg of ,thee
 to accept1 as if it were my own1 all   
the submission with which ,thy ,son     
honored ,thee on the ,cross1 and now    
again honors ,thee in this ,holy        
,sacrifice4 #ddi ,now1 it cannot be     
imagined that we are required to make   
this profession to ,god without at the  
same time being required to have in our 
hearts that sentiment of ,god's         
greatness and sovereignty which we      
express with our lips4 ,our ,lord did   
not come to suffer and die1 and give    
,his life as a sacrifice to the ,father1
 to dispense us from the obligation of  
worshipping ,god ourselves1 but to give 
to our worship a perfect example and a  

higher acceptability4 ,without our      
worship the ,mass is incomplete4 ,on our
 ,lord's part1 indeed1 the ,sacrifice of
 the ,mass is always efficacious1 for   
,he is present wherever it is           
celebrated2 but on our part it is empty 
and unmeaning if no one really fears    
,god1 submits unreservedly to ,him1 is  
willing to do all ,he commands1 and     
acknowledges that all that could be done
 for ,him is too little4 ,a worship of  
,sacrifice implies a life of sacrifice4 
,this is beautifully illustrated in the 
life of ,st4 ,laurence1 whose ,martyrdom
 we celebrate to-day4  ,st4 ,laurence   
was one of the seven deacons of the city
 of ,rome in the third century of the   
,christian era4 ,as deacon1 it was his  
office to serve the ,mass of ,st4       
,xystus1 who was at that time ,pope4    
,when the persecution broke out under   
the ,emperor ,valerius1 ,st4 ,xystus was
 seized and carried off to martyrdom4   
,as he was on his way1 ,st4 ,laurence   
followed him weeping and saying3 ,father

 where are you going without your son8  
,whither are you going1 ,o holy priest1 
without your deacon8 ,you were not wont 
to offer sacrifice without me your      
minister1 wherein have ,i displeased    
you8 ,have you found me wanting to my   
duty8 ,try me now and see whether you   
have made choice of an unfit minister   
for dispensing the ,blood of the ,lord4 
,and ,st4 ,xystus replied3 ,i do not    
leave you1 my son1 but a greater trial  
and a more glorious victory are reserved
 for you who are stout and in the vigor 
of youth4 ,we are spared on account of  
our weakness and old age4 ,you shall    
follow me in three days4 ,and1 in fact1 
three days after1 ,st4 ,laurence was    
burnt to death1 his faith rendering him 
joyful1 even mirthful in his sufferings4
  #dej  ,now1 ,i do not look on this    
conversation as poetry4 ,times of       
affliction are not times when men look  
around for fine ways of expressing      
themselves4 ,at such times words come   
straight from the heart4 ,i see1 then1  

in the words of ,st4 ,laurence the      
sentiments with which he was accustomed 
to assist at ,mass4 ,as he knelt at the 
foot of the altar at which the ,pope was
 celebrating1 clothed in the beautiful  
dress of a deacon1 his soul was filled  
with the thoughts of ,god's greatness   
and goodness1 and along with the        
offering of the heavenly ,victim1 he    
used to offer to ,god his fervent desire
 to do something to honor the ,divine   
,majesty1 the color sometimes mounting  
high in his youthful cheek as he thought
 how joyfully he would yield his own    
heart's blood as a sacrifice1 if the    
occasion should offer4 ,martyrdom to him
 was but a natural completion of ,mass4 
,it was but the realisation of his      
habitual worship4  ,in the early history
 of the city of ,st4 ,augustine1 in     
,florida1 it is related that a priest1  
who was attacked by a party of ,indians1
 asked permission to say ,mass before he
 died4 ,this was granted him1 and the   
savages waited quietly till the ,mass   

was ended4 ,then the priest knelt on the
 altar steps and received the death-blow
 from his murderers4 ,with what         
sentiments must that priest have said   
,mass6 with what devotion6 with what    
reverence6 with what self-oblation6 ,so1
 ,i suppose ,st4 ,laurence1 and ,st4    
,xystus1 and the ,christians of the old 
time were accustomed always to assist at
 ,mass1 with the greatest desire to     
honor ,god1 the most complete spirit of 
self-sacrifice4 ,now1 ,i do not say we  
are all bound to be as holy as these    
great saints4 ,i do not even say we are 
bound to desire martyrdom2 but ,i do say
 there is not one kind of ,christianity 
for the saints and another for ordinary 
,christians2 one kind1 all self-denial  
for them1 and another kind1 all         
self-indulgence1 for us4 #dea ,i say    
,god is to us what ,he is to the        
saints--our ,creator and our ,sovereign2
 and ,he demands of us the worship of   
creatures and subjects--the worship of  
sacrifice--a willingness to do all ,he  

demands of us now1 and a readiness to do
 greater things the moment that ,he     
makes it known to us that such is ,his  
,will4  ,how many difficulties1 my      
brethren1 such a spirit takes out of the
 way of ,christian obedience6 ,it cuts  
off at ,one blow all our struggles with 
the decrees of ,god's providence4 ,how  
much of our misery comes from murmurings
 against the providence of ,god6 ,one is
 suffering under sickness and pain1     
another is overwhelmed with reverses and
 afflictions1 another is irritated by   
continual temptations4 ,no one can deny 
that these are severe trials2 but see   
how the spirit of sacrifice disposes of 
them4 ,it says to the sick man1 to the  
suffering man1 what ,isaac said to his  
father ,abraham on the mountain3 ,see1  
here is fire and wood1 but where is the 
victim for a burnt offering8 ,here are  
the materials for a beautiful act of    
sacrifice4 ,it wants only a meek heart  
for a victim1 and love to light the     
flame1 to turn the sickbed1 the house of

 mourning1 the soul agitated by         
temptation1 into an altar of the purest 
worship1 and the language of complaint  
into the liturgy of praise4 ,again3 it  
sometimes happens that a man gets       
involved in relations of business or    
friendship1 or becomes addicted to some 
indulgence1 which threaten to ruin his  
soul1 and he is required to renounce    
them1 to give up the intimacy1 to change
 his business1 to deny himself that     
indulgence4 ,the command of ,god is     
distinct and peremptory3 ,if thy hand or
 thy foot scandalize thee1 cut it off   
and cast it from thee4 ,and if thy eye  
scandalize thee1 pluck it out and cast  
it from thee4 ,footnote #aij            
,footnote #aij3 ,st4 ,matt4 xviii4 #h4  
#deb  ,how does he receive it8 ,he says3
 ,it is too hard4 ,too hard6 ,and is it1
 then1 only ,god for whom we are        
unwilling to do any thing hard8 ,we must
 make sacrifices of some sort in life1  
and heavy ones1 too4 ,we cannot get rid 
of the necessity of making them1 do what

 we will4 ,the world requires them of   
us4 ,our families require them4 ,our    
health requires them4 ,our pleasure     
requires them4 ,nay1 our very sins      
require them4 ,and what we do willingly 
for the world1 for our families1 for our
 health1 our pleasure1 our sins1 shall  
we refuse to do for the great and good  
,god8 for ,christ our ,saviour1 who did 
not refuse the ,cross to give us an     
example of the obedience we owe ,his    
,father8  ,or take another example3 ,a  
person who is not a ,catholic finds much
 that is reasonable in ,catholic        
doctrine1 but makes a great             
stumbling-block of confession2 or even a
 ,catholic gets a dread of it1 and stays
 away for years and years from the      
sacraments of the ,church4 ,now1 of     
course1 in such cases it is only        
charitable to show that the difficulty  
of confession is very much magnified1   
and that1 like many other things that   
frighten us1 it loses its terror when we
 approach it2 but1 to say the truth1 ,i 

always feel something like shame when ,i
 hear one trying to prove to such       
persons that confession is easy2 partly 
because ,i know he cannot succeed       
perfectly1 since confession is of its   
own nature arduous1 and in particular   
cases may be very difficult2 but        
chiefly1 because ,i cannot help thinking
 if ,god ,himself were to answer them1  
it would be in the few strong words ,he 
has used in the ,holy ,scripture3 ,be   
still3 and know that ,i am ,god4        
,footnote #aia ,a creature must not     
parley with his maker1 a sinner with his
 ,judge4      ,footnote #aia3 ,ps4 xlv4 
#aa4  #dec  ,yes3 we shrink from the    
very mention of sacrifice1 yet it is the
 spirit of sacrifice that makes all our 
duties easy4 ,no doubt it is our        
privilege to reason about the           
commandments of ,god2 and we shall often
 see1 what we know is always the case1  
that they are full of wisdom and        
goodness2 but we need in practice some  
principle that is ready at hand always  

to be used in every time of trial1 in   
every difficulty1 and that is the       
,spirit of ,sacrifice1 a profound       
reverence for ,god1 an unquestioning    
conviction of ,his absolute right to    
dispose of us as ,he will4 ,abraham had 
this spirit1 and therefore faltered not 
a moment when the command came to       
sacrifice his son ,isaac4 ,moses had it1
 and therefore when he was grown up1    
refused to be called the son of         
,pharaoh's daughter1 choosing rather to 
suffer persecution with the people of   
,god1 than to enjoy the pleasure of sin 
for a time4 ,footnote #aib              
,footnote #aib3 ,heb4 xi4 #bd4  ,the    
,christian saints have had it1 and      
therefore they trampled on every        
repugnance1 every attachment1 when it   
came in the way of their perfection4    
,and this principle is the life of the  
great religious and charitable orders of
 the ,church4 ,these institutions are a 
mystery to ,protestants4 ,soon after the
 ,little ,sisters of the ,poor were     

established in ,london1 a ,protestant   
writer1 in one of the periodicals of the
 day1 described a visit he had made to  
their establishment1 and after giving a 
most interesting account of the         
self-denying labors of the community1 he
 says he was curious to trace the       
feelings that actuated these ladies in  
devoting themselves to duties so apt to 
be repulsive to their class4 ,he        
supposed that benevolence was the       
impulse most concerned1 but1 on         
questioning the ,sisters1 found that    
this was not the case1 but that the     
basis of their action was a principle of
 self-renunciation for ,christ's sake4  
,to him such a motive had in it         
something strange and unnatural2 but1   
really1 this is always the sustaining   
principle of all high religious action4 
,every thing fails sooner or later but  
the spirit of sacrifice4 ,this is the   
spirit that does great things for ,god1 
that cuts down the mountains in our road
 to heaven and fills up the valleys1    

making straight paths for our feet4     
#ded  ,and how pleasing is such a spirit
 to ,god6 ,even among men such a spirit 
is highly esteemed4 ,who does not admire
 a generous1 self-sacrificing man8 ,in a
 family1 who is so much loved as the one
 whose thoughts are all for others8     
,where are such tears shed as over the  
fresh grave of a self-forgetful friend8 
,what makes the character of a mother so
 beautiful but the trait of             
self-sacrifice8 ,and so before ,god     
there is nothing so beautiful as the    
spirit of ,sacrifice4 ,a religion which 
does not centre in itself1 but which    
centres in ,god1 that is ,his delight4  
,there is nothing abject in such a      
spirit4 ,to serve ,god is to reign4 ,god
 knows our nature1 and ,he requires of  
us nothing but what gives to our whole  
being its highest harmony4 ,the man who 
has the spirit of sacrifice is a royal  
man4 ,how beautiful1 my brethren1 is an 
altar6 ,every thing connected in our    
minds with an altar is beautiful4 ,when 

we think of an altar1 we think of sweet 
flowers and burning lights1 and smoking 
incense1 and a meek victim1 and worship1
 music1 and prayer4 ,so1 in the heart   
where the spirit or ,sacrifice reigns1  
there are sweet flowers of piety1 and   
flaming zeal1 and the silent victim of a
 heart that struggles not1 and the      
incense of prayer1 and the harmonies of 
joy and praise4 ,oh1 if there is a      
sacred place on earth1 a home of peace1 
a shrine1 a holy of holies1 a place     
where heaven and earth are nearest1     
where ,god descends and takes up ,his   
abode1 it is in the heart of the man who
 is penetrated through and through with 
the sense of ,god's greatness1 and who  
walks before ,him in reverence and      
continual worship4  ,my brethren1 ,i    
covet for you such a spirit4 ,i do not  
always find it among ,catholics4 ,i     
remember1 some years ago1 when          
collecting for a charitable object1 ,i  
called on a man who was engaged in a    
large business1 and asked for a         

contribution4 ,he said1 ,oh yes1 he     
thought highly of the undertaking1 and  
wished to give a generous donation1 say 
one hundred dollars4 ,when ,i called for
 it at the appointed time1 he asked me  
if ,i did not want any goods in his     
line4 #dee ,they were articles of       
luxury1 such as very few persons have   
occasion for1 and ,i told him1 no4 ,then
 he mentioned a rich gentleman with whom
 ,i happened to be acquainted1 and asked
 me to secure for him his custom1       
intimating that this donation of one    
hundred dollars depended on my success4 
,now ,i do not know that this person was
 at all sensible of acting an unworthy  
part1 but ,i think you must all feel    
that this was very far from the spirit  
in which one ought to give any thing to 
,god2 and yet1 my brethren1 inferior    
motives enter too much and too often    
into our religious actions4 ,selfishness
 mingles too much with our piety4 ,oh1  
how diluted1 how paltry and feeble is   
our religion1 compared with that of     

other times6 ,david refused the site for
 an altar that ,areuna offered him as a 
gift1 saying3 ,nay but ,i will buy it of
 thee at a price2 and will not offer to 
the ,lord my ,god holocausts free cost4 
,footnote #aic      ,footnote #aic3 #b  
,kings xxiv4 #bd4  ,magdalene took a box
 of spikenard ointment1 because it was  
the most precious thing she had1 and    
very costly1 and broke the box1 and     
poured it wastefully on the ,saviour's  
head4 ,footnote #aid      ,footnote     
#aid3 ,st4 ,matt4 xxvi4 #g4  ,those who 
have examined the cathedrals of ,europe 
that were built in the ,middle ,ages1   
tell us that away up on the outside of  
the roof1 there is found carving as     
rich1 as beautiful1 and as elaborate as 
that on the parts in full sight4 ,a     
human eye would hardly see it once a    
year2 no matter3 it was done for the eye
 of ,god and the angels4 ,oh that you   
had such a spirit6 ,i want you to think 
more of ,god4 ,i want you to fear ,him  
more deeply1 and to love ,him far1 far  

more fervently4 ,o my brethren1 is the  
service you are rendering ,him at all   
worthy of ,him8 ,look at the earth and  
sky that ,he has made2 look at the      
glorious ,throne of ,light from which   
,he sways the universe1 look at the     
,cross1 look into your own hearts1 and  
answer4 ,holy things are for the ,holy4 
,great is the ,lord1 and greatly to be  
praised4 ,footnote #aie ,o ,lord ,god   
,almighty1 just and true1 who shall not 
fear ,thee and magnify ,thy ,name6      
,footnote #aif ,as the eyes of servants 
are on the hands of their masters1 and  
as the eyes of a handmaid are on the    
hands of her mistress1 so our eyes are  
unto ,thee1 ,o ,lord our ,god1 ,thou    
that dwellest in the heavens4 ,footnote 
#aig      ,footnote #aie3 ,psalm xlvii4 
#a4      ,footnote #aif3 ,apoc4 xv4 #c4 
,footnote #aig3 ,psalm cxxii4 #b4       
------------------------------------    
#def             ,sermon ,,xxv4         
,mary's ,destiny ,a ,type ,of ,ours4    
7,the ,feast ,of ,the ,assumption47     

,mary hath chosen the best part1   which
 shall not be taken away from her4      
--,st4 ,luke x4 #db4   ,to-day is the   
,assumption of the ,blessed ,virgin     
,mary4 ,to-day she entered into the     
enjoyment of heaven4 ,the trials and    
troubles of life are over4 ,the time of 
banishment is ended4 ,she closes her    
eyes on this world1 and opens them to   
the vision of ,god4 ,she is exalted     
to-day above the choirs of angels to the
 heavenly kingdom1 and takes her seat at
 the right hand of her ,son4 ,i do not  
mean to attempt any description of her  
glory in heaven4 ,i am sure whatever ,i 
could say would fall far short1 not only
 of the reality1 but of your own glowing
 thoughts about her4 ,who is there that 
needs to be told that the ,blessed      
,virgin is splendid in sanctity1        
dazzling in beauty1 and exalted in      
power8 ,but1 my brethren1 it is possible
 to contemplate the ,blessed ,virgin in 
such a way as to put her at too great a 
distance from us4 ,it is possible to    

conceive of her glory in heaven as      
flowing entirely from her dignity as    
,mother of ,god1 and therefore to       
suppose it altogether unattainable by   
us2 and1 as a consequence of this1 to   
regard her with feelings full of        
admiration indeed1 but almost as        
deficient in sympathy as if she were of 
another nature from us4 #deg ,now1 this 
is to rob ourselves of so ennobling and 
encouraging a part of our privilege as  
,christians1 and at the same time to    
take away from our devotion to the      
,blessed ,virgin an element so useful   
and important1 that ,i have determined1 
on this her glorious ,feast1 to remind  
you that our destiny and the destiny of 
,mary are substantially the same4  ,and 
the first proof ,i offer of this is1    
that the glory of the ,blessed ,virgin  
in heaven is not owing to her character 
as ,mother of ,god1 but to her          
correspondence to grace--to her good    
works--to her love of ,god--in a word1  
to her fidelity as a ,christian4 ,this  

is certain1 for it is the ,catholic     
doctrine that the ,blessed ,virgin1 like
 every other saint1 gained heaven only  
as the reward of merit4 ,now1 she could 
not merit it by becoming the ,mother of 
,god4 ,her being the ,mother of ,god is 
indeed a most august dignity1 but there 
is no merit in it4 ,it is a dignity     
conferred on her by the absolute decree 
of ,god1 just as ,he resolved to confer 
angelic nature on angels1 or human      
nature on men4 ,it is no doubt a great  
happiness and glory for us to be men1   
and not brutes1 but there is no merit in
 it2 so there is honor but no merit in  
the ,blessed ,virgin's being the ,mother
 of ,god4 ,now1 if she did not merit    
heaven by becoming the ,mother of ,god1 
how did she merit it8 for it is of faith
 that heaven is the reward of merit4 ,i 
answer1 by her life on earth4 ,it was   
not as the ,mother of ,god that she won 
heaven1 but as ,mary1 the daughter of   
,joachim1 the wife of ,joseph1 the      
mother of ,jesus4 ,it is impossible to  

read the ,gospels without seeing how    
careful our ,lord was to make us        
understand this4 ,he seems to have been 
afraid1 all along1 that the splendor of 
that character of ,mother of ,god would 
eclipse the woman and the saint4  #deh  
,thus once when ,he was preaching1 a    
woman in the crowd1 hearing his words of
 wisdom1 and1 perhaps1 piercing the veil
 of his humanity1 and thinking what a   
blessed thing it must be to be the      
mother of such a son1 exclaimed3        
,blessed is the womb that bare thee1 and
 the paps that gave thee suck1 ,footnote
 #aih but ,he answered immediately3 ,yea
 rather1 blessed are they who hear the  
word of ,god and keep it4 ,no one doubts
 that the ,blessed ,virgin did hear the 
,word of ,god1 and keep it4 ,so our     
,lord's words are as much as to say3    
,you praise my mother for being my      
mother2 what ,i praise her for is her   
sanctity4 ,in the same way1 when they   
came to ,him on another occasion1 when  
there was a great throng about ,him and 

said1 ,behold1 thy mother and thy       
brethren stand without1 seeking thee1   
,he answered1 ,who is my mother8 and who
 are my brethren8 ,and stretching forth 
his hand towards his disciples1 he said3
 ,behold my mother and my brethren4 ,for
 whosoever shall do the will of my      
,father who is in heaven1 he is my      
brother1 and sister1 and mother4        
,footnote #aii      ,footnote #aih3 ,st4
 ,luke xi4 #bg4      ,footnote #aii3    
,st4 ,matt4 xii4 #dh4  ,external        
advantages1 however great1 even to be   
related to the ,son of ,god1 are as     
nothing in his sight1 compared to that  
in which all may have a part--obedience 
to his ,father's will4 ,perhaps1 also1  
this is the explanation of his language 
at the marriage of ,cana in ,galilee4   
,when the wine failed1 and his mother   
came to ,him and asked ,him to exert his
 ,divine power to supply the want1 ,he  
said3 ,woman1 what hast thou to do with 
me8 ,my time is not yet come4 ,footnote 
#bjj      ,footnote #bjj3 ,st4 ,john ii4

 #d 7,archbishop ,kenrick's             
translation74  ,he does not allow her   
request on the score of her maternal    
authority1 but what ,he refuses on this 
ground ,he grants to her virtue and     
holiness1 for ,he immediately proceeds  
to perform the miracle she asked for1   
though1 as ,he said1 his time was not   
yet come4 ,so1 too1 on the cross ,he    
commends the ,blessed ,virgin to ,st4   
,john's care1 not under the high title  
of ,mother1 but the lowly one of woman4 
,woman1 behold thy ,son4 ,footnote #bja 
,footnote #bja3  ,st4 ,john xix4 #bf4   
,now1 why was this8 ,did not our ,lord  
love his ,mother8 ,was ,he not disposed 
to be obedient to her as his mother8    
,certainly2 but it was for our sakes ,he
 spoke thus4 #dei ,in private1 at       
,nazareth1 we are told1 he was subject  
to her1 but on these great public       
occasions1 when crowds were gathered    
around ,him to hear ,him preach1 when   
,he hung on the ,cross1 and a world was 
looking on1 ,he put out of view her     

maternal grandeur1 in compassion to us1 
lest there should be too great a        
distance between her and us1 and we     
should lose the force of her example4   
,he wished us to understand that ,mary1 
high as she was1 was a woman1 and in the
 same order of grace and providence with
 us4 ,we might have said3 ,oh1 the      
,blessed ,virgin obtains what she asks  
for on easy terms4 ,she has but to ask  
and it is done4 ,she enters heaven as   
the son of a nobleman comes into his    
father's estate1 by the mere title of   
blood and lineage4 ,but no3 our ,saviour
 says3 ,to sit on my right hand is not  
mine to give you1 but to them for whom  
it is prepared by my ,father4 ,footnote 
#bjb      ,footnote #bjb3 ,st4 ,matt4   
xx4 #bc4  ,it is not a matter of favor  
and arbitrary appointment2 not even my  
,mother gains her glory in that way4    
,she must comply with the terms on which
 my ,father promises heaven to men1 and 
therefore the ,church applies to her    
words spoken of another ,mary3 ,mary    

hath chosen the best part2 therefore it 
shall not be taken away from her4 ,oh1  
blessed truth6 ,mary is one of us4 ,her 
destiny1 high as it is1 is a human      
destiny4 ,and she reached it in a human 
fashion4 ,she built that splendid throne
 of hers in heaven with care and labor  
while she was on the earth4 ,she laid   
the foundation of it in her childhood1  
when her feet trod the ,temple aisles4  
,she reared its pillars when with faith1
 purity1 and obedience unequalled1 she  
received the message of the archangel4  
,and her daily life at ,bethlehem1      
,egypt1 and ,nazareth1 her holy1 loving 
ways with ,joseph and with ,jesus1 her  
perfect fulfilment of ,god's law1 her   
interior fervent acts of prayer1 covered
 it with gold and ivory4  #dfj  ,then1  
when the blind world was going on its   
way of folly2 while one ,king ,herod was
 deluging villages in blood1 and another
 steeping his soul in the guilt of      
incest1 and of the blood of the ,son of 
,god2 while the multitude were doubting1

 and ,scribes and ,pharisees disputing  
about ,christ1 the lowly ,jewish maiden1
 with no other secret but love and      
prayer1 was preparing for herself that  
bright mansion in ,heaven wherein she   
now dwells1 rejoicing eternally with her
 ,son4 ,oh1 happy news6 ,one1 at least1 
of our race has perfectly fulfilled her 
destiny4 ,here we can gain some idea of 
what ,god created us for4 ,here is the  
destiny that awaits man when original   
sin does not mar it2 when co-operation  
with grace and unswerving perseverance  
secure it4 ,the ,jews were proud of     
,judith4 ,they said3 ,thou art the glory
 of ,jerusalem2 thou art the joy of     
,israel2 thou art the honor of our      
people4 ,so we may say of ,mary3 ,o     
,mary1 thou art the pride of our race4  
,in thee the design of ,god in our      
creation has been perfectly attained4   
,in thee the redemption of ,christ has  
had its perfect fruit4 ,mankind         
conceives new hopes from thy success4   
,christ1 indeed1 has entered into glory2

 but ,christ was ,god4 ,mary is purely  
human1 and ,mary has succeeded4 ,why    
tarry we here in the bondage of ,egypt8 
,mary has crossed the ,red ,sea1 and has
 taken a timbrel in her hand and sings  
her thanksgiving unto ,god4 ,true it is 
that she is fleet of foot1 and we are   
all halt and weak2 but even she needed  
the grace of ,god1 and the same grace is
 offered to us1 that we may run and not 
faint4 ,listen to her song of triumph4  
,she does not set herself above us1 but 
claims kindred with us1 and bids us hope
 for the same grace which she has       
received4 ,my soul doth magnify the     
,lord1 for he hath exalted the humble1  
and hath filled the hungry with good    
things4 ,and his mercy is from          
generation to generation to them that   
fear ,him4  #dfa  ,another proof that   
the destiny of the ,blessed ,virgin is  
substantially the same with ours1 is the
 fact that the same expressions are used
 to describe her glory and ours4        
,sometimes those who are not ,catholics1

 when they hear what high words we use  
of the ,blessed ,virgin1 are            
scandalized2 but we use almost no words 
of the ,blessed ,virgin that may not1 in
 their measure1 be applied to other     
saints4 ,it is true that the ,blessed   
,virgin has some gifts and graces in    
which she stands alone--as her character
 of ,mother of ,god1 and her ,immaculate
 ,conception--but1 as ,i said before1   
these are dignities and ornaments       
conferred on her1 and are not the source
 of her essential happiness in heaven4  
,in other respects1 her glory is shared 
by all the saints4 ,thus1 ,mary is      
called ,queen of ,heaven2 but are not   
all the blessed called in ,holy         
,scripture1 kings and priests unto ,god8
 ,footnote #bjc ,is she said to sit at  
the ,king's right hand8 and are not we  
too promised a place at his right hand1 
and to sit on thrones8 ,footnote #bjd   
,is she called the ,morning ,star8 and  
does not ,st4 ,paul1 speaking of all the
 saints1 say1 star differeth from star  

in glory8 ,footnote #bje ,is she called 
a ,mediatrix of ,prayer and is it not   
said of every just man1 that his        
continual prayer availeth much8         
,footnote #bjf ,is she called the       
,spouse of ,god8 and does not the       
,almighty1 addressing every faithful    
soul1 say1 ,my love1 my dove1 my        
undefiled8 ,footnote #bjg ,is she called
 the ,daughter of the ,most ,high8 and  
are not we too called the ,sons of ,god8
 ,footnote #bjh      ,footnote #bjc3    
,apoc4 i4 #f4      ,footnote #bjd3      
,apoc4 iii4 #ba4      ,footnote #bje3 ,i
 ,cor4 xv4 #da4      ,footnote #bjf3    
,st4 ,james v4 #af4      ,footnote #bjg3
 ,can4 v4 #b4      ,footnote #bjh3 ,i   
,st4 ,john iii4 #b4    ,the glory of the
 ,blessed ,virgin1 then1 differs from   
that of the other saints in degree1 but 
not in kind4 ,she is not separated from 
them1 but is one of them4 ,she goes     
before them4 ,she is the most perfect of
 them4 ,but she is one of them4 ,and for
 this reason1 the glory of the ,blessed 

,virgin gives us the best conception of 
the magnificence of our destiny4 ,when a
 botanist wishes to describe a flower1  
he selects the most perfect specimen4   
#dfb ,when an anatomist draws a model of
 the human frame1 he makes it faultless4
 ,so we1 to gain the truest idea of our 
destiny1 must lift up our eyes to the   
,blessed ,virgin on her heavenly throne1
 and say3 ,oh6 my soul1 see for what    
thou art created4 ,think of this1 my    
brethren1 as often as you kneel before  
her image1 or meditate on her greatness4
 ,you cannot be what she is1 but you can
 be like her4 ,she is a creature like   
you4 ,she is a human being like you4    
,she is a ,christian like you4 ,and her 
joy1 her beauty1 her glory1 her wealth1 
her knowledge1 her power--nay1 even the 
mighty efficacy of her intercession--are
 only what1 in their measure1 ,god      
offers to you4 ,glory1 honor1 and peace 
to ,,every ,,one that worketh good2 for 
there is no respect of persons with     
,god4 ,footnote #bji      ,footnote     

#bji3 ,rom4 ii4 #aj4  ,if these things  
be so1 what greatness it gives to human 
life4 ,perhaps1 if you had lived in the 
times of the ,blessed ,virgin ,mary1 you
 would never have noticed her2 or if you
 had known her by sight1 what would she 
have seemed to you but a good little    
,jewish girl1 lowly and retiring in her 
manners and appearance8 or1 later in    
life1 a poor young woman thrust away1   
with her husband1 from a crowded inn1 or
 fleeing by night with an infant child  
or1 still later1 the mother of a        
condemned malefactor1 watching his      
sufferings in the crowd4 ,herod did not 
know her1 and the nobles of ,jerusalem  
were ignorant of her4 ,she was not one  
of the friends of the queen's dancing   
daughters4 ,even the rustics of the     
village of ,bethlehem looked down on    
her4 ,she carried no servants about with
 her1 and had no palace to live in4 ,but
 ,faith tells us of angel visits1 of    
union with ,god1 of heavenly goodness1  
and an immortal crown4 ,so1 in like     

manner1 how our life becomes grand and  
dignified when it is lighted up by      
faith6 ,you know there are porcelain    
pictures1 which in the hand are rough   
and unmeaning1 but held up to the light 
reveal the most beautiful scenes and    
figures2 so our common1 ordinary life1  
rough and unmeaning as it often seems1  
when enlightened by faith becomes all   
divine4 #dfc ,there is a little girl who
 learns her lessons and obeys her       
parents1 and tells the truth1 and shuns 
every thing that is wicked2 why1 as that
 little girl kneels down to pray1 ,i see
 a bright angel drawing near to her1 and
 he smiles on her and says3 ,hail6      
,blessed art thou3 the ,lord is with    
thee4 ,that young man who1 by a sincere 
conversion1 has thrown off the slavery  
of sin1 and regained once more the grace
 of ,god--what is his heart but another 
cave of ,bethlehem1 in which ,christ is 
born1 and around which angels sing3     
,glory to ,god in the highest1 on earth1
 peace to men of good will4 ,that       

,christian family1 where daily prayers  
are offered1 and instruction and good   
example are given1 and mutual fidelity  
is observed between the members--what is
 it but the ,holy ,house of             
,nazareth8--the ,home of ,jesus8 ,yes1  
good ,christian1 do not be cast down    
because you are poor1 or because you    
suffer1 or because your opportunities of
 doing good are limited2 live the life  
of a ,christian1 and you are living     
,mary's life on earth4 ,we have not1    
indeed1 ,mary's perfect sinlessness1 but
 we have the graces of baptism1 by which
 we may vanquish sin4 ,we have not1 as  
she had1 the visible presence of our    
,lord1 but we have ,him invisibly in our
 hearts1 and sacramentally in the ,holy 
,communion4 ,we are not full of grace1  
as she was1 but we have grace without   
limit promised to us in answer to       
prayer4 ,let us assert the privileges of
 our birth-right4 ,we belong to the new 
creation4 ,angels claim kindred with us4
 ,god is our ,father4 ,heaven is our    

home4 ,we are the children of the       
saints--yes1 of her who is the greatest 
of the saints4 ,let us follow her       
footsteps1 that one day we may come to  
our ,assumption1 the glory of which     
surpassed even the power of ,st4 ,john  
to utter4 ,dearly beloved1 we are now   
the sons of ,god1 and it hath not yet   
appeared what we shall be4 ,we know that
 when ,he shall appear we shall be like 
,him1 because we shall see ,him as ,he  
is4 ,footnote #baj      ,footnote #baj3 
,st4 ,john iii4 #b4  #dfd  ,every thing 
depends an our co-operating with grace4 
,how did the ,blessed ,virgin arrive at 
such glory8 ,by corresponding to every  
grace4 ,see her at her ,annunciation4   
,the angel comes and tells her of the   
grace ,god has prepared for her4 ,if she
 had not believed1 if she had not       
assented1 what would have come of it8   
,why1 she would have lost for all       
eternity the glory attached to that     
grace4 ,but she did not refuse4 ,she was
 ready for the grace when it was        

offered4 ,she said3 ,fiat1 ,be it done  
to me according to thy word4 ,oh1 how   
much hung on that ,fiat6 an eternal     
glory in heaven4 ,so it is with us4     
,there are moments in our lives big with
 the issues of our future4 ,god's       
purposes concerning the soul have a     
certain order4 ,he gives one grace2 if  
we correspond to that ,he gives another2
 if we do not correspond1 we lose those 
that depended on it2 sometimes1 even1 we
 lose our salvation altogether4 ,this is
 the key of your destiny--fidelity to   
grace4 ,you have an inspiration from    
,god3 ,he speaks to your soul4 ,oh1     
listen to ,him1 and obey ,him6 ,to one  
,he says3 ,abandon1 ,o sinner1 your evil
 life1 and turn to ,me with all your    
heart4 ,now is the accepted time1 now is
 the day of salvation6 ,to another1 who 
is already in ,his grace1 ,he sends     
inspirations to a more perfect life1 a  
life of higher prayer and more          
uninterrupted recollection4 ,another1 by
 the sweet attractions of ,his grace1   

,he draws away from home and kindred to 
serve ,him as a ,sister of ,charity by  
the bed of suffering2 or as a nun1 to   
live with ,him in stillness and         
contemplation2 or as a priest1 to win   
souls for heaven4 ,oh1 speak the word   
that ,mary spoke3 ,be it done to me     
according to thy word4 ,are you in sin8 
,convert without delay4 ,are you leading
 a tepid1 imperfect life8 ,gird your    
loins to watchfulness and prayer4 #dfe  
,do you feel in yourselves a vocation to
 a religious or sacerdotal life8 ,rise  
up and obey without delay4 ,tomorrow may
 be too late4 ,the grace may be         
forfeited forever4 ,why stand we all the
 day idle8 ,heaven is filling up4 ,each 
generation sends a new company to the   
heavenly host4 ,time is going4 ,the     
great business of life remains          
unaccomplished4 ,by our baptism we have 
been made children of ,god and heirs of 
heaven4 ,labor we1 therefore1 to enter  
into that rest4 ,mary1 dear ,mother1    
lift up thy voice for us in heaven1 that

 we1 following thy footsteps1 may one   
day share thy glory1 and with thee      
praise forever ,god the ,father4 ,son1  
and ,holy ,ghost4 ,amen4                
-----------------------------------     
,sermon ,,xxvi4          ,care ,for ,the
 ,dead4   7,fifteenth ,sunday ,after    
,pentecost47     ,and when ,he came nigh
 to the gate of the city1   behold a    
dead man was carried out4     --,st4    
,luke ,,vii4 #ab4   ,it is not at the   
gate of ,naim only that such a          
procession might be met4 ,from every    
city dead men are carried out to the    
grave--nay1 from every house4 ,death    
knocks alike at the palace and the      
cabin4 ,it is only a question of time   
with him4 ,sooner or later he comes to  
all4 ,yes1 my brethren1 a day will come 
to each home in this parish when a piece
 of black crape at the door will tell   
the world that death has been there4    
,within there will be stillness and     
sadness1 and in some darkened chamber1  
wrapt in a winding sheet1 will lie the  

cold and lifeless form of some beloved  
member of your family--a father or      
mother2 a wife or husband2 a brother or 
sister2 a son or daughter4 ,after a     
little while even that will be taken    
away from you4 #dff ,the time of the    
funeral will come4 ,the mourners will go
 about the streets1 and the dead will be
 buried out of your sight4 ,i do not    
speak of this to make you sad4 ,on the  
contrary1 what ,i am going to say will1 
,i know1 be a source1 the only real     
source1 of comfort to you in the loss of
 your friends4 ,i wish to remind you of 
your duties to the dead4 ,christianity  
does not permit us to bid farewell      
forever to our departed friends4 ,death1
 it tells us1 does not sever the bond of
 duty and love between us and them4 ,we 
still have duties toward them1 and in   
the performance of those duties1 while  
we are doing good to the dead1 we are   
procuring for ourselves the best solace4
 ,what are those duties8  ,first3 ,to   
give back the dead resignedly to ,god4  

,it is not wrong to weep for the dead4  
,it is not wrong1 for we cannot help it4
 ,it is as impossible not to feel pain  
at such a separation as it would be not 
to suffer when the surgeon's knife is   
cutting off an arm or a leg2 and1 what  
nature demands1 ,god does not forbid4   
,therefore the ,holy ,scripture says3   
,my son1 shed tears over the dead2 and  
begin to lament as if thou hadst        
suffered some great harm4 ,footnote #baa
      ,footnote #baa3 ,eccles4 xxxviii4 
#af4  ,do you think that poor widow of  
whom the ,gospel speaks to-day could    
help weeping8 ,she had known sorrow     
before1 but then she had one support1 a 
dear and only son4 ,he was a good lad4  
,every body knew and loved him4 ,but now
 he too is gone4 ,it is strange that he 
should go and she be left behind1 but so
 it is3 there lies his body on the bier1
 and she is following him to the grave4 
,see her as she goes along in her coarse
 black dress1 bent with age and sorrow4 
,can you blame her for weeping1 as she  

looks1 for the last time1 on that dear  
form8 ,at least1 ,jesus did not blame   
her4 ,he looked at her1 and ,he sorrowed
 with her4 ,he was moved with           
compassion4 #dfg ,it is not wrong1 then1
 to weep for the dead1 but we must      
moderate our grief1 banish every        
rebellious thought from our heart1 and  
mingle resignation with our sorrow4 ,the
 ,office which the ,church sings over   
the dead is made up in great part of    
joyful psalms and anthems4 ,after this  
pattern ought to be the sorrow of a     
,christian family1 a sorrow that is not 
violent and noisy1 a sorrow that does   
not pass the bounds of decency1 a       
sorrow1 ,i may say1 mingled with joy4   
,how different it is in some families6  
,you come near a house and you hear     
shrieks the most appalling4 ,you go in  
and find a woman abandoning herself to  
the most noisy and violent grief4 ,her  
language is little short of blasphemy4  
,she refuses any comfort4 ,she is       
weeping over a dead husband4 ,perhaps in

 life she loved him none too well4      
,perhaps she made his life bitter enough
 to him1 and often prayed that some harm
 might happen to him1 and that she might
 see him dead4 ,and now she does see him
 dead4 ,she will never curse him again1 
and he will never anger her again4 ,he  
is dead2 and now she breaks out into the
 most frantic grief1 and alarms the     
neighborhood4 ,she cries2 she calls upon
 ,god2 she throws herself on the corpse4
 ,at the funeral her conduct is still   
more wild and disordered4 ,now1 what is 
all this8 ,i will not say it is         
hypocritical1 but ,i say it is brutish4 
,it is not to act as a reasonable being1
 much less as a ,christian4 ,this is the
 way with some women4 ,the only time    
they ever show any love to their        
husbands is when they are dead4 ,let    
them be3 such grief will not last long4 
,wait awhile2 before her husband's body 
has well got cold in the ground she will
 be looking around for another match4   
,do not imitate such unchristian        

conduct4 ,when ,death enters your house1
 do not forget that you are a           
,christian4 ,do not indulge your grief4 
,call to your aid the principles of your
 faith4 ,you are sad and lonely4 ,well1 
is it not better to feel that this life 
is a state of exile8 ,you have lost your
 protector4 ,and has not ,god promised  
to protect the orphan8 ,you have lost   
such a good friend1 such a bright       
example4 #dfh ,well1 ought you not1     
then1 to rejoice at his safe departure8 
,the early ,christians used to carry    
flowers to the grave1 and sing hymns of 
joy because the toils of a ,christian   
warrior were ended1 and he had entered  
into rest4 ,hear what the ,church sings3
 ,blessed are the dead who die in the   
,lord4 ,will you weep because one you   
love is taken away from sin1 from       
temptation1 from the trouble to come8   
,will you grieve because he has secured 
for himself the ,blissful and ,eternal  
,vision of ,god8 ,but you have no       
confidence that he was good1 that he did

 die in the grace of ,god4 ,suppose you 
are uncertain on that point1 is there   
any thing better than to go with your   
doubts and fears before the ,holy ,god1 
and while you offer to ,him your        
trembling prayers for the departed1 to  
adore ,his ,providence and say3 ,the    
,lord gave1 and the ,lord hath taken    
away3 blessed be the ,name of the ,lord4
 ,footnote #bab      ,footnote #bab3    
,job i4 #bg4  ,dry up your tears1 then1 
,o bereaved ,christian4 ,make mourning  
for the dead for a day or two1 ,footnote
 #bac says the ,holy ,scripture4 ,that  
is1 do not abandon yourself to grief4   
,do not think1 because your friend is   
gone1 that ,god is gone1 and ,christ is 
gone1 and duty gone4 ,do not call on    
others more than is necessary4 ,resume  
your ordinary duties as soon as         
possible--and in these duties you will  
find the relief which ,god ,himself has 
provided for our sadness1 and ,his      
,grace will accompany you in the        
performance of them4      ,footnote     

#bac3 ,ecc4 xxxviii4 #ah4  ,another duty
 to the dead is to perform scrupulously1
 as far as possible1 their last         
directions4 ,when the patriarch ,jacob  
was dying1 he called his son ,joseph to 
his side1 and said to him3 ,thou shalt  
show me this kindness and truth1 not to 
bury me in ,egypt1 but ,i will sleep    
with my fathers1 and thou shalt take me 
away out of this land1 and bury me in   
the burying-place of my ancestors4      
,footnote #bad      ,footnote #bad3     
,gen4 xlvii4 #cj4  #dfi  ,it was not of 
itself a very important request2 it was1
 moreover1 an inconvenient one4 ,yet see
 how promptly and carefully it was      
complied with4 ,as soon as the days of  
mourning for ,jacob were ended1 ,joseph 
went to ,pharao and said3 ,my father    
made me swear to him1 saying1 ,thou     
shalt bury me in my sepulchre which ,i  
have digged for myself in the land of   
,canaan4 ,so ,i will go and bury my     
father and return4 ,and ,pharao said to 
him1 ,go up and bury thy father4 ,and   

they buried him in the land of ,canaan1 
in the double cave which ,abraham bought
 for a burying-place4 ,footnote #bae    
,footnote #bae3 ,gen4 #a1 #d1 #e1 #ac4  
,would that the same piety were always  
seen among us6 ,a mother dies3 the last 
wishes that she expresses to her        
children are that they should be true to
 their holy faith and earnest in seeking
 the salvation of their souls1 and she  
sends a message to an absent son1 which 
will not reach him in his distant home  
till long after she is gone1 begging him
 to be faithful and regular in his      
duties as a ,christian4 ,a father dies1 
and tells his son of a debt1 strictly   
due in justice1 but of which there is no
 record1 and where he will find the     
money to pay it4 ,a poor girl dies1 and 
confides to some one1 whom she thinks   
her friend1 the little earnings of her  
hard labor1 asking that it may be sent  
to her old mother in ,ireland4 ,are     
these wishes executed8 ,are these       
children faithful ,catholics8 ,is that  

boy1 the object of a mother's dying     
tears and prayers1 regular at the       
sacraments8 ,has that debt been paid8   
,did the sad news of the daughter's     
death go out to the poor mother in the  
old country1 softened with the evidence 
of that daughter's piety and love8 or   
was the money retained and squandered8  
,what6 are you not afraid to add to the 
sin of irreligion and injustice the     
crime of breaking faith with the dead8  
,hear what ,god says in the ,holy       
,scripture3 ,the voice of thy brother's 
blood crieth to ,me from the earth4     
,footnote #baf      ,footnote #baf3     
,gen4 iv4 #aj4   #dgj  ,the dead have   
got a voice1 then--a voice that cries to
 ,god1 that cries for vengeance against 
those who injure them4 ,pay1 then1 thy  
debts to the dead4 ,redeem the promise  
thou hast made to the dying4 ,fulfil thy
 duties as an executor or administrator 
with fidelity and justice4 ,be exact4   
,it is a dead man thou art dealing with4
 ,do not say1 he is dead and cannot     

speak4 ,hear what the ,law of ,god      
saith3 ,thou shalt not speak evil of the
 deaf1 nor put a stumbling block before 
the blind3 but thou shalt fear the ,lord
 thy ,god1 because ,i am the ,lord4     
,footnote #bag ,do you understand8 ,god 
hears for those who cannot hear1 ,he    
speaks for those who cannot speak2 and  
if thou makest the dead thy enemy1 thou 
hast the ,living and ,eternal ,god for a
 ,foe4      ,footnote #bag3 ,levit4 xix4
 #ad4  ,another part of our duty to the 
dead is to treat their bodies with      
respect1 and to give them decent burial4
 ,we do this for two reasons3 for what  
they have been1 and what they are to be4
 ,their bodies have been the casket     
which held their souls1 and we love     
their bodies for what their souls have  
been to ,god and to us4 ,we love the eye
 that looked upon us with affection1 the
 mouth that spoke to us words of truth  
and kindness1 we love the ear that      
listened to our sorrows1 and the hand   
that soothed and blessed us4 ,we love   

that body which was the soul's          
instrument here in her works of piety   
and ,christian charity4 ,and we love    
that body for what it shall be4 ,we see 
it as it will be when it springs from   
the grave on the morning of the         
,resurrection1 sparkling with light1    
beautiful and immortal4 ,and this is why
 we follow the dead to the grave4 ,we go
 with them as we go part of the way home
 with a cherished guest4 ,we go with    
them in token that the love that united 
us is not severed by death1 but that we 
are still joined to them in hope and    
charity4 ,oh yes1 it is right4 ,let the 
body be laid out decently2 the limbs    
composed2 the eyes closed for their long
 sleep4 ,and when the time of burial    
comes1 let all the ceremonies of the    
,holy ,church lend their aid4 #dga ,walk
 slow2 let the priest in surplice and   
stole go before2 light the candles and  
hold the cross aloft2 sing the sweet and
 solemn chant2 carry the body to the    
church and lay it before the ,altar of  

,god2 bring incense and holy water1 and 
let there be ,high ,mass for the repose 
of the soul4 ,fitting ceremonies6       
,beautiful and touching rites6 chosen   
with a heavenly still to comfort the    
mourner and to honor the dead4 ,but     
alas6 alas6 how do we see this duty to  
the dead sometimes fulfilled6 ,a        
,catholic is dead4 ,it is true there are
 candles and holy water1 but where are  
the pious prayers8 ,the neighbors are   
gathered together1 but it is not to     
pray4 ,the glasses and the pipes speak  
of a different kind of meeting4 ,yes1   
they have come there1 there to that     
chamber1 the ,court of ,death and the   
,threshold of ,eternity1 to hold a      
drunken wake4 ,the night wears on with  
stories1 sometimes even obscene and     
filthy1 and as liquor does its work1    
curses and blasphemies mingle with the  
noisy1 senseless cries and yells of     
drunken men4 ,are these orgies meant to 
insult the dead8 ,do these revellers    
wish to make us believe that their      

departed friend was1 body and soul1 the 
child of ,hell as much as they8 ,so the 
wake is kept1 and now for the funeral4  
,the man died early in the week1 but of 
course he must be buried on ,sunday4    
,sunday is the worst day of the week for
 a funeral1 because it is the day       
appointed for the public worship of     
,god1 and it is wrong to draw men away  
from the church on that day without     
necessity1 yet a funeral must by all    
means be on a ,sunday4 ,and why8        
,because a greater crowd can be got     
together on that day1 and the object is 
to have a crowd1 and to make people say1
 such a one had a decent funeral4 ,the  
family are poor1 nevertheless a large   
number of carriages are hired1 and      
filled with a set of people who regard  
the whole thing as a picnic or          
excursion4 ,some of them have already   
taken a drop1 and so little sense of    
religion have they left1 that sometimes 
at the grave itself1 sometimes in       
returning from it1 they raise brawls and

 riots that bring disgrace and contempt 
at once on the man they have buried and 
the faith they profess4 #dgb ,do you    
call this a decent funeral8 ,i say it is
 a sin4 ,a sin of pride and ostentation4
 ,a sin of scandal and excess4 ,a sin of
 robbery and cruelty--of robbery and    
cruelty toward the poor children from   
whose hungry mouths and naked backs are 
taken the extravagant expenses of this  
ambitious display4 ,how much better to  
have a small funeral6 a funeral         
remarkable for nothing but its modesty  
and simplicity1 to which only the few   
are called who knew the dead and loved  
him1 who follow him to his long home    
with serious thoughts1 like thinking men
 and ,christians1 remembering that      
before long they must go with him into  
the grave and lie down beside him1 and  
who return home to remember his soul    
before ,god as often as they kneel down 
to pray4  ,and this brings me1 in the   
last place1 to speak of the duty of     
praying for the dead4 ,it is a most     

consoling privilege of our holy faith4  
,death indeed fixes our eternal         
condition irrevocably4 ,if the tree fall
 to the south or to the north1 in what  
place soever it shall fall1 there shall 
it be4 ,footnote #bah      ,footnote    
#bah3 ,eccles4 xi4 #c4  ,but the good do
 not always enter heaven immediately4   
,if the sharp process by which ,god     
purifies ,his children on earth has not 
wrought its full effect1 it must be     
carried on for a while longer in that   
hidden receptacle in which faithful     
souls await their summons to the        
presence of ,god4 ,and during this      
period our prayers in their behalf are  
of great avail4 ,no part of our religion
 has more undeniable proofs of its      
antiquity4 ,as far back as the fourth   
century of the ,christian era1 ,st4     
,cyril testifies that it was the custom 
to pray for those who had departed this 
life1 believing it to be a great        
assistance to those souls for whom      
prayers are offered while the ,holy and 

,tremendous ,sacrifice is going on4     
,footnote #bai      ,footnote #bai3 ,st4
 ,cyril1 ,cat41 lect4 v41 n4 #i4  #dgc  
,the tombstones of the early ,christians
 attest the same practice1 and ,st4     
,augustine1 speaking not as a doctor1   
but recording a chapter of his own      
history1 lets us into the innermost     
feelings of the ,church of his day on   
this subject4 ,in his ,confessions he   
tells us that his mother ,st4 ,monica1  
shortly before her death1 looked at him 
and said3 ,lay this body anywhere1 be   
not concerned about that1 only ,i beg of
 you1 that wheresoever you be1 you make 
remembrance of me at the ,lord's ,altar4
 ,and the saint goes on to tell how he  
fulfilled this request1 how after her   
death the ,sacrifice of our ,ransom was 
offered for her1 and how fervently he   
continued to pray for her4 ,but his own 
words are best3 ,though my mother lived 
in such a manner that ,thy ,name is much
 praised in her faith and manners1 yet  
99 99 99 ,i entreat ,thee1 ,o ,god of my

 heart1 for her sins4 ,hear me1 ,i      
beseech ,thee1 through that cure of our 
wounds that hung upon the ,tree1 and    
that sitting now at ,thy ,right ,hand   
maketh intercession for us4 ,i know that
 she did mercifully1 and from her heart 
forgave to her debtors their trespasses2
 do ,thou likewise forgive to her her   
debts1 if she hath also contracted any  
in those many years she lived after the 
saving water4 ,forgive them1 ,o ,lord1  
forgive them4 99 99 99 ,let no one      
separate her from ,thy protection4 ,let 
not the lion and the dragon either by   
force or fraud interpose himself4 ,let  
her rest in peace1 together with her    
husband2 and do ,thou inspire ,thy      
servants that as many as shall read this
 may remember at ,thy ,altar ,thy       
handmaid ,monica1 with ,patricius her   
husband4 ,footnote #bbj      ,footnote  
#bbj3 ,st4 ,augustine's1 ,confessions1  
book ix41 c4     #ac4  ,are we as       
faithful to pray for our departed       
friends1 and to get prayers said for    

them8 ,they wait the time of their      
deliverance with painful longing4 ,they 
cannot hasten it themselves4 ,they      
cannot merit4 ,their hands are tied4    
,they are at our mercy4 ,the ,church    
indeed prays for these in her litanies1 
her offices1 and her ,masses1 but how   
little do we1 their friends and         
relations1 pray for them4 #dgd ,the     
patriarch ,joseph1 when he foretold to  
,pharao's butler1 his fellow prisoner1  
his speedy restoration to honor1 said to
 him3 ,only remember me when it shall be
 well with thee1 and do me this kindness
 to put ,pharao in mind to take me out  
of this prison4 ,footnote #bba          
,footnote #bba3 ,gen4 xl4 #ad4  ,but the
 butler1 when things prospered with him1
 forgot his friend4 ,so we forget our   
friends in the prison of ,purgatory4    
,they linger looking for help from us1  
and it comes not4 ,oh1 pray for the     
dead4 ,death does not sever them from   
hope1 from prayer1 or from the power of 
,christ4 ,did not ,martha say to our    

,lord in reference to her brother       
,lazarus1 who was already dead3 ,i know 
that even ,,now whatsoever thou wilt ask
 of ,god 7in his behalf7 ,he will give  
it thee6 ,footnote #bbb      ,footnote  
#bbb3 ,st4 ,john xi4 #bb4  ,yes1        
,christ's mercy and ,christ's ,bounty   
reach even to the regions of the shadow 
of death4 ,christ has in ,his hands     
gifts even for the dead--gifts of       
,consolation1 of ,refreshment1 of       
,quiet1 and of ,rest4 ,ask those gifts  
for those you love4 ,with the widow of  
,naim carry your dead to the ,saviour1  
let your tears and prayers in their     
behalf meet ,his ,compassionate ,ear and
 ,eye1 and ,he will speak to the dead3  
,young man1 ,i say to thee ,arise4 ,and 
the dead shall hear ,his voice1 and     
shall rise up1 not yet to the           
,resurrection of the ,body1 not yet to  
be delivered to his ,master1 but to the 
company of the ,angels1 to the spirits  
of the ,just1 to the home of ,god1 where
 they shall be before the ,throne of    

,god1 and serve ,him day and night in   
,his ,temple1 and ,he that sitteth on   
the ,throne shall dwell over them4 ,and 
they shall not hunger nor thirst any    
more2 neither shall the sun fall on     
them1 nor any heat4 ,footnote #bbc      
,footnote #bbc3 ,apoc4 vii4 #ae1 #af4   
#dge  ,i have endeavored to-day1 my     
brethren1 to speak for the dead4 ,they  
cannot speak for themselves1 but they   
live1 and feel1 and think4 ,and sure ,i 
am that1 if they could speak1 their     
words would not be in substance very    
different from what ,i have spoken4     
,they would say3 ,i want no costly      
monument4 ,i want no splendid funeral4  
,still less do ,i wish that ,god should 
be offended on my account4 ,i ask a     
remembrance mingled with affection and  
resignation1 the rites of the ,holy     
,church1 a quiet grave1 and now and then
 a fervent1 earnest prayer4 ,and ,i will
 not forget you in my prison of hope4 ,i
 will pray for you1 and oh6 when the    
morning comes1 and my happy soul is     

called to ,heaven1 my first intercession
 at the throne of ,god shall be for you1
 whom ,i loved so well in life1 and who 
hast not left off thy kindness to the   
dead4  -------------------------------  
,sermon ,,xxvii4      ,success ,the     
,reward ,of ,merit4   7,fifteenth       
,sunday ,after ,pentecost47       ,what 
things a man shall sow1     them also   
shall he reap4       --,gal4 ,,vi4 #h4  
,to judge by the complaints which we    
hear continually around us1 we might    
conclude that the commonest thing in the
 world is for men to fail in their      
undertakings4 ,now1 ,i admit that it is 
a very common thing indeed for men to   
fail in obtaining what they desire4     
,there are many men who have some       
darling object of ambition which they   
cannot reach4 ,but ,i do not think it is
 a very frequent thing for men to fail  
in attaining an end which they steadily 
aim at1 and which they take the proper  
means to attain4 ,i believe the rule is 
the other way4 ,i believe success is the

 ordinary result of well-directed       
endeavor4 ,i know indeed that the ,holy 
,scriptures tell us that the race is not
 to the swift1 nor the battle to the    
strong1 nor bread to the wise1 nor      
riches to the learned1 nor favor to the 
skilful3 but time and chance is all4    
,footnote #bbd      ,footnote #bbd3     
,eccles4 ix4 #aa4  #dgf  ,but surely all
 that this means is that the providence 
of ,god1 for its own purposes1 sometimes
 interferes to thwart the best-concerted
 measures1 and to crown feeble attempts 
with unexpected success4 ,the race is   
not always to the swift1 but ordinarily 
it is4 ,the battle is not always to the 
strong1 but when it is not1 it is an    
exception to the rule4 ,the rule is1    
that success commonly attends the       
employment of proper and judicious      
means4 ,the experience of life proves   
that this is true4 ,let us look around  
and see if it is not so4  ,we will look 
first at the business world4 ,here at   
first sight a succession of the most    

surprising changes meets our eye4 ,men  
that were rich a few years ago are now  
poor4 ,men that then were poor are now  
rich4 ,the servant and his master have  
changed places4 ,if you return to the   
city after a few years' absence you will
 find the same handsome houses lining   
our avenues1 but the occupants of many  
of them will be changed4 ,the same gay  
carriages roll along the street1 but    
there is always a new set of people     
riding in them1 and they that used to   
ride now go afoot4 ,what wonder is it   
that men have imagined ,fortune to be   
blindfolded1 and the ups and downs of   
life the chance revolutions of her      
wheel8 ,but when we look closer1 we see 
this is not the case4 ,for the most part
 each fall and each success has had an  
adequate history4 ,there has been a     
rigid bond of cause and effect4 ,it is  
only a metaphor when we say that riches 
have wings4 ,gold and silver1 and real  
estate1 and most kinds of personal      
property1 are solid and substantial1 and

 do not melt away in a night4 ,so1 on   
the other hand1 fortunes are not made by
 accident4 ,the rich man becomes rich by
 aiming at it and striving for it4 ,he  
does not need any extraordinary genius  
perhaps1 but he bends his talents1 such 
as they are1 to the task4 ,he rises     
early1 he is constantly at his place of 
business1 he keeps himself informed of  
all its details1 he thinks about it4    
,when a favorable opening comes1 he     
takes advantage of it4 #dgg ,when a     
reverse comes1 he is not discouraged by 
it4 ,other men would be discouraged1 but
 he is not4 ,perhaps he is in middle    
life1 perhaps he has a growing family1  
but he looks out for a fresh field of   
enterprise1 and begins anew to battle   
with the world1 and he becomes rich     
again4 ,his success is owing in part1 if
 you will1 to favorable circumstances1  
but largely to his own energy and       
industry4 ,these were the conditions1   
without which no amount of mere external
 advantages would have insured success4 

,again1 if we look to the world of      
,literature and ,art1 we find the same  
thing4 ,disappointed authors and artists
 often talk as if they were the victims 
of the world's stupidity or malice2 as  
if men were unable or unwilling to      
appreciate them4 ,now1 ,i know it is    
said that such things have been4 ,there 
have been men of rare promise1 but of a 
sensitive nature1 who have been crushed 
by coldness and neglect1 or by the hard 
and unfair criticism with which their   
first attempts were met4 ,but this is   
far from being a common thing4 ,the     
world likes to be amused and pleased4   
,it is really interested in having      
something to praise4 ,this being so1 how
 is it possible for a man of real merit 
to remain long unrecognized8 ,who can   
imagine that the great masterpieces of  
painting1 or the great poems that have  
come down to us from the past1 could    
have failed to excite the admiration of 
men8 ,in fact1 human judgment1 when you 
take its suffrages over wide tracts and 

through the lapse of ages1 is all but   
infallible4 ,in a particular place it   
may be warped by passion2 in a          
particular time it may conform to an    
artificial standard2 but give it time   
and room1 and it is sure with unerring  
accuracy to detect the beautiful and    
true4 ,it is as far as possible1 then1  
from being the case that celebrated     
authors or celebrated artists have      
become great by accident4 ,there may    
have been favorable circumstances4      
,there were undoubtedly great gifts of  
nature2 but there was also deep study   
and painful1 persevering toil4 #dgh ,i  
have been told that the manuscripts of a
 distinguished ,english poet show so    
many erasures that hardly a line remains
 unaltered4 ,the great cathedrals of    
,europe were the fruit of life-long     
labor4 ,and these are but instances of a
 general rule4 ,when we go into the     
workshops in which some of the beautiful
 articles of merchandise are            
manufactured1 we see a great fire and   

hear the clank of machinery1 and men are
 hurrying to and fro1 stained with dust 
and sweat4 ,now1 something like this has
 been going on to give birth to these   
beautiful creations in ,letters and     
,arts which have delighted the world4   
,there has been a great fire in the     
furnace of the brain1 and each faculty  
of the mind has toiled to do its part1  
and there have been many blows with the 
pen1 the pencil1 or the chisel1 until   
the beautiful conception is complete4   
,such men were successful because they  
deserved it4 ,the approbation of the    
world did not create their success1 it  
only recognized it4  ,i will take one   
more example of the rule ,i am          
illustrating--personal character1       
reputation4 ,i believe1 as a general    
rule1 it is pretty nearly what we       
deserve4 ,we reap what we sow4 ,people  
think of us pretty much as we really    
are4 ,i am not unmindful of the         
occasional success of hypocrites1 nor of
 the instances1 happily not very        

frequent1 of innocent persons           
overwhelmed by a load of unjust         
accusation and calumny4 ,again1 ,i know 
that when people are angry with us they 
sometimes say spiteful things which they
 do not mean1 and when they wish to     
flatter us they say things more         
complimentary1 but just as false4 ,but  
notwithstanding all this1 ,i affirm that
 the judgments which people who know us 
form of us are very nearly correct4     
,indeed it must be so1 for we cannot    
disguise ourselves altogether1 or for a 
long time4 ,we cannot always wear a     
mask4 ,an ignorant1 ill-bred man may go 
to a tailor's and dress himself out in  
fashionable clothes1 but the first word 
he speaks1 and the first movement he    
makes will betray his want of education4
 #dgi ,so1 while we are trying to pass  
ourselves off for something else than   
what we are1 to a keen observer our     
habitual thoughts and character will    
pierce through and discover our true    
selves4 ,even what our enemies say about

 us1 when they say what they think1 is  
very likely to be true4 ,men have no    
need to invent bad things about us4 ,we 
have all got faults enough4 ,they have  
only to seize these1 exaggerate them a  
little1 caricature them1 separate them  
from what is good in us1 and they will  
make a picture bad enough1 but not too  
bad to be recognized as ours4 ,their    
description of us is like a photographic
 likeness4 ,it takes away the bloom from
 the cheek1 and the brightness from the 
eye1 and the rich tints from the hair4  
,it notes down each imperfection1 each  
frown and wrinkle and crookedness of    
feature1 and there it is1 a hard1       
severe1 but not an untrue likeness4 ,in 
fact1 my brethren1 one of the last      
things ,i would advise any man to       
attempt would be to try to seem         
something he is not4 ,he is almost sure 
to be unsuccessful4 ,there is a law in  
the world too strong for him--the law of
 justice and truth1 the law that binds  
together actions and their consequences1

 the law that attaches honor to what is 
good and right1 and contempt to what is 
base and false4  ,thus we see on every  
side illustrations of the rule that our 
success is in proportion to our merit4  
,we sow what we reap4 ,much more is this
 true in regard to religion4 ,you have  
observed that hitherto ,i have been     
obliged to make some qualifications1 to 
make some exceptions in each of the     
instances ,i have brought forward4 ,god 
may prevent our becoming rich1 however  
legitimately we may labor for it1       
because ,he sees that riches would not  
be good for us4 ,or ,he may allow our   
talents to remain unappreciated1 and our
 name to be covered with obloquy1 in    
order to drive us to seek ,his ,eternal 
,praise4 ,but in religion our labors are
 sure to meet with success4 ,there is   
absolutely no exception4 ,our success   
will be infallibly in proportion to our 
endeavors1 neither more or less4 #dhj   
,you know1 my brethren1 that a doctrine 
may be familiar to us1 but may not      

always make the same impression on us4  
,we may hear it many times and assent to
 it1 but on some special occasion1 it   
may enter our mind with such force1 take
 such a lively hold of our imagination  
and heart that it seems new to us4 ,this
 is what we call coming home to us4     
,now1 ,i remember an occasion when the  
doctrine ,i have just stated thus came  
home to me4 ,it was on hearing the words
 of ,st4 ,alphonsus3 ,with that degree  
of love to ,god that we possess when we 
leave this world1 and no more1 will we  
pass our eternity4 ,any thing more      
startling and awakening ,i do not       
remember ever to have heard4 ,not the   
thought of the pains of hell1 or the    
horrors of sin1 or the bliss of         
paradise1 ever seemed to me so loud a   
call for action4 ,all of heaven that we 
shall ever see1 we acquire here4        
,perhaps you too1 my brethren1 have not 
realized this sufficiently4 ,the truth  
is1 ,i think many men act in regard to  
religion as children and weak-minded    

persons do in regard to the things of   
this world--they build castles in the   
air4 ,this is a very favorite occupation
 with some people4 ,they spend hours and
 even days in it4 ,it is a cheap        
amusement1 and they who follow it do not
 usually stint themselves in the warmth 
and color of their pictures4 ,the only  
difficulty is1 to fix a limit to their  
imaginary splendors4 ,they imagine      
themselves very rich1 worth1 say fifty  
thousand1 or a hundred thousand1 or five
 hundred thousand dollars1 with         
beautiful houses and furniture1 and all 
the elegancies of life4 ,or they imagine
 themselves very famous1 with a         
reputation as wide as the world1 and    
admiring crowds shouting their praises  
wherever they go4 ,now something like   
this1 equally silly and unsubstantial1  
passes in the minds of many ,christians 
in regard to their hereafter4 ,they     
imagine that1 somehow1 one of these     
days1 they will find themselves caught  
up to the third heaven1 borne by angels 

to the throne of ,god1 crowned with a   
jewelled crown1 seated on a golden      
throne1 with palms in their hands1 to   
sing forever the song of the redeemed4  
#dha ,they may be now in mortal sin1    
they may be in the habit of mortal sin2 
they may be the slaves of passion1      
drunkards1 impure1 dishonest2 they may  
be unwilling to renounce the dangerous  
occasions of sin2 or they may not be so 
bad as this3 they may belong to that    
class who have their periodic spells of 
sin and devotion1 and are saints or     
sinners according to the time of the    
year you take them2 or they may belong  
to a still milder type of ungodliness1  
those who are negligent and             
cold-hearted1 with a host of venial sins
 about them1 and at intervals1 now and  
then1 a mortal sin--no matter3 somehow  
or other1 by some kind of a contrivance1
 all--the relapsed sinner and the       
habitual sinner1 the drunkard1 the      
impure1 the dishonest and the profane1  
the worldly and tepid1 the prayerless   

and presumptuous--all are going to      
heaven4 ,o miserable delusion6 ,does the
 ,bible teach us this8 ,when it speaks  
of a way to heaven1 does it not mean    
that all must walk in that way to reach 
there8 ,when it tells us that the ,judge
 standeth at the door1 does it not mean1
 to judge us by our actions6 ,which of  
the saints was ever wafted to heaven in 
this passive way8 ,ah6 the apostle tells
 us1 they were valiant in fight1 they   
fought with the wild beasts of their    
passions1 and put to flight the armies  
of hell4 ,no3 it is an enemy that hath  
sown among you this ,calvinistic        
poison--yes1 this worse than            
,calvinistic poison1 for the ,calvinists
 did but assert that a few elect were   
saved by a foregone decree1 while this  
practically extends it to every one4 ,do
 not believe it4 ,what a man soweth that
 shall he reap4 ,he that soweth to the  
flesh shall of the flesh reap           
corruption1 and1 he that soweth to the  
,spirit shall of the ,spirit reap life  

everlasting4 ,footnote #bbe             
,footnote #bbe3 ,gal4 vi4 #h4  #dhb     
,our days are like a weaver's shuttle1  
and1 as they quickly come and go1 they  
weave the web of our destiny4 ,each step
 we take is a step in one of the two    
paths that fill up the whole field of   
human probation4 ,ask the ,psalmist who 
of us shall see heaven1 and he will     
answer you1 ,lord1 who shall dwell in   
,thy tabernacle1 or who shall rest on   
,thy holy hill8 he that has clean hands 
and a pure heart4 ,footnote #bbf        
,footnote #bbf3 ,ps4 xiv4 #a2 xxiii4 #d4
  ,ask the ,gospel1 ,who is that servant
 whom his ,lord at ,his coming will     
approve8 and it answers3 ,even he whose 
loins are girt about1 and whose lights  
are burning1 as a man that waits for his
 ,lord4 ,footnote #bbg      ,footnote   
#bbg3 ,st4 ,luke xii4 #ce1 #cf4  ,would 
you know who1 at the end of the world1  
shall reap a rich harvest8 ,they that   
sow in tears--in the holy tears of      
compunction1 of the love of ,god1 and of

 the desire of heaven-- shall reap in   
joy4 ,and he that now goeth on his way  
weeping and bearing good seed1 shall    
come again with joy1 and bring his      
sheaves with him4 ,footnote #bbh        
,footnote #bbh3 ,ps4 cxxv4 #e1 #f1 #g4  
,let us pause a moment before we        
conclude to try ourselves by this       
doctrine4 ,all the rivers run into the  
sea2 so all our lives are carrying us on
 to eternity4 ,should our lives be cut  
off at this moment1 of what kind of     
texture would they be found8 ,in those  
days1 says the prophet1 ,israel shall   
come1 they shall make haste and seek the
 ,lord their ,god4 ,they shall ask the  
way to ,sion1 their faces thitherward4  
,footnote #bbi      ,footnote #bbi3     
,jer4 i4 #d1 #e4  ,are our faces1 my    
brethren1 turned toward the heavenly    
city8 ,are we hastening thither1        
acknowledging ourselves strangers and   
pilgrims on the earth8 ,these careless  
confessions1 these heartless prayers1   
these darling sins1 these aimless lives1

 this tepidity1 this indifference and   
procrastination in spiritual things1    
what do they indicate8 ,we look at the  
sky to judge of the weather4 ,we read   
the newspapers to find out the condition
 of the country4 ,we watch our symptoms 
to ascertain the state of our health4   
,ah6 there are indications far more     
important1 to which we ought to take    
heed4 #dhc ,indications of salvation or 
reprobation1 symptoms of spiritual      
health or decay1 earnests of heaven or  
hell1 marks of ,christ or ,satan4 ,you  
remember the story of the old monk who  
was observed to weep as he sat watching 
the people going into church1 and1 being
 asked the reason1 said he saw a man    
enter1 followed by a black demon1 who   
seemed to claim him as his own4 ,so1 if 
we could look into the spiritual world1 
we should see some men attended by      
angels who have come to minister to them
 as heirs of salvation1 while others are
 surrounded by evil spirits1 come to    
torment them before their time4 ,yes1   

eternity does not wait for the last day4
 ,it presses upon us now and here4 ,each
 day is a ,judgment ,day4 ,each evening1
 as it falls1 finds us gathered at      
,christ's right hand1 driven to ,his    
left1 or wavering between the two4 ,why 
do we not take our place at once1 where 
we shall wish to be found at our        
,saviour's coming8 ,it is not very long 
since death took from among us a convert
 to our holy faith1 ,footnote #bcj whose
 life had been rich in good works1 who  
had been a mother to the orphan1 and a  
sister to the outcast and abandoned2 and
 a priest1 who visited her on her last  
illness1 told me that he had said to    
her3 ,if ,god were now to raise you up  
and restore you to health1 ,i would not 
know how to give you any other advice1  
than to resume your good works at that  
point where sickness compelled you to   
leave them off4 ,beautiful testimony to 
a holy life6 ,cut the thread wherever   
you will1 it is all gold4 ,stop the     
,christian where you will1 he is on his 

way to heaven4 ,be such a life ours4 ,i 
have said each day is a ,judgment ,day3 
let each day merit the approval of      
,christ4 ,let our life be a constant    
preparation for ,eternity1 remembering  
that the only heaven the ,christian     
religion offers us1 is a heaven that is 
won by our labors here4      ,footnote  
#bcj3 ,mrs4 ,geo4 ,ripley4              
-------------------------------  #dhd   
,sermon ,,xxviii4        ,the ,mass ,the
 ,highest ,worship4    7,twenty-first   
,sunday ,after ,pentecost47     ,what   
shall ,i offer to the ,lord that is     
worthy8    ,wherewith shall ,i kneel    
before the ,high ,god8      --,mich4    
,,vi4#f4   ,such is the question which  
mankind have been asking from the       
creation of the world4 ,god is so high1 
so great1 so good1 so beautiful4 ,he    
made us4 ,he created us by ,his ,word1  
and we hang upon ,his ,breath4 ,how     
shall we worship ,him8 ,how shall we    
express the thoughts of ,him that fill  
our souls8 ,alas6 the words of the lips1

 the postures of the body1 are all      
inadequate4 ,what shall we do8 ,shall   
we1 like ,cain1 gather the fairest      
fruits and flowers1 and bring the basket
 before the ,lord8 ,or1 like ,abel1     
shall we take the firstlings of our     
flocks1 and slay them in ,his honor8    
,shall we dress an altar1 and pile upon 
it the smoking victims8 ,shall we make  
our children pass through the fire in   
,his ,name8 ,or1 like the ,indian       
devotee1 shall we throw ourselves under 
the wheels of the car that carries the  
image of the ,divinity8 ,such have been 
the ways in which men have tried to     
express their devotion to ,god1 but all 
have been either insufficient or vain4  
,man's thoughts about ,god have found no
 fitting expression4 ,a fire has burned 
in his heart which no words can utter4  
,now here1 as in so many other ways1    
,christianity comes to our aid1 and     
places within our reach a perfect and   
all-sufficient mode of expressing our   
devotion1 a perfect worship4 ,do you ask

 me to what ,i allude8 ,i answer1 to the
 ,sacrifice of the ,mass4  #dhe  ,let me
 remind you what the ,sacrifice of the  
,mass is4 ,we ,catholics believe that in
 the ,mass ,jesus ,christ offers ,his   
real ,body and ,blood1 under the species
 of bread and wine1 to ,his ,eternal    
,father1 in remembrance of ,his ,death  
on the ,cross4 ,our ,lord's ,death on   
the ,cross was in itself complete1 and  
all-sufficient for the purpose for which
 it was undergone1 and need not1 indeed 
could not1 be repeated2 but ,his        
,priestly ,office was not exhausted by  
that offering4 ,in the language of      
,scripture3 ,he ever liveth to make     
intercession for us4 ,footnote #bca     
,and1 ,he is a ,priest forever4         
,footnote #bcb      ,footnote #bca3     
,heb4 vii4 #be4      ,footnote #bcb3    
,ps4 cix4 #d4  ,in what1 then1 does our 
,lord's ,priesthood since ,his          
,crucifixion consist8 ,in heaven1 it    
consists in presenting ,himself to ,his 
,father directly and immediately1 to    

plead the merits of ,his ,death and     
,passion in our behalf2 but on earth it 
consists in representing that ,death and
 ,passion in the mystical action which  
we call the ,eucharistic ,sacrifice or  
the ,mass2 thus fulfilling the words of 
the prophet in reference to our ,lord3  
,thou art a ,priest forever1 after the  
order of ,melchisedec4 ,footnote #bcc   
,footnote #bcc3 ,ibid4  ,the offering1  
then1 which takes place in the ,mass is 
the very same that was made on ,calvary1
 only it is made in a different manner4 
,on the ,cross1 that offering was made  
in a direct and absolute manner1 it was 
a bloody ,sacrifice2 in the ,mass1 it is
 made in a mystical and commemorative   
way1 without blood1 without suffering1  
without death4 ,therefore1 in order to  
understand what takes place in the      
,mass1 we must go back to the ,cross4   
,what was it that took place on the     
,cross8 ,you answer1 perhaps1 ,christ   
shed ,his ,blood there for the remission
 of sins4 ,true3 the ,blood of ,christ  

was the material cause of our           
,redemption1 but that which gave the    
,blood of ,christ its value1 that1      
indeed1 which made it a ,sacrifice1 was 
the interior dispositions of the ,soul  
of ,christ4 ,the ,blood of ,christ1     
taken as a mere material thing1 could   
never have effected our reconciliation4 
,what does the ,scripture say8          
,sacrifice and oblation ,thou didst not 
desire4 ,burnt-offerings and            
sin-offerings ,thou didst not require4  
,then ,i said3 ,lo1 ,i come to do ,thy  
will ,o ,god6 ,footnote #bcd            
,footnote #bcd3 ,ps4 xxxix4 #g1 #h4     
#dhf  ,it was by the obedience of       
,christ1 an obedience practised through 
,his whole life1 but of which ,his      
,death and ,passion were the fullest    
expression1 that ,christ1 as our elder  
brother1 repaired our disobedience4     
,while our ,lord was hanging on the     
,cross1 ,he exercised every ,divine     
virtue which the soul of man can        
exercise4 ,he loved4 ,he prayed4 ,he    

praised4 ,he gave thanks4 ,he           
supplicated4 ,he made acts of adoration 
and resignation4 ,in one word1 ,he      
performed the most perfect act of       
worship4  ,well1 it is just the same in 
the ,mass4 ,it would be the greatest    
mistake to think of the ,body and ,blood
 of ,christ in the ,mass as a sort of   
dead offering4 ,it is living1 and       
offered by the living ,christ4 ,christ  
is the ,priest of the ,mass as well as  
the victim4 ,it is ,christ who          
celebrates the ,mass1 and ,he celebrates
 it with a warm and living ,heart1 the  
same ,heart with which ,he worshipped   
the ,father on ,mount ,calvary4 ,it is  
this that makes the ,mass what it is4   
,if it were not for this1 the ,mass     
would be a carnal sacrifice1 infinitely 
superior1 indeed1 to those of the ,old  
,law1 but of the same order4 ,it is this
 which makes the ,sacrifice of the ,mass
 a reasonable service1 a ,spiritual     
,sacrifice4  ,and now you are prepared  
to understand my assertion that the     

,mass supplies the want of the human    
soul for an adequate mode of approaching
 ,god4 ,as a creature before its        
,creator1 you are oppressed with your   
own inability to worship ,him worthily4 
,do you want a better worship than that 
which ,his ,eternal ,son offers8 ,in the
 ,mass1 the ,son of ,god in ,his ,human 
,nature worships the ,father for us4 ,he
 prays for us2 asks pardon for us2 gives
 thanks for us2 adores for us4 ,as ,he  
is perfect man1 ,he expresses every     
human feeling2 as ,he is perfect ,god1  
,his utterances have a complete         
perfection1 an infinite acceptableness4 
,thus1 when we offer ,mass1 we worship  
the ,father with ,christ's worship4 ,it 
seems to me that the ,catholic can have 
a certain kind of pride in this4 #dhg   
,he may say1 ,i know ,i am weak and as  
nothing before ,god1 yet ,i possess a   
treasure that is worthy to offer ,him1  
,i have a prayer to present to ,him     
all-perfect and all-powerful1 the prayer
 of ,his ,only-,begotten ,son in whom   

,he is well pleased4  ,nor is this all4 
,christ worships the ,father for us in  
the ,mass1 not to excuse us from        
worshipping1 but to help us to worship4 
,you remember how1 the night before our 
,saviour died1 ,he took with ,him ,peter
 and ,james and ,john1 and going into   
the garden of ,gethsemane1 ,he said to  
them1 ,tarry ye here1 while ,i go and   
pray yonder4 ,and how1 being removed    
from them about a stone's cast1 ,he     
began to pray very earnestly1 so that   
,he was in an agony1 and the drops of   
blood fell from ,his body to the ground2
 and how ,he went to them from time to  
time to urge them to watch and pray     
along with ,him4 ,the weight of all     
human sorrows was then upon ,his soul4  
,he was presenting the necessities of   
the whole human race to ,his ,father1   
but ,he would have the apostles1 weary  
as they were1 borne down by suffering   
and fatigue1 to join their feeble       
prayers with ,his4 ,so1 in the ,holy    
,mass1 ,he is withdrawn from us a little

 distance1 making intercessions for us  
with groanings which cannot be uttered1 
and ,he would have us kneel about the   
temple aisles1 adding our poor prayers  
to ,his4 ,our prayers1 by being united  
to ,his1 obtain not only a higher       
acceptance1 but a higher significance4  
,our obscure aspirations ,he interprets4
 ,what we know not how to ask for1 or   
even to think of1 ,he supplies4 ,what we
 ask for in broken accents1 ,he puts    
into glowing words4 ,what we ask for in 
error and ignorance1 ,he deciphers in   
wisdom and love4 ,and thus our prayers1 
as they pass through ,his ,heart1 become
 transfigured and divine4  ,oh1 what a  
gift is the ,holy ,mass6 ,how full an   
utterance has ,humanity found therein   
for all its woes1 its aspirations1 its  
hopes1 its affections6 ,how completely  
is the distance bridged over that       
separated the creature and the ,creator6
 #dhh ,it was to the ,mass that our     
,lord alluded in ,his conversation with 
the woman of ,samaria4 ,you remember the

 incident4 ,the ,samaritans were a      
schismatical sect4 ,they had separated  
from the ,jews1 had built a temple on   
,mount ,gerazin1 in opposition to the   
temple of the ,jews at ,jerusalem1 and  
there they offered sacrifices4 ,now1    
this ,samaritan woman1 when our ,lord   
had entered into conversation with her1 
put to ,him the question which was then 
in controversy4 ,which was the right    
temple8 ,which was the acceptable       
sacrifice8 ,which was the place where   
men ought to worship--,mount ,gerazin2  
or ,mount ,sion8 ,and how does our ,lord
 answer her8 ,woman1 believe ,me1 the   
hour cometh1 when ye shall neither in   
this mountain nor yet in ,jerusalem     
adore the ,father4 ,the hour cometh and 
now is1 when the true worshipper shall  
worship the ,father in ,spirit and in   
,truth4 ,footnote #bce      ,footnote   
#bce3 ,st4 ,john iv4 #bb1 #bc4  ,the    
time is coming when a new ,sacrifice1 a 
new worship1 shall be established1 a    
worship of ,spirit and ,truth1 a worship

 that shall put to rest the controversy 
between ,samaria and ,jerusalem1 for it 
shall be offered in every place4 ,what  
is that sacrifice8 ,what is that        
worship8 ,the prophet had foretold it   
long before3 ,from the rising of the sun
 unto the going down thereof1 ,my ,name 
is great among the ,gentiles1 and ,,in  
,,every ,,place ,,there ,,is            
,,sacrifice1 and there is offered to ,my
 ,name ,a ,,clean ,,oblation4 ,footnote 
#bcf      ,footnote #bcf3 ,mal4 ii4 #aa4
  ,and the whole tradition of the       
,christian ,church1 from the very first1
 tells us that this clean oblation is no
 other than the ,eucharistic ,sacrifice1
 a worship of ,truth1 if the presence of
 ,christ can make it true2 and of       
,spirit1 if the ,heart of ,christ can   
make it spiritual2 a worship that meets 
all man's wants and befits all ,god's   
attributes4  #dhi  ,with this conception
 of the ,mass in your minds1 you see at 
once the explanation of some of the     
ceremonies attending its celebration    

which seem to ,protestants strange and  
senseless4 ,a ,protestant enters a      
,catholic ,church during the time of    
,mass4 ,the ,priest is at the ,altar4   
,you cannot hear what he says1 he speaks
 so low and rapidly2 and perhaps it     
would do you no good if you could1 for  
he speaks in ,latin2 and you say3 ,what 
mummery6 ,what superstition6 ,what an   
unmeaning service6 ,but stop awhile4    
,take our view of the ,mass1 and see if 
our custom is so strange4 ,we believe   
that there is an invisible ,priest at   
the ,mass1 ,christ1 the ,son of the     
,living ,god1 ,who offers ,himself to   
,his ,father for us4 ,you know it is    
related in the ,old ,testament1 that on 
one day in the year the ,jewish         
,high-,priest used to enter into the    
,holy of ,holies1 which was separated   
from the temple by a veil1 and there in 
secrecy perform the rites of expiation1 
while the people prayed in silence      
without4 ,so it is at the ,mass4 ,you   
see the ,priest lift up the ,host before

 the people4 ,well1 that is the white   
veil that hides the ,holy of ,holies    
from our eyes4 ,within1 our ,lord and   
,saviour mediates with the ,father in   
our behalf4 ,oh1 be still6 ,speak low6  
,let not the priest at the altar raise  
his voice1 lest he drown the whispers   
from that inner shrine4 ,what need for  
me to know the very words the priest is 
using8 ,i know what he is doing4 ,i know
 that this is the hour of grace4 ,earth 
has disappeared from me4 ,heaven is open
 before me4 ,i am in the presence of    
,god1 and ,i am praying to ,him in my   
own words1 and after my own fashion4 ,i 
am pouring out my joys before ,him1 or  
opening to ,him the plague of my own    
heart4  ,yes1 the ,catholic ,church has 
solved the problem of worship4 ,she has 
a service which unites all the necessary
 conditions for the public worship of   
,god--a common service1 in which all can
 join2 an external service1 which takes 
place before our eyes1 which is         
celebrated with offerings which we      

ourselves supply1 and by a ,priest taken
 from among ourselves2 an attractive    
service2 and yet a service perfectly    
spiritual4 #dij ,the ,catholic does not 
come to church to hear a man pour forth 
an extempore prayer1 and be forced to   
follow him through all the moods and    
feelings of his own mind2 nor to join in
 a set form of prayer1 which1 however   
beautiful and well arranged1 must1 from 
the very nature of the case1 fail to    
express the varying wants and feelings  
of the different members of the         
congregation2 but he comes to join1     
after his own fashion1 in ,christ's own 
prayer4 ,at the ,catholic ,altar there  
is the most complete liberty1 the       
greatest variety1 combined with the most
 perfect unity4  ,come1 then1 children1 
come to ,mass1 and bring your merry     
hearts with you4 ,come1 you that are    
young and happy1 and rejoice before the 
,lord4 ,come1 you that are old and      
weary1 and tell your loneliness to ,god4
 ,come1 you that are sorely tempted1 and

 ask the help of ,heaven4 ,come1 you    
that have sinned1 and weep between the  
porch and the altar4 ,come1 you that are
 bereaved1 and pour out here your tears4
 ,come1 you that are sick1 or anxious1  
or unhappy1 and complain to ,god4 ,come1
 you that are prosperous and successful1
 and give thanks4 ,christ will          
sympathize with you4 ,he will rejoice   
with you1 and ,he will mourn with you4  
,he will gather up your prayers4 ,he    
will join to them ,his own ,almighty    
supplications1 and that concert of      
prayer shall enter heaven1 louder than  
the music of angelic choirs1 sweeter    
than the voice of those who sing the    
song of ,moses and the ,lamb1 more      
piercing than the cry of the living     
creatures who rest not day or night1 and
 more powerful and prevailing than the  
intercession of the ,blessed ,virgin and
 all the saints of ,paradise together4  
,the ,mass a formalism6 ,the ,mass an   
unmeaning service6 ,why1 it is the most 
beautiful1 the most spiritual1 the most 

sublime1 the most satisfying worship    
which the heart of man can even         
conceive4  #dia  ,and here1 too1 in this
 idea of the ,mass1 we have the answer  
to another perplexity of ,protestants4  
,they cannot understand why we make such
 a point of attending ,mass4 ,they see  
us go to ,mass in all weathers4 ,they   
see us so particular not to be late at  
,mass4 ,they see us on ,sunday1 not     
sauntering leisurely1 as if we were     
going to a lecture-room1 but pressing on
 with a certain eagerness1 as if we had 
some great business in hand2 and they   
ask what it all means4 ,is it not       
superstition8 ,do we not1 like the      
,pharisees1 give an undue value to      
outward observances8 ,may we not worship
 ,god at home just as well8 ,ah6 if it  
were really only an outward observance4 
,but there is just the difference4      
,there stands one among us whom you know
 not4 ,we believe that the ,saviour is  
with us1 and you do not4 ,we believe    
this with a certain1 simple faith4 ,come

 to our churches1 and look at our       
people1 the poorest and most ignorant1  
and see if we do not4 ,it is written on 
their faces4 ,they may not know how to  
express themselves1 but this is in their
 hearts4 ,you think we come to ,mass    
because the ,church is so strict in     
requiring us to do so2 but the true     
state of the case is that the law of the
 ,church is so strict because ,christ is
 present in the ,mass4 ,you think it is 
the pomp and glitter of our altars that 
draws the crowd4 ,little you know of    
human nature if you think it can long be
 held by such things alone4 ,no1 we     
adorn our altars because we believe     
,christ is present4 ,this is our faith4 
,it is no new thing with us4 ,it is as  
old as ,christianity4 ,it was the       
comfort of the ,christians in the       
catacombs4 ,it was the glory of ,st4    
,basil and ,st4 ,ambrose and ,st4       
,augustine4 ,it was the meaning of all  
the glory and magnificence of the       
,middle ,ages4 ,and it is our stay and  

support in this nineteenth century of   
knowledge1 labor1 and disquiet4 ,yes1   
strip our altars1 leave us only the     
,corn and the ,vine1 and a ,rock for our
 altar1 and we will worship with posture
 as lowly and hearts as loving as in the
 grandest cathedral4 ,let persecution   
rise2 let us be driven from our         
churches2 we will say ,mass in the woods
 and caverns1 as the early ,christians  
did4 ,we know that ,god is everywhere4  
,we know that ,nature is ,his ,temple1  
wherein pure hearts can find ,him and   
adore ,him2 but we know that it is in   
the ,holy ,mass alone that ,he offers   
,himself to ,his ,father as the ,lamb   
that was slain4 #dib ,how can we forego 
that sweet and solemn action8 ,how can  
we deprive ourselves of that heavenly   
consolation6 ,the sparrow hath found her
 an house and the turtle a nest where   
she may lay her young1 even thy altars1 
,o ,lord of ,hosts1 my ,king and my     
,god6 ,man's heart has found a home and 
resting-place in this vale of tears4 ,to

 us the altar is the vestibule of       
heaven1 and the ,host its open door4    
,yes1 and to us the words of the        
prophet1 when he calls the reign of     
,antichrist the abomination of          
desolation1 because the ,daily          
,sacrifice shall then be taken away1 has
 a peculiar fitness4 ,it is our delight 
now to think that1 as the sun in its    
course brings daylight to each          
successive spot on earth1 it ever finds 
some priest girding himself to go up to 
the ,holy ,altar2 that thus the earth is
 belted1 from the rising of the sun unto
 the going down of the same1 with a     
chain of ,masses2 that as the din of the
 world commences each day1 the groan of 
the oppressed1 the cry of the fearful   
and troubled1 the boast of sin and      
pride1 the wail of sorrow--the voice of 
,christ ascends at the same time to     
heaven1 supplicating for pardon and     
peace4 ,but oh6 when there shall be no  
,mass any more1 when the sun shall rise 
only to show that the altar has been    

torn down1 the priests banished1 the    
lights put out2 that will be a day of   
calamity1 of darkness and sorrow4 ,then 
the beasts will groan1 and the cattle   
low4 ,then will men's hearts wither for 
fear4 ,then will the heavens overhead be
 brass1 and the earth under foot iron1  
because the corn has languished1 the    
vine no longer yields its fruit4 ,the   
tie between earth and heaven is broken2 
sacrifice and libation are cut off from 
the ,house of ,god4  ,such be our       
thoughts1 my dear brethren1 about the   
,holy ,mass4 ,i have alluded to the     
efforts which mankind have made to offer
 a worthy offering to ,god1 sometimes to
 the extent1 even1 of sacrificing their 
own lives and their children4 #dic      
,while we abhor these excesses1 let us  
not forget the earnestness which        
inspired their misguided devotion4 ,and 
we1 to whom ,god has given a perfect    
worship1 a worship not cruel1 but       
beautiful1 inviting1 consoling1         
satisfying1 shall we be less devout in  

offering it8 ,no6 come to ,mass1 and    
come to pray4 ,when the ,lord drew near 
to ,elias on the mount1 the prophet     
wrapped his face in his mantle2 so when 
we come to ,mass1 let us wrap our souls 
in a holy recollection of spirit4       
,remember what is going on4 ,now pray2  
now praise2 now ask forgiveness2 now    
rest before ,god in quiet love4 ,so will
 the ,mass be a marvellous comfort and  
refreshment to you4 ,you know the smell 
of the incense lingers about the sacred 
vestments worn at the altar long after  
the service is over2 so your souls shall
 carry away with them as you leave the  
church a celestial fragrance1 a breath  
of the odors of ,paradise1 the token    
that you have received a blessing from  
,him whose fingers drop with            
sweet-smelling myrrh4                   
-----------------------------           
,sermon ,,xxix4       ,the ,lessons ,of 
,autumn4    7,last ,sunday ,after       
,pentecost47    ,all flesh is grass1    
and all the glory thereof as the flower 

of the field4   ,the grass is withered  
and the flower is fallen4               
--,isaias ,,xl4 #f1 #g4   ,it is but a  
few weeks since you were told that the  
natural world has lessons of deep       
spiritual importance to teach us4 ,our  
,lord1 as we see in the ,gospel1        
sometimes drew the text of ,his         
discourse from the flowers of the field1
 sometimes from the birds of the air2   
and it must be evident to any reflecting
 mind that this was not done as a mere  
exercise of fancy on ,his part1 but was 
the ,divine ,interpretation of these    
messages of love which from the         
beginning ,he had commissioned ,nature  
to tell us4 ,nature1 then1 is really    
intended by ,god to be our ,teacher4 ,it
 is my purpose this morning1 to direct  
your thoughts to one part of its        
teaching--that is1 the spiritual        
instruction suggested to us by the      
season of ,autumn4  #did  ,here1 in the 
,church1 where we have always the same  
doctrines1 and the same worship1 we     

might forget how all things without are 
full of change and decay1 were it not   
that the ,church uses ,nature as a      
handmaid1 and calls her within the      
sanctuary to adorn the ,altar with her  
gifts4 ,we miss today the flowers that  
have been so plentiful all summer1 and  
this tells us what is going on without4 
,the crown of flowers which the ,spring 
brought forth to grace our ,easter      
festival1 and which were the truest type
 of the ,resurrection1 which made that  
feast so joyful1 have all perished4 ,the
 rose of ,whitsuntide1 the floral wealth
 of ,corpus ,christi1 the white lily of 
midsummer1 have all gone their way4 ,the
 glory of ,lebanon is departed2 the     
beauty of ,carmel and ,sharon4 ,in the  
garden and the field1 where so lately   
there was every kind of fruit and flower
 that is pleasant to the eye and sweet  
to the smell or taste--there are now but
 a few dried leaves1 and the skeletons  
of trees and shrubs shaking and rattling
 in the wind4 ,nothing green is left    

except the fir-tree and the box-tree and
 the pine-tree together1 patiently      
enduring cold and snow so as to be on   
hand when the ,holy ,night comes round1 
and the ,heavenly ,babe is born1 to make
 his humble home glad and beautiful with
 their green wreaths and branches4 ,the 
birds that peopled the woods and made   
them merry with their music have gone   
south1 leaving their summer home silent 
and desolate4 ,the days are short4      
,clouds flit across the sky4 ,the air is
 strong and keen1 and men shut it out   
and make all warm and snug within4 ,yes1
 the little time that has elapsed1 since
 we began to number our ,sundays from   
,easter1 has been a full cycle of being 
in the vegetable world4 ,spring has     
given place to summer1 and summer to    
autumn4 ,seed-time and harvest have     
followed each other1 and now the dreary 
winter has commenced4 ,the grass is     
withered and the flower is fallen4  #die
  ,and what does all this mean to us8 ,i
 am sure all of you understand it well4 

,this season speaks to us in tones that 
reach every human heart4 ,it tells us   
that we are dying4 ,it is strange how   
slow we are to realize this4 ,i look    
around this church1 and ,i see many     
dressed in the dark garments that tell  
they are mourning for the dead4 ,in what
 house1 indeed1 is the family unbroken8 
,where is there not a vacant seat at the
 table8 ,who of us has not lost a       
friend8 ,and yet we rarely think that we
 too are soon to follow them4 ,now1 ,god
 wishes us to think of this4 ,he tells  
us of it by our reason1 ,he tells us of 
it by our vacant hearths and homes2 ,he 
tells us of it by sermons1 and by ,his  
word1 but1 not content with this1 ,he   
makes the natural world1 heir with us of
 the sentence of mortality1 a monitor to
 us of this great truth4 ,day unto day  
uttereth speech if it1 and night unto   
night sheweth knowledge of it4 ,footnote
 #bcg      ,footnote #bcg3 ,ps xviii4   
#c4  ,but at certain seasons ,he tells  
us of it more distinctly and in a       

greater variety of ways4 ,would you know
 what the ,autumn teaches8 ,hear the    
,holy ,ghost1 ,himself interpret it3    
,the voice said1 cry2 and ,i said1 what 
shall ,i cry8 ,all ,flesh is grass and  
all the glory thereof as the flower of  
the field3 the grass is withered and the
 flower is fallen4 ,footnote #bch ,in   
the morning man shall grow up like the  
grass2 in the evening he shall fall1    
grow dry and wither4 ,footnote #bci ,man
 born of a woman1 liveth for a short    
time1 and is filled with many miseries4 
,he cometh forth as a flower and is     
destroyed2 he fleeth as a shadow and    
never continueth in the same state4     
,footnote #bdj      ,footnote #bch3     
,isaias xl4 #f1 #g4      ,footnote #bci3
 ,ps4 lxxxix4 #f4      ,footnote #bdj3  
,job xiv4 #a1 #b4  ,oh1 do not require  
,god always to speak to you in a voice  
of thunder3 listen to ,him when ,he     
speaks gently4 ,open your eyes and ears1
 and receive instruction from the sights
 and sounds of ,nature4 ,we are dying3  

the sighing winds tell us so4 #dif ,we  
are dying3 the falling leaf tells us how
 ,death will soon have power over us as 
a leaf carried away by the wind1 and    
pursue us as a dry straw4 ,footnote #bda
 ,we are dying3 the harvest-man is      
discharged1 so our days are like the    
days of an hireling1 and the end of     
labor draweth nigh4 ,footnote #bdb ,we  
are dying3 the short days tell us that  
to us the sun and the light and the moon
 and the stars will soon be             
darkened4,footnote #bdc      ,footnote  
#bda3 ,job xiii4 #be4      ,footnote    
#bdb3 ,job vii4 #a4      ,footnote #bdc3
 ,eccles4 xii4 #b4  ,we are dying3 the  
earth hath already wrapped itself in its
 winding-sheet of snow1 to foretell to  
us the time when1 stiff and cold1 we    
shall be dressed for the grave4 ,we are 
all dying4 ,are you young8 ,well1 the   
young are dying4 ,life is but a         
lingering death4 ,as soon as we are     
born1 we began to draw to our end4      
,every path in life leads straight to   

the grave4 ,are you old8 are you sick8  
,ah6 then1 there is a voice within you  
which repeats the warning from without4 
,you are not as strong and well as you  
once were4 ,time was you felt within you
 a fount of health and strength that    
defied danger and despised precaution4  
,what a strange1 fierce joy it was for  
you to struggle with the buffetings of  
the wintry blast6 ,but1 somehow1 you    
know not how1 either it was an accident 
or an imprudence1 there came over you   
now and then a pain1 a cough1 a strange 
weariness1 and the raw wind steals away 
from your cheek the bloom which once it 
imparted1 and sends a chill to your     
heart4 ,what does it mean8 ,i will tell 
you4 ,it is the shadow of mortality4    
,you are dying4 ,men do not realize     
this4 ,they do not realize it of        
themselves1 and they do not realize it  
of others4 ,death is always a surprise  
and an accident4 ,it is one of the      
things in the world on which men do not 
count4  ,it is something which has      

nothing to do with us until the doctor  
stands over us1 and says we have but a  
few days or a few hours to live4 ,we    
speak of the dead with pity1 as if they 
were the victims of some unlucky chance 
which we had escaped4 ,this ought not to
 be so4 ,it is appointed for man once to
 die4 ,footnote #bdd      ,footnote     
#bdd3 ,heb4 ix4 #bg4  #dig  ,because we 
are living1 therefore we must die4 ,adam
 in ,paradise might have escaped death  
if he would1 but since ,adam's sin and  
our loss of integrity1 the sentence of  
death has passed upon all4 ,there is no 
reflection which a man can make more    
certainly true than this3 ,i must die4  
,the time is fixed4 ,there shall come to
 me a day that knows no setting1 a night
 that knows no dawn4 ,the lights shall  
be lit in the church2 the pall spread   
over the bier2 the priest singing ,mass 
at the altar4 ,my body shall lie under  
that pall1 and my name be mentioned in  
that ,mass4 ,from the church my body    
shall be carried to the grave1 and my   

soul be happy or miserable according to 
the deeds it hath done on earth4 ,i do  
not know when ,i shall die4 ,youth is no
 protection against death4 ,health is no
 protection against death4 ,i do not    
know where ,i shall die4 ,no corner of  
the earth can hide me from ,his summons4
 ,i do not know how ,i shall die1       
whether at home1 among my friends1 with 
the rites of the ,church1 with my       
reason1 with a quiet mind--or abroad1 or
 suddenly1 or without the last          
sacraments1 or with a heavy load of sin 
on my soul1 or in a state of            
insensibility4 ,all these things are    
uncertain2 this only is certain1 that ,i
 must die--that ,i must die1 that my    
turn shall come2 and others shall speak 
of me as ,i speak now of those already  
dead4  ,but some of you may say1 why    
tell us this8 ,life is short at the     
best1 why vex ourselves with thinking of
 that which we cannot prevent4 ,we have 
got many projects in hand1 many         
pleasures in prospect1 and we do not    

want to paralyze our energies and sadden
 our days by meditating always on death4
 ,no1 my brethren1 ,i do not ask you to 
think of death in order to paralyze your
 energies1 but to direct them aright2   
not to sadden your days1 but to make    
them calm and tranquil4 ,i know that a  
celebrated modern writer has made it a  
matter of reproach against ,christianity
 that it sends men to learn the solemn  
lessons of the grave4 #dih ,but surely  
this reproach is unreasonable4 ,it      
cannot be denied that men do die4 ,the  
earth has already many times seen an    
entire generation of her inhabitants    
pass away4 ,there are many more sleeping
 in the ground than live on its surface4
 ,now1 if this be so1 if death is an    
inevitable fact in our history1 and a   
fact on which much depends--if this life
 is not all1 but after this life there  
is an ,eternity dependent on our conduct
 here1 it is plain that reason requires 
us to think of death1 and he is foolish 
who forgets it4 ,besides1 the thought of

 death is enjoined upon us by the       
,almighty1 as a sure means of salvation3
 ,in all thy works remember thy last    
end1 and thou shalt never sin4 ,footnote
 #bde      ,footnote #bde3 ,eccles4 vii4
 #cf4  ,and ,i will say more4 ,the      
thought of death really contributes to  
our comfort1 because it is the only way 
of getting rid of the fear of death4    
,suppose you do refuse to listen to the 
warnings which ,death suggests1 are you 
therefore free from anxiety8 ,is there  
no trouble in your conscience8 ,is there
 nothing frightful to you in a sleepless
 night1 or a sickbed8 would you hear    
with equanimity that you had a hopeless 
disease8 ,no1 it is the coward that will
 not think of death1 who all his life   
through fear of death is subject to     
slavery4 ,act like a man4 ,face this    
,king of ,terrors1 and you disarm him4  
,his countenance is stern1 but his words
 are kind and friendly4 ,listen to him1 
and you will find that he can relax his 
grim features and smile upon you2 and   

there is nothing can give you such      
comfort1 as for death to come to you    
with a smiling face4 ,the sting of death
 is sin3 be careful to avoid sin1 and   
then at his coming you can exclaim3 ,o  
death1 where is thy victory6 ,o death1  
where is thy sting6 ,footnote #bdf      
,footnote #bdf3 ,i4 ,cor4 xv4 #ee4  #dii
  ,oh1 it is a shame and a disgrace that
 ,christians think so little about      
death4 ,why1 death is our best friend   
and our wisest counsellor4 ,a ,london   
anatomist once placed over his          
dissecting-rooms this inscription3 ,hic 
mors juvat succurrere vit2 ,here death  
helps to succor life4 ,you see the      
meaning4 ,the physician takes a dead    
body and studies it1 spends days and    
nights over it1 repulsive as it is1 in  
order to learn the secrets of the living
 frame and how to minister to its       
complaints4 ,so let the ,christian look 
at death and learn from it how to keep  
his soul in health1 how to secure its   
everlasting life4 ,it is nothing very   

terrible that death has to tell us now4 
,the time will come1 if we refuse to    
hear him now1 when his words will be    
terrible2 but now1 though solemn1 though
 calculated to make us serious and      
thoughtful1 they need not make us       
gloomy4 ,he says1 you have a great work 
to do1 and little time to do it in--time
 enough1 but none to spare4 ,he says to 
the young3 ,look at me1 look into my    
face1 and see the value of beauty and of
 pleasure4 ,he says to the proud3 ,come 
and see how kings and beggars lie side  
by side in my dominion4 ,he says to the 
covetous3 ,come1 open a grave1 and see  
what a man carries away with him when he
 dies4 ,and he says to all1 you must die
 alone2 what you are1 what you have made
 yourself1 so must you appear before    
,god1 to receive a just and final       
sentence4 ,this is the sermon of ,death1
 that he has been preaching from the    
beginning4 ,it never grows old4 ,it has 
converted more sinners than all         
missionaries and preachers by any other 

means4 ,it has made more saints1 induced
 more to embrace a religious life1 sent 
more souls to heaven than any other     
sermon ever did4 ,oh6 ,death is a great 
preacher4 ,there is no answer to his    
reasonings1 no escape from his appeal4  
,he speaks not1 but his silence is      
eloquent4 ,he makes no gestures1 but    
that motionless arm of his is more      
expressive than the most impassioned    
action4 ,there is a story told of a     
certain man named ,guerricus1 which     
shows how powerfully death preaches4    
,this man was a ,christian1 but one who 
loved the world too well1 and one       
evening he strayed into a church when   
the monks were singing matins4 #ejj ,the
 hour1 the place1 all invited to        
reflection1 and as he stood and         
listened1 one of the monks came forth1  
and in a loud1 clear voice sang the     
lesson of the day4 ,it was as follows3  
,and all the time that ,adam lived1 came
 to nine hundred and thirty years1 and  
he died4 ,and ,seth lived after he begat

 ,enos eight hundred and seven years1   
and all the years of ,seth were nine    
hundred and twelve years1 and he died4  
,and ,enos begat ,cainan4 ,and all the  
years of ,enos were nine hundred and    
five years1 and he died4 ,and all the   
days of ,cainan were nine hundred and   
ten years1 and he died4 ,footnote #bdg  
,footnote #bdg3 ,gen4 v4 #e4  ,so it    
came at the end of every period1 the    
same melancholy cadence1 ,et mortuus    
est1 and he died4 ,the words rang in the
 ear of ,guerricus4 ,so then1 said he1  
that is the end of all4 ,the longest    
life ends with that record--and he died4
 ,so it will one day be said of me4 ,and
 with this reflection on his mind1 he   
went away and distributed his wealth to 
the poor1 commenced a life of           
mortification and prayer1 and began in  
good earnest to prepare to die4 ,happy  
those who after this example are led by 
the thought of death to enter on a      
really devout life6 ,they will not be   
confounded in the evil day4 ,they will  

not be afraid of any evil tidings4 ,when
 the great prophet ,elias was about to  
leave this world1 the sons of the       
prophets came to tell ,eliseus of it as 
a piece of afflicting news1 saying3     
,dost thou know that the ,lord will take
 away thy master from thee to-day8      
,footnote #bdh ,and he said3 ,yes1 ,i   
know it1 hold your peace4 ,so when the  
good ,christian's last hour comes on1   
and sorrowing friends approach his bed  
to break it to him that he is dying1 he 
can say1 ,yes1 ,i know it4 ,it is no    
news to me4 ,i have long known it4 ,i   
have expected it4 ,dying1 you say4 ,so  
then1 ,i can exclaim with ,st4 ,teresa1 
the hour is come6 the hour ,i have so   
long been waiting for1 the hour ,i have 
labored for1 the hour that is to end my 
exile here1 and unite me for ever to my 
,saviour and my ,god6      ,footnote    
#bdh3 ,i4 ,kings ii4 #c4  #eja  ,i tried
 just now to describe to you the        
desolation that is now spread over the  
face of ,nature2 but a few weeks ago the

 scene was quite different4 ,the fields 
were laden with a golden harvest1 and   
the husbandman was gathering it in with 
joy4 ,he knew that winter was coming1   
and he prepared for it4 ,in the morning 
he sowed his seed1 and in the evening he
 withheld not his hand4 ,he labored in  
the chill1 uncertain spring1 and in the 
hot days of summer1 and when autumn     
came1 he gathered his fruits into the   
garner1 safe from the frosts of winter4 
,so he who thinks of death makes the    
most of the spring-time of life1 takes  
care in his youth to plant in his heart 
the seeds of piety1 and to tear up the  
weeds of vice1 guards his soul in the   
storms of temptation1 labors untiringly 
through the heat and burden of life1    
and1 when his last hour arrives1 lies   
down in peace1 confident that he shall  
enter into those fruits of righteousness
 which1 by patient continuance in       
well-doing1 he has laid up for the time 
to come4  ,i commend these thoughts to  
you all1 my brethren2 but there are some

 among you to whom ,i commend them      
especially1 those1 namely1 who are to   
die soon4 ,when the captains of ,israel 
were assembled together at              
,ramoth-,galaad1 the messenger of       
,eliseus appeared in their midst and    
said1 ,i have a message to thee1 ,o     
prince4 ,and they answered1 ,to which   
one of us all8 ,footnote #bdi ,so ,i    
feel this morning as if ,i had a message
 to some of you in particular1 though ,i
 do not know who they are4 ,the message 
is that which ,jeremias the prophet sent
 to ,hananias3 ,thus saith the ,lord1   
this year shalt thou die4 ,footnote #bej
      ,footnote #bdi3 ,,iv4 ,kings ix4  
#e4      ,footnote #bej3 ,jer4 xxviii4  
#af4  #ejb  ,how many of those who were 
alive a year ago are now dead6 ,how many
 of those who listen to me now will be  
dead before another year rolls round6   
,now1 to these persons it is a question 
of the most pressing urgency1 ,am ,i now
 as ,i would wish to be when ,i die8    
,when ,death comes1 it will not wait    

because you are laden with sins or      
unprepared4 ,it will not wait for you to
 send for the priest or finish your     
confession1 or to receive absolution4   
,at the moment that sentence is given1  
you must yield up your soul1 in whatever
 state it is4 ,now1 then1 is the time to
 put your house in order4 ,perhaps you  
are not a ,catholic4 ,you are lingering 
outside the ,church1 with misgivings in 
your heart that only in her fold you can
 secure your salvation4 ,will those     
misgivings help you to die easily8 ,will
 those ingenious and far-fetched        
arguments1 by which you fortify yourself
 against conviction now1 give that peace
 to your soul1 which the broad1 strong1 
plain evidence of the ,faith imparts to 
the soul of a ,catholic8 ,would you not 
like1 as you go out of this world1 to   
step on the firm rock of ,peter8 ,to go 
hence with the sign of faith1 with the  
blessing of the ,mother of ,saints upon 
you1 and the grace of her sacraments    
within your heart8  ,or1 you are a      

,catholic1 but a careless one4 ,you have
 the load of years of sin on your       
conscience4 ,when you come to die1 will 
you not wish to have those sins blotted 
out8 ,will you then forego as you do now
 those absolving words which our ,lord  
has promised to ratify in heaven8 ,will 
you trust all to the uncertain chance of
 confession in that hour1 or to a       
doubtful contrition8  ,or it is a cloud 
of venial sins--a veil of worldliness1  
and selfishness1 and unfaithfulness1 of 
omissions and neglects1 that darkens    
your soul4 ,do you wish to die with that
 veil not taken away8 ,do you wish to go
 before ,god as careless and as sensual 
as you are now8 ,are you spending your  
time as you would wish to spend the last
 year of your life8 ,oh6 be diligent4   
,the night cometh4 ,work while it is    
day4 ,whatsoever thy hand is able to do1
 do it earnestly2 for neither work1 nor 
reason1 nor wisdom1 nor knowledge shall 
be in the land of the dead whither thou 
art hastening4 ,footnote #bea           

,footnote #bea3 ,eccles4 ix4 #aj4       
,receive instruction4 ,be not of the    
number of those who have foolishly      
thrown away their salvation4  #ejc      
,there are stories of men's passing     
through grave-yards on dark and stormy  
nights1 and hearing dismal sounds1 as of
 a restless and unhappy soul complaining
 of its torments4 ,you say it is the    
wind4 ,suppose it is3 may not the wind  
be speaking for the dead8 ,is not the   
earth for the elect8 ,does not ,nature  
sympathize with man8 ,does not every    
creature groan and travail for our      
redemption8 ,footnote #beb ,did not the 
prophet call upon the fir-trees and the 
oaks to howl for the destruction of     
,jerusalem6 ,footnote #bec              
,footnote #beb3 ,rom4 ix4 #bb4          
,footnote #bec3 ,zacb4 xi4 #b4  ,did not
 the sun hide its face at the crucifixon
 of our ,lord1 and the earth tremble    
under ,his ,cross8 ,and when ,he comes  
to judgment will not the stars fall from
 the sky and the heavens be parted as a 

scroll8 ,is not1 then1 that instinct of 
humanity right which has understood the 
fearful sounds and sights of ,nature as 
,divine utterances--pictures and voices 
of a woe that is unspeakable and        
indescribable4 ,there is a bird in      
,south ,america with a cry so melancholy
 that it is called ,the ,lost ,soul4    
,and ,nature1 that speaks there to the  
hearts of men by that dismal cry1 tells 
the same story to us by the storm at    
sea1 and the moaning and sighing and    
shrieking of the wind on a winter's     
night4 ,what aileth thee1 ,o sea1 tossed
 and driven with the waves8 ,let the    
,scriptures answer4 ,the voice of the   
,lord is upon the waters1 the ,god of   
majesty hath thundered1 the ,lord is    
upon many waters4 ,footnote #bed        
,footnote #bed3 ,ps4 xxviii4 #c3  ,why  
does the winter come upon us with       
desolation and storm8 ,let the ,holy    
,scripture answer again3 ,the vineyard  
is confounded1 and the fig-tree hath    
languished4 ,the pomegranate-tree1 and  

the palm-tree1 and the apple-tree1 and  
all the trees of the field shalt wither 
because joy is withdrawn from the       
children of men4 ,footnote #bee         
,footnote #bee3 ,joel i4 #ab4  #ejd     
,yes1 there are sad things in nature    
because there is death and reprobation  
among men4 ,the days grow short out of  
sorrow for the lost children of ,god1   
and the wintry heavens are black with   
clouds1 and winds1 and rain1 because to 
many the harvest is past1 the summer is 
ended1 and they are not saved4 ,footnote
 #bef      ,footnote #bef3 ,jer4 viii4  
#bj4  -----------------------------     
,,the ,,end   #eje    ,various ,works   
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,for ,sale ,by             ,lawrence    
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,york  -------------    ,sermons of the 
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,t4 ,hecker            #a4jj   ,guide   
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,g4 ,deshon4     #j4ij   ,catholic      
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