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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..27b6e77 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #54246 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/54246) diff --git a/old/54246-8.txt b/old/54246-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index b7c3df4..0000000 --- a/old/54246-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,9056 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Clergy And The Pulpit In Their -Relations To The People., by M. L'Abbé Isidore Mullois - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: The Clergy And The Pulpit In Their Relations To The People. - -Author: M. L'Abbé Isidore Mullois - -Translator: George Percy Badger - -Release Date: February 26, 2017 [EBook #54246] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CLERGY AND THE PULPIT *** - - - - -Produced by Don Kostuch - - - - - [Transcriber's note: I dedicate this transcription to the Very - Reverend Richard Trout of Corpus Christi Parish, Celebration, - Florida. His gentle and moving homilies are perfect examples of - the style and content recommended by this author. As the - preface observes, the many references to nineteenth century - France may not all apply to our times, but people and cultures - are remarkably similar over time and distance.] - - - -{3} - - The Clergy And The Pulpit - In Their Relations To The People. - - - - By M. L'Abbé Isidore Mullois, - - Chaplain To The Emperor Napoleon III., - And Missionary Apostolic. - - - Translated By - - George Percy Badger, - - Late Chaplain In The Diocese Of Bombay, - Author Of "The Nestorians and Their Rituals," Etc. - - - First American Edition. - - - New-York: - - The Catholic Publication Society, - Lawrence Kehoe, General Agent, - 126 Nassau Street. - 1867. - -{4} - - John A. Gray & Green, Printers, - 16 and 18 Jacob Street, New-York. - -{5} - - Preface To The American Edition. - - -This excellent translation of the now celebrated work of the Abbé -Mullois is presented to the American public with every assurance -that it will meet with a most cordial welcome. - -It is a live book; full of earnest words, fresh from the heart no -less than from the head of the devout and zealous author. It has -gained an unwonted popularity in France, where it has already -passed through many editions. No less than twenty thousand copies -are said to be in the hands of as many ecclesiastics. - -We judge it to be one of the most timely books that could be -offered to our own clergy, who will find much in these pages to -encourage and stimulate them in their arduous pastoral duties. -{6} -The sceptical spirit which pervades a large mass of the French -people, hardly yet recovered from the fearful shock which their -faith received in the Revolution, is one which, happily, we in -America have not to contend with; and the suggestions of the -author in reference to this are, of course, of no practical -moment to us: but the principle that underlies every subject of -which the author treats is a universal one, applicable at all -times and to every nation: "To address men well, they must be -loved much." This is the title of the first chapter, and the key -to the whole work. - -It is written in a pleasing, familiar style, with an unction that -endues every sentence with an irresistible power of conviction -and persuasion. Its perusal cannot fail of exerting a most -healthful influence upon the character and tone of the discourses -which the reader may be called upon by virtue of his office to -deliver for the instruction and edification of the people -committed to his spiritual care. - ------- - -{7} - - Author's Preface. - - -It is surprising that whereas, during the last three centuries, -many books have been published on the mode of preaching to the -higher classes, scarcely any thing has been written on the same -subject with reference to the people, or lower orders. It seems -to have been thought that the latter ought to be satisfied with -the crumbs which might fall from the table provided for the -educated portion of society. - -Nevertheless, nothing could be more opposed to the spirit of the -Gospel; which is specially addressed to the poor and humble--"He -hath anointed Me to preach to the poor." The Fathers of the early -Church did not consider it beneath their genius to write -treatises on the manner of communicating religious instruction to -the people. The people form nearly the whole of the population. -{8} -In France, they number twenty-three out of a total of twenty-five -millions; yet, strange to say, they are quite overlooked. The -educated two millions appear to have assumed that they constitute -France, and that France has so willed it. But if a few men were -to arise capable of laying hold of the instincts of the -multitude, were it only of one of the emotions which stir them, -they would soon undeceive those who fancy that the people are -under their guidance. We know something by experience on that -score. - -There is a prevailing conviction among the well-disposed that -nothing but religion can save us; that France must either once -more become Christian or perish. But in order that religion may -exercise a beneficial influence over the masses, it must be -brought into contact with them; and that can only be done by the -preaching of the Word, agreeably with the inspired -declaration:--"Faith cometh by hearing." - -{9} - -It is much more difficult than is imagined to preach to the -common people, because they are so little conversant with -spiritual things, and so much absorbed in what is material. It is -more difficult to address them than the wealthier classes; for, -in addressing the latter, one has only to fall in with the -current of their ideas; whereas in preaching to the former, we -have to bring high and sublime thoughts within the grasp of -feeble intelligences. Besides, there exists among the masses a -certain amount of knowledge more or less superficial, and none is -more difficult to direct than a half-taught man. - -The foregoing considerations have led us to indite this little -treatise; wherein our object has been not to lay down any -specific rules, but simply to set forth the teachings of -experience. What we most need nowadays is a popular religious -literature to meet the temper and wants of the people. Such a -literature does not exist. It should be based entirely on the -national character and on the precepts of the Gospel. Invested -with those two qualities, it would become an irresistible agency -for good, and would act as powerfully on the educated few as on -the unlettered many. -{10} -It might inaugurate the regeneration of our literature by -restoring to it vitality, naturalness, and dignity. The time has -come for taking up the cause of the people in earnest. The -community generally is impressed with that conviction, and -manifests a praiseworthy desire to encourage every effort for -ameliorating their moral condition. Upward of one hundred -thousand volumes specially designed for them are sold every year. -Worldly-minded men, too, are anxious to foster the movement; -finding that those who show a disposition to benefit the masses -are sure to meet with countenance, sympathy, and even veneration. -Moreover, we are at present in the enjoyment of profound calm. -Heretofore, the apology for delay was:--"Let us wait to see the -upshot of passing events; for who knows what may become of us; -who knows but that we may be driven from our own homes?" The -evil-disposed have had their day; let us see what honest folk may -and can do. - -Let us mutually co-operate, piously and charitably, to become -once more a united people and country--a France with one heart -and one soul. 'Twill be the beginning of blessedness. - -{11} - - Contents. - - - - Page -Preface To The American Edition, 5 - -Preface By The Author, 7 - - Chapter I. 15 - - To Address Men Well, They Must Be Loved Much. - - The Gospel enjoins universal Benevolence. - The Men of the present Age have a special Claim to our Love. - The success of Preaching depends upon our loving them. - Wherein true Apostolical Eloquence consists. - - - Chapter II. 40 - - The People. - - The actual State of the People. - Their good and bad Qualities. - The People in large Cities. - The People in small Towns. - The People in rural Districts. - How to benefit these Three Classes of the People. - One powerful Means is to act upon the People through the upper - Classes, and upon the latter through the former. - - - Chapter III. 118 - - The Order Of A Sermon. - - The Exordium. - Divisions. - Proofs. - Are there many Unbelievers in France? - Manner of refuting Objections. - -{12} - - Chapter IV. 136 - - The Sermon Should Be Popular. - - What constitutes true Popularity? - Popularity in Words, in Thought, in Sentiment. - One of the most popular Sentiments in France is Patriotism. - Means to utilize that Sentiment. - The Relationship between Popularity and Genius. - Demosthenes. - Saint John Chrysostom. - Daniel O'Connell. - - - Chapter V. 160 - - The Sermon Should Be Plain. - - An obscure Sermon is neither Christian nor French. - Abuse of philosophical Terms. - Philosophical Speculations not popular amongst us. - The French mind is clear and logical. - Plainness of Speech. - Plainness of Thought. - Starting from the Known to the Unknown. - Metaphors. - Similes. - Parables. - Facts. - Père Lejeune. - M. l'Abbé Ledreuil. - - - Chapter VI. 183 - - The Sermon Should Be Short. - - The Discourses of the Fathers were short. - The French Mind is quick to apprehend. - Sermons are generally too long. - Sermons of Ten, Seven, and of Five Minutes. - - - Chapter VII. 197 - - Tact And Kindliness. - - We should assume that our Hearers are what we wish them to be. - Reproaches to be avoided. - How to address Unbelievers. - Special Precautions to be taken in small Towns and Rural Districts. - How to treat Men during times of public Commotion. - Forbearance due to the Church for being obliged. - to receive Money from the Faithful. - -{13} - - Chapter VIII. 222 - - Interest. Emotion, and Animation. - - We should endeavor to excite Interest by Thoughts, by Sallies or - Epigrams, by Studies of Men and Manners. - The Truth should be animated. - The Père Ravignan. - The Père Lacordaire. - The Heart is too often absent. - - - Chapter IX. 243 - - The Power And Accent Of Conviction. - - The Divine Word has always been the first Power in the World. - The Gospel still the first of Books. - There can be no Christian Eloquence - without the Accent of personal Conviction. - - - Chapter X. 254 - - Action. - - Action should be: - first, true and natural; - secondly, concentrated; - thirdly, edifying. - It should be cultivated. - How cultivated by the Society of Jesus Suggestions. - - - Chapter XI. 275 - - Study. - - Study a Duty. - The State of the World calls for - Knowledge on the part of the Clergy. - Knowledge has always been one of the Glories of Religion. - All the eminent Men in the Church were Men of Study. - Reasons adduced for not studying, answered: - Want of Leisure, - Natural Aptitude, - The Plea of having already studied sufficiently; - That one is fully equal to the Requirements - of the People committed to his Charge. - -{14} - - Chapter XII. 287 - - Zeal. - - The Excellency of Zeal. - Love for the Body should be coupled with Love for the Soul. - The Zeal of the Wicked. - How Zeal should be exercised. - Associations: - of Apprentices, - of Operatives, - Conferences of Saint Vincent de Paul, - of Domestics, - of Clerks, - of the Young. - Circulation of good Books. - Happy Results of the same. - The Advantages and Difficulties of Opposition. - Great Occasions. - ------- - -{15} - - The Clergy And The Pulpit - In Their Relations To The People. - ----- - - Chapter I. - - To Address Men Well, They Must Be Loved Much. - - - The Gospel enjoins universal Benevolence. - The Men of the present Age have a special Claim to our Love. - The Success of Preaching depends upon our loving them. - Wherein true Apostolical Eloquence consists. - - -Many rules of eloquence have been set forth, but, strange to say, -the first and most essential of all has been overlooked, namely, -Charity. ... To address men well, they must be loved much. -Whatever they may be, be they ever so guilty, or indifferent, or -ungrateful, or however deeply sunk in crime, before all and above -all, they must be loved. Love is the sap of the Gospel, the -secret of lively and effectual preaching, the magic power of -eloquence. ... The end of preaching is to reclaim the hearts of -men to God, and nothing but love can find out the mysterious -avenues which lead to the heart. -{16} -We are always eloquent when we wish to save one whom we love; we -are always listened to when we are loved. But when a hearer is -not moved by love, instead of listening to the truth, he ransacks -his mind for some thing wherewith to repel it: and in so doing -human depravity is seldom at fault. - -If, then, you do not feel a fervent love and profound pity for -humanity--if in beholding its miseries and errors you do not -experience the throbbings, the holy thrillings of Charity--be -assured that the gift of Christian eloquence has been denied you. -You will not win souls, neither will you ever gain influence over -them, and you will never acquire that most excellent of earthly -sovereignties--sovereignty over the hearts of men. - -I may be mistaken, but it seems to me that the tradition of this -great evangelical charity has declined among us. I hasten to add, -however, that this is the fault of the age, of its injustices and -sarcasms. It has dealt so hardly with Christianity, and has been -so ungrateful toward it, that our souls have become embittered, -and our words have been sometimes cold and dry: like the mere -words of a man and nothing more. But that bitterness is passing -away. - -{17} - -Religion in France, at the present day, is in the condition of a -mother who meets with indifference and abuse from her son. The -first outburst of her heart is one of pain and repugnance; but -soon the better part of her nature gains the ascendency, and she -says within herself: "After all, it is true that he is wicked; it -is also true that he fills me with grief, and is killing me with -anguish; nevertheless, he is still my child, and I am still his -mother. ... I cannot help loving him, so great is his power over -me. Let them say what they will, I still love him. ... Would to -God that he had a desire to return! Would that he might change! -How readily would I pardon every thing and forget all! ... How, -then, can I enjoy a moment's happiness whilst knowing that he is -wicked or wretched?" ... This is what Religion and those who -represent it have felt. We have been wounded; we have been made -to suffer cruelly. Yes, men have been unjust and ungrateful: but -these same are our brethren still, still our children. And can we -be happy while we see them wicked and miserable? Have they not -already suffered enough? .... The question is not to ascertain -what they are worth, but to save them such as they are. Our age -is a great prodigal son; let us help it to return to the paternal -home. Now is the time to recall the admirable words of -Fenelon:--"O ye pastors, put away from you all narrowness of -heart. Enlarge, enlarge your compassion. You know nothing if you -know merely how to command, to reprove, to correct, to expound -the letter of the law. Be fathers, ... yet that is not enough; be -as mothers." - -{18} - -This large love for men, alike for the good and the evil, is the -pervading spirit of the Gospel. It is the true spirit of -Christianity. Its power was felt by our fathers in the sacred -ministry, and it governed their lives. - -Look at Saint Paul, that great missionary of the Catholic Church. -A stream of love flows from his apostolic soul. He did not suffer -himself to be disconcerted by the failings, the vices, or the -crimes of men. His heart uplifts him above such considerations, -and he overcomes human prejudices and errors by the power of his -charity. Let us hear him:--"O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open -unto you, our heart is enlarged. Ye are not straitened in us, but -ye are straitened in your own bowels. ... Be ye also enlarged. -For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have -ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you. I -seek not yours, but you, ... and I will very gladly spend and be -spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I -be loved." And, again:--"Would to God ye could bear with me a -little in my folly: and, indeed, bear with me. For I am jealous -over you with godly jealousy. Wherefore? because I love you not? -God knoweth." [Footnote 1] - - [Footnote 1: 2 Cor. vi. 13. I Cor. iv. 15. - 2 Cor. xii. 14, 15; xi. i, 2, 11.] - -{19} - -"I say the truth in Christ that I lie not," saith he to the -Romans; "I have great heaviness, and continual sorrow in my -heart. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for -my brethren." [Footnote 2] - - [Footnote 2: Rom. ix. 2, 3.] - -And addressing the Galatians, he says:--"Brethren, be as I am; -for I am as ye are. Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I -preached the Gospel to you at first. And my temptation, which was -in my flesh, ye despised not, nor rejected. Where is, then, the -blessedness ye spake of? For I bear you record, that, if it had -been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have -given them to me. Am I therefore become your enemy because I tell -you the truth? ... My little children, of whom I travail in birth -again until Christ be formed in you." [Footnote 3] - - [Footnote 3: Gal. iv. 12-16, 19.] - -... And, again, writing to the Philippians:--"It is meet for me -to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart. For God -is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of -Jesus Christ. ... Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and -service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all." -[Footnote 4] - - [Footnote 4: Philip, i. 7, 8; ii. 17.] - -Alas! in this our day we see around us the same men, the same -frailties, the same passions. Let us aim at possessing the same -apostolical heart. - -{20} - -In like manner Saint Chrysostom. ... what love, what charity, -what devotedness dwelt in the heart of that Christian orator! And -as regards the people with whom he had to deal; what laxity, what -vices, what baseness had he not to contend against! Nevertheless, -his heart is inflamed with charity, his yearnings are kindled. -Exclamations of pain, the plaintive accents of pity escape from -him; and even when he grows angry, he entreats, he sues for -pardon. - -"I beseech you," said he to the faithful, "to receive me with -affection when I come here; for I have the purest love for you. I -feel that I love you with the tenderness of a father. If -occasionally I reprove you rather sharply, it arises from the -earnest desire which I have for your salvation. ... If you reject -my words, I shall not shake off the dust of my feet against you. -Not that herein I would disobey the Saviour, but because the love -which He has given me for you prevents my doing so. ... But, and -if you refuse to love us, at least love yourselves by renouncing -that sad listlessness which possesses you. It will suffice for -our consolation that we see you becoming better, and progressing -in the ways of God. Hereby, also, will my affection appear still -greater, that while having so much to youward, you shall have so -little toward me. ... We give you what we have received, and, in -giving it, ask nothing but your love in return. If we are -unworthy of it, love us notwithstanding, and perchance your -charity may render us deserving." - -{21} - -"You love me and I love you," said he, addressing the believers, -"and I would willingly give you my life, and not merely that -small service which I render by preaching the Gospel unto you." - -In consequence of sickness he had been obliged to go into the -country. On his return he thus addressed his audience:--"You -thought of me, then, during my absence. For my part, it was -impossible for me to forget you. ... Even when sleep closed my -bodily eyes, the strength of your affection for me opened the -eyes of my mind insomuch that while sleeping I often fancied that -I was addressing you. ... I have preferred to return with the -remains of my ailment rather than by staying longer away to do -any injury to your charity; for while I was in the country you -were unremitting in the expression of your grief and condolence. -This was the subject of all your letters; and I am not less -grateful for your grief than for your praise, since one must be -capable of loving in order to grieve as you have done. ... Hence, -as I am no longer ill, let us satisfy one an other; if, indeed, -it be possible that we should be satisfied; for love is -insatiable, and the continual enjoyment of it by those whom it -endears only inflames it still more. This is what was felt by -Saint Paul, that foster-child of Charity, when he said: 'Owe no -man any thing but to love one another;' for that debt is always -being paid, yet is never discharged." [Footnote 5] - - [Footnote 5: Second Homily on Repentance.] - -{22} - -Also the following passage, which is quite to the purpose here: -"You are to me in the place of father, mother, brothers and -children. You are every thing to me, and no joy or sorrow can -affect me in comparison with that which concerns you. Even though -I may not have to answer for your souls, I should not be the less -inconsolable were you to perish; just as a father is not consoled -for the loss of his son, although he may have done all in his -power to save him. That I may some day be found guilty, or that I -may be justified before the awful tribunal, is not the most -pressing object of my solicitude and of my fear; but that you may -all, without exception, be saved, all made happy forever, that is -enough: that is also necessary to my personal happiness, even if -the divine justice should have to reprove me for not having -discharged my ministry as I ought; although, in that respect, my -conscience does not upbraid me. But what matters it by whom you -are saved, provided that you are saved? And if any one is -surprised to hear me speak in this manner, it is because he knows -not what it is to be a father." [Footnote 6] - - [Footnote 6: Homily iii. on the Acts.] - -{23} - -On the other hand, if men ever ought to be loved, if, above all, -the heart of the Christian priest ought to be touched, moved even -to tears with deep compassion for humanity, this is preëminently -the time. Doubtless, humanity is deserving of blame, but it is -also most worthy of pity. Who, indeed, can be bold enough to hate -it? Let us rather grieve for it: grieve for the men of the world -who are truly miserable. ... What truths can they lay hold of to -resist themselves, to fill the void in their souls, to control -themselves under the trials of life? All have been assailed, -shaken, denied, overturned. What are they to do in the midst of -this conflict of affirmations and negations? Hardly has a -powerful and divine truth been presented to them, than one of -those so-called talented men has come forward to sully it by his -gainsaying or scornful derision. - -Above all, the rising generation calls for our pity, because it -has so long been famished. The half of its sustenance has been -withheld from it by the cruelty of the age. - -But let us do it justice: youth appreciates sincerity and candor -above every thing. It is straightforward, and hates nothing so -much as duplicity and hypocrisy. Well, when a young man awakens -into life, what does he see around him? Contradiction and -inconsistency, a very Babel of tongues: a discordant, a hellish -concert. One bawls out to him, "Reason!" another "Faith!" here -some bid him "Suffer!" there others tell him to "Rejoice!" but -soon all join in the chorus, "Money, my son, money!" What, we -ask, is a youth of eighteen, with all his besetting passions, to -do in the midst of confusion like this? - -{24} - -It were well if even the domestic hearth afforded an asylum from -this turmoil; but, unhappily, it assumes there its most flagrant -form in father and mother. There we find one building up, and the -other destroying. The mother prays, the father is prayerless; the -mother is a communicant, the father is not; the mother confesses, -the father does not; the mother speaks well of religion, the -father derides it. ... What, we ask again, is a youth to do with -his affections under circumstances like these? Reason tells him -that if there is a truth, it must be the same for all; if there -is a rule of morals, it should apply to all; that if there is a -religion, it should be the religion of all. Next, he is tempted -to believe that he is being made sport of, and that the words -_vice_, _truth_, and _virtue_ are nothing but bare words after -all. Such is the aspect of things presented to the rising -generation; and were it not that there is something naturally -good and generous in the hearts of the young, how much would they -despise their predecessors in life! ... - -They are told of the existence of duties, laws, and other -subjects of vast importance, and yet they see men who ought to be -serious spending their time in material pursuits, in hoarding -money, or in sensual gratifications. - -{25} - -Is there not in all this enough to distress a sensitive mind, and -to lead it to utter the complaint, "O God! wherefore hast Thou -placed me in the midst of such contradictions? What am I to do? -My father, the man whom I am bound to resemble most on earth, can -I condemn him? Can I any the more blame my mother, or charge her -with weakness--my mother, whose influence over me is so strong? -What, then, am I to do? What must I become? Is life a desert -wherein I am lost? Is there no one to guide me? Those who should -direct are the first to mislead me. My father says: Do as I do; -follow my example. My mother, with all the power of maternal -affection, says: 'No, no, my son; do not follow your father, for -if you do you will perish'." What shame should we take to -ourselves for a state of things like this, and how much should we -pity those who are its victims! - -And then the lower classes--the people,--who do penance under our -eyes in toil and suffering, how can we help loving, how avoid -compassionating, them? Undoubtedly, they have their faults, their -frailties, and their vices; but are we not more blameworthy than -they? The people are always what they are made. Is it their fault -if the pernicious doctrines and scandals of the higher orders -have stained the lower classes of society? Moreover, they have -been treated without pity and without mercy. -{26} -They have been despoiled of all: even that last resource, hope, -has been taken from them. They have been forbidden to dream of -happiness. Heartless men have interposed between them and heaven, -and have said to them, "Listen; your toil, your trials, your -rags, your hunger, the hunger of your wives and children--such is -your lot. You have nothing else to hope for; except, perchance, -the pleasures of revelry." They have been deprived of every -thing: they had hopes of a better future, which have been taken -from them; they had God above, who has been robbed from them, and -they have been told that heaven consisted in the enjoyments of -earth. Meanwhile, they are miserable; and being miserable are, as -it were, doomed already: yet, what have they done to merit this? - -Yes, there has been no pity shown to the people; for has not the -present age regarded Christianity as a delusion? Christianity -ought to have been respected among the people, because it -benefited them, because it alleviated their wretchedness. But no, -a cruel age has had the fell courage to snatch it from them. A -tale is told of a prisoner who became deeply attached to a -spider, which served to while away the tedium of his captivity. -He fed it with his own food, and it was his delight to see it -scamper about his cell; but the jailer, noticing this innocent -gratification, crushed the insect. ... -{27} -The spider was undoubtedly an insignificant thing; but the -jailer's conduct was harsh, and all would denounce it as a -gratuitously brutal act. Well, then, if religion among the people -had been regarded merely as the spider of this poor prisoner, it -ought to have been respected, because it might have done them -good. On the contrary, the laborer has been denied the hope that -there will be a time of rest; the sufferer, that some day there -will be consolation; the wronged has not been allowed to -anticipate that hereafter justice will be meted out; the mother -who deplores the loss of her child has been denied the hope that -some day she shall behold him again. Every thing has been taken -from the people, and nothing has been left them but material -pleasures to be enjoyed at rare intervals. - -What a field is here opened out for the exercise of love, of -compassion, and of pity! O ye poor people whom Christ loved! is -it that all your struggles and trials are merely a foretaste of -eternal misery? If you are to suffer here, and to suffer also -after death, then you must needs suffer forever! But that we -cannot allow, and after the example of Christ, we should say to -ourselves:--"I have pity upon the multitude, for if I send them -away fasting they will faint by the way." - -Lastly, on this Charity depends the success of evangelical -preaching. - -{28} - -To be co-workers with Christ in regenerating and saving mankind, -we must love it as He loved. He first did men good, then He -addressed them. Hence it was that the people, unmindful of their -most urgent wants, followed Him exclaiming: "Never man spake like -this man." - -Let us never forget that the object of preaching is to turn men -from wrong-doing, and to lead them to that which is good. This is -the great aim of the Christian orator. But where is the seat of -good and evil, and where are both elaborated? According to the -divine word, "_out of the heart_ proceed evil thoughts, murders, -adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemy." - -The heart, then, must be touched, moved, laid hold of. It is the -heart which receives or rejects the truth; which says to it: -"Come, I welcome you;" or, "Begone, you annoy me;" and it is love -alone that can reach the heart and change it. An Arab proverb -runs thus:--"The neck is bent by the sword; but heart is only -bent by heart." If you love, you yourself will be loved; the -truth from you will be loved; even self-sacrifice will be an act -of love. ... What we most want nowadays is not additional -knowledge, for nearly all of us know full well what we ought to -do. What we really want is the courage to act, the energy to do -what is right. -{29} -Truth has sadly diminished amongst us, and its characteristics -also. What we need, then, is a style of preaching which -enlightens and sustains, which threatens and encourages, which -humbles and exalts, and which throughout speaks to individuals, -saying, "I love thee." - -It is not by essays of reasoning, any more than by the sword, -that the moral world is to be swayed. A little knowledge, much -sound sense, and much more heart--that is what is requisite to -raise the great mass, the people, and to cleanse and purify them. -To be able to reason is human, very human, and one who is a man -and nothing more may possess that ability as well as you, perhaps -in a higher degree. But to love, to devote one's self, to -sacrifice self, is something unearthly, divine, possessing a -magic power. Self-devotion, moreover, is the only argument -against which human malevolence can find no answer. ... - -You may employ the most splendid reasonings, clothed in the -grandest phraseology, and yet the mind of man will readily find -wherewith to elude them. Who knows but that French wit, by one -malicious word, may not upset all at once your elaborate -structure of arguments? What is required in sacred eloquence is -something new, something unexpected. Ask you what it is? It is -love; for loving, you will surprise, captivate: you will be -irresistible. - -{30} - -For it is useless to disguise the fact that in France nowadays -there is scarcely any belief in disinterestedness. Even the -people are beginning to think that no one acts without a motive -of self-interest; and their thought is aptly expressed in the -frank and original reply of a poor devil who was brought before -the correctional police for having inscribed some Legitimist -sentences on a wall. The president, observing his tattered -garments, and his any thing but aristocratic appearance, asked -him if he was really a Legitimist. "By no means, Monsieur le -President," was the answer; "I merely do as others, as you do, as -all do nowadays--_I work for those who feed me_." - -But when the people meet with real affection, a thorough -devotedness, then they are overcome at once and yield heartily. - -You visit a poor family, or one of the working-classes in a large -town, where the people are generally frank, and hardly know how -to conceal their thoughts. Do not be surprised, then, if -something like the following dialogue should take place: - -"Well, sir, but who pays you for visiting us?" - -"Nobody." - -"What interest, then, have you in coming?" - -"None whatever, beyond that of wishing to benefit you and your -little ones, whom I love." - -"I can scarcely believe it. There must be something underhand in -this." - -{31} - -But when such persons are convinced that you entertain a sincere -affection for them--that there is nothing _underhand_ in what you -do--you become all-powerful. The disclosure breaks in upon them -like a divine revelation, and they may be said to love the truth -even before knowing it. Then you may speak, entreat, or command; -you will be listened to, you will be believed, obeyed. What else, -indeed, could any do who love you, and also inspire love on your -part? - -It is quite right to reason and to appeal to the intellect, but -it is not enough. Human malice will never be at a loss for a -reply to your arguments. You may be acute, logical, endowed with -learning and talent, the right may be most clearly on your side, -and yet your efforts will be unproductive; nay, you will often be -defeated, insomuch that it may be affirmed that he who uses -reason only shall perish by reason. On the contrary, love causes -things to be regarded from a different point of view, removes -difficulties, and imparts light and courage simultaneously. - -You say to a worldly woman:--"If you were to occupy yourself a -little in good works, such as visiting the poor." ... Forthwith -she starts a thousand objections against the suggestion:--"What, -I, in my position! ... I really have no leisure. I have my house, -my children, my servants, and so many other things to attend to. -Then, my health is so wretched, and my husband cares for nothing. -... Besides, it is a woman's first duty to look after her -domestic concerns." -{32} -In a word, she instantly bristles up with good reasons. You -encounter a pointed defence everywhere, and no gap to admit your -arguments. Beware, therefore, of reasoning with her. Go straight -to her heart, beget charity within her, make her to feel, to -love, and soon you will hardly recognize her as the same -individual, for the change will be almost instantaneous, and -every subsidiary stumbling-block will disappear. Then she will go -and come, suffer, be humble, self-denying, examplary. - -Woman is called the feeble sex. True, when she does not love; but -when love takes possession of her soul, she becomes the strong, -the able, the devoted sex. She then looks difficulties in the -face which would make men tremble. - -An orator of high intellectual powers occupies a pulpit, and -leaves scarcely any results behind him. He is succeeded by one of -ordinary attainments, who draws wondering crowds and converts -many. The local sceptics are amazed. "This man's logic and -style," say they, "are weak; how comes it that he is so -attractive?" It comes from this, that he has a heart; that he -loves and is loved in return. So when a venerable superior of -missionaries [Footnote 7] wished to learn what success a priest -had met with on his tour, he generally asked, "Did you really -love your congregations?" If the answer was in the affirmative, -the pious man remarked--"Then your mission has been a good one." - - [Footnote 7: This clearly refers to Home Missionaries. ED.] - -{33} - -Have a heart, then, in dealing with the people; have charity; -love, and cause others to love, to feel, to thrill, to weep, if -you wish to be listened to, and to escape the criticisms of the -learned as well as the ignorant. Then let them say what they -like, let them criticise and inveigh as they please, you will -possess an invincible power. What a grand mission, what a -glorious heritage is that of loving our fellow-men! Let others -seek to lord it over them, and to win their applause; for my -part, I prefer holding-out a hand to them, to bless and to pity -them, convinced by a secret instinct that it is the best way to -save them. - -I have already remarked that our language has not always breathed -this broad and tender charity. The injustice and unreason which -we have had to encounter have made us somewhat querulous, and we -have become champions when we should have remained fathers and -pastors. We have followed the world too much into the arena of -discussion. We have fancied that it was enough to prove a truth -in order to secure its adoption into the habits of life. We have -forgotten that Saint François de Sales converted 70,000 -Protestants by the sweetness of his charity, and not one by -argument. -{34} -Nevertheless, strange enough, much is urged on the young -clergyman as regards the necessity and mode of proving a truth -and of constructing a sermon, but scarcely any thing on the -necessity and manner of loving his audience. - -Just look at the young priest on his entrance upon the sacred -ministry. He is armed cap-à-pie with arguments, he speaks only by -syllogisms. His discourse bristles with _now, therefore, -consequently_. He is dogmatic, peremptory. One might fancy him a -nephew of one of those old bearded doctors of the middle ages, -such as Petit Jean or Courte-Cuisse. He is disposed to transfix -by his words every opponent, and to give quarter to none. He -thrusts, cuts, overturns relentlessly. My friend, lay aside a -part of your heavy artillery. Take your young man's, your young -priest's heart, and place it in the van before your audience, and -after that you may resort to your batteries if they are needed. -Make yourself beloved,--be a father. Preach affectionately, and -your speech, instead of gliding over hearts hardened by pride, -will pierce _even to the dividing of the joints and marrow_; and -then that may come to be remarked of you which was said of -another priest by a man of genius who had recently been reclaimed -to a Christian life:--"I almost regret my restoration, so much -would it have gratified me to have been converted by so -affectionate a preacher." - -{35} - -I do not mean to say that the truth should not be set forth with -power and energy. God forbid! but it should be seasoned -throughout with abundant charity. It is only those, indeed, who -love much and are themselves beloved, who possess the prerogative -of delivering severe truths in an effectual manner. The people -pardon every thing in those to whom they are attached, and -receive home, without recoiling, the sternest truths and reproofs -addressed to them by a beloved preacher. - -Let your preaching, then, be the effusion of a heart full of love -and truth. Skilfully disconnect vices and errors from -individuals. Place the latter apart, and then assail the former: -be merciless, close up all loop-holes, allow no scope for the -resistance of bad passions; tread the evil under foot. But raise -up the vicious and erring, stretch out a hand to them, pour -confidence and good-will into their souls, address them in -language such as will make them hail their own -defeat:--"Brethren, I speak to you as I love you, from the bottom -of my heart." "Permit us to declare unto you the whole truth; -suffer us to be apostles; suffer us to address you in words -enlivened by charity; suffer us to save you. ..." - -Thus have we endeavored to describe the nature, the power, and -the triumphs of apostolical preaching; which should be the same -now as it was in olden time. - -{36} - -But apostolical eloquence is no longer well understood. It is now -made to consist of I hardly know what: the utterance of truths -without any order, in a happy-go-lucky fashion, extravagant -self-excitement, bawling, and thumping on the pulpit. There is a -tendency in this respect to follow the injunctions of an old -divine of the sixteenth century to a young bachelor of -arts:--"_Percute cathedram fortiter; respice Crucifixum torvis -oculis; nil diu ad propositnm, et bene prcedicabis_." - -It is evident that any thing so congenial to indolence cannot be -apostolical eloquence, which consists of an admixture of truth, -frankness, and charity. To be an apostle one must love, suffer, -and be devoted. - -For, what is an apostle? To use the language of one who was -worthy to define the meaning of the word, and who exemplified the -definition in his own life: [Footnote 8] "An apostle is fervent -charity personified. ... The apostle is eager for work, eager to -endure. He yearns to wean his brethren from error, to enlighten, -console, sustain, and to make them partakers of the happiness of -Christianity. The apostle is a hero; he is a martyr; he is a -divine, a father; he, is indomitable, yet humble; austere, yet -pure; he is sympathizing, tender. ... The apostle is grand, -eloquent, sublime, holy. He entertains large views, and is -assiduous in carrying them out for the regeneration and salvation -of mankind." - - [Footnote 8: Père Ravignan.] - -{37} - -We must return, then, to this broad and tender benevolence. Let -our congregations feel it, read it; see it in our persons, in our -features, in our words, in our minutest actions. Let them -understand that the priest is, before all others, their best, -their most faithful friend. Nothing must disconcert our charity. -Our heart must be enlarged, and soar above the frail ties, the -prejudices, and the vices of humanity. Did not Saint Paul say: "I -could wish that myself were accursed from Christ," for the sake -of his erring brethren? And did not Moses elect to be blotted out -from the book of life rather than see his cowardly, ungrateful, -fickle countrymen stricken by the hand of the Almighty? The -weaker men are, the more need have they to be loved. - -Such love does good to all. It cheers the heart of the preacher. -It also creates sympathy, and those electric currents which go -from the speaker to the hearts of the faithful, and from the -hearts of the faithful back to the speaker. It reveals what -should be said, and, above all, supplies the appropriate accent -wherein to express it. Saint Augustine writes: "Love first, and -then you may do what you choose." We may subjoin: "Love first, -and then you may say what you please;" for affectionate speech -fortifies the mind, removes obstacles, disposes to -self-sacrifice, makes the unwilling willing, and elevates the -character as well as the mind. - -{38} - -Charity is the great desideratum of the present time. It is -constantly being remarked that the age in which we live requires -this and that. What the age really wants is this:--It needs to be -loved. ... It needs to be drawn out of that egotism which frets -and consumes it. It needs a little esteem and kindly treatment to -make good all its deficiencies. How silly we are, then, to go so -far in search of the desired object, overlooking the fact that -_the kingdom of God is within us_--in our hearts. - -Be it ours, therefore, to love the people. ... Is it not to that -end that we have no family ties? ... Let us prevent their hate, -which is so harmful to them. Let love be present with us always, -according to the saying of Saint Augustine:--"Let us love in -speaking, and speak in love. Let there be love in our -remonstrances ... love also in our reproofs. Let the mouth speak, -but let the heart love." Yes, let us learn to love, to endure, to -be devoted. What! do we not belong to the same family as those -excellent and self-denying men who leave country and home to seek -and to save souls beyond the ocean? Were we not brought up at the -same school? They love infidels, they love pagans and savages -sufficiently well to sacrifice every thing for them. ... Are not -our pagans in France worth as much as the pagans of Oceania? Are -not our French little ones as deserving of compassion as Chinese -children? -{39} -True, their parents do not expose them on the highways; but they -abandon them to shame, to vice, to the education of the streets. -... It is right that we should commiserate the heathen, that -devotion should be manifested on their behalf; but let us have -compassion on our own children also, on our brothers in France, -that they be not suffered to perish before our eyes. ... Yes, I -invoke pity for this people; pity for their sufferings, their -miseries, their prejudices, their deplorable subjection to -popular opinion, their ignorance, their errors. Let us, at least, -try to do them good, to save them. Therein lies bur happiness; we -shall never have any other. All other sources are closed to us; -there is the well-spring of the most delectable joys. Apart from -charity, what remains? Vanity, unprofitableness, bitterness, -misery, nothingness. - - - -{40} - - Chapter II. - - The People. - - - The actual State of the People. - Their good and bad Qualities. - The People in large Cities. - The People in small Towns. - The People in rural Districts. - How to benefit these Three Classes of People. - One powerful Means is to act upon the People through. - the upper Classes, and upon the latter through the former. - - -We shall now assume that you love the people. But, besides that, -in order to address them pertinently, you must understand them -well, know their good qualities, their failings, instincts, -passions, prejudices, and their way of looking at things; in a -word, you must know them by heart. To a profound acquaintance -with religion must be joined a profound knowledge of humanity as -it exists at the present day. But, to speak frankly, the people -are not known; not even by the most keen-sighted, not even by our -statesmen. They are only studied superficially, in books, in -romances, in the newspapers, or else they are not studied at all. -{41} -Judgment is mostly formed from appearances. One sees a man mad -with rage, who insults, blasphemes, or who staggers through the -streets, and he says: "There; behold the people!" Another sees -one who risks his own life to save a fellow-creature, or who -finds and restores a purse or a pocket-book to its owner, and he -exclaims exultingly, "Behold the people!" Both are mistaken, for -both substitute an exception for the rule. - -In order to understand the people well, we must probe beyond the -surface, and take them as they are when they are most themselves. -They must be studied in the spirit, as it were, and not on the -outside; for they often appear worse than they actually are. -Still less should we arrest our researches, as is frequently -done, at a point where they clash against ourselves. On the other -hand, I feel bound to state that if we do not know the people, -they, in turn, do not know the classes of society above them; and -it is on that account that we do not love each other as we ought. - -At first sight, the French people--the lower orders--are a real -mystery: an inconceivable medley of weakness and of courage, of -goodness and ill-will, of delicacy and rudeness, of generosity -and egotism, of seriousness and of frivolity. It may be said that -they possess two natures: one endowed with good sense, which is -generous, feeling, and contrite; the other unreflecting, which -raves and drinks, curses and swears. On one side they are -frivolous, vain, weak, scornful, sceptical, credulous, -headstrong. - -{42} - -In their frivolity they jeer at every thing; at what is frivolous -and what is serious, at what is profane and what is sacred. Their -weakness under temptation is lamentable: they have no restraint -over themselves. But, above all, their credulity is unbounded. -This is their weak, their bad side; the source of one portion of -our evils. - -Alas! what may not this people be led to believe? There is no lie -so great, no absurdity so gross, the half of which they may not -be made to swallow when their passions dictate that any thing may -be gained thereby, or they conceive that their interests are -assailed. At certain seasons of blind infatuation they may be -made to believe any thing; even that which is incredible, even -what is impossible. Unfortunately this is to some extent the case -among the higher classes. The people surrender themselves to the -first comer who has a glib tongue and can lie adroitly. - -Their credulity, as already stated, knows no bounds; especially -as respects the rich and the clergy, whom they regard as the -cause of all the ills which befall them. Accidents wholly -independent of human volition are placed to their account. Is -there a dearth? They create the scarcity of corn. Is there -stagnation in trade? They restrain the capitalists. Undoubtedly -they had some hand in the cholera; and it is not quite certain -but that there exists some damnable connivance between them and -the caterpillars and weevils. ... Poor people! yet how they are -deceived! Thereupon their good sense disappears, their heads -reel, reflection abandons them, and then they rise up in anger: -strike, pillage, kill. ... They become terrible. - -{43} - -But I hasten to say that if there is evil in the French people, -there is also good: much good. They are witty, frank, logical, -generous, amiable, and above all, _they have hearts_. This is -undeniable; and we should never despair of a man who has a heart, -for there is always something in him to fall back upon. When all -else is lost to this people, their heart survives, for it is the -last thing which dies within them. - -It has been said that frivolity is the basis of the French -character; but that judgment is incorrect. More truly it should -be said that the French character is frivolous outwardly, but at -the bottom it is generous, combined with exquisite good sense. - -Very few are aware how much generosity and sympathy toward all -suffering are hid under the jerkin and smock-frock. The people -possess an inexhaustible store of sentiment, of the spirit of -self-sacrifice and devotedness. Why, then, are they not better -understood? The mischievous, indeed, know them too well; for when -they would mislead or stir them up, they appeal to their sense of -justice, to their love of humanity. They point out to them -grievances which should be redressed, oppressions to be avenged. -{44} -Then are their passions lit up, and they are carried away ... we -need not tell the rest. The motive on their part was almost -always praiseworthy at the outset, in some measure at least; but -once led beyond themselves they hurried headlong into extremes. - -The heart, then, is the better side of the French people; their -honorable and glorious side; their genius. Others may claim the -genius of extensive speculations in science and industry; to them -belongs the genius of heart, of love, of sympathy, of charity. -Endowed with so goodly a portion, what have they to complain of; -for is not dominion over mankind achieved thereby? Hence, when -Providence designs to spread an idea throughout the world, it -implants it in a Frenchman's breast. There it is quickly -elaborated; and then that heart so magnanimous and communicative, -so fascinating and attractive, gives it currency with electric -speed. - -If noble aspirations spring from the heart, they nowhere find a -more fertile soil; and, strange to say, this excellent gift is -found in all classes, and under all conditions. A man may be -worse than a nonentity in a moral point of view, but he has a -heart still. Would you do him good? aim at that. - -But you will say: "Look at those coarse fellows, those besotted -clowns sunk in materialism, those men stained with crime and -degraded by debauchery, where is their heart? They have none." I -say they have a heart still: go direct to the soul, pierce -through that rough and forbidding crust of vices and evil -passions, and you will find a treasure. - -{45} - -Proof in point is to be met with everywhere; even in the -theatres, where its manifestation has been noticed by observant -spectators. The galleries are generally occupied by persons of -all conditions; mechanics, profligates, vagabonds, loose women, -and even men, who, to use their own indulgent expression, _have -had a weakness_: that is, have spent some years in prison, or at -the treadmill. It is gratifying to witness the conduct of that -mass during the performance of some touching scene or generous -action. They are often moved even to tears--they applaud and -stamp with enthusiasm. On the contrary, when mean or heinous -actions are represented, they can not hoot or execrate enough: -they shake the fist at the scoundrel or traitor, hurl abuse at -him, and not unfrequently more substantial missiles. - -It will be said that all this feeling is transitory. So it may -be; still it shows that there remain in such breasts, chords -which may be made to vibrate, hearts not yet dead, good -sentiments which are capable of cultivation. - -Such are the French people taken in the mass; such their merits -and defects. The head is not their better part, and they might -almost be described as having a good heart but a bad head. -{46} -In order to lead them, they must be seized where they present the -best hold. To do this effectually requires sound sense and a -kindly heart, moderate reasoning, and very little metaphysics. An -opposite course, however, is too frequently pursued. Crotchets, -fancies, theories, vapid ideas--such is the stuff wherewith -attempts have been made to influence them. Is it surprising that -they have not always yielded to such guidance? - -On points of wit, argument, and right, the Frenchman is acute, -punctilious, headstrong. On points of generosity and devotedness -he is tractable, liberal, admirable. Demand any thing from him as -a right, and he will refuse it. Ask the same thing of him, -appealing to his heart, and he will often grant it with the best -possible grace. But, above all, if you wish to restore him to -equanimity and a right mind, get him to perform an act of -charity. - -To prove that the heart rarely disappears, and that it always -retains a hold on the mind, I must be permitted to cite an -example combining the good and the bad qualities which are to be -met with in the lower grades of society. I shall frequently refer -to facts; for in morals, as in many other matters, they bring us -sooner to the point aimed at. - -{47} - -It was in one of the most wretched quarters of Paris that a -priest went to visit a rag-woman who was dangerously ill. She was -lying on straw so damp that it was fit only for the dung-hill. -The visitor had reached the landing-place, and was reflecting how -he might best minister to the poor woman's wants, when he heard -the cry of another female from the end of a dark corridor, -exclaiming: "Help! murder!" - -He ran toward the spot, and pushing open a door saw two young -children crying. Extended on the floor lay the unfortunate woman, -while a tall man with a sinister countenance, and clad only in a -pair of pantaloons and a ragged shirt, stood over her, kicking -her. Her face was already black and blue from his violence. - -The priest sprang towards the man and said: "Wretch! what are you -about? Will you not desist?" He did desist, but it was to attack -the speaker. He seized him suddenly by the breast, thrust two -fingers under his cassock, and then, without uttering a word, -lifted him as if he had been an infant, and carried him to an -open window. There he angrily told him that he would not have -priests intermeddling with his affairs, and _disturbing the peace -of his household_, and that he intended to pitch him out of the -window forthwith. In fact, he was preparing to put the threat -into execution; but, as if wishing to gloat over his victim, he -continued to glare at him with the eyes of a tiger, holding him -all the while as with an arm of steel. - -{48} - -The priest was alarmed, but God enabled him not to betray it. He -regarded his antagonist calmly, and said almost with a smile: -"Gently, my friend; you are much too hasty. Do you really mean to -throw me out of the window? Is that the most pressing business on -hand? You who are always talking about fraternity and charity; do -you know what was taking place while you were beating your wife? -Another woman was dying on a dung-heap in your house. I am sure -you would be horrified at such a thing. Now, let us both see what -we can do on her behalf; for you are by no means such a bad -fellow as you wish to appear. I will pay for some clean straw, if -you will go and fetch it." Terror, combined with the desire of -winning over his assailant, made the priest eloquent, and he had -hardly ended his appeal before the lion was tamed. The man's -countenance rapidly changed, and he relaxed his hold at once; -then taking off his shabby cap and placing it under his arm, he -assumed a respectful attitude, like that of a soldier in presence -of a superior officer, and replied:--"If you talk in that style, -sir, the case is different. I have always been humane, and will -readily help you to assist the poor woman. I will, in fact, do -any thing you please; for it won't do to let a fellow-creature -die in that plight." Thereupon the priest gave him the money, and -he went out to purchase two bundles of clean straw. - -{49} - -In the mean time the women of the neighborhood, attracted by the -altercation, had rushed to the spot, and on seeing the priest -expostulated with him in these terms:--"What are you about? Do -you know where you are? You are in the clutches of the worst man -in the quarter. He is so outrageous that even cut-throats are -afraid of him, and he has often said that nothing would give him -more pleasure than to break a man's neck, especially if that man -were a priest." These remonstrances were by no means encouraging; -but those who urged them little knew the power of charity. - -The sturdy fellow soon returned with the bundles on his shoulder. -He was calm, and his countenance had become almost honest. On -entering the room where the poor woman lay, he took half a bundle -of straw and spread it on the floor. The most touching part of -the scene followed. He lifted the sufferer in his arms with the -tenderness of a mother, placed her on the clean straw, then made -her bed, and finally laid her upon it, just as a mother would her -child. A female wished to help him, but he pushed her aside, -remarking that he was well able to do a humane act unassisted. - -The man was in tears, and the priest perceiving that he wished to -address him, retired toward the window. But his new acquaintance -could not utter a word; emotion choked him. The priest gave him -his hand, and the stalwart workman squeezed it as in a vice, in -token of his affection. -{50} -"Well done, my friend," said the priest, "well done; I quite -understand you. I knew full well that you were not as bad as you -wanted to make me believe. I knew you were capable of doing a -good action." "You have done it all," was the reply; "four men -could not master me, and yet you have overcome me with as many -words. _You must be a true pastor_." - -The priest hastened to turn this favorable opportunity to profit, -by pleading the cause of the wife, and rejoined:--"But, my -friend, you have done something which is not becoming. You have -ill-used your wife; and a man does not marry a woman to beat her. -I have no doubt she has her failings, and you also have yours. -You should bear with one another. Come, promise me that you will -never strike her again." At these words, his face assumed -somewhat of its former sullenness, and dropping the priest's hand -he said frankly:--"I am very sorry that I cannot do as you wish. -I will not promise because I should not keep my word." ... The -priest returned to the charge, and among other remarks which made -some impression on the man, he was quite brought to bay by the -following:--"So you won't promise not to beat your wife? That is -simply because you don't reflect. Surely, you who have just done -an act of kindness to a strange woman, cannot, with any decency, -continue to beat your own wife." -{51} -After much hesitation, he pledged his word, backing it with a -tremendous oath. Since then, he has never been intoxicated, -neither has he once struck his wife. You should have seen with -what gratitude the woman welcomed her preserver on his next -visit. "What a blessing my acquaintance with you has proved," -said she. "Since your last visit you have saved me from two -_floorers_. My husband does not drink now, but he still goes into -violent passions. He raises his fist, and I fear he is about to -strike me; but he forbears. He calms down at once, and says: 'Tis -well for you that that abbé came, otherwise I would have floored -you again." - -Not long after, he was reclaimed to a Christian life; he -confessed and communicated, and it is now rare to find a man of -more exalted sentiments. He refused assistance from every one, -saying that he was able to earn his own livelihood, and to -provide for his family. To do this, he worked all day and part of -the night also. Peace and comfort were restored to his home, -which his wife now likens to a paradise. - -To give an instance of his noble disposition, I may mention that -toward the end of last December he called on the priest, to whom -he had become greatly attached, and said to him with his -characteristic frankness:--"I am very sad to-day, Monsieur -l'Abbé." - -{52} - -"Why, my friend?" - -"Because I am poor. In the course of my lifetime I have suffered -misery enough. I have cursed the rich, and that Providence which -gave them their wealth. Nevertheless, I don't believe I ever felt -the wretchedness of being poor as much as I do to-day; although -it is for a different reason." - -"What is it, then, my good friend?" - -"Well, it is this. Here we are close upon the beginning of a new -year, and I wished to make you a small present--for you have been -very kind to me and I have no money. However, be assured of this, -at least, that you have in me a devoted friend, and that I am -always at your service. Send me wherever you please; I would walk -barefoot and beat a steam-engine to serve you." Then, taking the -priest's hand, he added with unspeakable kindness and -energy:--"Monsieur l'Abbé, should there ever be another -revolution, and any assault be made on the clergy, come and take -refuge with me; come and hide in our quarter, and I vow that many -heads shall be broken before a hair of yours is touched." - -Such are the people, taken as they are with the good and the bad -which is in them. I have again selected my illustrations from -among the least favorable specimens, and I may further add that -it rarely happens that a priest meets even with abuse from the -most depraved. The instance above adduced is exceptional, and -arose out of the anger of the moment. - -{53} - -Such, then, are the people generally; but their characteristics -are modified by circumstances of locality, intercourse, and -education. There are the people of the large cities, those of -small towns, and the people in rural districts. There are also -the people who work, and those who are always looking for work -and never find it; with whom the true people are often -confounded. - - - The People in large Cities. - -The people in large cities possess, in a high degree, all the -merits and defects which we are about to notice. - -They are fickle, vain, braggart, improvident, mad after -pleasures, and not very moral. - -The ease with which they may be duped is astounding. They are -readily excited, they clamor, are carried away, strike for -nothing whatever, and then they reflect. They live from hand to -mouth. When work is plentiful, they squander; when it is scarce, -they fast and suffer. - -They love money for the pleasures which it procures; and in their -estimation a debauch is one of the greatest enjoyments of life. - -{54} - -This latter tendency they have borrowed from the present age; -which is somewhat sensual, not to say gluttonous--that term would -not be parliamentary--as it would have been called in former -times. Nowadays a good dinner is not a matter of indifference to -others besides men of high standing. A person of exalted rank was -once told that his cook had the talent of adding considerably to -his own wages. "I know it," was the reply; "but I hold that we -cannot pay a man too handsomely for making us happy twice a day." -In fact, in these times, one who can thus serve you out two -rations of happiness _per diem_ is regarded as a treasure. - -Despite the vices, however, which exist in large cities, there -are many virtues also to be found among the resident people. They -are sincere, generous, disinterested, amiable, and withal -extremely witty. In the midst of their hardships, or when exposed -to danger, they will often utter sparkling sallies, or laugh -good-naturedly at their miseries. They are not rich; but what -matters that? They are ever ready to help those who are poorer -than themselves. In case of an accident, they will run, work, -expose themselves to save others at the risk of their own lives. -They are ready to sacrifice themselves for whatever they deem -just and right. Unfortunately, in their opinion, the authorities -are always in the wrong, and they are never backward to take part -against the law. - -{55} - -The more I study the people, the more incomprehensible they -appear to me. They are at once sceptical and religious. Watch -them in a public-house there they curse and swear, and indulge -freely in ribald talk; but if a funeral happens to pass by, they -immediately doff their caps, and make the sign of the cross. -To-day they will thrash one of their comrades unmercifully; the -day after they will adopt an orphan. No class ever had so much -need of guidance; of benevolent sympathizing guidance. They drift -with the wind under the influence of good or evil counsels. They -may become sublime or atrocious, angels of heaven or demons. - -The people themselves feel their own weakness and fickleness, and -are occasionally dismayed at it. Some time back, one of them, -while looking at the stains of blood which had been shed in a -church in the month of September, 1792, was seized with a sudden -horror, and, laying hold of the arm of the priest who accompanied -him, exclaimed with a shudder:--"I fear those times may return; -for, you see, we are unfortunate. We are ill-advised, and are as -ready to kill with one hand as we are to embrace with the other." - -They require, then, to be under constant guidance They always -need to have some one near who will sustain and keep them in the -right way by appealing to the better dictates of their hearts. - -{56} - -In one respect, such guidance is easier here than elsewhere. You -tread on ground which is perfectly well-known. These people can -hide nothing. As the saying is, when an idea tickles them, they -must scratch it until it finds utterance. Their frankness is -occasionally foul-mouthed, and they do not hesitate to blurt it -out to your face. Nevertheless, such a style rather pleases me -than otherwise. You know, at least, with whom you have to deal; -and when such an one says that he is attached to you, he is -sincere. God grant that the feeling in every case may be abiding! - -They are not tenacious either of their errors, their prejudices, -or their passions. It is true that they are disposed to assume -airs, to repine, and to threaten. They declare that they will do -this and that; but it is by no means difficult to prevent them -from doing it at all. Ridicule their prejudices and their foibles -fairly, and with sound sense, and they will surrender them, and -you will overcome them all. Moreover, they will not be the last -to laugh at their own folly. - -Some weeks after the revolution of February, when men's brains -were all in a whirl, and every one fancied himself called upon to -present us with a better world than that which Providence has -given us, Monseigneur D'Amata, Bishop of Oceania, happened to be -in Paris. One day he passed by a club in full session. The -attendance was numerous, and all ears were bent and all eyes -fixed on an orator who was dilating on the benefits of communism. -{57} -He wound up with the usual phrases: No more poor nor rich; no -more great nor small; no more palaces nor hovels; but perfect -equality and happiness for all. After which peroration there was -a tremendous outburst of applause. - -The bishop then asked leave to speak, which being granted, he -mounted on a table which served for a rostrum, and spoke to the -following effect: "Citizens, you have just been hearing about -communism, and a great deal of good has been attributed to it. I -am entitled as much as any man to have my say on the subject. For -a long time past I have resided in a country where communism is -carried out into practice thoroughly." (Increased attention.) -"There every thing is common: the land, the forests, rivers, -fish, game, and women. But let me tell you how matters go on -there. Nobody works; the fields are untilled; and the inhabitants -live on fish and game. When these fail, as the people must eat, -they hunt one another. The stronger catches the weaker, roasts -him on a spit, and then eats him. Reflect, therefore, before -establishing communism, whether such a state of existence would -suit you. Should you persist, I would advise you to lay in a good -supply of spits, and to sharpen them well, for they will be the -most valuable stock under the reign of communism." Whereat there -followed an outcry of "Down with communism! Away with communism!" - -{58} - - _The People in small Towns._ - -In small towns, the scene changes and assumes smaller -proportions. Little things play the part of great things. A small -town is the home, the real classical soil of petty ideas, petty -vanities, petty triumphs, and gross backbiting. They all know, -salute, and criticise each other. None is more slanderous than -the male resident in a small town, except it be his wife. The -chief authority of the place is neither the mayor, nor the -sub-prefect, nor even the prefect himself. It is public opinion, -flanked by its inseparable companion, routine. - -The local virtue is not independence of character, but timidity. -Every one fears his friends as well as his enemies, neighbors as -well as strangers; he fears for his own _amour propre_, and he -fears to give others cause for talking about him. - -All this has exercised a pernicious influence over the people in -such localities. They are extremely timid, niggardly, insincere, -rather hypocritical, and inordinately obsequious. They may be -well-disposed to discharge their religious duties; but should -there happen to be a free-thinker among them, one who takes the -lead in the finance or trade of the place, who might traduce or -turn such conduct into ridicule, or bespatter it with some of the -blasphemies picked up from among the off-scourings of the -eighteenth century, they do not dare to perform them; they -tremble at the idea, so abject is their state of dependence: they -have not even the courage to brave sarcasm. -{59} -This servile deference, which has been ignominiously expelled -from our great cities, has taken refuge in our small towns and -country districts, where it exercises a tyrannical sway. - -On the other hand, the people in small towns are more moral, more -provident, less turbulent, and more faithful to family -obligations than those in large cities. They, above all others, -should not be judged by appearances: by that cold and lifeless -indifference which characterizes them. Hence it is that they are -so little understood, even by those who come into closest contact -with them. - -In order to win them, you must attack them boldly. Promote -concurrence toward some benevolent object, by grouping your men -together, so that they may not feel isolated. Then they will take -courage, and will get to understand that it is no disgrace to -practise religious duties; or, at least, that in attending to -them, they are in fair and goodly company. - -To that end, organize a society of St. Vincent de Paul; or, -should one exist already, develop it still further. It is no -longer allowable that a small town, or even a village, should be -without a branch of that institution. The attempt has succeeded -in many hamlets; and, surely, there is no inhabited locality so -unfortunate as not to possess at least three zealous Christians. -{60} -If so, they must be created forthwith; otherwise, what are we -good for? Have also a Society of Saint Francis Xavier, and an -Apprentices Association. Occupy yourself chiefly with the men; -leave the faithful flock in order to seek after the lost sheep; -and, above all, let it not be said of you as it is said of -certain small towns, that _religion there is engrossed with the -distaff_. - - - _The People in Rural Districts._ - -The people in the country are the reverse of the people in large -cities. There, every thing moves slowly. Results are tardily -obtained, but they are more durable. - -The peasant is bound to routine; he is diffident, dissembling, -susceptible, cunning, and somewhat avaricious. - -Above all others, usage and custom are a law to him. He never -risks any thing novel, or trusts to new faces, but with reserve. -He possesses few ideas; but those he has he adheres to as -tenaciously as he does to his little bit of land. - -He seldom comes straight to the point; he is incapable of saying -yes or no frankly, and he must be very acute who can penetrate -his thoughts. He will listen to you, and appear to approve all -you say; but in fact, he disagrees with you. -{61} -He has, moreover his grain of vanity; why should he not? Is he -not a child of Adam, like the rest of mankind? Has he not, like -them, preserved the tradition of his noble origin? - -Hence he is prouder of being mayor of his _commune_, or an -officer in the National Guard, than either a prefect or a marshal -of France is of his dignity. And as regards deference, no man is -more exacting than a peasant who has risen to the rank mayor, or -become an enriched shopkeeper. - -Lastly, the peasant does not possess much acquired knowledge; but -he makes up for the deficiency by consummate shrewdness. He must -be a sharp person indeed, who can overreach him where money is -concerned; unless he can manage to play upon his credulity or his -dread of spells and witchcraft. - -Nothing can be more perverse, more astute, or more cunning than -an old peasant of Normandy or Lorraine. He will expend more craft -in disposing of an unsound horse than our diplomats would in -formulating one of those protocols destined to preserve the -balance of power in Europe. He will haggle for half-an-hour to -gain sixpence on a sheep which he wants to buy or to sell. In -other respects, the peasant is generally good-natured, laborious, -sober, full of good sense, and religious as well as moral, up to -a certain point; were it not for the public house. His life is -capable of easy adaptation to precepts of the Gospel. - -{62} - -In order to lead him, you must first secure his confidence, take -hold of him by his better side, or even by his weak side--which -is, his vanity. Ought we not to become little with the little, -that we may save all? - -But the best way of gaining that confidence is to do him a good -turn. The peasant, undoubtedly, relishes kind words, but he likes -kindly actions still better; and therein I agree with him. - -In other respects, he is by no means exacting. A little -forethought on his behalf, a little politeness, a salutation, a -manifestation of interest, or a trifling present to his child, -will be enough to open his heart, and to make him well-disposed. - -When he is bent on doing a thing, never oppose him directly, -otherwise he will become restive and obstinate; and if you -attempt to lead him to the right, he will show a malicious -pleasure in going to the left. Beware still more of pushing him -to extremes; for he may become obstreperous, spiteful, pitiless, -and perchance atrocious. Take the peasant by the heart; for, -after all, it is the most healthy part of the community -generally. - -{63} - - _On the Way of doing some little Good to these Three - Classes of the People._ - -Such are the people, with whom we have to deal, and who need to -be restored to vital Christianity; seeing that they are, -unfortunately, sadly deficient in practical religion, and their -manner of life is often far removed from evangelical morality. -Still, let us beware of judging that the religious sentiment is -extinct among them. The people in France are naturally Christian. -There is more religion in the little finger of the people than in -the superb bodies of our _demi-savants_. - -The people, I say, are still capable of comprehending and of -appreciating religion; and whenever their hearts are brought into -contact with the Gospel, they allow themselves to be penetrated, -ruled, elevated by its influence. Look at them in the presence of -a preacher who speaks to the souls of his hearers. Their -attention is suddenly riveted, their countenances become -animated, their eyes glisten. They listen with an attention and -good-will, which one often wishes to see in the most pious -audiences. They welcome without a frown the severest truths, and -even applaud those passages which bear most against themselves. - -Those are, therefore, mistaken who think that religion has no -longer any influence over the masses. It is true that at first, -owing to the prejudices and sarcasms of a past age, the cassock -is a scarecrow to certain classes. -{64} -They begin by suspecting. But when the same persons come to know -the priest well, when they are once won over by his address, -there is no man in the world--neither tribune, nor popular -orator, nor demagogue--who ever acquires so powerful a hold over -them. It is on that very account that those who distrust the -clergy express their apprehensions, and say:--"Their influence is -excessive; their preaching should be interdicted; otherwise they -may proceed to abuse it, and then we shall all be upset." - -This ascendency is often obtained over the most stubborn and -vicious. Condemned felons, despite their vices and their crimes, -have been amazed to find themselves amenable to its power. Those -who had been confided to the mission of Toulon, remarked:--"How -strange it is that we who require armed soldiers to make us obey, -nevertheless cheerfully do whatever the priests bid us!" And when -the mission referred to terminated, no less than 2800 of the -prisoners partook of the holy communion. - -No, the people are not so much estranged from God and -Christianity as is thought. We were made to understand each -other; but evil passions have interposed between us and them. -They still possess good sense and an inward instinct which draws -them toward religion. They feel their need of it, because they -feel the need of hope. Religion belongs preeminently to them; -they are linked to it by their sympathies. Let us, moreover, do -them this justice: they, the people, did not give up religious -practices till long after the other classes. -{65} -They held out for more than a century. Errors and scandals -descended upon them from a sphere above them, yet they did not -succumb. The churches were closed to them, their priests were -driven away, even their God was hunted, yet they did not yield. -They were pursued even into their cottages, their huts, and their -workshops with licentious books and pamphlets, and they resisted -still. - -At length, religion was covered with ridicule, the mantle of -derision was thrown over it, as it was over Christ, and they were -bade in scorn to behold their religion! Then they gave way. ... -But the crash did not come till 1830, as the whole world can -testify. The people were assailed on their weak side, with taunts -and sneers which they were the least capable of withstanding. - -But though deficient in evangelical morality, religious sentiment -has still clung to them. As a pious and illustrious prelate, -[Footnote 9] who knows the people well, who loves them, and is -beloved in return, remarked to the Emperor, on his way to -Moulins:--"I thank your Majesty for having understood that the -French nation, left to its natural tendencies, preserves the -character of the most Christian nation, and that, in spite of -many rude shocks, the faith of their fathers is the first want of -their hearts." - - [Footnote 9: Monseigneur de Dreux-Brézé, Bishop of Moulins.] - -{66} - -A dignitary of religion is always venerated by the people. They -run to see him and to solicit his benediction. - -The visits of Monseigneur the late Archbishop of Paris to the -faubourgs, tenanted by a population regarded as the most -irreligious and immoral of the capital, may be adduced in -illustration of this statement. Crowds of men and women flocked -to him, bent under his paternal hand, and held up their squalid -and half naked children to receive his blessing. In like manner, -they brought him from all sides chaplets, images, and medals; -while those who did not possess such pious articles brought -halfpence, that he might bless them; and these they afterward -preserved as sacred relics. - -The same soothing influence followed the devout prelate in the -streets, the workshops, and the public places. His words had a -magic effect everywhere among those hardened and redoubtable -denizens of the faubourgs. - -It was in a quarter as poor in spiritual as in temporal things -that an immense crowd thronged to him, and like the Good -Shepherd--like the blessed Saviour--unwilling to send them away -fasting, that is, without a few affectionate words, he mounted -some steps, and stood on a landing, which served him for a -pulpit. Among the crowd was a group of those men who are at -perpetual war with society, keepers of smoking-dens, and worse -places too; blacklegs, and setters-up of barricades. They looked -at him without removing their caps, and with a sneer on their -lips. - -{67} - -No sooner had the prelate begun to speak than there was silence. -As he proceeded, one cap was doffed, then two or three more, and -soon all heads were bared, in accordance with the rules of French -politeness. When the sermon was ended, these men shouted louder -than the rest:--"Vive Monseigneur! Vive la Religion!" - -It cannot be denied that the manners of the people are often -painful in the extreme; but, then, they have so little to fall -back upon, and are surrounded by so many temptations. Ignorance -frets them, debauchery degrades them, and, besides, having -constantly to struggle against the pinchings of want, it is not -surprising that they become, as it were, linked to a necessity -which weighs upon them so heavily. - -Even we, with all our education, our science, the superior moral -atmosphere which we breathe,--are we always blameless? When the -people look above them, do they always find good examples in the -higher classes of society? What would you have them think when -they see men who ought to be patterns of virtue, when they see, -to use their own expression, _respectable scoundrels_, with money -in their hands and lying words on their lips, endeavoring to -seduce their wives or their daughters? - -{68} - -Nevertheless, they have not lost the courage of truthfulness: a -rare thing nowadays. They have still moral energy enough to -condemn themselves, to condemn their own mode of life, and to -admit that they are wrong-doers. A notorious reprobate, after -hearing a sermon, remarked to his companion: "All right; -religion, after all, is not such a humbug as it has been -represented." Scarcely any but the people retain such -ingenuousness. Elsewhere the truth is not relished, is not -recognized, is rather thrust aside as an intruder. Where, I -should like to know, among other classes, will you hear the -admission:--"I am misled; I am in the wrong?" - -The people scarcely ever attempt to justify their failings by -reasoning, or to reduce their vices to a system; for there exists -in them a sense of justice and integrity which, when they are -calm, leads them to confess that they are unworthy to live. - -A man [Footnote 10] who was in the habit of mixing with the least -moral class in Paris, relates that he one day had the following -conversation with the father of a family whose union had not been -blessed by religion. - - [Footnote 10: M. Gossin, _Manuel de la Société - de Saint-François Régis_, p. 143.] - -{69} - -"I must apologize," he remarks, "for reproducing this colloquy in -all its original crudity; but I shall invent nothing; I shall -merely repeat what was actually said by both parties the first -time this _argmnentum ad hominem_ was employed. - -"'I regret to find that we cannot understand each other. What! -you persist in maintaining that in seducing the woman at your -side eighteen years ago you did nothing wrong?' - -"'Nothing at all. I am an honest man; I have never stolen nor -committed murder. I was rather gay when young; but there is no -harm in that. As to the woman, I did not compel her. Why did she -allow herself to be enticed?' - -"'Let us speak on another subject. ... Are all these your -children?' - -"No, sir; we have another at home, a young lass named Seraphine.' - -"'I am sorry you have not produced her. I should have been very -glad to see her.' - -"'It is very civil of you to say so, sir.' - -"'Is she grown-up?' - -"'Tolerably: she is twelve years old. She is getting on nicely -with the Sisters, which is very satisfactory. She sews well -already, and is a promising girl.' - -"'Your boys here are comely and well-behaved, and do credit to -the mother's care.' - -{70} - -"'Yes, it cannot be denied that what she does for them she does -thoroughly. She keeps them well washed, and one hears nothing in -the morning but "let me comb you; let me wash you." You should -see how she souses and scrubs them.' - -"'Is Seraphine as comely as her brothers?' - -"'Do you hear that, missis? What a goose you are; won't you -answer? Well, I will decide for both. On my honor, Seraphine is -better looking than any in this house, though we have eighteen -lodgers, who have a jolly lot of damsels among them of all -shades.' - -"'(Then looking fixedly at the man)--'In two or three years, -Seraphine, who is still a child, will be a very attractive and -modest young woman, and she will be a comfort to you. ... But -what would you say if a working-man, doing as you did by her -mother, should seduce and dishonor the poor girl?' - -"He sprang up almost beside himself, and said:--'What should I -say? I would say nothing; but I would murder the villain who -dared to inveigle my daughter.' - -"'You would be wrong; for the man, according to what you yourself -have just said, would be, in your opinion, a perfect man; for he -would neither have killed, nor stolen, nor forced your daughter. -He could only be charged with having wished to amuse himself a -little; which you say is not a crime. - -"Still beside himself with rage, he said:--'Nevertheless, I would -murder the wretch.' - -{71} - -"'But, my friend, recall to mind what you have done yourself, and -then judge.' - -"With tears in his eyes, and pressing the hand of his -interlocutor, he said:--'Forgive me, sir; I lied to myself when I -said what I did. I was boasting just as many others of us do; but -I am better than my stupid speeches.' - -"I may add, as a characteristic trait of the human heart, that -after this dialogue, the father's emotion at seeing his faults -placed naked before him was so strong, that he was seized with a -fever which lasted several days; that he subsequently thanked me -most warmly for having opened his eyes; and that I have now -reason to believe in his complete and sincere conversion." - -Are we certain that we should find the same frankness and courage -elsewhere? - -The people, notwithstanding the bravado common to their class, -deplore their failings, and if intimate with them, you will often -hear them expressing their regret in some such style as -this:--"Pity me, for I am most wretched. Do you think it does not -make me uncomfortable to see my wife and children miserable, and -to know that I am the cause of their misery? I have made good -resolutions a thousand times over, and have broken them as often. -My passions and my habits have become so inveterate that I am -unable to resist them." ... They are right; for left to -themselves they will never be able to persevere in well-doing. -{72} -They need the aid of religion, which ought to be afforded them, -and which is by no means an impracticable task. Let us hear no -more of those incessant excuses that nothing can be done with -them on that score. - -Away with all discouragement! Away with all despair! Those who -indulge in such feelings do us infinite mischief. They are a most -dangerous class in our midst; they will do nothing themselves, -and will not allow others to do any thing. They try to prevent -all good by ceaselessly repeating:--"It will never succeed. ... -There are so many obstacles to be encountered. ... It is -headstrong to attempt it." - -This is one of the most hideous sores of the age. Such men accuse -others, and yet never seem to reflect that despair is the -greatest possible crime in the sight of God. - -Nothing can be done with the French people! What, then, have we -come to? We admit that something can be done for felons in the -hulks, for the pagan Chinese, for American savages, for the -cannibals of Oceania. We believe it, for we send them help and -missionaries; and yet nothing can be done for our France, for the -nation beloved of God and His Church, which sheds its blood and -spends its gold for the conversion of the infidels, and where so -many heroic virtues still exist! -{73} -It is a calumny against France. In order to justify your own -neglect, you slander your brethren, you expose your ignorance of -your country, you ignore the power of the Gospel and the virtue -of the Cross. ... Know, then, that we may yet regenerate the -people. ... Yes, we can, and if we cannot we ought, for it is a -sacred duty; and he who does not discharge his own duty in that -respect, has no right to give an opinion about the duty of -others. - -But what are the means which should be employed to bring the -people nearer to the Gospel? - -Religion must first be exhibited to them as it really -is--beautiful, good, and lovely; and then you may hold it up to -them as true, divine, and obligatory. You must first attract them -by the senses and the imagination, by sentiment, and by the -heart. The people like to be interested, touched, moved. They are -fond of sentiment, of festivals, and shows. After a week spent in -absorbing material drudgery their poor souls require the breath -of the Divine word to animate and cheer them. To them especially -religion should be "glad tidings"--should bring them mental -repose, refreshment, and peace. We should set out by making them -to feel, to love, and to bless; instead of which we begin with -reasoning, and end with the same. We have a mania, a rage for -reasoning; but make the people love first, then you may reason, -and will be understood. - -{74} - -I say that in order to make religion lovely in the eyes of the -people, you should exhibit it under its most attractive aspect. -Point out the good which it does on all sides, to orphans, to -children and their parents, to the forsaken, to the people -themselves, their wives, their daughters, and their fathers. -Appeal to their good sense and to their heart. Ask: "Is it not -true? I refer the decision to your own judgment." Say to the -people, but with overflowing affection:--"My dear friends, do -what you will, you will never find a better resource than -religion; religion will always be your best stay. ... When you -have spent your all, when the world will have nothing more to do -with you, when your bodies shall be worn out by old age and -sickness, when from dread of you men will flee from you as from a -contagion, you will still find by your bedside a priest or a -sister of charity to care for you and to bless you." [Footnote -11] - - [Footnote 11: _Le Manuel de Charité_.] - -But in order to make religion beloved, you must secure some love -for the priest also; for the people confound our cause with that -of God. In their estimation, religion is what the priest is; and -if they do not love the one, they will hardly entertain any love -for the other. - -{75} - -The priest, then, should appear to them surrounded with a halo of -charity. He must make himself known; he will always gain by being -known. He has been depicted in such dark colors that a true view -of him will effectually remove many prejudices, and give occasion -to the oft-recurring remark:--"Would that all priests were like -this one." - -But if the people no longer come to us, we must go to them. We -don't mind going after the heathen of America and Asia; we cross -the seas to get at them; whereas there are in our midst--in our -workshops, our cottages, and throughout the country--tens of -thousands, perhaps millions, of practical pagans. We know this -well, we confess it, we deplore it, and yet we hesitate to cross -the distance which separates us from them! Poor French souls! Can -it, indeed, be that you are not of so much value as the souls of -Chinese? - -To come to us the people must know the value, the necessity of -religion. But do they entertain any such idea? Surrounded as they -have been with so many passions and prejudices, is it surprising -that they are now insensible and mistrustful? Should we be better -than they if we had breathed the same pestiferous atmosphere? If -they are weak in the faith, it is our duty to pity them, -according to the apostolic injunction:--"We that are strong ought -to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please -ourselves." - -{76} - -But one replies:--"I cannot go to the people, for I don't know -what to say to them, how to address them." Well, I will tell you. -The best way of winning them, and others too, is to know how to -listen. That is one of the greatest talents in the direction of -human affairs. The man to whom you have listened attentively will -always go away satisfied with himself, and with you also. - -You do the people good by the bare fact of listening to them. Let -them, therefore, complain and talk nonsense to their hearts -content. Overlook their errors, prejudices, outbursts of passion, -and their profanities, too. Let them discharge all the gall which -is in their hearts, and then they will be far more tractable. -They will tell you that they have no time to practise religious -duties; that they have no need of religion; that it is enough to -be honest; that they don't believe in another life; that -Providence is unjust, bestowing all the comforts on one class, -and all the miseries on the other. You may also expect to meet -with opprobious personalities. They will tell you that priests -are just like other men; that they only work when they are paid, -and so forth. Overlook all such remarks; they are enemies which -are taking their departure, and you will have fewer to encounter. -Hear all, and be not disconcerted at any thing that you hear; on -the contrary, after such an explosion, redouble your kindness, -assail the heart where your attack is least expected, sympathize -cordially with them, give them a hearty shake of the hand, and on -leaving say with candor:--"Well, well, I perceive that there is -good in you. At all events, you are frank, and I like frankness. -You are not as bad as you think. I will call again to-morrow and -have another chat with you." In this way you may baffle the most -diabolical ill-will. - -{77} - -Then, when a friendly footing has been established, you may refer -to the most salient objections and errors, and your words will be -like so many gleams of light. Who knows but that the individuals -themselves will not be the first to say:--"I know what you are -referring to; but make yourself easy on that score, for _much -that I said the other day was in order to get rid of you_." - -Occasionally you will have to deal with a blunt and surly -character. Ask such an one, in an affectionate manner, after he -has expended his curses and oaths:--"Is that all that you have to -urge against religion and society? It is all you know, perhaps; -but I could tell you a great deal more. You have forgotten this -and overlooked that," till at length he will be induced to -say:--"I perceive that you are bantering me;" and he will never -afterward repeat his objections or his imprecations. - -But, good God! why are we so much startled and horrified when we -hear such profanities? It is the very way to increase the evil. -Are we ignorant of what a man is who is vicious, or ignorant, or -passionate? -{78} -Does he always know the drift of his words? The man of the -present age has a special claim to the pardon which the Saviour -prayed for on the cross. Besides, the profane man is not always -so far from God as is thought; such an one is not the most -difficult of conversion. A very witty man, speaking of another -whose restoration to religion has since gladdened the Church, -remarked:--"I begin to have hope of him; for when one talks about -Christianity to him he is annoyed, and blasphemes." We have the -besetting foible of readily believing those who tell us that they -have no faith. They must, indeed, regard us as most credulous -simpletons when they see us approach them with a cart-load of -argument to prove to them what they already know as well as we -do, or what they would know if their poor hearts were a little -less diseased. - -Here, again, we see that charity must initiate and direct our -efforts. As to subsequent measures, if you would win over the -people, if you would acquire an irresistible influence over them, -busy yourself in what concerns them, and be unremitting in your -care of their poor. I will even go so far as to say, make a -semblance of taking this interest in them, and you will gain a -great ascendency over them, your words will have a magic effect -upon them, and they will be ready to overlook every thing else in -you, even the fact of your being a priest. ... This is a subject -deserving the serious consideration of those who have a hearty -desire to labor for the salvation of souls. - -{79} - -A priest enters a workshop, say, of gunsmiths. On perceiving the -cassock, those blackened figures immediately become blacker -still. They purposely turn their backs, in order to give him no -inducement to address them, and should he do so, the reply is -generally a curt "Yes, sir," uttered in as dry and morose a tone -as possible. He walks through the establishment, and meets -everywhere with a similar reception. Meanwhile, one of the -workmen whispers something to the foreman, which the priest -fancies may be a suggestion for his immediate expulsion; but he -is speedily reassured. What passed is transmitted from one group -to another, and suddenly the countenances and hearts of all -undergo a change. Instead of turning their backs, the workmen now -move sideways, as if to invite a colloquy as the visitor moves -along, and before he utters a word, they all stand ready, with -cap in hand, to welcome his address. The men become at once -polite, amiable, charming--Frenchmen, in fact, in the best -meaning of the word. The whispered sentence was the sacramental -saying of the poor:--"This priest is kind to the unfortunate; he -loves the people; he is not a proud man." O wondrous power of -charity! how little art thou understood? and yet thou canst thus -tame even the most unruly! We hear much on all sides about the -best means of enlightening and reforming the people, and of -preventing them from harboring envy and hatred. What is really -required to that end is, as we have been endeavoring to show, the -exercise of charity. - -{80} - -But, further, would you acquire an unlimited sway over the -people? Would you exert a divine power over them? Become poor, -and live in an humble dwelling. Herein I no longer insist on -duties and obligations; I merely give the counsels of charity, -and the reader may, if he pleases, skip over the next few lines. -Yes, unfurnish your house for the poor; send your silver plate, -if you have any, to the money changer; send your fauteuils and -your couches to the fancy warehouse; give one of your mattresses -to him who has none; send your clock to the pawnbroker, and let -your watch go and exchange places with it occasionally. Contend -for your left-off clothes and linen with your old housekeeper, -who will threaten to be seriously vexed if you attempt _to rob_ -her of her perquisites. Accustom yourself to privations. Have a -room like that of the Cardinal Cheverus: a small table and a -chair constituted the furniture, a truck bedstead covered with a -light mattress formed his couch, and the most miserable room in -his palace was that which he chose to occupy. [Footnote 12] - - [Footnote 12: _Vie du Cardinal_, p. 316.] - -{81} - -Do this, and then speak and act, and you will be listened to, -believed, blessed, worshipped. Your heart will overflow with joy, -so much so that you may be induced to say:--"I fear lest I am -receiving my reward here, and that none awaits me in heaven." - -Such voluntary poverty not only impresses the people, it -exercises also a powerful influence on the highest intellects, -transforming and disposing them to acknowledge the truth. - -A person who had taken a prominent part in public affairs made -the following remarks after an interview with an eminently pious -man:--"What most impressed me was not his language, which, -nevertheless, was powerful and keen; but it was his furniture, -his wretched pallet, his three rush chairs and rickety table--all -which formed a most appropriate frame, so to speak, to his -anchorite figure. I returned home saying:--'I have seen something -divine.'" These are the ways of doing good which cost little, and -are within the reach of every one. - -But to return. As I was remarking, the priest must be known and -loved, in order that, through him, religion may be known and -loved. To attain this, let him first appear to the people as -_full of grace_, and afterward as _full of truth_. Let love -precede truth, and then the latter will enter into the heart as -into its own domain. -{82} -Argument must be avoided, lest we drive the man of the people to -the miserable vanity of setting himself up as an enemy to -Christianity. Above all, we must be on our guard against -humiliating any one; for it is very easy to reduce a man to -silence by a witticism, or to make him fall into inconsistency -when he is not a Christian. With the reason of God it is always -possible to nonplus the reasoning of men. - -In a word, we should consult our hearts much, and our heads only -a little. Yes, let us love the poor people, who have been so -little loved during their lives. Are not the people the most -notable part of our family? I mean of the priest's family; for we -have no other to love. It is true that we do not find its members -very amiable at first; but we soon get attached to them: we even -become enthusiastic about them, and experience a sincere pleasure -in associating with those dear _mauvais sujets_. Especially must -we bear with the weak, with the smoking flax and the bruised -reed. We must have a kindly word for all: a smile for this one, a -salutation for that one, a picture for the little child of the -more depraved. That child will love us; the mother will like -nothing better than to do the same, and perchance the father may -follow. ... In a word, we must bring into play all the -assiduities and the holy wiles of charity. - -{83} - -I conceive that the blessed Saviour lived and acted in this way, -in the midst of that wicked nation which put him to death. He -began by doing good--_coepit facere_; and then He -taught--_docere_. He healed, He comforted, He pitied, He ate with -sinners, He took the part of the guilty woman, He deplored the -impending ruin of His country. - -Seize every opportunity of mixing with the people and of showing -them kindness; even those who seem the least promising. Are not -all a source of good to those who love? - -You are a priest, and in walking along hear some one imitating -the cry of a raven. Such an occurrence is less frequent now, but -it happens occasionally. You recognize a human voice, for you -hear the accompanying remark:--"It will be foul weather today, -and some misfortune will befall us, for the ravens are on the -wing." Take no notice of the ill-nature, and do not assume a -proud or disdainful demeanor. It is vulgar to do so, and by no -means Christian. The first chance comer could do no more. But, -with a gracious smile on your countenance, and fervent charity in -your heart, and, above all, avoiding anything like irony, accost -the man somewhat in this style:--"So, my friend, it seems to -amuse you to cry like a raven. I am glad of it. There is so -little enjoyment in the world that I am gratified to have given -you a moment's pleasure. Besides, you are quite right; our dress -is as black as the raven. Nevertheless, if you knew us well, you -would discover that we are not as bad as our dress is black. -{84} -But, what are you doing here?" This will lead to conversation, -explanations will follow, a good understanding and mutual esteem -will be the result, and you will take leave of each other with a -hearty shake of the hand. Thus, an embittered spirit may be -restored to calm and to a better judgment; you will have made a -friend yourself, and perhaps gained one over to God; for who can -tell to what a favorable issue such simple beginnings may lead? -God be praised! many souls have been reclaimed to religion and to -society by similar means. - -I must forewarn you, however, that success will not always attend -your efforts. You will often encounter obstacles, and even -opprobrium; but what then? To a Christian, that will not be the -worst feature in the case. Thereby, in the first place, you will -learn to be more a man; for one who has never known strife and -conflict, victory and defeat, is not a man: he has not lived: he -does not know himself, he does not know others; he is ignorant of -the science of life. He is an imperfect man: a man who has come -short of manhood: because he has never fallen back upon himself -to discover the treasures which Providence has hidden there. He -will never be a man to initiate, or a man of action. It is only -obstacles and contests which form useful as well as great men. -There is, somehow, a most unreasonable tendency in us always to -be sure of success; and yet our blessed Lord expired in anguish, -He. . . . - -{85} - -As to jeers and sarcasms, you may fully reckon on them. -Occasionally, moreover, you will be made to act the part of a -dupe or ninny. So much the better; such experience will serve as -a useful counterpoise to our natural arrogance. Such things are -trifles compared with what our missionaries have to endure among -the infidels. They brave the sword, and we are afraid of needles' -points, and call our fear prudence. But why this dread of being -derided? Can it be that we are ignorant of the French people? Are -we not aware that they must banter or ridicule some one, even -though it be a benefactor? What else can we expect? It is their -nature; but they are sterling at bottom. Join, then, to all your -other benevolent actions, that of allowing them occasionally to -sneer at you. Should an opportunity offer, say to them, in the -words of St. Chrysostom:--"I give you leave to turn me into -ridicule; I will forgive all the evil which you may say of me, on -the express condition that you become less wicked and less -unhappy." Here, then, we have another means of touching the -heart; for even revilers will find it difficult to help loving -one who thus throws himself upon their mercy, and sacrifices self -for their welfare. - -{86} - -A priest who was in the habit of visiting prisons, acting like a -clever man, generally addressed the most obstinate of the -inmates, and made it a point to enter into conversation with the -groups which appeared to be the most vicious and ill-disposed, -knowing that if these were converted the rest would probably -follow. He was specially gracious to the more impious, so much so -that the remark was often made to him by one and another:--"Don't -you remember that it was I who abused you the other day?" "Of -course I do," he replied; "but do you imagine that I care for -abuse? On the contrary, I consider myself rather lucky when I get -a good round of it, and feel to like the abuser the more. -Besides, I was fully convinced that you were better than your -language might lead one to believe." When he retired, the -observation was frequently made:--"There's a priest unlike the -rest. He acts up to his religion. I don't know but that I shall -confess to him;" and the veiled intent was often carried into -practice. Act in this way, and you will be loved more and more; -and when men have learned to love the servant on earth, they may -perchance learn to love his Master who is in heaven. - -This done, you will have made a good beginning, and you must -persevere by presenting religion under its most attractive -aspect. Generally, however, religion has been exhibited to the -people in a manner which imposes too great a restraint on -individual liberty. - -{87} - -We should talk less about what religion forbids, and a little -more of the benefits which it imparts. Don't be always -saying:--"Religion forbids this, and that, and the other thing;" -for you will turn the people against it, and will be charged with -insisting on what is impossible. We Frenchmen are very children -of Adam--and of Eve too. It is quite enough for a thing to be -forbidden to induce us to do it. We have a ravenous taste for the -forbidden fruit. For instance, a man curses and swears in your -presence. Don't tell him that it is a sin, an abominable habit; -for he will then take a malicious pleasure in repeating his -profanity. Tell him rather that it is unseemly, that it is -vulgar, that it shows bad taste, and he will abstain; for all, -even the most depraved, wish to be thought well brought up. Let -us therefore talk less of vices and more of virtues. - -Let us now suppose that you are brought in contact with a crafty -and narrow-minded class of persons. Disconcert all their -manoeuvres by a straight forward and sincere address, and by a -still more frank demeanor, always combined with discretion. Then -there will be no gratification in deceiving you. Above all, never -resort to underhand measures, and carefully avoid slander. The -people hate them: and God and His truth have no need of a secret -police. - -{88} - -When you have to deal with an egotistical and slanderous set, -never speak of egotism or slander; but scatter love broadcast -among them, make the good chords of their hearts vibrate, filling -them with the holy palpitations of charity toward their brethren. -Thus slander and egotism will vanish, according to the saying of -St. François de Sales:--"When there is a fire in the house, every -thing is thrown out through the windows." - -In large cities, where the people are quick, bustling, and -petulant, your speech should be lively, frank, bold, winning, and -irresistible, that it may cause their hearts to thrill with -emotion, and excite their interest by occasionally drawing a -smile from them. In small towns, on the contrary, be less bold -and more circumspect, and let it be your first aim to acquire the -confidence of the people. Study your ground well, the prevailing -prejudices, and even the local routine. - -Novelties often engender distrust. To gain currency for them, you -must secure the affections of your charge, and soar above petty -ideas and feelings. Be impassible and kind in the midst of the -puerile interests which surround you. Be just, for the people -love justice: they even love a severe man who is just; how much -more, then, will they regard such an one if he is benevolent -also? Confidence once restored, go to the main point; stir up -men's consciences, appeal to the better part of human nature, and -throw routine overboard. -{89} -Bring religion into close contact with those hearts which seem so -cold, and you will witness things unknown to those who believe -these people to be indifferent or hostile, simply because, as is -often the case, the people in small towns are not known. They are -looked at too near, they are judged by the exterior, and almost -always by those characteristics wherein they clash against -ourselves. - -There is another reason why you should keep aloof from the -narrow-mindedness above mentioned. One frequents certain -excellent families of the locality who are devoutly inclined and -are munificent to the Church. There is no harm in that; but it -often happens that these worthy persons have rather contracted -views, and are not altogether exempt from petty passions. They -are fond of hearing and repeating some ill-natured gossip, or the -least edifying news of the day; and as we are all apt to acquire -some of the ideas of those with whom we associate, one comes at -length to look at things with their eyes, and finally adopts some -such style as this:--"My parish is this, my parish wishes that;" -whereas, if matters were closely analyzed, it would turn out that -the alleged wish of the parish is confined to a few of those -aforesaid pious souls. - -{90} - -The next false step is to adopt a self-conceited course of action -and of religious teaching, wholly irrespective of the Catholic -Church: nothing is thought of what may be done elsewhere. -"Success can only be achieved in such a way," becomes the -expression of this self-sufficiency; while those who fall into it -grow exclusive and empirical, and forget that, thanks be to God, -the ways of doing good are multifarious, and among them such as -are suited to all dispositions and characters. Nay, it will be -fortunate if this conceit does not assume to have done all that -could be done, and to deny the possibility of others doing better -or more. Happy indeed is the man who can truly bear such a -testimony to himself! We war against prejudices: let us therefore -beware of entertaining any ourselves, for they are not the -easiest enemies to be dislodged. Yes, we sometimes circumscribe, -we confine the beautiful Catholic religion within the small town -where we ourselves reside; we recognize it there, and there only; -it is taught as it should be only there; no good can be done -except what is done there, whether that said small town be called -Quimperlé or Saint-Pierre-de-Chignac. - -As regards the people in rural districts, who are dull, timid, -susceptible, and rather gross, you must strive to open out their -souls in order that religion may penetrate them. They are not -over-exacting, not having been spoilt on that score, and a very -little attention satisfies them. -{91} -A token of good-will, a salutation, an act of politeness, a -trifling gift bestowed on their children, will suffice to attract -them toward religion; for, generally speaking, when it is -properly presented to them, they are attached to it: they love -it, they are proud of their Church and of their curé, and are -ready to fight to prove that he is the most accomplished priest -in the kingdom. - -The peasant must never be provoked or pushed to extremes. When he -resists, don't attack him in front, but turn the difficulty by -laying hold of one of his weaker points, some one of the good -fibres of his heart; otherwise, the more you talk and threaten -the more he will consider it a duty not to listen to you. Never -be at variance with any one. The priest should have no enemies, -and should not be content while he has any. I do not like to hear -the remark: "That man is my enemy." Christ never said so; but He -did say:--"Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." - -One of the most effectual ways of gaining over the peasant, as -well as the people generally, is to show great confidence in him, -and to raise him in his own eyes. Don't be chary either of -encouragement or commendation when he has but partially deserved -them. Suppose him to be all that you could wish; you will thereby -pave the way to impart some useful truths to him. Exalt his good -qualities in his own estimation. He has fallen so low that you -need not be afraid of making him vain, or of raising him too -high. -{92} -May you rather succeed in exalting him to heaven! Did not Christ -come to raise the fallen? Carrying about with him, as man does, -the remembrance of his noble origin, he finds it very hard to -resign himself to being a nonentity on the earth. For my part, I -prefer a little vanity to the mania of envy and hatred. - -In this respect also, timidity has led to our passive cooperation -with the malevolent. We have suffered the people to be too much -depressed. We have allowed them to be practically told that they -are nothing and the rich every thing; that the lot of the -disinherited poor is toil, misery, and contempt; that of the -rich, affluence, enjoyment, and honors. Rather raise the people -by telling them, in the accents of truth, that they are great in -the estimation of God and the Gospel; that they have their share -of dignity and honor, and have no cause to envy others.--"My -friends, the rich have their advantages and you have yours. They -have their joys and so have you. Beware of envying them. A good -workman! why, such an one is the spoilt child of Providence. You -are mistaken in thinking that wealth alone brings happiness. The -rich happy, indeed! How can any one be led into such a delusion? -You know not what they have to suffer: their sufferings are -fearful; and if I wished to discover the most poignant sorrows on -earth, I should not knock at the hut or cottage to seek for them. -{93} -I should knock at the gates of those splendid mansions which -adorn our squares. It is there, behind those triple curtains, -that I should find them with their claws of iron embedded in -broken hearts. ... My friends, with a stout heart and two strong -arms you may be as deserving, as happy, as great, as noble as any -one." - -But this must not only be said; the people must be treated in -such a manner that they may understand it. We must respect them -much, in order that they may learn to respect themselves; showing -them always due deference: as, indeed, we should show all men. In -a word, we should practise, in our dealings with the people, all -the decorum and refined politeness of the drawing-room; with -greater sincerity, to boot. - -For, indeed, they have more need of such treatment than others. -As manifested toward them it would be novel and efficacious; -elsewhere it is generally vain and barren. This kind of -politeness charms and raises them out of that moral degradation, -the remembrance of which besets and weighs them down. So treated -they will cease to hate, to envy, or chafe; and will learn to -love, to be resigned, to have better aspirations: and, withal, -they will bless you. - -{94} - -The best way to direct, to benefit, and to reclaim the people to -religion, is to develop the good sentiments which lie dormant in -the recesses of hearts; the foremost of which is charity, or the -spirit of self-sacrifice. - -France is the home of charity: it exists among the high, the low, -and the middle classes. The people are naturally sympathizing. As -already remarked, it is a pleasure to see their readiness to -oblige. The rich class are charitable; but are they more so than -the popular classes? I will not judge; I prefer saying to all: -"Well done; onward!" - -If you wish to inspire a man of the people with good-feeling, -calm, and a love of the truth, prevail on him to perform a -charitable act. Get him to comfort or to relieve some one, even -though you undertake to compensate him for so doing. - -When you meet with a hasty or passionate man, do not adopt the -ill-timed and absurd method of arguing with him. Is he capable of -understanding you? He is drunk with rage, and such intoxication -is more terrible and brutifying than that with wine. In -attempting to argue with him, you are like the woman who -sermonizes her husband on his return home with his reason drowned -in liquor. - -Rather take the man, and induce him to undertake an act of -charity. Talk to him about humanity, get him to help a -fellow-creature, and after that you will hardly recognize him as -the same individual. That act of generosity will transform him; -will raise him in his own eyes, will give him holy joys, will -draw him toward God, will reconcile him to himself and to -humanity. God be praised for having brought down charity to our -earth! It blesses him who receives, and him who bestows it. - -{95} - -The people are specially capable of appreciating -disinterestedness, the spirit of self-devotion. It is their -element, and constitutes the largest share of their happiness. - -But latterly they have been treated harshly and cruelly. Wants, -aspirations, and desires have been fostered in them which can -never be gratified, and their life has been poisoned thereby. - -Much has been said about ameliorating their condition. So far -well; but that amelioration has been made to consist, in a great -measure, of material enjoyments, of more to eat and drink: in -fact, of feasting. In former times they lived on rye bread and -were not unhappy. Now they have wheaten bread, and meat with it, -and even coffee; yet they complain and are not content. A want -should not be created among the people, unless there is a -certainty of its being amply and always provided for. - -The people, however, are not always won over through their -appetites; they prefer being led by the nobler instincts of the -human heart. They like what is grand, what is costly, and what is -obtained by great sacrifices. They have not, in any degree, the -_bourgeois_ tastes, the _bourgeois_ petty calculations, the -_bourgeois_ love of little comforts. -{96} -They are much more disinterested than is thought. We must not -attempt to gain them over by their material interests solely: -that would be to ruin them and ourselves also; but, allowing them -a due share of such inducements, we should rely mainly on their -generosity and devotedness; for the people really admire great -actions, great achievements, and the great characters who bear -sway over the destinies of mankind. They entertain a species of -worship for them; they refuse them no sacrifice. They attach -themselves to their good or evil fortune, and with them they are -always popular, always abiding. - -The wars of the Revolution and of the Empire have weighed heavily -upon France, have levied the tax of blood on many families; -nevertheless, the name of the Emperor is still surrounded with a -magic halo. Moreover, in the east of France, the marches and -counter-marches of armies, with two successive invasions, have -devastated the country, overburdened the peasantry with imposts, -and altogether ruined many of them. For all that, enter any -cottage there, and you will find the picture of Napoleon by the -side of the image of the Virgin. Even on the field of battle, -amid showers of shot and shell which decimated their ranks, the -brave children of the people exclaimed in death: "Vive -l'Empereur!" Such are the French people at heart: if there is a -tendency in them to seek their own interests, there is a tendency -in them, equally strong, toward devotion and self-sacrifice. - -{97} - -If, then, you would give them a right guidance, speak to them of -other than petty ideas and material enjoyments: the more so, -because, if you attempt to win them over by such low motives, -they will become insatiable; their appetites will get the mastery -over them and plunge them into every kind of excess. Material -enjoyments, indeed! It may be questioned whether France, with all -its fertility, and all the resources of its advanced -civilization, would suffice, in that case, to furnish their first -repast. - -In order to elevate, to control, and to satisfy this great -colossus, the people, you must be provided with something more -than human, something mysterious, surpassing human views and -human reason; otherwise, you will continue powerless, and will -never bring about any moral improvement in the world. - -What has become of our great men, who trusted in man, who -appealed to reason only, however exalted that reason may have -been? Where is now their ascendency? Where the devotion which -they have kindled? Where are the masses who have clung to their -good or evil fortune? They fall, and their fall is regarded with -indifference. -{98} -Even in prosperity, do they secure attachment? Do they acquire a -permanent sway over the hearts of men? Not in the least; respect, -and esteem, and even fidelity are meted out to them according to -their characters, or according to the benefits which they are -judged to have conferred on us. "That man is worth so much: he -possesses so much learning, so much talent, and may be so far -profitable to me. He only deserves so much consideration; I owe -him nothing more." That is his account fully made up. A halo of -superhuman radiance should surround him who would govern the -masses--something divine, infinite, presaging immortality, -heaven, hell, eternity ... otherwise, you will continue to have a -degraded, besotted, or savage people, a people who, in the -country, are sunk in materialism, encroach on their neighbor's -field, or become the prey of usurers; who, when their asses are -diseased, will call in a veterinary surgeon, but will let their -wives suffer rather than pay a doctor to attend them; who will -weep over the break-down of one of their horses, but find no -tears for the death of an aged parent;--a people who, in towns, -find all their pleasures and happiness in rioting and debauchery; -who are never well; who accuse others of their sufferings; and -who, after squandering their own substance, appeal to others, -with hate on their lips and a sword in their hands, saying: "Now -we will share with you." - -{99} - -The best means of reclaiming them to religion is, first, to get -possession of their ideas, their instincts, and their good -feelings. We must enter in at their door, and make them go out by -ours. Bind, rivet religious thought to their thought--to those -sentiments which cause their hearts to vibrate most, and then -elevate their souls; wean them from the prepossessions of earth, -from indifference and evil passions, and impart to them the joys -of religion and charity. - -Take advantage of any occurrence, of any great event, of a fire, -a calamity, an illness. ... A fire reduces a poor family to ruin, -Appeal for aid, placing yourself at the head of the movement, and -the result will surprise you. A laborer falls sick, and his -fields remain untilled. Call his fellow-laborers together, and -they will be glad, they will forget their own interest, to come -to the assistance of their suffering comrade. The people of -France are not known; the spirit of self-sacrifice and generosity -which is in them is not known. It may require some great occasion -to develop it. Well, it is for you to bring it about. - -For instance, you wish to restore a church or to build a new one, -and require a considerable sum of money for the purpose. So much -the better; out of that requirement, you may draw treasures of -charity and religion. - -{100} - -Enter the pulpit and state your object; be like a father in the -midst of his family. Set the whole case before them, your fears, -your hopes, your need, and then add:--"We rely upon you. You will -aid me, will you not? for I shall take the lead, and this will be -our church." - -You will then witness how the old French and Christian enthusiasm -may be rekindled in the hearts of the people, insomuch that you -will be tempted to ask:--"Are we really in the nineteenth -century? Are we not still in the middle ages?" All will -cooperate: the poor man will offer his two arms, work men will -give their day's labor, the agriculturists, if there be any, will -supply carts; this one will give money, another wood, a third -stone; here windows, and there ornaments will be presented. Who -knows but that some, who have never been accustomed to work, will -offer to aid in the building? The little _bourgeois Voltairien_, -who has been known to speak evil of God and of His curé, even he -may wish to have a hand in the erection of the church; so that -all will thereby be brought nearer to God, nearer to the truth, -and nearer salvation. - -Similar things have occurred in every part of France; though few -have any conception of the existence of such a spirit among the -people. We have even heard venerable pastors exclaim on -witnessing it:--"I have held this parish for twenty-five years -without knowing of it. I could not have believed that my -parishioners had so much good in them." - -{101} - -Haymon, abbé of Saint-Pierre-sur-Dives, [Footnote 13] tells us -that in the middle ages, kings and mighty men of the time, -renowned and wealthy, nobles of both sexes, stooped so low as to -lay hold of the ropes attached to the carts laden with provisions -and materials for building churches, and drag them to the house -of God. And what appeared most astonishing was, that, although -owing to its size and heavy burden, the cart was sometimes drawn -by upward of a thousand persons, so profound was the silence -maintained that nobody's voice was heard above a whisper, and the -eye alone could recognize particular individuals in that vast -multitude. - - [Footnote 13: _Manuel de Charité_, p. 244.] - -Similar spectacles may be witnessed again. Scenes akin to them -occur frequently in the least religious parts of the country, and -under the most adverse circumstances. One such took place during -the present year at the prison of St. Pélagie. - -Two years ago, a new parish was formed in one of the most -miserable quarters of Paris, where the people were almost pagans. -An appeal was made to their charity, and five hundred francs, in -_sous_, were collected after the sermon. Moreover, the poor -brought gifts of bread, and wished to help in the erection of the -church. -{102} -Two poor women brought the fire-wood which had been given to them -by the _Bureau de Bienfaisance_. Many brought their rings and -wedding presents. Working men clubbed together to ornament the -church; and, what is better still, now that it is built, they go -there to pray. O people whom Christ loved, how little are ye -known! how little beloved! Ye would be saved. ... - -To sum up: in order to benefit the people, they must be cared -for; they must be loved, must be made to love all that is good -and great, and then you may lead them where you will. Charity is -popular in France. Above all, succor the unfortunate; do so -bountifully, and you will gain an ascendency which nothing will -be able to wrest from you. You may then defy the criticisms of -wits, of the press, and of hate, and retain possession of the -most glorious sovereignty in the world--that over the hearts of -men. - -We must insist, therefore, on the necessity of giving the people -a right direction; not the dry and cold direction of a -metaphysical argument, or of a sword's point, but a benevolent, -sympathetic, devoted impulse. ... We have not busied ourselves as -we ought about the people, about their moral amelioration. We -have abandoned them to the intriguing and ambitious, and then we -complain of and reproach them. Have they not as much reason to -murmur against and to upbraid us? The people are what they are -made. -{103} -They are like those unclaimed lands which belong to the first -occupant: they are good or bad according as they are well or -badly managed; and, looking at the manner in which the people -have progressed for the last ten or twelve years, it would hardly -seem that they have been under the direction of honest men. What -have we done? What masters have we given them? To what school -have we sent them? To the school of the tavern, the -liquor-vaults, and debauchery. And who have been the masters of -this great French people? Men over head and ears in debt, -bankrupt tradesmen, briefless barristers, peddling -tipstaffs--such have been their educators; and yet forsooth, we -have the face to complain that they have been badly brought up! -What ought to surprise those who know the temptations and -allurements to which they have been exposed, and the kind of -literature which has been put into their hands--no less than -eight millions of mischievous books every year by colportage -alone--is, not that the people are so bad as they are, but that -they are no worse. Their nature must be good at bottom, and -Christianity must still survive in their hearts, to have -withstood as they have done. I deplore the good which is ours no -longer; but I bless Providence for that which still subsists. - -{104} - -We have, in truth, played into the hands of designing and -malevolent; for when we have seen them set on the people, -overwhelming them under a crushing load of errors, prejudices, -and antipathies, instead of taking part in the contest, we have -too often stood aloof, and contented ourselves with the vain -deprecation, uttered perhaps with a smile of disdain:--"They are -being taught what is unreasonable and will not bear examination!" -Very true; but do the people examine? When a bad press has been -active, lavish, and amusing withal--when it has followed them -into their workshops, their cottages, in fact, everywhere--how -did we act? Why, we gave them some wearisome treatises which were -either puerile or crammed full of metaphysics. Good heavens! when -shall we be brought to understand that the people do not reflect, -that they look, listen, and then go forward? They need some one -to guide them, and if honest men do not undertake the mission, -they will find others who will. ... - -To aid us in affording that guidance, we should invoke the -cooperation of the higher classes, inducing them to exert -themselves for the moral amelioration of the people. Here, again, -we have another rich mine to be worked which has been greatly -neglected, but whereby all may be benefited. The people must be -morally reformed by the rich, and the rich by the people. - -{105} - -Alas! we often have to deplore the little effect which our words -produce on the higher classes. But why should you expect them to -understand us? They have no longer the Christian sense; they do -not wish to endure, their aim is to enjoy themselves. They are -devoured by sensualism and hardened by egotism. To remedy this, -begin by dipping their souls in the waters of charity; teach them -the way of self-sacrifice and devotion; enlist them in efforts -for the moral benefit of the people, their children, and the -poor, and then you will be listened to. - -This kind of charity is readily understood in France. All of us -have some sort of pretension of wishing to do something for the -moral welfare of the people, even though we may not be strictly -consistent in our own morality. But the French mind is so logical -that it cannot play such a part for any length of time without -being bettered thereby, were it only for shame's sake or out of -self-respect. Something within will say:--"Before attempting to -reform others, I shall do well to reform myself." Then charity -will attract heavenly blessings, and the heart will open itself -to the inspirations of the Gospel. - -If, therefore, you wish to convert or reform a man, set him to -reform one somewhat worse than himself. You will succeed much -more readily in that way than by argument. - -Take the case of a young man whose virtue is more than wavering, -and the flights of whose imagination cause you anxiety. Set him -at work to reform others, or to make the effort on some notorious -offender. -{106} -He will do his part wonderfully well; his own virtue will be -strengthened and confirmed thereby, and you will have given -beneficent scope to an exuberant vivacity which the youth himself -did not know how to utilize. - -It is related that a president of the Society of Saint Vincent de -Paul had reason to fear that some of its members failed to -discharge their Paschal obligations. There were, at the same -time, several poor families to be converted, and he committed the -task to the suspected defaulters. The result was that they were -the first to partake of the Holy Communion. The thing was simple -enough: before leading others to the confessional, it was -necessary that they themselves should show them the way. - -Every effort made by the higher classes to benefit those below -them, revives and sustains in the former the spirit of -compassion, of benevolence, and of self-sacrifice--the best -sentiments of the human heart. It imparts life to them; for to -live is to feel, is to love, is to be loved, and to cause love in -others. To have sympathy with and fellow-feeling for the -poor--that is to live; but to be wholly absorbed in business -matters, in advancing one's own fortune, or in concocting -intrigues--that is not to live; rather it is to become brutish -and to go to ruin. Nothing is more immoral and contrary to nature -than to be always taken up with self. -{107} -Moreover, the course which we are recommending tends to draw the -different classes closer together, to teach them to know and -esteem each other, and to assuage mutual jealousies and -antipathies. The people are fond of being thought of, of having -interest manifested toward them. Under such treatment they -readily yield, and are glad to be reconciled. They become even -proud of the tokens of benevolence bestowed on them by some -wealthy individual; it is a kind of safeguard to them against -evil passions. They say to themselves:-"We are loved and -esteemed: let us by honest and Christian conduct continue to -deserve such consideration." - -Further, it cannot be denied that there is a tendency in the -spirit of the people to fancy themselves despised by the rich. -Even suspicion on that point must be rendered impossible, for it -may lead to serious evils. The people are implacable on the -subject of contempt: they are even cruel, and they cannot pardon -it, whatever else they may be ready to overlook. They forgive -those who deceive and those who rob and over-work them; but they -do not forgive those who despise them. To be despised is to them -the last indignity: and perhaps there is some reason in that -popular instinct. It is surprising that our blessed Lord -complained but once during His passion. ... He suffered, He died, -without a murmur; but when the affront of contempt was inflicted -on Him, He complained, and uttered that speech which revealed a -heart profoundly bruised:--"If I have spoken evil, bear witness -of the evil; but if well, why smitest thou me?" - -{108} - -But when the people meet with benevolence and cordiality among -the rich, jealousy and hate give way, and they may be heard to -say:--"If all the rich were of that sort, they would be adored; -we should be ready to die for them." Moreover, they are led -thereby to have more faith in God and in the reality of a -Providence. - -Some few years ago there lived an artisan's wife who was -notorious for her hatred toward society, toward the rich, and -even toward God. She hated them with an implacable, a woman's -hate. Her malignity was specially directed against the _rolls of -silk_ and _bundles of stuff_--so she designated the females of -the upper classes--and she was known to be in the habit of saying -to her children:--"I have brought you up for the democracy ... to -humble the rich and to reestablish equality; and if you do not -become democrats, I will disown you." - -A priest commissioned a young marchioness, as virtuous as she was -accomplished, to attend to this poor creature. She began by -listening with kindness to all her grievances and insults, and -even allowed herself to be called a _coquine_. Nevertheless, by -dint of patience, she soon succeeded in calming her embittered -soul. - -{109} - -One day, the marchioness, who was about to absent herself for -several weeks, went to bid farewell to her _protégée_. She took -her affectionately by the hand, and then, moved thereto -spontaneously by her kind heart, and doubtless by the grace of -God also, cordially kissed her, saying, as she left:--"I shall -soon see you again." - -The poor woman was stunned with amazement, and moved even to -tears, and forthwith went to the priest; but instead of first -saluting him, she began by exclaiming:--"Is it possible? You will -not believe me; nevertheless it is true. She kissed me! .... Yes, -the lady marchioness kissed a miserable creature like me. ... Ah! -I have frequently declared that there was no good God; now I say -there is, because that lady is one of His angels. I have said, -too, that I would never confess; now you may confess me as often -as you please." Since that time she has been an exemplary -Christian. - -The day after, the priest wrote as follows to the excellent lady -whom God had made the instrument of this good work:--"You may, -indeed, consider yourself happy. ... We priests are at great -pains to preach, and do not always succeed in converting our -hearers; but you succeed with an embrace!" - -Oh, if women only knew! Oh, if they would, what good they might -do, what evil they might prevent! .... - -{110} - -Moreover, the existence of real virtue in a woman of the world -depends upon her coming out of self, and devoting herself -assiduously to works of charity. ... For, you may rest assured of -this, that without self-denial on her part you will never be able -to keep her in the right way. ... Take the case of a light, -worldly, and gay woman--and there are many such; you will never -acquire any influence over her except through the medium of -charity. She will make promises, but she will take care not to -keep them: you can never rely on her being faithful to them. It -will be vain for you to address her in the most conclusive -speeches, to ply her with refined and smart essays on good -breeding--in vain that you assail her foibles and waywardness -with irony and sarcasm--in vain that you hold up before her the -terrors of death, hell, and eternity. She will find loopholes by -which to elude all that, and to deceive herself. It will not -prevent her in the least from being vain and excessively addicted -to pleasure, from baring her shoulders immoderately, and from -going a-begging for idolatrous incense in fashionable circles. -Before all, she must be made to feel, to love, to be loved, to -devote herself. Charity filling her soul will set fire to the -house, and then every thing else will be thrown out of the -window. - -{111} - -Strive, therefore, to enlist all--women, men, and even -children--in searching out the distressed, and in the moral -improvement of the people. Make charity honorable; let there be -benevolent enterprises in your locality in which all can take -part, so that there may not be a man or woman who has not his or -her poor, or who is not engaged somehow in works of charity. - -This is the case already in several towns in France, where a -person can scarcely decline being a member of some benevolent -association without suffering a loss of respect. You must -overcome all repugnances on this subject, more especially that of -_amour propre_. There are those who will raise the following -objection, which is by no means rare:--"How can I, a man in my -position, a woman of my standing, busy myself about a set of -beggarly people like these?" To such reply:--"And why not? In the -great cities, men the most eminent by fortune, talent, and -reputation, do it. ... Even ladies who are fêted and sought after -in the world--the young and beautiful, countesses, marchionesses, -and princesses--even such do not disdain the task. There are -women in Paris, possessing every thing that heart can desire, -with a rental of from two hundred thousand to three hundred -thousand francs, who deprive themselves of legitimate pleasures -to occupy themselves in making clothes for the poor, visiting the -most wretched hovels, and nursing the indigent sick." -{112} -Tell them all this with gentleness and kindness; make the grand -ladies of certain small towns--such as the wives of lawyers, -judges, advocates, merchants, commission agents, and -viscounts--ashamed of themselves. It will tend to wean them from -that spirit of contempt and sensualism, and that pride of shabby -finery, which consists in thinking one's self superior to a rival -because she has had the signal honor of finding a better -dressmaker. Tell them that, if they affect the fashions and -usages of Paris, they would do well to imitate the charity, zeal, -and devotion which are exercised there. - -To cite but one instance, that of Donoso Cortès, whom we may now -praise, for God has just called him to Himself. He disappeared -every day from home at certain hours. No one knew where he went; -but it was afterward discovered that it was the time of his -visits to the poor. M. de Montalembert, who knew him well, tells -us that he loved the poor passionately, but, withal, discreetly. -In fact, in order to benefit the people, that is how they must be -loved. Thereby alone can you hope to succeed in restoring them to -the path of Gospel self-denial and self-sacrifice. - -Be on your guard, moreover, against another excuse often urged by -certain of the wealthier classes. They say:--"But the people -distrust us; it is quite enough for us to attempt to lead them in -one way to make them determined to follow another." - -{113} - -The people distrust the wealthy classes! If it be so, whose fault -is it? Is it all theirs? They do not know those classes; they -seldom see them except at a distance, and from a lower standing. -Their estimate of them is founded on slander; how, then, can they -have confidence in them? ... Their confidence must be won, it -must be raised by dint of benevolence, charity, and -self-devotion, and the task is by no means impracticable. What! -the possessors of fortune, and talent, and a name, and yet unable -to gain that confidence on the part of the people which a -schoolmaster, a village lawyer, a tipstaff, a man without any -intellectual or moral worth, is able to secure! Of what avail, -then, is it to spend so many long years in study? What does a -good education mean, and of what use is it? Surely a very false -idea has been formed of education. It will soon be made to -consist in knowing how to train a horse, or to turn a compliment, -or in instilling vanity into brains which need no addition of -that quality. Knowledge, talent, position, and birth are not -bestowed on us for the benefit of self, but for the welfare of -all; and it therefore behoves those who are endowed with a -greater capacity--who possess more knowledge, more time, more -influence, and more heart than others--to share their advantages -with those who have less, or who have not the leisure to acquire -them. - -{114} - -That the influence of which we are speaking may be secured is -proved by the fact of its existence throughout France. There are -parts of the country where the rich man is king and father of his -_commune_; which then resembles one great family. There, the -tenant of the cottage exchanges smiles with the proprietor of the -mansion, and the joys and sorrows of both are warmly -reciprocated. No important step is taken by those who are below -without knowing first what those above them think of it. Under -such circumstances, how many evils are avoided, how many quarrels -adjusted, how many animosities appeased! Oh, what a glorious -mission! How sad to reflect that it is not carried out -everywhere! Nevertheless, strive to make it understood by -persuasion. Make frequent appeals to the hearts of the rich, to -their love of humanity. Invoke them to aid us in stopping the -misery at its source. Invoke their pity on the masses who toil -and suffer beneath us; their pity for those poor children whose -fathers devour their bread; pity on behalf of the aged who pine -in cold and hunger; pity for the woman who spends her Sunday -evenings in tears, expecting every moment to encounter the -brutality of a husband who reels home with his reason and heart -drowned in liquor. Appeal even to their sense of shame, and tell -them that, if it is right to protect animals, it is still more so -to cherish human beings--that their words, coupled with a good -example, would be all-powerful to remedy these miseries--that it -is the rich and great of the earth who sow good or evil in the -hearts of men, and that if matters do not progress to their -satisfaction, they should begin by taking the blame to -themselves. ... Your efforts will be appreciated by many. ... You -will be blessed by all. - -{115} - -Such are the French people; such, it appears to us, is the way to -do them good. - -It is well to study books: it is indispensable; but it is not -enough. We must also study the hearts, the minds, the manners of -those with whom we have to deal, otherwise our knowledge will be -like gold buried in the mountains of America. "The good shepherd -knows his sheep, and is known of them." Is that saying always -realized amongst ourselves? - -There is one particular point, however, on which we must be -thoroughly convinced, namely, that what sufficed in former times -will not suffice now. A great revolution has taken place among -the masses. A century ago, Christianity bore all away in its -strong current. Passions broke loose, no doubt; but sooner or -later all bowed before the Gospel. Nowadays, attempts are made to -justify human weaknesses. Formerly, scarcely any other guidance -was permitted but that of the Christian pulpit. Now, there are -platforms everywhere, and within a century we have between -fifteen and eighteen millions more who can read--from fifteen to -eighteen millions of men who may easily be led astray. - -{116} - -It is a common saying that "France is very sick." Then, I beseech -you not to treat it as if it were in perfect health. Would you -make an end of it? - -"Christianity alone can save us," is another common remark. Very -true; but it must be brought in contact with the masses, and if -they do not come to us, we must go to them. ... We have been -unsuccessful in the ministry of the word; let us try the ministry -of charity. - -Is it not the aim of Christian eloquence to win over the hearts -of men, and to dispose them toward that which is good? Avail -yourselves, then, of your position to carry out that object. ... -Be persuaded that the world is tired of fine speeches; it wants -actions: and of that demand, who can complain? ... To study and -to argue is to act well; to act and to love is better still. - -But the most formidable argument against Christianity is -this:--"We admit that Christianity has rendered great benefits to -mankind by endowing the world with admirable institutions; but -its sap is exhausted; its ascendency over the masses is lost." -Let us prove that this is false, not by words merely, but by -deeds: by self-denial and self sacrifice. Those arguments are -unanswerable. - -{117} - -But in order to remedy the evils which beset us, we must not rely -on the systems of the learned or on human laws. Good heavens! if -reasonings and codes of law sufficed to secure the peace and -happiness of a people, France ought to be the most prosperous -country in the world. - -Neither must we rely upon the power of the sword. It is easily -used; but, as De Maistre has said, to rely on force is like lying -down on the sail of a windmill to obtain quiet sleep. Then, -again, the adoption of force leads to the most terrible excesses. -Those who invoke it know not what they do: they have never -witnessed civil war or barricades, they have never seen French -blood flow in the streets, they have never heard the roar of -cannon or the crash of grapeshot. . . . May God preserve us from -a recurrence of such experience! Rather by dint of persuasion, of -devotion, and of love, let us strive to reconcile all hearts, and -make France the foremost people in the world--the most Christian -and divinely blessed nation. - -{118} - - Chapter III. - - The Order of a Sermon - - - The Exordium. - Divisions. - Proofs. - Are there many Unbelievers in France? - Manner of refuting Objections. - - -After getting to know the people and to be known of them, to love -them and to be loved by them in return, the next step is to lead -them to the knowledge and love of God and His Gospel by means of -oral teaching. ... In carrying this out, use plain speech, and -aim straight at your object, which is to expound the truth -proposed to be treated in such a way as shall cause it to be -listened to with interest. Let it be perceived at once what the -subject is, and what you intend to say. Sketch out your truth in -a few sententious words, clearly and emphatically enunciated. - -Let there be none of those vague and halting considerations which -give the speaker the air of a man who is blindfolded, and strikes -at random,--none of those perplexing exordiums wherein every -conceivable fancy is brought to bear upon a single idea, and -which frequently elicit the remark:--"What is he driving at? what -topic is he going to discuss?" - -{119} - -Let the subject-matter be vigorously stated at the outset, so -that it may rivet the minds and engage the attention of the -audience. - -Generally speaking, at the commencement of a discourse, there is -profound silence, and all eyes are fixed on the preacher. Avail -yourself of that opportunity to arrest the imagination of your -hearers, to attract their attention, which you should maintain -throughout, and to withdraw their minds from the things of earth -and from themselves, in order that they may live your life for -the space of half-an-hour. - -Let your onset be bold and vigorous, that your audience may catch -a glimpse of the strength of your position, your means of -defence, and the triumph of the truth which you are about to -handle. ... "I prefer," says Montaigne, "those discourses which -level the first charge against the strongest doubt. I look for -good and solid reasons to come after." - -This should be followed by a word of appeal to the heart, to -restrain its evil promptings--something genial and earnest, -calculated to open out the soul, and which, coupled with a simple -and modest demeanor, shall at once bespeak the preacher as -sincerely attached to his audience. -{120} -If preaching on the duty of charity toward the poor, you might -say:--"I come before you on the present occasion to plead a cause -which will secure me against all adverse criticism, for I know -your charity. I have not to address you to-day in language of -censure or rebuke, but in words of encouragement and blessing." - -If a severe truth is to be urged on the congregation, it might be -introduced thus:--"You will permit me to declare the truth unto -you; for you love the truth. The people have never been hostile -to it. ... You yourselves would not be satisfied with half -truths; you desire something better. Therefore I shall deem it my -duty to tell you the whole truth with the freedom of an apostle, -but at the same time, with all Christian charity." - -In a word, you should exhibit that gentle admixture of power and -benignity which so well befits him who speaks in the name of the -Most High; exciting the love of your hearers as with the -influence of a mother. Or, following therein the example of Saint -Paul, being like one who serves, and not like one who rules; -condescending toward all; striving to withdraw them from the -sorrows and passions of life, that you may lead them to the -truth, to virtue, and to heaven. ... - -On great occasions it is usual to recite the _Ave Maria_ before -the sermon. It is a venerable and edifying practice which ought -to be followed; but forbear invoking the Holy Spirit or the -blessed Virgin unless you do it devoutly and sincerely. -{121} -It is frequently otherwise: one appeals to heaven, and fixes his -eyes on the earth: another, instead of the posture of prayer, -assumes the attitude of menace, and looks very much like a man -who demands your money or your life. - -There should be order in the sermon, and the ideas should be -linked together, and should mutually support each other. But it -should not be laid down as an invariable rule always to follow -those categorical divisions which necessarily cut up a truth into -two or three parts, these to be cut up again into two or three -sections of truth, giving the speaker the air of a man who is -amusing himself with pulling a machine to pieces, and then -putting it together again. The Fathers did not ordinarily follow -that course. Indeed all discourses cannot be so subdivided; for -not every subject will bear it without losing much of its -interest. ... Most sermons seem to be modelled on the same -pattern, so much so, that the hearer is disposed at the very -outset to remark:--"I have heard that already twenty times over, -set forth just in the same way. What use is there in my listening -to it again?" This is one drawback, in addition to the -consideration that it is not prudent to take the audience into -your confidence as to the conclusion to which you intend to lead -them. ... Or another listener will say:--"Alas! we are still at -the second subdivision of the first part. -{122} -What a long sermon it will be!" He is seized with _ennui_, and -then farewell to all feeling of interest in the Divine word, and -to all hope of any benefit to be derived from it. - -It is preferable to have a range of ideas known to yourself -alone, with intervening pauses. In that way you will carry the -hearers along with you. They will listen, will be moved, will -forget how time passes, and at the conclusion will not feel tired -with having followed you. It appears that the mania for -subdividing every thing is a complaint of long standing. La -Bruyère has passed his judgment upon it; which, apart from -exaggeration--the inseparable companion of criticism--is not -inapplicable at the present day. - -Speaking of preachers he says:--"They hold three things to be of -indispensable and geometrical necessity, and to deserve your -admiring attention. They will prove a certain proposition in the -first part of their discourse, another in the second part, and an -other in the third. Thus, you are to be convinced, first, of a -certain truth--that is their first point; then of a third -truth--which is their third point; so that the first reflection -is to instruct you on one of the most fundamental principles of -religion; the second, on another not less so; and the third, on a -third and last principle, the most important of all, but which, -nevertheless, must be postponed for lack of time to another -occasion. Finally, in order to resume and sum up these divisions, -and to form a plan. ... -{123} -What! you are ready to exclaim, more yet! And are these merely -the preliminaries to a discourse of forty-five minutes duration -which is still to follow! Why, the more they attempt to digest -and throw light upon the subject, the more they confuse me! I -readily believe you, for it is the most natural effect of that -heap of ideas, which always turns upon one and the same thought, -with which they pitilessly burden the memory of their hearers. It -would seem, to witness their obstinate adherence to this -practice, as if the grace of conversion was attached to these -preposterous divisions. I heartily wish that they would pause in -their impetuous course to take breath, and give a little -breathing-time to others. Vain discourses! Words thrown away! The -time of homilies exists no longer; our Basils and Chrysostoms -will fail to reclaim them; people will pass over into other -dioceses to be beyond the reach of their voice and familiar -instructions: for men in general like set phrases and finely -turned periods, admire what they don't understand, consider -themselves edified thereby, and rest satisfied with deciding -between the first and second points of a discourse, or between -the last sermon and that which preceded it." - -Division must not be sought for; it must present itself, and -spring out of the subject which you are about to discuss, or the -object which you have in view. -{124} -For instance, you intend to treat on deference to man's opinion. -Establish these two points:--1st. That there is no disgrace -attached to the practice of religion; and 2nd. That even if there -were, in the estimation of some men, it is our bounden duty to -brave it. - -When a dogma of the faith is to be treated either before the -people or others, never propound the truth in a hypothetical -form, which is fraught with danger. Thus, do not say:--"Does the -soul die with the body or does it pass to another life?" ... "Is -Jesus Christ a mere man; or is he the Son of God?" Always use the -affirmative form:--"The soul does not die with the body; the soul -will live for ever." ... "Jesus Christ is the Son of God; he is -God Himself." Otherwise, you will seem to question those -verities, and may give rise to doubts. Such was the result in the -cause of an artisan, who remarked, after listening to a -sermon:--"For my part, I was quite sure that there was another -life; but I learn from what the preacher has stated to-day, that -there is something to be said against as well as in favor of the -doctrine." - -The people like a strong, self-reliant, and fearless affirmative, -declared boldly and sincerely in the name of God, which admits of -no buts, or ifs, but which descends from on high, claiming the -ready assent of all without distinction. - -{125} - -Discussion is not the way to teach Christianity. It must be fully -understood that the truth of the Gospel is not the conclusion of -an argument; that it depends neither on the talents of the -preacher, not yet on the acceptance of the hearer; that all such -accidents do not affect it in any way. Christianity must be -expounded just as it is; but in a noble and energetic manner, -such as shall cause it to be readily understood and loved in -spite of all opposition. - -Nevertheless, in condescension to human infirmity, you may -occasionally justify God, as the Divine word says, by pointing -out the fitness of a Catholic truth; but this must be by the way -only. Resume quickly the high standing of a man who speaks in the -name of God--_tanquam potestatem habens_--who is himself -controlled by a truth which he cannot modify in the least degree. -Call in frequently the aid of faith; prove, without stating that -you are going to prove; and, in order the better to combat men's -errors, confront human authority with the authority of God. - -Men will raise such objections as these:--"But the Gospel itself -declares. ... Those great men who are called the Fathers on -account of their piety and genius have said ... The Catholic -Church, armed with its infallible authority, says ... God Himself -has declared ... And as against these witnesses what is the word -of a mere man to me? Moreover, I will not submit; I will not bow -down to human authority. Am not I a man as well as he? Am I not -endowed with reason? He affirms, I deny; he denies, I affirm; my -word is as good as his, even were he what is called a man of -genius. -{126} -Granted that genius commands respect--and I respect it when it -yields to what is superior to it--but, as compared with the law -of God, what is a man of genius? A poor pigmy, who labors and -drudges for forty years to acquire some traces of a superior -mind; who more frequently possesses the _amour propre_ of a silly -woman; and who, while pretending to govern the world from his -study, allows himself to be led by his own female domestic. For -my part, I require something better than that; a greater, a -higher authority, and one much more self-reliant." - -You will best restrain and meet these objections by having God -always at your side. Entrench yourself behind the Divine -authority; efface the man and hold up God; impose silence on the -earth and let Him speak, but with power and loving-kindness. - -Unhappily, we have not maintained this high standing. The Divine -word has been brought down too much to a human level; it has been -made too much to reflect man's image. The incessant attacks of -the enemies of religion, and, it may be, our own scholastic -studies also, have inspired us with a combative, and querulous -humor. Christianity is now discussed, proved, philosophically -demonstrated. You constantly meet men who are going to _prove_ -this to you, then to _prove_ that, and then again to _prove_ -something else. In God's name, don't repeat this so often, but do -it a little better. - -{127} - -These attempts to prove certain propositions generally result in -obscuring and confounding them. A preacher states a truth; you -understand and enjoy it. He demonstrates it; and you understand -it less, and perchance begin to doubt it. - -Some years ago especially, we were seized with the malady of -dogmatic conferences. Every one wished to hold conferences to -prove the _reasonableness_ of Christianity. The epidemic has -abated, but we are not wholly free from it. ... That there should -still be one or two of these conference-men in certain large -towns is all well enough; yet even that is to be regretted, for -the genus is an offshoot of the misfortune of the age, and is by -no means apostolic. In order to treat Christianity in that way, -extraordinary talent is required, together with a thorough -knowledge of the dogmas of our religion, a knowledge equally -profound of the human heart, of philosophical systems and errors, -and a mathematical precision of language. - -We may rest assured that the control over antagonisms and -passions, so as to preclude doubt or suspicion from creeping into -the mind, must always proceed from an elevated standing, and that -men possessing the necessary qualifications, or even some of them -in a high degree, are extremely rare. - -{128} - -This consideration has been sadly overlooked. Very soon we shall -have every one attempting to philosophize Christianity. There are -scarcely any, down to the youngest priest, who does not take up -the most difficult dogmas, and who does not seek to do battle -with those who are styled "unbelievers"--that is the current -word nowadays, because, as it would seem, the old term (infidel) -has been worn out by long usage, and, therefore, it has been -thought necessary to create a new one. - -All this is very deplorable. Until quite lately there was hardly -a discourse, addressed even to the people exclusively, which did -not contain passages intended for unbelievers, or tirades against -unbelievers, or apostrophes to unbelievers. The believers who -were present were neglected for the sake of the unbelievers who -were absent. - -It is not rare, indeed, to meet with men who call themselves -unbelievers, who assert it, and who write themselves such; but -will you find men who are seriously unbelievers, and who do not -falter in their negations? A pious priest, who was frequently -called upon to attend the sick in the higher classes of society -in Paris, was once asked whether he often met with men who had -ceased to believe. He replied, good-naturedly:--"Pray, don't -allude to the subject. Though I have been long accustomed to -minister to great sinners, I have never yet had the good fortune -to lay my hand on one who was even a little unbelieving. As -regards the faith, men in general are better than their words or -their writing either." - -{129} - -As has been well remarked:--"The man who, even in all sincerity, -says: 'I don't believe,' often deceives himself. There is in the -depths of his heart a root of faith which never dies." - -Real unbelief cannot prevail in France. There is too much good -sense, too much rectitude in the French mind, and too much moral -beauty in the Gospel, to render absolute unbelief possible. - -These pretensions to unbelief are generally based on a little -ignorance combined with a large amount of feeble-mindedness; so -that when one tells you that he does not, that he cannot believe, -you should understand him to mean that he is weak and timid. Let -us be on our guard against taking such men at their word, for we -should thereby show how little knowledge we possess of the human -heart. A priest who was called in to attend a person who had -spoken and written much against religion, put this question to -him:--"When you wrote were you quite sure of your own unbelief?" -The other replied, "Alas! Monsieur l'Abbé," ... in a deprecating -tone, which seemed clearly to imply:--"How young you are, and how -little you know of the human heart!" - -No; the question between the world and ourselves is not whether -the miracles and mysteries of Christianity are believed, but -whether the morality of the Gospel is practised. -{130} -That is the real question at issue. So true is this, that -scholars and honest men will not hesitate to say frankly:--"The -matter is not one of argument; only retrench from your religion -several small commandments of God and the Church, which we need -not specify, and then we will be on your side." - -That is the secret of unbelief. It is not faith that is wanting, -but the courage to do what is right. - -How, then, are we to get rid of those preachers who are always -taken up with unbelievers? How delivered from those endless -sermons addressed to unbelievers? They do us much harm and very -little good. The whole thing, besides being ill-judged, is a -mistake. By incessantly speaking to men about unbelief, we may -end in making them unbelievers; just as we may make a dolt of a -man by dint of telling him that he has no sense. Besides, what a -blow it is to Christianity to give the people to understand that -a notable portion of a great nation has seriously contested its -Divine origin! Is not this to suggest the temptation that they -too should become unbelievers, since, by so doing, they would be -in so numerous and goodly a company? Instead of such a course, -begin by telling your audience--but in the accents of profound -conviction--that there is not one unbeliever among them; that -they all have faith; that they believe as you do; that they are -better than they judge themselves to be; that not every one who -wishes it can become an unbeliever; that Jesus Christ is too -eminent in history and in the world to be regarded, in earnest, -as a mere man: ... tell them this, and you will do them good, -and, besides, you will be telling the truth. - -{131} - -They all believe, but their faith is imperfect, wounded. So true -is this, that Voltaire himself, as all the world knows, could not -rid himself entirely of his faith, all Voltaire that he was. ... -What! Voltaire, with all his wit, and, if you will, his genius, -Voltaire, with his demon pride, his satanic hatred of Christ, his -half century of blasphemies,--Voltaire, the head of the most -redoubtable cohort of enemies that Christianity ever had,--even -he could not wholly divest himself of his belief; and yet it is -pretended that our pigmies of the nineteenth century, with their -limited knowledge and petty malice, are able to stifle their -faith when that giant of impiety was unable to strangle his in -his eagle's clutch! ... - -Only a little reflection is needed to convince ourselves on this -point. For what is unbelief? It is the conviction that -Christianity is false. Now, how can such a conviction be arrived -at against eighteen centuries of genius and virtue, against the -authority of the Gospel, against Christ Himself? How can any man -reasonably attain the position of being able to confront those -eminent men and facts, and say:--"I am quite sure that you have -deceived the world ... you have lied?" -{132} -It is impossible. It may be said and written in a moment of -passion; but such assurance is not, cannot be attained. - -We shall, therefore, be acting truly as well as wisely in not -descanting so much about unbelievers. For, after all, of what use -is it? For the most part, these alleged unbelievers are not -present to listen to you. Neither is that the worst feature in -the case. These kinds of sermons are by no means calculated to -convert them. Generally speaking, they show too little regard for -the _amour propre_ of such characters; who, as is well known, do -not pique themselves on their humility. If we would benefit them -we must pass quickly from the mind to the heart: that is their -weak point. We must not keep ourselves so much on the defensive, -but carry the war into the enemy's country. Our tactics should be -to do good abundantly to all men that we may save all, and then -there will be no doubt about their believing in the divinity of -Christianity. - -All the parts of a sermon need not be equally good and powerful. -Two or three more elaborate and striking passages will suffice to -ensure success; but those passages should be such as effectually -to overthrow prejudices and errors, and should be conclusive -against all gainsayers. - -{133} - -There should also be intervals to break monotony--that -stumbling-block of many sermons; to give the mind rest; to allow -time for the hearts of the audience to be penetrated by what has -been said; to introduce familiar topics which do the soul so much -good; to soften the asperities of any great emotion; to bind up -the wounded; in a word, intervals for the preacher to become the -father after having represented the King, to attract the hearts -after having gained the minds of his hearers. - -It is a mistake to aim at making every part of a sermon equally -powerful and equally prominent. It is an attempt against Nature. -Moreover, we should not aspire to adduce every available proof in -support of a particular truth. One or two will suffice, and the -strongest is not always the most convincing to your audience. -Select those likely to produce the greatest impression, and -forbear when that end is attained. The victory is yours, retain -it, and do not expose yourself to a reverse. - -There are men who do not think they have proved a thing until -they have brought together, pell-mell, all the known proofs in -the world. The consequence is that, after listening to one of -their sermons, the question discussed appears more confused to -you than ever. - -{134} - -As regards objections to be refuted, you should never adduce any -but such as are current in the locality where you are speaking; -and it is dangerous to give them a too salient form, for you may -thereby wound the faith of your audience. But the objection once -stated, refute it at once in a few sharp and decisive words. Let -your reply be in language as prompt, striking, and decisive as -that of the objection. Avoid all circumlocution and hesitation in -meeting it. Show it no pity, but let it expire forth with in the -presence of your audience. Let every word tell like the cut or -thrust of a sword, or, at least, like the stroke of a mace which -shall effectually silence the objection. You may then justify, -easily, the blows which you have dealt: but strike first and -explain afterward; otherwise, never attempt to place an objection -before the people. If, as is too often done, you begin by -saying:--"Before refuting this objection, two principles must -first be laid down," or, "three reflections must be made," the -minds of your hearers will go a wool-gathering; they will not -listen to your reflections; they will retain nothing of your -discourse beyond the objection; you will have lost your time, and -may have done harm into the bargain. - -In sermons to the people, the peroration should be energetic, -captivating, fervent; not a fervor of the head or throat, but of -the soul, accompanying something to enlighten the minds of the -hearers, to gain the assent of their hearts, to subdue their -passions, and to electrify their spirits. - -{135} - -Let us be on our guard against those vapid perorations which are -nothing more than the ending of a discourse which we are at a -loss how otherwise to wind up. The audience must not be dismissed -with a wrong impression; therefore be more affectionate at the -conclusion, the more severe the truths have been which you have -enunciated. In a word, the peroration should be sympathetic and -vibrating. It should comprise all the power, all the marrow, and -all the energy of the sermon. It should contain some of those -keen thoughts, some of those proverbial phrases, which recur to -the mind again and again like the strains of a familiar song -which we sing involuntarily,--or a single thought, which when -once entertained leads one to say:--"Were I to live a hundred -years, I shall never forget it." - -{136} - - - Chapter IV. - - The Sermon Should Be Popular. - - - What constitutes true Popularity? - Popularity in Words, in Thought, in Sentiment. - One of the most popular Sentiments in France is Patriotism. - Means to utilize that sentiment. - The Relationship between Popularity and Genius. - Demosthenes. - Saint John Chrysostom. - Daniel O'Connell. - - -The language of the Christian orator whose object is to make -religion known and loved, should possess the following -characteristics:-- - -It should be, 1st, popular; 2dly, plain; 3dly, short. - -All eloquence to be effectual must be popular. An orator is -essentially the man for all, and is specially made for the -people. The people are the best judges of true eloquence, and are -themselves the best soil to be cultivated thereby. Cicero says -that "the most infallible token of an orator is to be esteemed as -such in the opinion of the people." He was so persuaded of this -that he remarks in another place:--"I wish my eloquence to be -relished by the people." - -{137} - -This is still more true as regards the Christian orator. He -appeals to all: to the little, to the poor and the ignorant as -well as to the great, the wealthy, and the learned, and his -speech should be understood and enjoyed by all. He is not free to -deprive any one of the truth. All men are people before the -Gospel, and that Gospel speaks in unison with the souls of all. -It stoops to raise, to comfort, and to enlighten all. Hence the -truly popular preacher proclaims himself at the outset as no -ordinary orator, but one about to be powerful, and to rise into a -giant, before whom even the most learned will be obliged to bow, -because his soul is linked with the Divine word, and with the -hearts of the people. - -This popularity of Christian discourses has become rare, more -especially in our towns. Instead of being satisfied with the -life, the sap of that Gospel which has moved the world, preachers -have deemed themselves obliged to call in the aid of philosophy, -metaphysics, and distorted phraseology and rhetoric. The -exception has been taken for the rule. The Divine word has been -bound, imprisoned in a terminology, which many do not understand. -The preacher speaks, but the man remains impassible and cold. -Painful reflection! The word of God passes by and says nothing to -the mind, the soul, or even to the ears of the audience. - -{138} - -But I hasten to observe that the popularity of a sermon does not -consist in using common, trivial, or vulgar language. The people -do not like such a style, and regard it as derogatory to their -intelligence and dignity. They have much more tact than is -generally supposed. They know perfectly well what befits each, -and have an exquisite sense of propriety. The people wish their -preacher to speak better than they do, and appreciate dignified -language. Hence, whenever they have to name any thing mean before -you, they are careful to preface it with the proverbial apology: -"saving your presence." In fine, the object of preaching being to -elevate the people, the language adopted should be superior to -theirs. The style of speaking has an important bearing on the -morals of life. - -We may, however, occasionally borrow some of their most striking -and picturesque, and even some of their quaint expressions, put -them into a good framing, and make them the starting-point for a -felicitous sally or thought. They have then a powerful effect. -The people perceive thereby that you are acquainted with them, -that you must have visited among them, that you know their life, -their toil, their sorrows, and even their foibles, and they will -open their hearts to you at once. They feel themselves to be on -familiar ground, where they find, as it were, an old friend. -There is a strange instinct among the people which leads them to -reason thus:--"That man knows us, therefore he loves us;" -whereupon they readily give you their confidence. - -{139} - -Then, again, it is not very difficult to maintain a style of -speaking at once dignified and popular. Look at the lady of -fashion dealing with the petty tradesman, or even with a -fish-woman--a character by no means celebrated for choice or -polite expressions. The price of the article treated for is -discussed, the bargain is struck, both parties come to a -satisfactory understanding, and the language of the woman of the -world has been sober throughout, and perfectly becoming. ... - -But popular speech consists not so much in the expressions used -as in the thoughts and sentiments conveyed thereby. We have -already remarked that the people have good sense, ready wit, and -above all a heart. ... We must lay hold of those points in them -to effect an entry into their minds as well as their hearts, -thereby preparing the way for religion to follow. - -The people have a certain aggregate of ideas and thoughts, and -their own way of apprehending and appreciating things. All this -should be studied, for it constitutes the best holdfast of -humanity. We should make ourselves of the people, as it were, in -their mode of thought, joining thereto superior knowledge; study -those ideas which they do not adequately estimate, put them into -expressive and proverbial language such as they relish, and then -engraft religious thought into their thoughts in order to -elucidate and elevate them. - -{140} - -But the people possess, above all, an inexpressible richness of -sentiment, together with admirable instincts. These must be laid -hold of, cultivated, and profoundly stirred, and then -Christianity should be brought in and fused, so to speak, with -those good instincts and noble sentiments. Dive down to the -bottom of the souls of the people ... touch the best chords of -their hearts ... be inspired with their aspirations ... be -animated with their passions; I had almost said be agitated with -their anger. Possess yourself of what is best in them, and return -it to them in vivid expressions and glowing effusions of the -soul, that they may think, feel, will, as you do; that their -thought may seem to have anticipated yours, while, at the same -time, you exercise sway over them. Then your sermon will be the -outward expression of the best sentiments of the human heart, -ennobled by the Divine word. Such, we take it, is true -popularity; such also is the real power of Christian eloquence. - -In this way you may lead men onward to the highest speculations, -and raise them even to heroism. You may then use the language of -scholars, provided that you continue to be of the people in -heart. - -{141} - -One noble and powerful sentiment which should be cultivated--a -sentiment which may be made to call forth the sublimest -aspirations and the most heroic transports--is patriotism. The -people love France, they love the glory of France, they love all -that concerns France. If, then, you wish to interest them, to -induce them to listen to you, to stir them up, to enlarge their -hearts, speak well of France to them; dilate to them of their -earthly country, and then you will find it much easier to raise -them to that country which is in heaven. - -An admirable example of this was afforded by Monseigneur the -Archbishop of Paris, during his visitations, and he produced one -of those magic effects which seem hardly to belong to our times. - -The venerable prelate visited a school of adults, consisting of -about four hundred youths, all in the flower of their age and the -heyday of their passions. On taking his seat, the whole assembly -intoned a harmonious and popular hymn, full of patriotic -sentiments. The archbishop made this the starting-point of his -lecture, and soon there was such a thunder of applause that the -floor of the hall shook, to say nothing of the ears of the -spectators. The speaker himself must have been stunned, but he -resumed with animation:-- - - "Do you know, my children, why this magic word 'country' - electrifies your hearts? It is because one's native country is - the sacred home of man, of his duties and his privileges. It is - his life, his cradle, his tomb; it is every thing to him after - heaven, from whence he comes, and whither he must return; and - which is on that account the glorious country, the kingdom of - all righteousness, the fruition of all privileges, the - communion of all souls, of all happiness, of all good. Chaunt, - therefore, your earthly country, but be not forgetful of that - country which is beyond the skies. - -{142} - - "Yes, sing it, and love it well. It has need of all your filial - love and useful prowess. It has bled much; it still suffers. - Respect it, comfort it, for it is your mother. You are indebted - to it for birth, instruction, employment, and a livelihood. It - behoves you to show yourselves worthy of these benefits, to - merit them, to win them, and to preserve them. Young citizens, - be men! Young men, be Christians! - - "I recognize in your ardor the descendants of those warriors - who, on the approach of the enemy, gained the frontier at a - bound, and as one man. They were workmen when they left; - workmen less fortunate and educated than you are. They - returned, as you know, conquering heroes, or they fell covered - with glory. - - "Were the country again menaced, and an appeal made to your - courage, I should have no misgivings; for, hardly should I have - blessed the tricolored standard over your heads, than it would - take the eagle's flight and echo a reply by a brilliant - victory, either from the summits of the Alps or from the - borders of the Rhine." - -{143} - -We must renounce all attempt[s] to describe the sensation which -this discourse elicited, and which it at the same time -restrained, that the speaker might not be interrupted. It broke -out at last; the hurricane burst through all bounds, and then -suddenly subsided as if in remorse at its own violence. This -intelligent silence seeming to say: "Go on," the archbishop -proceeded:-- - - "I doubt not that you would easily triumph over the enemy: but - would you overcome yourselves also? would you subdue your - passions, calm your impetuosity, be Christians, be virtuous?" - [Footnote 14] - - [Footnote 14: _Visites Pastorales_, p. 136.] - -"Yes, yes!" exclaimed these noble youths. Their hearts were -touched, and they were ready for any sacrifice. The prelate then -rapidly set forth the virtues which they ought to practise, the -temptations which they should avoid, the vices they should -subdue, and the passions which they should curb. Thereupon, the -explosion of enthusiasm was redoubled, showing that these brave -youths were not irretrievably wedded to their errors and foibles; -for though in reality undergoing a partial defeat, they applauded -as if they had been the conquerors. - -We repeat it: one of the best means to popularize religion among -the people is to speak always in favorable terms of their native -country. - -{144} - -There can be no doubt that deplorable excesses in the history of -the last seventy years have wounded the hearts of the clergy, and -imparted a savor of bitterness and sarcasm to our language -respecting France. But it is wrong: one should always love one's -country and one's times, though it may be a duty to combat their -prejudices and their errors. On this subject I commend the words -of one of our own statesmen, endeared both to religion and to his -country:-- [Footnote 15] - - [Footnote 15: M. de Falloux.] - - "Do not misunderstand what I am about to say; do not imagine - that I wish to unduly criticise the era in which we live. No; - my country and my contemporaries will find in me rather an - impassioned advocate then a prejudiced detractor. I love my - country and my time, for I cannot separate the one from the - other. I believe that one cannot be loved without the other. He - who does not acquiesce in the age in which he lives, its - responsibilities and its dangers, does not wholly love his - country: does not love his country except in times which either - exist no longer, or in those which have not yet come. To do - this, is to discourage, to lessen the power which we should - hold at its service. The age in which each of us lives is - simply the frame wherein God sets our duties; the career which - He opens to and imposes upon our faculties. To study one's age - is to search out what God desires and demands of us." - -{145} - -Then, again, we are bound to be just. If France has done wrong, -how much good has she not done; how much is she not still doing -every day! The words _Gesta Dei per Francos_ have not ceased to -be true as regards ourselves. Is not the blessed institution of -the _Propagation of the Faith_ the work of France? Is not, also, -the _Archiconfrérie_ for the return of sinners to the paternal -home, the work of France? Is not the society of Saint Vincent de -Paul likewise the work of France? That society numbers eight -hundred confraternities throughout the world, and of these, five -hundred are claimed by France. And wherever any good work is to -be wrought for the Church, is it not accomplished by the words, -the money, the prayers, and even by the sword of France? Surely, -the citizen of such a country, the child of such a fatherland, -has a right to speak well of his mother; more especially when the -object is to lead souls to virtue. Reawaken, then, the old French -and Christian enthusiasm, filling all hearts with the sacred -emotions of earthly patriotism, and with holy love for that -better home which is eternal in the heavens. - -Such is true popularity; such the power of speech. One is strong -when he has on his side the reason and will of the multitude; -when he has sympathy with humanity, and possesses the hearts of -the masses. -{146} -Let others say what they please: the many possess more mind than -one person, whoever he may be; and popular speech has more weight -than the speculations or fancies of a man of science, or even a -man of genius. - -Further, there is a sort of relationship between popularity and -genius, so that one cannot exist with out the other. For, what is -a man of genius? He is one who has learnt to seize the thoughts, -the aspirations, the wants of his own times, and has profoundly -traced them in brilliant, energetic, sympathetic pages; a man who -astonishes and revivifies the age in which he lives, by telling -it aright what it is, what it thinks, what it wants, and what it -suffers. Moreover, as has been remarked long ago, the finest -conceptions of genius are always grasped by the people. - -On the other hand, the most sublime pages are always popular. I -shall cite but one example, which is familiar to all. ... The -prophet Isaiah is describing the fall of the King of Babylon:-- - - "How hath the oppressor ceased! ... The whole earth is at rest, - and is quiet; yea, the fir-trees rejoice at thee, and the - cedars of Lebanon, saying:--Since thou art laid down, no feller - is come up against us. Hell from beneath is moved for thee, to - meet thee at thy coming; it stirreth up the dead for thee, even - all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their - thrones all the kings of the nations. All they shall speak and - say unto thee: Art thou also become weak as we? art them become - like unto us? -{147} - Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy - viols; the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee. - All the kings of the nations ... lie in glory ... but thou art - cast out of thy grave like an abominable branch, and as the - slain, thrust through with a sword, that go down to the stones - of the pit; as a carcase trodden under feet. How art thou - fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! For thou - hast said in thine heart, I will ascend unto heaven, I will - exalt my throne above the stars of God, I will also sit upon - the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north. ... I - will be like the Most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to - hell, to the sides of the pit. They that see thee shall - narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying:--Is this - the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake - kingdoms, that made the world as a wilderness? ... Thou hast - destroyed thy land and slain thy people. The seed of evil-doers - shall never be renowned. Prepare slaughter for his children for - the iniquity of their fathers, that they do not rise nor - possess the land." (_Isaiah_ xiv. 4-21.) - -As might be expected, all great orators have been popular; for -one cannot be truly an orator by one's own power or by dint of -study; there must be, besides, a multitude to inspire you, and to -stimulate you by their criticism and opposition. - -{148} - -Demosthenes, the greatest orator of ancient times, was -pre-eminently a popular orator, and that popularity was the chief -element of his glory. The people of Athens were all for him, for -he loved them and knew them thoroughly: knew their frivolity, -their vanity, their generosity, and their happy impulses. He -invoked all that was great and good in the heart of man; not by -vain declamations, but by energetic appeals to sentiments which -one would blush not to possess. He drew his inspirations from the -noblest patriotism, and his politics--a rare exception--had their -source in the deepest affections of his heart. - -Hence it was that the people were so much attached to -Demosthenes, and that he, on his part, could place such unbounded -confidence in them. - -AEschines had complained that Demosthenes had reproached him with -being the host of Alexander. He answered him in these terms:--"I -reproach you with being the host of Alexander! I reproach you -with Alexander's friendship! How could you attain it? By what -means? No, I cannot call you either the friend of Philip or the -host of Alexander; I am not so foolish. Are reapers and hirelings -called the hosts of those who pay them? He is nothing, nothing of -the kind. First, a mercenary of Philip, he is now the mercenary -of Alexander; that is what I and all our hearers call you. If you -doubt it, ask them ... or, rather, I will do it for you. Men of -Athens, what, then, is your opinion? Is AEschines the host, or -the mercenary of Alexander? ... Do you hear their reply?" - -{149} - -So likewise Saint John Chrysostom, who was, perhaps, the most -popular of orators. We do not find that he amused himself with -vain speculations. He did not wander far and wide to hunt up -topics whereon to address his hearers, for they themselves -supplied all that he wanted. He found ample materials for his -purpose in the depths of their minds and hearts, and under his -masterly treatment the simplest things acquired an accent of -eloquence which gratified and moved his audience, which the -people understood and the learned admired. - -Surrounded by his congregation, he seems like a father in the -midst of his family. He converses, he questions, he even -consults, and he always loves. - -It was the custom in his time for the audience to applaud the -preacher during the sermon. They did not spare him that -manifestation, and these are the terms in which he complains of -it:-- - - "Believe me--the more so because I would not say it were it not - true--that when you applaud my discourses, I am seized with a - certain infirmity, and feel quite contented and happy. ... But, - on returning home, I reflect that all fruit of my speaking is - lost through these applauses and commendations; -{150} - and I say to myself: Of what avail is my labor if my hearers do - not profit thereby? I have even thought of making a rule - positively to forbid all applause, that you may listen to me in - silence, with proper decorum and reserve. ... I pray and - conjure you to suffer me to establish such a rule forthwith. - ... Let us now order that no hearer shall make any noise while - the preacher is speaking; and that if any one wishes to admire, - let it be by keeping silence. (Applause.) Why do you still - applaud me, even while I am making a law to prohibit the abuse? - Though you will not suffer me to speak to you on the subject, - nevertheless, let us enact the law, for it will be to our - advantage. ... However, I do not wish to be too rigorous, for - fear of appearing uncivil in your estimation; so that if you - find so much gratification in applauding, I shall not hinder - it; but I will suggest to you a much superior motive for - eliciting still greater applause on your part, namely, that you - carry away with you what you hear, and practise it." - -When condemned to his first exile, the people flocked round their -pastor, determined to proceed to extremities rather than let him -depart. He then addressed them the following touching farewell:-- - -{151} - - "A violent tempest surrounds me on all sides; but I fear - nothing, because I stand on an immovable rock. The fury of the - waves cannot sink the vessel of Jesus Christ. Death cannot - terrify me; it would rather be a gain to me. Do I fear exile? - All the earth is the Lord's. Do I fear the loss of goods? Naked - I was born into the world, and naked I shall return. I despise - the scorn and the flattery of the world. I have no desire to - live but for your welfare." - -The people remained with him eight days to defend him, and the -holy pastor, in order to prevent an insurrection, escaped by a -secret door, and delivered himself up to his enemies. The Empress -_Eudoxia_, however, was soon obliged to recall him. "We shall -lose the empire," said she, "unless John is recalled." - -Then, again, O'Connell, that orator who acquired so wide an -influence, how popular he was! But I shall let M. de Cormenin -describe him:-- - - "Look at O'Connell with his people--for they are truly his - people. He lives of their life, he smiles with their joys, he - bleeds with their wounds, he groans with their pains. He - transports them at his will from fear to hope, from slavery to - liberty, from the fact to the right, from the right to duty, - from supplication to invective, and from anger to mercy and - pity. He directs the people to kneel on the ground and pray, - and they all kneel and pray; to raise their faces to the skies, - and they raise them; to curse their tyrants, and they curse - them; to sing hymns to liberty, and they sing them; to bare - their heads and swear on the holy Gospels, and they uncover, - raise the hand, and swear; to sign petitions for the reform of - abuses, to unite their forces, to pardon their enemies, and - they sign, they forget, they embrace, they forgive. - -{152} - - "That which makes him incomparable among all the orators of - this or any other country, is that, without any premeditation, - and by impulse alone, by the sole force of his powerful and - triumphant nature, he enters wholly into his subject, and - appears to be more possessed by it than of himself. His heart - overflows; it goes by bounds, by transports, bringing into play - all its pulsations. Like a high-bred charger, suddenly pulled - back on its nervous and quivering haunches, even so can - O'Connell arrest himself in the unbridled course of his - harangues, turn short and resume them--such versatility, - spring, and vigor is there in his eloquence. You imagine at - first that he is staggering, and about to succumb under the - weight of the divinity which inwardly agitates him; but he - rises again with a halo on his brow, an eye full of flame, and - his voice, unlike that of a mortal, begins to resound in the - air, and to fill all space. - - "He is lyrical as a poet, and familiar even to playfulness. He - draws his audience to him, and then transfers them to the floor - of the theatre; or descends himself and mixes with the - spectators. He never allows the stage to be without speech or - action for a single moment. -{153} - He distributes the parts to each. He himself sits as judge: he - arraigns and he condemns; the people ratify, upraise the hand, - and seem to believe that they are joining in a verdict. Some - times O'Connell adapts the interior drama of a family to the - external drama of political affairs. He calls up his aged - father, his ancestors and the ancestors of the people. ... He - disposes and extemporizes narratives, monologues, dialogues, - _propoeia_, interludes, and peripatetics. Knowing that the - Irish are both light-hearted and melancholy, that they are fond - of metaphor, flourish, and sarcasm, he stifles laughter with - tears, the grandiose by the grotesque. He attacks the House of - Lords, and, chasing them from their aristocratic lairs, tracks - them one by one like wild beasts. He is always popular, be his - speech grave, sublime, or jocular:-- - - "'Ireland! oh, how that name alone sticks in the Saxon throat. - My friends, my heart and my mind are known to you, and I wish - you to understand this, that I have power enough to prevent - either Peel or Wellington from treading on the liberties of - Ireland. I have only to say this to them: We will entrench - ourselves behind the law and the constitution; but do not - attempt to put our patience to the test beyond bounds, for if - there is danger in exasperating cowards, there is a thousand - times more danger in exasperating those who are not.' - (Applause.) -{154} - 'I told you at the outset that I did not feel disposed to - speak: this is not a speech, it is history which I am making at - this moment. The people have placed unlimited confidence in me. - I might, perhaps, say with affected modesty that I do not - deserve it. I will be more frank. I believe that I do deserve - it.' (Applause: yes! yes!) 'Mine is a strange fortune. I - believe I am the only man, living or dead, who has enjoyed - uninterrupted confidence and popularity for forty years. - - "_A voice_.--May you enjoy them twice as long! - - "_O'C._--'That is impossible. Long before then, I shall be - summoned before my Maker to give an account of all the actions - of my public and private life.' - - "_A voice_.--'You have always done your duty!' - - "_O'C_.--May such be the judgment of the Most High!' - (Applause.) 'Kindly spare me these interruptions.' (Laughter.) - 'Our first duty is to obey the law. Don't think that in giving - you this advice I intend that you should submit to unlawful - outrage. After all, violence is not what I fear--I who am alone - in the world.' (Cries of no, no, you are not alone!) 'Pardon - me, my friends, I am alone; for she for whom I might have - entertained fears, but whose courage would certainly never have - failed, has been taken from my affections.' (O'Connell - pronounced these last words with deep emotion, in which the - whole assembly seemed to participate. Several ladies present - raised their handkerchiefs to their eyes.) - -{155} - - "'Were they to put a gag in my mouth or handcuffs on my wrists, - I would still point out the safest and wisest course for you to - follow. I trust there will be no conflict: let us close our - ranks, shoulder to shoulder, let us rally round the - constitution, that Ireland may not be delivered over to her - enemies by the folly, the passions, or the treachery of her - children.' (Applause.)" - -He knows how to excite the laughter of his audience, and to -enliven them with racy comparisons, which are sometimes, however, -of a kind unsuited to Christian discourses. - - "There was formerly a fool in Kerry--a rare thing there. This - fool having discovered a hen's nest, waited till the hen had - quitted it, and then took the eggs and sucked them. After - sucking the first, the chicken which had been in the shell - began to cry out while descending the fool's throat. 'Ah, my - boy, said he, 'you speak too late.' (Laughter.) My friends, I - am not a fool; I know how to suck eggs. (Laughter.) Should - England now be disposed to tell me that she is ready to do us - justice, I would say to England as the Kerry fool said to the - chicken: My darling, you speak too late. (Laughter and - applause.)" - -{156} - -He then continued, in the most sublime and rapturous accents:-- - - "In the presence of my God, and with the most profound feeling - of the responsibility attached to the solemn and arduous duties - which you Irishmen have twice imposed on me, I accept them, - relying not on my own strength, but on yours. The people of - Clare know that the only basis of liberty is religion. They - have triumphed because the voice raised in behalf of the - country was first uttered in prayer to God. Songs of liberty - are now heard throughout our green isle, their notes traverse - the hills, they fill the valleys, they murmur with the waves of - our rivers and streams, and respond in tones of thunder to the - echoes of the mountains. Ireland is free!" - -One may readily conceive the magic of this speech. I borrow once -more from the pen of M. de Cormenin. - - "Eloquence does not exercise all its power, its strong, - sympathetic, moving power, except upon the people. Look at - O'Connell, the grandest, perhaps the only orator of modern - times. How his thundering voice towers over and rules the waves - of the multitude! I am not an Irishman, I have never seen - O'Connell; I believe I should not understand him. Why, then, am - I moved by his discourses even when translated into a strange - tongue, discolored, stunted, and deprived of the charm of voice - and action more than with all I have ever heard in my own - country? -{157} - It is because they are utterly unlike our jumbled, wordy - rhetoric; because it is true passion that inspires him: passion - which can and does say all that it has to say. It is, that he - draws me from the shore, that he whirls with me, and drags me - with him into his current. It is that he shudders, and I - shudder; that he utters cries from the depths of his soul which - ravish my soul; that he raises me on his wings and sustains me - in the sacred transports of liberty. Under the influence of his - sublime eloquence, I abhor, I detest with furious hatred, the - tyrants of that unfortunate country, just as if I were - O'Connell's fellow-citizen; and I seem to love green Ireland as - much as my own native land." - -Here we have an orator who should be constantly studied by all -those who wish to benefit the people. - -There is a wide difference between such powerful speeches and -those dreary metaphysical sermons, those finely-spun phrases, -that quintessence of reasoning, so common amongst us. For, what -do we often take for an orator or preacher? ... One who wraps -himself in his own conceptions, and soars into sublime regions, -while the poor audience is left on the plain below to gaze at him -or not, to grow weary, to sleep or to chat, when they cannot -decently go away. And yet it is so easy to be popular in France. -The native mind is prompt and readily roused to the noblest -sentiments. -{158} -Moreover, we are bound to do the higher classes this justice, -that they always tolerate and even admire the preacher who -addresses the people. They mingle with the crowd to join in their -applause, and, what is better, to profit by what they hear. Yes, -strange to say, under the influence of such eloquence, scholars -and wits throw aside their arguments and their prejudices, and -become one with the people--think, feel, and commend as they do. -... There are two powerful ways of leading men: to take up with -the higher classes or to go to the masses. The latter appears the -more powerful nowadays, for opinion and strength always prevail -with those whose wills are feeble. - -We must retrace our steps, then, and resume a popular style of -address, which, to use a homely comparison, consists simply in -entering in by the door of the people, and making them go out by -ours; for to be truly popular is: to love the people ardently, to -throw our souls into theirs, to identify ourselves with them; to -think, feel, will, love, as they do; to rouse their instincts of -justice, generosity, and pity; to fill their souls with the -noblest thoughts; to exalt with the breath of the Gospel their -holiest aspirations, and to send these back to them in burning -words, in outbursts and sallies of the heart; and then, as with a -back-stroke of the hand, to crush their errors and destroy their -vices, and to lead them onward after you, while they shall -believe that they are still leading the way; to abase them to the -lowest depths, and then to raise them to heaven. -{159} -In all this, making them to play so prominent a part that, after -hearing you, they may almost be led to say with secret -satisfaction:--"What an excellent sermon we have delivered!" Then -will your words be invested with the two greatest powers in the -world: they will be the voice of the people and the voice of God. - - -{160} - - Chapter V. - - The Sermon Should Be Plain. - - - An obscure Sermon is neither Christian nor French. - Abuse of philosophical Terms. - Philosophical Speculations not popular amongst us. - The French mind is clear and logical. - Plainness of Speech. - Plainness of Thought. - Starting from the Known to the Unknown. - Metaphors. - Similes. - Parables. - Facts. - Père Lejeune. - M. l'Abbé Ledreuil. - - -The sermon should be plain. ... - -This truth has been partially demonstrated in the course of the -foregoing remarks. It follows, moreover, as a consequence from -the nature and design of the Gospel. The religious discourse -which is not plain is neither Christian nor French. - -The Divine word should be understood by all, even by the poor -woman who crouches into a corner of the church; for she too has a -soul to save, and her soul is as precious in the sight of God as -the soul of a rich or learned man: perhaps more. - -This is one of the glories of Christianity. Human lore is only -within the reach of those who are able to comprehend it, or who -have money enough to pay for it. -{161} -The word of God is for all; and none can be deprived of it, as -far as the preacher is concerned, without a grave dereliction of -duty on his part. Severe censure is passed upon those professors -who, to further their own ambitious views, take great pains with -some of their pupils and neglect others. This is called a crying -injustice, plundering the parents, and so forth. But the matter -under consideration involves something far more serious than a -pecuniary robbery. - -We are all bound to preach the Gospel. Now, the Gospel is -remarkably plain. When it was first announced, or while the facts -which it narrates were extant or palpable, it must have been -surpassingly so. Hence it is not surprising that the multitude -upon whom our blessed Lord had been pouring forth the torrents of -His Divine eloquence, exclaimed:--"Never man spake like this -man!" - -Further: he who does not use plain speech does not speak French; -for the French language is naturally plain, limpid, and simple, -insomuch that obscure speech is not really French: it is -Teutonic, a jargon, or a patois; but it is by no means the -language of the great Frank people. - -All our most celebrated and popular writers and orators had a -clear and impressive style. Their weakest passages are those -which are most obscure. -{162} -Voltaire possessed this perspicuity in a high degree; and it was -partly on that account that he acquired so much influence and -popularized so many errors. His speech was true French, both in -expression and conception; but there was no heart in it. He had -perfectly mastered his own tongue, and had equally learned to -know the people with whom he had to deal. He who does not use -plain speech proves that he possesses neither a knowledge of men -nor a knowledge of the Gospel; nor even of his primary duties. - -But it will be said:--Is it not occasionally allowable that one -should clothe his thoughts in language above the common, in order -thereby to raise religion and the preacher in the eyes of the -people, who admire what they do not understand? - -I do not object, if you believe that any good is to be done in -that way, and if you feel incapable of exciting interest by a -simple exposition of the beauties of Christianity. But I tell you -that the idea savors strongly of charlatanism, and that -Christianity has no need of such an auxiliary. Whenever such a -course is adopted, it should be regarded as a tolerated -exception; but on this point, also, the exception has too -frequently been taken for the rule. - -Nowadays, the Gospel is almost entirely overlooked, there are so -many other matters to be attended to. We must needs discuss and -argue, and treat all kinds of philosophical and humanitarian -questions. -{163} -Hence a great part of our time is taken up with talking -philosophy to pious men and women,--and after what fashion? The -pulpit resounds with such words as these: rationalism, -philosophism, Protestantism, materialism, pantheism, socialism; -and it will be lucky if all this does not ultimately get mixed up -with fetishism, anthropormorphism, Vishnooism, Buddhism, Kantism, -Hegelism, etc. No wonder that a woman of fashion once exclaimed, -in a fit of petulance:--"The Lord deliver us from these preachers -of _isms!_" - -I repeat, it is all well enough that a few eminent men should -treat such questions before select audiences; but now every one -seems bent on talking philosophy, or on philosophizing about -every thing. We have the philosophy of theology, the philosophy -of the sacraments, the philosophy of the liturgy; and to what -does it all tend? To prove that God might have occupied a -prominent place among the thinkers of these times: which would be -proving very little in God's favor. - -There has, indeed, been quite a mania to make philosophy about -every thing. We have heard a treatise on the philosophy of the -hand-grenade. As a malicious wag once remarked:--"We shall soon -have the philosophy of boots and shoes." - -Hence it is that the ignorance respecting religion everywhere -prevailing, among high and low, even among those who constantly -hear sermons, is truly deplorable. - -{164} - -Society in general is much less instructed in matters of -religion, and even in philosophical questions, than is usually -supposed; for religion is no longer taught. We demonstrate, -argue, philosophize, but we do not evangelize. ... There is so -much ignorance among men, otherwise well-informed, on the subject -of religion, that they would certainly be deemed unfit for -confirmation even in a country district. - -Neither is the community more proficient in philosophical than in -religious questions; and much less attention is bestowed upon -them than is imagined. We meet with certain systems in special -books, or among a particular class of persons, and we may think -that those systems are about to make a great stir in the world. -But do the masses trouble themselves about them? For the most -part, even intelligent men hardly know what to say when referred -to on such subjects. - -Some years ago, a preacher delivered several discourses in one of -the principal towns of France on the subject of rationalism. He -decried it in good set terms, and was judged to have spoken very -ably. But the wife of a councillor in the Court of Appeal, tired -of hearing so much about rationalism without being able to make -out what it was, asked her husband, who was a great admirer of -the discourses, to explain to her what rationalism meant. -{165} -The husband stammered out a few words in reply, but was obliged -at last to say:--"Sincerely, I know nothing about it; but inquire -of M. le Curé, for he ought to be able to give you the -information." - -Instead of dragging all these systems into the pulpit, it would -have been far better to leave them immured in books and in the -schools. They are not dangerous in France while restricted to the -formulae in which they were originally conceived, because -philosophical speculations are by no means popular amongst us. -The French mind is too precise and active to be taken up with -such like dreams and crude systems. - -A proof of this is afforded by the old Chamber of Deputies. ... -When a speaker was practical, and entered into the gist of the -question in debate, there was profound silence; but if he -attempted lofty flights, and soared into the region of -philosophical speculations, the attention of the hearers flagged, -and a great uproar ensued, insomuch that the luckless orator was -frequently driven to call upon the President to enforce silence -and order; who, on his part, reiterated that he could not -interfere. ... Altogether such scenes presented a curious study. - -Generally speaking, the Frenchman is essentially a practical man. - -{166} - -It is true that ever and anon we pretend to great depth; but the -malady is momentary and does not last long. We are, in fact, like -certain eminent men who affect a speciality to which they have no -just claim, and who consider themselves more honored by a -compliment for an acquirement which they do not possess, than by -any which may be paid them for a talent for which they are really -conspicuous. - -In combating this tendency and these systems, we must be on our -guard against assailing them with hazy tirades or dull -metaphysics. We should drag them into the full light of the -Gospel, and dissect them by translating them into plain French, -and then they will soon disappear altogether. We must further -bear in mind that the truth, and especially evangelical truth, is -only rightly apprehended by the heart; whereas there is a general -disposition amongst us to be always reasoning. Are we not aware -that bare reason is foolishly vain, dishonest, stern, and -sometimes pitiless, and that to be constantly appealing to its -authority is to lose our time, and to engender the most -deplorable ignorance in matters of religion? - -The people are very fond of understanding what is addressed to -them, for it raises them in their own eyes, and is, moreover, a -real gratification to them. Therein they are active, whereas when -merely astounded they are simply passive; to say nothing of the -additional fact that they go away as ignorant as they came. - -{167} - -A preacher who had been specially appointed to deliver a course -of sermons in one of our towns, was accosted while walking out by -a poor woman, upon whom his presence seemed to produce a lively -impression of joy, which was forthwith manifested in these -words:--"How delighted I am to have met you! I must tell you that -I attend your sermons and understand them. Yes, believe me, even -I understand your sermons. Every body says that you are a -_savant_, but for my part I don't believe it; because, whenever -our rector or his curates preach, I don't understand anything -they say; whereas when you preach I understand all. If you were a -_savant_, an ignoramus like me would not be able to understand -you." ... - -We must retrace our steps, then, and return to a clear, plain, -simple, and vivifying exposition of the Gospel; for when religion -is set forth in that way it is always attractive. We may have to -study much to attain it, but when once Christianity is rightly -understood, and we get thoroughly to know those with whom we have -to do, we shall find it possible to acquire an influence over -their minds and hearts, and easy to adapt our style to the -intelligence of all. You should see the working classes when -addressed by one of our great preachers: their countenances -brighten, their eyes glisten, their bosoms glow. They understand, -they are moved, they applaud. - -{168} - -To attain this plainness--speech being the vehicle of -thought--words should never be used which are not generally -understood. There are terms in language which are common to the -literary and non-literary; only such should be adopted, and all -scientific, philosophical, technical, theological, and even -devotional terminology should be discarded. Our age is not strong -in spiritual matters: they speak a language which it does not -even care to learn, for it does not feel the need of it. - -Use none of those set phrases, those trite expressions, which -follow one after another in all sermonizers for the last half -century. They form a threadbare language which no longer conveys -any meaning, and which is quite unfit for the transmission of -thought. Drive them from your pen and lips; try to acquire a -disgust, a hatred for them: they are more unintelligible than -either Latin or Greek. You would do well to abstain entirely from -perusing such sermonizers, because one unwittingly picks up their -hackneyed phraseology; which will recur to you when you are at a -loss what else to say. Moreover, they prevent you from being -natural. ... - -It is desirable, doubtless, that you should read Bourdaloue for -doctrine, Bossuet for touch and for the sublime, Massillon for -style and form; but let that suffice. -{169} -Then read the Scriptures, the Fathers, books of devotion, and -such other works as will make you acquainted with the wants and -tendencies of the age, and teach you how to combat its passions -and its errors. - -You must beware, however, of attempting to preach like Bossuet, -Bourdaloue, or Massillon. They addressed courtiers, and the elite -of society of their times, when men had more knowledge of -religion than they have now. Besides, if those eminent preachers -lived in these days, there is every reason to believe that they -would not always speak now as they did then. - -Plain speech should be coupled with plain thought. - -The thoughts which serve as starting points, should always be -simple, natural, and popular. The people do not understand -abstractions or the speculations of reason, which are to them a -strange language. You should start from the known to lead them to -the unknown. That is the mathematical and logical method. You -must begin with sensible, visible, and above all with actual -things, in order to draw them gently toward spiritual and -invisible things, and to the life that is to come. By adopting -this course, you may conduct them far onward, and elevate them to -great heights, even to the sublimest aspirations of heart and -soul. ... As we have already said by way of example: first -exhibit religion to them as grand, good, and lovely, then as true -and divine; winding up by fervently and energetically insisting -on the necessity of submission to its moral law. - -{170} - -It is an excellent plan to adopt the ordinary expressions in -every-day use among the people, and to apply them in a religious -sense. Thus, you might tell them to lay up in the _Savings Bank_ -of Heaven, to become members of the _Refuge Fund_ of Eternity, -and you will be understood. - -Monsigneur the Archbishop of Paris, during some of his -visitations, furnishes us with a delightful model of this style -of addressing the people:-- - - "My children," said he to the operatives who had assembled in a - courtyard to see and hear him, "my children, while attending to - your worldly interests and material welfare--for the increase - of which you have my sincere wishes--think also sometimes of - that God who created us, and in whom we live, and move, and - have our being. Do you know what that man resembles who lives - without God and without hope? He is like a piece of wheel-work - out of gear, or a faulty machine, which only mars what it ought - to make, wounds the hand which it should help, and obliges the - owner to break it up and throw it aside. - - "Maintain, then, my beloved children, the sentiments, and - practise the duties which belong to your dignity as men. As - workmen, be industrious, honest, and temperate, and your - condition will be as happy as it can be here below, remembering - that rest will come after toil; for we are all the day-laborers - of a gracious God, and life is but a day, at the end of which - we shall receive ample wages, and be abundantly recompensed for - all our pains. - -{171} - - "My children, I am glad to see that my words affect you. I - regret being obliged to separate from you; but before going I - give you my benediction as an earnest of my paternal - tenderness, and of all the Divine graces which I invoke upon - you, upon all who are dear to you, upon your families and your - labors." - -We should begin, then, by exhibiting the material aspects of -religion, proceeding from thence to doctrines and duties, without -ceasing to be simple, true, and natural throughout. This, -however, is not the usual course pursued: we start with -metaphysics, move onward through a redundant phraseology, and end -by making religion more unintelligible than ever. - -But we must be fair: preachers are not wholly to blame in this -matter; for if one tries to be simple, true, natural, and -evangelical, they will tell him in certain districts that his -style is not sufficiently high-flown, that it does not do honor -to the pulpit. This actually occurred to one of our best -preachers. A member of the congregation came to him and said:-- -"You speak admirably; but there is one drawback to your sermons, -they are too well understood." So that the poor preacher, in -order to carry out the views of his adviser, felt that he would -be obliged to invoke the Holy Spirit to give him grace to say -unintelligible things! ... -{172} -What they wanted was something bombastic, academical, and highly -seasoned; and such is what is generally regarded as constituting -a profound, dignified, and useful sermon. - -Look at our blessed Lord: surely He knew what real dignity was. -Or, let us study the Gospel: do we find there any of these fine -airs, this inflated and consequential tone? It is simple, clear, -and profound throughout. We hear it occasionally said of certain -individuals:--"He cannot adapt himself to the capacity of every -one; his knowledge is far too high and deep for that;" which -means, that the poor man indicated has heaped up in his brains, -pell-mell, a mass of ill-digested ideas which he is unable to -call forth with anything like order: and that is all. The truly -profound man, on the contrary, is always clear. He moves calmly -through the highest regions of science, and is as much at his -ease there as if he were at home. He sees things, and he narrates -them. He turns his thoughts over and over again, putting them -into a thousand forms, so as to be able to place them within -reach of the feeblest intellects. Take M. Arago as an example of -this wisdom and simplicity combined. He succeeds in rendering the -highest problems of astronomy intelligible, and that in a few -words, even to very young children. ... - -{173} - -Herein, also, a wrong estimate has been formed of the French -mind; since even those who move in the highest circles of society -much prefer what is simple, clear, and natural. - -There is a well-known preacher in Paris who gives familiar -lectures--they are real sermons--even when appointed select -season-preacher. He has been preaching for the last twenty years -without ever sparing himself, readily responding to every call. -Crowds of the elegant world, notwithstanding, press round his -pulpit, and there is always the same affluence of hearers. The -most eminent of preachers, who adopted a different style of -address, would have been used-up long since. - -A priest, full of the Spirit of God, died some years ago in the -flower of his age. He was remarkable in the art of giving plain -and simple lectures. After his death, these lectures, in a -mutilated form, were collected and published by a female, and -obtained as wide a circulation as the most celebrated discourses. - -Plain speech pleases and benefits all; whereas what is called -sublime speech only amuses a few, and benefits fewer still. - -But one of the most effectual ways of making the truth understood -by the people is by metaphor and simile. They speak an analogous -language themselves and readily understand it; more especially -when the comparisons are drawn from visible, present, or actual -things, and when they are striking or popular. The Sacred -Scriptures are full of expositions of this nature, and the -sermons of Père Lejeune also contain a rich mine of the same -class. - -{174} - -O'Connell did not overlook this means of influencing the people, -and he sometimes employed it in the most picturesque and -characteristic fashion. - -He was one day assailing the hereditary peerage. "What are the -lords?" said he. "Because the father was considered a good -legislator, therefore the son must be the same! Just as if a man -who proposed to make you a coat should answer the question: Are -you a tailor? by saying that his father before him was. Is there -any of you who would employ such an hereditary tailor? This -principle of common sense as regards the lords will become -popular in time. We want no hereditary legislators or tailors. Do -you ask who will make this principle popular? I reply, the lords -themselves, who show themselves to be very bad tailors." - -Above all, similes drawn from actual things make a still greater -impression. - -Thus, steam-engines and railroads are a common topic of -conversation nowadays, and form a rich source from whence to -derive matter for stirring similes and for profitable -instruction. For example, you wish to point out the necessity of -mastering the passions, and of restraining them by the laws of -God. The heart of man may be likened to a steam-engine of -terrific power, which we should mistrust, and which requires to -be under the most vigorous control. - -{175} - -Look at the locomotive confined within its iron furrows. It is a -wonderful thing; it approximates distances, develops commerce, -and contributes to the welfare of man. There is much in it to -call forth gratitude to a beneficent Providence. But look at it -when thrown off the line. O God! what do I hear and see? I hear -the most piercing and heart rending screams; I see blood flowing, -limbs broken, heads crushed; and I turn from the spectacle, and -almost curse the inventor. ... In like manner, the heart of man, -when restrained by the law of God, is worthy of all admiration; -it begets the noblest and sublimest virtues, and scatters the -blessings of a good example all around. It brings joy and -gladness to the domestic hearth, rendering all those happy who -love it; and on seeing such results I am proud of being a man. -But once beyond the bounds of that law--thrown off the rails, as -it were--O God! what do I hear and see? I hear bitter -lamentations, the harrowing cries of mothers, wives, and -children. I see vice, and crime, and shame mantling on the brow -of those who indulge therein; and at the sight of so much misery -and degradation I am tempted to utter imprecations, and almost -blush that I am a man. - -{176} - -Finally, another way of simplifying truth is by narrative, of -which the people are very fond. They cast every thing, even -spiritual things, into tales, legends, and facts, which they take -pleasure in learning to recite. We should imitate them, by -putting a moral or dogmatic truth into action, connecting it with -a fact, and then narrate it; in short, give it the form of a -little drama. When skilfully employed, this method has a powerful -effect upon the people, and even upon educated men. The _Paroles -d'un Croyant_ owed a part of the notoriety which it acquired to -this feature. The people must have facts, and often nothing but -facts. In like manner the Gospel narrates, but seldom argues. The -Holy Scriptures are full of truths rendered palpable, as it were, -by scenic representation. - -Thus the prophet Isaiah exposes the folly of idolatry in these -words:-- - - "Who hath formed a god or a graven image that is profitable for - nothing? ... He heweth him down cedars, and taketh the cypress - and the oak from among the trees of the forest; he planteth an - ash, and the rain doth nourish it. ... He burneth part thereof - in the fire; with part thereof he eateth flesh; he eateth roast - and is satisfied; yea, he warmeth himself, and saith, Aha! I am - warm, I have seen the fire. And the residue thereof he maketh a - god, even his graven image; he falleth down to it, and - worshippeth it, and prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me, for - thou art my god. They have not known nor understood, for he - hath shut their eyes that they can not see, and their hearts - that they cannot understand. -{177} - And none considereth in his heart, neither is there knowledge - nor understanding to say, I have burned part of it in the fire; - yea, also I have baked bread upon the coals thereof; I have - roasted flesh and eaten it; and shall I make the residue - thereof an abomination? Shall I fall down to the stock of a - tree? He feedeth on ashes; a deceived heart hath turned him - aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a - lie in my right hand?" - -Père Lejeune, apart from certain quaint and obsolete modes of -expression, has some charming things of this sort, which must -have produced a marvellous effect. He is attempting to point out -the heinousness of sin, and to describe the punishment of Adam -and Eve:-- - - "Picture to yourselves, then, the unfortunate pair, staff in - hand, going forth from the earthly paradise, carrying nothing - with them but two skins, given them out of compassion by the - Judge, to cover their nakedness. They found themselves in the - fields as if they had fallen from the clouds, exposed to the - inclemency of the weather, to wild beasts, and to their own - natural infirmities, without shelter, bed, linen, bread, - covering for their hands or feet; without thread or needle, - knife or hammer, destitute of any implements beyond their own - feeble arms. -{178} - They collect stones as best they may, and cement them together - with mud to form a low room, and cover it with branches of - trees, which they are obliged to break off with their hands; - for they had neither saw nor hatchet. They gather leaves for - their couch, and fruits and wheat for their subsistence; but if - they wanted any in years to come, they must till the ground, or - rather they must dig it up with sticks, having no other kind of - spade. Think, then, of the woman, and of the straits to which - she must have been put on being seized with the pangs of labor, - which she had never before experienced, and on being confined - with her first child. When she saw her firstborn ushered into - the world in its natural state, moaning and trembling with the - cold, and found herself utterly destitute of linen, cradle, - cap, bandages, and all the other requisites for a new-born - babe,--when she was called to bear all this, how poignantly she - must have recognized the enormity of her offence! - - "But when both parents saw their son Abel, a youth as beautiful - as a star, gentle as a lamb, and devout as an angel, stretched - stark dead upon the ground, wounded and weltering in his blood, - a ghastly spectacle to behold; the bloom on his face gone, his - lips livid, the light of his eyes utterly extinguished,--on - first beholding all this, they could have no idea that he was - dead, for they had never witnessed death; but drawing near they - say:--'Abel, what dost thou here? Who hath done this?' The dead - are silent. -{179} - 'My beloved Abel, why speakest thou not? My son! my soul! I - pray thee speak? But Abel has no more words, no more voice, no - sight, no motion. Decay soon sets in, and Abel becomes foul and - corrupt, and father and mother are obliged to cover him with - earth. When at length they learn that it was their sin which - had given entrance to death, what grief, what tears, what anger - against the fatal tree, against the tempter, against - themselves, and against everything which had contributed to - their disobedience, must have agitated the wretched pair! Why - did we pluck of that tree? Why did we not burn it rather than - be tempted to gather its fruit? Why did we not quit the earthly - paradise, and flee to the end of the world to avoid the risk of - so tremendous an evil? Why did I not pluck out my eyes rather - than look upon that which I was forbidden to know? Ill-advised - that I was, why did I suffer myself to be amused with talking - to the serpent? Liar, thou didst assure me that we should be as - gods, and behold we are more humiliated and miserable than the - beasts of the field! - - "In like manner, when you are in hell, you will regret, and - lament, and resolve; but it will then be too late. You will be - maddened with spite and rage against everything that has - conspired to your condemnation. Alas! why did I not cut out my - tongue when preachers told me that my oaths would damn me? Why - did I not smite to death this scandalous bosom of mine? -{180} - Why did I not destroy the papers of that lawsuit which I - prosecuted so unjustly, and the schedule and bond of that poor - man who could not pay the usurious interest which I charged him - for money lent? Why did I not leave the town and province, and - bury myself in the wilds of Canada, rather than remain where - there was an occasion of my falling into sin?" - -In concluding, I must be permitted to quote a more recent -example, premising that I only adduce it as a model of familiar -conversation with the working classes. - -M. l'Abbé Ledreuil, in an address to operatives, is endeavoring -to convince them that they have no reason to envy the rich, since -the working man has his share of joy and happiness as well as -they. He expresses himself somewhat as follows, though I must -apologize for abridging, and therefore for disfiguring his -lecture:-- - - "My friends, do not envy the rich, and don't believe them happy - because they have nothing to do. The rich must work, after - their fashion, under pain of being unhappy and of leading a - miserable existence. Hence it is that, for the most part, they - condemn themselves to work as you do. ... And do you know how - one of this class passes his life who does not work? I will - tell you: he thinks everything a bore, and he yawns. - -{181} - - "In the morning, he no sooner begins to dress than he stops - short. He is so tired! He stretches his limbs, and--he yawns. - - "He next sets about his toilet, which is a very formidable - affair to him; enters into his dressing-room quite a perfumery - shop in its way--looks around him, and then--he yawns. - - "Breakfast-time comes. He goes to the breakfast-room, surveys - the different dishes, knows not which to choose, for the poor - man is not hungry, and--he yawns. - - "After breakfast, he takes up a paper and skims over it. Pugh! - politics are so uninteresting. Then more than ever--he yawns. - - "Toward noon, or one o'clock, he must go out, and asks himself: - Where shall I go to-day? Shall I go to Madame So-and-so? No, - she is at the waters. I will go to Mr. So-and-so. By the way, - he is in the country; and then--he yawns. - - "For something better to do, he seeks the promenade, where he - meets a friend of his own stamp. They shake the tips of each - other's fingers, not to hurt their hands, touch the brims of - their hats, and then together, one more than the other,--they - yawn. - - "He next takes a chair, adjusts his feet on the bars, places - himself at his ease, thinks of nothing, looks vacantly into the - air, or bites the head of his cane, and then--he yawns. - -{182} - - "In the evening he goes to the theatre, extends himself at full - length in his box, gazes around him, listens, and then--he - yawns. - - "He returns home very late. He is quite worn out and needs - sleep, and ends the day as he began it--he yawns. - - "Not so the laborer: he rises early, goes to his work betimes, - and he sings or whistles. - - "The breakfast-hour arrives. He loses no time in examining - which dish he will partake of, for there is only one. He does - not yawn over it, but eats with a good appetite, and in the - same cheery mood he passes the remainder of the day. - - "My friends, don't be discontented with your lot. Don't - say:--'If I were rich I would take my ease; for work is a - blessing. Don't envy the rich, but be thankful for what God has - given you. The honest and industrious workman, who has a good - heart, and loves virtue, is the spoilt child of Providence." - -{183} - - Chapter VI. - - The Sermon Should Be Short. - - - The Discourses of the Fathers were short. - The French Mind is quick to apprehend. - Sermons are generally too long. - Sermons of Ten, Seven, and of Five Minutes. - - -"Long sermons bore us," [Footnote 16] says M. de Cormenin; "and -when a Frenchman is bored, he leaves the place and goes away. If -he cannot so retire, he remains and talks. If he cannot talk, he -yawns and falls asleep. Anyhow, he declares that he will not come -again. ..." - - [Footnote 16: "_Nous ennuient._" It is useless to attempt - giving the full force of the French _ennui_ in any one - English word. That above adopted appears to me the nearest - approach to it which our language affords; still it comes far - short of the expressive original. Translator.] - -The sermon should be short. At all events, it must not bore. Bore -or ennui is fatal in France, and is never pardoned. It has been -said, there are two things which are not permitted in France, -namely, to ridicule and to bore. -{184} -Unhappily the former is allowed nowadays, for there are many who -use it, and many who abuse it; but on the article of bore society -is still inflexible and implacable. The man who is deemed a bore -is shunned and detested. We, the clergy, must beware of exciting -this antipathy on the score of religion; the more so, because -most minds secrete a stock of the sentiment, which is readily -called forth when they are brought in contact with any thing -serious. - -On the other hand, why preach so long? I know not how we have -allowed ourselves to be led into these lengthy discourses. What -is the good of it? What is the object? We speak in God's name. -Now, power and majesty are always chary of words; yet such words -are not the less efficacious for being few. The instructions of -our blessed Lord, who is the Divine Master of us all, were -uniformly short. Even the Sermon on the Mount, which has -revolutionized the world, does not appear to have lasted more -than half an hour. The homilies of the Fathers also were short, -and Saint Ambrose says:--"_Nec nimium prolixus sit sermo ne -fastidium pariat; semihorae tempus communiter non excedat._" -Saint François de Sales, too, recommends short sermons, and -remarks that excessive length was the general fault in the -preachers of his time. - - He says:--"The good Saint François, in his rules to the - preachers of his Order, directs that their sermons should be - short. - -{185} - - "Believe me, and I speak from experience, the more you say, the - less will the hearers retain; the less you say, the more they - will profit. By dint of burdening their memory, you will - overwhelm it; just as a lamp is extinguished by feeding it with - too much oil, and plants are choked by immoderate irrigation. - - "When a sermon is too long, the end erases the middle from the - memory, and the middle the beginning. - - "Even mediocre preachers are acceptable, provided their - discourses are short; whereas even the best preachers are a - burden when they speak too long." - -Is not long preaching very much like an attempt to surpass these -men, who were so highly imbued with the spirit of Christianity? - -On the other hand, we have to deal with the most intelligent, -keen, and sensible people in the world. They understand a thing -when only half stated, and very often divine it. You hardly speak -before they are moved to accept or to reject; and yet we -overcharge them with long and heavy dissertations. To act in this -way, is to evince an utter unacquaintance with one's people, and -to display our own ignorance, in spite of all the learning which -we may possess. Moreover, it tends to excite antipathy. -{186} -The Frenchman does not care to be treated like a German: he does -not wish to be told every thing, thereby depriving him of the -pleasure of working out the truth for himself. Open the vein, -lance his imagination and feelings, let them flow on the road to -truth, and he will pursue it alone; perchance more quickly and -further than you. Nothing impairs intelligence, sentiment, and -the effusion of thought so much as redundancy of words and even -of ideas. - -A sharp working man, who had been listening to a sermon, was once -asked-- - - "What did the preacher say? What do you remember of his - sermon?" - - "Nothing at all." - - "How's that? Surely you heard him?" - - "Perfectly." - - "How is it, then, that you did not understand any thing?" - - "Ah," replied he, in an original language, which only the - people can command, "because all he had to say was hid behind a - mass of words." - -There is too much reminiscence of our philosophical and -scholastic studies in our sermons. It often appears as if we were -speaking to a meeting of young bachelors in theology. We seem to -believe--and the notion is generally taken for granted--that we -have not adequately developed an idea unless we discuss it for an -hour or for three-quarters of an hour at the least. - -{187} - -Thus the audience is overwhelmed under the weight of a ponderous -erudition. It is not sufficient that they should have one proof -set before them, they must submit to any conceivable number on -the same subject. Or, to use M. de Cormenin's language, preachers -keep on using the flat side of their sword with weak proofs, -after they have given a decisive thrust with the weapon's point. -What has been said a thousand times before is repeated, and what -everybody knows, or what nobody needs to know, is dilated upon to -no purpose. - -A man must be endowed with extraordinary genius who can bring -forcible thoughts to bear upon one and the same subject for the -space of a whole hour. But this consideration does not appear to -occasion the least embarrassment. The vacuities of thought are -filled up with words, and that is called developing an idea. - -For the most part, we are all convinced that others speak too -long, but we are beguiled by the world's flattery. - -We preach, and people are delighted, and send intimations to us -that we have acquitted ourselves to admiration; that they would -gladly have listened to us much longer, and so forth. - -{188} - -But we know better than any one else that the world does not -always speak the truth, and that we ourselves have frequently -denounced its want of sincerity. How comes it, then, that we are -deluded by such fine speeches? In flattering us, the world simply -plies its trade; but it is our duty not to give heed to its -blandishments. Moreover, there prevails at present a strong and -universal conviction that, generally speaking, our sermons are -too long. - -Ask whom you please, enemies and friends, ask even the most -fervent Christians--thanks be to God there are intelligent men, -and men renowned for their charity among the sincerely -religious--ask them, I say, and they will tell you that our -sermons and services are too long. And if pious and intelligent -men are of that opinion, what must the masses think? - -Undoubtedly, the intention is praiseworthy. ... We aim at -securing a greater good by lengthening out the services and -sermon. Still, it is equally certain that in so doing we discard -both prudence and charity. It resembles the ordinary treatment of -wives, who insist on giving their sick husbands good strong -broth, on the plea that it will do them more good than all the -chemist's medicines. The intention is unquestionably a kind one; -but it is no less true that the regimen, instead of benefiting -the patients, is most likely to kill them outright. Alas! the -same result has followed a similar injudicious treatment of men's -souls. - -{189} - -A man of high intellectual attainments, recently converted, -declared that the manner in which he was bored by sermons during -his youth, had kept him from listening to them for twenty years. -We complain, and with reason, that the masses have ceased to -frequent the church, and that sermons nowadays are not popular. -But do not we assist in driving them away? The services are -longer now than they were in the seventeenth and eighteenth -centuries, when there was more faith abroad among the people -generally. - -Religion would most probably be greatly promoted if the sermon -and the services also were abridged. This might readily be -affected as regards the latter. Pitch your music out of the -window, or rather out of the door, as the former might not be -considered parliamentary. Or, take care at least that the polkas -with which your organist embellishes the _Magnificat_ shall not -occupy more than a quarter of an hour. With respect to the -sermons, they might easily be shortened without injuring them in -the least. Lop off all commonplace considerations from the -exordium, all useless discussions from the body of the discourse, -and all vague phrases from the peroration. Prune away all -redundant words, all parasitical epithets, using only those that -triple the force of the substantive. Be chary of words and -phrases; economize them as a miser does his crown-pieces. -{190} -The people affect those thoughts which are formulated in a single -word. They like such expressions as the following:--_vive! ... à -bas! ... mort! ... vengeance! ... liberté! ... justice!_ These -simple words often move men more than a long discourse. - -In this respect, however, there has been a marked improvement in -many of our churches. There are parishes in Paris where a rule -prevails that no one shall preach more than forty minutes. In -some popular meetings, preachers are not allowed to speak beyond -fifteen minutes, and it is there that the most good is done. - -Nowadays, brevity is one of the first conditions of success, and -of promoting the welfare of souls. - -The preacher who was most frequented at Paris during the Lenten -season this year, hardly ever exceeded half-an-hour. There are, -undoubtedly, many other rules to be observed, but brevity will -not injuriously affect any of them. - -The people are easily impressed: they like to be moved; but -nothing passes away so quickly as an emotion. In order to bring -them back to the church, we must have sermons of ten, seven, and -even of five minutes duration. The Mass and the sermon together -should not exceed half-an-hour. - -{191} - -This plan has been attempted. The experiment was made, and -produced the most happy and unexpected results. Intelligent and -zealous pastors, distressed at seeing that the greater part of -their flock scarcely ever heard the word of God or went to -church, established a low Mass, announced as specially designed -for the men, with a lecture of from ten to five minutes duration -every Sunday. ... Crowds flocked to the church, which was -sometimes found too small to hold them. Nor was this all: many -attended high Mass also, and even went to the confessional; which -they had not done, some for twenty, some for thirty, and some for -forty years. This success was obtained in irreligious as well as -religious districts, and under the most unfavorable -circumstances; even in populous manufacturing towns. And the same -plan is practicable everywhere. Frequently, nothing more is -required than a man to take the initiative with a right good -will, in order to attract crowds to the church and to religion. - -But it will be objected: What can be said in ten or seven -minutes? Much, much more than is generally thought, when due -preparation is made, when we have a good knowledge of mankind, -and are well versed in religious matters. ... Have not a few -words often sufficed to revolutionize multitudes, and to produce -an immense impression? - -{192} - -The harangues of Napoleon only lasted a few minutes, yet they -electrified whole armies. The speech at Bourdeaux did not exceed -a quarter of an hour, and yet it resounded throughout the world. -Had it been longer, it would have been less effective. In fifteen -weeks, with a sermon of seven minutes every Sunday, one might -give a complete course of religious instruction, if the sermons -were well digested beforehand. [Footnote 17] - - [Footnote 17: We have chosen the seven minutes sermon, - because experience has taught us that it attracts the - greatest numbers.] - -If, then, you wish to be successful, in the first place fix the -length of your sermon, and never go beyond the time; be -inflexible on that score. Should you exceed it, apologize to your -audience for so doing, and prove in the pulpit of truth that you -can be faithful to your word. - -In your course of instruction, do not follow the old method which -commences with metaphysical questions and principles; but adhere -to the plan which we have indicated: start from the known to the -unknown. ... - -In the first place, disconnect religion from all prejudices and -passions, and from every thing uncongenial. Discard all -objections and antagonisms. Exhibit it as good and lovely, then -true, then divine, then as obligatory, proceeding onward from -thence to God's commandments and to the sacraments. If you -apprehend that the term "God's commandments" does not -sufficiently strike your hearers, you may call them the duties of -an upright man. - -{193} - -When about to compose your sermon, study your subject thoroughly, -grasp the salient points, and then write. ... - -But do not stop there; begin afresh. Supposing that you have -written four pages, reduce them to two, taking care that all the -strong thoughts and sentiments remain. ... Use those terms which -belong to a single thought, those expressions which imprint -themselves--or, as the Scripture says, engrave the truth as with -a pen of steel--on the hearts of men, and which scatter it abroad -full of life and exultation. Nothing is so profitable as this -exercise: it cultivates and supplies the intellect, gives us a -deeper insight into Christianity and mankind, and it teaches us -how to think, and how to write. ... - -During the reading of the Gospel, ascend the pulpit and be quite -ready. Place your watch by your side and begin thus:--"Last -Sunday we said so and so. To-day we continue." ... Then enter -fully into your subject, enlightening the minds of your hearers -or stirring up their hearts as may be suitable, during the -discourse. When the allotted time arrives, stop short and -conclude. - -"But do speak more at length ... you are wrong in being so brief -... you only tantalize your audience ... you deprive them of a -real pleasure." Expostulations like these will pour in upon you; -but don't listen to them: be inflexible, for those who urge them -are enemies without knowing it. - -{194} - -Be more rigid than ever in observing the rule which you have -prescribed for yourself. Then your sermon will be talked of--it -will be a phenomenon--every body will come to _see_ a sermon of -seven minutes duration. The people will come; the rich will -follow. Faith will bring the one, and curiosity will attract the -other, and thus the Divine word will have freer course and be -glorified. ... - -If the men do not come, appeal to the women, and ask them to help -you. If you want to attract the women, announce that you intend -preaching specially for the men. You will find this method -infallible; the men will follow. - -Moreover, go yourself and find them out: visit the workshops, -factories, and wharves. Be particularly attentive to those who -are shabbily dressed and ill-favored. On taking your departure, -tell them with a smile that French politeness--in which you feel -quite sure they are not deficient--demands that visits received -should be returned: that you will dispense with their coming to -you personally, but will expect to see them at the seven minutes -sermon. The result will not disappoint you. - -{195} - -When you have many male hearers, you should reserve a space for -them. The women will complain that thereby they are placed -further away; but you must appease them with a compliment. Tell -them that you know their charity, and are persuaded that they -would not certainly wish to hinder the word of God from being -heard by those who need it most. - -When you have well cultivated your congregation, when a strong -current of sympathy and charity has set in from them to you and -from you to them, when a number of conversions shall have been -made, then you may think of sending some of them to high Mass and -to Vespers. Don't fail to felicitate such:--"You have come hither -to hear me. So far well, and I am greatly rejoiced at it. Still -you may do something better: you may attend high Mass," adding -your reasons, and then conclude somewhat in this style:--"Now, I -hope that those who are rightly disposed will attend high Mass. I -only want the badly disposed, poor downright sinners, at my -sermons." You will be obeyed by some, and you will thereby do -much toward repopularizing religion; and when those who are not -converted fall sick they will say:--"Send for the man who -preaches the seven minutes sermon; I don't want any other." Thus -God will be blessed and glorified. ... - -Here, then, you have a very simple and cheap means of restoring -the people to religion. It may be put into practice everywhere: -in great cities, in small towns, and even in hamlets. The subject -is one for serious reflection. -{196} -Even in our most religiously disposed towns, hardly a third of -the inhabitants habitually hear the word of God. Elsewhere, -matters are still worse; and yet all are sheep of the same Divine -pastor, all have a soul to save. Moreover, according to all -theologians, every parish priest of a cure is required, _sub -gravi_, to preach at low Mass, whenever the faithful generally do -not attend high Mass. Hence, by pursuing the course above -indicated, we may not only save others but shall also exonerate -ourselves. - -{197} - - Chapter VII. - - Tact and Kindliness. - - We should assume that our Hearers are what we wish them to be. - Reproaches to be avoided. - How to address Unbelievers. - Special Precautions to be taken in small Towns and rural Districts. - How to treat Men during times of public Commotion. - Forbearance due to the Church for being obliged to receive Money - from the Faithful. - - -In France, it is not enough to say good things, they must also be -well said. This remark applies to all, but more especially to him -who speaks in behalf of the Gospel; for he is bound to follow the -Divine injunction:--"Be ye wise as serpents, and harmless as -doves;" which I should prefer to see carried out as commented -upon by St. François de Sales:--"Ah! my dear Philothea, I would -give a hundred serpents for one dove." - -It is especially in this respect that we should endeavor to -reduce to practice what has already been advanced on the -importance of becoming thoroughly acquainted with the people, and -the necessity of loving them in order to our being qualified to -address them to good purpose. -{198} -We must make ourselves Sisters of Charity to the souls of men; -having all their pliancy and kindness, so as to be capable of -conforming ourselves to those light, weak, vain, and fickle -characters--to say nothing of the suspicious and malevolent--with -whom we may have to deal. Our age is arrayed in prejudices from -head to foot, and no sooner is one destroyed than another is -ready to take its place. - -For the most part, a great mistake is made as regards this -necessity of exercising tact in our intercourse with the people. -It is remarked:--"We have to do with little people, such -circumspection is therefore uncalled for. Why should we give -ourselves so much trouble on their account?" Very true; but -little people are often very susceptible people everywhere; not -among the laity only, but among the clergy likewise. - -The people have certain formalities, courtesies, and politenesses -of their own which we should learn to respect, for when once -outraged, they are more difficult to be appeased than the -educated and genteel classes. Complaints are often made of our -congregations; but have they not sometimes cause on their part to -complain of their preachers? ... Are these latter always prudent -and conciliatory in their mode of procedure? And yet success -depends on this mixture of tact and kindliness. - -{199} - -In our sermons, we should start with assuming that the people are -what we wish them to be; thereby raising them in their own -estimation, and laying hold of them by their better part. ... You -will then feel yourself quite at ease, and in spite of any desire -on the part of your hearers to oppose you, they will be -restrained from doing so by an exquisite sentiment of respect. - -A _religieux_ who was engaged on a mission in a rural district, -had announced that a particular gallery, which had previously -been occupied by the men, would in future be reserved for the -ladies forming the choir. Now, the men were much attached to the -said gallery, and were determined to keep it. Accordingly, the -day after, long before the sermon, they installed themselves in -it as usual. - -On ascending the pulpit, the preacher noticed that his directions -had not been attended to. What would he do? Command or scold? A -vulgar man might have done so under the circumstances, but he got -over the difficulty by a compliment. - -Turning toward the occupants of the gallery, he addressed them in -a kindly tone as follows:--"My dear friends, you are aware that -the gallery was set apart for the ladies. Now, French politeness -calls upon us always to give place to the ladies, and not to -deprive them of it. From what I already know of you, I feel -persuaded that you will not be behindhand in that respect." ... -"We have put our foot into it," whispered the men one to another; -"and can hold out no longer. -{200} -Ah! the crafty fellow, he has outwitted us, and we must go." The -gallery was evacuated forthwith and made over to the ladies; to -the satisfaction of all, even of those who had been worsted in -the affair. That is the way to deal with the people. The preacher -might have asserted his absolute authority on the occasion; but, -like a wise man, he preferred the exercise of prudence and -charity. - -We repeat it: the most effectual way of communicating the truth -to the people, of putting them in the right way, and of reforming -them, is not to be chary of complimenting them when they have -deserved it ever so little; and to show that we have confidence -in them. This course tends to gladden their souls; disposes them -to what is good, exalts, elates them. It should never be -neglected, for it is capable of transforming the most obstinate -characters. - -Subsequent to the revolution of 1848, an association of -unemployed operatives was formed at the church of the Carmelites; -amongst whom was a number of sharpers, makers of barricades, and -workmen always on the look-out for work--men clothed in rags and -in a state of complete destitution. There were about twelve -hundred of them. A meal was first served out to them, which was -followed by a lecture. - -{201} - -The priests who addressed them soon acquired an irresistible -ascendency over this formidable body; so much so that certain -parties took umbrage at it, as a dangerous power to be wielded by -the clergy, and accordingly hired a set of roughs to hiss and -otherwise disturb the congregation. - -The preacher, who was apprised of this on entering the pulpit, -did not manifest the least discomposure. Before beginning the -sermon, however, he looked round upon the sinister figures and -tattered habiliments of his hearers with a benevolent -countenance, and then said in a sonorous voice:--"What a pleasant -meeting this is, my friends! What an excellent audience! what -silence! what attention! Therein I recognize the people. ... Père -Lacordaire preaches at Notre-Dame to the noble and wealthy, and -it is found necessary to station constables there to maintain -order. ... None but men of the people are here, and yet we have -no constables amongst us. We do not want them, for the people are -their own police; the people are discreet." ... - -He then delivered his sermon, which was listened to amidst the -most profound silence. Never was an audience of nuns more -attentive than those men; their deportment was admirable. The -roughs took the hint, saw that their game was up, and that those -who had engaged them would lose their money. They accordingly -moved toward the door. - -{202} - -When the sermon was over, however, a few hisses were attempted; -but fifty stalwart arms instantly seized the intruders, and -administered a castigation to them which was by no means -fraternal. - -By laying hold of men in this manner we may lead them onward a -great way on the road to improvement. ... - -One should be very cautious not to assume that his hearers are -wicked, impious, or unbelieving. The people do not relish such -imputations: they don't like reproaches; neither do you, dear -reader. They rarely do any good, and often much harm. - -If it is deemed desirable to censure a fault, a vice, or a -scandal, such delinquencies may be treated of in a general way, -and energetically denounced. In applying the lesson to your -hearers, you might say in a subdued tone--"Malpractices like -these are committed elsewhere. It is even stated that you are not -wholly free from them; but perhaps it is only the malevolent who -say this of you. However, if you have really been guilty of them, -I am sure you will abandon them in future. It is always a duty to -prove that the malevolent are in the wrong." You may further -add:--"I will do you this justice, that whenever I have given you -any advice, I have always had the satisfaction of finding that -some at least have profited by it." - -{203} - -It shows a want of charity as well as tact--and it is, moreover, -deplorably vulgar--to address a congregation in such a style as -the following:--"All my preaching, and all the trouble which I -take in your behalf are in vain, for you are not a whit better. -Faith is departing from France. ... I must abandon you to your -fate. No matter how I preach, none the more come to the sermons." -... I say this mode of address is as vulgar and contemptible as -it is derogatory to the minister of the Gospel. Saint John -Chrysostom, as already remarked, did not talk in that style:--"If -you reject my words," said he, "I shall not shake off the dust of -my feet against you. Not that herein I would disobey the Saviour; -but because the love which He has given me for you prevents my -doing so." ... - -If sermons are not attended, whose fault is it? It is our duty to -look into that question. At all events, if only a few come it is -not certainly their fault, and therefore they should be spared -all reproaches; otherwise some captious hearer--and such are to -be met with everywhere--may slip into a corner of the pulpit, and -say:--"Take care, Mr. Preacher; you are speaking ill of the -absent, and you know better than I do that such a proceeding is -improper." ... - -{204} - -If your audience is scanty, I can quite fancy that you would like -to comment upon it, and also to express a little annoyance at the -fact; but you may do something better. Begin by congratulating -those who are present, thank them heartily for coming to listen -to you, and tell them afterward, in an affectionate manner, that -it would be a praiseworthy act if they could induce one or two of -their comrades to accompany them to the next meeting. Instead of -uttering reproaches against the erring absentees, which your -hearers might report to them, charge the latter to communicate -words of kindness to them:-- - -"Tell those dear brethren who do not attend the lectures, that we -bear them no ill-will; that we love all of them; that they too -are our children; and that we never cease praying for them." -Thereby all will be edified, and God will be less offended. ... - -Further, it is highly imprudent to say to one's audience:--"I -have preached to you a long time, and yet you are still the same: -I see no improvement in you. On the contrary, evil increases -every year. I wash my hands of you; you will be lost: you will be -damned." ... Now, the people do not like to be damned, or to be -discouraged. Besides, such a course is highly dangerous. ... -Might they not say:--"As it seems that we are damned already, let -us at least enjoy life while it lasts." Moreover, may there not -still be a portion for the pastor, even from among the erring -flock? - -A pastor once recapitulated in the pulpit the results of his -ministrations in this language:--"My time is thrown away upon -you, for you become more and more ungodly. - -{205} - -"The first year of my cure there were only five persons who did -not communicate at Easter. - -"The second year there were eleven. - -"The third year there were thirty. - -"And the number has gone on increasing, so that at present there -are eighty non-communicants." After Mass, a mischievous peasant -approached the speaker, and said, in a low voice:--"Monsieur le -Curé, take my advice, and don't make so much stir about this -matter. According to your own testimony, we were in a -satisfactory condition when you took charge of us, so that we -must have deteriorated under your _reign_." - -Neither should such commonplace and infelicitous remarks as the -following be made:--"Faith is departing from among men. ... Hell -is let loose on earth; ... everybody is abandoning religion;" ... -for observations like these only tend to induce others to abandon -it; and the people will hardly feel disposed to practise a -religion which the rest of the world is alleged to be giving up. -They would rather prefer being lost with the multitude. - -On the contrary, you should say something to this effect,--"Go -to! faith is not extinct, for there are many godly men to be -found in all ranks of society. -{206} -You would be convinced of this if you only knew what takes place -in our large towns, where numbers of the young, the rich, and the -learned belonging to the higher classes, and others occupying -distinguished positions, may be seen devoutly frequenting the -services of the church, partaking of the holy communion, visiting -the poor, and practising confession with the docility of little -children. Moreover, what exemplary women there are amongst us!" -... You might then add:--"Brethren, we should strive to imitate -such men, and should not allow ourselves to be outdone by them." -Representations like these will induce the people to think more -highly of religion, and will make it more attractive to them. - -We have already discussed the most appropriate method of warning -the people against the bad example and pernicious talk of those -who affect infidelity; but a few additional remarks may not be -out of place here. In general, we should not evince any fear of -such antagonism, nor attach much importance to it. We should -rather cause the impression to be produced that God having -bestowed mind and talent upon mankind, is a proof that He can be -in no dread of those endowments. - -Above all, we should lay great stress on such reflections as -these:--that those who call themselves unbelievers are, in fact, -nothing of the kind, and are better than their words would imply; -although, perchance, they might not be greatly disappointed if -they could attain to infidelity; that they have as good reason -for fearing hell as others have of being in dread of the police; -and that by dint of repeating that they are unbelievers, they -have been led to imagine that they are so in reality. - -{207} - -You might liken them to some of those old soldiers of the empire, -who, from having travelled a good deal in foreign countries, are -generally allowed the license of embellishing and even of -inventing a little. As everybody knows, they make free use of the -privilege, and concoct a number of tales wherein they themselves -are made to play a prominent part. These they repeat incessantly, -until at length they succeed in persuading themselves that such -stories are true, and that the incidents actually occurred as -they have narrated them. ... It is the same with those who wish -to pass themselves off as unbelievers. Hence we should not allow -ourselves to be moved by their words; for at heart they are -better men and nearer to God than is thought, and you should -insist on the duty of praying for them. If you pursue this -course, none will be hurt or offended, and the wives, daughters, -or mothers of these pretended unbelievers will return home from -your sermons happier at the thought that all hope for those whom -they love is not wholly lost. - -{208} - -The sterner the truths which you have to set forth, the more -should tact and kindliness be brought into play, that the souls -of the hearers be not depressed. This, however, is a very common -error. We are terrible in the pulpit; we thunder and storm there; -whereas in the confessional we are gentle and paternal. That was -all well enough in times of faith; but an entirely different -course is called for nowadays, otherwise you will estrange the -hearts of your people. Be paternal in the pulpit, be paternal in -the confessional as well; but at the same time uncompromising in -your principles. There are many things which terrify at a -distance, but which, nevertheless, are readily assented to in the -familiar intercourse of the confessional. - -We sometimes hear such language as this, uttered in a tone of -great self-conceit, after a long tirade or vehement -declamation:--"I have driven them into a corner. I have now -fairly crushed them." You have crushed them, have you? So much -the worse, for in so doing you have altogether misapprehended -your duty. God has not called you to crush men, but to raise and -save them. Moreover, there is much cause to fear that those whom -you have crushed will not run the less eagerly in the way of -evil. - -Hence all strong admonitions should be tempered with such -deprecations as these:--"Brethren, why am I constrained to tell -you these stern truths? You will pardon me for doing so, because -it is my duty. It pains me as much as it does you to have to say -them." -{209} -Or, something to this effect:--"If I wished to pain you, or if it -was not rather my heart's desire to spare you, or if I did not -love you, I might inflict on you the chastisement of irony and -defeat; I might say this or that, and speak truly and justly. But -no; I leave you to your own consciences, which will tell you of -your faults and failings more forcibly than I can. For my part, I -prefer holding out a hand to you, I prefer to pity, to save you." -... - -We must become the servants of all. ... That was the course -pursued by Saint John Chrysostom. "A man," says he, "who is only -bound to serve one master, and to submit to one opinion only, may -discharge his duty without trouble; but I have an infinity of -masters, being called to serve an immense people who hold many -different views. Not that I bear this servitude with any sort of -impatience, nor that by the present discourse I would defend -myself against the authority which you exercise over me in the -capacity of masters. God forbid that I should entertain such a -thought! On the contrary, nothing is so glorious to me as this -servitude of love." - -The same feelings ought to pervade the heart of every Christian -priest, who should be able to say as St. Paul did to the -Corinthians:--"Out of much affliction and anguish of heart, I -wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be grieved, -but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto -you." - -{210} - -You become aware, for instance, of a prevailing disposition to -ill-will, and have cause to apprehend the ridicule of certain -parties. Under these circumstances, throw yourself into the hands -of your audience; make them your judge, and rest assured you will -be treated with indulgence. As Saint Augustine has said:--"If you -fear God, cast yourself into His arms, and then His hands cannot -strike you." In like manner, if you fear the wit and ridicule of -the French people, throw yourself into their hearts, and then the -sallies of their tongues will fail to reach you. - -There are certain thoughts and expressions which have a great -hold on the French mind, such as progress, liberty, -enlightenment. These you should never meddle with unless -absolutely obliged. We ought to respect even the illusions of our -brethren, when they do nobody any harm. When we are forced to -combat them, it should be done with courtesy, with gentle irony, -or with profound ability. We, too, may speak of enlightenment, of -progress, and of liberty, and point out that they can only be -effectually attained through the instrumentality of religion. ... - -Matters have undoubtedly improved on this score; proving that, if -we correct our own errors, the effect will not be lost upon -others. We are now far removed from the time when nothing but the -future was talked of, the philosophy of the future, the happiness -of the future, when it used to be said that the time was big with -the future, big with a new philosophy; nay, even with a new -religion; whereas, in truth, it was big with nothing but misery, -as the event fully proved. ... - -{211} - -We must not assail these delusions directly, nor imitate the bold -preacher who is reported to have said--"So we are supposed to be -living in the era of light! If so, then it is the devil who holds -the candle." On the contrary, you should enter into the current -of the ideas of the age, and strive vigorously to turn it in -favor of religion, by taking advantage of prevailing errors and -delusions to edify your hearers. - -One of the lectures of the Rev. Père Ventura supplies a fine -model of this style of preaching; which but for the sacredness of -the place where it was delivered, would undoubtedly have elicited -roars of applause. He had been showing that the attempt to -introduce German philosophy into France was a great mistake, -inasmuch as it was altogether unsuited to the positive, sensible, -and Christian mind of the French people. He wound up as -follows:--"Frenchmen, it is your bane that you do not value -yourselves as you ought, that you wish to imitate foreigners; -whereas you are rich enough in resources of your own. Last -century you imitated English politics and were not very -successful. Why do you now wish to borrow a philosophy from -Protestant Germany? Frenchmen, be yourselves. ... -{212} -What! are you not rich enough in mind, in your wonderful talent -for comparison and for development, and in your extreme quickness -at deducing consequences from the most remote premises? Not rich -enough in the truth which eighteen centuries of Christianity have -poured into your bosoms, and to which you owe your civilization -and grandeur. Frenchmen, forbear aping others; you have only to -be yourselves in order to be great." (Prolonged sensation.) - -We should become all things to all men, without ever being rude; -being always simple, natural, true, and upright. These are -qualities admired alike by all; by the little, and especially by -the great. ... - -The wealthy residents in towns frequently go to spend a part of -the fine season in the country, where the curé, in order to exalt -religion in their eyes--and the pastor a little as well--thinks -himself called upon to be at the expense of some grand phrases -and flights of fancy. Now, such a course is neither adroit nor -apostolic. As to grand phrases, the visitors hear enough of them -in the towns. Besides, they may judge that you have talked at -them, and may be offended. Moreover, it is not at all unlikely -that they may think you have mistaken your profession. ... -Instead of acting in this way, do not seem to be aware of their -presence, but speak boldly to your people in your usual style. -{213} -Avail yourself, nevertheless, of any fitting occasion to tell -them some useful truths; to draw their attention to some striking -parable, like that of the poor man with the ewe lamb and the -prophet Nathan, which may afford you a good opportunity of -reaching the rich over the shoulders of the peasant. Be careful, -however, always to do this in a kindly manner; both rich and poor -will then be more satisfied with you, and God Himself will concur -in the same opinion. - -Remember that you have a difficult part to play in a small town. -There, you may not say all that may be said in a large city. -There, the most paltry things assume huge proportions. One of our -best preachers entirely failed of success through having omitted -to repeat the _Ave Maria_ after the exordium, and for not having -allowed his audience time to cough, to expectorate, and to take -breath. It is a wonder that he escaped without having his -orthodoxy suspected. - -Moreover, the residents in small towns are excessively fond of -finely-turned phrases, rhetorical displays, and pomposity. They -call such rodomontade poetry, and think it sublime. You may adopt -it occasionally by way of accompaniment. Nevertheless, don't be -led into the delusion that any essay in that style will prevent -the _sturdy bourgeois_ from slandering his neighbor, from -cheating him if he can, and from doing many other things of a -similar kind. - -{214} - -Good manners have great weight in France, and many things are -excused in him who says them cleverly. - -A celebrated preacher was expected to preach a charity sermon in -one of the Paris churches. A crowded audience had already -assembled, when, to their surprise and disappointment, they saw -the parish priest enter the pulpit, and heard him announce that, -owing to the sudden indisposition of the eminent preacher, he was -obliged to supply his place. Thereat the congregation rose and -began to leave the church. Meanwhile the priest, seeing the -crowed on the move, and the anticipated collection disappearing -with them, suddenly arrested them with a _bon mot_. "My -brethren," said he, "when everybody has left the church, I will -begin." This so delighted the audience that they remained where -they were; the priest preached an excellent sermon, and the -collection was most liberal. - -We should endeavor to acquire and practise all the breeding and -politeness of good society, with sincerity superadded. By birth, -we are for the most part children of the people; that is neither -a fault nor a disgrace; it forms an additional resemblance -between ourselves and the Apostles. But our primary education was -neglected, and we should fill up the gap by retaking from the -world those forms which it has borrowed from Christianity, and -fill them up with the substance. Then we shall be powerful men. - -{215} - -The present age has given us a great model of this tact, -kindliness, and urbanity of speech in the person of the Cardinal -de Cheverus. - -"He generally spoke," says M. Hamon, [Footnote 18] "with such -tact and moderation, and so much to the purpose, that, far from -offending any one, his audience always went away gratified. Some -were convinced, others were staggered, and all disabused more or -less of their prejudices. When he addressed persons of a -different communion, his kind and affectionate words were the -utterances of a heart overflowing with benevolence and charity. -He made his audience feel by the accents of his voice and his -whole deportment that it was a friend who was addressing them; -not merely a sincere, but a tender and devoted friend, who wished -them all possible good; and this persuasion, by disposing them to -welcome his words, opened the way for him to their hearts. - - [Footnote 18: _Histoire du Cardinal de Cheverus_.] - - "His usual course was this: he first stated the question - clearly, expounding carefully the true doctrine of the Church; - eliminating therefrom all the erroneous interpretations, - wherewith heretics have travestied it in order that they might - decry it. He then adduced his proofs in a form so simple and - natural, combining them with reasons so completely within the - reach of ordinary intelligences, that no effort of the mind was - required to feel their force. -{216} - He adhered above all to those proofs which speak to the heart; - setting forth all that is lovely and affecting, noble and - excellent in the Catholic creed. It is almost unnecessary to - add that his efforts were often crowned with deserved success." - -But the exercise of tact and kindliness on our part, is specially -called for in times of public commotion, when men's minds are -disturbed and their passions inflamed. Under such circumstances, -we should endeavor to be perfectly self-possessed ourselves, in -order that we may be the better able to control others. - -Before all, we should be just. The people, on their part, have an -exquisite sense of justice. In depicting their faults or their -excesses, abstain from all exaggeration; rather say too little -than too much, and they will accuse themselves unsparingly. -Outstep the limits of truth, and they will rebel, and you will -forfeit all your influence over them. Further, take pains to -explain to them in detail how matters stand; show them that you -are not an enemy, but a sincere friend and adviser, and they will -resign themselves, even to suffering. - -A great orator has left on record a perfect model of this style -of address. He is so little known that I cannot resist the desire -of quoting him. Some time prior to the Revolution of '89, the -dearness of bread had excited public indignation at Marseilles, -excesses had been committed, and still greater outrages were -apprehended. - -{217} - -Mirabeau caused a notice, containing the following passages, to -be put up on all the walls of the town:-- - - "My good friends, I am about to tell you what I think of the - occurrences which have taken place in this superb city during - the last few days. Listen to me: I shall not deceive you; my - only wish is to be of use to you. - - "Every one of you desires what is right, for you are all honest - people; but every one does not know how he ought to act. A man - is often deceived, even with respect to his own interests. - - "You complain chiefly of two things: of the price of bread and - the price of meat. - - "Let us consider the subject of the bread first; other matters - will come after. - - "Bread is the most indispensable article of food, and there are - two requisites regarding it: first, that there should be an - adequate supply; and, secondly, that it should not be too dear. - - "Well, my good friends, I have some cheering news to tell you. - There is no deficiency of wheat at the present moment. There - are 50,000 loads in the city, which will furnish bread for - three months and twelve days. But, my good friends, that is not - all; your administrators and the merchants still expect a large - additional supply. ... - -{218} - - "Be calm, therefore; be perfectly calm. Thank Providence for - giving you what others are deprived of. - - "You have heard it reported, and you yourselves know, that the - seasons generally have been bad throughout the country. The - people have to suffer elsewhere much more than you do here; yet - they bear it patiently. - - "I trust, therefore, that you will be contented and quiet, and - that your example may promote peace on all sides. Then, my good - friends, it will be said everywhere: The Marseillaise are a - brave people. The King will hear it--that excellent King whom - we should not afflict, whom we unceasingly invoke--even he will - hear of it, and will esteem and love you the more." - -As might have been expected, this address produced the happiest -results. The people do not, cannot resist such appeals, unless -some mischievous demagogue interferes to rekindle their passions. - -Lastly, I must say a few words on a subject which should be -candidly explained to the people. I allude to the money taken for -the use of chairs in our churches, and the difference which -exists in the celebration of marriages and funerals for the rich -and the poor. -{219} -This is a matter which causes great estrangement from religion, -and he who is not aware of the fact shows his ignorance of the -feelings prevailing among the people. It is desirable that all -should be set right on this point, both rich and poor; even the -most pious amongst us. Faith is no longer large enough to -comprehend these exigencies, and there is a wide-spread suspicion -abroad that the Church is following the ruling passion of the -multitude--love of money. Besides, the people entertain strong -views on the subject of equality, and expect it in matters of -religion, if they do not meet with it anywhere else. - -Hence it is not uncommon to hear reflections such as the -following among the operatives of our work shops:--"Religion -nowadays is no longer the religion of the Gospel. The Gospel -loves and prefers the people; but religion as practised at -present prefers the rich and encourages felons. - -"Take, for example, two men of humble parentage. The one remains -a workman and maintains his integrity all his life; he toils on -and dies poor. The other becomes rich by very questionable means, -defrauds right and left, and dies wealthy. He is then placed in -the centre of the church, and surrounded with burning tapers and -chanting priests. ... The poor devil of a workman, on the -contrary, who has been upright all his life, is borne in the rear -of the parish priest, accompanied by two or three assistants, -with as many tapers, and is then pitched into a corner. . . . And -you would have me believe that this is the religion of Christ? It -is no such thing; it is the religion of the priests: it is the -religion of money." .... - -{220} - -Arguments like these have a powerful effect on persons who are -incapable of sober reflection and who scarcely ever look beyond -the present state of existence. They harrow up the popular -instincts; and with the people instinct is everything. The man -who secures the command over their instincts may do any thing -with them; he who fails in that respect cannot manage them at -all. ... It is most desirable, then, that the inequality -complained of should be kindly and frankly explained. - -In doing so, we might say something to the following effect:-- - "Dear friends, this subject is quite as painful to us as it can - be to you; but you are aware that there are some stern - necessities in life. The Church is poor nowadays, and yet has - many expenses to meet. The sacred fabrics must be maintained, - the wages of employés paid, suitable furniture provided, and we - ourselves, brethren, even we, the clergy, must live. ... Would - you like us to go begging our bread? Say, would you wish that? - Certainly not; for if you knew we were in need, you would be - the first to succor us, even though you had to stint - yourselves. -{221} - Moreover, it is our duty to visit the poor; and would you - condemn us to the greatest possible misery, that of witnessing - want without being able to relieve it? Say, would you inflict - such torture upon us? Well, then, brethren, the money in - question goes to defray these expenses, to give us bread, and - to enable us to alleviate the necessities of the poor. - - "Instead of complaining, therefore, be content that the - weddings and burials of the wealthy should be made to provide - for these requisites. Moreover, brethren, let us lift up our - souls and look beyond the present life. Thank God, we are not - destined to spend all our existence on earth. You know full - well that this life is not all our life. There is another to - follow, where all the inequalities which we see here will be - perfectly adjusted, and when every one shall receive according - to his works and not according to his good fortune. Why, then, - attach so much importance to these matters? Surely you do not - think that God troubles Himself about them; that He counts the - number of tapers, or carpets, or chairs? ... God looks to see - whether a man has been upright and honest, faithfully - discharging his duties as a citizen and a Christian. Be all - that, my brethren, and He will not fail to give you a blissful - abode in heaven; which will be far better than the most - magnificent place in the church, either at your wedding or your - funeral." - - -{222} - - Chapter VIII. - - Interest, Emotion, and Animation. - - We should endeavor to excite Interest by Thoughts, by Sallies or - Epigrams, by Studies of Men and Manners. - The Truth should be animated. - The Père Ravignan. - The Père Lacordaire. - The Heart is too often absent. - - -We remarked in a former chapter that the preaching of the Divine -word, especially on Sundays, should be to the people, wearied -with the toil and cares of the week, a rest, a joy; or, as the -Scripture says, a refreshment. ... It should be to them what a -spring of water surrounded with verdure is to our soldiers worn -out with marching, and scorched by the sun and burning sands of -Africa. - -Under its breath, the souls of men should dilate, blossom, as it -were, and feel less unhappy; for is not the Gospel glad tidings? -Was it not proclaimed at the Nativity of Christ:--"I bring you -glad tidings of great joy?" - -{223} - -Christian pulpit instruction should be a sort of paternal -intercourse enlivened with faith and charity--a family meeting -where the different members come to talk over their labors and -their trials, their fears and their hopes, and the bounty of that -Father who is in Heaven, in such a way that each may go away -benefited and less unhappy, saying within himself:--"I feel all -the better now. The words of the preacher have cheered me. Why -did he not speak a little longer? While he spoke, my soul was on -fire."--"Did not our heart burn within us, while He talked with -us by the way?" - -Unfortunately, this is no longer the case. The sermon is looked -upon as something cold, official, and tedious; or merely as a -necessary accompaniment of the service. It is thought wearisome -to listen to, but must needs be endured for the sake of example. -Generally speaking, moreover, the greater part of the faithful -are absent, and the majority of the pious souls present consists -of females. These place themselves as much at their ease as -possible on a couple of chairs, and resign themselves to undergo -the sermon. When it is over, they remark that it was either a -good or an indifferent discourse, and then depart absolutely as -they came; none feeling in the least bound to practise what has -been enjoined. - -{224} - -Preaching, indeed, is a sorry trade. The preacher studies and -meditates on his subject, composes his sermon, and then commits -it to memory. What a task! He then goes into the pulpit, and is -grieved to perceive that the minds of his audience are -abstracted--that they look like persons who are being bored; so -much so, that he is glad if even by a nod of assent they do not -prove that they have been doing anything else rather than -listening to him. For the sermon is undoubtedly regarded in the -light of an infliction; a species of forced labor. When the -faithful learn that there is to be no sermon, they hail the -announcement with pleasure, and seem to say with great glee: -"Another sermon got over!" Hence one frequently hears the -remark:--"I shall not go to such a mass because there is -preaching there." Truly, all this is sad, very sad, as regards -the preaching of the Divine word. - -But who is to blame, ourselves or the faithful? In the first -place, it is quite certain that in France there is a decided -distaste for any thing serious, or that requires attention and -mental effort. Nothing is cared for nowadays but what is amusing; -hence the most highly remunerated people amongst us are those who -cater for the amusement of others, some of whom make fabulous -incomes. How to be amused is, in fact, the great question of the -day, insomuch that you hear the remark on all sides:--"I will not -go there again, for the entertainment did not amuse me." - -The malady of _ennui_ pervades the social atmosphere and all who -move in it, while any thing serious suggests wearisomeness and -disgust. This state of mind is the result of excessive -selfishness. For three-fourths of their time, men are bored about -themselves personally. They then feel the want of some excitement -to get rid of the incubus, and generally resort to whatever is -romantic in search of it. - -{225} - -Again, there is scarcely any prevailing love of the truth; on the -contrary, it is rather dreaded, and men manifest a strange -pusillanimity when confronted with it. Whenever a stern truth is -addressed to others, they readily applaud, and think it quite -right that this and that vice should be strongly reprehended; but -when it is brought home to themselves, they frown, question the -propriety of the censure, and can see no harm in their own -delinquencies. Besides which, there is a universal tendency to -pass judgment on every thing sacred and profane, and a sermon is -criticised as if it were nothing more than an ordinary literary -production. ... - -These are shortcomings on the part of the congregation, but are -they wholly responsible for them? The blame is sometimes cast on -the world, on the absorbing passion for frivolity, and on the -literature of the day; but may there not be a little fault -elsewhere? It is our duty to look into this subject; and as we -are called upon to proclaim the truth to others, it behoves us to -administer it in the first place to ourselves. This will be a -real charity; the more so, because if we are not told it to our -faces, we may rest assured that it will be repeated with -additions behind our backs. - -{226} - -I hasten, then, to state it. There is a large amount of talent in -Paris, and no lack of clergymen who know how to draw, to -interest, and to direct an audience. In the provinces, too, how -many preachers are there, who, though little known, do a vast -amount of good! Christian eloquence is still one of the glories, -one of the purest and most indisputable glories of France. As a -witty writer has said:--"God has evidently made France His spoilt -child. The misfortune is that the child does not always profit by -the parent's indulgence." Unquestionably, there are still -apostolic preachers amongst us, whose words are effectual in -stirring up and saving the souls of men; nevertheless, is it not -equally sure, that our usual style of preaching is deficient in -interest and perspicuity, is too monotonous and didactic, is made -up of a misuse of reasoning and rhetorical phraseology, is -wanting in heart and soul, and, above all, in that tone of -conviction which lends to speech its paramount power? ... - -In the first place, we must interest our hearers; for that is an -indispensable condition of benefiting them. ... People generally -require to be interested. They may be rather exacting on that -point: it may be a weakness on their part; but what is to be -done? Must we not become all things to all men? Must we not take -them as they are? It is constantly being repeated that society is -unsound; then, should we not overlook some things in those who -are ailing? -{227} -After all, the question is not to discover whether they are right -or wrong. The vital question is to save them, and how to get them -to listen to us, and to cause Gospel truth to reach their ears, -their minds, and their hearts to that end. Why should we take so -much trouble in preparing sermons if they are not to be listened -to? In that case, it becomes nothing more than a disheartening, -profitless labor. As somebody once remarked:--"They teach me to -compose magnificent sermons. I only wish they would also teach me -how to make people come and hear them." - -Our aim then should be to secure a hearing. To attain that, we -must first excite interest. ... - -There are different ways of doing this. We may interest our -hearers by well-digested studies of men and manners, conveyed in -various styles of unsophisticated and sympathetic language; by -spirited sallies; by metaphors drawn from the incidents of -every-day life; and by heart-stirring impulses and emotions. ... - -In the first place, in order to interest an audience you must -never lose sight of them, but keep them always in your wake. They -should be made to think and feel with you, and even to anticipate -or divine your train of thought; for that will gratify them. At -other times, prepare a surprise for them, and that too will -please them. - -{228} - -When you perceive that the attention of your hearers is flagging, -it may be stimulated by a lively speech or sally; such as shall -gladden their hearts, and draw from them that gentle smile which -bespeaks approving assent. Frenchmen are delighted with this -style of address; and surely there is nothing to urge against it. -With so many depressing cares to battle with, one should rejoice -to see them inspirited a little under the breath of the Divine -word. Moreover, it may be made a useful medium for communicating -some wholesome truths. - -Sallies of this kind are greatly relished by the French people, -even when directed against themselves. - -All great orators have employed them. Saint Chrysostom himself, -always so grave and dignified, did not disdain to use them. He -thus wittily derides the vanity of the male sex of his -time:--"Look at that young man. He walks delicately on the tips -of his toes for fear of soiling his shoes. My friend, if you -dread the mud so much on account of your shoes, put them on your -head and they will be safe." - -In another place he assails the vanity of the women. "Why are you -so proud of your fine clothes? You reply: 'Only look at this -stuff and see how beautiful it is: touch it, and feel how silky -it is.' True: but that is no merit of yours. 'But how exquisitely -this dress fits me!' True, again, but the merit of that is due to -the sempstress." - -{229} - -"Alas! for human weakness," he exclaimed; "it takes the produce -of a plant, an animal, or a vile insect, bedizens itself -therewith, then goes abroad and asks the world's admiration, -saying: Look at me, for I am worth something to-day." - -All our great modern orators, both of the tribune and pulpit, -abound in trenchant sallies; which almost always carry -conviction, because they are universally understood. - -"France," says M. de Falloux, "repels equally those men who can -do every thing, and those who can do nothing." - -The Rev. Père Lacordaire excels in epigrams of this kind. He has -a peculiar talent in that line, and has succeeded in winning over -many of his hearers by his pithy humor. - -One day his object was to show that rationalism does not possess -that charity which distinguishes the Christian faith and -ministry. Instead of entering into a long dissertation on the -subject, he expressed himself thus:-- - - "I shall only say a few words about rationalism in connection - with the topic before us. I have never heard of a rationalist - having been beaten by the Cochin-Chinese. Minds like theirs are - too highly polished and too ingenious to risk encountering such - distinction in behalf of the truth. It will, therefore, be time - enough to trouble ourselves about them, when the next vacancy - occurs in the Academy. We are too well bred to offer them any - thing else than a laurel branch, which they unquestionably - deserve." - -{230} - -On another occasion he remarked with a smile, addressing those -who affected unbelief:--"Yes, sirs, I admit that you have mind, -that you have plenty of mind; but know this, that God has endowed -you with it--a clear proof that He entertains no fear of it." - -Even the Rev. Père Ravignan, who is generally so austere, ever -and anon adopts a similar style. - -One day, in recapitulating the philosophical errors of the -present time, he remarked:--"Rationalism is another error, and -has the largest following. It comprises a class of thinkers who -are devoid of faith; men who are eternally seeking but never -find; jaded in their search by the oscillations of doubt, the -sport of grand and pretty phrases. According to them, the day is -at length about to dawn; the solution of all questions is at -hand. If, by any chance, we may have still to wait a long time -for it ... in that case, you must exercise patience; the religion -of the future will come at last;" [then, taking off his cap and -bowing ironically, he added,] "for which, of course, we are much -obliged." - -{231} - -Similar points are to be met with throughout the discourses of M. -Lecourtier. Addressing wives, he says:--"Do not play the master -at home. I know of no one so ridiculous as the wife who does so, -unless it be the husband who obeys her." Sallies like these are -treasured up, and serve to recall to memory a whole discourse. -Moreover, they enlarge the heart and dispose it to subsequent -nobler impulses. ... - -"To do children good," says a well-known writer, "they must be -interested: they must be made to laugh, to cry, and then sent -away happy." Are not the people still children? Are we not all -children still, in more than one respect? - -Let it not be supposed that in what has been said above, it is -intended that any person whatever should be ridiculed or held up -to contempt. On the contrary, irony should never be employed -except against prejudices, vices, and crimes. - -Another way of exciting interest is by lively, skilful, witty, -and delicate sketches of men and manners. ... The Frenchman is -fond of being spoken to about himself, about his occupations, his -characteristics, his trials, even his foibles and caprices. This -fact is too much lost sight of. We descant on the Hebrews, the -Jews, the Egyptians, Midianites, Philistines, and other nations -of the past. Set all that aside, and speak more freely of the -Gospel and Frenchmen, and of Frenchmen and the Gospel; of -Frenchmen of the present age, of their virtues and vices. Do -this, and you will not fail to interest your hearers: you will -interest them in spite of themselves. - -{232} - -M. Lecourtier transcends in such portraiture. Hence, as before -remarked, his sermons always attract crowded audiences; and he is -never listened to with more attention then when delineating the -inner history of a man or woman of the nineteenth century. -Occasionally some are offended, and declare that they will not -come to hear him again; but they seldom keep their word, for they -find his discourses so interesting that they cannot stay away. - -Humility is not our forte; on the contrary, we are all very fond -of engaging the attention of others. Indeed, we prefer ill-usage -to neglect; an instance of which is afforded by a letter -addressed to a celebrated man by an obscure author, wherein he -wrote:--"I entreat you to be kind enough to refute me, and, if -need be, to abuse me, for that will bring me into notice." - -Studies of men and manners are well-timed everywhere. They are -understood by and interest all, because they draw forth a -repetition of the speech made by the woman of Samaria:--"I have -seen a man who hath told me all things that ever I did." - -Nevertheless, we must not stop there. After depicting what is -evil, we must combat, and overcome, and drive it away by the -force of logic, and by the impulses of thought and heart -combined. In this, also, we may find it easy to excite interest. - -{233} - -Every truth should be proved. The French mind is pre-eminently -logical; but it is also prompt and quick, and likes neither that -which is long, nor that which is heavy; nor that which affirms -without proving, nor yet that which proves too much. - -State your principles, therefore, in a clear and concise form, -and then demonstrate them in prompt and vigorous language; making -your audience feel from the outset that you are master of the -situation; thereby precluding the possibility of resistance on -the part of the ingenuous or even of the disingenuous, and that -while listening to you they may be led to repeat the remark of -the great Condé when he saw Bourdaloue ascending the -pulpit:--"Attention! voilà l'ennemi." - -Such however, is far from being the case with ourselves. ... The -faithful are fed with nothing but frigid, precise, dogmatic and -even unintelligible discourses, which are supposed to convey -solid instruction. But what if it be so, if the discourses are -neither listened to nor understood? Dry bread is also solid, yet -nobody likes it only, any more than you do yourself; and if you -provide nothing but such food at your table, rest assured that -you will find but few guests. - -We should animate or impassion reason itself. Demosthenes did -this, and so did all great orators. The Rev. Père Ravignan, whose -reasoning is always so forcible and logical, gives sensation and -life to his arguments in a masterly manner. - -{234} - -In his sermon on the divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ, after -demonstrating that we must admit the mystery of the Incarnation -or else submit to many other mysteries, he subjoins:--"But the -objection is raised that a mystery is inexplicable, insolvable. -So be it; nevertheless not to admit it, is to throw every thing -into the most frightful chaos. ... Then is Christianity false; -the world believes what is false; has been converted, -regenerated, civilized, by what is false; there is falsehood in -the faith, in the love, and in all the other inspirations of the -Christian religion; falsehood in all the blessings which have -been conferred upon humanity in the name of God the Redeemer; -falsehood in the heroism of innumerable martyrs; falsehood in all -the master-minds who have adorned Christianity; falsehood in the -whole chain of science, zeal, devotion, and superhuman virtues; -falsehood in the entire series of the ages of the Church, in all -its monuments, in all its testimonies; falsehood in the Catholic -priesthood and in the sacred ministry of all centuries; falsehood -in the happiness springing from faith and a pure conscience; -falsehood in the pulpit; falsehood on my lips and in my heart. -What! does your light and disdainful tongue find a lesser mystery -in all these consequences which necessarily result from your -principles? ME THEY TERRIFY." - -{235} - -We should, moreover, attempt in some way to put the truth into -action, making it to come and go, to speak, question, and reply; -and should always keep the scene so fully occupied that the minds -of the audience may not be diverted therefrom for an instant. In -this respect also, the Rev. Père Lacordaire supplies us with an -excellent model. - -In his discourse on the _Intellectual Society founded by the -Church_, he points out the efforts which have been made by the -world to destroy the immutability of her doctrine, in a style -truly dramatic:--"When every thing else on earth is subject to -change, what a weighty prerogative must the possession by others -of an unchangeable doctrine be in the estimation of those who do -not themselves possess it! A doctrine which some feeble old men, -in a place called the Vatican, keep secure under the key of their -cabinet, and which, without any other safeguard, has resisted the -progress of time, the conceits of sages, the machinations of -sovereigns, the downfall of empires, and maintained throughout -its unity and identity. A standing miracle this, and a claim -which all ages, jealous of a glory which disdained theirs, have -attempted to gainsay and silence. One after another they have -approached the Vatican, and knocked at the gate with buskin or -boot. Whereat Doctrine has come forth under the form of a feeble -and decrepit septuagenarian, and has asked:-- - -"'What do you want of me?' - -"'Change.' - -{236} - -"'I change not.' - -"'But every thing in the world has changed. Astronomy has -changed; philosophy has changed; empire has changed; why are you -always the same?' - -"'Because I come from God, and God is always the same.' - -"'But know this, that we are masters. We have a million of men -under arms, we will draw the sword, and the sword which -demolishes thrones may easily be made to behead an old man like -yourself, and to tear into fragments the leaves of a book.' - -"'Attempt it. Blood is the aroma which gives me new youth.' - -"'Well, then, accept half of my purple; join in a sacrifice to -peace, and let us go shares.' - -"'Keep thy purple, O Caesar; to-morrow we will bury you in it, -and will chant over you the _Alleluia_ and _De profundis_, which -never change.'" - -This is something which everybody can understand, and which will -always be listened to with pleasure, and with profit to the -truth. - -But further: It is not enough to speak to the mind. That goes a -very little way, however powerful our speech may be; for the mind -is merely the vestibule of the soul. We must penetrate to the -sanctuary of the temple, namely, to the heart. The heart is -nearly the whole man, and we are hardly any thing apart from the -heart. It is the heart which believes--"with the heart man -believeth"--and it is the heart which begets virtues. Moreover, -the heart is what God demands from us. - -{237} - -But in order to speak to the heart, we must have a heart -ourselves, and make use of it too. Now, it is questionable in -these days whether many preachers have a heart. No one can -perceive it in them; so great is the care which they take not to -expose even a corner of it, lest by so doing they might derange -the massive chain of their arguments. And, besides, who knows but -that it might subject them to the charge of being deficient in -dignity? In fact, the heart appears to have come down from the -pulpit, and fears to occupy it again ... it is no longer allowed -to play a part there, lest it might prove disconcerting. It is -now regarded with suspicion, and God must have been mistaken when -he said:--"My son, give me thine heart." The general notion seems -to be, that nothing more is required in order to do men good than -clearly or obscurely to demonstrate the truth to them. But -knowing and doing are as widely apart as heaven and earth, and -the distance between the two can only be surmounted by the heart. -... Nothing, indeed, profits an audience so much; nothing is so -successful as the windings, the boundings of the heart, even when -introduced in the middle of an argument. - -{238} - -All those who heard the discourse of Père Ventura on the -_Philosophical Reason of Modern Times_, will recall to mind the -profound and sympathetic impression which he produced when, after -having spoken of a well-known philosopher, he added:--"But, after -all, he was endowed with a rare intellect, a genial heart, and a -noble disposition. Deceived and led astray as he had been by the -false doctrines of the day, he nevertheless eventually recognized -and avowed that he had made a sad bargain when he exchanged the -tenets of the faith for the vain conceptions of science. Some -moments before death, he shed tears over his beloved daughter, -who had just partaken of the holy communion for the first time. -Let me believe that his avowal and tears were acts of faith, of -repentance, and of love, which availed toward his salvation at -the hands of a merciful God. Let me, I say, believe this; for it -is a consolation to me to believe that my brethren have found -again, even in death, that grace which I hope to find myself with -a benevolent God." - -Yes, if we appealed to the heart we should frequently discover -how good, true, and sincere it is, and how little is required to -change it:--often nothing more than a word, a reminiscence, a -tear, a look, a sigh. And yet how sadly has this easy and -effectual means been neglected! ... Every body does not -understand a fine dissertation, but every body does understand a -good sentiment. - -{239} - -To sum up: the sermon should be interesting, animated, vivifying; -ten years of a lifetime should be comprised in a sermon of thirty -minutes duration. Speak to the mind, to the good sense, to the -imagination, to the hearts of men, in words that breathe and -thoughts that burn; laying hold of them, as it were, by whatever -stirs the lively and profound emotions of the soul: by grief and -by joy, by hatred and by love, by tears and by consolations, by -hell and by heaven. Let your speech be always powerful and -triumphant. Whatever you attempt, do well. If you reason, let -your reasoning be sharp, to the point, and decisive. If you -exercise charity, let it flow in broad streams, that it may -inundate and cheer all around. If you give vent to anger, let it -escape in glowing and irresistible sallies. If you are ever at a -loss what other influence to invoke, then appeal to pity. After -such outbursts, there should be intervals of calm to tone down -asperities, to smooth to softness any bitterness, and to express -regret for having used them; but in reality to make a deeper -impression by touching a different chord of the heart. These -contrasts of thought and sentiment always produce a powerful -effect. M. Berryer is well aware of this, and often avails -himself of them with the greatest success. - -{240} - -In the celebrated discussion on the affairs of the East, after -having exhibited the humiliation of France, he added:--"Let no -more be said upon what has been done; above all, let us never, -never again recall the humiliating admissions which have reached -us both from London and Constantinople. (Profound sensation.) - -"Let that despatch, wherein Lord Palmerston is stated to have -said that France would yield, and that the Eastern question would -be settled in accordance with the wishes of England, be buried in -oblivion. ... Is there a country whose ambassadors have -cognizance of such language, and not only retain their posts, but -become ministers? (Bravo, bravo!) That country is certainly not -France. (Renewed applause.) England cannot have said so. Those -who saw us even at Waterloo could not say such a thing. ..." - -But after this suspension of arms, we must return to the charge -with redoubled nerve and bravery, implanting our weapon in the -heart, and turning it again and again within the wound. In other -words, our train of thought should be still more energetic, our -sentiments more powerful; embodied sometimes in a dramatic or -tragic form, wherein truth and error are brought together in a -fierce and obstinate hand-to-hand struggle; truth being made to -overthrow error and to triumph over vice, and then to raise the -erring and the transgressor, to embrace them, and to bear them -away with herself to virtue, to happiness, to heaven. ... - -{241} - -The following extract from M. de Cormenin furnishes an admirable -summary of the foregoing chapter:-- - - "Select with a quick and confident instinct, from among the - methods available to you, the method of the day; which may not - be the most solid, but which, considering the disposition of - men's minds, the nature of the matter in hand, and the - peculiarity of concomitant circumstances, is the best adapted - for making an impression upon your audience. - - "Take strong hold of their attention. Stir up their pity or - indignation, their sympathies or their antipathies, or their - pride. Appear to be animated by their breath, all the while - that you are communicating yours to them. When you have, in - some degree, detached their souls from their bodies, and they - come and group themselves of their own accord at the foot of - the pulpit, riveted beneath the influence of your glance, then - do not dally with them, for they are yours; your soul having, - as may be truly said, passed into theirs. Look now how they - follow its ebb and flow! how they will as you will! how they - act as you act! But persist, give no rest; press your discourse - home, and you will soon see all bosoms panting because yours - pants; all eyes kindling because yours emit flame, or filling - with tears because you grow tender. You will see all the - hearers hanging on your lips through the attractions of - persuasion; or, rather, you will see nothing, for you yourself - will be under the spell of your own emotion; you will bend, you - will succumb, under your own genius, and you will be the more - eloquent the less effort you make to appear so. - -{242} - - "Be clear, exact, concise, impartial. - - "Do not attempt to say everything, but what you do say, say well." - - -{243} - - Chapter IX. - - The Power and Accent of Conviction. - - - The Divine Word has always been the first Power in the World. - The Gospel still the first of Books. - There can be no Christian Eloquence - without the Accent of Personal Conviction. - -Hitherto, we may be said to have treated merely of human -instrumentality; we must now consider our subject in a higher -point of view. Reason, imagination, and sentiment are necessary -qualifications to success in our vacation; but we require besides -these the power of God, because our aim is to lay hold of and to -direct the souls of men. Now, as that mighty genius Bossuet has -remarked:--"There is nothing so indomitable as the heart of man. -When I see it subdued, I adore." And why? Because he recognized -in such submission a superhuman agency. - -This power we possess in the Word, which is the power of God; -before which every head must bow, and every knee bend, whether on -earth, in heaven, or in hell. Armed with the Divine word, our -power is immense; only, in order to wield it, we must ourselves -be thoroughly penetrated thereby, and, above all, be able to -convince others that we are so. It must be felt, seen, and -acknowledged that God is with us. - -{244} - -The Divine word is the foremost power in the world. It has -withstood and overcome every other power. ... It has uttered its -voice everywhere: in the catacombs, at the foot of the scaffold, -under the axe of the executioner, and within the jaws of wild -beasts. It has spoken while the feet of the speakers have been -drenched in blood. ... - -During the middle ages, mighty barons, sheltered behind -impregnable strongholds, had cast the network of their sway over -the whole of France, and silence was imposed on all lips. -Nevertheless, on more than one occasion did the Divine word, in -the guise of a priest or monk, venture to ascend the steps of -those redoubtable fortresses; and its voice alone sufficed to -inspire fear in the breasts of men clad in armor of steel. - -There was a king in whom power seemed incarnate. That king was -Louis XIV. He dared to say:--"L'état, la France, c'est moi." -Under his inspiring look, military genius triumphed in war; -poetry begat the sublimest conceptions; canvas spoke; marble was -animated; and the arts replenished even the gardens of his royal -abode with master-piece s of skill. - -{245} - -One Sunday, Louis XIV., surrounded by his court, took his seat in -the chapel at Versailles, when the preacher boldly uttered from -the pulpit those terrible words: "Woe to the rich! Woe to the -great!" whereat the monarch lowered his eyes and the courtiers -murmured. ... After the sermon, there was some talk of -reprimanding the priest for his temerity; but the King remarked, -with a justice which does him honor:--"Gentlemen, the preacher -has done his duty; it behoves us now to do ours." - -We may recognize herein the power of the Divine word; and it is -that same word which is on our lips. - -What, indeed, is the word of man even in the mouth of the boldest -orator, even when set forth in all the brilliancy of its power, -when compared with the Divine word? ... Much has been said of the -force of Mirabeau's famous apostrophe:--"The communes of France -have decided on deliberating. We have heard of the designs which -have been suggested to the King; and you, who are not allowed to -be his organ with the National Assembly--you who possess neither -the standing nor the option, nor the right of speaking--go and -tell your master that we are here by the power of the people, and -that it shall not be wrested from us except at the point of the -bayonet." [Footnote 19] - - [Footnote 19: The authenticity of this statement has been - questioned.] - -{246} - -This speech has been eulogized as grand, bold, and even -audacious; but, what does it amount to? Any priest might do as -much, and say something far better, with greater truth and less -arrogance; for there is no priest, however poor and humble he may -be, who might not say:--"We are here in God's name, and here we -intend to remain, and we will speak in spite of guns and -bayonets." ... - -But the fact is, we are not adequately convinced of our own -power, and of the superiority which we possess over every thing -around us; for, with nothing else in our hands but that little -book which is called the Gospel, we may bring the world to our -feet; inasmuch as the Gospel is, and will continue to be, as -regards mankind generally, the first of books. - -There are not wanting those who taunt us in this style:--"Ye men -of a past age, ye retrogrades, follow in the wake of your own -age; strive to progress. We, on our part, have been constantly -advancing, especially within the last two centuries ... we have -gained ground." ... To this we are justified in replying:--"Very -true; the human mind has developed; you have worked hard; you -have stirred up thought; you have filled our libraries with -first-rate books; there have been some profound thinkers and -sublime geniuses among you; and you have given birth to many -admirable ideas. All this we admit; nevertheless, show us a book -superior to our Gospel, or one which will even bear comparison -with it. Tell us where it is to be found. You talk of progress, -and bid us follow you; but it is we who are in advance, and you -who are behind. ... Begin your studies afresh; do something -better; and then come to us again, and we will see. In the -meantime, we occupy the foremost place, and are determined to -hold it." - -{247} - -Our power, we maintain, is far above that of any earthly weapons; -for the Christian preacher is backed by eighteen centuries of -learning and virtue, which believed what he declares by more than -ten millions of martyrs, who died to attest the truth of what he -proclaims; and, behind all that, he is supported by the mighty -voice of God which says to him:--"Speak, and be not afraid, for I -am with thee." - -It behoves us, therefore, to be thoroughly persuaded of the power -which the Divine word confers upon us. But, besides this, we must -make our hearers feel that we are so endowed. They must be -impressed, while listening to us, that we verily and indeed speak -in God's name--that we are not men who have merely cogitated or -mused in their studies, and then come forth to propound their own -ideas; but that we are commissioned from on high to proclaim to -mankind the laws and promises of God, before whom we ourselves -profoundly bow. They must read all this in our whole deportment, -in our voice, our gestures, and, above all, in our charity. In a -word, we must possess _the accent of conviction_, that accent -which believes, speaks, arrests, and alarms. - -{248} - -The accent of conviction is made up of a mixture of faith, power, -and love combined; the combination forming a characteristic which -is at once simple, pious, and grand, redolent of inspiration and -sanctity. It is the power, the life of speech; the sacred fire, -or what Mirabeau styles _divinity_ in eloquence. "I have never -heard any one speak," said he, referring to Barnave, "so long, so -rapidly, and so well; but there is no divinity in him." The -accent of conviction is the magic of speech ... that which puts -argument to silence, withdraws all attention from the preacher, -and fixes it solely on what he says; or rather, on what God says -through him. - -Unhappily, we are very backward in this respect. There is faith -undoubtedly in our souls; but it is not always manifest in our -speech. ... How, then, can we expect to make others believe what -we do not seem to them to believe ourselves? - -We have to deal with a light, reasoning, and somewhat sceptical -world, accustomed to regard every one as merely acting a part ... -and if you do not possess the accent of conviction, it will -either suspect you of hypocrisy, or will brand you by admiring -how well you ply _the trade_, and how cleverly you play your -game. - -{249} - -There is a remark very common nowadays, which is much to be -regretted. If one speaks of a preacher, he is immediately asked: -"Has he faith?" which means: Does he appear to believe what he -says? Should the reply be: "No; ... but he is a fine speaker;" -the rejoinder generally is: "Then I shall not go to listen to -him; for I want to hear somebody who has faith." This observation -is not intended to imply any doubt of the inward faith of the -preacher, but that he preaches as if he did not believe what he -utters. - -Let us, however, do the world this justice, that when it meets -with the accent of conviction--the bold accent of faith, as Saint -Chrysostom calls it,--it is deeply impressed thereby. The -preacher who believes and speaks out of that belief, astounds, -staggers, and overcomes the gainsayers. A few words uttered with -the accent of conviction go much further than many long sermons. -How, indeed, can any prevail against one in whom God is felt to -dwell? ... Fine language, talent, imagination, brilliant -argumentative powers--all these are common enough amongst us, and -we are quite accustomed to them; but what is rare, what is -unlooked for, what carries every thing before it, is the language -of a faith and of a heart which seems to echo the voice of God -Himself. - -{250} - -Two years ago, the late pious and gallant Captain Marceau was -present at a meeting of operatives in Paris, many of whom were -unbelievers and wrong-headed men. He felt moved to address them, -and the impression which he produced was almost magical. He had -never before spoken in public; nevertheless, he did so on the -occasion referred to with that accent of conviction and candor -which finds its way at once to the heart, overcoming all -resistance, and sometimes seeming to take away one's breath. - - "My friends," said he, "there are doubtless some among you who - are not yet Christians, and who have no love for religion. I - was once as ungodly as you are--perhaps more so; for no one has - hated Christianity more cordially than I have done. I am bound, - however, to do it this justice, that while I was not a - Christian, that is, till I was twenty-three years old, I was - unhappy, profoundly unhappy. ... Up to that period, my friends, - I had not lived. No, it was not living ... I worried myself, - or, rather, my passions drew or drove me hither and thither, - and carried me away; but I did not live ... I was a machine ... - but I was not a man. ..." - -Strange to say, scarcely any attention is paid to this accent of -conviction, which is the soul of all eloquence; more especially -of sacred eloquence. Those destined to proclaim the Divine word -are instructed in every thing else but this. ... Hence the -language from the pulpit is often cold, monotonous, turgid, -stiff, cramped, conventional, perfunctory; savoring of a formal -compliment, but of nothing to indicate the effusion of a genial -soul, and without any of those felicitous sallies of the heart, -those insinuating and familiar tones, as Fénélon calls them, -which produce in you almost a Divine impression. - -{251} - -And yet there are many pious priests amongst us, many who are -truly men of God. Still, such is the deplorable power of routine, -that their piety seems sometimes to abandon them when in the -pulpit--the very place where it should be most conspicuous. - -Like myself, you have, doubtless, in the course of your life, -often met with one of these estimable priests, full of faith and -charity. His countenance alone did you good, and his words -cheered you alike in familiar conversation and in the -confessional. ... The same individual occupies the pulpit: you -are delighted to see him there, and forthwith set yourself to -listen to him with earnest attention; but, alas! you no longer -recognize him: he is no longer the same; what he utters is no -longer the word of life. You exclaim: "What has become of my -model pastor, my saint?" ... for you hear nothing now but -declamation, or a sing-song speech ... a uniform tone which -utters the denunciation: "Depart ye cursed into ever lasting -fire," and the invitation: "Come, ye blessed of my Father," in -the same strain. ... You hear what you have heard a hundred times -before--a poor man who, with a painful sense of effort, is doing -his best to evoke refractory thoughts and phrases, and are almost -led to doubt whether he is not acting a part. - -{252} - -This monotony, this dull uniformity, this mannerism must be -abandoned, and we must resume our personality--our own minds and -hearts--enlarged and inspired by the breath of God; ... -otherwise, by persisting in that dismal tone, that frigidly -philosophical style, that finely spun phraseology, that speech -without emphasis, which characterizes the generality of our -sermons nowadays, we shall wholly lose our time, our pains, and -perchance our souls also. ... - -Can it, indeed, be that we are wanting in a just sense of our -mission, and that we do not adequately estimate the object which -those who speak in God's name should have in view? The end of -preaching is to bring back the souls of men to the Creator. - -In this respect also, it is to be feared that the philosophical -spirit, and a tendency to controversy, have turned us aside from -our proper aim and the end of all our efforts. Take away the -accent of conviction from a sermon, divest it of energetic faith, -and what is left thereof to the hearers? Mere sounding phrases, -and nothing more. - -Now, let me ask, are you aware of the enemies with whom you have -to deal, and the difficulties which you have to contend against? -The object set before you is to redeem the hearts of men, who in -their thirst, their rage for happiness, have given themselves up -to the sensual, visible, intoxicating things which surround them. -{253} -You will have to do battle with the human passions: to say to -pride, be abased; to voluptuousness, be accursed; to the love of -gold, renounce your avarice and be bountiful ... and you fancy -that you will succeed in the encounter by the use of mere -phrases; forgetting, perchance, that those passions can make -better phrases than yours. They know how to give them life, and -will hurl them at you, glowing with a fire which will speedily -devour your cold and meagre speeches ... Nothing can restrain and -subdue the passions but the inspiration, the power of God. ... - -It is high time that we should resume the accent of conviction in -our ministrations. Having that, the soul is perfectly at ease, -and, feeling sure of its footing, cherishes the widest -benevolence. ... Why should it be troubled, knowing that it is -secure in the Power on which it relies? It is only those powers -which doubt their own strength that are suspicious and wavering. -And when God is with us, we cannot fail to entertain profound -pity for the weaknesses, the prejudices, the profanities, and the -false reasonings of humanity. - - -{254} - - Chapter X. - - Action. - - - Action should be: - first, true and natural; - secondly, concentrated; - thirdly, edifying. - It should be cultivated. - How cultivated by the Society of Jesus. - Suggestions. - - -Action is not mere gesture, neither is it motion nor sound. It is -the manifestation of the thoughts and sentiments of the soul -through the bodily organs. It is the soul which, unable to reveal -itself, makes its material exterior the medium of communicating -its conceptions of truth and love to the souls of others. - -The principle of action should be the heart. ... Action itself -may be in the voice, in gesture, in the face, in the hand, in -demeanor generally, and even in silence. ... - -Action plays a conspicuous part in eloquence. We are familiar -with what Demosthenes said on the subject. Being asked three -times what was the first quality in an orator, he thrice -replied:--Action. This is an exaggerated judgment; but -Demosthenes probably estimated action in proportion to the pains -which its acquirement had cost him: nevertheless, it is certain -that action adds greatly to the clearness, the weight, the -impressiveness, and the power of thought. -{255} -It is the charm of eloquence. Saint François de Sales writes: -"You may utter volumes, and yet if you do not utter them well, it -is lost labor, Speak but little, and that little well, and you -may effect much." - -Only a few are capable of appreciating the intrinsic value of a -discourse; whereas all can see whether you speak from an inward -sense of the truth--from the heart and from personal conviction. - -It is more especially upon the people that action produces a -powerful effect; it attracts, it transports them. A preacher who -possesses sterling and noble ideas, who has genuine sentiment and -true action, is irresistible with them. Such weapons will -assuredly do great havoc among them; or, as I should rather say, -will save many. They may not always admit their discomfiture: but -they will not hesitate to confess that your words are weighty and -true, and tell against them. - -But in order to be impressive, action must be: first, true and -natural; secondly, concentrated; thirdly, edifying. ... - -1. In the first place, the preacher should be himself, and should -speak like a man. It is preeminently in the pulpit that every -thing should be genuine: that every accessory should harmonize -with the thoughts; that the eye, the look, and the hand should -corroborate what is uttered by the lips. - -{256} - -Strange to say, hardly any attention is paid to this point. Once -in the pulpit, it seems to be taken for granted that no effort is -required to give the truth distinctness. Words are strung on to -words, and any tone of voice is deemed appropriate. ... The -preacher speaks as nobody in the world ever spoke: he bawls, -chants, or sings without modulation and without feeling. Hence, a -malicious wag on hearing a preacher pronounce those terrible -words: "Depart ye cursed!" in a bland tone, turned to his -companion, and said: "Come here, my lad, and let me embrace you; -that is what the preacher has just expressed." - -Everywhere else, men speak; they speak at the bar and the -tribune; but they no longer speak in the pulpit, for there we -only meet with a factitious and artificial language, and a false -tone. ... - -This style of speaking is only tolerated in the Church, because, -unfortunately, it is so general there; elsewhere it would not be -endured. ... What would be thought of a man who should converse -in a similar way in a drawing-room? He would certainly provoke -many a smile. - -Some time ago, there was a warden at the Pantheon--a good sort of -fellow in his way--who, in enumerating the beauties of the -monument, adopted precisely the tone of many of our preachers, -and never failed thereby to excite the hilarity of the visitors, -who were as much amused with his style of address as with the -objects of interest which he pointed out to them. - -{257} - -A man who has not a natural and true delivery, should not be -allowed to occupy the pulpit; from thence, at least, every thing -that is false should be summarily banished. ... - -But is it so very difficult to be one's self? Assume your usual -voice, your usual manner, modifying them according to the number -of your hearers, and the truth which you are about to set forth. -Let your speech be frank, sincere, cordial, revealing a true and -affectionate soul. Be yourself, and be persuaded that to be so -suits you best. Make manifest your heart, your soul; for there is -nothing so attractive as a soul. Saint Catherine of Sienna said -that if a soul could be seen, she believed that people would die -of happiness at the sight. - -Look at the man who has a cause to plead, or one who is moved -with a strong passion; he is always true--true even to grandeur. - -In these days of mistrust, every thing that is false should be -set aside; and the best way of correcting one's self in that -respect, as regards preaching, is frequently to listen to certain -monotonous and vehement preachers. We shall come away in such -disgust, and with such a horror of their delivery, that we shall -prefer condemning ourselves to silence rather than imitate them. -{258} -The instant you abandon the natural and the true, you forego the -right to be believed, as well as the right of being listened to. - -2dly. Action should be concentrated: that is to say, it should -proceed from a soul which is itself convinced, penetrated, -fervent; which puts a restraint upon itself that it may not say -all that it feels: unless it be from time to time, like the -flames which escape at intervals from a volcano. Inward fervor -harmonizes with the sacred word, whereas excessive noise and -motion are wholly unsuited to it. If a passionate outburst -sometimes escapes us, it should be repressed forthwith. Père -Ravignan is admirable in this respect: after thundering at his -audience, he immediately resumes the most benignant countenance. - -In the first place, the preacher should be calm; master of -himself as well as of his subject. He should have a steady -demeanor, should keep his forces well in hand, not relinquish his -hold over them, unless it be designedly, and never lose -self-control:--_be carried away and yet possess himself, and -retain self-possession while allowing himself to be carried -away_. - -Vocal power and bodily motion are frequently very much abused. - -{259} - -The more a man shouts, the greater effect he is believed to -produce, and the greater orator he is held to be. Often, however, -it is quite the reverse. Genuine passion--passion driven to -extremities--speaks low, says little, and that little in a few -detached words. The most captivating eloquence is that which says -much in a few words, and that noiselessly. ... - -The vocal power is the animal part of man; he shares it in common -with the brute creation, who often possess it in a high degree. -But the distinguishing sign of intelligence is the consonant. -Well-educated men attend less to sound than to articulation. The -vowel is the letter that kills; the consonant is the spirit which -vivifies. - -Bodily motion should be moderate; too much motion wearies the -preacher and the audience likewise, and distracts their -attention. One may be eloquent without much gesticulation. There -is a famous preacher who generally speaks with his hand in his -robes, whose discourses, nevertheless, are very powerful. ... -Here, also, the same reflection which was made above recurs to -us; namely, that a profound passion is scarcely ever accompanied -with agitation; it is unmoved, prostrate, and does not manifest -itself except by occasional sudden outbursts. Mistakes are often -made on this score, and that is thought to be a fervent sermon -which is delivered with much bawling and much gesticulation. - -{260} - -It is true, as M. de Cormenin remarks, that the people are fond -of expressive gestures, such as are visible at a distance, and -above the heads of the congregation; that they also like a -powerful and thrilling voice; ... but all this cannot be kept up -long, for preacher and hearers soon, grow tired of it. Then, -again, the people are fond of variety, and a monotonous voice -sends them to sleep. That the delivery of a sermon should -sometimes be accompanied with significant gestures, and that -emotion should occasionally vent itself in an outburst, is all -well enough; but compress such power as much as possible, so that -it may be felt that you possess within your own soul a force -threefold greater than you outwardly manifest. ... The more -vehement you wish your sermon to be, the more you should restrain -the air in its passage, forcing it to make its way in thrilling -explosions and a resounding articulation. Then many will fall by -the sword of the word. - -3dly. Action should be edifying. - -The bearing of a man who speaks in the name of the Gospel should -be full of grace and truth. It is most desirable that he should -possess knowledge and talent, but those endowments do not -suffice; he must possess, in addition, a virtuous, yea, even a -holy exterior. Frenchmen are much more sensitive on this point -than is usually thought. A godly man at once inspires their -respect and veneration; and were a saint to appear in our midst, -it is certain that he would reproduce many of the scenes of the -middle ages. A saint is essentially a man beloved by the people, -because he is surrounded with a Divine halo. - -{261} - -The Christian orator makes his appearance with simplicity and -modesty. He kneels and bows profoundly, rises up, and then looks -round upon his audience with a kindly expression, devoutly makes -the sign of the cross, and then begins his sermon, thinking only -how to arrest the attention of his hearers. - -The time is happily long gone by when the preacher used to enter -the pulpit with great formality, a flushed countenance, and hair -most carefully got up; then place by his side a fine white -handkerchief, sometimes of costly silk, which ever and anon he -methodically passed over his face. These airs no longer suit the -times: the preacher nowadays must not be engrossed with self, -with his handkerchief, or his surplice, or his hair; neither must -he cause others to be taken up with such trifles. In the pulpit -the man should disappear, and the apostle alone be seen. ... - -The people, who have an exquisite notion of propriety, are very -sensitive on all such matters; and God often derides our affected -words and actions by rendering them vain and barren, and by -making use of the most insignificant things to convert the souls -of men. - -{262} - -A converted Parisian operative, a man of a wilful but frank -disposition, full of energy and spirit, who had often spoken with -great success at the clubs composed of men of his own class, was -asked by the priest who had reconciled him to God to inform him -by what instrumentality he who had once been so far estranged -from religion had eventually been restored to the faith. "Your -doing so," said his interrogator, "may be useful to me in my -efforts to reclaim others." - -"I would rather not," replied he; "for I must candidly tell you -that you do not figure very conspicuously in the case." - -"No matter," said the other; "it will not be the first time that -I have heard the same remark." - -"Well, if you must hear it, I can tell you how it took place, in -a few words. A _religicuse_ had pestered me to read your little -book--pardon the expression: I used to speak in that style in -those days. On reading a few pages, I was so impressed that I -felt a strong desire to see you. - -"I was told that you preached in a certain church, and I went to -hear you. Your sermon had some further effect upon me; but to -speak frankly, very little, comparatively, indeed, none at all. -{263} -What did much more for me was your open, simple, and good-natured -manner, and, above all, your ill-combed hair; _for I have always -detested those priests whose heads remind one of a hair-dresser's -assistant;_ and I said to myself: That man forgets himself on our -behalf; we ought, therefore, to do something for his sake.' -Thereupon I determined to pay you a visit, and you _bagged me_. -Such was the beginning and end of the affair." - -The thought should never be absent from our minds that we preach -the Gospel, and that the Gospel is preeminent in inculcating love -toward humanity. Away, then, with all domineering and dictatorial -airs! Away with all violent language! The people regard it as the -ebullition of anger, and are not at all edified thereby. - -On the other hand, in order to succeed, the heart of the preacher -must first be penetrated with what he teaches; an appropriate -accent will follow of itself. There are men who carry about with -them something godlike. ... Such men are eagerly listened to, -they are believed, and then loved. - -From what has been said, it is obvious that we should train -ourselves to obtain proficiency in action. - -{264} - -Action is the manifestation of the thoughts of the soul through -the medium of the body. But the body often rebels and weighs down -the soul; and in this, as well as in many other things, requires -to be suppled, mortified, disciplined to obedience. However -strong the soul may be, it rarely gets the mastery over the body -at the outset, and does its part very inefficiently. It is the -same with soldiers. When a young conscript first joins his -regiment he is heavy and awkward, and his military arms seem a -burden to him. Six months later all this is changed: he is quick -and smart, and carries his arms with quite a French grace. The -same transformation may be effected as regards public speaking. - -One who has had considerable experience in the direction of -seminaries, has written the following; which I feel it a duty to -transcribe entire:-- - - "It is incumbent on a preacher to possess oratorical action, - and to practise himself therein until he has acquired it. - Conscience, indeed, must tell him that he ought not to neglect - a matter on which the success of his ministry depends; and that - if, to the mischief of men's souls, theatrical actors spare no - pains to attain perfection in action, the preacher should - strive, with at least an equal zeal, to become proficient in - that respect for the good of men's souls. What! shall the - ministers of God weaken by vicious action the force of all they - say, while the ministers of Satan, by consummate skill in - action, redeem the vanity of their speeches, and impassion the - souls of their audience! Surely, this would be a disgrace to - the clergy, and an outrage on the word of God. - -{265} - - "If it be objected that in the case under consideration art is - useless, because nature teaches what is needful, we reply, with - Quintilian:--_Nihil licet esse perfcctum, nisi ubi natura curâ - juvatur_. All talents are rude and unformed until the precepts - of art refine and impart to them that polish which makes them - valuable. Demosthenes had few natural gifts for public - speaking; but exercise and experience gave what nature had - denied him. - - "If it be objected, further, that the Apostles never learnt the - rules of action, we reply that they received the power of - miracles--a more than adequate compensation for human - eloquence. That, moreover, they received the gifts of the Holy - Spirit, which enabled them to proclaim the Gospel worthily. - That, inspired by that Divine Spirit, they were eloquent in - action as well as in speech; and that St. Paul would not have - been listened to on the Areopagus unless he had been able to - captivate the eloquent people whom he addressed, as well by - external action as by the sublimity of his language. - - "Saint Charles directed that the candidates for holy orders in - his seminary should be exercised several times a week in public - speaking; and the Church has always followed the same practice. - The Fathers also bestowed much attention on the formation of - speech. Deprive me of every thing else, says Saint Gregory of - Nazianzen, but leave me eloquence, and I shall never regret the - voyages which I have made in order to study it." [Footnote 20] - - [Footnote 20: _Traité de la Prédication_. By M. Hamon, Curé - de Saint-Sulpice.] - -{266} - -What we are most deficient in is articulation--that powerful -articulation which isolates, engraves, and chisels a thought ... -which fills the ear with harmony and the soul with truth; which -gives the orator an extraordinary power of animation, by bringing -into play the whole nervous system. We have already remarked that -the force of a word is entirely in the consonant, whereas it is -often laid on the vowel. The emission of the vowel is the rude -block; the consonant is the artist's chisel, which works it into -a masterpiece. ... It appears to be frequently imagined that it -requires as much effort to discharge waves of air as to hurl a -heavy club into space; but it is not so in the least. What is -needed is that the air should be compressed and triturated, and -reduced into expressive and harmonious sounds. It is from -misapprehension on this score that so many preachers fume and -tire themselves and others, and that some appear like men who -disgorge words which they have swallowed by mistake. A little -practice would prevent them from falling into these and similar -aberrations. - -{267} - -At the same time, we should not practise, as is often done, upon -every sermon which we preach, for by so doing we shall be apt to -deliver them very badly. It is scarcely in nature to prepare -sentiments beforehand. As M. de Cormenin satirically puts -it:--"Be impassioned, thunder, rage, weep, up to the fifth word, -of the third sentence, of the tenth paragraph, of the tenth leaf. -How easy that would be! above all, how very natural!" - -The course to be pursued is this:--we should practise ourselves -in the delivery of the several parts of a discourse, such as the -expository, the demonstrative, and especially those which give -expression to the different passions. That done, and when once in -the pulpit, such studies should cease to occupy the mind. - -The exercise thus insisted on is practised in other professions. -Men who devote themselves to the theatre, cultivate their voices -and their limbs. Young law students and advocates have their -conferences, where they train themselves to plead at the bar; and -yet those who are called to save souls neglect to cultivate the -talents which God has given them! - -This is the usual process:--A young man composes a sermon while -at college, which is generally made up of odds and ends and -quotations, and in putting them together he does his best not to -be himself. With this stuff he mounts the pulpit, it may be of a -town church or even of a cathedral; and behold him a full-fledged -preacher! And then, forsooth, astonishment is expressed because -the faithful are bored, and do not come to listen to us! The -wonder is that so many attend our sermons. - -{268} - -But let us be just: all do not entertain this idea of sacred -eloquence. By certain religious orders, the Jesuits for example, -it is regarded in quite a different light. I crave pardon for -revealing their family secrets; but it is for the good of souls. - -A novice among the Jesuits, no matter what he may have been -previously--whether a lawyer, author, preacher, canon, grand -vicar, bishop, or even a cardinal--must attend a reading-class -three or four times a week. There he is made to read like a -child, is taught to articulate and accentuate, and every now and -then is stopped while those present are called upon to point out -the merits and defects in his reading. This training is persisted -in until his pronunciation is perfect, and he is free from all -disagreeable accent. - -But that is not all: every Monday during his noviciate, or during -the term of his studies, that is, for five, six, eight, or ten -years, he has to undergo a training in the _tones_, which -consists in his being made to recite what is called the formula -of the general _tones_--a short discourse, comprising all the -tones ordinarily used in oratorical compositions; such as the -tone of persuasion, of menace, of kindness, of anger, of the -mercy and justice of God, of prayer, and of authority. -{269} -Thereby the young preacher is taught how to supple, to break in -his own organism, and to adapt it to those different tones. - -After these come the _special tones_. This consists of a short -discourse, to be composed in two hours on a given text, and must -contain certain specified strokes of oratory. Three or four of -the younger novices are exercised in this way, exclusive of the -sermons which are preached in the refectory. - -But the most profitable part of the exercise is this, that after -reciting his tones, the preacher must remain in the pulpit while -the master of the novices asks some of the spectators what they -think of its substance, form, expression, etc., the poor patient -being present and obliged to hear all his faults detailed. This, -however, is done in all charity; and moreover, his good qualities -are pointed out in a similar way. - -These are most interesting meetings. They comprise, besides young -lawyers and ecclesiastics, men of general experience, logicians, -poets, and preachers, who are all invited to express their -opinion with the greatest freedom. - -The youngest are interrogated first; for the young are naturally -fastidious, and generally find much to blame. Time, however, will -correct them of that fault. After these come the older novices, -then the Jesuits well trained to preaching; and lastly, the -master of the novices, who sums up the different opinions -elicited, and then proceeds to expound the science. -{270} -It sometimes happens, however, that the judgments passed are so -well formulated and so well based, that, despite his desire to -criticise or to applaud, the master is obliged to modify his own -opinions. - -When the young preacher leaves the pulpit, he retires to note -down his defects and merits, which he is subsequently expected to -read over from time to time. - -One excellent feature in this exercise is the encouragement which -it is designed to impart; for besides pointing out defects, no -efforts are spared to develope in the novices the talents which -God has given them. They are made to understand that a man may do -good even though he be subject to half a dozen drawbacks. -Mistakes are often made on this score. One qualification only may -suffice to render a man a remarkable orator, whereas another may -be free from all obvious defects, and yet be a sorry speaker. The -Lord deliver us from a faultless preacher! for he is generally a -very bore, as incapable of a trait of genius as he is of a -blunder. Always intent on guarding against this and that defect, -he loses his personality. He is no longer a man; he is no longer -a priest: he is merely a scholar doing his recitation. ... - -{271} - -In order to form a young speaker into a good preacher, he should -first be set to address the lower classes. ... Among such -audiences he will be better able to discover his own special -talent, and to utilize his qualifications. The Jesuits pursue a -similar course. - -The young Jesuit is sent to address the inmates of prisons and -hospitals; if in orders, he is charged with missions in rural -districts; if unordained, he is put to catechise; but always -accompanied by the indispensable _socius_, who is not chary of -criticising or applauding him. It is doubtless owing to this -training that the members of the Society of Jesus have acquired -that standing, power, and unction for which they are so -conspicuous. - -Another advantage of this training is that it teaches the science -of life, and imparts wisdom in forming opinions. - -If a young priest has not thoroughly studied the difficulties of -public speaking, he is apt to think that the art of preaching -consists in composing a sermon, learning it by rote, and then -delivering it without tripping. If he finds that he is considered -to have acquitted himself tolerably well, he is thenceforward -disposed to dogmatize remorselessly, and to tolerate no appeal -from his irrevocable verdicts, with all the stateliness of a man -who has the satisfaction of not knowing what he says. - -{272} - -But when a man has studied and labored, say, for fifteen years, -he becomes more indulgent and moderate, and begins to understand -that there may be other ways of doing good besides his own. A -priest who was once called upon to preach before several others -of the same profession, complained that their presence rather -embarrassed him. Whereupon one of our most celebrated orators -remarked:--"It is far better for you to have to deal with a dozen -of our first-rate preachers than with an equal number of curates -or even collegians." - -Practice, therefore, is indispensable. But it will be urged: -"Where is the time to come from? One has so much to do during the -four years passed at college, and afterward in the work of the -ministry." Very true; still we are bound to pay attention to the -most essential requirements of our vocation: and should not -preaching be of the number nowadays? We learn dogmatic theology, -designed to serve as the ground-work for solid lectures; but if -nobody comes to hear them, or if they send the audience to sleep? -... Ethics also are learnt, and the solution of difficulties -which occur at the confessional: but what if the people do not -come to confession? ... It should ever be borne in mind that the -object and aim of our studies is _propter nos homines et propter -nostram salutem_. Then, again, might we not talk less about past -heresies and errors, and be more taken up with the time present? -{273} -Might we not also devote less attention to those doubtful -questions which are the great temptation as well as the great -bane of professors of theology and philosophy, who dilate at -great length on the opposite opinions held regarding them, never -omitting to add their own, and generally wind up somewhat in this -style: Decide as you please? - -I submit these considerations to the wisdom and piety of the -directors of our colleges, who are well aware that a priest -should not be learned for himself only, but should be capable of -communicating what he knows to others, and of securing their -attachment to it. - -Things are taken for granted which no longer exist. It is -supposed that the churches are full, that careless Christians -attend the services, and that the confessionals are frequented; -all of which are often mere gratuitous assumptions. Something -must be done before such notions are borne out by facts; namely, -our priests must be taught how to attract men to the church and -the confessional, and then to instruct them when they are there. - -Lastly, the young students might meet together during the -vacations, and mutually aid one another by their common -experience. Parish priests might also meet in a similar manner, -and communicate to each other their reflections and the progress -of their labors, in all simplicity and charity, just as young -lawyers do. -{274} -Then we might anticipate the happiness of seeing every thing that -is false, borrowed, factitious, artificial, stiff, vehement, -trite, and noisy, together with all unmeaning action, monotony, -and _ennui_, descend from the pulpit; and of seeing their places -occupied by the true, the simple, the natural, the powerful: in a -word, by the Gospel. - - -{275} - - Chapter XI. - - Study. - - Study a Duty - The State of the World calls for Knowledge - on the part of the Clergy. - Knowledge has always been one of the Glories of Religion. - All the eminent Men in the Church were Men of Study. - Reasons adduced for not studying, answered: - Want of Leisure, - natural Aptitude, - the Plea of having already studied sufficiently, - that one is fully equal to the Requirements - of the People committed to his Charge. - - -From what has been said above, it will readily be inferred that -much study is called for on our part--study of the sciences and -study of mankind, study of books and study of the human heart. -... In order to attain a noble simplicity, to acquire ease, and -to be natural, a man must possess profound knowledge. I even -venture to say that a little study leads us away from the -natural, whereas much study conducts us to it. - -But there are other and still stronger motives for study on our -part: namely, duty, and the salvation of mankind. It has been -said, and that truly, that piety is the first and most essential -requirement. We admit that it is so; but genuine piety consists -in the faithful discharge of the duties of one's station. -{276} -Now, it is absolutely impossible for a priest at the present day, -whatever position he may occupy, to discharge his duty without an -adequate amount of learning. - -For, what is a priest? He is the depositary of the science of -life, and is debtor therein to every man. He is bound to trace -out the way for all; for the small and great, the young and aged, -the learned and ignorant, the humble and proud together. - -He is bound to confront human passions and errors, to expose -their wiles, to withstand the assaults of vice, and to enlighten -the minds and win over the hearts of men by the power of the -Gospel. A priest's need of knowledge is truly paramount. ... - -Hence the Church has always recommended study. The Fathers were -men of study; the men whose genius has made them illustrious, -were studious men. Look at Bossuet! we boast of his fluency; yes, -he was fluent; but the thought of the life which he led up to a -very advanced age is enough to make one tremble. He generally -rose at two in the morning, to continue a task hardly -interrupted. Let us not deceive ourselves in this matter: the -labors which have redounded to the glory of the Church have been -dearly bought. - -{277} - -Bossuet's intense devotion to study was notorious. One day his -gardener accosted him thus: "Monseigneur, I am very much put out; -for I dig away and plant flowers, and you do not take the least -notice of them. If I could plant some John Chrysostoms or some -Saint Augustines in my garden I should be much more successful." - -Even in our own times, those priests who effect any real good are -unremitting in their studies. The rule which Père Maccarthy -prescribed for himself is appalling:--"My recreations," said he, -"must be short. It is generally enough for me to walk about with -a book in my hand, or while I am reciting my prayers. -Unprofitable talk and time misspent are crimes in a priest." - -At the age of fifty, he could no longer work seated, owing to an -infirmity brought on by doing a charitable act. He lay down on a -sheepskin spread in the centre of his room, and there worked from -ten to twelve hours a day. We admire his success; but we here see -what it cost him. We complain that the faithful do not come to -our sermons; have we made any such efforts as these? Let us do -the men of our time this justice, that whenever they come in -contact with a priest possessing piety and knowledge--sound -knowledge which is not acquired from books alone--he never fails -to make a lively impression upon them. - -On the other hand, the men of the present day crave after -knowledge: it is one of their fancies. Are they right in this, or -are they to blame? You may think as you please on the subject; -but we are, nevertheless, bound by the obligation of charity to -become all things to all men, that we may save all; and among the -means thereto, knowledge is one of the most efficacious. - -{278} - -There are but two powers in the world nowadays: namely, the power -of wealth and the power of talent. - -The prestige of a name, of authority, and of dignity, has passed -away. The fact is to be deplored; but it is true. What are we to -do in consequence? We must take men as they are, in order to -better them. - -As regards the power of wealth, we do not possess it; and we are -certainly not the worse for that. We are for the most part poor, -the offspring of humble parents; and what Saint Paul said of the -first Christians is applicable to us:--"Not many mighty men, not -many noble, are called." - -We must array ourselves, therefore, on the side of the power of -talent. Therewith we may secure a hearing, and may succeed in -reclaiming some to the faith. ... There are two ways leading to -religion: many are led thereto by love, and through the heart, -and many likewise by knowledge; but when the two are conjoined, -incalculable good is the result. - -A priest who is notoriously ignorant is already condemned: he is -morally dead, whatever other excellent qualities he may possess. -He is stigmatized with some such remark as this:--"He is a worthy -man, but he knows nothing." ... Thenceforward, what can you -expect him to effect, even among peasants, who have heard that -fatal verdict? -{279} -The world calls for knowledge from us, and we are bound to supply -it. To that end, we must study, I do not say all human sciences, -but we should acquire some thoroughly, especially those which -bear upon our special duties; and, as regards others, should not -be what may be called "ignorant" of them. It would be -disgraceful, for example, if we were obliged to refer to laymen -to explain to us the beauties of our church architecture, or the -symbols which decorate our ornaments. - -Frenchmen like a bold, animated, lively--a telling style of -speech; let us endeavor, therefore, to attain it. ... The world -comes to us; let us meet it half way. Let us partake of its -science, and it will partake of our religion. - -Further, knowledge has always been one of the greatest glories of -the Church. At the period of the Revolution of '93, even -according to the testimony of occasionally prejudiced historians, -there was an immense number of men among the clergy of France who -were eminent for learning and talent. Nowadays, we are called an -admirable clergy--the first clergy in the world. That sounds very -well; but it is a mere compliment: that is, we do not merit the -eulogy. Let us lose no time in proving our claim to it in every -respect. - -{280} - -But there is no lack of plausible reasons adduced for our -dispensing with study. Good God! the egregious mistakes and -infirmities which speech has taken under its patronage ought to -be well known by us. On the point under consideration, the -reasons urged are various. - -The first is: "We would gladly do it, but, really, we have no -time." Now, let us be fair here. This is quite true in some -cases. ... The labors and anxieties of the sacred ministry are -absorbing, and, besides, they cut up the little leisure which is -left us after a conscientious discharge of our duty. ... I say, -this is true sometimes; but very often, if we only had the will! -... How is it with us, whenever we have a strong desire for any -thing? ... Put the question to the weakest among men, and you -will learn even from them, that when they have the will they -always find the way. Come along with me, and I think we may -succeed in picking up some scraps of time, and, perchance, a -large supply. ... And, first, as regards those long dinners: if -you were to curtail a little from the commencement, a little from -the end, and a small portion from the middle, methinks what -remained would be amply sufficient for that meal. -{281} -Dignity is brief in words, and at dinner likewise; feeling that -it is endangered by exhibiting itself too long and too near in -the midst of meats and drinks, which savor little of Gospel -mortification: without taking into account the poor, who do not -see us sitting down at sumptuous tables, while they are hard at -work and fare scantily. ... And what shall we say of the -numberless visits received and returned, the cares which are -self-imposed, travelling, certain kinds of reading, and -inordinate sleep? In all these there is much scope for economy. -Place an old academician, or a compiler of works which nobody -reads, or a decipherer of illegible manuscripts, or a -bird-stuffer, or the eternal collector of coins and butterflies, -in the same position, and you will see how he will contrive to -save therefrom five hours a day at least. ... And we who are -called to save men's souls! ... Oh, idleness! idleness! That, -too, is another of our calamities. ... The serpent of indolence, -one of the vilest beasts in creation, glides in everywhere. ... -What restrains us is this, that we do not plunge into study; that -we have not the taste, the passion for study. We can only attain -such a temper by hard work. Let us break through the first -difficulties, then the taste will come, and ample time will be -found. ... - -The fact of a man having studied a good deal during his lifetime, -is another plea on the same side. It may not be expressed, but -the flattering notion is nevertheless entertained that we have -already acquired a certain amount of knowledge; that the public -are aware of it, and have more than once complimented us on that -score. - -{282} - -Yes, one has studied a good deal, learnt a good deal, and, we may -add, forgotten a good deal. ... Nothing is so soon forgotten as a -science which is not cultivated. - -A strange habit obtains in this respect. ... We judge of a man's -abilities by what he was at college. He had ability then; but -subsequently he learnt nothing, and has forgotten much of what he -did learn. His knowledge has dwindled down to the wretched _just -enough_:--a fact which is patent. For all that, he is still -regarded as an able man. ... Another was rather backward at -college, but since then has worked, striven, and succeeded in -enlarging his talents. Why should such an one be spoken of as -unapt, while we venture to think that we ourselves are well up in -every thing, because we were believed to know something fifteen -years ago? Moreover, it never seems to be borne in mind that -college education merely gives us the key to knowledge and the -taste for study. - -But one is naturally endowed with great ingenuity; what need is -there, then, for so much application? The Lord deliver us from -these gifted men! They are long-winded, tedious, monotonous, -bombastic, and any thing but natural; bearing out what we said -above, that a little study removes us from the natural, whereas -much study draws us toward it. -{283} -Our aim should be to have it remarked of our -discourses:--"Really, all that is very simple, and precisely what -ought to have been said. It is just what I should have said -myself had I been called upon to speak." But we shall not attain -that stage without much painstaking. Sermons generally are worth -what they cost; and our most able men are those who study most. - -The course sometimes pursued of restricting study to one special -subject is a sorry habit. It reminds one very much of a young man -whose chief aim is to get his bachelor's degree. - -But it is further urged:--"No complaints are made; on the -contrary, people have been pleased to tell us that they are quite -delighted with us." - -Good God! and has not every one experienced the same! Who, -indeed, has not been deluged with compliments? Do you know any -one to whom the like has not happened? It would be a great -curiosity to discover a preacher, however wretched, tiresome, and -insipid he may be, who has not found a few pious souls to bestow -on him the alms of a small compliment, or a small lie. He is to -be congratulated, indeed, if in addition thereto, after having -listened to one of our good preachers, some of them do not come -to him and say, with all the subtlety of the serpent:--"Yes, his -sermon was very grand, it was magnificent; still, we like your -excellent and charming little discourses much better." -{284} -There is no doubting one's ability after that; and one is tempted -to believe himself a Ravignan, or an unrecognized Lacordaire. ... -One sees, of course, that there is some exaggeration in all this: -nevertheless he is fain to believe the half of it at least. ... -Alas! flattery is the ruin of kings--and of preachers also. - -Lastly, we have this plea:--"I know quite enough to speak to my -own people; I shall always be superior to the good souls which -are committed to my charge." ... It is not superior to, but in -unison with them that you should be. ... Let us see, however, -what your knowledge really is, in connection with the good souls -you speak of. Whenever you address them from the pulpit, is their -attention riveted? do their countenances beam, do their eyes -glisten, or are they moistened with tears? Do you hold them under -the spell of your words? Do you possess their souls, together -with your own? ... "Alas! no," you reply; "blockheads that they -are; they yawn, they dread the sermon, and are delighted on -finding that at Mass the Gospel is immediately followed by the -Creed." ... Away to study! then; ... brush up your knowledge and -your heart; betake yourself once more to the study of your -people; find out their weak and their strong points; study their -minds, their manner of looking at and apprehending things; and -then you will come forth to proclaim the truth pithily and -powerfully, and will take up your proper position. -{285} -The general impression, however, appears to be that a preacher -has but to open his mouth and the people should listen to him -with ecstasy; otherwise they are called dull and stupid. Instead -of speaking to them a language which they understand, they are -treated to a theological theme amplified; whereon they -remark:--"All that is undoubtedly very grand; but it does not -concern us." Or, as an operative once said:--"If that is the word -of God, it is not addressed to us; it must be intended for the -rich." ... - -Study, then, is necessary to qualify us for doing good to all; -even to the lower orders, the poorest and meanest. We have -remarked elsewhere, that it is more difficult to preach to the -ignorant than to the literary: more preparation is required. -Hence it is that there are more men fitted to address the upper -than the lower classes; and yet the latter form nearly the whole -of the community. ... Be it ours, then, to attain that -superiority which knowledge confers; whereby also we shall be -able to lay hold of both small and great, through the medium -which they severally offer for being so secured. The world -thirsts for knowledge; let us give them knowledge; let us make -ourselves masters of knowledge, for then we shall undoubtedly be -stronger than the world. -{286} -We shall then be invested with a twofold power: the power of -human and the power of Divine knowledge. The world possesses the -power of human speech only; we shall possess that, and the power -of God's word likewise. In a word, the world possesses the earth; -absolutely nothing but the earth: we, too, shall possess the -earth and heaven besides. - - -{287} - - Chapter XII. - - Zeal. - - - The Excellency of Zeal. - Love for the Body should be coupled with Love for the Soul. - The Zeal of the Wicked. - How Zeal should be exercised. - Associations of Apprentices, of Operatives. - Conferences of Saint Vincent de Paul, of Domestics, - of Clerks, of the Young. - Circulation of good Books. - Happy results of the same. - The Advantages and Difficulties of Opposition. - Great Occasions. - - -There is a sentiment which should sustain us, and infuse life -into all that has been above set forth; into our studies, our -composition, and into the Divine word: namely, Zeal. Zeal is -power, joy, happiness, expectation, reward and salvation, to the -priest and to humanity generally. - -We need not stop to prove the necessity of zeal. ... It is -enjoined on all men:--_Unicuique mandavit Dominus de proximo -suo_. ... Is a priest who is without zeal a priest at all? Is not -such an one rather a mere man? He is placed here solely to keep -up the sacred fire which the Lord Jesus brought down to earth; -and what must a cold and insensible priest be nowadays in the -midst of those who are perishing through the vices which fret and -consume them? He is an almost inconceivable contradiction. ... - -{288} - -One of the glories of Christianity is its zeal in ministering to -the wants of the body: a charitable service, wherein the priest -takes a conspicuous part. But of what avail is it to succor the -body, if the soul is neglected? Of what use is it to go forth -proclaiming charity! charity! if the soul, the most sensitive and -suffering part of mankind, is abandoned to endless misery? Who -can fail to be touched with compassion at the sight of so many -poor creatures who drudge and wear themselves out, who go and -come, who endure and curse, unconsoled and hopeless? - -The greater part of them, notwithstanding, are not vicious. Some -are ignorant, others are led astray; ... many waver between the -good and the bad, only waiting for a kindly word to be addressed -to them; for an outstretched hand; for some great stream of good -to pass by them, and carry them away in its current. How gladly -would they follow it! Well, be it ours to create such currents of -truth and virtue; be it ours to confront human errors and -passions, and to arrest their onward progress. - -I fancy that we stick too closely to our own snug corners, and to -our own ideas. Yes, we stand apart! ... and, regarding the -world's progress from thence, we naturally find that it goes on -most unsatisfactorily. -{289} -Very likely: ... we suffer it to be led by evil passions; ... -whereas we should take our stand in the breach as Moses did; -confront the invading vices and lusts, come to a hand-to-hand -struggle with them, and cry out to them with the mighty voice of -God:--"Stop! stop! you shall not carry away these souls, for they -are not yours, but Christ's; He has bought them, and redeemed -them with his blood!" ... If such courage, such resolution, such -vigor as this was more common amongst us, the aspect of the world -would speedily be changed. But, alas! our good qualities are -feeble; we have lost the power to will; we allow ourselves to be -carried away in the stream. What is wanted nowadays to direct the -world is not knowledge so much as it is _will_. ... Where, -indeed, are we to look for men with a will? ... - -If we needed any additional consideration to stimulate our zeal, -we might say to ourselves:--"Let us observe the world; let us see -how the wicked act." The wicked, indeed, afford us Christians -some most humiliating and painful lessons, enough to make us hide -our faces from very shame; so much so, that we can wish nothing -better than that the best amongst us might possess that zeal for -what is good which the wicked evince for what is evil. - -{290} - -We censure the wicked, and are right in doing so; but let us at -any rate do them this justice, that they are adepts in their -profession: ... they profess their opinions boldly; ... they are -zealous and active; ... they are energetic, and ready to -sacrifice every thing, repose, money, liberty, even life itself. -... Then, how adroit they are! how expert in making themselves -great with the great, and little with the little! A pernicious -book appears ... forthwith it is put into an attractive shape and -embellished with fine engravings ... There it is, to suit the -rich and the drawing-room. ... - -Next, an ordinary edition at a moderate cost is prepared for the -middle classes, for reading-rooms, and for the counter; and then -a popular edition--copies to be had at four sous each--for the -workshop and the cottage. A man recently converted, avowed that -he had contributed in three years no less a sum than 30,000 -francs in the dissemination of such books. And we! ... we -Christians, who know the worth of men's souls, whose duty it is -to save them, rest satisfied with a few slender efforts, directed -often by mere routine! Shall we continue any longer inactive at -the sight of the torrents of vice and error which are hurrying -our brothers on to the abyss? Would that be to have faith? Would -that be to have charity? Would that be to love God and our -neighbor? ... - -But how should this zeal be carried out into practice? That is -the important question. ... - -In the first place, associations should be formed. In these days -we cannot dispense with them. - -{291} - -Society must be taken up in detail, ameliorated part by part, and -then formed into a compact structure; for a good community can -only be composed of good elements. These objects may be attained -through the medium of associations. There should be such for all -ages: associations of children, of apprentices, of operatives, of -Saint Vincent de Paul, of the _Sainte Famille_, [Footnote 21] -etc. They benefit all, the members and the directors also. - - [Footnote 21: See the _Manuel de Charité_, and the - _Livre des Classes Ouvrières_ for the details and manner - of establishing and conducting these associations.] - -How comes it that there are not associations of young apprentices -in all the towns of France? How comes it that any town dares to -be without one? What strange beings we are sometimes! We surround -children with the most tender and assiduous care up to the time -of confirmation, and then, at the most critical age, when their -passions begin to cross them, we launch them forth, without -support and without counterpoise, into that pestilential -atmosphere called the workshop; and then we wonder, and say -naively that they do not persevere in the right path. - -... Pray, can they be expected to persevere when thus left to -their own resources? ... You, with all your religious knowledge, -with all your acquired virtues, with all your experience and age, -would you do so in their place? I defy you to persevere under -such circumstances. - -{292} - -An affiliated society of Saint Vincent de Paul should exist -everywhere, even in the most retired corner of France. It already -comprises five hundred conferences. They have been founded in the -country, where they do a vast amount of good. No town or village, -at least, should be without its conference. It is sometimes urged -that the elements are wanting. That must be a wretched town or -hamlet which can not muster three God-fearing and charitably -disposed individuals. - -Moreover, no town should be without its association of -operatives. There can no longer be any excuse on this head. They -exist elsewhere, are in active operation, and effect much good in -many places. The way to form and direct them is well known. We -have our associations of girls and grown-up women; but the men, -the poor men, are overlooked, neglected, and cast aside. ... - -Lastly, we should have an association of the _Saint Famille_--an -association for the poor. - -The poor are so miserable as they are owing to the ignorance and -moral abandonment in which they live. ... An association tends to -enlighten, to support, to elevate them; as also to bring charity -into play. Let no one tell us that he lacks time for this object. -{293} -Time is given you especially for the service of the poor; your -first duty is to evangelize the poor. ... On the other hand, are -you anxious to benefit the rich, to touch their hearts, to gain -their confidence, or even to secure their adoration--I say, is -such your desire? If so, busy yourselves on behalf of the poor, -devote yourselves to the service of the poor, be popular in a -holy sense; then, instead of vegetating in the midst of your fine -phrases and isolation, you will live in the fulness of life. You -will see around you outstretched hands, willing hearts, and open -purses, and will hear many a voice applauding and cheering you -with a cordial "Well done! take courage!" You will be driven to -humble yourself before God, saying: "Depart from me, for I am a -sinful man, O Lord." - -Yes, let us be just toward the wealthy classes, toward the world -generally, and even toward those who do not practise religion at -all. Whenever they fall in with a priest who is friendly to the -poor, they are ready to pay him a large tribute of respect and -veneration; and nothing so much resembles love toward God as the -love which is shown toward one of His ministers. - -Other associations might also be formed with advantage. For -example, in towns, a servants association; but as humility is not -one of our virtues, either among high or low, it might be called -the Household Association. -{294} -It might meet on Sunday--say once a month--and one would have an -opportunity of telling that class a host of truths which could -not well be spoken elsewhere; and these poor people, who are more -and more disposed to treat their masters as enemies, might be set -right. It is much to be regretted that a hostile party is being -formed in families; which, under certain circumstances, might -prove highly dangerous. On the other hand, all the fault does not -come from below. Nothing now but interest binds the master to his -servant, and servants attach themselves to those who give the -highest wages. As to probity, fidelity, and discretion, where are -they to be found? ... Masters are not only robbed, they are -outraged. - -Further, a mothers' association. The duties of a mother, more -especially among the lower classes, are very arduous. She -requires to be enlightened, encouraged, stirred up, and perhaps -rebuked. Such an association would afford eligible opportunities -for telling them many things which could not be appropriately -delivered before a mixed assembly. It is a great misfortune for a -family when the husband forgets himself and his duties; but when -the wife gives way, all is lost. Is she not, indeed, the guardian -of religion and virtue at the domestic hearth? The attempt thus -suggested has been made at Bordeaux and elsewhere with perfect -success. [Footnote 22] - - [Footnote 22: See the _Manuel de Charité_.] - -{295} - -There are two other associations which should by all means be -established in large towns: namely, an association of young -clerks, and an association of those young persons who are called -shop-girls or girls of the counter. These two classes are most -shamefully neglected; hence their morality is generally _nil_ ... -and from the large towns they go to the smaller towns, and into -the larger villages, where they help to form that egotistical, -sensual, _Voltairian_, excitable, and vain shop-class, ever ready -to disseminate the vicious lessons which they have acquired. - -It would be easy to form these associations. There would be no -difficulty as regards the young females. With respect to the men, -all that is required is a good nucleus; which would soon be -increased by those who are at a distance from their homes. -Families are often pained at being obliged to launch a young man -alone into a great city, and would feel much happier on learning -that there would be some to protect him against being led astray, -and who would help him on in his new career. Almost all the young -people who come up from the country are Christians up to the time -of leaving their homes. Some genial title might be given to the -association, which would make it attractive. - -Another great field for the exercise of zeal is the diffusion of -good books. [Footnote 23] - - [Footnote 23: See the _Manuel de Charité_ - under the chapter headed _Les Bibliothèques_.] - -{296} - -This kind of ministration has not been adequately or generally -appreciated hitherto. The ministry of the word, which is -proclaimed in our churches, is recognized; but that of the word -which, in the guise of a good book, goes and sits down at the -domestic hearth, is not understood as it should be. - -We are, however, making some progress in this respect; and I -trust that the magnitude of existing evils may stir us up to -greater activity, and that after being thoroughly beaten we shall -rise up again as becomes Christians. - -The Christian of the present day is not constitutionally brave; -he is rather timid, is subject to a number of little infirmities, -and does all he can to reconcile duty with interest. But when he -perceives that he has been wronged, when he is driven to -extremes, he falls back upon himself, recovers his strength, and -stands up for the faith. Then he is grand and bold; then he -defends himself, resists, assails, and triumphs even in death. - -The time has come for us to avail ourselves of that tremendous -engine which Providence has introduced into the world for good -and for evil. Has not the Press injured us enough already? Has it -not already thrown blood and scum enough at humanity and -religion? Are not the two hundred millions of pernicious books -scattered throughout France enough? Is not the world sufficiently -estranged from the Church already? What do we wait for? - -{297} - -A powerful means of doing good is here placed within our reach. -Don't be deceived; almost every body reads nowadays. Mistakes, -however, are frequently made on that score. - -A preacher gives a _retreat_ [Footnote 24] in a country district, -and is told by the curé that his people do not read. As the -exercises progress, heaps of books are forth coming of so -abominable a description that the like are not to be found in the -purlieus of Paris--books the very titles of which are an outrage -on public morality. - - [Footnote 24: A series of special religious services. ED.] - -Let us here recall to mind what has already been stated, that -there are now in France from eighteen to twenty millions more -persons able to read than there were at the end of the eighteenth -century. - -But it is urged that good books are not read.--_That_ in a great -measure depends on the quality of the books. - -Further, that after reading them, men are just the same as they -were. Not always; and who can tell but that some thought has -taken root in their minds which in time will bear fruit? There -are books which have wrought many conversions; which in the -course of a few years have reclaimed more individuals than our -most celebrated preachers have converted during their lives. -{298} -I may instance one which is universally known, which has been and -still is the angel of good to many perishing sinners; yes, and -such sinners too! such men! You have already guessed the title of -the book alluded to--it is the _Etudes Philosophiques_ by M. -Nicholas. [Footnote 25] - - [Footnote 25: A person holding a high position wrote to the - author of the above-named work as follows:--"From being - wholly indifferent to religion, you have made me, in a - fortnight, a fervent Christian, one sincerely repentant, and - firmly determined to lead a holy life." ... Another addressed - him thus:--"I owe a great share of my restoration to your - book, which I shall try and induce all my relations and - friends to read."] - -Sober town curés have expressed to us their belief that they have -effected more good among their people by means of their -libraries, than by their sermons and all the other resources of -the ministry combined. - -But these books should be selected with great care: nevertheless, -very little attention is bestowed on that point. How strange! One -takes great pains about a sermon, which will be heard at most by -a few hundreds of individuals, and no care is exercised in the -selection of a book which will go to speak of God to the -thousands who do not frequent the Church! At the yearly -distribution of prizes in France, twelve hundred thousand volumes -are given gratuitously to respectable schools. -{299} -What a vast amount of good might be done through that channel, if -the books were well chosen! What a mass of profitable reading -might be introduced thereby among families! But as it is, the -works are taken up at random. A book receives a bishop's -approval; which is deemed amply sufficient to warrant its -adoption. It may be barren of ideas, tiresome, nothing more than -a bad religious romance; it may even be dangerous: no matter, it -is given away, notwithstanding all those defects. But what is -passing strange is the fact that this is done by men who have a -religious vocation, who are otherwise most distinguished, and who -are intrusted with the education of the children of the upper -classes. It would seem, indeed, as if we were bent on verifying -the assertion of our adversaries, that the pious possess no other -than a contemptible and humdrum literature. - -It would be an act of intelligent zeal to remedy these -aberrations. - -Lastly, another way of promoting the diffusion of good books is -to give men a personal interest in the undertaking. Authors and -publishers should be amply commended and remunerated for their -coöperation; and the trade--if you choose to call it so--made -subservient to the good work. Let those, also, who sell such -books make large profits by the sale. Generally speaking, success -is not best attained by acting alone, but by securing and -availing ourselves of the assistance of others. We often make too -much fuss about our proceedings, and should effect twice as much -if we fussed one half less. - -{300} - -But it will be urged:--"Such associations cannot be formed -without self-sacrifice and money; besides, they will encounter -opposition." Undoubtedly they will; and so much the better. -Opposition and calumny are the rod which God uses to drive us -onward. ... If there be opposition, then there will be courage -too; and many other noble qualities will be elicited. Is it so, I -ask, that we are called to "vulgarly follow the masses?" ... - -There is a class of well-disposed people, who appear to have no -misgivings as to what Christianity is, who, nevertheless, give -expression to their supineness with a charming naïveté. You -propose some good work to them; they reply at once: "Excuse me; -there will be obstacles in the way; the time has not yet come for -such things; and, moreover, I should not like to put myself -forward in matters of that kind, for it might place me in an -awkward position." One feels tempted on these occasions to ask -the apologist:--"Are you a Christian?" You may do so, and the -ready reply will be:--"Yes, by the grace of God." - -What, then, do you understand by being a Christian? - -One who believes in the doctrine of Christ, has been baptized. -... - -{301} - -Now, listen to what the doctrine of Christ is: Blessed are they -who are persecuted. Blessed are ye when men shall revile -you,--when they shall drag you before the rulers of the people. -... - -I think there is a prevailing tendency to regard those texts of -Holy Writ which embarrass us as mere rhetorical figures. - -Men talk of the possibility of being placed in a false -position--that the time has not come--that there will be -opposition, etc. In like manner, when Christ sent His apostles to -convert the world, might they not also have said:--"But, Lord, -the world is not prepared; it is still so insensible. Besides, we -shall encounter opposition?" ... Or, when their shoulders were -beaten with rods, might they not have felt justified in saying:-- - -"Let us return to our own quiet life, for this only brings us -into difficulties." - -Is not a priest's life essentially a militant life? Is not the -priest a soldier? What would be said, what would be thought of a -soldier who, on hearing the alarm, the enemy! to arms! should -coolly reply:--"Stop, there will be opposition; the enemy will -resist and assail us with musketry and artillery?" There would -only be one name for such a soldier in France--he would be called -a coward. -{302} -But no such soldier is to be found amongst us; on the contrary, -at the bare thought of opposition and resistance to be -encountered, his courage rises, his heart leaps, he runs, he -strikes, he conquers, or he dies a glorious death. That is what a -priest ought to be; ... better still; he should feel that he is -safe beneath the power of the Almighty; and be like a general who -maintains perfect calm while shot, shell, and death, are flying -around him in every direction. - -Good God! what have we to do with peace? Peace will never be -yours. ... Talk of peace to men who are conquerors! ... Was it -not said in a celebrated harangue:--"We are the first soldiers -... and yet they come to talk to us of peace!" The priest is a -jeopardized, a sacrificed man, dead to the life of this world, to -whom it has been said:--"Go and defend such a post, and die to -save, not an army, but humanity." Be assured, then, that you will -never have peace, because human passions will eternally war -against you. - -We have borrowed two things from the present age--and those by no -means the best of what it possesses--which do us a vast amount of -injury. The first is, a profound weakness of character, which -prefers a petty, vulgar, and rather sensual existence, disposing -us to lead the life of a retired tradesman. The second is a -tendency to _officialism_. We blame that tendency in others; but -are we not somewhat bureaucratic ourselves? We consider those -among us to be great men who are what is called good -administrators. -{303} -The accessory has usurped the place of principal. Administration -is every thing: in certain localities it stifles the sacred -ministry. If Saint Paul himself were to return to earth, he would -hardly be deemed fit to be the curé of a canton, unless he was -judged to be well versed in administration. - -Yet when Christ placed Saint Peter at the head of His Church, he -did not put the question to him:--"Canst thou administer well?" -but, "Lovest thou Me? lovest thou Me? Art thou quite sure that -thou lovest Me?"--that is, Dost thou know how to save the souls -of men? how to devote thyself, how to die for their sakes? - -This brings us back again to the subject of zeal. There are many -earnest-minded priests in France--most admirable men in every -respect. Among the laity also, there is no lack of zeal, -devotion, and the spirit of self-sacrifice ... A Christian who -has no zeal is not tolerated: in fact, there is much more of it -than is generally supposed. - -Now, something like this frequently happens:--On going to a town -which has hitherto exhibited no signs of zeal, you ask the -priest:--"How comes it that you have no associations, no society -of apprentices, of operatives, or of the _Sainte Famille?_ What -are you about? It is a shame!" ... He will reply:--"How can I -help it? I have no colleagues, and no laymen are available. -{304} -Besides, our people do not like to be drawn out of their old -habits: it is not with us as it is elsewhere." ... You then make -the same observations to the laymen, and they immediately -answer:--"Pray, don't mention it, for it is not our fault. We -should like nothing better; but we have no priests to take the -lead, and to tell us how to act. Our priests are excellent men in -their way, but _they cannot step out of their routine_." - -It should be our endeavor, therefore, to bring priests and laymen -together; then there will be a mutual understanding between them, -and both will heartily coöperate in doing good. - -For, at any cost, we must save souls. That is our duty, our joy, -our crown, that whereon our whole future depends; and what is -said of men of the world, who have made a false step in life, -will be said of the priest who fails in that respect--he has lost -his chance. - -We should take advantage of every opportunity to benefit the -souls of men; to enlighten, to reclaim, to reconcile them. A -confirmation, for example, associated as it is with so many sweet -and sad reminiscences, offers a most eligible occasion for such -efforts. But beware of all vulgar vituperation of unbelievers, or -of the parents. They are on the look-out for such tirades, and -have already hardened their hearts and their faces against them. -Rather aim at their hearts, where they least expect an attack, -and where they are not prepared to resist you. - -{305} - -After stating that God will require a strict account of parents -for the manner in which their children have been brought up, turn -at once to the parents and say:-- - -"Do not be alarmed, for I am not going to reproach you. I would -not disturb your present happiness. I would not detract one iota -from your gratification. Enjoy it thoroughly, for you have a -right to it; it is but a slender recompense for all your pains. -Look at your children, they are happy, and they owe their -happiness to religion. No, I cannot bring myself to utter any -thing which might trouble you on this occasion; for it must have -cost you pain enough already to see your children go alone to the -holy table, absolutely like orphans, while you yourselves stand -apart, and are driven to say:--'Yes, my child is worthy to be -there, but I am not. ... I say, such a reflection as this must -have caused you intense sorrow. - -"Nevertheless, you are not so much estranged from religion as you -may think: God is not far from you. One always loves his child's -friend, and your child's best friend is God. ... Can you repel -religion, can you repulse God himself, whom we are about to send -to you this evening in the angelic form of a dearly loved child? -Draw near then to the Gospel ... carry away with you, at least, -some pious sentiment, some wholesome regret, some incipient -desire after that which is good." ... Adopt some such strain as -this, and your words will not be in vain. - -{306} - -Similar efforts might be made on the termination of the special -services for Lent and the great ecclesiastical seasons, and on -other extraordinary occasions also. After congratulating those -who have profited by the means of grace, be careful to abstain -from upbraiding or denouncing those who have abused them. Such a -course is low and vulgar, and does much harm. On the contrary, do -all you can to encourage and touch the hearts of all. I may -suggest the following. Say what a pious and zealous _religieux_ -once said to his audience, at the end of a home mission:-- - -"Brethren, I am going to tell you an anecdote. It is not true, -for the details are impossible. It is merely a parable. - -"It is alleged that there is a country near the north pole, where -it is so cold that words are frozen as they issue from the lips. -If two men placed apart at a certain distance attempt to -converse, they do not hear one another, for their words freeze in -the air. But when spring comes, then their words are heard. - -"Brethren, it is cold too and icy round your souls, and our words -freeze; but when spring comes, when God's sun shall shine, then -these our words will thaw and penetrate into your hearts, even -though it be not till the hour of death." - -{307} - -Thus, let there be an outburst of love and kindliness toward -those who have been edified by the means of grace, and a still -larger and more affectionate appeal to those who seemingly have -not profited thereby.--"What shall I say to you? Shall I address -you in the language of severity? I might claim the right to do so -in God's name; but certainly I have no desire to avail myself of -that prerogative. I prefer holding out a hand to you; I prefer -pitying, commiserating your misfortune. It would have been -delightful for me to have been the instrument of your salvation; -but you would not let me save you. Doubtless, God has not judged -me worthy; although my mission here embraced you also. ... -Another, I trust, will be more successful. ... Be assured that I -entertain no ill-will toward you: I do not denounce you; on the -contrary, I shall ever pray for you. - -"Draw a little nearer toward religion. In your calmer moments you -sometimes say:--'I do not wish to die without the consolations of -religion. Were I to fall sick, I should send for a priest. Well, -then, dispose yourself to return to the right path: curb your -passions, and break off those habits which poison your existence. -Above all, do not be a stumbling-block to your children. -{308} -How often, as you well know, alas! are fathers the ruin of their -offspring. Therefore have pity on your children, and on your -wives also; for I whisper it to you that you are said to be -sometimes harsh toward them. Ah, the poor wives! such treatment -must be very painful to them: they who have already suffered and -endured so much." - -That is the way to appeal to the hearts of men! Such are the joys -of the sacred ministry! They are the only joys vouchsafed to us: -and yet can we dare to complain? Are they not the most delectable -joys which earth can afford? To have committed to him the souls -of poor sinners to save, to love, and to bless; to be charged -with condescending toward his erring brethren; gathering them in -his arms amidst the miseries and sufferings of this life, and of -leading them to the truth, to virtue, and to heaven, is not this -the sweetest enjoyment which a priest's heart can desire? Was it -not to that end that he bade adieu to the world and left his -father and his mother in tears? ... O holy joys of the sacred -ministry, how little are they known and felt by any of us! It is -painful, doubtless, to have to stir up sin-sick souls; but when -at the cost of much self-sacrifice we are able to benefit but one -such soul, with what overflowing gratitude shall we thank God, -and say: - - "May All My Days Be Like This Day!" - --------- - -{309} - - Books Published By The - Catholic Publication Society. - - - The Life And Sermons Of The Rev. Francis A. Baker, - Priest of the Congregation of St. Paul, Edited - by Rev. F. A. Hewit. One volume, crown octavo, pp. 504, $2.50 - - - Extracts From Notices Of The Press. - - "Father Baker was a lovely boy, a wise and thoughtful youth, - and a devout servant of Christ. The son of a Methodist, the - graduate of a Presbyterian college, he became first an - Episcopal clergyman, and then a Catholic priest. In all these - changes, he everywhere won love; and whatever were the - peculiarities of his character, he was a sincerely good and - thoroughly pure man, and deserved the tribute which this - remarkably appreciative and tender biography pays him."-- - --_New-York Watchman_. - - - "After Newman's Apologia and Robertson's 'Life', the memoir - contained in this volume is perhaps the most respectable - clerical biography that we have met for a long time. We - recommend such persons as have already attained to settled - principles, and who may have an opportunity, to give the Memoir - itself a thorough perusal. It is rich in personal - reminiscences. It is, at the same time, like the 'Apologia', - both an argument and a biography." - --_Christian Times_. - - - "Father Hewit's biography of his deceased friend is a most - noticeable piece of writing. It is as impartial as could be - expected, and has a marked local interest from its allusions to - local affairs in religious circles. A great part of it is - occupied with an elaborate view of the Oxford, or, as it is - familiarly called here, the Puseyite movement, and of its - effect on this country. The conversion of Bishop Ives, the - remarkable scenes at the ordination of Rev. Arthur Carey, the - movement toward a Protestant Oriental bishopric at - Constantinople, in which Bishop Southgate was engaged, and - various other features in recent church history, all are - described, rendering the biography of marked interest to - Episcopalians as well as to Catholics; while the history of - Father Baker is a curious study of the operation of religious - belief on a young, vigorous, and active mind." - --_New-York Evening Post_. - -{310} - - "The portrait which forms the frontispiece to this volume - appears to represent one of the contemplative, saintly, - seraphic spirits of the early ages of Christianity, rather than - a man whose life was cast amid the bustle and activity and - worldly-mindedness of the nineteenth century. The impression is - confirmed by the perusal of the memoir. It introduces us to a - type of character which is rare in these days, and reminds us - of a strain of mediaeval music. ... The sermons are remarkable - for the earnestness of their spirit, the simple and vigorous - eloquence of their style, and their frequent beauty of - conception and illustration. The biography, by his bosom friend - and companion, is an athletic piece of composition, - controversial and aggressive in its tone, abounding in personal - episodes, and presenting a spirited and impressive sketch of - the movement in which both the author and the subject have been - prominent actors. The volume, of course, possesses a paramount - interest for Catholic readers, but it forms too remarkable an - illustration of some important features in the religious - tendencies of the day not to challenge a wide attention from - intelligent observers." - --_New-York Tribune_. - - - "This is the very best edition, as regards typographical skill, - that has as yet been issued of any Catholic work in this - country." - --_Boston Pilot_. - - - "His sermons are brief, addressed to the common heart and - reason of his hearers, and remarkably free from clerical - assumptions of authority. The sermon on The Duty of Growing in - Christian Knowledge is liberal and philosophical to a degree - not usual in the pulpits of any denomination." - --_New-York Nation_. - - ------- - - - II. - - The Works Of The Most Rev. John Hughes, D.D., - First Archbishop of New-York, containing Biography, Sermons, Letters, - Lectures, Speeches, etc. Carefully Compiled from the Best Sources, - and Edited by Lawrence Kehoe. - -This important work makes two large volumes of nearly 1500 pages. -The editor has spared neither labor nor expense to have it as -correct and as complete as it is possible to make a work of the -kind. The prominent position occupied for so many years by -Archbishop Hughes makes this a highly important work; his views -on all the general questions of the day so eagerly read at the -time--are here collected and presented to the Catholic public in -two elegant volumes, which are indispensable to every library of -American Catholic Literature. - - - _Price, Cheap Edition._ - - Two volumes, 8vo, cloth, $6.00 - - - _Fine Edition, On Extra Paper._ - - Two volumes, cloth, bevelled, $8.00 - - Two volumes, half morocco, bevelled, $10.00 - - Two volumes, half calf, extra, $12.00 - - -{311} - - Extracts From Notices Of The Press. - - "Opening these volumes, the first thing that strikes us is the - vast energy, the indomitable resolution, the all-embracing zeal - of this great prelate. No subject affecting the interests of - Catholics was beneath his notice. The collection of such a vast - pile of materials is in itself an arduous and laborious task, - and when collected the arrangement and collation of the - documents were a work of time and trouble, requiring both - judgment and discrimination; both these qualities are apparent - in the contents of the two large volumes before us." - --_New-York Tablet_. - - - "The editor deserves great credit for the care, industry, and - taste with which he prepared his work." - _Baltimore Catholic Mirror_. - - - "This is one of the most carefully prepared, as well as most - interesting, contributions to American and Catholic history." - --_Boston Pilot_. - - - "Every Catholic should provide himself with a copy of the - works, because they are the history, almost, of the Church in - her infancy in the Eastern States." - --_Cincinnati Catholic Telegraph_. - - - "Take him all in all, Archbishop Hughes was the greatest man - that the Catholic Church has yet produced in this country, and - his writings must have a deep interest for all the members of - his communion." - --_Chicago Republican_. - - - "There is a fund of instruction in his writings alike to the - Christian and the worldling, the Protestant and the Catholic." - --_Daily News_. - - - "The work of the editor appears to have been done in a manner - worthy of the highest commendation." - --_Pittsburg Catholic._ - - - "Every Catholic household should have the work." - --_Irish American_. - - - "This work gives his speeches and discourses in full. These - will be sought for by multitudes of his admirers." - --_New-York Freeman's Journal_. - --------- - - III. - - Sermons of the Paulist Fathers, for 1865 and 1866. - Price, $1.50 - - - Extracts From Notices Of The Press. - - "They are good examples of practical, earnest, pungent - preaching. ... Others besides Catholics may be stimulated by - these discourses, and some Protestant preachers we have heard - might learn how to talk plainly to the heart and conscience of - men." - --_Round Table_. - - - "These sermons are dictated with a conviction of mind and - earnestness of heart that the hearer and the reader are carried - away while reading or listening to them, which, after all, is - the triumph of eloquence." - --_Boston Pilot_. - - - "These sermons, like those which preceded them, are sound, - practical, and able productions." - --_Catholic Mirror_. - - - "They are adapted to the wants of our age and country, and - consequently must elevate the standard of morality whenever - they can secure the attention of a reader." - --_Pittsburg Catholic_. - - "Here are twenty-one Catholic sermons in various degrees of - excellence, nearly all of which are so thoroughly and truly - catholic in the widest sense of the term, that they will be - read with pleasure by Protestants, as well as by members of the - communion to which they are carefully addressed." - --_New-York Citizen_, - --------- - - IV. - - May Carols and Hymns and Poems. - By Aubrey De Vere. Blue and gold, . . . $1.25 - --------- - - V. - - Christine, and Other Poems. - By George H. Miles. Price, $2.00 - --------- - - VI. - - Dr. Newman's Answer To Dr. Pusey's Eirenicon. - Paper, $0.75 - --------- - - VII. - - Three Phases of Christian Love: - The Mother, The Maiden, and The Religious. - By Lady Herbert. - One volume, 12mo, $1.50 - - - Extracts From Notices Of The Press. - - "The author writes in a spirit and style worthy of the sacred - subjects of her pen. It is a book that should be in the hands - of every Catholic, and one which Protestants might read with - benefit to themselves, and without having their prejudices - rudely assailed. Mr. Kehoe has issued the volume in admirable - taste. Its mechanical execution is without a flaw." - --_Citizen_. - - - "We hail this work as a great acquisition to our Catholic - literature, and recommend it to the attention of all. It is - just the book that ought to be placed in the hands of Catholic - ladies. The publisher deserves great credit for the beautiful - type, paper, and binding, which make this book equal in taste - and elegance to any published in this country." - --_Pittsburg Catholic_. - --------- - - VIII. - - Aspirations of Nature. - By Rev. I. T. Hecker. - Fourth edition, revised, cloth, extra, ... $1.50 - - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Clergy And The Pulpit In Their -Relations To The People., by M. 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Thus, we do not -necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper -edition. - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search -facility: www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. - diff --git a/old/54246-8.zip b/old/54246-8.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 0b38801..0000000 --- a/old/54246-8.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/54246-h.zip b/old/54246-h.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 89dc5b0..0000000 --- a/old/54246-h.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/54246-h/54246-h.htm b/old/54246-h/54246-h.htm deleted file mode 100644 index 31052ec..0000000 --- a/old/54246-h/54246-h.htm +++ /dev/null @@ -1,8966 +0,0 @@ -<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> -<html> - -<head> -<meta content="text/html;charset=ISO-8859-1" http-equiv="Content-Type"> -<title> -The Clergy And The Pulpit -In Their Relations To The People. -</title> - -<style type="text/css"> - -body -{ - /* margin-left: 10%; */ - margin-right: 10%; - word-spacing: .05em; -} - -h1 {font-size: 160%; text-align:center;} - -h2 {font-size: 140%; text-align:center;} - -h3 {font-size: 100%; text-align:center;} - -h4 {font-size: 90%; text-align:center;} - -i { font-weight: bold; } - -hr { width: 60% ; } - -small { font-size: 60%; } - -pre { font-family: Serif; } - -.cite { margin-left: 5%; } - -.cite2 { margin-left: 10%; } - -.footnote { margin-left: 8%; margin-right: 8%;} - -.center { text-align: center; } - -.image { text-align: center; } - -.right { text-align: right; } - -.pagenum { /* uncomment the next line for invisible page numbers */ - /* visibility: hidden; */ - position: absolute; - left: 92%; - font-size: smaller; - text-align: right; -} /* page numbers */ - -</style> - -</head> - -<body> - - -<pre> - -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Clergy And The Pulpit In Their -Relations To The People., by M. L'Abbé Isidore Mullois - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: The Clergy And The Pulpit In Their Relations To The People. - -Author: M. L'Abbé Isidore Mullois - -Translator: George Percy Badger - -Release Date: February 26, 2017 [EBook #54246] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CLERGY AND THE PULPIT *** - - - - -Produced by Don Kostuch - - - - - -</pre> - - -<p class="cite"> - [Transcriber's note: I dedicate this transcription to the Very Reverend - Richard Trout of Corpus Christi Parish, Celebration, Florida. His gentle - and moving homilies are perfect examples of the style and content - recommended by this author. As the preface observes, the many - references to nineteenth century France may not all apply to our times, - but people and cultures are remarkably similar over time and distance.] -</p> - -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_3">{3}</a></span> - - <h1>The Clergy And The Pulpit<br> - In Their Relations To The People.</h1> -<br><br> - - - <h2>By M. L'Abbé Isidore Mullois,</h2> - - <h4>Chaplain To The Emperor Napoleon III., - And Missionary Apostolic.</h4> -<br><br> - - <h3>Translated By -<br><br> - George Percy Badger,</h3> - - <h4>Late Chaplain In The Diocese Of Bombay, - Author Of "The Nestorians and Their Rituals," Etc.</h4> -<br><br> - - <h3>First American Edition. -<br><br> - New-York: -<br><br> - The Catholic Publication Society,<br> - Lawrence Kehoe, General Agent,<br> - 126 Nassau Street.<br> - 1867.</h3> -<br> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_4">{4}</a></span> -<br> - <h3>John A. Gray & Green, Printers,<br> - 16 and 18 Jacob Street, New-York.</h3> -<br> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_5">{5}</a></span> - - <h1>Preface To The American Edition.</h1> -<br> -<p> -This excellent translation of the now celebrated work of the Abbé Mullois -is presented to the American public with every assurance that it will meet -with a most cordial welcome. -</p> -<p> -It is a live book; full of earnest words, fresh from the heart no less than -from the head of the devout and zealous author. It has gained an unwonted -popularity in France, where it has already passed through many editions. No -less than twenty thousand copies are said to be in the hands of as many -ecclesiastics. -</p> -<p> -We judge it to be one of the most timely books that could be offered to our -own clergy, who will find much in these pages to encourage and stimulate -them in their arduous pastoral duties. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_6">{6}</a></span> -The sceptical spirit which pervades a large mass of the French people, -hardly yet recovered from the fearful shock which their faith received in -the Revolution, is one which, happily, we in America have not to contend -with; and the suggestions of the author in reference to this are, of -course, of no practical moment to us: but the principle that underlies -every subject of which the author treats is a universal one, applicable at -all times and to every nation: "To address men well, they must be loved -much." This is the title of the first chapter, and the key to the whole -work. -</p> -<p> -It is written in a pleasing, familiar style, with an unction that endues -every sentence with an irresistible power of conviction and persuasion. Its -perusal cannot fail of exerting a most healthful influence upon the -character and tone of the discourses which the reader may be called upon by -virtue of his office to deliver for the instruction and edification of the -people committed to his spiritual care. - -<hr> - -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_7">{7}</a></span> - - <h3>Author's Preface.</h3> - -<p> -It is surprising that whereas, during the last three centuries, many books -have been published on the mode of preaching to the higher classes, -scarcely any thing has been written on the same subject with reference to -the people, or lower orders. It seems to have been thought that the latter -ought to be satisfied with the crumbs which might fall from the table -provided for the educated portion of society. -</p> -<p> -Nevertheless, nothing could be more opposed to the spirit of the Gospel; -which is specially addressed to the poor and humble—"He hath anointed Me -to preach to the poor." The Fathers of the early Church did not consider it -beneath their genius to write treatises on the manner of communicating -religious instruction to the people. The people form nearly the whole of -the population. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_8">{8}</a></span> -In France, they number twenty-three out of a total of twenty-five millions; -yet, strange to say, they are quite overlooked. The educated two millions -appear to have assumed that they constitute France, and that France has so -willed it. But if a few men were to arise capable of laying hold of the -instincts of the multitude, were it only of one of the emotions which stir -them, they would soon undeceive those who fancy that the people are under -their guidance. We know something by experience on that score. -</p> -<p> -There is a prevailing conviction among the well-disposed that nothing but -religion can save us; that France must either once more become Christian or -perish. But in order that religion may exercise a beneficial influence over -the masses, it must be brought into contact with them; and that can only be -done by the preaching of the Word, agreeably with the inspired -declaration:—"Faith cometh by hearing." -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_9">{9}</a></span> -<p> -It is much more difficult than is imagined to preach to the common people, -because they are so little conversant with spiritual things, and so much -absorbed in what is material. It is more difficult to address them than the -wealthier classes; for, in addressing the latter, one has only to fall in -with the current of their ideas; whereas in preaching to the former, we -have to bring high and sublime thoughts within the grasp of feeble -intelligences. Besides, there exists among the masses a certain amount of -knowledge more or less superficial, and none is more difficult to direct -than a half-taught man. -</p> -<p> -The foregoing considerations have led us to indite this little treatise; -wherein our object has been not to lay down any specific rules, but simply -to set forth the teachings of experience. What we most need nowadays is a -popular religious literature to meet the temper and wants of the people. -Such a literature does not exist. It should be based entirely on the -national character and on the precepts of the Gospel. Invested with those -two qualities, it would become an irresistible agency for good, and would -act as powerfully on the educated few as on the unlettered many. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_10">{10}</a></span> -It might inaugurate the regeneration of our literature by restoring to it -vitality, naturalness, and dignity. The time has come for taking up the -cause of the people in earnest. The community generally is impressed with -that conviction, and manifests a praiseworthy desire to encourage every -effort for ameliorating their moral condition. Upward of one hundred -thousand volumes specially designed for them are sold every year. -Worldly-minded men, too, are anxious to foster the movement; finding that -those who show a disposition to benefit the masses are sure to meet with -countenance, sympathy, and even veneration. Moreover, we are at present in -the enjoyment of profound calm. Heretofore, the apology for delay -was:—"Let us wait to see the upshot of passing events; for who knows what -may become of us; who knows but that we may be driven from our own homes?" -The evil-disposed have had their day; let us see what honest folk may and -can do. -</p> -<p> -Let us mutually co-operate, piously and charitably, to become once more a -united people and country—a France with one heart and one soul. 'Twill be -the beginning of blessedness. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_11">{11}</a></span> - - <h2>Contents.</h2> -<br> -<p> -Preface To The American Edition, … <a href="#Page_5">Page 5</a> -<br><br> -Preface By The Author, … <a href="#Page_7">Page 7</a> -<br><br> - Chapter I. … <a href="#Page_15">Page 15</a> -<br><br> - To Address Men Well, They Must Be Loved Much. -</p> -<p class="cite"> - The Gospel enjoins universal Benevolence.<br> - The Men of the present Age have a special Claim to our Love.<br> - The success of Preaching depends upon our loving them.<br> - Wherein true Apostolical Eloquence consists. -</p> -<p> - Chapter II. … <a href="#Page_40">Page 40</a> -<br><br> - The People. -</p> -<p class="cite"> - The actual State of the People.<br> - Their good and bad Qualities.<br> - The People in large Cities.<br> - The People in small Towns.<br> - The People in rural Districts.<br> - How to benefit these Three Classes of the People.<br> - One powerful Means is to act upon the People through the upper Classes, - and upon the latter through the former.<br> -</p> -<p> - Chapter III. … <a href="#Page_118">Page 118</a> -<br><br> - The Order Of A Sermon. -</p> -<p class="cite"> - The Exordium.<br> - Divisions.<br> - Proofs.<br> - Are there many Unbelievers in France?<br> - Manner of refuting Objections. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_12">{12}</a></span> -<p> - Chapter IV. … <a href="#Page_136">Page 136</a> -<br><br> - The Sermon Should Be Popular. -</p> -<p class="cite"> - What constitutes true Popularity?<br> - Popularity in Words, in Thought, in Sentiment.<br> - One of the most popular Sentiments in France is Patriotism.<br> - Means to utilize that Sentiment.<br> - The Relationship between Popularity and Genius.<br> - Demosthenes.<br> - Saint John Chrysostom.<br> - Daniel O'Connell. -</p> -<p> - Chapter V. … <a href="#Page_160">Page 160</a> -<br><br> - The Sermon Should Be Plain. -</p> -<p class="cite"> - An obscure Sermon is neither Christian nor French.<br> - Abuse of philosophical Terms.<br> - Philosophical Speculations not popular amongst us.<br> - The French mind is clear and logical.<br> - Plainness of Speech.<br> - Plainness of Thought.<br> - Starting from the Known to the Unknown.<br> - Metaphors.<br> - Similes.<br> - Parables.<br> - Facts.<br> - Père Lejeune.<br> - M. l'Abbé Ledreuil. -</p> -<p> - Chapter VI. … <a href="#Page_183">Page 183</a> -<br><br> - The Sermon Should Be Short. -</p> -<p class="cite"> - The Discourses of the Fathers were short.<br> - The French Mind is quick to apprehend.<br> - Sermons are generally too long.<br> - Sermons of Ten, Seven, and of Five Minutes. -</p> -<p> - Chapter VII. … <a href="#Page_197">Page 197</a> -<br><br> - Tact And Kindliness. -</p> -<p class="cite"> - We should assume that our Hearers are what we wish them to be.<br> - Reproaches to be avoided.<br> - How to address Unbelievers.<br> - Special Precautions to be taken in small Towns and Rural Districts.<br> - How to treat Men during times of public Commotion.<br> - Forbearance due to the Church for being obliged - to receive Money from the Faithful. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_13">{13}</a></span> -<p> - Chapter VIII. … <a href="#Page_222">Page 222</a> -<br><br> - Interest. Emotion, and Animation. -</p> -<p class="cite"> - We should endeavor to excite Interest by Thoughts, by Sallies or - Epigrams, by Studies of Men and Manners.<br> - The Truth should be animated.<br> - The Père Ravignan.<br> - The Père Lacordaire.<br> - The Heart is too often absent. -</p> -<p> - Chapter IX. … <a href="#Page_243">Page 243</a> -<br><br> - The Power And Accent Of Conviction. -</p> -<p class="cite"> - The Divine Word has always been the first Power in the World.<br> - The Gospel still the first of Books.<br> - There can be no Christian Eloquence - without the Accent of personal Conviction. -</p> -<p> - Chapter X. … <a href="#Page_254">Page 254</a> -<br><br> - Action. -</p> -<p class="cite"> - Action should be: -</p> -<p class="cite2"> - first, true and natural;<br> - secondly, concentrated;<br> - thirdly, edifying -</p> -<p class="cite"> - It should be cultivated.<br> - How cultivated by the Society of Jesus Suggestions. -</p> -<p> - Chapter XI. … <a href="#Page_275">Page 275</a> -<br><br> - Study. -</p> -<p class="cite"> - Study a Duty<br> - The State of the World calls for Knowledge on the part of the Clergy.<br> - Knowledge has always been one of the Glories of Religion.<br> - All the eminent Men in the Church were Men of Study.<br> - Reasons adduced for not studying, answered: - </p> - <p class="cite2"> - Want of Leisure,<br> - Natural Aptitude,<br> - The Plea of having already studied sufficiently;<br> - That one is fully equal to the Requirements - of the People committed to his Charge. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_14">{14}</a></span> -<p> - Chapter XII. … <a href="#Page_287">Page 287</a> -<br><br> - Zeal. -</p> -<p class="cite"> - The Excellency of Zeal.<br> - Love for the Body should be coupled with Love for the Soul.<br> - The Zeal of the Wicked.<br> - How Zeal should be exercised.<br> - Associations: -</p> -<p class="cite2"> - of Apprentices,<br> - of Operatives,<br> - Conferences of Saint Vincent de Paul,<br> - of Domestics,<br> - of Clerks,<br> - of the Young. -</p> -<p class="cite"> - Circulation of good Books.<br> - Happy Results of the same.<br> - The Advantages and Difficulties of Opposition.<br> - Great Occasions. -</p> - -<hr> - -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_15">{15}</a></span> - - <h1>The Clergy And The Pulpit<br> - In Their Relations To The People.</h1> - -<hr> - - <h2>Chapter I. -<br><br> - To Address Men Well, They Must Be Loved Much.</h2> - - -<p class="cite"> - The Gospel enjoins universal Benevolence.<br> - The Men of the present Age have a special Claim to our Love.<br> - The Success of Preaching depends upon our loving them.<br> - Wherein true Apostolical Eloquence consists. -</p> -<br> -<p> -Many rules of eloquence have been set forth, but, strange to say, the first -and most essential of all has been overlooked, namely, Charity. … To -address men well, they must be loved much. Whatever they may be, be they -ever so guilty, or indifferent, or ungrateful, or however deeply sunk in -crime, before all and above all, they must be loved. Love is the sap of the -Gospel, the secret of lively and effectual preaching, the magic power of -eloquence. … The end of preaching is to reclaim the hearts of men to God, -and nothing but love can find out the mysterious avenues which lead to the -heart. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_16">{16}</a></span> -We are always eloquent when we wish to save one whom we love; we are always -listened to when we are loved. But when a hearer is not moved by love, -instead of listening to the truth, he ransacks his mind for some thing -wherewith to repel it: and in so doing human depravity is seldom at fault. -</p> -<p> -If, then, you do not feel a fervent love and profound pity for humanity—if -in beholding its miseries and errors you do not experience the throbbings, -the holy thrillings of Charity—be assured that the gift of Christian -eloquence has been denied you. You will not win souls, neither will you -ever gain influence over them, and you will never acquire that most -excellent of earthly sovereignties—sovereignty over the hearts of men. -</p> -<p> -I may be mistaken, but it seems to me that the tradition of this great -evangelical charity has declined among us. I hasten to add, however, that -this is the fault of the age, of its injustices and sarcasms. It has dealt -so hardly with Christianity, and has been so ungrateful toward it, that our -souls have become embittered, and our words have been sometimes cold and -dry: like the mere words of a man and nothing more. But that bitterness is -passing away. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_17">{17}</a></span> -<p> -Religion in France, at the present day, is in the condition of a mother who -meets with indifference and abuse from her son. The first outburst of her -heart is one of pain and repugnance; but soon the better part of her nature -gains the ascendency, and she says within herself: "After all, it is true -that he is wicked; it is also true that he fills me with grief, and is -killing me with anguish; nevertheless, he is still my child, and I am still -his mother. … I cannot help loving him, so great is his power over me. -Let them say what they will, I still love him. … Would to God that he had -a desire to return! Would that he might change! How readily would I pardon -every thing and forget all! … How, then, can I enjoy a moment's happiness -whilst knowing that he is wicked or wretched?" … This is what Religion -and those who represent it have felt. We have been wounded; we have been -made to suffer cruelly. Yes, men have been unjust and ungrateful: but these -same are our brethren still, still our children. And can we be happy while -we see them wicked and miserable? Have they not already suffered enough? -…. The question is not to ascertain what they are worth, but to save them -such as they are. Our age is a great prodigal son; let us help it to return -to the paternal home. Now is the time to recall the admirable words of -Fenelon:—"O ye pastors, put away from you all narrowness of heart. Enlarge, -enlarge your compassion. You know nothing if you know merely how to -command, to reprove, to correct, to expound the letter of the law. Be -fathers, … yet that is not enough; be as mothers." -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_18">{18}</a></span> -<p> -This large love for men, alike for the good and the evil, is the pervading -spirit of the Gospel. It is the true spirit of Christianity. Its power was -felt by our fathers in the sacred ministry, and it governed their lives. -</p> -<p> -Look at Saint Paul, that great missionary of the Catholic Church. A stream -of love flows from his apostolic soul. He did not suffer himself to be -disconcerted by the failings, the vices, or the crimes of men. His heart -uplifts him above such considerations, and he overcomes human prejudices -and errors by the power of his charity. Let us hear him:—"O ye -Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged. Ye are not -straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own bowels. … Be ye also -enlarged. For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have -ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you. I seek not -yours, but you, … and I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; -though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved." And, again:— -"Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and, indeed, bear -with me. For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy. Wherefore? because -I love you not? God knoweth." [Footnote 1] -</p> -<p class="footnote"> - [Footnote 1: 2 Cor. vi. 13. I Cor. iv. 15. - 2 Cor. xii. 14, 15; xi. i, 2, 11.] -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_19">{19}</a></span> -<p> -"I say the truth in Christ that I lie not," saith he to the Romans; "I have -great heaviness, and continual sorrow in my heart. For I could wish that -myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren." [Footnote 2] -</p> -<p class="footnote"> - [Footnote 2: Rom. ix. 2, 3.] -<p> -And addressing the Galatians, he says:—"Brethren, be as I am; for I am as -ye are. Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the Gospel to -you at first. And my temptation, which was in my flesh, ye despised not, -nor rejected. Where is, then, the blessedness ye spake of? For I bear you -record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own -eyes, and have given them to me. Am I therefore become your enemy because I -tell you the truth? … My little children, of whom I travail in birth -again until Christ be formed in you." [Footnote 3] -</p> -<p class="footnote"> - [Footnote 3: Gal. iv. 12-16, 19.] -<p> -… And, again, writing to the Philippians:—"It is meet for me to think -this of you all, because I have you in my heart. For God is my record, how -greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ. … Yea, and if -I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and -rejoice with you all." [Footnote 4] -</p> -<p class="footnote"> - [Footnote 4: Philip, i. 7, 8; ii. 17.] -<p> -Alas! in this our day we see around us the same men, the same frailties, -the same passions. Let us aim at possessing the same apostolical heart. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_20">{20}</a></span> -<p> -In like manner Saint Chrysostom. … what love, what charity, what -devotedness dwelt in the heart of that Christian orator! And as regards the -people with whom he had to deal; what laxity, what vices, what baseness had -he not to contend against! Nevertheless, his heart is inflamed with -charity, his yearnings are kindled. Exclamations of pain, the plaintive -accents of pity escape from him; and even when he grows angry, he entreats, -he sues for pardon. -</p> -<p> -"I beseech you," said he to the faithful, "to receive me with affection -when I come here; for I have the purest love for you. I feel that I love -you with the tenderness of a father. If occasionally I reprove you rather -sharply, it arises from the earnest desire which I have for your salvation. -… If you reject my words, I shall not shake off the dust of my feet -against you. Not that herein I would disobey the Saviour, but because the -love which He has given me for you prevents my doing so. … But, and if -you refuse to love us, at least love yourselves by renouncing that sad -listlessness which possesses you. It will suffice for our consolation that -we see you becoming better, and progressing in the ways of God. Hereby, -also, will my affection appear still greater, that while having so much to -youward, you shall have so little toward me. … We give you what we have -received, and, in giving it, ask nothing but your love in return. If we are -unworthy of it, love us notwithstanding, and perchance your charity may -render us deserving." -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_21">{21}</a></span> -<p> -"You love me and I love you," said he, addressing the believers, "and I -would willingly give you my life, and not merely that small service which I -render by preaching the Gospel unto you." -</p> -<p> -In consequence of sickness he had been obliged to go into the country. On -his return he thus addressed his audience:—"You thought of me, then, -during my absence. For my part, it was impossible for me to forget you. … -Even when sleep closed my bodily eyes, the strength of your affection for -me opened the eyes of my mind insomuch that while sleeping I often fancied -that I was addressing you. … I have preferred to return with the remains -of my ailment rather than by staying longer away to do any injury to your -charity; for while I was in the country you were unremitting in the -expression of your grief and condolence. This was the subject of all your -letters; and I am not less grateful for your grief than for your praise, -since one must be capable of loving in order to grieve as you have done. -… Hence, as I am no longer ill, let us satisfy one an other; if, indeed, -it be possible that we should be satisfied; for love is insatiable, and the -continual enjoyment of it by those whom it endears only inflames it still -more. This is what was felt by Saint Paul, that foster-child of Charity, -when he said: 'Owe no man any thing but to love one another;' for that debt -is always being paid, yet is never discharged." [Footnote 5] -</p> -<p class="footnote"> - [Footnote 5: Second Homily on Repentance.] -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_22">{22}</a></span> -<p> -Also the following passage, which is quite to the purpose here: "You are to -me in the place of father, mother, brothers and children. You are every -thing to me, and no joy or sorrow can affect me in comparison with that -which concerns you. Even though I may not have to answer for your souls, I -should not be the less inconsolable were you to perish; just as a father is -not consoled for the loss of his son, although he may have done all in his -power to save him. That I may some day be found guilty, or that I may be -justified before the awful tribunal, is not the most pressing object of my -solicitude and of my fear; but that you may all, without exception, be -saved, all made happy forever, that is enough: that is also necessary to my -personal happiness, even if the divine justice should have to reprove me -for not having discharged my ministry as I ought; although, in that -respect, my conscience does not upbraid me. But what matters it by whom you -are saved, provided that you are saved? And if any one is surprised to hear -me speak in this manner, it is because he knows not what it is to be a -father." [Footnote 6] -</p> -<p class="footnote"> - [Footnote 6: Homily iii. on the Acts.] -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_23">{23}</a></span> -<p> -On the other hand, if men ever ought to be loved, if, above all, the heart -of the Christian priest ought to be touched, moved even to tears with deep -compassion for humanity, this is preëminently the time. Doubtless, humanity -is deserving of blame, but it is also most worthy of pity. Who, indeed, can -be bold enough to hate it? Let us rather grieve for it: grieve for the men -of the world who are truly miserable. … What truths can they lay hold of -to resist themselves, to fill the void in their souls, to control -themselves under the trials of life? All have been assailed, shaken, -denied, overturned. What are they to do in the midst of this conflict of -affirmations and negations? Hardly has a powerful and divine truth been -presented to them, than one of those so-called talented men has come -forward to sully it by his gainsaying or scornful derision. -</p> -<p> -Above all, the rising generation calls for our pity, because it has so long -been famished. The half of its sustenance has been withheld from it by the -cruelty of the age. -</p> -<p> -But let us do it justice: youth appreciates sincerity and candor above -every thing. It is straightforward, and hates nothing so much as duplicity -and hypocrisy. Well, when a young man awakens into life, what does he see -around him? Contradiction and inconsistency, a very Babel of tongues: a -discordant, a hellish concert. One bawls out to him, "Reason!" another -"Faith!" here some bid him "Suffer!" there others tell him to "Rejoice!" -but soon all join in the chorus, "Money, my son, money!" What, we ask, is a -youth of eighteen, with all his besetting passions, to do in the midst of -confusion like this? -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_24">{24}</a></span> -<p> -It were well if even the domestic hearth afforded an asylum from this -turmoil; but, unhappily, it assumes there its most flagrant form in father -and mother. There we find one building up, and the other destroying. The -mother prays, the father is prayerless; the mother is a communicant, the -father is not; the mother confesses, the father does not; the mother speaks -well of religion, the father derides it. … What, we ask again, is a youth -to do with his affections under circumstances like these? Reason tells him -that if there is a truth, it must be the same for all; if there is a rule -of morals, it should apply to all; that if there is a religion, it should -be the religion of all. Next, he is tempted to believe that he is being -made sport of, and that the words <i>vice</i>, <i>truth</i>, and -<i>virtue</i> are nothing but bare words after all. Such is the aspect of -things presented to the rising generation; and were it not that there is -something naturally good and generous in the hearts of the young, how much -would they despise their predecessors in life! … -</p> -<p> -They are told of the existence of duties, laws, and other subjects of vast -importance, and yet they see men who ought to be serious spending their -time in material pursuits, in hoarding money, or in sensual gratifications. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_25">{25}</a></span> -<p> -Is there not in all this enough to distress a sensitive mind, and to lead -it to utter the complaint, "O God! wherefore hast Thou placed me in the -midst of such contradictions? What am I to do? My father, the man whom I am -bound to resemble most on earth, can I condemn him? Can I any the more -blame my mother, or charge her with weakness—my mother, whose influence -over me is so strong? What, then, am I to do? What must I become? Is life a -desert wherein I am lost? Is there no one to guide me? Those who should -direct are the first to mislead me. My father says: Do as I do; follow my -example. My mother, with all the power of maternal affection, says: 'No, -no, my son; do not follow your father, for if you do you will perish'." -What shame should we take to ourselves for a state of things like this, and -how much should we pity those who are its victims! -</p> -<p> -And then the lower classes—the people,—who do penance under our eyes in -toil and suffering, how can we help loving, how avoid compassionating, -them? Undoubtedly, they have their faults, their frailties, and their -vices; but are we not more blameworthy than they? The people are always -what they are made. Is it their fault if the pernicious doctrines and -scandals of the higher orders have stained the lower classes of society? -Moreover, they have been treated without pity and without mercy. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_26">{26}</a></span> -They have been despoiled of all: even that last resource, hope, has been -taken from them. They have been forbidden to dream of happiness. Heartless -men have interposed between them and heaven, and have said to them, -"Listen; your toil, your trials, your rags, your hunger, the hunger of your -wives and children—such is your lot. You have nothing else to hope for; -except, perchance, the pleasures of revelry." They have been deprived of -every thing: they had hopes of a better future, which have been taken from -them; they had God above, who has been robbed from them, and they have been -told that heaven consisted in the enjoyments of earth. Meanwhile, they are -miserable; and being miserable are, as it were, doomed already: yet, what -have they done to merit this? -</p> -<p> -Yes, there has been no pity shown to the people; for has not the present -age regarded Christianity as a delusion? Christianity ought to have been -respected among the people, because it benefited them, because it -alleviated their wretchedness. But no, a cruel age has had the fell courage -to snatch it from them. A tale is told of a prisoner who became deeply -attached to a spider, which served to while away the tedium of his -captivity. He fed it with his own food, and it was his delight to see it -scamper about his cell; but the jailer, noticing this innocent -gratification, crushed the insect. … -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_27">{27}</a></span> -The spider was undoubtedly an insignificant thing; but the jailer's conduct -was harsh, and all would denounce it as a gratuitously brutal act. Well, -then, if religion among the people had been regarded merely as the spider -of this poor prisoner, it ought to have been respected, because it might -have done them good. On the contrary, the laborer has been denied the hope -that there will be a time of rest; the sufferer, that some day there will -be consolation; the wronged has not been allowed to anticipate that -hereafter justice will be meted out; the mother who deplores the loss of -her child has been denied the hope that some day she shall behold him -again. Every thing has been taken from the people, and nothing has been -left them but material pleasures to be enjoyed at rare intervals. -</p> -<p> -What a field is here opened out for the exercise of love, of compassion, -and of pity! O ye poor people whom Christ loved! is it that all your -struggles and trials are merely a foretaste of eternal misery? If you are -to suffer here, and to suffer also after death, then you must needs suffer -forever! But that we cannot allow, and after the example of Christ, we -should say to ourselves:—"I have pity upon the multitude, for if I send -them away fasting they will faint by the way." -</p> -<p> -Lastly, on this Charity depends the success of evangelical preaching. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_28">{28}</a></span> -<p> -To be co-workers with Christ in regenerating and saving mankind, we must -love it as He loved. He first did men good, then He addressed them. Hence -it was that the people, unmindful of their most urgent wants, followed Him -exclaiming: "Never man spake like this man." -</p> -<p> -Let us never forget that the object of preaching is to turn men from -wrong-doing, and to lead them to that which is good. This is the great aim -of the Christian orator. But where is the seat of good and evil, and where -are both elaborated? According to the divine word, "<i>out of the heart</i> -proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false -witness, blasphemy." -</p> -<p> -The heart, then, must be touched, moved, laid hold of. It is the heart -which receives or rejects the truth; which says to it: "Come, I welcome -you;" or, "Begone, you annoy me;" and it is love alone that can reach the -heart and change it. An Arab proverb runs thus:—"The neck is bent by the -sword; but heart is only bent by heart." If you love, you yourself will be -loved; the truth from you will be loved; even self-sacrifice will be an act -of love. … What we most want nowadays is not additional knowledge, for -nearly all of us know full well what we ought to do. What we really want is -the courage to act, the energy to do what is right. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_29">{29}</a></span> -Truth has sadly diminished amongst us, and its characteristics also. What -we need, then, is a style of preaching which enlightens and sustains, which -threatens and encourages, which humbles and exalts, and which throughout -speaks to individuals, saying, "I love thee." -</p> -<p> -It is not by essays of reasoning, any more than by the sword, that the -moral world is to be swayed. A little knowledge, much sound sense, and much -more heart—that is what is requisite to raise the great mass, the people, -and to cleanse and purify them. To be able to reason is human, very human, -and one who is a man and nothing more may possess that ability as well as -you, perhaps in a higher degree. But to love, to devote one's self, to -sacrifice self, is something unearthly, divine, possessing a magic power. -Self-devotion, moreover, is the only argument against which human -malevolence can find no answer. … -</p> -<p> -You may employ the most splendid reasonings, clothed in the grandest -phraseology, and yet the mind of man will readily find wherewith to elude -them. Who knows but that French wit, by one malicious word, may not upset -all at once your elaborate structure of arguments? What is required in -sacred eloquence is something new, something unexpected. Ask you what it -is? It is love; for loving, you will surprise, captivate: you will be -irresistible. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_30">{30}</a></span> -<p> -For it is useless to disguise the fact that in France nowadays there is -scarcely any belief in disinterestedness. Even the people are beginning to -think that no one acts without a motive of self-interest; and their thought -is aptly expressed in the frank and original reply of a poor devil who was -brought before the correctional police for having inscribed some Legitimist -sentences on a wall. The president, observing his tattered garments, and -his any thing but aristocratic appearance, asked him if he was really a -Legitimist. "By no means, Monsieur le President," was the answer; "I merely -do as others, as you do, as all do nowadays—<i>I work for those who feed -me</i>." -</p> -<p> -But when the people meet with real affection, a thorough devotedness, then -they are overcome at once and yield heartily. -</p> -<p> -You visit a poor family, or one of the working-classes in a large town, -where the people are generally frank, and hardly know how to conceal their -thoughts. Do not be surprised, then, if something like the following -dialogue should take place: -</p> -<p> -"Well, sir, but who pays you for visiting us?" -</p> -<p> -"Nobody." -</p> -<p> -"What interest, then, have you in coming?" -</p> -<p> -"None whatever, beyond that of wishing to benefit you and your little ones, -whom I love." -</p> -<p> -"I can scarcely believe it. There must be some thing underhand in this." -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_31">{31}</a></span> -<p> -But when such persons are convinced that you entertain a sincere affection -for them—that there is nothing <i>underhand</i> in what you do—you become -all-powerful. The disclosure breaks in upon them like a divine revelation, -and they may be said to love the truth even before knowing it. Then you may -speak, entreat, or command; you will be listened to, you will be believed, -obeyed. What else, indeed, could any do who love you, and also inspire love -on your part? -</p> -<p> -It is quite right to reason and to appeal to the intellect, but it is not -enough. Human malice will never be at a loss for a reply to your arguments. -You may be acute, logical, endowed with learning and talent, the right may -be most clearly on your side, and yet your efforts will be unproductive; -nay, you will often be defeated, insomuch that it may be affirmed that he -who uses reason only shall perish by reason. On the contrary, love causes -things to be regarded from a different point of view, removes difficulties, -and imparts light and courage simultaneously. -</p> -<p> -You say to a worldly woman:—"If you were to occupy yourself a little in good works, such as visiting the poor." … Forthwith she starts a thousand objections against the suggestion:—"What, I, in my position! … I really have no leisure. I have my house, my children, my servants, and so many other things to attend to. Then, my health is so wretched, and my husband cares for nothing. … Besides, it is a woman's first duty to look after her domestic concerns." -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_32">{32}</a></span> -In a word, she instantly bristles up with good reasons. You encounter a -pointed defence everywhere, and no gap to admit your arguments. Beware, -therefore, of reasoning with her. Go straight to her heart, beget charity -within her, make her to feel, to love, and soon you will hardly recognize -her as the same individual, for the change will be almost instantaneous, -and every subsidiary stumbling-block will disappear. Then she will go and -come, suffer, be humble, self-denying, examplary. -</p> -<p> -Woman is called the feeble sex. True, when she does not love; but when love -takes possession of her soul, she becomes the strong, the able, the devoted -sex. She then looks difficulties in the face which would make men tremble. -</p> -<p> -An orator of high intellectual powers occupies a pulpit, and leaves -scarcely any results behind him. He is succeeded by one of ordinary -attainments, who draws wondering crowds and converts many. The local -sceptics are amazed. "This man's logic and style," say they, "are weak; how -comes it that he is so attractive?" It comes from this, that he has a -heart; that he loves and is loved in return. So when a venerable superior -of missionaries [Footnote 7] wished to learn what success a priest had met -with on his tour, he generally asked, "Did you really love your -congregations?" If the answer was in the affirmative, the pious man -remarked—"Then your mission has been a good one." -</p> -<p class="footnote"> - [Footnote 7: This clearly refers to Home Missionaries. ED.] -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_33">{33}</a></span> -<p> -Have a heart, then, in dealing with the people; have charity; love, and -cause others to love, to feel, to thrill, to weep, if you wish to be -listened to, and to escape the criticisms of the learned as well as the -ignorant. Then let them say what they like, let them criticise and inveigh -as they please, you will possess an invincible power. What a grand mission, -what a glorious heritage is that of loving our fellow-men! Let others seek -to lord it over them, and to win their applause; for my part, I prefer -holding-out a hand to them, to bless and to pity them, convinced by a -secret instinct that it is the best way to save them. -</p> -<p> -I have already remarked that our language has not always breathed this -broad and tender charity. The injustice and unreason which we have had to -encounter have made us somewhat querulous, and we have become champions -when we should have remained fathers and pastors. We have followed the -world too much into the arena of discussion. We have fancied that it was -enough to prove a truth in order to secure its adoption into the habits of -life. We have forgotten that Saint François de Sales converted 70,000 -Protestants by the sweetness of his charity, and not one by argument. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_34">{34}</a></span> -Nevertheless, strange enough, much is urged on the young clergyman as -regards the necessity and mode of proving a truth and of constructing a -sermon, but scarcely any thing on the necessity and manner of loving his -audience. -</p> -<p> -Just look at the young priest on his entrance upon the sacred ministry. He -is armed cap-à-pie with arguments, he speaks only by syllogisms. His -discourse bristles with <i>now, therefore, consequently</i>. He is -dogmatic, peremptory. One might fancy him a nephew of one of those old -bearded doctors of the middle ages, such as Petit Jean or Courte-Cuisse. He -is disposed to transfix by his words every opponent, and to give quarter to -none. He thrusts, cuts, overturns relentlessly. My friend, lay aside a part -of your heavy artillery. Take your young man's, your young priest's heart, -and place it in the van before your audience, and after that you may resort -to your batteries if they are needed. Make yourself beloved,—be a father. -Preach affectionately, and your speech, instead of gliding over hearts -hardened by pride, will pierce <i>even to the dividing of the joints and -marrow</i>; and then that may come to be remarked of you which was said of -another priest by a man of genius who had recently been reclaimed to a -Christian life:—"I almost regret my restoration, so much would it have -gratified me to have been converted by so affectionate a preacher." -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_35">{35}</a></span> -<p> -I do not mean to say that the truth should not be set forth with power and -energy. God forbid! but it should be seasoned throughout with abundant -charity. It is only those, indeed, who love much and are themselves -beloved, who possess the prerogative of delivering severe truths in an -effectual manner. The people pardon every thing in those to whom they are -attached, and receive home, without recoiling, the sternest truths and -reproofs addressed to them by a beloved preacher. -</p> -<p> -Let your preaching, then, be the effusion of a heart full of love and -truth. Skilfully disconnect vices and errors from individuals. Place the -latter apart, and then assail the former: be merciless, close up all -loop-holes, allow no scope for the resistance of bad passions; tread the -evil under foot. But raise up the vicious and erring, stretch out a hand to -them, pour confidence and good-will into their souls, address them in -language such as will make them hail their own defeat:—"Brethren, I speak -to you as I love you, from the bottom of my heart." "Permit us to declare -unto you the whole truth; suffer us to be apostles; suffer us to address -you in words enlivened by charity; suffer us to save you. …" -</p> -<p> -Thus have we endeavored to describe the nature, the power, and the triumphs -of apostolical preaching; which should be the same now as it was in olden -time. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_36">{36}</a></span> -<p> -But apostolical eloquence is no longer well understood. It is now made to -consist of I hardly know what: the utterance of truths without any order, -in a happy-go-lucky fashion, extravagant self-excitement, bawling, and -thumping on the pulpit. There is a tendency in this respect to follow the -injunctions of an old divine of the sixteenth century to a young bachelor -of arts:—"<i>Percute cathedram fortiter; respice Crucifixum torvis oculis; -nil diu ad propositnm, et bene prcedicabis</i>." -</p> -<p> -It is evident that any thing so congenial to indolence cannot be -apostolical eloquence, which consists of an admixture of truth, frankness, -and charity. To be an apostle one must love, suffer, and be devoted. -</p> -<p> -For, what is an apostle? To use the language of one who was worthy to -define the meaning of the word, and who exemplified the definition in his -own life: [Footnote 8] "An apostle is fervent charity personified. … The -apostle is eager for work, eager to endure. He yearns to wean his brethren -from error, to enlighten, console, sustain, and to make them partakers of -the happiness of Christianity. The apostle is a hero; he is a martyr; he is -a divine, a father; he, is indomitable, yet humble; austere, yet pure; he -is sympathizing, tender. … The apostle is grand, eloquent, sublime, holy. -He entertains large views, and is assiduous in carrying them out for the -regeneration and salvation of mankind." -</p> -<p class="footnote"> - [Footnote 8: Père Ravignan.] -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_37">{37}</a></span> -<p> -We must return, then, to this broad and tender benevolence. Let our -congregations feel it, read it; see it in our persons, in our features, in -our words, in our minutest actions. Let them understand that the priest is, -before all others, their best, their most faithful friend. Nothing must -disconcert our charity. Our heart must be enlarged, and soar above the -frail ties, the prejudices, and the vices of humanity. Did not Saint Paul -say: "I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ," for the sake of -his erring brethren? And did not Moses elect to be blotted out from the -book of life rather than see his cowardly, ungrateful, fickle countrymen -stricken by the hand of the Almighty? The weaker men are, the more need -have they to be loved. -</p> -<p> -Such love does good to all. It cheers the heart of the preacher. It also -creates sympathy, and those electric currents which go from the speaker to -the hearts of the faithful, and from the hearts of the faithful back to the -speaker. It reveals what should be said, and, above all, supplies the -appropriate accent wherein to express it. Saint Augustine writes: "Love -first, and then you may do what you choose." We may subjoin: "Love first, -and then you may say what you please;" for affectionate speech fortifies -the mind, removes obstacles, disposes to self-sacrifice, makes the -unwilling willing, and elevates the character as well as the mind. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_38">{38}</a></span> -<p> -Charity is the great desideratum of the present time. It is constantly -being remarked that the age in which we live requires this and that. What -the age really wants is this:—It needs to be loved. … It needs to be -drawn out of that egotism which frets and consumes it. It needs a little -esteem and kindly treatment to make good all its deficiencies. How silly we -are, then, to go so far in search of the desired object, overlooking the -fact that <i>the kingdom of God is within us</i>—in our hearts. -</p> -<p> -Be it ours, therefore, to love the people. … Is it not to that end that -we have no family ties? … Let us prevent their hate, which is so harmful -to them. Let love be present with us always, according to the saying of -Saint Augustine:—"Let us love in speaking, and speak in love. Let there be -love in our remonstrances … love also in our reproofs. Let the mouth -speak, but let the heart love." Yes, let us learn to love, to endure, to be -devoted. What! do we not belong to the same family as those excellent and -self-denying men who leave country and home to seek and to save souls -beyond the ocean? Were we not brought up at the same school? They love -infidels, they love pagans and savages sufficiently well to sacrifice every -thing for them. … Are not our pagans in France worth as much as the -pagans of Oceania? Are not our French little ones as deserving of -compassion as Chinese children? -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_39">{39}</a></span> -True, their parents do not expose them on the highways; but they abandon -them to shame, to vice, to the education of the streets. … It is right -that we should commiserate the heathen, that devotion should be manifested -on their behalf; but let us have compassion on our own children also, on -our brothers in France, that they be not suffered to perish before our -eyes. … Yes, I invoke pity for this people; pity for their sufferings, -their miseries, their prejudices, their deplorable subjection to popular -opinion, their ignorance, their errors. Let us, at least, try to do them -good, to save them. Therein lies bur happiness; we shall never have any -other. All other sources are closed to us; there is the well-spring of the -most delectable joys. Apart from charity, what remains? Vanity, -unprofitableness, bitterness, misery, nothingness. -</p> - - -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_40">{40}</a></span> - - <h2>Chapter II. -<br><br> - The People.</h2> - -<p class="cite"> - The actual State of the People.<br> - Their good and bad Qualities.<br> - The People in large Cities.<br> - The People in small Towns.<br> - The People in rural Districts.<br> - How to benefit these Three Classes of People.<br> - One powerful Means is to act upon the People through - the upper Classes, and upon the latter through the former. -</p> -<p> -We shall now assume that you love the people. But, besides that, in order -to address them pertinently, you must understand them well, know their good -qualities, their failings, instincts, passions, prejudices, and their way -of looking at things; in a word, you must know them by heart. To a profound -acquaintance with religion must be joined a profound knowledge of humanity -as it exists at the present day. But, to speak frankly, the people are not -known; not even by the most keen-sighted, not even by our statesmen. They -are only studied superficially, in books, in romances, in the newspapers, -or else they are not studied at all. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_41">{41}</a></span> -Judgment is mostly formed from appearances. One sees a man mad with rage, -who insults, blasphemes, or who staggers through the streets, and he says: -"There; behold the people!" Another sees one who risks his own life to save -a fellow-creature, or who finds and restores a purse or a pocket-book to -its owner, and he exclaims exultingly, "Behold the people!" Both are -mistaken, for both substitute an exception for the rule. -</p> -<p> -In order to understand the people well, we must probe beyond the surface, -and take them as they are when they are most themselves. They must be -studied in the spirit, as it were, and not on the outside; for they often -appear worse than they actually are. Still less should we arrest our -researches, as is frequently done, at a point where they clash against -ourselves. On the other hand, I feel bound to state that if we do not know -the people, they, in turn, do not know the classes of society above them; -and it is on that account that we do not love each other as we ought. -</p> -<p> -At first sight, the French people—the lower orders—are a real mystery: -an inconceivable medley of weakness and of courage, of goodness and -ill-will, of delicacy and rudeness, of generosity and egotism, of -seriousness and of frivolity. It may be said that they possess two natures: -one endowed with good sense, which is generous, feeling, and contrite; the -other unreflecting, which raves and drinks, curses and swears. On one side -they are frivolous, vain, weak, scornful, sceptical, credulous, headstrong. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_42">{42}</a></span> -<p> -In their frivolity they jeer at every thing; at what is frivolous and what -is serious, at what is profane and what is sacred. Their weakness under -temptation is lamentable: they have no restraint over themselves. But, -above all, their credulity is unbounded. This is their weak, their bad -side; the source of one portion of our evils. -</p> -<p> -Alas! what may not this people be led to believe? There is no lie so great, -no absurdity so gross, the half of which they may not be made to swallow -when their passions dictate that any thing may be gained thereby, or they -conceive that their interests are assailed. At certain seasons of blind -infatuation they may be made to believe any thing; even that which is -incredible, even what is impossible. Unfortunately this is to some extent -the case among the higher classes. The people surrender themselves to the -first comer who has a glib tongue and can lie adroitly. -</p> -<p> -Their credulity, as already stated, knows no bounds; especially as respects -the rich and the clergy, whom they regard as the cause of all the ills -which befall them. Accidents wholly independent of human volition are -placed to their account. Is there a dearth? They create the scarcity of -corn. Is there stagnation in trade? They restrain the capitalists. -Undoubtedly they had some hand in the cholera; and it is not quite certain -but that there exists some damnable connivance between them and the -caterpillars and weevils. … Poor people! yet how they are deceived! -Thereupon their good sense disappears, their heads reel, reflection -abandons them, and then they rise up in anger: strike, pillage, kill. … -They become terrible. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_43">{43}</a></span> -<p> -But I hasten to say that if there is evil in the French people, there is -also good: much good. They are witty, frank, logical, generous, amiable, -and above all, <i>they have hearts</i>. This is undeniable; and we should -never despair of a man who has a heart, for there is always something in -him to fall back upon. When all else is lost to this people, their heart -survives, for it is the last thing which dies within them. -</p> -<p> -It has been said that frivolity is the basis of the French character; but -that judgment is incorrect. More truly it should be said that the French -character is frivolous outwardly, but at the bottom it is generous, -combined with exquisite good sense. -</p> -<p> -Very few are aware how much generosity and sympathy toward all suffering -are hid under the jerkin and smock-frock. The people possess an -inexhaustible store of sentiment, of the spirit of self-sacrifice and -devotedness. Why, then, are they not better understood? The mischievous, -indeed, know them too well; for when they would mislead or stir them up, -they appeal to their sense of justice, to their love of humanity. They -point out to them grievances which should be redressed, oppressions to be -avenged. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_44">{44}</a></span> -Then are their passions lit up, and they are carried away … we need not -tell the rest. The motive on their part was almost always praiseworthy at -the outset, in some measure at least; but once led beyond themselves they -hurried headlong into extremes. -</p> -<p> -The heart, then, is the better side of the French people; their honorable -and glorious side; their genius. Others may claim the genius of extensive -speculations in science and industry; to them belongs the genius of heart, -of love, of sympathy, of charity. Endowed with so goodly a portion, what -have they to complain of; for is not dominion over mankind achieved -thereby? Hence, when Providence designs to spread an idea throughout the -world, it implants it in a Frenchman's breast. There it is quickly -elaborated; and then that heart so magnanimous and communicative, so -fascinating and attractive, gives it currency with electric speed. -</p> -<p> -If noble aspirations spring from the heart, they nowhere find a more -fertile soil; and, strange to say, this excellent gift is found in all -classes, and under all conditions. A man may be worse than a nonentity in a -moral point of view, but he has a heart still. Would you do him good? aim -at that. -</p> -<p> -But you will say: "Look at those coarse fellows, those besotted clowns sunk -in materialism, those men stained with crime and degraded by debauchery, -where is their heart? They have none." I say they have a heart still: go -direct to the soul, pierce through that rough and forbidding crust of vices -and evil passions, and you will find a treasure. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_45">{45}</a></span> -<p> -Proof in point is to be met with everywhere; even in the theatres, where -its manifestation has been noticed by observant spectators. The galleries -are generally occupied by persons of all conditions; mechanics, -profligates, vagabonds, loose women, and even men, who, to use their own -indulgent expression, <i>have had a weakness</i>: that is, have spent some -years in prison, or at the treadmill. It is gratifying to witness the -conduct of that mass during the performance of some touching scene or -generous action. They are often moved even to tears—they applaud and stamp -with enthusiasm. On the contrary, when mean or heinous actions are -represented, they can not hoot or execrate enough: they shake the fist at -the scoundrel or traitor, hurl abuse at him, and not unfrequently more -substantial missiles. -</p> -<p> -It will be said that all this feeling is transitory. So it may be; still it -shows that there remain in such breasts, chords which may be made to -vibrate, hearts not yet dead, good sentiments which are capable of -cultivation. -</p> -<p> -Such are the French people taken in the mass; such their merits and -defects. The head is not their better part, and they might almost be -described as having a good heart but a bad head. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_46">{46}</a></span> -In order to lead them, they must be seized where they present the best -hold. To do this effectually requires sound sense and a kindly heart, -moderate reasoning, and very little metaphysics. An opposite course, -however, is too frequently pursued. Crotchets, fancies, theories, vapid -ideas—such is the stuff wherewith attempts have been made to influence -them. Is it surprising that they have not always yielded to such guidance? -</p> -<p> -On points of wit, argument, and right, the Frenchman is acute, -punctilious, headstrong. On points of generosity and devotedness he is -tractable, liberal, admirable. Demand any thing from him as a right, and he -will refuse it. Ask the same thing of him, appealing to his heart, and he -will often grant it with the best possible grace. But, above all, if you -wish to restore him to equanimity and a right mind, get him to perform an -act of charity. -</p> -<p> -To prove that the heart rarely disappears, and that it always retains a -hold on the mind, I must be permitted to cite an example combining the good -and the bad qualities which are to be met with in the lower grades of -society. I shall frequently refer to facts; for in morals, as in many other -matters, they bring us sooner to the point aimed at. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_47">{47}</a></span> -<p> -It was in one of the most wretched quarters of Paris that a priest went to -visit a rag-woman who was dangerously ill. She was lying on straw so damp -that it was fit only for the dung-hill. The visitor had reached the -landing-place, and was reflecting how he might best minister to the poor -woman's wants, when he heard the cry of another female from the end of a -dark corridor, exclaiming: "Help! murder!" -</p> -<p> -He ran toward the spot, and pushing open a door saw two young children -crying. Extended on the floor lay the unfortunate woman, while a tall man -with a sinister countenance, and clad only in a pair of pantaloons and a -ragged shirt, stood over her, kicking her. Her face was already black and -blue from his violence. -</p> -<p> -The priest sprang towards the man and said: "Wretch! what are you about? -Will you not desist?" He did desist, but it was to attack the speaker. He -seized him suddenly by the breast, thrust two fingers under his cassock, -and then, without uttering a word, lifted him as if he had been an infant, -and carried him to an open window. There he angrily told him that he would -not have priests intermeddling with his affairs, and <i>disturbing the -peace of his household</i>, and that he intended to pitch him out of the -window forthwith. In fact, he was preparing to put the threat into -execution; but, as if wishing to gloat over his victim, he continued to -glare at him with the eyes of a tiger, holding him all the while as with an -arm of steel. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_48">{48}</a></span> -<p> -The priest was alarmed, but God enabled him not to betray it. He regarded -his antagonist calmly, and said almost with a smile: "Gently, my friend; -you are much too hasty. Do you really mean to throw me out of the window? -Is that the most pressing business on hand? You who are always talking -about fraternity and charity; do you know what was taking place while you -were beating your wife? Another woman was dying on a dung-heap in your -house. I am sure you would be horrified at such a thing. Now, let us both -see what we can do on her behalf; for you are by no means such a bad fellow -as you wish to appear. I will pay for some clean straw, if you will go and -fetch it." Terror, combined with the desire of winning over his assailant, -made the priest eloquent, and he had hardly ended his appeal before the -lion was tamed. The man's countenance rapidly changed, and he relaxed his -hold at once; then taking off his shabby cap and placing it under his arm, -he assumed a respectful attitude, like that of a soldier in presence of a -superior officer, and replied:—"If you talk in that style, sir, the case -is different. I have always been humane, and will readily help you to -assist the poor woman. I will, in fact, do any thing you please; for it -won't do to let a fellow-creature die in that plight." Thereupon the priest -gave him the money, and he went out to purchase two bundles of clean straw. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_49">{49}</a></span> -<p> -In the mean time the women of the neighborhood, attracted by the -altercation, had rushed to the spot, and on seeing the priest expostulated -with him in these terms:—"What are you about? Do you know where you are? -You are in the clutches of the worst man in the quarter. He is so -outrageous that even cut-throats are afraid of him, and he has often said -that nothing would give him more pleasure than to break a man's neck, -especially if that man were a priest." These remonstrances were by no means -encouraging; but those who urged them little knew the power of charity. -</p> -<p> -The sturdy fellow soon returned with the bundles on his shoulder. He was -calm, and his countenance had become almost honest. On entering the room -where the poor woman lay, he took half a bundle of straw and spread it on -the floor. The most touching part of the scene followed. He lifted the -sufferer in his arms with the tenderness of a mother, placed her on the -clean straw, then made her bed, and finally laid her upon it, just as a -mother would her child. A female wished to help him, but he pushed her -aside, remarking that he was well able to do a humane act unassisted. -</p> -<p> -The man was in tears, and the priest perceiving that he wished to address -him, retired toward the window. But his new acquaintance could not utter a -word; emotion choked him. The priest gave him his hand, and the stalwart -workman squeezed it as in a vice, in token of his affection. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_50">{50}</a></span> -"Well done, my friend," said the priest, "well done; I quite understand -you. I knew full well that you were not as bad as you wanted to make me -believe. I knew you were capable of doing a good action." "You have done it -all," was the reply; "four men could not master me, and yet you have -overcome me with as many words. <i>You must be a true pastor</i>." -</p> -<p> -The priest hastened to turn this favorable opportunity to profit, by -pleading the cause of the wife, and rejoined:—"But, my friend, you have -done something which is not becoming. You have ill-used your wife; and a -man does not marry a woman to beat her. I have no doubt she has her -failings, and you also have yours. You should bear with one another. Come, -promise me that you will never strike her again." At these words, his face -assumed somewhat of its former sullenness, and dropping the priest's hand -he said frankly:—"I am very sorry that I cannot do as you wish. I will not -promise because I should not keep my word." … The priest returned to the -charge, and among other remarks which made some impression on the man, he -was quite brought to bay by the following:—"So you won't promise not to -beat your wife? That is simply because you don't reflect. Surely, you who -have just done an act of kindness to a strange woman, cannot, with any -decency, continue to beat your own wife." -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_51">{51}</a></span> -After much hesitation, he pledged his word, backing it with a tremendous -oath. Since then, he has never been intoxicated, neither has he once struck -his wife. You should have seen with what gratitude the woman welcomed her -preserver on his next visit. "What a blessing my acquaintance with you has -proved," said she. "Since your last visit you have saved me from two -<i>floorers</i>. My husband does not drink now, but he still goes into -violent passions. He raises his fist, and I fear he is about to strike me; -but he forbears. He calms down at once, and says: 'Tis well for you that -that abbé came, otherwise I would have floored you again." -</p> -<p> -Not long after, he was reclaimed to a Christian life; he confessed and -communicated, and it is now rare to find a man of more exalted sentiments. -He refused assistance from every one, saying that he was able to earn his -own livelihood, and to provide for his family. To do this, he worked all -day and part of the night also. Peace and comfort were restored to his -home, which his wife now likens to a paradise. -</p> -<p> -To give an instance of his noble disposition, I may mention that toward the -end of last December he called on the priest, to whom he had become greatly -attached, and said to him with his characteristic frankness:—"I am very -sad to-day, Monsieur l'Abbé." -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_52">{52}</a></span> -<p> -"Why, my friend?" -</p> -<p> -"Because I am poor. In the course of my lifetime I have suffered misery -enough. I have cursed the rich, and that Providence which gave them their -wealth. Nevertheless, I don't believe I ever felt the wretchedness of being -poor as much as I do to-day; although it is for a different reason." -</p> -<p> -"What is it, then, my good friend?" -</p> -<p> -"Well, it is this. Here we are close upon the beginning of a new year, and -I wished to make you a small present—for you have been very kind to me and -I have no money. However, be assured of this, at least, that you have in me -a devoted friend, and that I am always at your service. Send me wherever -you please; I would walk barefoot and beat a steam-engine to serve you." -Then, taking the priest's hand, he added with unspeakable kindness and -energy:—"Monsieur l'Abbé, should there ever be another revolution, and any -assault be made on the clergy, come and take refuge with me; come and hide -in our quarter, and I vow that many heads shall be broken before a hair of -yours is touched." -</p> -<p> -Such are the people, taken as they are with the good and the bad which is -in them. I have again selected my illustrations from among the least -favorable specimens, and I may further add that it rarely happens that a -priest meets even with abuse from the most depraved. The instance above -adduced is exceptional, and arose out of the anger of the moment. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_53">{53}</a></span> -<p> -Such, then, are the people generally; but their characteristics are -modified by circumstances of locality, intercourse, and education. There -are the people of the large cities, those of small towns, and the people in -rural districts. There are also the people who work, and those who are -always looking for work and never find it; with whom the true people are -often confounded. -</p> -<br> - <h3><i>The People in large Cities.</i></h3> -<p> -The people in large cities possess, in a high degree, all the merits and -defects which we are about to notice. -</p> -<p> -They are fickle, vain, braggart, improvident, mad after pleasures, and not -very moral. -</p> -<p> -The ease with which they may be duped is astounding. They are readily -excited, they clamor, are carried away, strike for nothing whatever, and -then they reflect. They live from hand to mouth. When work is plentiful, -they squander; when it is scarce, they fast and suffer. -</p> -<p> -They love money for the pleasures which it procures; and in their -estimation a debauch is one of the greatest enjoyments of life. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_54">{54}</a></span> -<p> -This latter tendency they have borrowed from the present age; which is -somewhat sensual, not to say gluttonous—that term would not be -parliamentary—as it would have been called in former times. Nowadays a -good dinner is not a matter of indifference to others besides men of high -standing. A person of exalted rank was once told that his cook had the -talent of adding considerably to his own wages. "I know it," was the reply; -"but I hold that we cannot pay a man too handsomely for making us happy -twice a day." In fact, in these times, one who can thus serve you out two -rations of happiness <i>per diem</i> is regarded as a treasure. -</p> -<p> -Despite the vices, however, which exist in large cities, there are many -virtues also to be found among the resident people. They are sincere, -generous, disinterested, amiable, and withal extremely witty. In the midst -of their hardships, or when exposed to danger, they will often utter -sparkling sallies, or laugh good-naturedly at their miseries. They are not -rich; but what matters that? They are ever ready to help those who are -poorer than themselves. In case of an accident, they will run, work, expose -themselves to save others at the risk of their own lives. They are ready to -sacrifice themselves for whatever they deem just and right. Unfortunately, -in their opinion, the authorities are always in the wrong, and they are -never backward to take part against the law. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_55">{55}</a></span> -<p> -The more I study the people, the more incomprehensible they appear to me. -They are at once sceptical and religious. Watch them in a public-house -there they curse and swear, and indulge freely in ribald talk; but if a -funeral happens to pass by, they immediately doff their caps, and make the -sign of the cross. To-day they will thrash one of their comrades -unmercifully; the day after they will adopt an orphan. No class ever had so -much need of guidance; of benevolent sympathizing guidance. They drift with -the wind under the influence of good or evil counsels. They may become -sublime or atrocious, angels of heaven or demons. -</p> -<p> -The people themselves feel their own weakness and fickleness, and are -occasionally dismayed at it. Some time back, one of them, while looking at -the stains of blood which had been shed in a church in the month of -September, 1792, was seized with a sudden horror, and, laying hold of the -arm of the priest who accompanied him, exclaimed with a shudder:—"I fear -those times may return; for, you see, we are unfortunate. We are -ill-advised, and are as ready to kill with one hand as we are to embrace -with the other." -</p> -<p> -They require, then, to be under constant guidance They always need to have -some one near who will sustain and keep them in the right way by appealing -to the better dictates of their hearts. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_56">{56}</a></span> -<p> -In one respect, such guidance is easier here than elsewhere. You tread on -ground which is perfectly well-known. These people can hide nothing. As the -saying is, when an idea tickles them, they must scratch it until it finds -utterance. Their frankness is occasionally foul-mouthed, and they do not -hesitate to blurt it out to your face. Nevertheless, such a style rather -pleases me than otherwise. You know, at least, with whom you have to deal; -and when such an one says that he is attached to you, he is sincere. God -grant that the feeling in every case may be abiding! -</p> -<p> -They are not tenacious either of their errors, their prejudices, or their -passions. It is true that they are disposed to assume airs, to repine, and -to threaten. They declare that they will do this and that; but it is by no -means difficult to prevent them from doing it at all. Ridicule their -prejudices and their foibles fairly, and with sound sense, and they will -surrender them, and you will overcome them all. Moreover, they will not be -the last to laugh at their own folly. -</p> -<p> -Some weeks after the revolution of February, when men's brains were all in -a whirl, and every one fancied himself called upon to present us with a -better world than that which Providence has given us, Monseigneur D'Amata, -Bishop of Oceania, happened to be in Paris. One day he passed by a club in -full session. The attendance was numerous, and all ears were bent and all -eyes fixed on an orator who was dilating on the benefits of communism. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_57">{57}</a></span> -He wound up with the usual phrases: No more poor nor rich; no more great -nor small; no more palaces nor hovels; but perfect equality and happiness -for all. After which peroration there was a tremendous outburst of -applause. -</p> -<p> -The bishop then asked leave to speak, which being granted, he mounted on a -table which served for a rostrum, and spoke to the following effect: -"Citizens, you have just been hearing about communism, and a great deal of -good has been attributed to it. I am entitled as much as any man to have my -say on the subject. For a long time past I have resided in a country where -communism is carried out into practice thoroughly." (Increased attention.) -"There every thing is common: the land, the forests, rivers, fish, game, -and women. But let me tell you how matters go on there. Nobody works; the -fields are untilled; and the inhabitants live on fish and game. When these -fail, as the people must eat, they hunt one another. The stronger catches -the weaker, roasts him on a spit, and then eats him. Reflect, therefore, -before establishing communism, whether such a state of existence would suit -you. Should you persist, I would advise you to lay in a good supply of -spits, and to sharpen them well, for they will be the most valuable stock -under the reign of communism." Whereat there followed an outcry of "Down -with communism! Away with communism!" -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_58">{58}</a></span> -<br> - <h3><i>The People in small Towns. </i></h3> -<p> -In small towns, the scene changes and assumes smaller proportions. Little -things play the part of great things. A small town is the home, the real -classical soil of petty ideas, petty vanities, petty triumphs, and gross -backbiting. They all know, salute, and criticise each other. None is more -slanderous than the male resident in a small town, except it be his wife. -The chief authority of the place is neither the mayor, nor the sub-prefect, -nor even the prefect himself. It is public opinion, flanked by its -inseparable companion, routine. -</p> -<p> -The local virtue is not independence of character, but timidity. Every one -fears his friends as well as his enemies, neighbors as well as strangers; -he fears for his own <i>amour propre</i>, and he fears to give others cause -for talking about him. -</p> -<p> -All this has exercised a pernicious influence over the people in such -localities. They are extremely timid, niggardly, insincere, rather -hypocritical, and inordinately obsequious. They may be well-disposed to -discharge their religious duties; but should there happen to be a -free-thinker among them, one who takes the lead in the finance or trade of -the place, who might traduce or turn such conduct into ridicule, or -bespatter it with some of the blasphemies picked up from among the -off-scourings of the eighteenth century, they do not dare to perform them; -they tremble at the idea, so abject is their state of dependence: they have -not even the courage to brave sarcasm. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_59">{59}</a></span> -This servile deference, which has been ignominiously expelled from our -great cities, has taken refuge in our small towns and country districts, -where it exercises a tyrannical sway. -</p> -<p> -On the other hand, the people in small towns are more moral, more -provident, less turbulent, and more faithful to family obligations than -those in large cities. They, above all others, should not be judged by -appearances: by that cold and lifeless indifference which characterizes -them. Hence it is that they are so little understood, even by those who -come into closest contact with them. -</p> -<p> -In order to win them, you must attack them boldly. Promote concurrence -toward some benevolent object, by grouping your men together, so that they -may not feel isolated. Then they will take courage, and will get to -understand that it is no disgrace to practise religious duties; or, at -least, that in attending to them, they are in fair and goodly company. -</p> -<p> -To that end, organize a society of St. Vincent de Paul; or, should one -exist already, develop it still further. It is no longer allowable that a -small town, or even a village, should be without a branch of that -institution. The attempt has succeeded in many hamlets; and, surely, there -is no inhabited locality so unfortunate as not to possess at least three -zealous Christians. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_60">{60}</a></span> -If so, they must be created forthwith; otherwise, what are we good for? -Have also a Society of Saint Francis Xavier, and an Apprentices -Association. Occupy yourself chiefly with the men; leave the faithful flock -in order to seek after the lost sheep; and, above all, let it not be said -of you as it is said of certain small towns, that <i>religion there is -engrossed with the distaff</i>. -</p> -<br> - <h3><i>The People in Rural Districts. </i></h3> -<p> -The people in the country are the reverse of the people in large cities. -There, every thing moves slowly. Results are tardily obtained, but they are -more durable. -</p> -<p> -The peasant is bound to routine; he is diffident, dissembling, susceptible, -cunning, and somewhat avaricious. -</p> -<p> -Above all others, usage and custom are a law to him. He never risks any -thing novel, or trusts to new faces, but with reserve. He possesses few -ideas; but those he has he adheres to as tenaciously as he does to his -little bit of land. -</p> -<p> -He seldom comes straight to the point; he is incapable of saying yes or no -frankly, and he must be very acute who can penetrate his thoughts. He will -listen to you, and appear to approve all you say; but in fact, he disagrees -with you. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_61">{61}</a></span> -He has, moreover his grain of vanity; why should he not? Is he not a child -of Adam, like the rest of mankind? Has he not, like them, preserved the -tradition of his noble origin? -</p> -<p> -Hence he is prouder of being mayor of his <i>commune</i>, or an officer in -the National Guard, than either a prefect or a marshal of France is of his -dignity. And as regards deference, no man is more exacting than a peasant -who has risen to the rank mayor, or become an enriched shopkeeper. -</p> -<p> -Lastly, the peasant does not possess much acquired knowledge; but he makes -up for the deficiency by consummate shrewdness. He must be a sharp person -indeed, who can overreach him where money is concerned; unless he can -manage to play upon his credulity or his dread of spells and witchcraft. -</p> -<p> -Nothing can be more perverse, more astute, or more cunning than an old -peasant of Normandy or Lorraine. He will expend more craft in disposing of -an unsound horse than our diplomats would in formulating one of those -protocols destined to preserve the balance of power in Europe. He will -haggle for half-an-hour to gain sixpence on a sheep which he wants to buy -or to sell. In other respects, the peasant is generally good-natured, -laborious, sober, full of good sense, and religious as well as moral, up to -a certain point; were it not for the public house. His life is capable of -easy adaptation to precepts of the Gospel. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_62">{62}</a></span> -<p> -In order to lead him, you must first secure his confidence, take hold of -him by his better side, or even by his weak side—which is, his vanity. -Ought we not to become little with the little, that we may save all? -</p> -<p> -But the best way of gaining that confidence is to do him a good turn. The -peasant, undoubtedly, relishes kind words, but he likes kindly actions -still better; and therein I agree with him. -</p> -<p> -In other respects, he is by no means exacting. A little forethought on his -behalf, a little politeness, a salutation, a manifestation of interest, or -a trifling present to his child, will be enough to open his heart, and to -make him well-disposed. -</p> -<p> -When he is bent on doing a thing, never oppose him directly, otherwise he -will become restive and obstinate; and if you attempt to lead him to the -right, he will show a malicious pleasure in going to the left. Beware still -more of pushing him to extremes; for he may become obstreperous, spiteful, -pitiless, and perchance atrocious. Take the peasant by the heart; for, -after all, it is the most healthy part of the community generally. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_63">{63}</a></span> -<br> - <h3><i>On the Way of doing some little Good to these Three - Classes of the People.</i></h3> -<p> -Such are the people, with whom we have to deal, and who need to be restored -to vital Christianity; seeing that they are, unfortunately, sadly deficient -in practical religion, and their manner of life is often far removed from -evangelical morality. Still, let us beware of judging that the religious -sentiment is extinct among them. The people in France are naturally -Christian. There is more religion in the little finger of the people than -in the superb bodies of our <i>demi-savants</i>. -</p> -<p> -The people, I say, are still capable of comprehending and of appreciating -religion; and whenever their hearts are brought into contact with the -Gospel, they allow themselves to be penetrated, ruled, elevated by its -influence. Look at them in the presence of a preacher who speaks to the -souls of his hearers. Their attention is suddenly riveted, their -countenances become animated, their eyes glisten. They listen with an -attention and good-will, which one often wishes to see in the most pious -audiences. They welcome without a frown the severest truths, and even -applaud those passages which bear most against themselves. -</p> -<p> -Those are, therefore, mistaken who think that religion has no longer any -influence over the masses. It is true that at first, owing to the -prejudices and sarcasms of a past age, the cassock is a scarecrow to -certain classes. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_64">{64}</a></span> -They begin by suspecting. But when the same persons come to know the priest -well, when they are once won over by his address, there is no man in the -world—neither tribune, nor popular orator, nor demagogue—who ever -acquires so powerful a hold over them. It is on that very account that -those who distrust the clergy express their apprehensions, and say:—"Their -influence is excessive; their preaching should be interdicted; otherwise -they may proceed to abuse it, and then we shall all be upset." -</p> -<p> -This ascendency is often obtained over the most stubborn and vicious. -Condemned felons, despite their vices and their crimes, have been amazed to -find themselves amenable to its power. Those who had been confided to the -mission of Toulon, remarked:—"How strange it is that we who require armed -soldiers to make us obey, nevertheless cheerfully do whatever the priests -bid us!" And when the mission referred to terminated, no less than 2800 of -the prisoners partook of the holy communion. -</p> -<p> -No, the people are not so much estranged from God and Christianity as is -thought. We were made to understand each other; but evil passions have -interposed between us and them. They still possess good sense and an inward -instinct which draws them toward religion. They feel their need of it, -because they feel the need of hope. Religion belongs preeminently to them; -they are linked to it by their sympathies. Let us, moreover, do them this -justice: they, the people, did not give up religious practices till long -after the other classes. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_65">{65}</a></span> -They held out for more than a century. Errors and scandals descended upon -them from a sphere above them, yet they did not succumb. The churches were -closed to them, their priests were driven away, even their God was hunted, -yet they did not yield. They were pursued even into their cottages, their -huts, and their workshops with licentious books and pamphlets, and they -resisted still. -</p> -<p> -At length, religion was covered with ridicule, the mantle of derision was -thrown over it, as it was over Christ, and they were bade in scorn to -behold their religion! Then they gave way. … But the crash did not come -till 1830, as the whole world can testify. The people were assailed on -their weak side, with taunts and sneers which they were the least capable -of withstanding. -</p> -<p> -But though deficient in evangelical morality, religious sentiment has still -clung to them. As a pious and illustrious prelate, [Footnote 9] who knows -the people well, who loves them, and is beloved in return, remarked to the -Emperor, on his way to Moulins:—"I thank your Majesty for having -understood that the French nation, left to its natural tendencies, -preserves the character of the most Christian nation, and that, in spite of -many rude shocks, the faith of their fathers is the first want of their -hearts." -</p> -<p class="footnote"> - [Footnote 9: Monseigneur de Dreux-Brézé, Bishop of Moulins.] -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_66">{66}</a></span> -<p> -A dignitary of religion is always venerated by the people. They run to see -him and to solicit his benediction. -</p> -<p> -The visits of Monseigneur the late Archbishop of Paris to the faubourgs, -tenanted by a population regarded as the most irreligious and immoral of -the capital, may be adduced in illustration of this statement. Crowds of -men and women flocked to him, bent under his paternal hand, and held up -their squalid and half naked children to receive his blessing. In like -manner, they brought him from all sides chaplets, images, and medals; while -those who did not possess such pious articles brought halfpence, that he -might bless them; and these they afterward preserved as sacred relics. -</p> -<p> -The same soothing influence followed the devout prelate in the streets, the -workshops, and the public places. His words had a magic effect everywhere -among those hardened and redoubtable denizens of the faubourgs. -</p> -<p> -It was in a quarter as poor in spiritual as in temporal things that an -immense crowd thronged to him, and like the Good Shepherd—like the blessed -Saviour—unwilling to send them away fasting, that is, without a few -affectionate words, he mounted some steps, and stood on a landing, which -served him for a pulpit. Among the crowd was a group of those men who are -at perpetual war with society, keepers of smoking-dens, and worse places -too; blacklegs, and setters-up of barricades. They looked at him without -removing their caps, and with a sneer on their lips. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_67">{67}</a></span> -<p> -No sooner had the prelate begun to speak than there was silence. As he -proceeded, one cap was doffed, then two or three more, and soon all heads -were bared, in accordance with the rules of French politeness. When the -sermon was ended, these men shouted louder than the rest:—"Vive -Monseigneur! Vive la Religion!" -</p> -<p> -It cannot be denied that the manners of the people are often painful in the -extreme; but, then, they have so little to fall back upon, and are -surrounded by so many temptations. Ignorance frets them, debauchery -degrades them, and, besides, having constantly to struggle against the -pinchings of want, it is not surprising that they become, as it were, -linked to a necessity which weighs upon them so heavily. -</p> -<p> -Even we, with all our education, our science, the superior moral atmosphere -which we breathe,—are we always blameless? When the people look above -them, do they always find good examples in the higher classes of society? -What would you have them think when they see men who ought to be patterns -of virtue, when they see, to use their own expression, <i>respectable -scoundrels</i>, with money in their hands and lying words on their lips, -endeavoring to seduce their wives or their daughters? -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_68">{68}</a></span> -<p> -Nevertheless, they have not lost the courage of truthfulness: a rare thing -nowadays. They have still moral energy enough to condemn themselves, to -condemn their own mode of life, and to admit that they are wrong-doers. A -notorious reprobate, after hearing a sermon, remarked to his companion: -"All right; religion, after all, is not such a humbug as it has been -represented." Scarcely any but the people retain such ingenuousness. -Elsewhere the truth is not relished, is not recognized, is rather thrust -aside as an intruder. Where, I should like to know, among other classes, -will you hear the admission:—"I am misled; I am in the wrong?" -</p> -<p> -The people scarcely ever attempt to justify their failings by reasoning, or -to reduce their vices to a system; for there exists in them a sense of -justice and integrity which, when they are calm, leads them to confess that -they are unworthy to live. -</p> -<p> -A man [Footnote 10] who was in the habit of mixing with the least moral -class in Paris, relates that he one day had the following conversation with -the father of a family whose union had not been blessed by religion. -</p> -<p class="footnote"> - [Footnote 10: M. Gossin, <i>Manuel de la Société - de Saint-François Régis</i>, p. 143.] -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_69">{69}</a></span> -<p> -"I must apologize," he remarks, "for reproducing this colloquy in all its -original crudity; but I shall invent nothing; I shall merely repeat what -was actually said by both parties the first time this <i>argmnentum ad -hominem</i> was employed. -</p> -<p> -"'I regret to find that we cannot understand each other. What! you persist -in maintaining that in seducing the woman at your side eighteen years ago -you did nothing wrong?' -</p> -<p> -"'Nothing at all. I am an honest man; I have never stolen nor committed -murder. I was rather gay when young; but there is no harm in that. As to -the woman, I did not compel her. Why did she allow herself to be enticed?' -</p> -<p> -"'Let us speak on another subject. … Are all these your children?' -</p> -<p> -"No, sir; we have another at home, a young lass named Seraphine.' -</p> -<p> -"'I am sorry you have not produced her. I should have been very glad to see -her.' -</p> -<p> -"'It is very civil of you to say so, sir.' -</p> -<p> -"'Is she grown-up?' -</p> -<p> -"'Tolerably: she is twelve years old. She is getting on nicely with the -Sisters, which is very satisfactory. She sews well already, and is a -promising girl.' -</p> -<p> -"'Your boys here are comely and well-behaved, and do credit to the mother's -care.' -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_70">{70}</a></span> -<p> -"'Yes, it cannot be denied that what she does for them she does thoroughly. -She keeps them well washed, and one hears nothing in the morning but "let -me comb you; let me wash you." You should see how she souses and scrubs -them.' -</p> -<p> -"'Is Seraphine as comely as her brothers?' -</p> -<p> -"'Do you hear that, missis? What a goose you are; won't you answer? Well, I -will decide for both. On my honor, Seraphine is better looking than any in -this house, though we have eighteen lodgers, who have a jolly lot of -damsels among them of all shades.' -</p> -<p> -"'(Then looking fixedly at the man)—'In two or three years, Seraphine, who -is still a child, will be a very attractive and modest young woman, and she -will be a comfort to you. … But what would you say if a working-man, -doing as you did by her mother, should seduce and dishonor the poor girl?' -</p> -<p> -"He sprang up almost beside himself, and said:— -'What should I say? I would say nothing; but I would murder the villain who -dared to inveigle my daughter.' -</p> -<p> -"'You would be wrong; for the man, according to what you yourself have just -said, would be, in your opinion, a perfect man; for he would neither have -killed, nor stolen, nor forced your daughter. He could only be charged with -having wished to amuse himself a little; which you say is not a crime. -</p> -<p> -"Still beside himself with rage, he said:—'Nevertheless, I would murder -the wretch.' -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_71">{71}</a></span> -<p> -"'But, my friend, recall to mind what you have done yourself, and then -judge.' -</p> -<p> -"With tears in his eyes, and pressing the hand of his interlocutor, he -said:—'Forgive me, sir; I lied to myself when I said what I did. I was -boasting just as many others of us do; but I am better than my stupid -speeches.' -</p> -<p> -"I may add, as a characteristic trait of the human heart, that after this -dialogue, the father's emotion at seeing his faults placed naked before him -was so strong, that he was seized with a fever which lasted several days; -that he subsequently thanked me most warmly for having opened his eyes; and -that I have now reason to believe in his complete and sincere conversion." -</p> -<p> -Are we certain that we should find the same frankness and courage -elsewhere? -</p> -<p> -The people, notwithstanding the bravado common to their class, deplore -their failings, and if intimate with them, you will often hear them -expressing their regret in some such style as this:—"Pity me, for I am -most wretched. Do you think it does not make me uncomfortable to see my -wife and children miserable, and to know that I am the cause of their -misery? I have made good resolutions a thousand times over, and have broken -them as often. My passions and my habits have become so inveterate that I -am unable to resist them." … They are right; for left to themselves they -will never be able to persevere in well-doing. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_72">{72}</a></span> -They need the aid of religion, which ought to be afforded them, and which -is by no means an impracticable task. Let us hear no more of those -incessant excuses that nothing can be done with them on that score. -</p> -<p> -Away with all discouragement! Away with all despair! Those who indulge in -such feelings do us infinite mischief. They are a most dangerous class in -our midst; they will do nothing themselves, and will not allow others to do -any thing. They try to prevent all good by ceaselessly repeating:—"It will -never succeed. … There are so many obstacles to be encountered. … It is -headstrong to attempt it." -</p> -<p> -This is one of the most hideous sores of the -age. Such men accuse others, and yet never seem to reflect that despair is -the greatest possible crime in the sight of God. -</p> -<p> -Nothing can be done with the French people! What, then, have we come to? We -admit that something can be done for felons in the hulks, for the pagan -Chinese, for American savages, for the cannibals of Oceania. We believe it, -for we send them help and missionaries; and yet nothing can be done for our -France, for the nation beloved of God and His Church, which sheds its blood -and spends its gold for the conversion of the infidels, and where so many -heroic virtues still exist! -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_73">{73}</a></span> -It is a calumny against France. In order to justify your own neglect, you -slander your brethren, you expose your ignorance of your country, you -ignore the power of the Gospel and the virtue of the Cross. … Know, then, -that we may yet regenerate the people. … Yes, we can, and if we cannot we -ought, for it is a sacred duty; and he who does not discharge his own duty -in that respect, has no right to give an opinion about the duty of others. -</p> -<p> -But what are the means which should be employed to bring the people nearer -to the Gospel? -</p> -<p> -Religion must first be exhibited to them as it really is—beautiful, good, -and lovely; and then you may hold it up to them as true, divine, and -obligatory. You must first attract them by the senses and the imagination, -by sentiment, and by the heart. The people like to be interested, touched, -moved. They are fond of sentiment, of festivals, and shows. After a week -spent in absorbing material drudgery their poor souls require the breath of -the Divine word to animate and cheer them. To them especially religion -should be "glad tidings"—should bring them mental repose, refreshment, and -peace. We should set out by making them to feel, to love, and to bless; -instead of which we begin with reasoning, and end with the same. We have a -mania, a rage for reasoning; but make the people love first, then you may -reason, and will be understood. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_74">{74}</a></span> -<p> -I say that in order to make religion lovely in the eyes of the people, you -should exhibit it under its most attractive aspect. Point out the good -which it does on all sides, to orphans, to children and their parents, to -the forsaken, to the people themselves, their wives, their daughters, and -their fathers. Appeal to their good sense and to their heart. Ask: "Is it -not true? I refer the decision to your own judgment." Say to the people, -but with overflowing affection:—"My dear friends, do what you will, you -will never find a better resource than religion; religion will always be -your best stay. … When you have spent your all, when the world will have -nothing more to do with you, when your bodies shall be worn out by old age -and sickness, when from dread of you men will flee from you as from a -contagion, you will still find by your bedside a priest or a sister of -charity to care for you and to bless you." [Footnote 11] -</p> -<p class="footnote"> - [Footnote 11: <i>Le Manuel de Charité</i>.] -</p> -<p> -But in order to make religion beloved, you must secure some love for the -priest also; for the people confound our cause with that of God. In their -estimation, religion is what the priest is; and if they do not love the -one, they will hardly entertain any love for the other. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_75">{75}</a></span> -<p> -The priest, then, should appear to them surrounded with a halo of charity. -He must make himself known; he will always gain by being known. He has been -depicted in such dark colors that a true view of him will effectually -remove many prejudices, and give occasion to the oft-recurring remark:— -"Would that all priests were like this one." -</p> -<p> -But if the people no longer come to us, we must go to them. We don't mind -going after the heathen of America and Asia; we cross the seas to get at -them; whereas there are in our midst—in our workshops, our cottages, and -throughout the country—tens of thousands, perhaps millions, of practical -pagans. We know this well, we confess it, we deplore it, and yet we -hesitate to cross the distance which separates us from them! Poor French -souls! Can it, indeed, be that you are not of so much value as the souls of -Chinese? -</p> -<p> -To come to us the people must know the value, the necessity of religion. -But do they entertain any such idea? Surrounded as they have been with so -many passions and prejudices, is it surprising that they are now insensible -and mistrustful? Should we be better than they if we had breathed the same -pestiferous atmosphere? If they are weak in the faith, it is our duty to -pity them, according to the apostolic injunction:—"We that are strong -ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves." -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_76">{76}</a></span> -<p> -But one replies:—"I cannot go to the people, for I don't know what to say -to them, how to address them." Well, I will tell you. The best way of -winning them, and others too, is to know how to listen. That is one of the -greatest talents in the direction of human affairs. The man to whom you -have listened attentively will always go away satisfied with himself, and -with you also. -</p> -<p> -You do the people good by the bare fact of listening to them. Let them, -therefore, complain and talk nonsense to their hearts content. Overlook -their errors, prejudices, outbursts of passion, and their profanities, too. -Let them discharge all the gall which is in their hearts, and then they -will be far more tractable. They will tell you that they have no time to -practise religious duties; that they have no need of religion; that it is -enough to be honest; that they don't believe in another life; that -Providence is unjust, bestowing all the comforts on one class, and all the -miseries on the other. You may also expect to meet with opprobious -personalities. They will tell you that priests are just like other men; -that they only work when they are paid, and so forth. Overlook all such -remarks; they are enemies which are taking their departure, and you will -have fewer to encounter. Hear all, and be not disconcerted at any thing -that you hear; on the contrary, after such an explosion, redouble your -kindness, assail the heart where your attack is least expected, sympathize -cordially with them, give them a hearty shake of the hand, and on leaving -say with candor:—"Well, well, I perceive that there is good in you. At all -events, you are frank, and I like frankness. You are not as bad as you -think. I will call again to-morrow and have another chat with you." In this -way you may baffle the most diabolical ill-will. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_77">{77}</a></span> -<p> -Then, when a friendly footing has been established, you may refer to the -most salient objections and errors, and your words will be like so many -gleams of light. Who knows but that the individuals themselves will not be -the first to say:—"I know what you are referring to; but make yourself -easy on that score, for <i>much that I said the other day was in order to -get rid of you</i>." -</p> -<p> -Occasionally you will have to deal with a blunt and surly character. Ask -such an one, in an affectionate manner, after he has expended his curses -and oaths:—"Is that all that you have to urge against religion and -society? It is all you know, perhaps; but I could tell you a great deal -more. You have forgotten this and overlooked that," till at length he will -be induced to say:—"I perceive that you are bantering me;" and he will -never afterward repeat his objections or his imprecations. -</p> -<p> -But, good God! why are we so much startled and horrified when we hear such -profanities? It is the very way to increase the evil. Are we ignorant of -what a man is who is vicious, or ignorant, or passionate? -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_78">{78}</a></span> -Does he always know the drift of his words? The man of the present age has -a special claim to the pardon which the Saviour prayed for on the cross. -Besides, the profane man is not always so far from God as is thought; such -an one is not the most difficult of conversion. A very witty man, speaking -of another whose restoration to religion has since gladdened the Church, -remarked:—"I begin to have hope of him; for when one talks about -Christianity to him he is annoyed, and blasphemes." We have the besetting -foible of readily believing those who tell us that they have no faith. They -must, indeed, regard us as most credulous simpletons when they see us -approach them with a cart-load of argument to prove to them what they -already know as well as we do, or what they would know if their poor hearts -were a little less diseased. -</p> -<p> -Here, again, we see that charity must initiate and direct our efforts. As -to subsequent measures, if you would win over the people, if you would -acquire an irresistible influence over them, busy yourself in what concerns -them, and be unremitting in your care of their poor. I will even go so far -as to say, make a semblance of taking this interest in them, and you will -gain a great ascendency over them, your words will have a magic effect upon -them, and they will be ready to overlook every thing else in you, even the -fact of your being a priest. … This is a subject deserving the serious -consideration of those who have a hearty desire to labor for the salvation -of souls. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_79">{79}</a></span> -<p> -A priest enters a workshop, say, of gunsmiths. On perceiving the cassock, -those blackened figures immediately become blacker still. They purposely -turn their backs, in order to give him no inducement to address them, and -should he do so, the reply is generally a curt "Yes, sir," uttered in as -dry and morose a tone as possible. He walks through the establishment, and -meets everywhere with a similar reception. Meanwhile, one of the workmen -whispers something to the foreman, which the priest fancies may be a -suggestion for his immediate expulsion; but he is speedily reassured. What -passed is transmitted from one group to another, and suddenly the -countenances and hearts of all undergo a change. Instead of turning their -backs, the workmen now move sideways, as if to invite a colloquy as the -visitor moves along, and before he utters a word, they all stand ready, -with cap in hand, to welcome his address. The men become at once polite, -amiable, charming—Frenchmen, in fact, in the best meaning of the word. -The whispered sentence was the sacramental saying of the poor:—"This -priest is kind to the unfortunate; he loves the people; he is not a proud -man." O wondrous power of charity! how little art thou understood? and yet -thou canst thus tame even the most unruly! We hear much on all sides about -the best means of enlightening and reforming the people, and of preventing -them from harboring envy and hatred. What is really required to that end -is, as we have been endeavoring to show, the exercise of charity. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_80">{80}</a></span> -<p> -But, further, would you acquire an unlimited sway over the people? Would -you exert a divine power over them? Become poor, and live in an humble -dwelling. Herein I no longer insist on duties and obligations; I merely -give the counsels of charity, and the reader may, if he pleases, skip over -the next few lines. Yes, unfurnish your house for the poor; send your -silver plate, if you have any, to the money changer; send your fauteuils -and your couches to the fancy warehouse; give one of your mattresses to him -who has none; send your clock to the pawnbroker, and let your watch go and -exchange places with it occasionally. Contend for your left-off clothes and -linen with your old housekeeper, who will threaten to be seriously vexed if -you attempt <i>to rob</i> her of her perquisites. Accustom yourself to -privations. Have a room like that of the Cardinal Cheverus: a small table -and a chair constituted the furniture, a truck bedstead covered with a -light mattress formed his couch, and the most miserable room in his palace -was that which he chose to occupy. [Footnote 12] -</p> -<p class="footnote"> - [Footnote 12: <i>Vie du Cardinal</i>, p. 316.] -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_81">{81}</a></span> -<p> -Do this, and then speak and act, and you will be listened to, believed, -blessed, worshipped. Your heart will overflow with joy, so much so that you -may be induced to say:—"I fear lest I am receiving my reward here, and -that none awaits me in heaven." -</p> -<p> -Such voluntary poverty not only impresses the people, it exercises also a -powerful influence on the highest intellects, transforming and disposing -them to acknowledge the truth. -</p> -<p> -A person who had taken a prominent part in public affairs made the -following remarks after an interview with an eminently pious man:—"What -most impressed me was not his language, which, nevertheless, was powerful -and keen; but it was his furniture, his wretched pallet, his three rush -chairs and rickety table—all which formed a most appropriate frame, so to -speak, to his anchorite figure. I returned home saying:—'I have seen -something divine.'" These are the ways of doing good which cost little, and -are within the reach of every one. -</p> -<p> -But to return. As I was remarking, the priest must be known and loved, in -order that, through him, religion may be known and loved. To attain this, -let him first appear to the people as <i>full of grace</i>, and afterward -as <i>full of truth</i>. Let love precede truth, and then the latter will enter -into the heart as into its own domain. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_82">{82}</a></span> -Argument must be avoided, lest we drive the man of the people to the -miserable vanity of setting himself up as an enemy to Christianity. Above -all, we must be on our guard against humiliating any one; for it is very -easy to reduce a man to silence by a witticism, or to make him fall into -inconsistency when he is not a Christian. With the reason of God it is -always possible to nonplus the reasoning of men. -</p> -<p> -In a word, we should consult our hearts much, and our heads only a little. -Yes, let us love the poor people, who have been so little loved during -their lives. Are not the people the most notable part of our family? I mean -of the priest's family; for we have no other to love. It is true that we do -not find its members very amiable at first; but we soon get attached to -them: we even become enthusiastic about them, and experience a sincere -pleasure in associating with those dear <i>mauvais sujets</i>. Especially -must we bear with the weak, with the smoking flax and the bruised reed. We -must have a kindly word for all: a smile for this one, a salutation for -that one, a picture for the little child of the more depraved. That child -will love us; the mother will like nothing better than to do the same, and -perchance the father may follow. … In a word, we must bring into play all -the assiduities and the holy wiles of charity. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_83">{83}</a></span> -<p> -I conceive that the blessed Saviour lived and acted in this way, in the -midst of that wicked nation which put him to death. He began by doing good -—<i>coepit facere</i>; and then He taught—<i>docere</i>. He healed, He -comforted, He pitied, He ate with sinners, He took the part of the guilty -woman, He deplored the impending ruin of His country. -</p> -<p> -Seize every opportunity of mixing with the people and of showing them -kindness; even those who seem the least promising. Are not all a source of -good to those who love? -</p> -<p> -You are a priest, and in walking along hear some one imitating the cry of a -raven. Such an occurrence is less frequent now, but it happens -occasionally. You recognize a human voice, for you hear the accompanying -remark:—"It will be foul weather today, and some misfortune will befall -us, for the ravens are on the wing." Take no notice of the ill-nature, and -do not assume a proud or disdainful demeanor. It is vulgar to do so, and by -no means Christian. The first chance comer could do no more. But, with a -gracious smile on your countenance, and fervent charity in your heart, and, -above all, avoiding anything like irony, accost the man somewhat in this -style:—"So, my friend, it seems to amuse you to cry like a raven. I am -glad of it. There is so little enjoyment in the world that I am gratified -to have given you a moment's pleasure. Besides, you are quite right; our -dress is as black as the raven. Nevertheless, if you knew us well, you -would discover that we are not as bad as our dress is black. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_84">{84}</a></span> -But, what are you doing here?" This will lead to conversation, explanations -will follow, a good understanding and mutual esteem will be the result, and -you will take leave of each other with a hearty shake of the hand. Thus, an -embittered spirit may be restored to calm and to a better judgment; you -will have made a friend yourself, and perhaps gained one over to God; for -who can tell to what a favorable issue such simple beginnings may lead? God -be praised! many souls have been reclaimed to religion and to society by -similar means. -</p> -<p> -I must forewarn you, however, that success will not always attend your -efforts. You will often encounter obstacles, and even opprobrium; but what -then? To a Christian, that will not be the worst feature in the case. -Thereby, in the first place, you will learn to be more a man; for one who -has never known strife and conflict, victory and defeat, is not a man: he -has not lived: he does not know himself, he does not know others; he is -ignorant of the science of life. He is an imperfect man: a man who has come -short of manhood: because he has never fallen back upon himself to discover -the treasures which Providence has hidden there. He will never be a man to -initiate, or a man of action. It is only obstacles and contests which form -useful as well as great men. There is, somehow, a most unreasonable -tendency in us always to be sure of success; and yet our blessed Lord -expired in anguish, He. . . . -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_85">{85}</a></span> -<p> -As to jeers and sarcasms, you may fully reckon on them. Occasionally, -moreover, you will be made to act the part of a dupe or ninny. So much the -better; such experience will serve as a useful counterpoise to our natural -arrogance. Such things are trifles compared with what our missionaries have -to endure among the infidels. They brave the sword, and we are afraid of -needles' points, and call our fear prudence. But why this dread of being -derided? Can it be that we are ignorant of the French people? Are we not -aware that they must banter or ridicule some one, even though it be a -benefactor? What else can we expect? It is their nature; but they are -sterling at bottom. Join, then, to all your other benevolent actions, that -of allowing them occasionally to sneer at you. Should an opportunity offer, -say to them, in the words of St. Chrysostom:—"I give you leave to turn me -into ridicule; I will forgive all the evil which you may say of me, on the -express condition that you become less wicked and less unhappy." Here, -then, we have another means of touching the heart; for even revilers will -find it difficult to help loving one who thus throws himself upon their -mercy, and sacrifices self for their welfare. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_86">{86}</a></span> -<p> -A priest who was in the habit of visiting prisons, acting like a clever -man, generally addressed the most obstinate of the inmates, and made it a -point to enter into conversation with the groups which appeared to be the -most vicious and ill-disposed, knowing that if these were converted the -rest would probably follow. He was specially gracious to the more impious, -so much so that the remark was often made to him by one and -another:—"Don't you remember that it was I who abused you the other day?" -"Of course I do," he replied; "but do you imagine that I care for abuse? On -the contrary, I consider myself rather lucky when I get a good round of it, -and feel to like the abuser the more. Besides, I was fully convinced that -you were better than your language might lead one to believe." When he -retired, the observation was frequently made:—"There's a priest unlike the -rest. He acts up to his religion. I don't know but that I shall confess to -him;" and the veiled intent was often carried into practice. Act in this -way, and you will be loved more and more; and when men have learned to love -the servant on earth, they may perchance learn to love his Master who is in -heaven. -</p> -<p> -This done, you will have made a good beginning, and you must persevere by -presenting religion under its most attractive aspect. Generally, however, -religion has been exhibited to the people in a manner which imposes too -great a restraint on individual liberty. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_87">{87}</a></span> -<p> -We should talk less about what religion forbids, and a little more of the -benefits which it imparts. Don't be always saying:—"Religion forbids this, -and that, and the other thing;" for you will turn the people against it, -and will be charged with insisting on what is impossible. We Frenchmen are -very children of Adam—and of Eve too. It is quite enough for a thing to be -forbidden to induce us to do it. We have a ravenous taste for the forbidden -fruit. For instance, a man curses and swears in your presence. Don't tell -him that it is a sin, an abominable habit; for he will then take a -malicious pleasure in repeating his profanity. Tell him rather that it is -unseemly, that it is vulgar, that it shows bad taste, and he will abstain; -for all, even the most depraved, wish to be thought well brought up. Let us -therefore talk less of vices and more of virtues. -</p> -<p> -Let us now suppose that you are brought in contact with a crafty and -narrow-minded class of persons. Disconcert all their manoeuvres by a -straight forward and sincere address, and by a still more frank demeanor, -always combined with discretion. Then there will be no gratification in -deceiving you. Above all, never resort to underhand measures, and carefully -avoid slander. The people hate them: and God and His truth have no need of -a secret police. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_88">{88}</a></span> -<p> -When you have to deal with an egotistical and slanderous set, never speak -of egotism or slander; but scatter love broadcast among them, make the good -chords of their hearts vibrate, filling them with the holy palpitations of -charity toward their brethren. Thus slander and egotism will vanish, -according to the saying of St. François de Sales:—"When there is a fire in -the house, every thing is thrown out through the windows." -</p> -<p> -In large cities, where the people are quick, bustling, and petulant, your -speech should be lively, frank, bold, winning, and irresistible, that it -may cause their hearts to thrill with emotion, and excite their interest by -occasionally drawing a smile from them. In small towns, on the contrary, be -less bold and more circumspect, and let it be your first aim to acquire the -confidence of the people. Study your ground well, the prevailing -prejudices, and even the local routine. -</p> -<p> -Novelties often engender distrust. To gain currency for them, you must -secure the affections of your charge, and soar above petty ideas and -feelings. Be impassible and kind in the midst of the puerile interests -which surround you. Be just, for the people love justice: they even love a -severe man who is just; how much more, then, will they regard such an one -if he is benevolent also? Confidence once restored, go to the main point; -stir up men's consciences, appeal to the better part of human nature, and -throw routine overboard. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_89">{89}</a></span> -Bring religion into close contact with those hearts which seem so cold, and -you will witness things unknown to those who believe these people to be -indifferent or hostile, simply because, as is often the case, the people in -small towns are not known. They are looked at too near, they are judged by -the exterior, and almost always by those characteristics wherein they clash -against ourselves. -</p> -<p> -There is another reason why you should keep aloof from the -narrow-mindedness above mentioned. One frequents certain excellent families -of the locality who are devoutly inclined and are munificent to the Church. -There is no harm in that; but it often happens that these worthy persons -have rather contracted views, and are not altogether exempt from petty -passions. They are fond of hearing and repeating some ill-natured gossip, -or the least edifying news of the day; and as we are all apt to acquire -some of the ideas of those with whom we associate, one comes at length to -look at things with their eyes, and finally adopts some such style as -this:—"My parish is this, my parish wishes that;" whereas, if matters were -closely analyzed, it would turn out that the alleged wish of the parish is -confined to a few of those aforesaid pious souls. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_90">{90}</a></span> -<p> -The next false step is to adopt a self-conceited course of action and of -religious teaching, wholly irrespective of the Catholic Church: nothing is -thought of what may be done elsewhere. "Success can only be achieved in -such a way," becomes the expression of this self-sufficiency; while those -who fall into it grow exclusive and empirical, and forget that, thanks be -to God, the ways of doing good are multifarious, and among them such as are -suited to all dispositions and characters. Nay, it will be fortunate if -this conceit does not assume to have done all that could be done, and to -deny the possibility of others doing better or more. Happy indeed is the -man who can truly bear such a testimony to himself! We war against -prejudices: let us therefore beware of entertaining any ourselves, for they -are not the easiest enemies to be dislodged. Yes, we sometimes -circumscribe, we confine the beautiful Catholic religion within the small -town where we ourselves reside; we recognize it there, and there only; it -is taught as it should be only there; no good can be done except what is -done there, whether that said small town be called Quimperlé or -Saint-Pierre-de-Chignac. -</p> -<p> -As regards the people in rural districts, who are dull, timid, susceptible, -and rather gross, you must strive to open out their souls in order that -religion may penetrate them. They are not over-exacting, not having been -spoilt on that score, and a very little attention satisfies them. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_91">{91}</a></span> -A token of good-will, a salutation, an act of politeness, a trifling gift -bestowed on their children, will suffice to attract them toward religion; -for, generally speaking, when it is properly presented to them, they are -attached to it: they love it, they are proud of their Church and of their -curé, and are ready to fight to prove that he is the most accomplished -priest in the kingdom. -</p> -<p> -The peasant must never be provoked or pushed to extremes. When he resists, -don't attack him in front, but turn the difficulty by laying hold of one of -his weaker points, some one of the good fibres of his heart; otherwise, the -more you talk and threaten the more he will consider it a duty not to -listen to you. Never be at variance with any one. The priest should have no -enemies, and should not be content while he has any. I do not like to hear -the remark: "That man is my enemy." Christ never said so; but He did -say:—"Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." -</p> -<p> -One of the most effectual ways of gaining over the peasant, as well as the -people generally, is to show great confidence in him, and to raise him in -his own eyes. Don't be chary either of encouragement or commendation when -he has but partially deserved them. Suppose him to be all that you could -wish; you will thereby pave the way to impart some useful truths to him. -Exalt his good qualities in his own estimation. He has fallen so low that -you need not be afraid of making him vain, or of raising him too high. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_92">{92}</a></span> -May you rather succeed in exalting him to heaven! Did not Christ come to -raise the fallen? Carrying about with him, as man does, the remembrance of -his noble origin, he finds it very hard to resign himself to being a -nonentity on the earth. For my part, I prefer a little vanity to the mania -of envy and hatred. -</p> -<p> -In this respect also, timidity has led to our passive cooperation with the -malevolent. We have suffered the people to be too much depressed. We have -allowed them to be practically told that they are nothing and the rich -every thing; that the lot of the disinherited poor is toil, misery, and -contempt; that of the rich, affluence, enjoyment, and honors. Rather raise -the people by telling them, in the accents of truth, that they are great in -the estimation of God and the Gospel; that they have their share of dignity -and honor, and have no cause to envy others.—"My friends, the rich have -their advantages and you have yours. They have their joys and so have you. -Beware of envying them. A good workman! why, such an one is the spoilt -child of Providence. You are mistaken in thinking that wealth alone brings -happiness. The rich happy, indeed! How can any one be led into such a -delusion? You know not what they have to suffer: their sufferings are -fearful; and if I wished to discover the most poignant sorrows on earth, I -should not knock at the hut or cottage to seek for them. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_93">{93}</a></span> -I should knock at the gates of those splendid mansions which adorn our -squares. It is there, behind those triple curtains, that I should find them -with their claws of iron embedded in broken hearts. … My friends, with a -stout heart and two strong arms you may be as deserving, as happy, as -great, as noble as any one." -</p> -<p> -But this must not only be said; the people must be treated in such a manner -that they may understand it. We must respect them much, in order that they -may learn to respect themselves; showing them always due deference: as, -indeed, we should show all men. In a word, we should practise, in our -dealings with the people, all the decorum and refined politeness of the -drawing-room; with greater sincerity, to boot. -</p> -<p> -For, indeed, they have more need of such treatment than others. As -manifested toward them it would be novel and efficacious; elsewhere it is -generally vain and barren. This kind of politeness charms and raises them -out of that moral degradation, the remembrance of which besets and weighs -them down. So treated they will cease to hate, to envy, or chafe; and will -learn to love, to be resigned, to have better aspirations: and, withal, -they will bless you. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_94">{94}</a></span> -<p> -The best way to direct, to benefit, and to reclaim the people to religion, -is to develop the good sentiments which lie dormant in the recesses of -hearts; the foremost of which is charity, or the spirit of self-sacrifice. -</p> -<p> -France is the home of charity: it exists among the high, the low, and the -middle classes. The people are naturally sympathizing. As already remarked, -it is a pleasure to see their readiness to oblige. The rich class are -charitable; but are they more so than the popular classes? I will not -judge; I prefer saying to all: "Well done; onward!" -</p> -<p> -If you wish to inspire a man of the people with good-feeling, calm, and a -love of the truth, prevail on him to perform a charitable act. Get him to -comfort or to relieve some one, even though you undertake to compensate him -for so doing. -</p> -<p> -When you meet with a hasty or passionate man, do not adopt the ill-timed -and absurd method of arguing with him. Is he capable of understanding you? -He is drunk with rage, and such intoxication is more terrible and -brutifying than that with wine. In attempting to argue with him, you are -like the woman who sermonizes her husband on his return home with his -reason drowned in liquor. -</p> -<p> -Rather take the man, and induce him to undertake an act of charity. Talk to -him about humanity, get him to help a fellow-creature, and after that you -will hardly recognize him as the same individual. That act of generosity -will transform him; will raise him in his own eyes, will give him holy -joys, will draw him toward God, will reconcile him to himself and to -humanity. God be praised for having brought down charity to our earth! It -blesses him who receives, and him who bestows it. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_95">{95}</a></span> -<p> -The people are specially capable of appreciating disinterestedness, the -spirit of self-devotion. It is their element, and constitutes the largest -share of their happiness. -</p> -<p> -But latterly they have been treated harshly and cruelly. Wants, -aspirations, and desires have been fostered in them which can never be -gratified, and their life has been poisoned thereby. -</p> -<p> -Much has been said about ameliorating their condition. So far well; but -that amelioration has been made to consist, in a great measure, of material -enjoyments, of more to eat and drink: in fact, of feasting. In former times -they lived on rye bread and were not unhappy. Now they have wheaten bread, -and meat with it, and even coffee; yet they complain and are not content. A -want should not be created among the people, unless there is a certainty of -its being amply and always provided for. -</p> -<p> -The people, however, are not always won over through their appetites; they -prefer being led by the nobler instincts of the human heart. They like what -is grand, what is costly, and what is obtained by great sacrifices. They -have not, in any degree, the <i>bourgeois</i> tastes, the <i>bourgeois</i> -petty calculations, the <i>bourgeois</i> love of little comforts. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_96">{96}</a></span> -They are much more disinterested than is thought. We must not attempt to -gain them over by their material interests solely: that would be to ruin -them and ourselves also; but, allowing them a due share of such -inducements, we should rely mainly on their generosity and devotedness; -for the people really admire great actions, great achievements, and the -great characters who bear sway over the destinies of mankind. They -entertain a species of worship for them; they refuse them no sacrifice. -They attach themselves to their good or evil fortune, and with them they -are always popular, always abiding. -</p> -<p> -The wars of the Revolution and of the Empire have weighed heavily upon -France, have levied the tax of blood on many families; nevertheless, the -name of the Emperor is still surrounded with a magic halo. Moreover, in the -east of France, the marches and counter-marches of armies, with two -successive invasions, have devastated the country, overburdened the -peasantry with imposts, and altogether ruined many of them. For all that, -enter any cottage there, and you will find the picture of Napoleon by the -side of the image of the Virgin. Even on the field of battle, amid showers -of shot and shell which decimated their ranks, the brave children of the -people exclaimed in death: "Vive l'Empereur!" Such are the French people at -heart: if there is a tendency in them to seek their own interests, there is -a tendency in them, equally strong, toward devotion and self-sacrifice. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_97">{97}</a></span> -<p> -If, then, you would give them a right guidance, speak to them of other than -petty ideas and material enjoyments: the more so, because, if you attempt -to win them over by such low motives, they will become insatiable; their -appetites will get the mastery over them and plunge them into every kind of -excess. Material enjoyments, indeed! It may be questioned whether France, -with all its fertility, and all the resources of its advanced civilization, -would suffice, in that case, to furnish their first repast. -</p> -<p> -In order to elevate, to control, and to satisfy this great colossus, the -people, you must be provided with something more than human, something -mysterious, surpassing human views and human reason; otherwise, you will -continue powerless, and will never bring about any moral improvement in the -world. -</p> -<p> -What has become of our great men, who trusted in man, who appealed to -reason only, however exalted that reason may have been? Where is now their -ascendency? Where the devotion which they have kindled? Where are the -masses who have clung to their good or evil fortune? They fall, and their -fall is regarded with indifference. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_98">{98}</a></span> -Even in prosperity, do they secure attachment? Do they acquire a permanent -sway over the hearts of men? Not in the least; respect, and esteem, and -even fidelity are meted out to them according to their characters, or -according to the benefits which they are judged to have conferred on us. -"That man is worth so much: he possesses so much learning, so much talent, -and may be so far profitable to me. He only deserves so much consideration; -I owe him nothing more." That is his account fully made up. A halo of -superhuman radiance should surround him who would govern the -masses—something divine, infinite, presaging immortality, heaven, hell, -eternity … otherwise, you will continue to have a degraded, besotted, or -savage people, a people who, in the country, are sunk in materialism, -encroach on their neighbor's field, or become the prey of usurers; who, -when their asses are diseased, will call in a veterinary surgeon, but will -let their wives suffer rather than pay a doctor to attend them; who will -weep over the break-down of one of their horses, but find no tears for the -death of an aged parent;—a people who, in towns, find all their pleasures -and happiness in rioting and debauchery; who are never well; who accuse -others of their sufferings; and who, after squandering their own substance, -appeal to others, with hate on their lips and a sword in their hands, -saying: "Now we will share with you." -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_99">{99}</a></span> -<p> -The best means of reclaiming them to religion is, first, to get possession -of their ideas, their instincts, and their good feelings. We must enter in -at their door, and make them go out by ours. Bind, rivet religious thought -to their thought—to those sentiments which cause their hearts to vibrate -most, and then elevate their souls; wean them from the prepossessions of -earth, from indifference and evil passions, and impart to them the joys of -religion and charity. -</p> -<p> -Take advantage of any occurrence, of any great event, of a fire, a -calamity, an illness. … A fire reduces a poor family to ruin, Appeal for -aid, placing yourself at the head of the movement, and the result will -surprise you. A laborer falls sick, and his fields remain untilled. Call -his fellow-laborers together, and they will be glad, they will forget their -own interest, to come to the assistance of their suffering comrade. The -people of France are not known; the spirit of self-sacrifice and generosity -which is in them is not known. It may require some great occasion to -develop it. Well, it is for you to bring it about. -</p> -<p> -For instance, you wish to restore a church or to build a new one, and -require a considerable sum of money for the purpose. So much the better; -out of that requirement, you may draw treasures of charity and religion. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_100">{100}</a></span> -<p> -Enter the pulpit and state your object; be like a father in the midst of -his family. Set the whole case before them, your fears, your hopes, your -need, and then add:—"We rely upon you. You will aid me, will you not? for -I shall take the lead, and this will be our church." -</p> -<p> -You will then witness how the old French and Christian enthusiasm may be -rekindled in the hearts of the people, insomuch that you will be tempted to -ask:—"Are we really in the nineteenth century? Are we not still in the -middle ages?" All will cooperate: the poor man will offer his two arms, -work men will give their day's labor, the agriculturists, if there be any, -will supply carts; this one will give money, another wood, a third stone; -here windows, and there ornaments will be presented. Who knows but that -some, who have never been accustomed to work, will offer to aid in the -building? The little <i>bourgeois Voltairien</i>, who has been known to -speak evil of God and of His curé, even he may wish to have a hand in the -erection of the church; so that all will thereby be brought nearer to God, -nearer to the truth, and nearer salvation. -</p> -<p> -Similar things have occurred in every part of France; though few have any -conception of the existence of such a spirit among the people. We have even -heard venerable pastors exclaim on witnessing it:—"I have held this parish -for twenty-five years without knowing of it. I could not have believed that -my parishioners had so much good in them." -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_101">{101}</a></span> -<p> -Haymon, abbé of Saint-Pierre-sur-Dives, [Footnote 13] tells us that in the -middle ages, kings and mighty men of the time, renowned and wealthy, nobles -of both sexes, stooped so low as to lay hold of the ropes attached to the -carts laden with provisions and materials for building churches, and drag -them to the house of God. And what appeared most astonishing was, that, -although owing to its size and heavy burden, the cart was sometimes drawn -by upward of a thousand persons, so profound was the silence maintained -that nobody's voice was heard above a whisper, and the eye alone could -recognize particular individuals in that vast multitude. -</p> -<p class="footnote"> - [Footnote 13: <i>Manuel de Charité</i>, p. 244.] -</p> -<p> -Similar spectacles may be witnessed again. Scenes akin to them occur -frequently in the least religious parts of the country, and under the most -adverse circumstances. One such took place during the present year at the -prison of St. Pélagie. -</p> -<p> -Two years ago, a new parish was formed in one of the most miserable -quarters of Paris, where the people were almost pagans. An appeal was made -to their charity, and five hundred francs, in <i>sous</i>, were collected -after the sermon. Moreover, the poor brought gifts of bread, and wished to -help in the erection of the church. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_102">{102}</a></span> -Two poor women brought the fire-wood which had been given to them by the -<i>Bureau de Bienfaisance</i>. Many brought their rings and wedding -presents. Working men clubbed together to ornament the church; and, what is -better still, now that it is built, they go there to pray. O people whom -Christ loved, how little are ye known! how little beloved! Ye would be -saved. … -</p> -<p> -To sum up: in order to benefit the people, they must be cared for; they -must be loved, must be made to love all that is good and great, and then -you may lead them where you will. Charity is popular in France. Above all, -succor the unfortunate; do so bountifully, and you will gain an ascendency -which nothing will be able to wrest from you. You may then defy the -criticisms of wits, of the press, and of hate, and retain possession of the -most glorious sovereignty in the world—that over the hearts of men. -</p> -<p> -We must insist, therefore, on the necessity of giving the people a right -direction; not the dry and cold direction of a metaphysical argument, or of -a sword's point, but a benevolent, sympathetic, devoted impulse. … We -have not busied ourselves as we ought about the people, about their moral -amelioration. We have abandoned them to the intriguing and ambitious, and -then we complain of and reproach them. Have they not as much reason to -murmur against and to upbraid us? The people are what they are made. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_103">{103}</a></span> -They are like those unclaimed lands which belong to the first occupant: -they are good or bad according as they are well or badly managed; and, -looking at the manner in which the people have progressed for the last ten -or twelve years, it would hardly seem that they have been under the -direction of honest men. What have we done? What masters have we given -them? To what school have we sent them? To the school of the tavern, the -liquor-vaults, and debauchery. And who have been the masters of this great -French people? Men over head and ears in debt, bankrupt tradesmen, -briefless barristers, peddling tipstaffs—such have been their educators; -and yet forsooth, we have the face to complain that they have been badly -brought up! What ought to surprise those who know the temptations and -allurements to which they have been exposed, and the kind of literature -which has been put into their hands—no less than eight millions of -mischievous books every year by colportage alone—is, not that the people -are so bad as they are, but that they are no worse. Their nature must be -good at bottom, and Christianity must still survive in their hearts, to -have withstood as they have done. I deplore the good which is ours no -longer; but I bless Providence for that which still subsists. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_104">{104}</a></span> -<p> -We have, in truth, played into the hands of designing and malevolent; for -when we have seen them set on the people, overwhelming them under a -crushing load of errors, prejudices, and antipathies, instead of taking -part in the contest, we have too often stood aloof, and contented ourselves -with the vain deprecation, uttered perhaps with a smile of disdain:—"They -are being taught what is unreasonable and will not bear examination!" Very -true; but do the people examine? When a bad press has been active, lavish, -and amusing withal—when it has followed them into their workshops, their -cottages, in fact, everywhere—how did we act? Why, we gave them some -wearisome treatises which were either puerile or crammed full of -metaphysics. Good heavens! when shall we be brought to understand that the -people do not reflect, that they look, listen, and then go forward? They -need some one to guide them, and if honest men do not undertake the -mission, they will find others who will. … -</p> -<p> -To aid us in affording that guidance, we should invoke the cooperation of -the higher classes, inducing them to exert themselves for the moral -amelioration of the people. Here, again, we have another rich mine to be -worked which has been greatly neglected, but whereby all may be benefited. -The people must be morally reformed by the rich, and the rich by the -people. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_105">{105}</a></span> -<p> -Alas! we often have to deplore the little effect which our words produce on -the higher classes. But why should you expect them to understand us? They -have no longer the Christian sense; they do not wish to endure, their aim -is to enjoy themselves. They are devoured by sensualism and hardened by -egotism. To remedy this, begin by dipping their souls in the waters of -charity; teach them the way of self-sacrifice and devotion; enlist them in -efforts for the moral benefit of the people, their children, and the poor, -and then you will be listened to. -</p> -<p> -This kind of charity is readily understood in France. All of us have some -sort of pretension of wishing to do something for the moral welfare of the -people, even though we may not be strictly consistent in our own morality. -But the French mind is so logical that it cannot play such a part for any -length of time without being bettered thereby, were it only for shame's -sake or out of self-respect. Something within will say:—"Before -attempting to reform others, I shall do well to reform myself." Then -charity will attract heavenly blessings, and the heart will open itself to -the inspirations of the Gospel. -</p> -<p> -If, therefore, you wish to convert or reform a man, set him to reform one -somewhat worse than himself. You will succeed much more readily in that way -than by argument. -</p> -<p> -Take the case of a young man whose virtue is more than wavering, and the -flights of whose imagination cause you anxiety. Set him at work to reform -others, or to make the effort on some notorious offender. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_106">{106}</a></span> -He will do his part wonderfully well; his own virtue will be strengthened -and confirmed thereby, and you will have given beneficent scope to an -exuberant vivacity which the youth himself did not know how to utilize. -</p> -<p> -It is related that a president of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul had -reason to fear that some of its members failed to discharge their Paschal -obligations. There were, at the same time, several poor families to be -converted, and he committed the task to the suspected defaulters. The -result was that they were the first to partake of the Holy Communion. The -thing was simple enough: before leading others to the confessional, it was -necessary that they themselves should show them the way. -</p> -<p> -Every effort made by the higher classes to benefit those below them, -revives and sustains in the former the spirit of compassion, of -benevolence, and of self-sacrifice—the best sentiments of the human -heart. It imparts life to them; for to live is to feel, is to love, is to -be loved, and to cause love in others. To have sympathy with and -fellow-feeling for the poor—that is to live; but to be wholly absorbed in -business matters, in advancing one's own fortune, or in concocting -intrigues—that is not to live; rather it is to become brutish and to go to -ruin. Nothing is more immoral and contrary to nature than to be always -taken up with self. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_107">{107}</a></span> -Moreover, the course which we are recommending tends to draw the different -classes closer together, to teach them to know and esteem each other, and -to assuage mutual jealousies and antipathies. The people are fond of being -thought of, of having interest manifested toward them. Under such treatment -they readily yield, and are glad to be reconciled. They become even proud -of the tokens of benevolence bestowed on them by some wealthy individual; -it is a kind of safeguard to them against evil passions. They say to -themselves:-"We are loved and esteemed: let us by honest and Christian -conduct continue to deserve such consideration." -</p> -<p> -Further, it cannot be denied that there is a tendency in the spirit of the -people to fancy themselves despised by the rich. Even suspicion on that -point must be rendered impossible, for it may lead to serious evils. The -people are implacable on the subject of contempt: they are even cruel, and -they cannot pardon it, whatever else they may be ready to overlook. They -forgive those who deceive and those who rob and over-work them; but they do -not forgive those who despise them. To be despised is to them the last -indignity: and perhaps there is some reason in that popular instinct. It is -surprising that our blessed Lord complained but once during His passion. -… He suffered, He died, without a murmur; but when the affront of -contempt was inflicted on Him, He complained, and uttered that speech which -revealed a heart profoundly bruised:—"If I have spoken evil, bear witness -of the evil; but if well, why smitest thou me?" -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_108">{108}</a></span> -<p> -But when the people meet with benevolence and cordiality among the rich, -jealousy and hate give way, and they may be heard to say:—"If all the rich -were of that sort, they would be adored; we should be ready to die for -them." Moreover, they are led thereby to have more faith in God and in the -reality of a Providence. -</p> -<p> -Some few years ago there lived an artisan's wife who was notorious for her -hatred toward society, toward the rich, and even toward God. She hated them -with an implacable, a woman's hate. Her malignity was specially directed -against the <i>rolls of silk</i> and <i>bundles of stuff</i>—so she -designated the females of the upper classes—and she was known to be in the -habit of saying to her children:—"I have brought you up for the democracy -… to humble the rich and to reestablish equality; and if you do not -become democrats, I will disown you." -</p> -<p> -A priest commissioned a young marchioness, as virtuous as she was -accomplished, to attend to this poor creature. She began by listening with -kindness to all her grievances and insults, and even allowed herself to be -called a <i>coquine</i>. Nevertheless, by dint of patience, she soon -succeeded in calming her embittered soul. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_109">{109}</a></span> -<p> -One day, the marchioness, who was about to absent herself for several -weeks, went to bid farewell to her <i>protégée</i>. She took her -affectionately by the hand, and then, moved thereto spontaneously by her -kind heart, and doubtless by the grace of God also, cordially kissed her, -saying, as she left:—"I shall soon see you again." -</p> -<p> -The poor woman was stunned with amazement, and moved even to tears, and -forthwith went to the priest; but instead of first saluting him, she began -by exclaiming:—"Is it possible? You will not believe me; nevertheless it -is true. She kissed me! …. Yes, the lady marchioness kissed a miserable -creature like me. … Ah! I have frequently declared that there was no good -God; now I say there is, because that lady is one of His angels. I have -said, too, that I would never confess; now you may confess me as often as -you please." Since that time she has been an exemplary Christian. -</p> -<p> -The day after, the priest wrote as follows to the excellent lady whom God -had made the instrument of this good work:—"You may, indeed, consider -yourself happy. … We priests are at great pains to preach, and do not -always succeed in converting our hearers; but you succeed with an embrace!" -</p> -<p> -Oh, if women only knew! Oh, if they would, what good they might do, what -evil they might prevent! …. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_110">{110}</a></span> -<p> -Moreover, the existence of real virtue in a woman of the world depends upon -her coming out of self, and devoting herself assiduously to works of -charity. … For, you may rest assured of this, that without self-denial on -her part you will never be able to keep her in the right way. … Take the -case of a light, worldly, and gay woman—and there are many such; you will -never acquire any influence over her except through the medium of charity. -She will make promises, but she will take care not to keep them: you can -never rely on her being faithful to them. It will be vain for you to -address her in the most conclusive speeches, to ply her with refined and -smart essays on good breeding—in vain that you assail her foibles and -waywardness with irony and sarcasm—in vain that you hold up before her the -terrors of death, hell, and eternity. She will find loopholes by which to -elude all that, and to deceive herself. It will not prevent her in the -least from being vain and excessively addicted to pleasure, from baring her -shoulders immoderately, and from going a-begging for idolatrous incense in -fashionable circles. Before all, she must be made to feel, to love, to be -loved, to devote herself. Charity filling her soul will set fire to the -house, and then every thing else will be thrown out of the window. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_111">{111}</a></span> -<p> -Strive, therefore, to enlist all—women, men, and even children—in -searching out the distressed, and in the moral improvement of the people. -Make charity honorable; let there be benevolent enterprises in your -locality in which all can take part, so that there may not be a man or -woman who has not his or her poor, or who is not engaged somehow in works -of charity. -</p> -<p> -This is the case already in several towns in France, where a person can -scarcely decline being a member of some benevolent association without -suffering a loss of respect. You must overcome all repugnances on this -subject, more especially that of <i>amour propre</i>. There are those who -will raise the following objection, which is by no means rare:—"How can -I, a man in my position, a woman of my standing, busy myself about a set of -beggarly people like these?" To such reply:—"And why not? In the great -cities, men the most eminent by fortune, talent, and reputation, do it. … -Even ladies who are fêted and sought after in the world—the young and -beautiful, countesses, marchionesses, and princesses—even such do not -disdain the task. There are women in Paris, possessing every thing that -heart can desire, with a rental of from two hundred thousand to three -hundred thousand francs, who deprive themselves of legitimate pleasures to -occupy themselves in making clothes for the poor, visiting the most -wretched hovels, and nursing the indigent -sick." -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_112">{112}</a></span> -Tell them all this with gentleness and kindness; make the grand ladies of -certain small towns—such as the wives of lawyers, judges, advocates, -merchants, commission agents, and viscounts—ashamed of themselves. It -will tend to wean them from that spirit of contempt and sensualism, and -that pride of shabby finery, which consists in thinking one's self superior -to a rival because she has had the signal honor of finding a better -dressmaker. Tell them that, if they affect the fashions and usages of -Paris, they would do well to imitate the charity, zeal, and devotion which -are exercised there. -</p> -<p> -To cite but one instance, that of Donoso Cortès, whom we may now praise, -for God has just called him to Himself. He disappeared every day from home -at certain hours. No one knew where he went; but it was afterward -discovered that it was the time of his visits to the poor. M. de -Montalembert, who knew him well, tells us that he loved the poor -passionately, but, withal, discreetly. In fact, in order to benefit the -people, that is how they must be loved. Thereby alone can you hope to -succeed in restoring them to the path of Gospel self-denial and -self-sacrifice. -</p> -<p> -Be on your guard, moreover, against another excuse often urged by certain -of the wealthier classes. They say:—"But the people distrust us; it is -quite enough for us to attempt to lead them in one way to make them -determined to follow another." -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_113">{113}</a></span> -<p> -The people distrust the wealthy classes! If it be so, whose fault is it? Is -it all theirs? They do not know those classes; they seldom see them except -at a distance, and from a lower standing. Their estimate of them is founded -on slander; how, then, can they have confidence in them? … Their -confidence must be won, it must be raised by dint of benevolence, charity, -and self-devotion, and the task is by no means impracticable. What! the -possessors of fortune, and talent, and a name, and yet unable to gain that -confidence on the part of the people which a schoolmaster, a village -lawyer, a tipstaff, a man without any intellectual or moral worth, is able -to secure! Of what avail, then, is it to spend so many long years in study? -What does a good education mean, and of what use is it? Surely a very false -idea has been formed of education. It will soon be made to consist in -knowing how to train a horse, or to turn a compliment, or in instilling -vanity into brains which need no addition of that quality. Knowledge, -talent, position, and birth are not bestowed on us for the benefit of self, -but for the welfare of all; and it therefore behoves those who are endowed -with a greater capacity—who possess more knowledge, more time, more -influence, and more heart than others—to share their advantages with those -who have less, or who have not the leisure to acquire them. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_114">{114}</a></span> -<p> -That the influence of which we are speaking may be secured is proved by the -fact of its existence throughout France. There are parts of the country -where the rich man is king and father of his <i>commune</i>; which then -resembles one great family. There, the tenant of the cottage exchanges -smiles with the proprietor of the mansion, and the joys and sorrows of both -are warmly reciprocated. No important step is taken by those who are below -without knowing first what those above them think of it. Under such -circumstances, how many evils are avoided, how many quarrels adjusted, how -many animosities appeased! Oh, what a glorious mission! How sad to reflect -that it is not carried out everywhere! Nevertheless, strive to make it -understood by persuasion. Make frequent appeals to the hearts of the rich, -to their love of humanity. Invoke them to aid us in stopping the misery at -its source. Invoke their pity on the masses who toil and suffer beneath us; -their pity for those poor children whose fathers devour their bread; pity -on behalf of the aged who pine in cold and hunger; pity for the woman who -spends her Sunday evenings in tears, expecting every moment to encounter -the brutality of a husband who reels home with his reason and heart drowned -in liquor. Appeal even to their sense of shame, and tell them that, if it -is right to protect animals, it is still more so to cherish human -beings—that their words, coupled with a good example, would be -all-powerful to remedy these miseries—that it is the rich and great of -the earth who sow good or evil in the hearts of men, and that if matters do -not progress to their satisfaction, they should begin by taking the blame -to themselves. … Your efforts will be appreciated by many. … You will -be blessed by all. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_115">{115}</a></span> -<p> -Such are the French people; such, it appears to us, is the way to do them -good. -</p> -<p> -It is well to study books: it is indispensable; but it is not enough. We -must also study the hearts, the minds, the manners of those with whom we -have to deal, otherwise our knowledge will be like gold buried in the -mountains of America. "The good shepherd knows his sheep, and is known of -them." Is that saying always realized amongst ourselves? -</p> -<p> -There is one particular point, however, on which we must be thoroughly -convinced, namely, that what sufficed in former times will not suffice now. -A great revolution has taken place among the masses. A century ago, -Christianity bore all away in its strong current. Passions broke loose, no -doubt; but sooner or later all bowed before the Gospel. Nowadays, attempts -are made to justify human weaknesses. Formerly, scarcely any other guidance -was permitted but that of the Christian pulpit. Now, there are platforms -everywhere, and within a century we have between fifteen and eighteen -millions more who can read—from fifteen to eighteen millions of men who -may easily be led astray. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_116">{116}</a></span> -<p> -It is a common saying that "France is very sick." Then, I beseech you not -to treat it as if it were in perfect health. Would you make an end of it? -</p> -<p> -"Christianity alone can save us," is another common remark. Very true; but -it must be brought in contact with the masses, and if they do not come to -us, we must go to them. … We have been unsuccessful in the ministry of -the word; let us try the ministry of charity. -</p> -<p> -Is it not the aim of Christian eloquence to win over the hearts of men, and -to dispose them toward that which is good? Avail yourselves, then, of your -position to carry out that object. … -Be persuaded that the world is tired of fine speeches; it wants actions: -and of that demand, who can complain? … To study and to argue is to act -well; to act and to love is better still. -</p> -<p> -But the most formidable argument against Christianity is this:—"We admit -that Christianity has rendered great benefits to mankind by endowing the -world with admirable institutions; but its sap is exhausted; its ascendency -over the masses is lost." Let us prove that this is false, not by words -merely, but by deeds: by self-denial and self sacrifice. Those arguments -are unanswerable. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_117">{117}</a></span> -<p> -But in order to remedy the evils which beset us, we must not rely on the -systems of the learned or on human laws. Good heavens! if reasonings and -codes of law sufficed to secure the peace and happiness of a people, France -ought to be the most prosperous country in the world. -</p> -<p> -Neither must we rely upon the power of the sword. It is easily used; but, -as De Maistre has said, to rely on force is like lying down on the sail of -a windmill to obtain quiet sleep. Then, again, the adoption of force leads -to the most terrible excesses. Those who invoke it know not what they do: -they have never witnessed civil war or barricades, they have never seen -French blood flow in the streets, they have never heard the roar of cannon -or the crash of grapeshot. . . . May God preserve us from a recurrence of -such experience! Rather by dint of persuasion, of devotion, and of love, -let us strive to reconcile all hearts, and make France the foremost people -in the world—the most Christian and divinely blessed nation. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_118">{118}</a></span> -<br> - <h2>Chapter III. -<br><br> - The Order of a Sermon</h2> - -<p class="cite"> - The Exordium.<br> - Divisions.<br> - Proofs.<br> - Are there many Unbelievers in France?<br> - Manner of refuting Objections. -</p> -<p> -After getting to know the people and to be known of them, to love them and -to be loved by them in return, the next step is to lead them to the -knowledge and love of God and His Gospel by means of oral teaching. … In -carrying this out, use plain speech, and aim straight at your object, which -is to expound the truth proposed to be treated in such a way as shall cause -it to be listened to with interest. Let it be perceived at once what the -subject is, and what you intend to say. Sketch out your truth in a few -sententious words, clearly and emphatically enunciated. -</p> -<p> -Let there be none of those vague and halting considerations which give the -speaker the air of a man who is blindfolded, and strikes at random,—none of -those perplexing exordiums wherein every conceivable fancy is brought to -bear upon a single idea, and which frequently elicit the remark:—"What is -he driving at? what topic is he going to discuss?" -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_119">{119}</a></span> -<p> -Let the subject-matter be vigorously stated at the outset, so that it may -rivet the minds and engage the attention of the audience. -</p> -<p> -Generally speaking, at the commencement of a discourse, there is profound -silence, and all eyes are fixed on the preacher. Avail yourself of that -opportunity to arrest the imagination of your hearers, to attract their -attention, which you should maintain throughout, and to withdraw their -minds from the things of earth and from themselves, in order that they may -live your life for the space of half-an-hour. -</p> -<p> -Let your onset be bold and vigorous, that your audience may catch a glimpse -of the strength of your position, your means of defence, and the triumph of -the truth which you are about to handle. … "I prefer," says Montaigne, -"those discourses which level the first charge against the strongest doubt. -I look for good and solid reasons to come after." -</p> -<p> -This should be followed by a word of appeal to the heart, to restrain its -evil promptings—something genial and earnest, calculated to open out the -soul, and which, coupled with a simple and modest demeanor, shall at once -bespeak the preacher as sincerely attached to his audience. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_120">{120}</a></span> -If preaching on the duty of charity toward the poor, you might say:—"I -come before you on the present occasion to plead a cause which will secure -me against all adverse criticism, for I know your charity. I have not to -address you to-day in language of censure or rebuke, but in words of -encouragement and blessing." -</p> -<p> -If a severe truth is to be urged on the congregation, it might be -introduced thus:—"You will permit me to declare the truth unto you; for -you love the truth. The people have never been hostile to it. … You -yourselves would not be satisfied with half truths; you desire something -better. Therefore I shall deem it my duty to tell you the whole truth with -the freedom of an apostle, but at the same time, with all Christian -charity." -</p> -<p> -In a word, you should exhibit that gentle admixture of power and benignity -which so well befits him who speaks in the name of the Most High; exciting -the love of your hearers as with the influence of a mother. Or, following -therein the example of Saint Paul, being like one who serves, and not like -one who rules; condescending toward all; striving to withdraw them from the -sorrows and passions of life, that you may lead them to the truth, to -virtue, and to heaven. … -</p> -<p> -On great occasions it is usual to recite the -<i>Ave Maria</i> before the sermon. It is a venerable and edifying practice -which ought to be followed; but forbear invoking the Holy Spirit or the -blessed Virgin unless you do it devoutly and sincerely. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_121">{121}</a></span> -It is frequently otherwise: one appeals to heaven, and fixes his eyes on -the earth: another, instead of the posture of prayer, assumes the attitude -of menace, and looks very much like a man who demands your money or your -life. -</p> -<p> -There should be order in the sermon, and the ideas should be linked -together, and should mutually support each other. But it should not be laid -down as an invariable rule always to follow those categorical divisions -which necessarily cut up a truth into two or three parts, these to be cut -up again into two or three sections of truth, giving the speaker the air of -a man who is amusing himself with pulling a machine to pieces, and then -putting it together again. The Fathers did not ordinarily follow that -course. Indeed all discourses cannot be so subdivided; for not every -subject will bear it without losing much of its interest. … Most sermons -seem to be modelled on the same pattern, so much so, that the hearer is -disposed at the very outset to remark:—"I have heard that already twenty -times over, set forth just in the same way. What use is there in my -listening to it again?" This is one drawback, in addition to the -consideration that it is not prudent to take the audience into your -confidence as to the conclusion to which you intend to lead them. … Or -another listener will say:—"Alas! we are still at the second subdivision -of the first part. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_122">{122}</a></span> -What a long sermon it will be!" He is seized with <i>ennui</i>, and then -farewell to all feeling of interest in the Divine word, and to all hope of -any benefit to be derived from it. -</p> -<p> -It is preferable to have a range of ideas known to yourself alone, with -intervening pauses. In that way you will carry the hearers along with you. -They will listen, will be moved, will forget how time passes, and at the -conclusion will not feel tired with having followed you. It appears that -the mania for subdividing every thing is a complaint of long standing. La -Bruyère has passed his judgment upon it; which, apart from -exaggeration—the inseparable companion of criticism—is not inapplicable at -the present day. -</p> -<p> -Speaking of preachers he says:—"They hold three things to be of -indispensable and geometrical necessity, and to deserve your admiring -attention. They will prove a certain proposition in the first part of their -discourse, another in the second part, and an other in the third. Thus, you -are to be convinced, first, of a certain truth—that is their first point; -then of a third truth—which is their third point; so that the first -reflection is to instruct you on one of the most fundamental principles of -religion; the second, on another not less so; and the third, on a third and -last principle, the most important of all, but which, nevertheless, must be -postponed for lack of time to another occasion. Finally, in order to resume -and sum up these divisions, and to form a plan. … -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_123">{123}</a></span> -What! you are ready to exclaim, more yet! And are these merely the -preliminaries to a discourse of forty-five minutes duration which is still -to follow! Why, the more they attempt to digest and throw light upon the -subject, the more they confuse me! I readily believe you, for it is the -most natural effect of that heap of ideas, which always turns upon one and -the same thought, with which they pitilessly burden the memory of their -hearers. It would seem, to witness their obstinate adherence to this -practice, as if the grace of conversion was attached to these preposterous -divisions. I heartily wish that they would pause in their impetuous course -to take breath, and give a little breathing-time to others. Vain -discourses! Words thrown away! The time of homilies exists no longer; our -Basils and Chrysostoms will fail to reclaim them; people will pass over -into other dioceses to be beyond the reach of their voice and familiar -instructions: for men in general like set phrases and finely turned -periods, admire what they don't understand, consider themselves edified -thereby, and rest satisfied with deciding between the first and second -points of a discourse, or between the last sermon and that which preceded -it." -</p> -<p> -Division must not be sought for; it must present itself, and spring out of -the subject which you are about to discuss, or the object which you have in -view. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_124">{124}</a></span> -For instance, you intend to treat on deference to man's opinion. Establish -these two points:—1st. That there is no disgrace attached to the practice -of religion; and 2nd. That even if there were, in the estimation of some -men, it is our bounden duty to brave it. -</p> -<p> -When a dogma of the faith is to be treated either before the people or -others, never propound the truth in a hypothetical form, which is fraught -with danger. Thus, do not say:—"Does the soul die with the body or does it -pass to another life?" … "Is Jesus Christ a mere man; or is he the Son of -God?" Always use the affirmative form:—"The soul does not die with the -body; the soul will live for ever." … "Jesus Christ is the Son of God; he -is God Himself." Otherwise, you will seem to question those verities, and -may give rise to doubts. Such was the result in the cause of an artisan, -who remarked, after listening to a sermon:—"For my part, I was quite sure -that there was another life; but I learn from what the preacher has stated -to-day, that there is something to be said against as well as in favor of -the doctrine." -</p> -<p> -The people like a strong, self-reliant, and fearless affirmative, declared -boldly and sincerely in the name of God, which admits of no buts, or ifs, -but which descends from on high, claiming the ready assent of all without -distinction. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_125">{125}</a></span> -<p> -Discussion is not the way to teach Christianity. It must be fully -understood that the truth of the Gospel is not the conclusion of an -argument; that it depends neither on the talents of the preacher, not yet -on the acceptance of the hearer; that all such accidents do not affect it -in any way. Christianity must be expounded just as it is; but in a noble -and energetic manner, such as shall cause it to be readily understood and -loved in spite of all opposition. -</p> -<p> -Nevertheless, in condescension to human infirmity, you may occasionally -justify God, as the Divine word says, by pointing out the fitness of a -Catholic truth; but this must be by the way only. Resume quickly the high -standing of a man who speaks in the name of God—<i>tanquam potestatem -habens</i>—who is himself controlled by a truth which he cannot modify in -the least degree. Call in frequently the aid of faith; prove, without -stating that you are going to prove; and, in order the better to combat -men's errors, confront human authority with the authority of God. -</p> -<p> -Men will raise such objections as these:—"But the Gospel itself declares. -… Those great men who are called the Fathers on account of their piety -and genius have said … The Catholic Church, armed with its infallible -authority, says … God Himself has declared … And as against these -witnesses what is the word of a mere man to me? Moreover, I will not -submit; I will not bow down to human authority. Am not I a man as well as -he? Am I not endowed with reason? He affirms, I deny; he denies, I affirm; -my word is as good as his, even were he what is called a man of genius. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_126">{126}</a></span> -Granted that genius commands respect—and I respect it when it yields to -what is superior to it—but, as compared with the law of God, what is a man -of genius? A poor pigmy, who labors and drudges for forty years to acquire -some traces of a superior mind; who more frequently possesses the <i>amour -propre</i> of a silly woman; and who, while pretending to govern the world -from his study, allows himself to be led by his own female domestic. For my -part, I require something better than that; a greater, a higher authority, -and one much more self-reliant." -</p> -<p> -You will best restrain and meet these objections by having God always at -your side. Entrench yourself behind the Divine authority; efface the man -and hold up God; impose silence on the earth and let Him speak, but with -power and loving-kindness. -</p> -<p> -Unhappily, we have not maintained this high standing. The Divine word has -been brought down too much to a human level; it has been made too much to -reflect man's image. The incessant attacks of the enemies of religion, and, -it may be, our own scholastic studies also, have inspired us with a -combative, and querulous humor. Christianity is now discussed, proved, -philosophically demonstrated. You constantly meet men who are going to -<i>prove</i> this to you, then to <i>prove</i> that, and then again to -<i>prove</i> something else. In God's name, don't repeat this so often, but -do it a little better. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_127">{127}</a></span> -<p> -These attempts to prove certain propositions generally result in obscuring -and confounding them. A preacher states a truth; you understand and enjoy -it. He demonstrates it; and you understand it less, and perchance begin to -doubt it. -</p> -<p> -Some years ago especially, we were seized with the malady of dogmatic -conferences. Every one wished to hold conferences to prove the -<i>reasonableness</i> of Christianity. The epidemic has abated, but we are -not wholly free from it. … That there should still be one or two of these -conference-men in certain large towns is all well enough; yet even that is -to be regretted, for the genus is an offshoot of the misfortune of the age, -and is by no means apostolic. In order to treat Christianity in that way, -extraordinary talent is required, together with a thorough knowledge of the -dogmas of our religion, a knowledge equally profound of the human heart, of -philosophical systems and errors, and a mathematical precision of language. -</p> -<p> -We may rest assured that the control over antagonisms and passions, so as -to preclude doubt or suspicion from creeping into the mind, must always -proceed from an elevated standing, and that men possessing the necessary -qualifications, or even some of them in a high degree, are extremely rare. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_128">{128}</a></span> -<p> -This consideration has been sadly overlooked. Very soon we shall have every -one attempting to philosophize Christianity. There are scarcely any, down -to the youngest priest, who does not take up the most difficult dogmas, and -who does not seek to do battle with those who are styled "unbelievers"— -that is the current word nowadays, because, as it would seem, the old term -(infidel) has been worn out by long usage, and, therefore, it has been -thought necessary to create a new one. -</p> -<p> -All this is very deplorable. Until quite lately there was hardly a -discourse, addressed even to the people exclusively, which did not contain -passages intended for unbelievers, or tirades against unbelievers, or -apostrophes to unbelievers. The believers who were present were neglected -for the sake of the unbelievers who were absent. -</p> -<p> -It is not rare, indeed, to meet with men who call themselves unbelievers, -who assert it, and who write themselves such; but will you find men who are -seriously unbelievers, and who do not falter in their negations? A pious -priest, who was frequently called upon to attend the sick in the higher -classes of society in Paris, was once asked whether he often met with men -who had ceased to believe. He replied, good-naturedly:—"Pray, don't allude -to the subject. Though I have been long accustomed to minister to great -sinners, I have never yet had the good fortune to lay my hand on one who -was even a little unbelieving. As regards the faith, men in general are -better than their words or their writing either." -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_129">{129}</a></span> -<p> -As has been well remarked:—"The man who, even in all sincerity, says: 'I -don't believe,' often deceives himself. There is in the depths of his heart -a root of faith which never dies." -</p> -<p> -Real unbelief cannot prevail in France. There is too much good sense, too -much rectitude in the French mind, and too much moral beauty in the Gospel, -to render absolute unbelief possible. -</p> -<p> -These pretensions to unbelief are generally based on a little ignorance -combined with a large amount of feeble-mindedness; so that when one tells -you that he does not, that he cannot believe, you should understand him to -mean that he is weak and timid. Let us be on our guard against taking such -men at their word, for we should thereby show how little knowledge we -possess of the human heart. A priest who was called in to attend a person -who had spoken and written much against religion, put this question to -him:—"When you wrote were you quite sure of your own unbelief?" The other -replied, "Alas! Monsieur l'Abbé," … in a deprecating tone, which seemed -clearly to imply:—"How young you are, and how little you know of the human -heart!" -</p> -<p> -No; the question between the world and ourselves is not whether the -miracles and mysteries of Christianity are believed, but whether the -morality of the Gospel is practised. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_130">{130}</a></span> -That is the real question at issue. So true is this, that scholars and -honest men will not hesitate to say frankly:—"The matter is not one of -argument; only retrench from your religion several small commandments of -God and the Church, which we need not specify, and then we will be on your -side." -</p> -<p> -That is the secret of unbelief. It is not faith that is wanting, but the -courage to do what is right. -</p> -<p> -How, then, are we to get rid of those preachers who are always taken up -with unbelievers? How delivered from those endless sermons addressed to -unbelievers? They do us much harm and very little good. The whole thing, -besides being ill-judged, is a mistake. By incessantly speaking to men -about unbelief, we may end in making them unbelievers; just as we may make -a dolt of a man by dint of telling him that he has no sense. Besides, what -a blow it is to Christianity to give the people to understand that a -notable portion of a great nation has seriously contested its Divine -origin! Is not this to suggest the temptation that they too should become -unbelievers, since, by so doing, they would be in so numerous and goodly a -company? Instead of such a course, begin by telling your audience—but in -the accents of profound conviction—that there is not one unbeliever among -them; that they all have faith; that they believe as you do; that they are -better than they judge themselves to be; that not every one who wishes it -can become an unbeliever; that Jesus Christ is too eminent in history and -in the world to be regarded, in earnest, as a mere man: … tell them this, -and you will do them good, and, besides, you will be telling the truth. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_131">{131}</a></span> -<p> -They all believe, but their faith is imperfect, wounded. So true is this, -that Voltaire himself, as all the world knows, could not rid himself -entirely of his faith, all Voltaire that he was. … What! Voltaire, with -all his wit, and, if you will, his genius, Voltaire, with his demon pride, -his satanic hatred of Christ, his half century of blasphemies,—Voltaire, -the head of the most redoubtable cohort of enemies that Christianity ever -had,—even he could not wholly divest himself of his belief; and yet it is -pretended that our pigmies of the nineteenth century, with their limited -knowledge and petty malice, are able to stifle their faith when that giant -of impiety was unable to strangle his in his eagle's clutch! … -</p> -<p> -Only a little reflection is needed to convince ourselves on this point. For -what is unbelief? It is the conviction that Christianity is false. Now, how -can such a conviction be arrived at against eighteen centuries of genius -and virtue, against the authority of the Gospel, against Christ Himself? -How can any man reasonably attain the position of being able to confront -those eminent men and facts, and say:—"I am quite sure that you have -deceived the world … you have lied?" -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_132">{132}</a></span> -It is impossible. It may be said and written in a moment of passion; but -such assurance is not, cannot be attained. -</p> -<p> -We shall, therefore, be acting truly as well as wisely in not descanting so -much about unbelievers. For, after all, of what use is it? For the most -part, these alleged unbelievers are not present to listen to you. Neither -is that the worst feature in the case. These kinds of sermons are by no -means calculated to convert them. Generally speaking, they show too little -regard for the <i>amour propre</i> of such characters; who, as is well -known, do not pique themselves on their humility. If we would benefit them -we must pass quickly from the mind to the heart: that is their weak point. -We must not keep ourselves so much on the defensive, but carry the war into -the enemy's country. Our tactics should be to do good abundantly to all men -that we may save all, and then there will be no doubt about their believing -in the divinity of Christianity. -</p> -<p> -All the parts of a sermon need not be equally good and powerful. Two or -three more elaborate and striking passages will suffice to ensure success; -but those passages should be such as effectually to overthrow prejudices -and errors, and should be conclusive against all gainsayers. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_133">{133}</a></span> -<p> -There should also be intervals to break monotony—that stumbling-block of -many sermons; to give the mind rest; to allow time for the hearts of the -audience to be penetrated by what has been said; to introduce familiar -topics which do the soul so much good; to soften the asperities of any -great emotion; to bind up the wounded; in a word, intervals for the -preacher to become the father after having represented the King, to attract -the hearts after having gained the minds of his hearers. -</p> -<p> -It is a mistake to aim at making every part of a sermon equally powerful -and equally prominent. It is an attempt against Nature. Moreover, we should -not aspire to adduce every available proof in support of a particular -truth. One or two will suffice, and the strongest is not always the most -convincing to your audience. Select those likely to produce the greatest -impression, and forbear when that end is attained. The victory is yours, -retain it, and do not expose yourself to a reverse. -</p> -<p> -There are men who do not think they have proved a thing until they have -brought together, pell-mell, all the known proofs in the world. The -consequence is that, after listening to one of their sermons, the question -discussed appears more confused to you than ever. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_134">{134}</a></span> -<p> -As regards objections to be refuted, you should never adduce any but such -as are current in the locality where you are speaking; and it is dangerous -to give them a too salient form, for you may thereby wound the faith of -your audience. But the objection once stated, refute it at once in a few -sharp and decisive words. Let your reply be in language as prompt, -striking, and decisive as that of the objection. Avoid all circumlocution -and hesitation in meeting it. Show it no pity, but let it expire forth with -in the presence of your audience. Let every word tell like the cut or -thrust of a sword, or, at least, like the stroke of a mace which shall -effectually silence the objection. You may then justify, easily, the blows -which you have dealt: but strike first and explain afterward; otherwise, -never attempt to place an objection before the people. If, as is too often -done, you begin by saying:—"Before refuting this objection, two principles -must first be laid down," or, "three reflections must be made," the minds -of your hearers will go a wool-gathering; they will not listen to your -reflections; they will retain nothing of your discourse beyond the -objection; you will have lost your time, and may have done harm into the -bargain. -</p> -<p> -In sermons to the people, the peroration should be energetic, captivating, -fervent; not a fervor of the head or throat, but of the soul, accompanying -something to enlighten the minds of the hearers, to gain the assent of -their hearts, to subdue their passions, and to electrify their spirits. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_135">{135}</a></span> -<p> -Let us be on our guard against those vapid perorations which are nothing -more than the ending of a discourse which we are at a loss how otherwise to -wind up. The audience must not be dismissed with a wrong impression; -therefore be more affectionate at the conclusion, the more severe the -truths have been which you have enunciated. In a word, the peroration -should be sympathetic and vibrating. It should comprise all the power, all -the marrow, and all the energy of the sermon. It should contain some of -those keen thoughts, some of those proverbial phrases, which recur to the -mind again and again like the strains of a familiar song which we sing -involuntarily,—or a single thought, which when once entertained leads one -to say:—"Were I to live a hundred years, I shall never forget it." -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_136">{136}</a></span> -<br> - - <h2>Chapter IV. -<br><br> - The Sermon Should Be Popular.</h2> - -<p class="cite"> - What constitutes true Popularity?<br> - Popularity in Words, in Thought, in Sentiment.<br> - One of the most popular Sentiments in France is Patriotism.<br> - Means to utilize that sentiment.<br> - The Relationship between Popularity and Genius.<br> - Demosthenes.<br> - Saint John Chrysostom.<br> - Daniel O'Connell. -</p> -<br> -<p> -The language of the Christian orator whose object is to make religion known -and loved, should possess the following characteristics:— -</p> -<p> -It should be, 1st, popular; 2dly, plain; 3dly, short. -</p> -<p> -All eloquence to be effectual must be popular. An orator is essentially the -man for all, and is specially made for the people. The people are the best -judges of true eloquence, and are themselves the best soil to be cultivated -thereby. Cicero says that "the most infallible token of an orator is to be -esteemed as such in the opinion of the people." He was so persuaded of this -that he remarks in another place:—"I wish my eloquence to be relished by -the people." -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_137">{137}</a></span> -<p> -This is still more true as regards the Christian orator. He appeals to all: -to the little, to the poor and the ignorant as well as to the great, the -wealthy, and the learned, and his speech should be understood and enjoyed -by all. He is not free to deprive any one of the truth. All men are people -before the Gospel, and that Gospel speaks in unison with the souls of all. -It stoops to raise, to comfort, and to enlighten all. Hence the truly -popular preacher proclaims himself at the outset as no ordinary orator, but -one about to be powerful, and to rise into a giant, before whom even the -most learned will be obliged to bow, because his soul is linked with the -Divine word, and with the hearts of the people. -</p> -<p> -This popularity of Christian discourses has become rare, more especially in -our towns. Instead of being satisfied with the life, the sap of that Gospel -which has moved the world, preachers have deemed themselves obliged to call -in the aid of philosophy, metaphysics, and distorted phraseology and -rhetoric. The exception has been taken for the rule. The Divine word has -been bound, imprisoned in a terminology, which many do not understand. The -preacher speaks, but the man remains impassible and cold. Painful -reflection! The word of God passes by and says nothing to the mind, the -soul, or even to the ears of the audience. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_138">{138}</a></span> -<p> -But I hasten to observe that the popularity of a sermon does not consist in -using common, trivial, or vulgar language. The people do not like such a -style, and regard it as derogatory to their intelligence and dignity. They -have much more tact than is generally supposed. They know perfectly well -what befits each, and have an exquisite sense of propriety. The people wish -their preacher to speak better than they do, and appreciate dignified -language. Hence, whenever they have to name any thing mean before you, they -are careful to preface it with the proverbial apology: "saving your -presence." In fine, the object of preaching being to elevate the people, -the language adopted should be superior to theirs. The style of speaking -has an important bearing on the morals of life. -</p> -<p> -We may, however, occasionally borrow some of their most striking and -picturesque, and even some of their quaint expressions, put them into a -good framing, and make them the starting-point for a felicitous sally or -thought. They have then a powerful effect. The people perceive thereby that -you are acquainted with them, that you must have visited among them, that -you know their life, their toil, their sorrows, and even their foibles, and -they will open their hearts to you at once. They feel themselves to be on -familiar ground, where they find, as it were, an old friend. There is a -strange instinct among the people which leads them to reason thus:—"That -man knows us, therefore he loves us;" whereupon they readily give you their -confidence. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_139">{139}</a></span> -<p> -Then, again, it is not very difficult to maintain a style of speaking at -once dignified and popular. Look at the lady of fashion dealing with the -petty tradesman, or even with a fish-woman—a character by no means -celebrated for choice or polite expressions. The price of the article -treated for is discussed, the bargain is struck, both parties come to a -satisfactory understanding, and the language of the woman of the world has -been sober throughout, and perfectly becoming. … -</p> -<p> -But popular speech consists not so much in the expressions used as in the -thoughts and sentiments conveyed thereby. We have already remarked that the -people have good sense, ready wit, and above all a heart. … We must lay -hold of those points in them to effect an entry into their minds as well as -their hearts, thereby preparing the way for religion to follow. -</p> -<p> -The people have a certain aggregate of ideas and thoughts, and their own -way of apprehending and appreciating things. All this should be studied, -for it constitutes the best holdfast of humanity. We should make ourselves -of the people, as it were, in their mode of thought, joining thereto -superior knowledge; study those ideas which they do not adequately -estimate, put them into expressive and proverbial language such as they -relish, and then engraft religious thought into their thoughts in order to -elucidate and elevate them. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_140">{140}</a></span> -<p> -But the people possess, above all, an inexpressible richness of sentiment, -together with admirable instincts. These must be laid hold of, cultivated, -and profoundly stirred, and then Christianity should be brought in and -fused, so to speak, with those good instincts and noble sentiments. Dive -down to the bottom of the souls of the people … touch the best chords of -their hearts … be inspired with their aspirations … be animated with -their passions; I had almost said be agitated with their anger. Possess -yourself of what is best in them, and return it to them in vivid -expressions and glowing effusions of the soul, that they may think, feel, -will, as you do; that their thought may seem to have anticipated yours, -while, at the same time, you exercise sway over them. Then your sermon will -be the outward expression of the best sentiments of the human heart, -ennobled by the Divine word. Such, we take it, is true popularity; such -also is the real power of Christian eloquence. -</p> -<p> -In this way you may lead men onward to the highest speculations, and raise -them even to heroism. You may then use the language of scholars, provided -that you continue to be of the people in heart. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_141">{141}</a></span> -<p> -One noble and powerful sentiment which should be cultivated—a sentiment -which may be made to call forth the sublimest aspirations and the most -heroic transports—is patriotism. The people love France, they love the -glory of France, they love all that concerns France. If, then, you wish to -interest them, to induce them to listen to you, to stir them up, to enlarge -their hearts, speak well of France to them; dilate to them of their earthly -country, and then you will find it much easier to raise them to that -country which is in heaven. -</p> -<p> -An admirable example of this was afforded by Monseigneur the Archbishop of -Paris, during his visitations, and he produced one of those magic effects -which seem hardly to belong to our times. -</p> -<p> -The venerable prelate visited a school of adults, consisting of about four -hundred youths, all in the flower of their age and the heyday of their -passions. On taking his seat, the whole assembly intoned a harmonious and -popular hymn, full of patriotic sentiments. The archbishop made this the -starting-point of his lecture, and soon there was such a thunder of -applause that the floor of the hall shook, to say nothing of the ears of -the spectators. The speaker himself must have been stunned, but he resumed -with animation:— -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "Do you know, my children, why this magic word 'country' electrifies your - hearts? It is because one's native country is the sacred home of man, of - his duties and his privileges. It is his life, his cradle, his tomb; it - is every thing to him after heaven, from whence he comes, and whither he - must return; and which is on that account the glorious country, the - kingdom of all righteousness, the fruition of all privileges, the - communion of all souls, of all happiness, of all good. Chaunt, therefore, - your earthly country, but be not forgetful of that country which is - beyond the skies. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_142">{142}</a></span> -<p class="cite"> - "Yes, sing it, and love it well. It has need of all your filial love and - useful prowess. It has bled much; it still suffers. Respect it, comfort - it, for it is your mother. You are indebted to it for birth, instruction, - employment, and a livelihood. It behoves you to show yourselves worthy of - these benefits, to merit them, to win them, and to preserve them. Young - citizens, be men! Young men, be Christians! -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "I recognize in your ardor the descendants of those warriors who, on the - approach of the enemy, gained the frontier at a bound, and as one man. - They were workmen when they left; workmen less fortunate and educated - than you are. They returned, as you know, conquering heroes, or they fell - covered with glory. -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "Were the country again menaced, and an appeal made to your courage, I - should have no misgivings; for, hardly should I have blessed the - tricolored standard over your heads, than it would take the eagle's - flight and echo a reply by a brilliant victory, either from the summits - of the Alps or from the borders of the Rhine." -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_143">{143}</a></span> -<p> -We must renounce all attempt[s] to describe the sensation which this -discourse elicited, and which it at the same time restrained, that the -speaker might not be interrupted. It broke out at last; the hurricane burst -through all bounds, and then suddenly subsided as if in remorse at its own -violence. This intelligent silence seeming to say: "Go on," the archbishop -proceeded:— -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "I doubt not that you would easily triumph over the enemy: but would you - overcome yourselves also? would you subdue your passions, calm your - impetuosity, be Christians, be virtuous?" [Footnote 14] -</p> -<p class="footnote"> - [Footnote 14: <i>Visites Pastorales</i>, p. 136.] -</p> -<p> -"Yes, yes!" exclaimed these noble youths. Their hearts were touched, and -they were ready for any sacrifice. The prelate then rapidly set forth the -virtues which they ought to practise, the temptations which they should -avoid, the vices they should subdue, and the passions which they should -curb. Thereupon, the explosion of enthusiasm was redoubled, showing that -these brave youths were not irretrievably wedded to their errors and -foibles; for though in reality undergoing a partial defeat, they applauded -as if they had been the conquerors. -</p> -<p> -We repeat it: one of the best means to popularize religion among the people -is to speak always in favorable terms of their native country. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_144">{144}</a></span> -<p> -There can be no doubt that deplorable excesses in the history of the last -seventy years have wounded the hearts of the clergy, and imparted a savor -of bitterness and sarcasm to our language respecting France. But it is -wrong: one should always love one's country and one's times, though it may -be a duty to combat their prejudices and their errors. On this subject I -commend the words of one of our own statesmen, endeared both to religion -and to his country:— [Footnote 15] -</p> -<p class="footnote"> - [Footnote 15: M. de Falloux.] -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "Do not misunderstand what I am about to say; do not imagine that I wish - to unduly criticise the era in which we live. No; my country and my - contemporaries will find in me rather an impassioned advocate then a - prejudiced detractor. I love my country and my time, for I cannot - separate the one from the other. I believe that one cannot be loved - without the other. He who does not acquiesce in the age in which he - lives, its responsibilities and its dangers, does not wholly love his - country: does not love his country except in times which either exist no - longer, or in those which have not yet come. To do this, is to - discourage, to lessen the power which we should hold at its service. The - age in which each of us lives is simply the frame wherein God sets our - duties; the career which He opens to and imposes upon our faculties. To - study one's age is to search out what God desires and demands of us." -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_145">{145}</a></span> -<p> -Then, again, we are bound to be just. If France has done wrong, how much -good has she not done; how much is she not still doing every day! The words -<i>Gesta Dei per Francos</i> have not ceased to be true as regards -ourselves. Is not the blessed institution of the <i>Propagation of the -Faith</i> the work of France? Is not, also, the <i>Archiconfrérie</i> for -the return of sinners to the paternal home, the work of France? Is not the -society of Saint Vincent de Paul likewise the work of France? That society -numbers eight hundred confraternities throughout the world, and of these, -five hundred are claimed by France. And wherever any good work is to be -wrought for the Church, is it not accomplished by the words, the money, the -prayers, and even by the sword of France? Surely, the citizen of such a -country, the child of such a fatherland, has a right to speak well of his -mother; more especially when the object is to lead souls to virtue. -Reawaken, then, the old French and Christian enthusiasm, filling all hearts -with the sacred emotions of earthly patriotism, and with holy love for that -better home which is eternal in the heavens. -</p> -<p> -Such is true popularity; such the power of speech. One is strong when he -has on his side the reason and will of the multitude; when he has sympathy -with humanity, and possesses the hearts of the masses. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_146">{146}</a></span> -Let others say what they please: the many possess more mind than one -person, whoever he may be; and popular speech has more weight than the -speculations or fancies of a man of science, or even a man of genius. -</p> -<p> -Further, there is a sort of relationship between popularity and genius, so -that one cannot exist with out the other. For, what is a man of genius? He -is one who has learnt to seize the thoughts, the aspirations, the wants of -his own times, and has profoundly traced them in brilliant, energetic, -sympathetic pages; a man who astonishes and revivifies the age in which he -lives, by telling it aright what it is, what it thinks, what it wants, and -what it suffers. Moreover, as has been remarked long ago, the finest -conceptions of genius are always grasped by the people. -</p> -<p> -On the other hand, the most sublime pages are always popular. I shall cite -but one example, which is familiar to all. … The prophet Isaiah is -describing the fall of the King of Babylon:— -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "How hath the oppressor ceased! … The whole earth is at rest, and is - quiet; yea, the fir-trees rejoice at thee, and the cedars of Lebanon, - saying:—Since thou art laid down, no feller is come up against us. Hell - from beneath is moved for thee, to meet thee at thy coming; it stirreth - up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath - raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations. All they shall - speak and say unto thee: Art thou also become weak as we? art them become - like unto us? -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_147">{147}</a></span> - Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols; the - worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee. All the kings of the - nations … lie in glory … but thou art cast out of thy grave like an - abominable branch, and as the slain, thrust through with a sword, that go - down to the stones of the pit; as a carcase trodden under feet. How art - thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! For thou hast - said in thine heart, I will ascend unto heaven, I will exalt my throne - above the stars of God, I will also sit upon the mount of the - congregation, in the sides of the north. … I will be like the Most - High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. - They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, - saying:—Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake - kingdoms, that made the world as a wilderness? … Thou hast destroyed - thy land and slain thy people. The seed of evil-doers shall never be - renowned. Prepare slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their - fathers, that they do not rise nor possess the land." (<i>Isaiah</i> xiv. - 4-21.) -</p> -<p> -As might be expected, all great orators have been popular; for one cannot -be truly an orator by one's own power or by dint of study; there must be, -besides, a multitude to inspire you, and to stimulate you by their -criticism and opposition. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_148">{148}</a></span> -<p> -Demosthenes, the greatest orator of ancient times, was pre-eminently a -popular orator, and that popularity was the chief element of his glory. The -people of Athens were all for him, for he loved them and knew them -thoroughly: knew their frivolity, their vanity, their generosity, and their -happy impulses. He invoked all that was great and good in the heart of man; -not by vain declamations, but by energetic appeals to sentiments which one -would blush not to possess. He drew his inspirations from the noblest -patriotism, and his politics—a rare exception—had their source in the -deepest affections of his heart. -</p> -<p> -Hence it was that the people were so much attached to Demosthenes, and that -he, on his part, could place such unbounded confidence in them. -</p> -<p> -AEschines had complained that Demosthenes had reproached him with being the -host of Alexander. He answered him in these terms:—"I reproach you with -being the host of Alexander! I reproach you with Alexander's friendship! -How could you attain it? By what means? No, I cannot call you either the -friend of Philip or the host of Alexander; I am not so foolish. Are reapers -and hirelings called the hosts of those who pay them? He is nothing, -nothing of the kind. First, a mercenary of Philip, he is now the mercenary -of Alexander; that is what I and all our hearers call you. If you doubt it, -ask them … or, rather, I will do it for you. Men of Athens, what, then, -is your opinion? Is AEschines the host, or the mercenary of Alexander? … -Do you hear their reply?" -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_149">{149}</a></span> -<p> -So likewise Saint John Chrysostom, who was, perhaps, the most popular of -orators. We do not find that he amused himself with vain speculations. He -did not wander far and wide to hunt up topics whereon to address his -hearers, for they themselves supplied all that he wanted. He found ample -materials for his purpose in the depths of their minds and hearts, and -under his masterly treatment the simplest things acquired an accent of -eloquence which gratified and moved his audience, which the people -understood and the learned admired. -</p> -<p> -Surrounded by his congregation, he seems like a father in the midst of his -family. He converses, he questions, he even consults, and he always loves. -</p> -<p> -It was the custom in his time for the audience to applaud the preacher -during the sermon. They did not spare him that manifestation, and these are -the terms in which he complains of it:— -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "Believe me—the more so because I would not say it were it not - true—that when you applaud my discourses, I am seized with a certain - infirmity, and feel quite contented and happy. … But, on returning - home, I reflect that all fruit of my speaking is lost through these - applauses and commendations; -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_150">{150}</a></span> - and I say to myself: Of what avail is my labor if my hearers do not - profit thereby? I have even thought of making a rule positively to forbid - all applause, that you may listen to me in silence, with proper decorum - and reserve. … I pray and conjure you to suffer me to establish such a - rule forthwith. … Let us now order that no hearer shall make any noise - while the preacher is speaking; and that if any one wishes to admire, let - it be by keeping silence. (Applause.) Why do you still applaud me, even - while I am making a law to prohibit the abuse? Though you will not suffer - me to speak to you on the subject, nevertheless, let us enact the law, - for it will be to our advantage. … However, I do not wish to be too - rigorous, for fear of appearing uncivil in your estimation; so that if - you find so much gratification in applauding, I shall not hinder it; but - I will suggest to you a much superior motive for eliciting still greater - applause on your part, namely, that you carry away with you what you - hear, and practise it." -</p> -<p> -When condemned to his first exile, the people flocked round their pastor, -determined to proceed to extremities rather than let him depart. He then -addressed them the following touching farewell:— -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_151">{151}</a></span> -<p class="cite"> - "A violent tempest surrounds me on all sides; but I fear nothing, because - I stand on an immovable rock. The fury of the waves cannot sink the - vessel of Jesus Christ. Death cannot terrify me; it would rather be a - gain to me. Do I fear exile? All the earth is the Lord's. Do I fear the - loss of goods? Naked I was born into the world, and naked I shall return. - I despise the scorn and the flattery of the world. I have no desire to - live but for your welfare." -</p> -<p> -The people remained with him eight days to defend him, and the holy pastor, -in order to prevent an insurrection, escaped by a secret door, and -delivered himself up to his enemies. The Empress <i>Eudoxia</i>, however, -was soon obliged to recall him. "We shall lose the empire," said she, -"unless John is recalled." -</p> -<p> -Then, again, O'Connell, that orator who acquired so wide an influence, how -popular he was! But I shall let M. de Cormenin describe him:— -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "Look at O'Connell with his people—for they are truly his people. He - lives of their life, he smiles with their joys, he bleeds with their - wounds, he groans with their pains. He transports them at his will from - fear to hope, from slavery to liberty, from the fact to the right, from - the right to duty, from supplication to invective, and from anger to - mercy and pity. He directs the people to kneel on the ground and pray, - and they all kneel and pray; to raise their faces to the skies, and they - raise them; to curse their tyrants, and they curse them; to sing hymns to - liberty, and they sing them; to bare their heads and swear on the holy - Gospels, and they uncover, raise the hand, and swear; to sign petitions - for the reform of abuses, to unite their forces, to pardon their enemies, - and they sign, they forget, they embrace, they forgive. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_152">{152}</a></span> -<p class="cite"> - "That which makes him incomparable among all the orators of this or any - other country, is that, without any premeditation, and by impulse alone, - by the sole force of his powerful and triumphant nature, he enters wholly - into his subject, and appears to be more possessed by it than of himself. - His heart overflows; it goes by bounds, by transports, bringing into play - all its pulsations. Like a high-bred charger, suddenly pulled back on its - nervous and quivering haunches, even so can O'Connell arrest himself in - the unbridled course of his harangues, turn short and resume them—such - versatility, spring, and vigor is there in his eloquence. You imagine at - first that he is staggering, and about to succumb under the weight of the - divinity which inwardly agitates him; but he rises again with a halo on - his brow, an eye full of flame, and his voice, unlike that of a mortal, - begins to resound in the air, and to fill all space. -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "He is lyrical as a poet, and familiar even to playfulness. He draws his - audience to him, and then transfers them to the floor of the theatre; or - descends himself and mixes with the spectators. He never allows the stage - to be without speech or action for a single moment. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_153">{153}</a></span> - He distributes the parts to each. He himself sits as judge: he arraigns - and he condemns; the people ratify, upraise the hand, and seem to believe - that they are joining in a verdict. Some times O'Connell adapts the - interior drama of a family to the external drama of political affairs. He - calls up his aged father, his ancestors and the ancestors of the people. - … He disposes and extemporizes narratives, monologues, dialogues, - <i>propoeia</i>, interludes, and peripatetics. Knowing that the Irish are - both light-hearted and melancholy, that they are fond of metaphor, - flourish, and sarcasm, he stifles laughter with tears, the grandiose by - the grotesque. He attacks the House of Lords, and, chasing them from - their aristocratic lairs, tracks them one by one like wild beasts. He is - always popular, be his speech grave, sublime, or jocular:— -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "'Ireland! oh, how that name alone sticks in the Saxon throat. My - friends, my heart and my mind are known to you, and I wish you to - understand this, that I have power enough to prevent either Peel or - Wellington from treading on the liberties of Ireland. I have only to say - this to them: We will entrench ourselves behind the law and the - constitution; but do not attempt to put our patience to the test beyond - bounds, for if there is danger in exasperating cowards, there is a - thousand times more danger in exasperating those who are not.' - (Applause.) -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_154">{154}</a></span> - 'I told you at the outset that I did not feel disposed to speak: this is - not a speech, it is history which I am making at this moment. The people - have placed unlimited confidence in me. I might, perhaps, say with - affected modesty that I do not deserve it. I will be more frank. I - believe that I do deserve it.' (Applause: yes! yes!) 'Mine is a strange - fortune. I believe I am the only man, living or dead, who has enjoyed - uninterrupted confidence and popularity for forty years. -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "<i>A voice</i>.—May you enjoy them twice as long! -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "<i>O'C.</i>—'That is impossible. Long before then, I shall be summoned before - my Maker to give an account of all the actions of my public and private - life.' -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "<i>A voice</i>.—'You have always done your duty!' -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "<i>O'C</i>.—May such be the judgment of the Most High!' (Applause.) - 'Kindly spare me these interruptions.' (Laughter.) 'Our first duty is to - obey the law. Don't think that in giving you this advice I intend that - you should submit to unlawful outrage. After all, violence is not what I - fear—I who am alone in the world.' (Cries of no, no, you are not alone!) - 'Pardon me, my friends, I am alone; for she for whom I might have - entertained fears, but whose courage would certainly never have failed, - has been taken from my affections.' (O'Connell pronounced these last - words with deep emotion, in which the whole assembly seemed to - participate. Several ladies present raised their handkerchiefs to their - eyes.) -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_155">{155}</a></span> -<p class="cite"> - "'Were they to put a gag in my mouth or handcuffs on my wrists, I would - still point out the safest and wisest course for you to follow. I trust - there will be no conflict: let us close our ranks, shoulder to shoulder, - let us rally round the constitution, that Ireland may not be delivered - over to her enemies by the folly, the passions, or the treachery of her - children.' (Applause.)" -</p> -<p> -He knows how to excite the laughter of his audience, and to enliven them -with racy comparisons, which are sometimes, however, of a kind unsuited to -Christian discourses. -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "There was formerly a fool in Kerry—a rare thing there. This fool having - discovered a hen's nest, waited till the hen had quitted it, and then - took the eggs and sucked them. After sucking the first, the chicken which - had been in the shell began to cry out while descending the fool's - throat. 'Ah, my boy, said he, 'you speak too late.' (Laughter.) My - friends, I am not a fool; I know how to suck eggs. (Laughter.) Should - England now be disposed to tell me that she is ready to do us justice, I - would say to England as the Kerry fool said to the chicken: My darling, - you speak too late. (Laughter and applause.)" -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_156">{156}</a></span> -<p> -He then continued, in the most sublime and rapturous accents:— -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "In the presence of my God, and with the most profound feeling of the - responsibility attached to the solemn and arduous duties which you - Irishmen have twice imposed on me, I accept them, relying not on my own - strength, but on yours. The people of Clare know that the only basis of - liberty is religion. They have triumphed because the voice raised in - behalf of the country was first uttered in prayer to God. Songs of - liberty are now heard throughout our green isle, their notes traverse the - hills, they fill the valleys, they murmur with the waves of our rivers - and streams, and respond in tones of thunder to the echoes of the - mountains. Ireland is free!" -</p> -<p> -One may readily conceive the magic of this speech. I borrow once more from -the pen of M. de Cormenin. -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "Eloquence does not exercise all its power, its strong, sympathetic, - moving power, except upon the people. Look at O'Connell, the grandest, - perhaps the only orator of modern times. How his thundering voice towers - over and rules the waves of the multitude! I am not an Irishman, I have - never seen O'Connell; I believe I should not understand him. Why, then, - am I moved by his discourses even when translated into a strange tongue, - discolored, stunted, and deprived of the charm of voice and action more - than with all I have ever heard in my own country? -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_157">{157}</a></span> - It is because they are utterly unlike our jumbled, wordy rhetoric; - because it is true passion that inspires him: passion which can and does - say all that it has to say. It is, that he draws me from the shore, that - he whirls with me, and drags me with him into his current. It is that he - shudders, and I shudder; that he utters cries from the depths of his soul - which ravish my soul; that he raises me on his wings and sustains me in - the sacred transports of liberty. Under the influence of his sublime - eloquence, I abhor, I detest with furious hatred, the tyrants of that - unfortunate country, just as if I were O'Connell's fellow-citizen; and I - seem to love green Ireland as much as my own native land." -</p> -<p> -Here we have an orator who should be constantly studied by all those who -wish to benefit the people. -</p> -<p> -There is a wide difference between such powerful speeches and those dreary -metaphysical sermons, those finely-spun phrases, that quintessence of -reasoning, so common amongst us. For, what do we often take for an orator -or preacher? … One who wraps himself in his own conceptions, and soars -into sublime regions, while the poor audience is left on the plain below to -gaze at him or not, to grow weary, to sleep or to chat, when they cannot -decently go away. And yet it is so easy to be popular in France. The native -mind is prompt and readily roused to the noblest sentiments. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_158">{158}</a></span> -Moreover, we are bound to do the higher classes this justice, that they -always tolerate and even admire the preacher who addresses the people. They -mingle with the crowd to join in their applause, and, what is better, to -profit by what they hear. Yes, strange to say, under the influence of such -eloquence, scholars and wits throw aside their arguments and their -prejudices, and become one with the people—think, feel, and commend as -they do. … There are two powerful ways of leading men: to take up with -the higher classes or to go to the masses. The latter appears the more -powerful nowadays, for opinion and strength always prevail with those whose -wills are feeble. -</p> -<p> -We must retrace our steps, then, and resume a popular style of address, -which, to use a homely comparison, consists simply in entering in by the -door of the people, and making them go out by ours; for to be truly popular -is: to love the people ardently, to throw our souls into theirs, to -identify ourselves with them; to think, feel, will, love, as they do; to -rouse their instincts of justice, generosity, and pity; to fill their souls -with the noblest thoughts; to exalt with the breath of the Gospel their -holiest aspirations, and to send these back to them in burning words, in -outbursts and sallies of the heart; and then, as with a back-stroke of the -hand, to crush their errors and destroy their vices, and to lead them -onward after you, while they shall believe that they are still leading the -way; to abase them to the lowest depths, and then to raise them to heaven. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_159">{159}</a></span> -In all this, making them to play so prominent a part that, after hearing -you, they may almost be led to say with secret satisfaction:—"What an -excellent sermon we have delivered!" Then will your words be invested with -the two greatest powers in the world: they will be the voice of the people -and the voice of God. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_160">{160}</a></span> -<br> - <h2>Chapter V. -<br><br> - The Sermon Should Be Plain.</h2> -<p class="cite"> - An obscure Sermon is neither Christian nor French.<br> - Abuse of philosophical Terms.<br> - Philosophical Speculations not popular amongst us.<br> - The French mind is clear and logical.<br> - Plainness of Speech.<br> - Plainness of Thought.<br> - Starting from the Known to the Unknown.<br> - Metaphors.<br> - Similes.<br> - Parables.<br> - Facts.<br> - Père Lejeune.<br> - M. l'Abbé Ledreuil. -</p> -<p> -The sermon should be plain. … -</p> -<p> -This truth has been partially demonstrated in the course of the foregoing -remarks. It follows, moreover, as a consequence from the nature and design -of the Gospel. The religious discourse which is not plain is neither -Christian nor French. -</p> -<p> -The Divine word should be understood by all, even by the poor woman who -crouches into a corner of the church; for she too has a soul to save, and -her soul is as precious in the sight of God as the soul of a rich or -learned man: perhaps more. -</p> -<p> -This is one of the glories of Christianity. Human lore is only within the -reach of those who are able to comprehend it, or who have money enough to -pay for it. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_161">{161}</a></span> -The word of God is for all; and none can be deprived of it, as far as the -preacher is concerned, without a grave dereliction of duty on his part. -Severe censure is passed upon those professors who, to further their own -ambitious views, take great pains with some of their pupils and neglect -others. This is called a crying injustice, plundering the parents, and so -forth. But the matter under consideration involves something far more -serious than a pecuniary robbery. -</p> -<p> -We are all bound to preach the Gospel. Now, the Gospel is remarkably plain. -When it was first announced, or while the facts which it narrates were -extant or palpable, it must have been surpassingly so. Hence it is not -surprising that the multitude upon whom our blessed Lord had been pouring -forth the torrents of His Divine eloquence, exclaimed:—"Never man spake -like this man!" -</p> -<p> -Further: he who does not use plain speech does not speak French; for the -French language is naturally plain, limpid, and simple, insomuch that -obscure speech is not really French: it is Teutonic, a jargon, or a patois; -but it is by no means the language of the great Frank people. -</p> -<p> -All our most celebrated and popular writers and orators had a clear and -impressive style. Their weakest passages are those which are most obscure. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_162">{162}</a></span> -Voltaire possessed this perspicuity in a high degree; and it was partly on -that account that he acquired so much influence and popularized so many -errors. His speech was true French, both in expression and conception; but -there was no heart in it. He had perfectly mastered his own tongue, and had -equally learned to know the people with whom he had to deal. He who does -not use plain speech proves that he possesses neither a knowledge of men -nor a knowledge of the Gospel; nor even of his primary duties. -</p> -<p> -But it will be said:—Is it not occasionally allowable that one should -clothe his thoughts in language above the common, in order thereby to raise -religion and the preacher in the eyes of the people, who admire what they -do not understand? -</p> -<p> -I do not object, if you believe that any good is to be done in that way, -and if you feel incapable of exciting interest by a simple exposition of -the beauties of Christianity. But I tell you that the idea savors strongly -of charlatanism, and that Christianity has no need of such an auxiliary. -Whenever such a course is adopted, it should be regarded as a tolerated -exception; but on this point, also, the exception has too frequently been -taken for the rule. -</p> -<p> -Nowadays, the Gospel is almost entirely overlooked, there are so many other -matters to be attended to. We must needs discuss and argue, and treat all -kinds of philosophical and humanitarian questions. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_163">{163}</a></span> -Hence a great part of our time is taken up with talking philosophy to pious -men and women,—and after what fashion? The pulpit resounds with such words -as these: rationalism, philosophism, Protestantism, materialism, pantheism, -socialism; and it will be lucky if all this does not ultimately get mixed -up with fetishism, anthropormorphism, Vishnooism, Buddhism, Kantism, -Hegelism, etc. No wonder that a woman of fashion once exclaimed, in a fit -of petulance:—"The Lord deliver us from these preachers of <i>isms!</i>" -</p> -<p> -I repeat, it is all well enough that a few eminent men should treat such -questions before select audiences; but now every one seems bent on talking -philosophy, or on philosophizing about every thing. We have the philosophy -of theology, the philosophy of the sacraments, the philosophy of the -liturgy; and to what does it all tend? To prove that God might have -occupied a prominent place among the thinkers of these times: which would -be proving very little in God's favor. -</p> -<p> -There has, indeed, been quite a mania to make philosophy about every thing. -We have heard a treatise on the philosophy of the hand-grenade. As a -malicious wag once remarked:—"We shall soon have the philosophy of boots -and shoes." -</p> -<p> -Hence it is that the ignorance respecting religion everywhere prevailing, -among high and low, even among those who constantly hear sermons, is truly -deplorable. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_164">{164}</a></span> -<p> -Society in general is much less instructed in matters of religion, and even -in philosophical questions, than is usually supposed; for religion is no -longer taught. We demonstrate, argue, philosophize, but we do not -evangelize. … There is so much ignorance among men, otherwise -well-informed, on the subject of religion, that they would certainly be -deemed unfit for confirmation even in a country district. -</p> -<p> -Neither is the community more proficient in philosophical than in religious -questions; and much less attention is bestowed upon them than is imagined. -We meet with certain systems in special books, or among a particular class -of persons, and we may think that those systems are about to make a great -stir in the world. But do the masses trouble themselves about them? For the -most part, even intelligent men hardly know what to say when referred to on -such subjects. -</p> -<p> -Some years ago, a preacher delivered several discourses in one of the -principal towns of France on the subject of rationalism. He decried it in -good set terms, and was judged to have spoken very ably. But the wife of a -councillor in the Court of Appeal, tired of hearing so much about -rationalism without being able to make out what it was, asked her husband, -who was a great admirer of the discourses, to explain to her what -rationalism meant. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_165">{165}</a></span> -The husband stammered out a few words in reply, but was obliged at last to -say:—"Sincerely, I know nothing about it; but inquire of M. le Curé, for -he ought to be able to give you the information." -</p> -<p> -Instead of dragging all these systems into the pulpit, it would have been -far better to leave them immured in books and in the schools. They are not -dangerous in France while restricted to the formulae in which they were -originally conceived, because philosophical speculations are by no means -popular amongst us. The French mind is too precise and active to be taken -up with such like dreams and crude systems. -</p> -<p> -A proof of this is afforded by the old Chamber of Deputies. … When a -speaker was practical, and entered into the gist of the question in debate, -there was profound silence; but if he attempted lofty flights, and soared -into the region of philosophical speculations, the attention of the hearers -flagged, and a great uproar ensued, insomuch that the luckless orator was -frequently driven to call upon the President to enforce silence and order; -who, on his part, reiterated that he could not interfere. … Altogether -such scenes presented a curious study. -</p> -<p> -Generally speaking, the Frenchman is essentially a practical man. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_166">{166}</a></span> -<p> -It is true that ever and anon we pretend to great depth; but the malady is -momentary and does not last long. We are, in fact, like certain eminent men -who affect a speciality to which they have no just claim, and who consider -themselves more honored by a compliment for an acquirement which they do -not possess, than by any which may be paid them for a talent for which they -are really conspicuous. -</p> -<p> -In combating this tendency and these systems, we must be on our guard -against assailing them with hazy tirades or dull metaphysics. We should -drag them into the full light of the Gospel, and dissect them by -translating them into plain French, and then they will soon disappear -altogether. We must further bear in mind that the truth, and especially -evangelical truth, is only rightly apprehended by the heart; whereas there -is a general disposition amongst us to be always reasoning. Are we not -aware that bare reason is foolishly vain, dishonest, stern, and sometimes -pitiless, and that to be constantly appealing to its authority is to lose -our time, and to engender the most deplorable ignorance in matters of -religion? -</p> -<p> -The people are very fond of understanding what is addressed to them, for it -raises them in their own eyes, and is, moreover, a real gratification to -them. Therein they are active, whereas when merely astounded they are -simply passive; to say nothing of the additional fact that they go away as -ignorant as they came. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_167">{167}</a></span> -<p> -A preacher who had been specially appointed to deliver a course of sermons -in one of our towns, was accosted while walking out by a poor woman, upon -whom his presence seemed to produce a lively impression of joy, which was -forthwith manifested in these words:—"How delighted I am to have met you! -I must tell you that I attend your sermons and understand them. Yes, -believe me, even I understand your sermons. Every body says that you are a -<i>savant</i>, but for my part I don't believe it; because, whenever our -rector or his curates preach, I don't understand anything they say; whereas -when you preach I understand all. If you were a <i>savant</i>, an ignoramus -like me would not be able to understand you." … -</p> -<p> -We must retrace our steps, then, and return to a clear, plain, simple, and -vivifying exposition of the Gospel; for when religion is set forth in that -way it is always attractive. We may have to study much to attain it, but -when once Christianity is rightly understood, and we get thoroughly to know -those with whom we have to do, we shall find it possible to acquire an -influence over their minds and hearts, and easy to adapt our style to the -intelligence of all. You should see the working classes when addressed by -one of our great preachers: their countenances brighten, their eyes -glisten, their bosoms glow. They understand, they are moved, they applaud. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_168">{168}</a></span> -<p> -To attain this plainness—speech being the vehicle of thought—words should -never be used which are not generally understood. There are terms in -language which are common to the literary and non-literary; only such -should be adopted, and all scientific, philosophical, technical, -theological, and even devotional terminology should be discarded. Our age -is not strong in spiritual matters: they speak a language which it does not -even care to learn, for it does not feel the need of it. -</p> -<p> -Use none of those set phrases, those trite expressions, which follow one -after another in all sermonizers for the last half century. They form a -threadbare language which no longer conveys any meaning, and which is quite -unfit for the transmission of thought. Drive them from your pen and lips; -try to acquire a disgust, a hatred for them: they are more unintelligible -than either Latin or Greek. You would do well to abstain entirely from -perusing such sermonizers, because one unwittingly picks up their hackneyed -phraseology; which will recur to you when you are at a loss what else to -say. Moreover, they prevent you from being natural. … -</p> -<p> -It is desirable, doubtless, that you should read Bourdaloue for doctrine, -Bossuet for touch and for the sublime, Massillon for style and form; but -let that suffice. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_169">{169}</a></span> -Then read the Scriptures, the Fathers, books of devotion, and such other -works as will make you acquainted with the wants and tendencies of the age, -and teach you how to combat its passions and its errors. -</p> -<p> -You must beware, however, of attempting to preach like Bossuet, Bourdaloue, -or Massillon. They addressed courtiers, and the elite of society of their -times, when men had more knowledge of religion than they have now. Besides, -if those eminent preachers lived in these days, there is every reason to -believe that they would not always speak now as they did then. -</p> -<p> -Plain speech should be coupled with plain thought. -</p> -<p> -The thoughts which serve as starting points, should always be simple, -natural, and popular. The people do not understand abstractions or the -speculations of reason, which are to them a strange language. You should -start from the known to lead them to the unknown. That is the mathematical -and logical method. You must begin with sensible, visible, and above all -with actual things, in order to draw them gently toward spiritual and -invisible things, and to the life that is to come. By adopting this course, -you may conduct them far onward, and elevate them to great heights, even to -the sublimest aspirations of heart and soul. … As we have already said by -way of example: first exhibit religion to them as grand, good, and lovely, -then as true and divine; winding up by fervently and energetically -insisting on the necessity of submission to its moral law. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_170">{170}</a></span> -<p> -It is an excellent plan to adopt the ordinary expressions in every-day use -among the people, and to apply them in a religious sense. Thus, you might -tell them to lay up in the <i>Savings Bank</i> of Heaven, to become members -of the <i>Refuge Fund</i> of Eternity, and you will be understood. -</p> -<p> -Monsigneur the Archbishop of Paris, during some of his visitations, -furnishes us with a delightful model of this style of addressing the -people:— -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "My children," said he to the operatives who had assembled in a courtyard - to see and hear him, "my children, while attending to your worldly - interests and material welfare—for the increase of which you have my - sincere wishes—think also sometimes of that God who created us, and in - whom we live, and move, and have our being. Do you know what that man - resembles who lives without God and without hope? He is like a piece of - wheel-work out of gear, or a faulty machine, which only mars what it - ought to make, wounds the hand which it should help, and obliges the - owner to break it up and throw it aside. -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "Maintain, then, my beloved children, the sentiments, and practise the - duties which belong to your dignity as men. As workmen, be industrious, - honest, and temperate, and your condition will be as happy as it can be - here below, remembering that rest will come after toil; for we are all - the day-laborers of a gracious God, and life is but a day, at the end of - which we shall receive ample wages, and be abundantly recompensed for all - our pains. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_171">{171}</a></span> -<p class="cite"> - "My children, I am glad to see that my words affect you. I regret being - obliged to separate from you; but before going I give you my benediction - as an earnest of my paternal tenderness, and of all the Divine graces - which I invoke upon you, upon all who are dear to you, upon your families - and your labors." -</p> -<p> -We should begin, then, by exhibiting the material aspects of religion, -proceeding from thence to doctrines and duties, without ceasing to be -simple, true, and natural throughout. This, however, is not the usual -course pursued: we start with metaphysics, move onward through a redundant -phraseology, and end by making religion more unintelligible than ever. -</p> -<p> -But we must be fair: preachers are not wholly to blame in this matter; for -if one tries to be simple, true, natural, and evangelical, they will tell -him in certain districts that his style is not sufficiently high-flown, -that it does not do honor to the pulpit. This actually occurred to one of -our best preachers. A member of the congregation came to him and said:— -"You speak admirably; but there is one drawback to your sermons, they are -too well understood." So that the poor preacher, in order to carry out the -views of his adviser, felt that he would be obliged to invoke the Holy -Spirit to give him grace to say unintelligible things! … -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_172">{172}</a></span> -What they wanted was something bombastic, academical, and highly seasoned; -and such is what is generally regarded as constituting a profound, -dignified, and useful sermon. -</p> -<p> -Look at our blessed Lord: surely He knew what real dignity was. Or, let us -study the Gospel: do we find there any of these fine airs, this inflated -and consequential tone? It is simple, clear, and profound throughout. We -hear it occasionally said of certain individuals:—"He cannot adapt himself -to the capacity of every one; his knowledge is far too high and deep for -that;" which means, that the poor man indicated has heaped up in his -brains, pell-mell, a mass of ill-digested ideas which he is unable to call -forth with anything like order: and that is all. The truly profound man, on -the contrary, is always clear. He moves calmly through the highest regions -of science, and is as much at his ease there as if he were at home. He sees -things, and he narrates them. He turns his thoughts over and over again, -putting them into a thousand forms, so as to be able to place them within -reach of the feeblest intellects. Take M. Arago as an example of this -wisdom and simplicity combined. He succeeds in rendering the highest -problems of astronomy intelligible, and that in a few words, even to very -young children. … -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_173">{173}</a></span> -<p> -Herein, also, a wrong estimate has been formed of the French mind; since -even those who move in the highest circles of society much prefer what is -simple, clear, and natural. -</p> -<p> -There is a well-known preacher in Paris who gives familiar lectures—they -are real sermons—even when appointed select season-preacher. He has been -preaching for the last twenty years without ever sparing himself, readily -responding to every call. Crowds of the elegant world, notwithstanding, -press round his pulpit, and there is always the same affluence of hearers. -The most eminent of preachers, who adopted a different style of address, -would have been used-up long since. -</p> -<p> -A priest, full of the Spirit of God, died some years ago in the flower of -his age. He was remarkable in the art of giving plain and simple lectures. -After his death, these lectures, in a mutilated form, were collected and -published by a female, and obtained as wide a circulation as the most -celebrated discourses. -</p> -<p> -Plain speech pleases and benefits all; whereas what is called sublime -speech only amuses a few, and benefits fewer still. -</p> -<p> -But one of the most effectual ways of making the truth understood by the -people is by metaphor and simile. They speak an analogous language -themselves and readily understand it; more especially when the comparisons -are drawn from visible, present, or actual things, and when they are -striking or popular. The Sacred Scriptures are full of expositions of this -nature, and the sermons of Père Lejeune also contain a rich mine of the -same class. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_174">{174}</a></span> -<p> -O'Connell did not overlook this means of influencing the people, and he -sometimes employed it in the most picturesque and characteristic fashion. -</p> -<p> -He was one day assailing the hereditary peerage. "What are the lords?" said -he. "Because the father was considered a good legislator, therefore the son -must be the same! Just as if a man who proposed to make you a coat should -answer the question: Are you a tailor? by saying that his father before him -was. Is there any of you who would employ such an hereditary tailor? This -principle of common sense as regards the lords will become popular in time. -We want no hereditary legislators or tailors. Do you ask who will make this -principle popular? I reply, the lords themselves, who show themselves to be -very bad tailors." -</p> -<p> -Above all, similes drawn from actual things make a still greater -impression. -</p> -<p> -Thus, steam-engines and railroads are a common topic of conversation -nowadays, and form a rich source from whence to derive matter for stirring -similes and for profitable instruction. For example, you wish to point out -the necessity of mastering the passions, and of restraining them by the -laws of God. The heart of man may be likened to a steam-engine of terrific -power, which we should mistrust, and which requires to be under the most -vigorous control. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_175">{175}</a></span> -<p> -Look at the locomotive confined within its iron furrows. It is a wonderful -thing; it approximates distances, develops commerce, and contributes to the -welfare of man. There is much in it to call forth gratitude to a beneficent -Providence. But look at it when thrown off the line. O God! what do I hear -and see? I hear the most piercing and heart rending screams; I see blood -flowing, limbs broken, heads crushed; and I turn from the spectacle, and -almost curse the inventor. … In like manner, the heart of man, when -restrained by the law of God, is worthy of all admiration; it begets the -noblest and sublimest virtues, and scatters the blessings of a good example -all around. It brings joy and gladness to the domestic hearth, rendering -all those happy who love it; and on seeing such results I am proud of being -a man. But once beyond the bounds of that law—thrown off the rails, as it -were—O God! what do I hear and see? I hear bitter lamentations, the -harrowing cries of mothers, wives, and children. I see vice, and crime, and -shame mantling on the brow of those who indulge therein; and at the sight -of so much misery and degradation I am tempted to utter imprecations, and -almost blush that I am a man. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_176">{176}</a></span> -<p> -Finally, another way of simplifying truth is by narrative, of which the -people are very fond. They cast every thing, even spiritual things, into -tales, legends, and facts, which they take pleasure in learning to recite. -We should imitate them, by putting a moral or dogmatic truth into action, -connecting it with a fact, and then narrate it; in short, give it the form -of a little drama. When skilfully employed, this method has a powerful -effect upon the people, and even upon educated men. The <i>Paroles d'un -Croyant</i> owed a part of the notoriety which it acquired to this feature. -The people must have facts, and often nothing but facts. In like manner the -Gospel narrates, but seldom argues. The Holy Scriptures are full of truths -rendered palpable, as it were, by scenic representation. -</p> -<p> -Thus the prophet Isaiah exposes the folly of idolatry in these words:— -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "Who hath formed a god or a graven image that is profitable for nothing? - … He heweth him down cedars, and taketh the cypress and the oak from - among the trees of the forest; he planteth an ash, and the rain doth - nourish it. … He burneth part thereof in the fire; with part thereof he - eateth flesh; he eateth roast and is satisfied; yea, he warmeth himself, - and saith, Aha! I am warm, I have seen the fire. And the residue thereof - he maketh a god, even his graven image; he falleth down to it, and - worshippeth it, and prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me, for thou art - my god. They have not known nor understood, for he hath shut their eyes - that they can not see, and their hearts that they cannot understand. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_177">{177}</a></span> - And none considereth in his heart, neither is there knowledge nor - understanding to say, I have burned part of it in the fire; yea, also I - have baked bread upon the coals thereof; I have roasted flesh and eaten - it; and shall I make the residue thereof an abomination? Shall I fall - down to the stock of a tree? He feedeth on ashes; a deceived heart hath - turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not - a lie in my right hand?" -</p> -<p> -Père Lejeune, apart from certain quaint and obsolete modes of expression, -has some charming things of this sort, which must have produced a -marvellous effect. He is attempting to point out the heinousness of sin, -and to describe the punishment of Adam and Eve:— -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "Picture to yourselves, then, the unfortunate pair, staff in hand, going - forth from the earthly paradise, carrying nothing with them but two - skins, given them out of compassion by the Judge, to cover their - nakedness. They found themselves in the fields as if they had fallen from - the clouds, exposed to the inclemency of the weather, to wild beasts, and - to their own natural infirmities, without shelter, bed, linen, bread, - covering for their hands or feet; without thread or needle, knife or - hammer, destitute of any implements beyond their own feeble arms. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_178">{178}</a></span> - They collect stones as best they may, and cement them together with mud - to form a low room, and cover it with branches of trees, which they are - obliged to break off with their hands; for they had neither saw nor - hatchet. They gather leaves for their couch, and fruits and wheat for - their subsistence; but if they wanted any in years to come, they must - till the ground, or rather they must dig it up with sticks, having no - other kind of spade. Think, then, of the woman, and of the straits to - which she must have been put on being seized with the pangs of labor, - which she had never before experienced, and on being confined with her - first child. When she saw her firstborn ushered into the world in its - natural state, moaning and trembling with the cold, and found herself - utterly destitute of linen, cradle, cap, bandages, and all the other - requisites for a new-born babe,—when she was called to bear all this, - how poignantly she must have recognized the enormity of her offence! -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "But when both parents saw their son Abel, a youth as beautiful as a - star, gentle as a lamb, and devout as an angel, stretched stark dead upon - the ground, wounded and weltering in his blood, a ghastly spectacle to - behold; the bloom on his face gone, his lips livid, the light of his eyes - utterly extinguished,—on first beholding all this, they could have no - idea that he was dead, for they had never witnessed death; but drawing - near they say:—'Abel, what dost thou here? Who hath done this?' The dead - are silent. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_179">{179}</a></span> - 'My beloved Abel, why speakest thou not? My son! my soul! I pray thee - speak? But Abel has no more words, no more voice, no sight, no motion. - Decay soon sets in, and Abel becomes foul and corrupt, and father and - mother are obliged to cover him with earth. When at length they learn - that it was their sin which had given entrance to death, what grief, what - tears, what anger against the fatal tree, against the tempter, against - themselves, and against everything which had contributed to their - disobedience, must have agitated the wretched pair! Why did we pluck of - that tree? Why did we not burn it rather than be tempted to gather its - fruit? Why did we not quit the earthly paradise, and flee to the end of - the world to avoid the risk of so tremendous an evil? Why did I not pluck - out my eyes rather than look upon that which I was forbidden to know? - Ill-advised that I was, why did I suffer myself to be amused with talking - to the serpent? Liar, thou didst assure me that we should be as gods, and - behold we are more humiliated and miserable than the beasts of the field! -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "In like manner, when you are in hell, you will regret, and lament, and - resolve; but it will then be too late. You will be maddened with spite - and rage against everything that has conspired to your condemnation. - Alas! why did I not cut out my tongue when preachers told me that my - oaths would damn me? Why did I not smite to death this scandalous bosom - of mine? -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_180">{180}</a></span> - Why did I not destroy the papers of that lawsuit which I prosecuted so - unjustly, and the schedule and bond of that poor man who could not pay - the usurious interest which I charged him for money lent? Why did I not - leave the town and province, and bury myself in the wilds of Canada, - rather than remain where there was an occasion of my falling into sin?" -</p> -<p> -In concluding, I must be permitted to quote a more recent example, -premising that I only adduce it as a model of familiar conversation with -the working classes. -</p> -<p> -M. l'Abbé Ledreuil, in an address to operatives, is endeavoring to convince -them that they have no reason to envy the rich, since the working man has -his share of joy and happiness as well as they. He expresses himself -somewhat as follows, though I must apologize for abridging, and therefore -for disfiguring his lecture:— -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "My friends, do not envy the rich, and don't believe them happy because - they have nothing to do. The rich must work, after their fashion, under - pain of being unhappy and of leading a miserable existence. Hence it is - that, for the most part, they condemn themselves to work as you do. … - And do you know how one of this class passes his life who does not work? - I will tell you: he thinks everything a bore, and he yawns. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_181">{181}</a></span> -<p class="cite"> - "In the morning, he no sooner begins to dress than he stops short. He is - so tired! He stretches his limbs, and—he yawns. -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "He next sets about his toilet, which is a very formidable affair to him; - enters into his dressing-room quite a perfumery shop in its way—looks - around him, and then—he yawns. -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "Breakfast-time comes. He goes to the breakfast-room, surveys the - different dishes, knows not which to choose, for the poor man is not - hungry, and—he yawns. -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "After breakfast, he takes up a paper and skims over it. Pugh! politics - are so uninteresting. Then more than ever—he yawns. -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "Toward noon, or one o'clock, he must go out, and asks himself: Where - shall I go to-day? Shall I go to Madame So-and-so? No, she is at the - waters. I will go to Mr. So-and-so. By the way, he is in the country; and - then—he yawns. -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "For something better to do, he seeks the promenade, where he meets a - friend of his own stamp. They shake the tips of each other's fingers, not - to hurt their hands, touch the brims of their hats, and then together, - one more than the other,—they yawn. -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "He next takes a chair, adjusts his feet on the bars, places himself at - his ease, thinks of nothing, looks vacantly into the air, or bites the - head of his cane, and then—he yawns. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_182">{182}</a></span> -<p class="cite"> - "In the evening he goes to the theatre, extends himself at full length in - his box, gazes around him, listens, and then—he yawns. -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "He returns home very late. He is quite worn out and needs sleep, and - ends the day as he began it—he yawns. -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "Not so the laborer: he rises early, goes to his work betimes, and he - sings or whistles. -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "The breakfast-hour arrives. He loses no time in examining which dish he - will partake of, for there is only one. He does not yawn over it, but - eats with a good appetite, and in the same cheery mood he passes the - remainder of the day. -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "My friends, don't be discontented with your lot. Don't say:—'If I were - rich I would take my ease; for work is a blessing. Don't envy the rich, - but be thankful for what God has given you. The honest and industrious - workman, who has a good heart, and loves virtue, is the spoilt child of - Providence." -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_183">{183}</a></span> -<br> - <h2>Chapter VI. -<br><br> - The Sermon Should Be Short.</h2> - -<p class="cite"> - The Discourses of the Fathers were short.<br> - The French Mind is quick to apprehend.<br> - Sermons are generally too long.<br> - Sermons of Ten, Seven, and of Five Minutes. -</p> -<p> -"Long sermons bore us," [Footnote 16] says M. de Cormenin; "and when a -Frenchman is bored, he leaves the place and goes away. If he cannot so -retire, he remains and talks. If he cannot talk, he yawns and falls asleep. -Anyhow, he declares that he will not come again. …" -</p> -<p class="footnote"> - [Footnote 16: "<i>Nous ennuient.</i>" It is useless to attempt giving - the full force of the French <i>ennui</i> in any one English word. That - above adopted appears to me the nearest approach to it which our - language affords; still it comes far short of the expressive original. - Translator.] -</p> -<p> -The sermon should be short. At all events, it must not bore. Bore or ennui -is fatal in France, and is never pardoned. It has been said, there are two -things which are not permitted in France, namely, to ridicule and to bore. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_184">{184}</a></span> -Unhappily the former is allowed nowadays, for there are many who use it, -and many who abuse it; but on the article of bore society is still -inflexible and implacable. The man who is deemed a bore is shunned and -detested. We, the clergy, must beware of exciting this antipathy on the -score of religion; the more so, because most minds secrete a stock of the -sentiment, which is readily called forth when they are brought in contact -with any thing serious. -</p> -<p> -On the other hand, why preach so long? I know not how we have allowed -ourselves to be led into these lengthy discourses. What is the good of it? -What is the object? We speak in God's name. Now, power and majesty are -always chary of words; yet such words are not the less efficacious for -being few. The instructions of our blessed Lord, who is the Divine Master -of us all, were uniformly short. Even the Sermon on the Mount, which has -revolutionized the world, does not appear to have lasted more than half an -hour. The homilies of the Fathers also were short, and Saint Ambrose says:— -"<i>Nec nimium prolixus sit sermo ne fastidium pariat; semihorae tempus -communiter non excedat.</i>" Saint François de Sales, too, recommends short -sermons, and remarks that excessive length was the general fault in the -preachers of his time. -</p> -<p class="cite"> - He says:—"The good Saint François, in his rules to the preachers of his Order, directs that their sermons should be short. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_185">{185}</a></span> -<p class="cite"> - "Believe me, and I speak from experience, the more you say, the less will - the hearers retain; the less you say, the more they will profit. By dint - of burdening their memory, you will overwhelm it; just as a lamp is - extinguished by feeding it with too much oil, and plants are choked by - immoderate irrigation. -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "When a sermon is too long, the end erases the middle from the memory, - and the middle the beginning. -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "Even mediocre preachers are acceptable, provided their discourses are - short; whereas even the best preachers are a burden when they speak too - long." -</p> -<p> -Is not long preaching very much like an attempt to surpass these men, who -were so highly imbued with the spirit of Christianity? -</p> -<p> -On the other hand, we have to deal with the most intelligent, keen, and -sensible people in the world. They understand a thing when only half -stated, and very often divine it. You hardly speak before they are moved to -accept or to reject; and yet we overcharge them with long and heavy -dissertations. To act in this way, is to evince an utter unacquaintance -with one's people, and to display our own ignorance, in spite of all the -learning which we may possess. Moreover, it tends to excite antipathy. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_186">{186}</a></span> -The Frenchman does not care to be treated like a German: he does not wish -to be told every thing, thereby depriving him of the pleasure of working -out the truth for himself. Open the vein, lance his imagination and -feelings, let them flow on the road to truth, and he will pursue it alone; -perchance more quickly and further than you. Nothing impairs intelligence, -sentiment, and the effusion of thought so much as redundancy of words and -even of ideas. -</p> -<p> -A sharp working man, who had been listening to a sermon, was once asked— -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "What did the preacher say? What do you remember of his sermon?" -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "Nothing at all." -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "How's that? Surely you heard him?" -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "Perfectly." -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "How is it, then, that you did not understand any thing?" -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "Ah," replied he, in an original language, which only the people can - command, "because all he had to say was hid behind a mass of words." -</p> -<p> -There is too much reminiscence of our philosophical and scholastic studies -in our sermons. It often appears as if we were speaking to a meeting of -young bachelors in theology. We seem to believe—and the notion is -generally taken for granted—that we have not adequately developed an idea -unless we discuss it for an hour or for three-quarters of an hour at the -least. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_187">{187}</a></span> -<p> -Thus the audience is overwhelmed under the weight of a ponderous erudition. -It is not sufficient that they should have one proof set before them, they -must submit to any conceivable number on the same subject. Or, to use M. de -Cormenin's language, preachers keep on using the flat side of their sword -with weak proofs, after they have given a decisive thrust with the weapon's -point. What has been said a thousand times before is repeated, and what -everybody knows, or what nobody needs to know, is dilated upon to no -purpose. -</p> -<p> -A man must be endowed with extraordinary genius who can bring forcible -thoughts to bear upon one and the same subject for the space of a whole -hour. But this consideration does not appear to occasion the least -embarrassment. The vacuities of thought are filled up with words, and that -is called developing an idea. -</p> -<p> -For the most part, we are all convinced that others speak too long, but we -are beguiled by the world's flattery. -</p> -<p> -We preach, and people are delighted, and send intimations to us that we -have acquitted ourselves to admiration; that they would gladly have -listened to us much longer, and so forth. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_188">{188}</a></span> -<p> -But we know better than any one else that the world does not always speak -the truth, and that we ourselves have frequently denounced its want of -sincerity. How comes it, then, that we are deluded by such fine speeches? -In flattering us, the world simply plies its trade; but it is our duty not -to give heed to its blandishments. Moreover, there prevails at present a -strong and universal conviction that, generally speaking, our sermons are -too long. -</p> -<p> -Ask whom you please, enemies and friends, ask even the most fervent -Christians—thanks be to God there are intelligent men, and men renowned -for their charity among the sincerely religious—ask them, I say, and they -will tell you that our sermons and services are too long. And if pious and -intelligent men are of that opinion, what must the masses think? -</p> -<p> -Undoubtedly, the intention is praiseworthy. … We aim at securing a -greater good by lengthening out the services and sermon. Still, it is -equally certain that in so doing we discard both prudence and charity. It -resembles the ordinary treatment of wives, who insist on giving their sick -husbands good strong broth, on the plea that it will do them more good than -all the chemist's medicines. The intention is unquestionably a kind one; -but it is no less true that the regimen, instead of benefiting the -patients, is most likely to kill them outright. Alas! the same result has -followed a similar injudicious treatment of men's souls. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_189">{189}</a></span> -<p> -A man of high intellectual attainments, recently converted, declared that -the manner in which he was bored by sermons during his youth, had kept him -from listening to them for twenty years. We complain, and with reason, that -the masses have ceased to frequent the church, and that sermons nowadays -are not popular. But do not we assist in driving them away? The services -are longer now than they were in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, -when there was more faith abroad among the people generally. -</p> -<p> -Religion would most probably be greatly promoted if the sermon and the -services also were abridged. This might readily be affected as regards the -latter. Pitch your music out of the window, or rather out of the door, as -the former might not be considered parliamentary. Or, take care at least -that the polkas with which your organist embellishes the <i>Magnificat</i> -shall not occupy more than a quarter of an hour. With respect to the -sermons, they might easily be shortened without injuring them in the least. -Lop off all commonplace considerations from the exordium, all useless -discussions from the body of the discourse, and all vague phrases from the -peroration. Prune away all redundant words, all parasitical epithets, using -only those that triple the force of the substantive. Be chary of words and -phrases; economize them as a miser does his crown-pieces. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_190">{190}</a></span> -The people affect those thoughts which are formulated in a single word. -They like such expressions as the following:—<i>vive! … à bas! … mort! -… vengeance! … liberté! … justice!</i> These simple words often move -men more than a long discourse. -</p> -<p> -In this respect, however, there has been a marked improvement in many of -our churches. There are parishes in Paris where a rule prevails that no one -shall preach more than forty minutes. In some popular meetings, preachers -are not allowed to speak beyond fifteen minutes, and it is there that the -most good is done. -</p> -<p> -Nowadays, brevity is one of the first conditions of success, and of -promoting the welfare of souls. -</p> -<p> -The preacher who was most frequented at Paris during the Lenten season this -year, hardly ever exceeded half-an-hour. There are, undoubtedly, many other -rules to be observed, but brevity will not injuriously affect any of them. -</p> -<p> -The people are easily impressed: they like to be moved; but nothing passes -away so quickly as an emotion. In order to bring them back to the church, -we must have sermons of ten, seven, and even of five minutes duration. The -Mass and the sermon together should not exceed half-an-hour. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_191">{191}</a></span> -<p> -This plan has been attempted. The experiment was made, and produced the -most happy and unexpected results. Intelligent and zealous pastors, -distressed at seeing that the greater part of their flock scarcely ever -heard the word of God or went to church, established a low Mass, announced -as specially designed for the men, with a lecture of from ten to five -minutes duration every Sunday. … Crowds flocked to the church, which was -sometimes found too small to hold them. Nor was this all: many attended -high Mass also, and even went to the confessional; which they had not done, -some for twenty, some for thirty, and some for forty years. This success -was obtained in irreligious as well as religious districts, and under the -most unfavorable circumstances; even in populous manufacturing towns. And -the same plan is practicable everywhere. Frequently, nothing more is -required than a man to take the initiative with a right good will, in order -to attract crowds to the church and to religion. -</p> -<p> -But it will be objected: What can be said in ten or seven minutes? Much, -much more than is generally thought, when due preparation is made, when we -have a good knowledge of mankind, and are well versed in religious matters. -… Have not a few words often sufficed to revolutionize multitudes, and to -produce an immense impression? -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_192">{192}</a></span> -<p> -The harangues of Napoleon only lasted a few minutes, yet they electrified -whole armies. The speech at Bourdeaux did not exceed a quarter of an hour, -and yet it resounded throughout the world. Had it been longer, it would -have been less effective. In fifteen weeks, with a sermon of seven minutes -every Sunday, one might give a complete course of religious instruction, if -the sermons were well digested beforehand. [Footnote 17] -</p> -<p class="footnote"> - [Footnote 17: We have chosen the seven minutes sermon, because - experience has taught us that it attracts the greatest numbers.] -</p> -<p> -If, then, you wish to be successful, in the first place fix the length of -your sermon, and never go beyond the time; be inflexible on that score. -Should you exceed it, apologize to your audience for so doing, and prove in -the pulpit of truth that you can be faithful to your word. -</p> -<p> -In your course of instruction, do not follow the old method which commences -with metaphysical questions and principles; but adhere to the plan which we -have indicated: start from the known to the unknown. … -</p> -<p> -In the first place, disconnect religion from all prejudices and passions, -and from every thing uncongenial. Discard all objections and antagonisms. -Exhibit it as good and lovely, then true, then divine, then as obligatory, -proceeding onward from thence to God's commandments and to the sacraments. -If you apprehend that the term "God's commandments" does not sufficiently -strike your hearers, you may call them the duties of an upright man. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_193">{193}</a></span> -<p> -When about to compose your sermon, study your subject thoroughly, grasp the -salient points, and then write. … -</p> -<p> -But do not stop there; begin afresh. Supposing that you have written four -pages, reduce them to two, taking care that all the strong thoughts and -sentiments remain. … Use those terms which belong to a single thought, -those expressions which imprint themselves—or, as the Scripture says, -engrave the truth as with a pen of steel—on the hearts of men, and which -scatter it abroad full of life and exultation. Nothing is so profitable as -this exercise: it cultivates and supplies the intellect, gives us a deeper -insight into Christianity and mankind, and it teaches us how to think, and -how to write. … -</p> -<p> -During the reading of the Gospel, ascend the pulpit and be quite ready. -Place your watch by your side and begin thus:—"Last Sunday we said so and -so. To-day we continue." … Then enter fully into your subject, -enlightening the minds of your hearers or stirring up their hearts as may -be suitable, during the discourse. When the allotted time arrives, stop -short and conclude. -</p> -<p> -"But do speak more at length … you are wrong in being so brief … you -only tantalize your audience … you deprive them of a real pleasure." -Expostulations like these will pour in upon you; but don't listen to them: -be inflexible, for those who urge them are enemies without knowing it. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_194">{194}</a></span> -<p> -Be more rigid than ever in observing the rule which you have prescribed for -yourself. Then your sermon will be talked of—it will be a phenomenon— -every body will come to <i>see</i> a sermon of seven minutes duration. The people -will come; the rich will follow. Faith will bring the one, and curiosity -will attract the other, and thus the Divine word will have freer course and -be glorified. … -</p> -<p> -If the men do not come, appeal to the women, and ask them to help you. If -you want to attract the women, announce that you intend preaching specially -for the men. You will find this method infallible; the men will follow. -</p> -<p> -Moreover, go yourself and find them out: visit the workshops, factories, -and wharves. Be particularly attentive to those who are shabbily dressed -and ill-favored. On taking your departure, tell them with a smile that -French politeness—in which you feel quite sure they are not -deficient—demands that visits received should be returned: that you will -dispense with their coming to you personally, but will expect to see them -at the seven minutes sermon. The result will not disappoint you. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_195">{195}</a></span> -<p> -When you have many male hearers, you should reserve a space for them. The -women will complain that thereby they are placed further away; but you must -appease them with a compliment. Tell them that you know their charity, and -are persuaded that they would not certainly wish to hinder the word of God -from being heard by those who need it most. -</p> -<p> -When you have well cultivated your congregation, when a strong current of -sympathy and charity has set in from them to you and from you to them, when -a number of conversions shall have been made, then you may think of sending -some of them to high Mass and to Vespers. Don't fail to felicitate -such:—"You have come hither to hear me. So far well, and I am greatly -rejoiced at it. Still you may do something better: you may attend high -Mass," adding your reasons, and then conclude somewhat in this style:— -"Now, I hope that those who are rightly disposed will attend high Mass. I -only want the badly disposed, poor downright sinners, at my sermons." You -will be obeyed by some, and you will thereby do much toward repopularizing -religion; and when those who are not converted fall sick they will -say:—"Send for the man who preaches the seven minutes sermon; I don't want -any other." Thus God will be blessed and glorified. … -</p> -<p> -Here, then, you have a very simple and cheap means of restoring the people -to religion. It may be put into practice everywhere: in great cities, in -small towns, and even in hamlets. The subject is one for serious -reflection. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_196">{196}</a></span> -Even in our most religiously disposed towns, hardly a third of the -inhabitants habitually hear the word of God. Elsewhere, matters are still -worse; and yet all are sheep of the same Divine pastor, all have a soul to -save. Moreover, according to all theologians, every parish priest of a cure -is required, <i>sub gravi</i>, to preach at low Mass, whenever the faithful -generally do not attend high Mass. Hence, by pursuing the course above -indicated, we may not only save others but shall also exonerate ourselves. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_197">{197}</a></span> -<br> - <h2>Chapter VII. -<br><br> - Tact and Kindliness.</h2> -<p class="cite"> - We should assume that our Hearers are what we wish them to be.<br> - Reproaches to be avoided.<br> - How to address Unbelievers.<br> - Special Precautions to be taken in small Towns and rural Districts.<br> - How to treat Men during times of public Commotion.<br> - Forbearance due to the Church for being obliged - to receive Money from the Faithful.<br> -</p> -<p> -In France, it is not enough to say good things, they must also be well -said. This remark applies to all, but more especially to him who speaks in -behalf of the Gospel; for he is bound to follow the Divine injunction:—"Be -ye wise as serpents, and harmless as doves;" which I should prefer to see -carried out as commented upon by St. François de Sales:—"Ah! my dear -Philothea, I would give a hundred serpents for one dove." -</p> -<p> -It is especially in this respect that we should endeavor to reduce to -practice what has already been advanced on the importance of becoming -thoroughly acquainted with the people, and the necessity of loving them in -order to our being qualified to address them to good purpose. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_198">{198}</a></span> -We must make ourselves Sisters of Charity to the souls of men; having all -their pliancy and kindness, so as to be capable of conforming ourselves to -those light, weak, vain, and fickle characters—to say nothing of the -suspicious and malevolent—with whom we may have to deal. Our age is -arrayed in prejudices from head to foot, and no sooner is one destroyed -than another is ready to take its place. -</p> -<p> -For the most part, a great mistake is made as regards this necessity of -exercising tact in our intercourse with the people. It is remarked:—"We -have to do with little people, such circumspection is therefore uncalled -for. Why should we give ourselves so much trouble on their account?" Very -true; but little people are often very susceptible people everywhere; not -among the laity only, but among the clergy likewise. -</p> -<p> -The people have certain formalities, courtesies, and politenesses of their -own which we should learn to respect, for when once outraged, they are more -difficult to be appeased than the educated and genteel classes. Complaints -are often made of our congregations; but have they not sometimes cause on -their part to complain of their preachers? … Are these latter always -prudent and conciliatory in their mode of procedure? And yet success -depends on this mixture of tact and kindliness. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_199">{199}</a></span> -<p> -In our sermons, we should start with assuming that the people are what we -wish them to be; thereby raising them in their own estimation, and laying -hold of them by their better part. … You will then feel yourself quite at -ease, and in spite of any desire on the part of your hearers to oppose you, -they will be restrained from doing so by an exquisite sentiment of respect. -</p> -<p> -A <i>religieux</i> who was engaged on a mission in a rural district, had -announced that a particular gallery, which had previously been occupied by -the men, would in future be reserved for the ladies forming the choir. Now, -the men were much attached to the said gallery, and were determined to keep -it. Accordingly, the day after, long before the sermon, they installed -themselves in it as usual. -</p> -<p> -On ascending the pulpit, the preacher noticed that his directions had not -been attended to. What would he do? Command or scold? A vulgar man might -have done so under the circumstances, but he got over the difficulty by a -compliment. -</p> -<p> -Turning toward the occupants of the gallery, he addressed them in a kindly -tone as follows:—"My dear friends, you are aware that the gallery was set -apart for the ladies. Now, French politeness calls upon us always to give -place to the ladies, and not to deprive them of it. From what I already -know of you, I feel persuaded that you will not be behindhand in that -respect." … "We have put our foot into it," whispered the men one to -another; "and can hold out no longer. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_200">{200}</a></span> -Ah! the crafty fellow, he has outwitted us, and we must go." The gallery -was evacuated forthwith and made over to the ladies; to the satisfaction of -all, even of those who had been worsted in the affair. That is the way to -deal with the people. The preacher might have asserted his absolute -authority on the occasion; but, like a wise man, he preferred the exercise -of prudence and charity. -</p> -<p> -We repeat it: the most effectual way of communicating the truth to the -people, of putting them in the right way, and of reforming them, is not to -be chary of complimenting them when they have deserved it ever so little; -and to show that we have confidence in them. This course tends to gladden -their souls; disposes them to what is good, exalts, elates them. It should -never be neglected, for it is capable of transforming the most obstinate -characters. -</p> -<p> -Subsequent to the revolution of 1848, an association of unemployed -operatives was formed at the church of the Carmelites; amongst whom was a -number of sharpers, makers of barricades, and workmen always on the -look-out for work—men clothed in rags and in a state of complete -destitution. There were about twelve hundred of them. A meal was first -served out to them, which was followed by a lecture. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_201">{201}</a></span> -<p> -The priests who addressed them soon acquired an irresistible ascendency -over this formidable body; so much so that certain parties took umbrage at -it, as a dangerous power to be wielded by the clergy, and accordingly hired -a set of roughs to hiss and otherwise disturb the congregation. -</p> -<p> -The preacher, who was apprised of this on entering the pulpit, did not -manifest the least discomposure. Before beginning the sermon, however, he -looked round upon the sinister figures and tattered habiliments of his -hearers with a benevolent countenance, and then said in a sonorous -voice:—"What a pleasant meeting this is, my friends! What an excellent -audience! what silence! what attention! Therein I recognize the people. … -Père Lacordaire preaches at Notre-Dame to the noble and wealthy, and it is -found necessary to station constables there to maintain order. … None but -men of the people are here, and yet we have no constables amongst us. We do -not want them, for the people are their own police; the people are -discreet." … -</p> -<p> -He then delivered his sermon, which was listened to amidst the most -profound silence. Never was an audience of nuns more attentive than those -men; their deportment was admirable. The roughs took the hint, saw that -their game was up, and that those who had engaged them would lose their -money. They accordingly moved toward the door. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_202">{202}</a></span> -<p> -When the sermon was over, however, a few hisses were attempted; but fifty -stalwart arms instantly seized the intruders, and administered a -castigation to them which was by no means fraternal. -</p> -<p> -By laying hold of men in this manner we may lead them onward a great way on -the road to improvement. … -</p> -<p> -One should be very cautious not to assume that his hearers are wicked, -impious, or unbelieving. The people do not relish such imputations: they -don't like reproaches; neither do you, dear reader. They rarely do any -good, and often much harm. -</p> -<p> -If it is deemed desirable to censure a fault, a vice, or a scandal, such -delinquencies may be treated of in a general way, and energetically -denounced. In applying the lesson to your hearers, you might say in a -subdued tone—"Malpractices like these are committed elsewhere. It is even -stated that you are not wholly free from them; but perhaps it is only the -malevolent who say this of you. However, if you have really been guilty of -them, I am sure you will abandon them in future. It is always a duty to -prove that the malevolent are in the wrong." You may further add:—"I will -do you this justice, that whenever I have given you any advice, I have -always had the satisfaction of finding that some at least have profited by -it." -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_203">{203}</a></span> -<p> -It shows a want of charity as well as tact—and it is, moreover, deplorably -vulgar—to address a congregation in such a style as the following:—"All -my preaching, and all the trouble which I take in your behalf are in vain, -for you are not a whit better. Faith is departing from France. … I must -abandon you to your fate. No matter how I preach, none the more come to the -sermons." … I say this mode of address is as vulgar and contemptible as -it is derogatory to the minister of the Gospel. Saint John Chrysostom, as -already remarked, did not talk in that style:—"If you reject my words," -said he, "I shall not shake off the dust of my feet against you. Not that -herein I would disobey the Saviour; but because the love which He has given -me for you prevents my doing so." … -</p> -<p> -If sermons are not attended, whose fault is it? It is our duty to look into -that question. At all events, if only a few come it is not certainly their -fault, and therefore they should be spared all reproaches; otherwise some -captious hearer—and such are to be met with everywhere—may slip into a -corner of the pulpit, and say:—"Take care, Mr. Preacher; you are speaking -ill of the absent, and you know better than I do that such a proceeding is -improper." … -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_204">{204}</a></span> -<p> -If your audience is scanty, I can quite fancy that you would like to -comment upon it, and also to express a little annoyance at the fact; but -you may do something better. Begin by congratulating those who are present, -thank them heartily for coming to listen to you, and tell them afterward, -in an affectionate manner, that it would be a praiseworthy act if they -could induce one or two of their comrades to accompany them to the next -meeting. Instead of uttering reproaches against the erring absentees, which -your hearers might report to them, charge the latter to communicate words -of kindness to them:— -</p> -<p> -"Tell those dear brethren who do not attend the lectures, that we bear them -no ill-will; that we love all of them; that they too are our children; and -that we never cease praying for them." Thereby all will be edified, and God -will be less offended. … -</p> -<p> -Further, it is highly imprudent to say to one's audience:—"I have preached -to you a long time, and yet you are still the same: I see no improvement in -you. On the contrary, evil increases every year. I wash my hands of you; -you will be lost: you will be damned." … Now, the people do not like to -be damned, or to be discouraged. Besides, such a course is highly -dangerous. … Might they not say:—"As it seems that we are damned -already, let us at least enjoy life while it lasts." Moreover, may there -not still be a portion for the pastor, even from among the erring flock? -</p> -<p> -A pastor once recapitulated in the pulpit the results of his ministrations -in this language:—"My time is thrown away upon you, for you become more -and more ungodly. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_205">{205}</a></span> -<p> -"The first year of my cure there were only five persons who did not -communicate at Easter. -</p> -<p> -"The second year there were eleven. -</p> -<p> -"The third year there were thirty. -</p> -<p> -"And the number has gone on increasing, so that at present there are eighty -non-communicants." After Mass, a mischievous peasant approached the -speaker, and said, in a low voice:—"Monsieur le Curé, take my advice, and -don't make so much stir about this matter. According to your own testimony, -we were in a satisfactory condition when you took charge of us, so that we -must have deteriorated under your <i>reign</i>." -</p> -<p> -Neither should such commonplace and infelicitous remarks as the following -be made:—"Faith is departing from among men. … Hell is let loose on -earth; … everybody is abandoning religion;" … for observations like -these only tend to induce others to abandon it; and the people will hardly -feel disposed to practise a religion which the rest of the world is alleged -to be giving up. They would rather prefer being lost with the multitude. -</p> -<p> -On the contrary, you should say something to this effect,—"Go to! faith is -not extinct, for there are many godly men to be found in all ranks of -society. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_206">{206}</a></span> -You would be convinced of this if you only knew what takes place in our -large towns, where numbers of the young, the rich, and the learned -belonging to the higher classes, and others occupying distinguished -positions, may be seen devoutly frequenting the services of the church, -partaking of the holy communion, visiting the poor, and practising -confession with the docility of little children. Moreover, what exemplary -women there are amongst us!" … You might then add:—"Brethren, we should -strive to imitate such men, and should not allow ourselves to be outdone by -them." Representations like these will induce the people to think more -highly of religion, and will make it more attractive to them. -</p> -<p> -We have already discussed the most appropriate method of warning the people -against the bad example and pernicious talk of those who affect infidelity; -but a few additional remarks may not be out of place here. In general, we -should not evince any fear of such antagonism, nor attach much importance -to it. We should rather cause the impression to be produced that God having -bestowed mind and talent upon mankind, is a proof that He can be in no -dread of those endowments. -</p> -<p> -Above all, we should lay great stress on such reflections as these:—that -those who call themselves unbelievers are, in fact, nothing of the kind, -and are better than their words would imply; although, perchance, they -might not be greatly disappointed if they could attain to infidelity; that -they have as good reason for fearing hell as others have of being in dread -of the police; and that by dint of repeating that they are unbelievers, -they have been led to imagine that they are so in reality. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_207">{207}</a></span> -<p> -You might liken them to some of those old soldiers of the empire, who, from -having travelled a good deal in foreign countries, are generally allowed -the license of embellishing and even of inventing a little. As everybody -knows, they make free use of the privilege, and concoct a number of tales -wherein they themselves are made to play a prominent part. These they -repeat incessantly, until at length they succeed in persuading themselves -that such stories are true, and that the incidents actually occurred as -they have narrated them. … It is the same with those who wish to pass -themselves off as unbelievers. Hence we should not allow ourselves to be -moved by their words; for at heart they are better men and nearer to God -than is thought, and you should insist on the duty of praying for them. If -you pursue this course, none will be hurt or offended, and the wives, -daughters, or mothers of these pretended unbelievers will return home from -your sermons happier at the thought that all hope for those whom they love -is not wholly lost. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_208">{208}</a></span> -<p> -The sterner the truths which you have to set forth, the more should tact -and kindliness be brought into play, that the souls of the hearers be not -depressed. This, however, is a very common error. We are terrible in the -pulpit; we thunder and storm there; whereas in the confessional we are -gentle and paternal. That was all well enough in times of faith; but an -entirely different course is called for nowadays, otherwise you will -estrange the hearts of your people. Be paternal in the pulpit, be paternal -in the confessional as well; but at the same time uncompromising in your -principles. There are many things which terrify at a distance, but which, -nevertheless, are readily assented to in the familiar intercourse of the -confessional. -</p> -<p> -We sometimes hear such language as this, uttered in a tone of great -self-conceit, after a long tirade or vehement declamation:—"I have driven -them into a corner. I have now fairly crushed them." You have crushed them, -have you? So much the worse, for in so doing you have altogether -misapprehended your duty. God has not called you to crush men, but to raise -and save them. Moreover, there is much cause to fear that those whom you -have crushed will not run the less eagerly in the way of evil. -</p> -<p> -Hence all strong admonitions should be tempered with such deprecations as -these:—"Brethren, why am I constrained to tell you these stern truths? You -will pardon me for doing so, because it is my duty. It pains me as much as -it does you to have to say them." -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_209">{209}</a></span> -Or, something to this effect:—"If I wished to pain you, or if it was not -rather my heart's desire to spare you, or if I did not love you, I might -inflict on you the chastisement of irony and defeat; I might say this or -that, and speak truly and justly. But no; I leave you to your own -consciences, which will tell you of your faults and failings more forcibly -than I can. For my part, I prefer holding out a hand to you, I prefer to -pity, to save you." … -</p> -<p> -We must become the servants of all. … That was the course pursued by -Saint John Chrysostom. "A man," says he, "who is only bound to serve one -master, and to submit to one opinion only, may discharge his duty without -trouble; but I have an infinity of masters, being called to serve an -immense people who hold many different views. Not that I bear this -servitude with any sort of impatience, nor that by the present discourse I -would defend myself against the authority which you exercise over me in the -capacity of masters. God forbid that I should entertain such a thought! On -the contrary, nothing is so glorious to me as this servitude of love." -</p> -<p> -The same feelings ought to pervade the heart of every Christian priest, who -should be able to say as St. Paul did to the Corinthians:—"Out of much -affliction and anguish of heart, I wrote unto you with many tears; not that -ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more -abundantly unto you." -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_210">{210}</a></span> -<p> -You become aware, for instance, of a prevailing disposition to ill-will, -and have cause to apprehend the ridicule of certain parties. Under these -circumstances, throw yourself into the hands of your audience; make them -your judge, and rest assured you will be treated with indulgence. As Saint -Augustine has said:—"If you fear God, cast yourself into His arms, and -then His hands cannot strike you." In like manner, if you fear the wit and -ridicule of the French people, throw yourself into their hearts, and then -the sallies of their tongues will fail to reach you. -</p> -<p> -There are certain thoughts and expressions which have a great hold on the -French mind, such as progress, liberty, enlightenment. These you should -never meddle with unless absolutely obliged. We ought to respect even the -illusions of our brethren, when they do nobody any harm. When we are forced -to combat them, it should be done with courtesy, with gentle irony, or with -profound ability. We, too, may speak of enlightenment, of progress, and of -liberty, and point out that they can only be effectually attained through -the instrumentality of religion. … -</p> -<p> -Matters have undoubtedly improved on this score; proving that, if we -correct our own errors, the effect will not be lost upon others. We are now -far removed from the time when nothing but the future was talked of, the -philosophy of the future, the happiness of the future, when it used to be -said that the time was big with the future, big with a new philosophy; nay, -even with a new religion; whereas, in truth, it was big with nothing but -misery, as the event fully proved. … -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_211">{211}</a></span> -<p> -We must not assail these delusions directly, nor imitate the bold preacher -who is reported to have said—"So we are supposed to be living in the era -of light! If so, then it is the devil who holds the candle." On the -contrary, you should enter into the current of the ideas of the age, and -strive vigorously to turn it in favor of religion, by taking advantage of -prevailing errors and delusions to edify your hearers. -</p> -<p> -One of the lectures of the Rev. Père Ventura supplies a fine model of this -style of preaching; which but for the sacredness of the place where it was -delivered, would undoubtedly have elicited roars of applause. He had been -showing that the attempt to introduce German philosophy into France was a -great mistake, inasmuch as it was altogether unsuited to the positive, -sensible, and Christian mind of the French people. He wound up as -follows:—"Frenchmen, it is your bane that you do not value yourselves as -you ought, that you wish to imitate foreigners; whereas you are rich enough -in resources of your own. Last century you imitated English politics and -were not very successful. Why do you now wish to borrow a philosophy from -Protestant Germany? Frenchmen, be yourselves. … -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_212">{212}</a></span> -What! are you not rich enough in mind, in your wonderful talent for -comparison and for development, and in your extreme quickness at deducing -consequences from the most remote premises? Not rich enough in the truth -which eighteen centuries of Christianity have poured into your bosoms, and -to which you owe your civilization and grandeur. Frenchmen, forbear aping -others; you have only to be yourselves in order to be great." (Prolonged -sensation.) -</p> -<p> -We should become all things to all men, without ever being rude; being -always simple, natural, true, and upright. These are qualities admired -alike by all; by the little, and especially by the great. … -</p> -<p> -The wealthy residents in towns frequently go to spend a part of the fine -season in the country, where the curé, in order to exalt religion in their -eyes—and the pastor a little as well—thinks himself called upon to be at -the expense of some grand phrases and flights of fancy. Now, such a course -is neither adroit nor apostolic. As to grand phrases, the visitors hear -enough of them in the towns. Besides, they may judge that you have talked -at them, and may be offended. Moreover, it is not at all unlikely that they -may think you have mistaken your profession. … Instead of acting in this -way, do not seem to be aware of their presence, but speak boldly to your -people in your usual style. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_213">{213}</a></span> -Avail yourself, nevertheless, of any fitting occasion to tell them some -useful truths; to draw their attention to some striking parable, like that -of the poor man with the ewe lamb and the prophet Nathan, which may afford -you a good opportunity of reaching the rich over the shoulders of the -peasant. Be careful, however, always to do this in a kindly manner; both -rich and poor will then be more satisfied with you, and God Himself will -concur in the same opinion. -</p> -<p> -Remember that you have a difficult part to play in a small town. There, you -may not say all that may be said in a large city. There, the most paltry -things assume huge proportions. One of our best preachers entirely failed -of success through having omitted to repeat the <i>Ave Maria</i> after the -exordium, and for not having allowed his audience time to cough, to -expectorate, and to take breath. It is a wonder that he escaped without -having his orthodoxy suspected. -</p> -<p> -Moreover, the residents in small towns are excessively fond of -finely-turned phrases, rhetorical displays, and pomposity. They call such -rodomontade poetry, and think it sublime. You may adopt it occasionally by -way of accompaniment. Nevertheless, don't be led into the delusion that any -essay in that style will prevent the <i>sturdy bourgeois</i> from -slandering his neighbor, from cheating him if he can, and from doing many -other things of a similar kind. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_214">{214}</a></span> -<p> -Good manners have great weight in France, and many things are excused in -him who says them cleverly. -</p> -<p> -A celebrated preacher was expected to preach a charity sermon in one of the -Paris churches. A crowded audience had already assembled, when, to their -surprise and disappointment, they saw the parish priest enter the pulpit, -and heard him announce that, owing to the sudden indisposition of the -eminent preacher, he was obliged to supply his place. Thereat the -congregation rose and began to leave the church. Meanwhile the priest, -seeing the crowed on the move, and the anticipated collection disappearing -with them, suddenly arrested them with a <i>bon mot</i>. "My brethren," -said he, "when everybody has left the church, I will begin." This so -delighted the audience that they remained where they were; the priest -preached an excellent sermon, and the collection was most liberal. -</p> -<p> -We should endeavor to acquire and practise all the breeding and politeness -of good society, with sincerity superadded. By birth, we are for the most -part children of the people; that is neither a fault nor a disgrace; it -forms an additional resemblance between ourselves and the Apostles. But our -primary education was neglected, and we should fill up the gap by retaking -from the world those forms which it has borrowed from Christianity, and -fill them up with the substance. Then we shall be powerful men. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_215">{215}</a></span> -<p> -The present age has given us a great model of this tact, kindliness, and -urbanity of speech in the person of the Cardinal de Cheverus. -</p> -<p> -"He generally spoke," says M. Hamon, [Footnote 18] "with such tact and -moderation, and so much to the purpose, that, far from offending any one, -his audience always went away gratified. Some were convinced, others were -staggered, and all disabused more or less of their prejudices. When he -addressed persons of a different communion, his kind and affectionate words -were the utterances of a heart overflowing with benevolence and charity. He -made his audience feel by the accents of his voice and his whole deportment -that it was a friend who was addressing them; not merely a sincere, but a -tender and devoted friend, who wished them all possible good; and this -persuasion, by disposing them to welcome his words, opened the way for him -to their hearts. -</p> -<p class="footnote"> - [Footnote 18: <i>Histoire du Cardinal de Cheverus</i>.] -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "His usual course was this: he first stated the question clearly, - expounding carefully the true doctrine of the Church; eliminating - therefrom all the erroneous interpretations, wherewith heretics have - travestied it in order that they might decry it. He then adduced his - proofs in a form so simple and natural, combining them with reasons so - completely within the reach of ordinary intelligences, that no effort of - the mind was required to feel their force. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_216">{216}</a></span> - He adhered above all to those proofs which speak to the heart; setting - forth all that is lovely and affecting, noble and excellent in the - Catholic creed. It is almost unnecessary to add that his efforts were - often crowned with deserved success." -</p> -<p> -But the exercise of tact and kindliness on our part, is specially called -for in times of public commotion, when men's minds are disturbed and their -passions inflamed. Under such circumstances, we should endeavor to be -perfectly self-possessed ourselves, in order that we may be the better able -to control others. -</p> -<p> -Before all, we should be just. The people, on their part, have an exquisite -sense of justice. In depicting their faults or their excesses, abstain from -all exaggeration; rather say too little than too much, and they will accuse -themselves unsparingly. Outstep the limits of truth, and they will rebel, -and you will forfeit all your influence over them. Further, take pains to -explain to them in detail how matters stand; show them that you are not an -enemy, but a sincere friend and adviser, and they will resign themselves, -even to suffering. -</p> -<p> -A great orator has left on record a perfect model of this style of address. -He is so little known that I cannot resist the desire of quoting him. Some -time prior to the Revolution of '89, the dearness of bread had excited -public indignation at Marseilles, excesses had been committed, and still -greater outrages were apprehended. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_217">{217}</a></span> -<p> -Mirabeau caused a notice, containing the following passages, to be put up -on all the walls of the town:— -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "My good friends, I am about to tell you what I think of the occurrences - which have taken place in this superb city during the last few days. - Listen to me: I shall not deceive you; my only wish is to be of use to - you. -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "Every one of you desires what is right, for you are all honest people; - but every one does not know how he ought to act. A man is often deceived, - even with respect to his own interests. -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "You complain chiefly of two things: of the price of bread and the price - of meat. -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "Let us consider the subject of the bread first; other matters will come - after. -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "Bread is the most indispensable article of food, and there are two - requisites regarding it: first, that there should be an adequate supply; - and, secondly, that it should not be too dear. -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "Well, my good friends, I have some cheering news to tell you. There is - no deficiency of wheat at the present moment. There are 50,000 loads in - the city, which will furnish bread for three months and twelve days. But, - my good friends, that is not all; your administrators and the merchants - still expect a large additional supply. … -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_218">{218}</a></span> -<p class="cite"> - "Be calm, therefore; be perfectly calm. Thank Providence for giving you - what others are deprived of. -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "You have heard it reported, and you yourselves know, that the seasons - generally have been bad throughout the country. The people have to suffer - elsewhere much more than you do here; yet they bear it patiently. -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "I trust, therefore, that you will be contented and quiet, and that your - example may promote peace on all sides. Then, my good friends, it will be - said everywhere: The Marseillaise are a brave people. The King will hear - it—that excellent King whom we should not afflict, whom we unceasingly - invoke—even he will hear of it, and will esteem and love you the more." -</p> -<p> -As might have been expected, this address produced the happiest results. -The people do not, cannot resist such appeals, unless some mischievous -demagogue interferes to rekindle their passions. -</p> -<p> -Lastly, I must say a few words on a subject which should be candidly -explained to the people. I allude to the money taken for the use of chairs -in our churches, and the difference which exists in the celebration of -marriages and funerals for the rich and the poor. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_219">{219}</a></span> -This is a matter which causes great estrangement from religion, and he who -is not aware of the fact shows his ignorance of the feelings prevailing -among the people. It is desirable that all should be set right on this -point, both rich and poor; even the most pious amongst us. Faith is no -longer large enough to comprehend these exigencies, and there is a -wide-spread suspicion abroad that the Church is following the ruling -passion of the multitude—love of money. Besides, the people entertain -strong views on the subject of equality, and expect it in matters of -religion, if they do not meet with it anywhere else. -</p> -<p> -Hence it is not uncommon to hear reflections such as the following among -the operatives of our work shops:—"Religion nowadays is no longer the -religion of the Gospel. The Gospel loves and prefers the people; but -religion as practised at present prefers the rich and encourages felons. -</p> -<p> -"Take, for example, two men of humble parentage. The one remains a workman -and maintains his integrity all his life; he toils on and dies poor. The -other becomes rich by very questionable means, defrauds right and left, and -dies wealthy. He is then placed in the centre of the church, and surrounded -with burning tapers and chanting priests. … The poor devil of a workman, -on the contrary, who has been upright all his life, is borne in the rear of -the parish priest, accompanied by two or three assistants, with as many -tapers, and is then pitched into a corner. . . . And you would have me -believe that this is the religion of Christ? It is no such thing; it is the -religion of the priests: it is the religion of money." …. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_220">{220}</a></span> -<p> -Arguments like these have a powerful effect on persons who are incapable of -sober reflection and who scarcely ever look beyond the present state of -existence. They harrow up the popular instincts; and with the people -instinct is everything. The man who secures the command over their -instincts may do any thing with them; he who fails in that respect cannot -manage them at all. … It is most desirable, then, that the inequality -complained of should be kindly and frankly explained. -</p> -<p> -In doing so, we might say something to the following effect:— -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "Dear friends, this subject is quite as painful to us as it can be to - you; but you are aware that there are some stern necessities in life. The - Church is poor nowadays, and yet has many expenses to meet. The sacred - fabrics must be maintained, the wages of employés paid, suitable - furniture provided, and we ourselves, brethren, even we, the clergy, must - live. … Would you like us to go begging our bread? Say, would you - wish that? Certainly not; for if you knew we were in need, you would be - the first to succor us, even though you had to stint yourselves. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_221">{221}</a></span> - Moreover, it is our duty to visit the poor; and would you condemn us to - the greatest possible misery, that of witnessing want without being able - to relieve it? Say, would you inflict such torture upon us? Well, then, - brethren, the money in question goes to defray these expenses, to give us - bread, and to enable us to alleviate the necessities of the poor. -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "Instead of complaining, therefore, be content that the weddings and - burials of the wealthy should be made to provide for these requisites. - Moreover, brethren, let us lift up our souls and look beyond the present - life. Thank God, we are not destined to spend all our existence on earth. - You know full well that this life is not all our life. There is another - to follow, where all the inequalities which we see here will be perfectly - adjusted, and when every one shall receive according to his works and not - according to his good fortune. Why, then, attach so much importance to - these matters? Surely you do not think that God troubles Himself about - them; that He counts the number of tapers, or carpets, or chairs? … God - looks to see whether a man has been upright and honest, faithfully - discharging his duties as a citizen and a Christian. Be all that, my - brethren, and He will not fail to give you a blissful abode in heaven; - which will be far better than the most magnificent place in the church, - either at your wedding or your funeral." -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_222">{222}</a></span> -<br> - <h2>Chapter VIII. -<br><br> - Interest, Emotion, and Animation.</h2> - -<p class="cite"> - We should endeavor to excite Interest by Thoughts, by Sallies or - Epigrams, by Studies of Men and Manners.<br> - The Truth should be animated.<br> - The Père Ravignan.<br> - The Père Lacordaire.<br> - The Heart is too often absent. -</p> -<p> -We remarked in a former chapter that the preaching of the Divine word, -especially on Sundays, should be to the people, wearied with the toil and -cares of the week, a rest, a joy; or, as the Scripture says, a refreshment. -… It should be to them what a spring of water surrounded with verdure is -to our soldiers worn out with marching, and scorched by the sun and burning -sands of Africa. -</p> -<p> -Under its breath, the souls of men should dilate, blossom, as it were, and -feel less unhappy; for is not the Gospel glad tidings? Was it not -proclaimed at the Nativity of Christ:—"I bring you glad tidings of great -joy?" -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_223">{223}</a></span> -<p> -Christian pulpit instruction should be a sort of paternal intercourse -enlivened with faith and charity—a family meeting where the different -members come to talk over their labors and their trials, their fears and -their hopes, and the bounty of that Father who is in Heaven, in such a way -that each may go away benefited and less unhappy, saying within himself:— -"I feel all the better now. The words of the preacher have cheered me. Why -did he not speak a little longer? While he spoke, my soul was on fire."— -"Did not our heart burn within us, while He talked with us by the way?" -</p> -<p> -Unfortunately, this is no longer the case. The sermon is looked upon as -something cold, official, and tedious; or merely as a necessary -accompaniment of the service. It is thought wearisome to listen to, but -must needs be endured for the sake of example. Generally speaking, -moreover, the greater part of the faithful are absent, and the majority of -the pious souls present consists of females. These place themselves as much -at their ease as possible on a couple of chairs, and resign themselves to -undergo the sermon. When it is over, they remark that it was either a good -or an indifferent discourse, and then depart absolutely as they came; none -feeling in the least bound to practise what has been enjoined. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_224">{224}</a></span> -<p> -Preaching, indeed, is a sorry trade. The preacher studies and meditates on -his subject, composes his sermon, and then commits it to memory. What a -task! He then goes into the pulpit, and is grieved to perceive that the -minds of his audience are abstracted—that they look like persons who are -being bored; so much so, that he is glad if even by a nod of assent they do -not prove that they have been doing anything else rather than listening to -him. For the sermon is undoubtedly regarded in the light of an infliction; -a species of forced labor. When the faithful learn that there is to be no -sermon, they hail the announcement with pleasure, and seem to say with -great glee: "Another sermon got over!" Hence one frequently hears the -remark:—"I shall not go to such a mass because there is preaching there." -Truly, all this is sad, very sad, as regards the preaching of the Divine -word. -</p> -<p> -But who is to blame, ourselves or the faithful? In the first place, it is -quite certain that in France there is a decided distaste for any thing -serious, or that requires attention and mental effort. Nothing is cared for -nowadays but what is amusing; hence the most highly remunerated people -amongst us are those who cater for the amusement of others, some of whom -make fabulous incomes. How to be amused is, in fact, the great question of -the day, insomuch that you hear the remark on all sides:—"I will not go -there again, for the entertainment did not amuse me." -</p> -<p> -The malady of <i>ennui</i> pervades the social atmosphere and all who move -in it, while any thing serious suggests wearisomeness and disgust. This -state of mind is the result of excessive selfishness. For three-fourths of -their time, men are bored about themselves personally. They then feel the -want of some excitement to get rid of the incubus, and generally resort to -whatever is romantic in search of it. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_225">{225}</a></span> -<p> -Again, there is scarcely any prevailing love of the truth; on the contrary, -it is rather dreaded, and men manifest a strange pusillanimity when -confronted with it. Whenever a stern truth is addressed to others, they -readily applaud, and think it quite right that this and that vice should be -strongly reprehended; but when it is brought home to themselves, they -frown, question the propriety of the censure, and can see no harm in their -own delinquencies. Besides which, there is a universal tendency to pass -judgment on every thing sacred and profane, and a sermon is criticised as -if it were nothing more than an ordinary literary production. … -</p> -<p> -These are shortcomings on the part of the congregation, but are they wholly -responsible for them? The blame is sometimes cast on the world, on the -absorbing passion for frivolity, and on the literature of the day; but may -there not be a little fault elsewhere? It is our duty to look into this -subject; and as we are called upon to proclaim the truth to others, it -behoves us to administer it in the first place to ourselves. This will be a -real charity; the more so, because if we are not told it to our faces, we -may rest assured that it will be repeated with additions behind our backs. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_226">{226}</a></span> -<p> -I hasten, then, to state it. There is a large amount of talent in Paris, -and no lack of clergymen who know how to draw, to interest, and to direct -an audience. In the provinces, too, how many preachers are there, who, -though little known, do a vast amount of good! Christian eloquence is still -one of the glories, one of the purest and most indisputable glories of -France. As a witty writer has said:—"God has evidently made France His -spoilt child. The misfortune is that the child does not always profit by -the parent's indulgence." Unquestionably, there are still apostolic -preachers amongst us, whose words are effectual in stirring up and saving -the souls of men; nevertheless, is it not equally sure, that our usual -style of preaching is deficient in interest and perspicuity, is too -monotonous and didactic, is made up of a misuse of reasoning and rhetorical -phraseology, is wanting in heart and soul, and, above all, in that tone of -conviction which lends to speech its paramount power? … -</p> -<p> -In the first place, we must interest our hearers; for that is an -indispensable condition of benefiting them. … People generally require to -be interested. They may be rather exacting on that point: it may be a -weakness on their part; but what is to be done? Must we not become all -things to all men? Must we not take them as they are? It is constantly -being repeated that society is unsound; then, should we not overlook some -things in those who are ailing? -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_227">{227}</a></span> -After all, the question is not to discover whether they are right or wrong. -The vital question is to save them, and how to get them to listen to us, -and to cause Gospel truth to reach their ears, their minds, and their -hearts to that end. Why should we take so much trouble in preparing sermons -if they are not to be listened to? In that case, it becomes nothing more -than a disheartening, profitless labor. As somebody once remarked:—"They -teach me to compose magnificent sermons. I only wish they would also teach -me how to make people come and hear them." -</p> -<p> -Our aim then should be to secure a hearing. To attain that, we must first -excite interest. … -</p> -<p> -There are different ways of doing this. We may interest our hearers by -well-digested studies of men and manners, conveyed in various styles of -unsophisticated and sympathetic language; by spirited sallies; by metaphors -drawn from the incidents of every-day life; and by heart-stirring impulses -and emotions. … -</p> -<p> -In the first place, in order to interest an audience you must never lose -sight of them, but keep them always in your wake. They should be made to -think and feel with you, and even to anticipate or divine your train of -thought; for that will gratify them. At other times, prepare a surprise for -them, and that too will please them. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_228">{228}</a></span> -<p> -When you perceive that the attention of your hearers is flagging, it may be -stimulated by a lively speech or sally; such as shall gladden their hearts, -and draw from them that gentle smile which bespeaks approving assent. -Frenchmen are delighted with this style of address; and surely there is -nothing to urge against it. With so many depressing cares to battle with, -one should rejoice to see them inspirited a little under the breath of the -Divine word. Moreover, it may be made a useful medium for communicating -some wholesome truths. -</p> -<p> -Sallies of this kind are greatly relished by the French people, even when -directed against themselves. -</p> -<p> -All great orators have employed them. Saint Chrysostom himself, always so -grave and dignified, did not disdain to use them. He thus wittily derides -the vanity of the male sex of his time:—"Look at that young man. He walks -delicately on the tips of his toes for fear of soiling his shoes. My -friend, if you dread the mud so much on account of your shoes, put them on -your head and they will be safe." -</p> -<p> -In another place he assails the vanity of the women. "Why are you so proud -of your fine clothes? You reply: 'Only look at this stuff and see how -beautiful it is: touch it, and feel how silky it is.' True: but that is no -merit of yours. 'But how exquisitely this dress fits me!' True, again, but -the merit of that is due to the sempstress." -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_229">{229}</a></span> -<p> -"Alas! for human weakness," he exclaimed; "it takes the produce of a plant, -an animal, or a vile insect, bedizens itself therewith, then goes abroad -and asks the world's admiration, saying: Look at me, for I am worth -something to-day." -</p> -<p> -All our great modern orators, both of the tribune and pulpit, abound in -trenchant sallies; which almost always carry conviction, because they are -universally understood. -</p> -<p> -"France," says M. de Falloux, "repels equally those men who can do every -thing, and those who can do nothing." -</p> -<p> -The Rev. Père Lacordaire excels in epigrams of this kind. He has a peculiar -talent in that line, and has succeeded in winning over many of his hearers -by his pithy humor. -</p> -<p> -One day his object was to show that rationalism does not possess that -charity which distinguishes the Christian faith and ministry. Instead of -entering into a long dissertation on the subject, he expressed himself -thus:— -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "I shall only say a few words about rationalism in connection with the - topic before us. I have never heard of a rationalist having been beaten - by the Cochin-Chinese. Minds like theirs are too highly polished and too - ingenious to risk encountering such distinction in behalf of the truth. - It will, therefore, be time enough to trouble ourselves about them, when - the next vacancy occurs in the Academy. We are too well bred to offer - them any thing else than a laurel branch, which they unquestionably - deserve." -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_230">{230}</a></span> -<p> -On another occasion he remarked with a smile, addressing those who affected -unbelief:—"Yes, sirs, I admit that you have mind, that you have plenty of -mind; but know this, that God has endowed you with it—a clear proof that -He entertains no fear of it." -</p> -<p> -Even the Rev. Père Ravignan, who is generally so austere, ever and anon -adopts a similar style. -</p> -<p> -One day, in recapitulating the philosophical errors of the present time, he -remarked:—"Rationalism is another error, and has the largest following. It -comprises a class of thinkers who are devoid of faith; men who are -eternally seeking but never find; jaded in their search by the oscillations -of doubt, the sport of grand and pretty phrases. According to them, the day -is at length about to dawn; the solution of all questions is at hand. If, -by any chance, we may have still to wait a long time for it … in that -case, you must exercise patience; the religion of the future will come at -last;" [then, taking off his cap and bowing ironically, he added,] "for -which, of course, we are much obliged." -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_231">{231}</a></span> -<p> -Similar points are to be met with throughout the discourses of M. -Lecourtier. Addressing wives, he says:—"Do not play the master at home. I -know of no one so ridiculous as the wife who does so, unless it be the -husband who obeys her." Sallies like these are treasured up, and serve to -recall to memory a whole discourse. Moreover, they enlarge the heart and -dispose it to subsequent nobler impulses. … -</p> -<p> -"To do children good," says a well-known writer, "they must be interested: -they must be made to laugh, to cry, and then sent away happy." Are not the -people still children? Are we not all children still, in more than one -respect? -</p> -<p> -Let it not be supposed that in what has been said above, it is intended -that any person whatever should be ridiculed or held up to contempt. On the -contrary, irony should never be employed except against prejudices, vices, -and crimes. -</p> -<p> -Another way of exciting interest is by lively, skilful, witty, and delicate -sketches of men and manners. … The Frenchman is fond of being spoken to -about himself, about his occupations, his characteristics, his trials, even -his foibles and caprices. This fact is too much lost sight of. We descant -on the Hebrews, the Jews, the Egyptians, Midianites, Philistines, and other -nations of the past. Set all that aside, and speak more freely of the -Gospel and Frenchmen, and of Frenchmen and the Gospel; of Frenchmen of the -present age, of their virtues and vices. Do this, and you will not fail to -interest your hearers: you will interest them in spite of themselves. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_232">{232}</a></span> -<p> -M. Lecourtier transcends in such portraiture. Hence, as before remarked, -his sermons always attract crowded audiences; and he is never listened to -with more attention then when delineating the inner history of a man or -woman of the nineteenth century. Occasionally some are offended, and -declare that they will not come to hear him again; but they seldom keep -their word, for they find his discourses so interesting that they cannot -stay away. -</p> -<p> -Humility is not our forte; on the contrary, we are all very fond of -engaging the attention of others. Indeed, we prefer ill-usage to neglect; -an instance of which is afforded by a letter addressed to a celebrated man -by an obscure author, wherein he wrote:—"I entreat you to be kind enough -to refute me, and, if need be, to abuse me, for that will bring me into -notice." -</p> -<p> -Studies of men and manners are well-timed everywhere. They are understood -by and interest all, because they draw forth a repetition of the speech -made by the woman of Samaria:—"I have seen a man who hath told me all -things that ever I did." -</p> -<p> -Nevertheless, we must not stop there. After depicting what is evil, we must -combat, and overcome, and drive it away by the force of logic, and by the -impulses of thought and heart combined. In this, also, we may find it easy -to excite interest. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_233">{233}</a></span> -<p> -Every truth should be proved. The French mind is pre-eminently logical; but -it is also prompt and quick, and likes neither that which is long, nor that -which is heavy; nor that which affirms without proving, nor yet that which -proves too much. -</p> -<p> -State your principles, therefore, in a clear and concise form, and then -demonstrate them in prompt and vigorous language; making your audience feel -from the outset that you are master of the situation; thereby precluding -the possibility of resistance on the part of the ingenuous or even of the -disingenuous, and that while listening to you they may be led to repeat the -remark of the great Condé when he saw Bourdaloue ascending the -pulpit:—"Attention! voilà l'ennemi." -</p> -<p> -Such however, is far from being the case with ourselves. … The faithful -are fed with nothing but frigid, precise, dogmatic and even unintelligible -discourses, which are supposed to convey solid instruction. But what if it -be so, if the discourses are neither listened to nor understood? Dry bread -is also solid, yet nobody likes it only, any more than you do yourself; and -if you provide nothing but such food at your table, rest assured that you -will find but few guests. -</p> -<p> -We should animate or impassion reason itself. Demosthenes did this, and so -did all great orators. The Rev. Père Ravignan, whose reasoning is always so -forcible and logical, gives sensation and life to his arguments in a -masterly manner. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_234">{234}</a></span> -<p> -In his sermon on the divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ, after demonstrating -that we must admit the mystery of the Incarnation or else submit to many -other mysteries, he subjoins:—"But the objection is raised that a mystery -is inexplicable, insolvable. So be it; nevertheless not to admit it, is to -throw every thing into the most frightful chaos. … Then is Christianity -false; the world believes what is false; has been converted, regenerated, -civilized, by what is false; there is falsehood in the faith, in the love, -and in all the other inspirations of the Christian religion; falsehood in -all the blessings which have been conferred upon humanity in the name of -God the Redeemer; falsehood in the heroism of innumerable martyrs; -falsehood in all the master-minds who have adorned Christianity; falsehood -in the whole chain of science, zeal, devotion, and superhuman virtues; -falsehood in the entire series of the ages of the Church, in all its -monuments, in all its testimonies; falsehood in the Catholic priesthood and -in the sacred ministry of all centuries; falsehood in the happiness -springing from faith and a pure conscience; falsehood in the pulpit; -falsehood on my lips and in my heart. What! does your light and disdainful -tongue find a lesser mystery in all these consequences which necessarily -result from your principles? ME THEY TERRIFY." -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_235">{235}</a></span> -<p> -We should, moreover, attempt in some way to put the truth into action, -making it to come and go, to speak, question, and reply; and should always -keep the scene so fully occupied that the minds of the audience may not be -diverted therefrom for an instant. In this respect also, the Rev. Père -Lacordaire supplies us with an excellent model. -</p> -<p> -In his discourse on the <i>Intellectual Society founded by the Church</i>, -he points out the efforts which have been made by the world to destroy the -immutability of her doctrine, in a style truly dramatic:—"When every thing -else on earth is subject to change, what a weighty prerogative must the -possession by others of an unchangeable doctrine be in the estimation of -those who do not themselves possess it! A doctrine which some feeble old -men, in a place called the Vatican, keep secure under the key of their -cabinet, and which, without any other safeguard, has resisted the progress -of time, the conceits of sages, the machinations of sovereigns, the -downfall of empires, and maintained throughout its unity and identity. A -standing miracle this, and a claim which all ages, jealous of a glory which -disdained theirs, have attempted to gainsay and silence. One after another -they have approached the Vatican, and knocked at the gate with buskin or -boot. Whereat Doctrine has come forth under the form of a feeble and -decrepit septuagenarian, and has asked:— -</p> -<p> -"'What do you want of me?' -</p> -<p> -"'Change.' -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_236">{236}</a></span> -<p> -"'I change not.' -</p> -<p> -"'But every thing in the world has changed. Astronomy has changed; -philosophy has changed; empire has changed; why are you always the same?' -</p> -<p> -"'Because I come from God, and God is always the same.' -</p> -<p> -"'But know this, that we are masters. We have a million of men under arms, -we will draw the sword, and the sword which demolishes thrones may easily -be made to behead an old man like yourself, and to tear into fragments the -leaves of a book.' -</p> -<p> -"'Attempt it. Blood is the aroma which gives me new youth.' -</p> -<p> -"'Well, then, accept half of my purple; join in a sacrifice to peace, and -let us go shares.' -</p> -<p> -"'Keep thy purple, O Caesar; to-morrow we will bury you in it, and will -chant over you the <i>Alleluia</i> and <i>De profundis</i>, which never -change.'" -</p> -<p> -This is something which everybody can understand, and which will always be -listened to with pleasure, and with profit to the truth. -</p> -<p> -But further: It is not enough to speak to the mind. That goes a very little -way, however powerful our speech may be; for the mind is merely the -vestibule of the soul. We must penetrate to the sanctuary of the temple, -namely, to the heart. The heart is nearly the whole man, and we are hardly -any thing apart from the heart. It is the heart which believes—"with the -heart man believeth"—and it is the heart which begets virtues. Moreover, -the heart is what God demands from us. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_237">{237}</a></span> -<p> -But in order to speak to the heart, we must have a heart ourselves, and -make use of it too. Now, it is questionable in these days whether many -preachers have a heart. No one can perceive it in them; so great is the -care which they take not to expose even a corner of it, lest by so doing -they might derange the massive chain of their arguments. And, besides, who -knows but that it might subject them to the charge of being deficient in -dignity? In fact, the heart appears to have come down from the pulpit, and -fears to occupy it again … it is no longer allowed to play a part there, -lest it might prove disconcerting. It is now regarded with suspicion, and -God must have been mistaken when he said:—"My son, give me thine heart." -The general notion seems to be, that nothing more is required in order to -do men good than clearly or obscurely to demonstrate the truth to them. But -knowing and doing are as widely apart as heaven and earth, and the distance -between the two can only be surmounted by the heart. … Nothing, indeed, -profits an audience so much; nothing is so successful as the windings, the -boundings of the heart, even when introduced in the middle of an argument. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_238">{238}</a></span> -<p> -All those who heard the discourse of Père Ventura on the <i>Philosophical -Reason of Modern Times</i>, will recall to mind the profound and -sympathetic impression which he produced when, after having spoken of a -well-known philosopher, he added:—"But, after all, he was endowed with a -rare intellect, a genial heart, and a noble disposition. Deceived and led -astray as he had been by the false doctrines of the day, he nevertheless -eventually recognized and avowed that he had made a sad bargain when he -exchanged the tenets of the faith for the vain conceptions of science. Some -moments before death, he shed tears over his beloved daughter, who had just -partaken of the holy communion for the first time. Let me believe that his -avowal and tears were acts of faith, of repentance, and of love, which -availed toward his salvation at the hands of a merciful God. Let me, I say, -believe this; for it is a consolation to me to believe that my brethren -have found again, even in death, that grace which I hope to find myself -with a benevolent God." -</p> -<p> -Yes, if we appealed to the heart we should frequently discover how good, -true, and sincere it is, and how little is required to change it:—often -nothing more than a word, a reminiscence, a tear, a look, a sigh. And yet -how sadly has this easy and effectual means been neglected! … Every body -does not understand a fine dissertation, but every body does understand a -good sentiment. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_239">{239}</a></span> -<p> -To sum up: the sermon should be interesting, animated, vivifying; ten years -of a lifetime should be comprised in a sermon of thirty minutes duration. -Speak to the mind, to the good sense, to the imagination, to the hearts of -men, in words that breathe and thoughts that burn; laying hold of them, as -it were, by whatever stirs the lively and profound emotions of the soul: by -grief and by joy, by hatred and by love, by tears and by consolations, by -hell and by heaven. Let your speech be always powerful and triumphant. -Whatever you attempt, do well. If you reason, let your reasoning be sharp, -to the point, and decisive. If you exercise charity, let it flow in broad -streams, that it may inundate and cheer all around. If you give vent to -anger, let it escape in glowing and irresistible sallies. If you are ever -at a loss what other influence to invoke, then appeal to pity. After such -outbursts, there should be intervals of calm to tone down asperities, to -smooth to softness any bitterness, and to express regret for having used -them; but in reality to make a deeper impression by touching a different -chord of the heart. These contrasts of thought and sentiment always produce -a powerful effect. M. Berryer is well aware of this, and often avails -himself of them with the greatest success. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_240">{240}</a></span> -<p> -In the celebrated discussion on the affairs of the East, after having -exhibited the humiliation of France, he added:—"Let no more be said upon -what has been done; above all, let us never, never again recall the -humiliating admissions which have reached us both from London and -Constantinople. (Profound sensation.) -</p> -<p> -"Let that despatch, wherein Lord Palmerston is stated to have said that -France would yield, and that the Eastern question would be settled in -accordance with the wishes of England, be buried in oblivion. … Is there -a country whose ambassadors have cognizance of such language, and not only -retain their posts, but become ministers? (Bravo, bravo!) That country is -certainly not France. (Renewed applause.) England cannot have said so. -Those who saw us even at Waterloo could not say such a thing. …" -</p> -<p> -But after this suspension of arms, we must return to the charge with -redoubled nerve and bravery, implanting our weapon in the heart, and -turning it again and again within the wound. In other words, our train of -thought should be still more energetic, our sentiments more powerful; -embodied sometimes in a dramatic or tragic form, wherein truth and error -are brought together in a fierce and obstinate hand-to-hand struggle; truth -being made to overthrow error and to triumph over vice, and then to raise -the erring and the transgressor, to embrace them, and to bear them away -with herself to virtue, to happiness, to heaven. … -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_241">{241}</a></span> -<p> -The following extract from M. de Cormenin furnishes an admirable summary of -the foregoing chapter:— -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "Select with a quick and confident instinct, from among the methods - available to you, the method of the day; which may not be the most solid, - but which, considering the disposition of men's minds, the nature of the - matter in hand, and the peculiarity of concomitant circumstances, is the - best adapted for making an impression upon your audience. -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "Take strong hold of their attention. Stir up their pity or indignation, - their sympathies or their antipathies, or their pride. Appear to be - animated by their breath, all the while that you are communicating yours - to them. When you have, in some degree, detached their souls from their - bodies, and they come and group themselves of their own accord at the - foot of the pulpit, riveted beneath the influence of your glance, then do - not dally with them, for they are yours; your soul having, as may be - truly said, passed into theirs. Look now how they follow its ebb and - flow! how they will as you will! how they act as you act! But persist, - give no rest; press your discourse home, and you will soon see all bosoms - panting because yours pants; all eyes kindling because yours emit flame, - or filling with tears because you grow tender. You will see all the - hearers hanging on your lips through the attractions of persuasion; or, - rather, you will see nothing, for you yourself will be under the spell of - your own emotion; you will bend, you will succumb, under your own genius, - and you will be the more eloquent the less effort you make to appear so. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_242">{242}</a></span> -<p class="cite"> - "Be clear, exact, concise, impartial. -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "Do not attempt to say every thing, but what you do say, say well." -</p> - -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_243">{243}</a></span> -<br> - <h2>Chapter IX. -<br><br> - The Power and Accent of Conviction.</h2> - -<p class="cite"> - The Divine Word has always been the first Power in the World.<br> - The Gospel still the first of Books.<br> - There can be no Christian Eloquence - without the Accent of Personal Conviction. -</p> -<p> -Hitherto, we may be said to have treated merely of human instrumentality; -we must now consider our subject in a higher point of view. Reason, -imagination, and sentiment are necessary qualifications to success in our -vacation; but we require besides these the power of God, because our aim is -to lay hold of and to direct the souls of men. Now, as that mighty genius -Bossuet has remarked:—"There is nothing so indomitable as the heart of -man. When I see it subdued, I adore." And why? Because he recognized in -such submission a superhuman agency. -</p> -<p> -This power we possess in the Word, which is the power of God; before which -every head must bow, and every knee bend, whether on earth, in heaven, or -in hell. Armed with the Divine word, our power is immense; only, in order -to wield it, we must ourselves be thoroughly penetrated thereby, and, above -all, be able to convince others that we are so. It must be felt, seen, and -acknowledged that God is with us. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_244">{244}</a></span> -<p> -The Divine word is the foremost power in the world. It has withstood and -overcome every other power. … It has uttered its voice everywhere: in the -catacombs, at the foot of the scaffold, under the axe of the executioner, -and within the jaws of wild beasts. It has spoken while the feet of the -speakers have been drenched in blood. … -</p> -<p> -During the middle ages, mighty barons, sheltered behind impregnable -strongholds, had cast the network of their sway over the whole of France, -and silence was imposed on all lips. Nevertheless, on more than one -occasion did the Divine word, in the guise of a priest or monk, venture to -ascend the steps of those redoubtable fortresses; and its voice alone -sufficed to inspire fear in the breasts of men clad in armor of steel. -</p> -<p> -There was a king in whom power seemed incarnate. That king was Louis XIV. -He dared to say:—"L'état, la France, c'est moi." Under his inspiring -look, military genius triumphed in war; poetry begat the sublimest -conceptions; canvas spoke; marble was animated; and the arts replenished -even the gardens of his royal abode with master-piece s of skill. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_245">{245}</a></span> -<p> -One Sunday, Louis XIV., surrounded by his court, took his seat in the -chapel at Versailles, when the preacher boldly uttered from the pulpit -those terrible words: "Woe to the rich! Woe to the great!" whereat the -monarch lowered his eyes and the courtiers murmured. … After the sermon, -there was some talk of reprimanding the priest for his temerity; but the -King remarked, with a justice which does him honor:—"Gentlemen, the -preacher has done his duty; it behoves us now to do ours." -</p> -<p> -We may recognize herein the power of the Divine word; and it is that same -word which is on our lips. -</p> -<p> -What, indeed, is the word of man even in the mouth of the boldest orator, -even when set forth in all the brilliancy of its power, when compared with -the Divine word? … Much has been said of the force of Mirabeau's famous -apostrophe:—"The communes of France have decided on deliberating. We have -heard of the designs which have been suggested to the King; and you, who -are not allowed to be his organ with the National Assembly—you who possess -neither the standing nor the option, nor the right of speaking—go and tell -your master that we are here by the power of the people, and that it shall -not be wrested from us except at the point of the bayonet." [Footnote 19] -</p> -<p class="footnote"> - [Footnote 19: The authenticity of this statement has been questioned.] -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_246">{246}</a></span> -<p> -This speech has been eulogized as grand, bold, and even audacious; but, -what does it amount to? Any priest might do as much, and say something far -better, with greater truth and less arrogance; for there is no priest, -however poor and humble he may be, who might not say:—"We are here in -God's name, and here we intend to remain, and we will speak in spite of -guns and bayonets." … -</p> -<p> -But the fact is, we are not adequately convinced of our own power, and of -the superiority which we possess over every thing around us; for, with -nothing else in our hands but that little book which is called the Gospel, -we may bring the world to our feet; inasmuch as the Gospel is, and will -continue to be, as regards mankind generally, the first of books. -</p> -<p> -There are not wanting those who taunt us in this style:—"Ye men of a past -age, ye retrogrades, follow in the wake of your own age; strive to -progress. We, on our part, have been constantly advancing, especially -within the last two centuries … we have gained ground." … To this we -are justified in replying:—"Very true; the human mind has developed; you -have worked hard; you have stirred up thought; you have filled our -libraries with first-rate books; there have been some profound thinkers and -sublime geniuses among you; and you have given birth to many admirable -ideas. All this we admit; nevertheless, show us a book superior to our -Gospel, or one which will even bear comparison with it. Tell us where it is -to be found. You talk of progress, and bid us follow you; but it is we who -are in advance, and you who are behind. … Begin your studies afresh; do -something better; and then come to us again, and we will see. In the -meantime, we occupy the foremost place, and are determined to hold it." -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_247">{247}</a></span> -<p> -Our power, we maintain, is far above that of any earthly weapons; for the -Christian preacher is backed by eighteen centuries of learning and virtue, -which believed what he declares by more than ten millions of martyrs, who -died to attest the truth of what he proclaims; and, behind all that, he is -supported by the mighty voice of God which says to him:—"Speak, and be -not afraid, for I am with thee." -</p> -<p> -It behoves us, therefore, to be thoroughly persuaded of the power which the -Divine word confers upon us. But, besides this, we must make our hearers -feel that we are so endowed. They must be impressed, while listening to us, -that we verily and indeed speak in God's name—that we are not men who have -merely cogitated or mused in their studies, and then come forth to propound -their own ideas; but that we are commissioned from on high to proclaim to -mankind the laws and promises of God, before whom we ourselves profoundly -bow. They must read all this in our whole deportment, in our voice, our -gestures, and, above all, in our charity. In a word, we must possess <i>the -accent of conviction</i>, that accent which believes, speaks, arrests, and -alarms. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_248">{248}</a></span> -<p> -The accent of conviction is made up of a mixture of faith, power, and love -combined; the combination forming a characteristic which is at once simple, -pious, and grand, redolent of inspiration and sanctity. It is the power, -the life of speech; the sacred fire, or what Mirabeau styles -<i>divinity</i> in eloquence. "I have never heard any one speak," said he, -referring to Barnave, "so long, so rapidly, and so well; but there is no -divinity in him." The accent of conviction is the magic of speech … that -which puts argument to silence, withdraws all attention from the preacher, -and fixes it solely on what he says; or rather, on what God says through -him. -</p> -<p> -Unhappily, we are very backward in this respect. There is faith undoubtedly -in our souls; but it is not always manifest in our speech. … How, then, -can we expect to make others believe what we do not seem to them to believe -ourselves? -</p> -<p> -We have to deal with a light, reasoning, and somewhat sceptical world, -accustomed to regard every one as merely acting a part … and if you do -not possess the accent of conviction, it will either suspect you of -hypocrisy, or will brand you by admiring how well you ply <i>the trade</i>, -and how cleverly you play your game. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_249">{249}</a></span> -<p> -There is a remark very common nowadays, which is much to be regretted. If -one speaks of a preacher, he is immediately asked: "Has he faith?" which -means: Does he appear to believe what he says? Should the reply be: "No; -… but he is a fine speaker;" the rejoinder generally is: "Then I shall -not go to listen to him; for I want to hear somebody who has faith." This -observation is not intended to imply any doubt of the inward faith of the -preacher, but that he preaches as if he did not believe what he utters. -</p> -<p> -Let us, however, do the world this justice, that when it meets with the -accent of conviction—the bold accent of faith, as Saint Chrysostom calls -it,—it is deeply impressed thereby. The preacher who believes and speaks -out of that belief, astounds, staggers, and overcomes the gainsayers. A few -words uttered with the accent of conviction go much further than many long -sermons. How, indeed, can any prevail against one in whom God is felt to -dwell? … Fine language, talent, imagination, brilliant argumentative -powers—all these are common enough amongst us, and we are quite -accustomed to them; but what is rare, what is unlooked for, what carries -every thing before it, is the language of a faith and of a heart which -seems to echo the voice of God Himself. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_250">{250}</a></span> -<p> -Two years ago, the late pious and gallant Captain Marceau was present at a -meeting of operatives in Paris, many of whom were unbelievers and -wrong-headed men. He felt moved to address them, and the impression which -he produced was almost magical. He had never before spoken in public; -nevertheless, he did so on the occasion referred to with that accent of -conviction and candor which finds its way at once to the heart, overcoming -all resistance, and sometimes seeming to take away one's breath. -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "My friends," said he, "there are doubtless some among you who are not - yet Christians, and who have no love for religion. I was once as ungodly - as you are—perhaps more so; for no one has hated Christianity more - cordially than I have done. I am bound, however, to do it this justice, - that while I was not a Christian, that is, till I was twenty-three years - old, I was unhappy, profoundly unhappy. … Up to that period, my - friends, I had not lived. No, it was not living … I worried - myself, or, rather, my passions drew or drove me hither and thither, and - carried me away; but I did not live … I was a machine … but - I was not a man. …" -</p> -<p> -Strange to say, scarcely any attention is paid to this accent of -conviction, which is the soul of all eloquence; more especially of sacred -eloquence. Those destined to proclaim the Divine word are instructed in -every thing else but this. … Hence the language from the pulpit is often -cold, monotonous, turgid, stiff, cramped, conventional, perfunctory; -savoring of a formal compliment, but of nothing to indicate the effusion of -a genial soul, and without any of those felicitous sallies of the heart, -those insinuating and familiar tones, as Fénélon calls them, which produce -in you almost a Divine impression. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_251">{251}</a></span> -<p> -And yet there are many pious priests amongst us, many who are truly men of -God. Still, such is the deplorable power of routine, that their piety seems -sometimes to abandon them when in the pulpit—the very place where it -should be most conspicuous. -</p> -<p> -Like myself, you have, doubtless, in the course of your life, often met -with one of these estimable priests, full of faith and charity. His -countenance alone did you good, and his words cheered you alike in familiar -conversation and in the confessional. … The same individual occupies the -pulpit: you are delighted to see him there, and forthwith set yourself to -listen to him with earnest attention; but, alas! you no longer recognize -him: he is no longer the same; what he utters is no longer the word of -life. You exclaim: "What has become of my model pastor, my saint?" … for -you hear nothing now but declamation, or a sing-song speech … a uniform -tone which utters the denunciation: "Depart ye cursed into ever lasting -fire," and the invitation: "Come, ye blessed of my Father," in the same -strain. … You hear what you have heard a hundred times before—a poor man -who, with a painful sense of effort, is doing his best to evoke refractory -thoughts and phrases, and are almost led to doubt whether he is not acting -a part. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_252">{252}</a></span> -<p> -This monotony, this dull uniformity, this mannerism must be abandoned, and -we must resume our personality—our own minds and hearts—enlarged and -inspired by the breath of God; … otherwise, by persisting in that dismal -tone, that frigidly philosophical style, that finely spun phraseology, that -speech without emphasis, which characterizes the generality of our sermons -nowadays, we shall wholly lose our time, our pains, and perchance our souls -also. … -</p> -<p> -Can it, indeed, be that we are wanting in a just sense of our mission, and -that we do not adequately estimate the object which those who speak in -God's name should have in view? The end of preaching is to bring back the -souls of men to the Creator. -</p> -<p> -In this respect also, it is to be feared that the philosophical spirit, and -a tendency to controversy, have turned us aside from our proper aim and the -end of all our efforts. Take away the accent of conviction from a sermon, -divest it of energetic faith, and what is left thereof to the hearers? Mere -sounding phrases, and nothing more. -</p> -<p> -Now, let me ask, are you aware of the enemies with whom you have to deal, -and the difficulties which you have to contend against? The object set -before you is to redeem the hearts of men, who in their thirst, their rage -for happiness, have given themselves up to the sensual, visible, -intoxicating things which surround them. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_253">{253}</a></span> -You will have to do battle with the human passions: to say to pride, be -abased; to voluptuousness, be accursed; to the love of gold, renounce your -avarice and be bountiful … and you fancy that you will succeed in the -encounter by the use of mere phrases; forgetting, perchance, that those -passions can make better phrases than yours. They know how to give them -life, and will hurl them at you, glowing with a fire which will speedily -devour your cold and meagre speeches … Nothing can restrain and subdue -the passions but the inspiration, the power of God. … -</p> -<p> -It is high time that we should resume the accent of conviction in our -ministrations. Having that, the soul is perfectly at ease, and, feeling -sure of its footing, cherishes the widest benevolence. … Why should it be -troubled, knowing that it is secure in the Power on which it relies? It is -only those powers which doubt their own strength that are suspicious and -wavering. And when God is with us, we cannot fail to entertain profound -pity for the weaknesses, the prejudices, the profanities, and the false -reasonings of humanity. -</p> - -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_254">{254}</a></span> -<br> - <h2>Chapter X. -<br><br> - Action.</h2> - -<p class="cite"> - Action should be: - </p> - <p class="cite2"> - first, true and natural;<br> - secondly, concentrated;<br> - thirdly, edifying -</p> -<p class="cite"> - It should be cultivated.<br> - How cultivated by the Society of Jesus.<br> - Suggestions. -</p> -<p> -Action is not mere gesture, neither is it motion nor sound. It is the -manifestation of the thoughts and sentiments of the soul through the bodily -organs. It is the soul which, unable to reveal itself, makes its material -exterior the medium of communicating its conceptions of truth and love to -the souls of others. -</p> -<p> -The principle of action should be the heart. … Action itself may be in -the voice, in gesture, in the face, in the hand, in demeanor generally, and -even in silence. … -</p> -<p> -Action plays a conspicuous part in eloquence. We are familiar with what -Demosthenes said on the subject. Being asked three times what was the first -quality in an orator, he thrice replied:—Action. This is an exaggerated -judgment; but Demosthenes probably estimated action in proportion to the -pains which its acquirement had cost him: nevertheless, it is certain that -action adds greatly to the clearness, the weight, the impressiveness, and -the power of thought. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_255">{255}</a></span> -It is the charm of eloquence. Saint François de Sales writes: "You may -utter volumes, and yet if you do not utter them well, it is lost labor, -Speak but little, and that little well, and you may effect much." -</p> -<p> -Only a few are capable of appreciating the intrinsic value of a discourse; -whereas all can see whether you speak from an inward sense of the -truth—from the heart and from personal conviction. -</p> -<p> -It is more especially upon the people that action produces a powerful -effect; it attracts, it transports them. A preacher who possesses sterling -and noble ideas, who has genuine sentiment and true action, is irresistible -with them. Such weapons will assuredly do great havoc among them; or, as I -should rather say, will save many. They may not always admit their -discomfiture: but they will not hesitate to confess that your words are -weighty and true, and tell against them. -</p> -<p> -But in order to be impressive, action must be: first, true and natural; -secondly, concentrated; thirdly, edifying. … -</p> -<p> -1. In the first place, the preacher should be himself, and should speak -like a man. It is preeminently in the pulpit that every thing should be -genuine: that every accessory should harmonize with the thoughts; that the -eye, the look, and the hand should corroborate what is uttered by the lips. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_256">{256}</a></span> -<p> -Strange to say, hardly any attention is paid to this point. Once in the -pulpit, it seems to be taken for granted that no effort is required to give -the truth distinctness. Words are strung on to words, and any tone of voice -is deemed appropriate. … The preacher speaks as nobody in the world ever -spoke: he bawls, chants, or sings without modulation and without feeling. -Hence, a malicious wag on hearing a preacher pronounce those terrible -words: "Depart ye cursed!" in a bland tone, turned to his companion, and -said: "Come here, my lad, and let me embrace you; that is what the preacher -has just expressed." -</p> -<p> -Everywhere else, men speak; they speak at the bar and the tribune; but they -no longer speak in the pulpit, for there we only meet with a factitious and -artificial language, and a false tone. … -</p> -<p> -This style of speaking is only tolerated in the Church, because, -unfortunately, it is so general there; elsewhere it would not be endured. -… What would be thought of a man who should converse in a similar way in -a drawing-room? He would certainly provoke many a smile. -</p> -<p> -Some time ago, there was a warden at the Pantheon—a good sort of fellow in -his way—who, in enumerating the beauties of the monument, adopted -precisely the tone of many of our preachers, and never failed thereby to -excite the hilarity of the visitors, who were as much amused with his style -of address as with the objects of interest which he pointed out to them. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_257">{257}</a></span> -<p> -A man who has not a natural and true delivery, should not be allowed to -occupy the pulpit; from thence, at least, every thing that is false should -be summarily banished. … -</p> -<p> -But is it so very difficult to be one's self? Assume your usual voice, your -usual manner, modifying them according to the number of your hearers, and -the truth which you are about to set forth. Let your speech be frank, -sincere, cordial, revealing a true and affectionate soul. Be yourself, and -be persuaded that to be so suits you best. Make manifest your heart, your -soul; for there is nothing so attractive as a soul. Saint Catherine of -Sienna said that if a soul could be seen, she believed that people would -die of happiness at the sight. -</p> -<p> -Look at the man who has a cause to plead, or one who is moved with a strong -passion; he is always true—true even to grandeur. -</p> -<p> -In these days of mistrust, every thing that is false should be set aside; -and the best way of correcting one's self in that respect, as regards -preaching, is frequently to listen to certain monotonous and vehement -preachers. We shall come away in such disgust, and with such a horror of -their delivery, that we shall prefer condemning ourselves to silence rather -than imitate them. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_258">{258}</a></span> -The instant you abandon the natural and the true, you forego the right to -be believed, as well as the right of being listened to. -</p> -<p> -2dly. Action should be concentrated: that is to say, it should proceed from -a soul which is itself convinced, penetrated, fervent; which puts a -restraint upon itself that it may not say all that it feels: unless it be -from time to time, like the flames which escape at intervals from a -volcano. Inward fervor harmonizes with the sacred word, whereas excessive -noise and motion are wholly unsuited to it. If a passionate outburst -sometimes escapes us, it should be repressed forthwith. Père Ravignan is -admirable in this respect: after thundering at his audience, he immediately -resumes the most benignant countenance. -</p> -<p> -In the first place, the preacher should be calm; master of himself as well -as of his subject. He should have a steady demeanor, should keep his forces -well in hand, not relinquish his hold over them, unless it be designedly, -and never lose self-control:—<i>be carried away and yet possess himself, -and retain self-possession while allowing himself to be carried away</i>. -</p> -<p> -Vocal power and bodily motion are frequently very much abused. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_259">{259}</a></span> -<p> -The more a man shouts, the greater effect he is believed to produce, and -the greater orator he is held to be. Often, however, it is quite the -reverse. Genuine passion—passion driven to extremities—speaks low, says -little, and that little in a few detached words. The most captivating -eloquence is that which says much in a few words, and that noiselessly. … -</p> -<p> -The vocal power is the animal part of man; he shares it in common with the -brute creation, who often possess it in a high degree. But the -distinguishing sign of intelligence is the consonant. Well-educated men -attend less to sound than to articulation. The vowel is the letter that -kills; the consonant is the spirit which vivifies. -</p> -<p> -Bodily motion should be moderate; too much motion wearies the preacher and -the audience likewise, and distracts their attention. One may be eloquent -without much gesticulation. There is a famous preacher who generally speaks -with his hand in his robes, whose discourses, nevertheless, are very -powerful. … Here, also, the same reflection which was made above recurs -to us; namely, that a profound passion is scarcely ever accompanied with -agitation; it is unmoved, prostrate, and does not manifest itself except by -occasional sudden outbursts. Mistakes are often made on this score, and -that is thought to be a fervent sermon which is delivered with much bawling -and much gesticulation. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_260">{260}</a></span> -<p> -It is true, as M. de Cormenin remarks, that the people are fond of -expressive gestures, such as are visible at a distance, and above the heads -of the congregation; that they also like a powerful and thrilling voice; -… but all this cannot be kept up long, for preacher and hearers soon, -grow tired of it. Then, again, the people are fond of variety, and a -monotonous voice sends them to sleep. That the delivery of a sermon should -sometimes be accompanied with significant gestures, and that emotion should -occasionally vent itself in an outburst, is all well enough; but compress -such power as much as possible, so that it may be felt that you possess -within your own soul a force threefold greater than you outwardly manifest. -… The more vehement you wish your sermon to be, the more you should -restrain the air in its passage, forcing it to make its way in thrilling -explosions and a resounding articulation. Then many will fall by the sword -of the word. -</p> -<p> -3dly. Action should be edifying. -</p> -<p> -The bearing of a man who speaks in the name of the Gospel should be full of -grace and truth. It is most desirable that he should possess knowledge and -talent, but those endowments do not suffice; he must possess, in addition, -a virtuous, yea, even a holy exterior. Frenchmen are much more sensitive on -this point than is usually thought. A godly man at once inspires their -respect and veneration; and were a saint to appear in our midst, it is -certain that he would reproduce many of the scenes of the middle ages. A -saint is essentially a man beloved by the people, because he is surrounded -with a Divine halo. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_261">{261}</a></span> -<p> -The Christian orator makes his appearance with simplicity and modesty. He -kneels and bows profoundly, rises up, and then looks round upon his -audience with a kindly expression, devoutly makes the sign of the cross, -and then begins his sermon, thinking only how to arrest the attention of -his hearers. -</p> -<p> -The time is happily long gone by when the preacher used to enter the pulpit -with great formality, a flushed countenance, and hair most carefully got -up; then place by his side a fine white handkerchief, sometimes of costly -silk, which ever and anon he methodically passed over his face. These airs -no longer suit the times: the preacher nowadays must not be engrossed with -self, with his handkerchief, or his surplice, or his hair; neither must he -cause others to be taken up with such trifles. In the pulpit the man should -disappear, and the apostle alone be seen. … -</p> -<p> -The people, who have an exquisite notion of propriety, are very sensitive -on all such matters; and God often derides our affected words and actions -by rendering them vain and barren, and by making use of the most -insignificant things to convert the souls of men. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_262">{262}</a></span> -<p> -A converted Parisian operative, a man of a wilful but frank disposition, -full of energy and spirit, who had often spoken with great success at the -clubs composed of men of his own class, was asked by the priest who had -reconciled him to God to inform him by what instrumentality he who had once -been so far estranged from religion had eventually been restored to the -faith. "Your doing so," said his interrogator, "may be useful to me in my -efforts to reclaim others." -</p> -<p> -"I would rather not," replied he; "for I must candidly tell you that you do -not figure very conspicuously in the case." -</p> -<p> -"No matter," said the other; "it will not be the first time that I have -heard the same remark." -</p> -<p> -"Well, if you must hear it, I can tell you how it took place, in a few -words. A <i>religicuse</i> had pestered me to read your little book—pardon -the expression: I used to speak in that style in those days. On reading a -few pages, I was so impressed that I felt a strong desire to see you. -</p> -<p> -"I was told that you preached in a certain church, and I went to hear you. -Your sermon had some further effect upon me; but to speak frankly, very -little, comparatively, indeed, none at all. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_263">{263}</a></span> -What did much more for me was your open, simple, and good-natured manner, -and, above all, your ill-combed hair; <i>for I have always detested those -priests whose heads remind one of a hair-dresser's assistant;</i> and I -said to myself: That man forgets himself on our behalf; we ought, -therefore, to do something for his sake.' Thereupon I determined to pay you -a visit, and you <i>bagged me</i>. Such was the beginning and end of the -affair." -</p> -<p> -The thought should never be absent from our minds that we preach the -Gospel, and that the Gospel is preeminent in inculcating love toward -humanity. Away, then, with all domineering and dictatorial airs! Away with -all violent language! The people regard it as the ebullition of anger, and -are not at all edified thereby. -</p> -<p> -On the other hand, in order to succeed, the heart of the preacher must -first be penetrated with what he teaches; an appropriate accent will follow -of itself. There are men who carry about with them something godlike. … -Such men are eagerly listened to, they are believed, and then loved. -</p> -<p> -From what has been said, it is obvious that we should train ourselves to -obtain proficiency in action. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_264">{264}</a></span> -<p> -Action is the manifestation of the thoughts of the soul through the medium -of the body. But the body often rebels and weighs down the soul; and in -this, as well as in many other things, requires to be suppled, mortified, -disciplined to obedience. However strong the soul may be, it rarely gets -the mastery over the body at the outset, and does its part very -inefficiently. It is the same with soldiers. When a young conscript first -joins his regiment he is heavy and awkward, and his military arms seem a -burden to him. Six months later all this is changed: he is quick and smart, -and carries his arms with quite a French grace. The same transformation may -be effected as regards public speaking. -</p> -<p> -One who has had considerable experience in the direction of seminaries, has -written the following; which I feel it a duty to transcribe entire:— -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "It is incumbent on a preacher to possess oratorical action, and to - practise himself therein until he has acquired it. Conscience, indeed, - must tell him that he ought not to neglect a matter on which the success - of his ministry depends; and that if, to the mischief of men's souls, - theatrical actors spare no pains to attain perfection in action, the - preacher should strive, with at least an equal zeal, to become proficient - in that respect for the good of men's souls. What! shall the ministers of - God weaken by vicious action the force of all they say, while the - ministers of Satan, by consummate skill in action, redeem the vanity of - their speeches, and impassion the souls of their audience! Surely, this - would be a disgrace to the clergy, and an outrage on the word of God. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_265">{265}</a></span> -<p class="cite"> - "If it be objected that in the case under consideration art is useless, - because nature teaches what is needful, we reply, with - Quintilian:—<i>Nihil licet esse perfcctum, nisi ubi natura curâ - juvatur</i>. All talents are rude and unformed until the precepts of art - refine and impart to them that polish which makes them valuable. - Demosthenes had few natural gifts for public speaking; but exercise and - experience gave what nature had denied him. -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "If it be objected, further, that the Apostles never learnt the rules of - action, we reply that they received the power of miracles—a more than - adequate compensation for human eloquence. That, moreover, they received - the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which enabled them to proclaim the Gospel - worthily. That, inspired by that Divine Spirit, they were eloquent in - action as well as in speech; and that St. Paul would not have been - listened to on the Areopagus unless he had been able to captivate the - eloquent people whom he addressed, as well by external action as by the - sublimity of his language. -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "Saint Charles directed that the candidates for holy orders in his - seminary should be exercised several times a week in public speaking; and - the Church has always followed the same practice. The Fathers also - bestowed much attention on the formation of speech. Deprive me of every - thing else, says Saint Gregory of Nazianzen, but leave me eloquence, and - I shall never regret the voyages which I have made in order to study it." - [Footnote 20] -</p> -<p class="footnote"> - [Footnote 20: <i>Traité de la Prédication</i>. - By M. Hamon, Curé de Saint-Sulpice.] -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_266">{266}</a></span> -<p> -What we are most deficient in is articulation—that powerful articulation -which isolates, engraves, and chisels a thought … which fills the ear -with harmony and the soul with truth; which gives the orator an -extraordinary power of animation, by bringing into play the whole nervous -system. We have already remarked that the force of a word is entirely in -the consonant, whereas it is often laid on the vowel. The emission of the -vowel is the rude block; the consonant is the artist's chisel, which works -it into a masterpiece. … It appears to be frequently imagined that it -requires as much effort to discharge waves of air as to hurl a heavy club -into space; but it is not so in the least. What is needed is that the air -should be compressed and triturated, and reduced into expressive and -harmonious sounds. It is from misapprehension on this score that so many -preachers fume and tire themselves and others, and that some appear like -men who disgorge words which they have swallowed by mistake. A little -practice would prevent them from falling into these and similar -aberrations. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_267">{267}</a></span> -<p> -At the same time, we should not practise, as is often done, upon every -sermon which we preach, for by so doing we shall be apt to deliver them -very badly. It is scarcely in nature to prepare sentiments beforehand. As -M. de Cormenin satirically puts it:—"Be impassioned, thunder, rage, weep, -up to the fifth word, of the third sentence, of the tenth paragraph, of the -tenth leaf. How easy that would be! above all, how very natural!" -</p> -<p> -The course to be pursued is this:—we should practise ourselves in the -delivery of the several parts of a discourse, such as the expository, the -demonstrative, and especially those which give expression to the different -passions. That done, and when once in the pulpit, such studies should cease -to occupy the mind. -</p> -<p> -The exercise thus insisted on is practised in other professions. Men who -devote themselves to the theatre, cultivate their voices and their limbs. -Young law students and advocates have their conferences, where they train -themselves to plead at the bar; and yet those who are called to save souls -neglect to cultivate the talents which God has given them! -</p> -<p> -This is the usual process:—A young man composes a sermon while at college, -which is generally made up of odds and ends and quotations, and in putting -them together he does his best not to be himself. With this stuff he mounts -the pulpit, it may be of a town church or even of a cathedral; and behold -him a full-fledged preacher! And then, forsooth, astonishment is expressed -because the faithful are bored, and do not come to listen to us! The wonder -is that so many attend our sermons. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_268">{268}</a></span> -<p> -But let us be just: all do not entertain this idea of sacred eloquence. By -certain religious orders, the Jesuits for example, it is regarded in quite -a different light. I crave pardon for revealing their family secrets; but -it is for the good of souls. -</p> -<p> -A novice among the Jesuits, no matter what he may have been -previously—whether a lawyer, author, preacher, canon, grand vicar, bishop, -or even a cardinal—must attend a reading-class three or four times a week. -There he is made to read like a child, is taught to articulate and -accentuate, and every now and then is stopped while those present are -called upon to point out the merits and defects in his reading. This -training is persisted in until his pronunciation is perfect, and he is free -from all disagreeable accent. -</p> -<p> -But that is not all: every Monday during his noviciate, or during the term -of his studies, that is, for five, six, eight, or ten years, he has to -undergo a training in the <i>tones</i>, which consists in his being made to -recite what is called the formula of the general <i>tones</i>—a short -discourse, comprising all the tones ordinarily used in oratorical -compositions; such as the tone of persuasion, of menace, of kindness, of -anger, of the mercy and justice of God, of prayer, and of authority. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_269">{269}</a></span> -Thereby the young preacher is taught how to supple, to break in his own -organism, and to adapt it to those different tones. -</p> -<p> -After these come the <i>special tones</i>. This consists of a short -discourse, to be composed in two hours on a given text, and must contain -certain specified strokes of oratory. Three or four of the younger novices -are exercised in this way, exclusive of the sermons which are preached in -the refectory. -</p> -<p> -But the most profitable part of the exercise is this, that after reciting -his tones, the preacher must remain in the pulpit while the master of the -novices asks some of the spectators what they think of its substance, form, -expression, etc., the poor patient being present and obliged to hear all -his faults detailed. This, however, is done in all charity; and moreover, -his good qualities are pointed out in a similar way. -</p> -<p> -These are most interesting meetings. They comprise, besides young lawyers -and ecclesiastics, men of general experience, logicians, poets, and -preachers, who are all invited to express their opinion with the greatest -freedom. -</p> -<p> -The youngest are interrogated first; for the young are naturally -fastidious, and generally find much to blame. Time, however, will correct -them of that fault. After these come the older novices, then the Jesuits -well trained to preaching; and lastly, the master of the novices, who sums -up the different opinions elicited, and then proceeds to expound the -science. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_270">{270}</a></span> -It sometimes happens, however, that the judgments passed are so well -formulated and so well based, that, despite his desire to criticise or to -applaud, the master is obliged to modify his own opinions. -</p> -<p> -When the young preacher leaves the pulpit, he retires to note down his -defects and merits, which he is subsequently expected to read over from -time to time. -</p> -<p> -One excellent feature in this exercise is the encouragement which it is -designed to impart; for besides pointing out defects, no efforts are spared -to develope in the novices the talents which God has given them. They are -made to understand that a man may do good even though he be subject to half -a dozen drawbacks. Mistakes are often made on this score. One qualification -only may suffice to render a man a remarkable orator, whereas another may -be free from all obvious defects, and yet be a sorry speaker. The Lord -deliver us from a faultless preacher! for he is generally a very bore, as -incapable of a trait of genius as he is of a blunder. Always intent on -guarding against this and that defect, he loses his personality. He is no -longer a man; he is no longer a priest: he is merely a scholar doing his -recitation. … -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_271">{271}</a></span> -<p> -In order to form a young speaker into a good preacher, he should first be -set to address the lower classes. … Among such audiences he will be -better able to discover his own special talent, and to utilize his -qualifications. The Jesuits pursue a similar course. -</p> -<p> -The young Jesuit is sent to address the inmates of prisons and hospitals; -if in orders, he is charged with missions in rural districts; if -unordained, he is put to catechise; but always accompanied by the -indispensable <i>socius</i>, who is not chary of criticising or applauding -him. It is doubtless owing to this training that the members of the Society -of Jesus have acquired that standing, power, and unction for which they are -so conspicuous. -</p> -<p> -Another advantage of this training is that it teaches the science of life, -and imparts wisdom in forming opinions. -</p> -<p> -If a young priest has not thoroughly studied the difficulties of public -speaking, he is apt to think that the art of preaching consists in -composing a sermon, learning it by rote, and then delivering it without -tripping. If he finds that he is considered to have acquitted himself -tolerably well, he is thenceforward disposed to dogmatize remorselessly, -and to tolerate no appeal from his irrevocable verdicts, with all the -stateliness of a man who has the satisfaction of not knowing what he says. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_272">{272}</a></span> -<p> -But when a man has studied and labored, say, for fifteen years, he becomes -more indulgent and moderate, and begins to understand that there may be -other ways of doing good besides his own. A priest who was once called upon -to preach before several others of the same profession, complained that -their presence rather embarrassed him. Whereupon one of our most celebrated -orators remarked:—"It is far better for you to have to deal with a dozen -of our first-rate preachers than with an equal number of curates or even -collegians." -</p> -<p> -Practice, therefore, is indispensable. But it will be urged: "Where is the -time to come from? One has so much to do during the four years passed at -college, and afterward in the work of the ministry." Very true; still we -are bound to pay attention to the most essential requirements of our -vocation: and should not preaching be of the number nowadays? We learn -dogmatic theology, designed to serve as the ground-work for solid lectures; -but if nobody comes to hear them, or if they send the audience to sleep? -… Ethics also are learnt, and the solution of difficulties which occur at -the confessional: but what if the people do not come to confession? … It -should ever be borne in mind that the object and aim of our studies is -<i>propter nos homines et propter nostram salutem</i>. Then, again, might -we not talk less about past heresies and errors, and be more taken up with -the time present? -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_273">{273}</a></span> -Might we not also devote less attention to those doubtful questions which -are the great temptation as well as the great bane of professors of -theology and philosophy, who dilate at great length on the opposite -opinions held regarding them, never omitting to add their own, and -generally wind up somewhat in this style: Decide as you please? -</p> -<p> -I submit these considerations to the wisdom and piety of the directors of -our colleges, who are well aware that a priest should not be learned for -himself only, but should be capable of communicating what he knows to -others, and of securing their attachment to it. -</p> -<p> -Things are taken for granted which no longer exist. It is supposed that the -churches are full, that careless Christians attend the services, and that -the confessionals are frequented; all of which are often mere gratuitous -assumptions. Something must be done before such notions are borne out by -facts; namely, our priests must be taught how to attract men to the church -and the confessional, and then to instruct them when they are there. -</p> -<p> -Lastly, the young students might meet together during the vacations, and -mutually aid one another by their common experience. Parish priests might -also meet in a similar manner, and communicate to each other their -reflections and the progress of their labors, in all simplicity and -charity, just as young lawyers do. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_274">{274}</a></span> -Then we might anticipate the happiness of seeing every thing that is false, -borrowed, factitious, artificial, stiff, vehement, trite, and noisy, -together with all unmeaning action, monotony, and <i>ennui</i>, descend -from the pulpit; and of seeing their places occupied by the true, the -simple, the natural, the powerful: in a word, by the Gospel. -</p> - -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_275">{275}</a></span> -<br> - <h2>Chapter XI. -<br><br> - Study.</h2> - -<p class="cite"> - Study a Duty<br> - The State of the World calls for Knowledge on the part of the Clergy.<br> - Knowledge has always been one of the Glories of Religion.<br> - All the eminent Men in the Church were Men of Study.<br> - Reasons adduced for not studying, answered: - </p> - <p class="cite2"> - Want of Leisure;<br> - natural Aptitude;<br> - the Plea of having already studied sufficiently;<br> - that one is fully equal to the Requirements - of the People committed to his Charge.<br> -</p> -<p> -From what has been said above, it will readily be inferred that much study -is called for on our part—study of the sciences and study of mankind, -study of books and study of the human heart. … In order to attain a noble -simplicity, to acquire ease, and to be natural, a man must possess profound -knowledge. I even venture to say that a little study leads us away from the -natural, whereas much study conducts us to it. -</p> -<p> -But there are other and still stronger motives for study on our part: -namely, duty, and the salvation of mankind. It has been said, and that -truly, that piety is the first and most essential requirement. We admit -that it is so; but genuine piety consists in the faithful discharge of the -duties of one's station. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_276">{276}</a></span> -Now, it is absolutely impossible for a priest at the present day, whatever -position he may occupy, to discharge his duty without an adequate amount of -learning. -</p> -<p> -For, what is a priest? He is the depositary of the science of life, and is -debtor therein to every man. He is bound to trace out the way for all; for -the small and great, the young and aged, the learned and ignorant, the -humble and proud together. -</p> -<p> -He is bound to confront human passions and errors, to expose their wiles, -to withstand the assaults of vice, and to enlighten the minds and win over -the hearts of men by the power of the Gospel. A priest's need of knowledge -is truly paramount. … -</p> -<p> -Hence the Church has always recommended study. The Fathers were men of -study; the men whose genius has made them illustrious, were studious men. -Look at Bossuet! we boast of his fluency; yes, he was fluent; but the -thought of the life which he led up to a very advanced age is enough to -make one tremble. He generally rose at two in the morning, to continue a -task hardly interrupted. Let us not deceive ourselves in this matter: the -labors which have redounded to the glory of the Church have been dearly -bought. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_277">{277}</a></span> -<p> -Bossuet's intense devotion to study was notorious. One day his gardener -accosted him thus: "Monseigneur, I am very much put out; for I dig away and -plant flowers, and you do not take the least notice of them. If I could -plant some John Chrysostoms or some Saint Augustines in my garden I should -be much more successful." -</p> -<p> -Even in our own times, those priests who effect any real good are -unremitting in their studies. The rule which Père Maccarthy prescribed for -himself is appalling:—"My recreations," said he, "must be short. It is -generally enough for me to walk about with a book in my hand, or while I am -reciting my prayers. Unprofitable talk and time misspent are crimes in a -priest." -</p> -<p> -At the age of fifty, he could no longer work seated, owing to an infirmity -brought on by doing a charitable act. He lay down on a sheepskin spread in -the centre of his room, and there worked from ten to twelve hours a day. We -admire his success; but we here see what it cost him. We complain that the -faithful do not come to our sermons; have we made any such efforts as -these? Let us do the men of our time this justice, that whenever they come -in contact with a priest possessing piety and knowledge—sound knowledge -which is not acquired from books alone—he never fails to make a lively -impression upon them. -</p> -<p> -On the other hand, the men of the present day crave after knowledge: it is -one of their fancies. Are they right in this, or are they to blame? You may -think as you please on the subject; but we are, nevertheless, bound by the -obligation of charity to become all things to all men, that we may save -all; and among the means thereto, knowledge is one of the most efficacious. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_278">{278}</a></span> -<p> -There are but two powers in the world nowadays: namely, the power of wealth -and the power of talent. -</p> -<p> -The prestige of a name, of authority, and of dignity, has passed away. The -fact is to be deplored; but it is true. What are we to do in consequence? -We must take men as they are, in order to better them. -</p> -<p> -As regards the power of wealth, we do not possess it; and we are certainly -not the worse for that. We are for the most part poor, the offspring of -humble parents; and what Saint Paul said of the first Christians is -applicable to us:—"Not many mighty men, not many noble, are called." -</p> -<p> -We must array ourselves, therefore, on the side of the power of talent. -Therewith we may secure a hearing, and may succeed in reclaiming some to -the faith. … There are two ways leading to religion: many are led thereto -by love, and through the heart, and many likewise by knowledge; but when -the two are conjoined, incalculable good is the result. -</p> -<p> -A priest who is notoriously ignorant is already condemned: he is morally -dead, whatever other excellent qualities he may possess. He is stigmatized -with some such remark as this:—"He is a worthy man, but he knows nothing." -… Thenceforward, what can you expect him to effect, even among peasants, -who have heard that fatal verdict? -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_279">{279}</a></span> -The world calls for knowledge from us, and we are bound to supply it. To -that end, we must study, I do not say all human sciences, but we should -acquire some thoroughly, especially those which bear upon our special -duties; and, as regards others, should not be what may be called "ignorant" -of them. It would be disgraceful, for example, if we were obliged to refer -to laymen to explain to us the beauties of our church architecture, or the -symbols which decorate our ornaments. -</p> -<p> -Frenchmen like a bold, animated, lively—a telling style of speech; let us -endeavor, therefore, to attain it. … The world comes to us; let us meet -it half way. Let us partake of its science, and it will partake of our -religion. -</p> -<p> -Further, knowledge has always been one of the greatest glories of the -Church. At the period of the Revolution of '93, even according to the -testimony of occasionally prejudiced historians, there was an immense -number of men among the clergy of France who were eminent for learning and -talent. Nowadays, we are called an admirable clergy—the first clergy in -the world. That sounds very well; but it is a mere compliment: that is, we -do not merit the eulogy. Let us lose no time in proving our claim to it in -every respect. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_280">{280}</a></span> -<p> -But there is no lack of plausible reasons adduced for our dispensing with -study. Good God! the egregious mistakes and infirmities which speech has -taken under its patronage ought to be well known by us. On the point under -consideration, the reasons urged are various. -</p> -<p> -The first is: "We would gladly do it, but, really, we have no time." Now, -let us be fair here. This is quite true in some cases. … The labors and -anxieties of the sacred ministry are absorbing, and, besides, they cut up -the little leisure which is left us after a conscientious discharge of our -duty. … I say, this is true sometimes; but very often, if we only had the -will! … How is it with us, whenever we have a strong desire for any -thing? … Put the question to the weakest among men, and you will learn -even from them, that when they have the will they always find the way. Come -along with me, and I think we may succeed in picking up some scraps of -time, and, perchance, a large supply. … And, first, as regards those long -dinners: if you were to curtail a little from the commencement, a little -from the end, and a small portion from the middle, methinks what remained -would be amply sufficient for that meal. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_281">{281}</a></span> -Dignity is brief in words, and at dinner likewise; feeling that it is -endangered by exhibiting itself too long and too near in the midst of meats -and drinks, which savor little of Gospel mortification: without taking into -account the poor, who do not see us sitting down at sumptuous tables, while -they are hard at work and fare scantily. … And what shall we say of the -numberless visits received and returned, the cares which are self-imposed, -travelling, certain kinds of reading, and inordinate sleep? In all these -there is much scope for economy. Place an old academician, or a compiler of -works which nobody reads, or a decipherer of illegible manuscripts, or a -bird-stuffer, or the eternal collector of coins and butterflies, in the -same position, and you will see how he will contrive to save therefrom five -hours a day at least. … And we who are called to save men's souls! … -Oh, idleness! idleness! That, too, is another of our calamities. … The -serpent of indolence, one of the vilest beasts in creation, glides in -everywhere. … What restrains us is this, that we do not plunge into -study; that we have not the taste, the passion for study. We can only -attain such a temper by hard work. Let us break through the first -difficulties, then the taste will come, and ample time will be found. … -</p> -<p> -The fact of a man having studied a good deal during his lifetime, is -another plea on the same side. It may not be expressed, but the flattering -notion is nevertheless entertained that we have already acquired a certain -amount of knowledge; that the public are aware of it, and have more than -once complimented us on that score. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_282">{282}</a></span> -<p> -Yes, one has studied a good deal, learnt a good deal, and, we may add, -forgotten a good deal. … Nothing is so soon forgotten as a science which -is not cultivated. -</p> -<p> -A strange habit obtains in this respect. … We judge of a man's abilities -by what he was at college. He had ability then; but subsequently he learnt -nothing, and has forgotten much of what he did learn. His knowledge has -dwindled down to the wretched <i>just enough</i>:—a fact which is patent. -For all that, he is still regarded as an able man. … Another was rather -backward at college, but since then has worked, striven, and succeeded in -enlarging his talents. Why should such an one be spoken of as unapt, while -we venture to think that we ourselves are well up in every thing, because -we were believed to know something fifteen years ago? Moreover, it never -seems to be borne in mind that college education merely gives us the key to -knowledge and the taste for study. -</p> -<p> -But one is naturally endowed with great ingenuity; what need is there, -then, for so much application? The Lord deliver us from these gifted men! -They are long-winded, tedious, monotonous, bombastic, and any thing but -natural; bearing out what we said above, that a little study removes us -from the natural, whereas much study draws us toward it. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_283">{283}</a></span> -Our aim should be to have it remarked of our discourses:—"Really, all that -is very simple, and precisely what ought to have been said. It is just what -I should have said myself had I been called upon to speak." But we shall -not attain that stage without much painstaking. Sermons generally are worth -what they cost; and our most able men are those who study most. -</p> -<p> -The course sometimes pursued of restricting study to one special subject is -a sorry habit. It reminds one very much of a young man whose chief aim is -to get his bachelor's degree. -</p> -<p> -But it is further urged:—"No complaints are made; on the contrary, people -have been pleased to tell us that they are quite delighted with us." -</p> -<p> -Good God! and has not every one experienced the same! Who, indeed, has not -been deluged with compliments? Do you know any one to whom the like has not -happened? It would be a great curiosity to discover a preacher, however -wretched, tiresome, and insipid he may be, who has not found a few pious -souls to bestow on him the alms of a small compliment, or a small lie. He -is to be congratulated, indeed, if in addition thereto, after having -listened to one of our good preachers, some of them do not come to him and -say, with all the subtlety of the serpent:—"Yes, his sermon was very -grand, it was magnificent; still, we like your excellent and charming -little discourses much better." -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_284">{284}</a></span> -There is no doubting one's ability after that; and one is tempted to -believe himself a Ravignan, or an unrecognized Lacordaire. … One sees, of -course, that there is some exaggeration in all this: nevertheless he is -fain to believe the half of it at least. … Alas! flattery is the ruin of -kings—and of preachers also. -</p> -<p> -Lastly, we have this plea:—"I know quite enough to speak to my own people; -I shall always be superior to the good souls which are committed to my -charge." … It is not superior to, but in unison with them that you should -be. … Let us see, however, what your knowledge really is, in connection -with the good souls you speak of. Whenever you address them from the -pulpit, is their attention riveted? do their countenances beam, do their -eyes glisten, or are they moistened with tears? Do you hold them under the -spell of your words? Do you possess their souls, together with your own? -… "Alas! no," you reply; "blockheads that they are; they yawn, they dread -the sermon, and are delighted on finding that at Mass the Gospel is -immediately followed by the Creed." … Away to study! then; … brush up -your knowledge and your heart; betake yourself once more to the study of -your people; find out their weak and their strong points; study their -minds, their manner of looking at and apprehending things; and then you -will come forth to proclaim the truth pithily and powerfully, and will take -up your proper position. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_285">{285}</a></span> -The general impression, however, appears to be that a preacher has but to -open his mouth and the people should listen to him with ecstasy; otherwise -they are called dull and stupid. Instead of speaking to them a language -which they understand, they are treated to a theological theme amplified; -whereon they remark:—"All that is undoubtedly very grand; but it does not -concern us." Or, as an operative once said:—"If that is the word of God, -it is not addressed to us; it must be intended for the rich." … -</p> -<p> -Study, then, is necessary to qualify us for doing good to all; even to the -lower orders, the poorest and meanest. We have remarked elsewhere, that it -is more difficult to preach to the ignorant than to the literary: more -preparation is required. Hence it is that there are more men fitted to -address the upper than the lower classes; and yet the latter form nearly -the whole of the community. … Be it ours, then, to attain that -superiority which knowledge confers; whereby also we shall be able to lay -hold of both small and great, through the medium which they severally offer -for being so secured. The world thirsts for knowledge; let us give them -knowledge; let us make ourselves masters of knowledge, for then we shall -undoubtedly be stronger than the world. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_286">{286}</a></span> -We shall then be invested with a twofold power: the power of human and the -power of Divine knowledge. The world possesses the power of human speech -only; we shall possess that, and the power of God's word likewise. In a -word, the world possesses the earth; absolutely nothing but the earth: we, -too, shall possess the earth and heaven besides. -</p> - -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_287">{287}</a></span> -<br> - <h2>Chapter XII. -<br><br> - Zeal.</h2> - -<p class="cite"> - The Excellency of Zeal.<br> - Love for the Body should be coupled with Love for the Soul.<br> - The Zeal of the Wicked.<br> - How Zeal should be exercised.<br> - Associations of Apprentices, of Operatives.<br> - Conferences of Saint Vincent de Paul, of Domestics, - of Clerks, of the Young.<br> - Circulation of good Books.<br> - Happy results of the same.<br> - The Advantages and Difficulties of Opposition.<br> - Great Occasions. -</p> -<p> -There is a sentiment which should sustain us, and infuse life into all that -has been above set forth; into our studies, our composition, and into the -Divine word: namely, Zeal. Zeal is power, joy, happiness, expectation, -reward and salvation, to the priest and to humanity generally. -</p> -<p> -We need not stop to prove the necessity of zeal. … It is enjoined on all -men:—<i>Unicuique mandavit Dominus de proximo suo</i>. … Is a priest who -is without zeal a priest at all? Is not such an one rather a mere man? He -is placed here solely to keep up the sacred fire which the Lord Jesus -brought down to earth; and what must a cold and insensible priest be -nowadays in the midst of those who are perishing through the vices which -fret and consume them? He is an almost inconceivable contradiction. … -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_288">{288}</a></span> -<p> -One of the glories of Christianity is its zeal in ministering to the wants -of the body: a charitable service, wherein the priest takes a conspicuous -part. But of what avail is it to succor the body, if the soul is neglected? -Of what use is it to go forth proclaiming charity! charity! if the soul, -the most sensitive and suffering part of mankind, is abandoned to endless -misery? Who can fail to be touched with compassion at the sight of so many -poor creatures who drudge and wear themselves out, who go and come, who -endure and curse, unconsoled and hopeless? -</p> -<p> -The greater part of them, notwithstanding, are not vicious. Some are -ignorant, others are led astray; … many waver between the good and the -bad, only waiting for a kindly word to be addressed to them; for an -outstretched hand; for some great stream of good to pass by them, and carry -them away in its current. How gladly would they follow it! Well, be it ours -to create such currents of truth and virtue; be it ours to confront human -errors and passions, and to arrest their onward progress. -</p> -<p> -I fancy that we stick too closely to our own snug corners, and to our own -ideas. Yes, we stand apart! … and, regarding the world's progress from -thence, we naturally find that it goes on most unsatisfactorily. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_289">{289}</a></span> -Very likely: … we suffer it to be led by evil passions; … whereas we -should take our stand in the breach as Moses did; confront the invading -vices and lusts, come to a hand-to-hand struggle with them, and cry out to -them with the mighty voice of God:—"Stop! stop! you shall not carry away -these souls, for they are not yours, but Christ's; He has bought them, and -redeemed them with his blood!" … If such courage, such resolution, such -vigor as this was more common amongst us, the aspect of the world would -speedily be changed. But, alas! our good qualities are feeble; we have lost -the power to will; we allow ourselves to be carried away in the stream. -What is wanted nowadays to direct the world is not knowledge so much as it -is <i>will</i>. … Where, indeed, are we to look for men with a will? … -</p> -<p> -If we needed any additional consideration to stimulate our zeal, we might -say to ourselves:—"Let us observe the world; let us see how the wicked -act." The wicked, indeed, afford us Christians some most humiliating and -painful lessons, enough to make us hide our faces from very shame; so much -so, that we can wish nothing better than that the best amongst us might -possess that zeal for what is good which the wicked evince for what is -evil. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_290">{290}</a></span> -<p> -We censure the wicked, and are right in doing so; but let us at any rate do -them this justice, that they are adepts in their profession: … they -profess their opinions boldly; … they are zealous and active; … they -are energetic, and ready to sacrifice every thing, repose, money, liberty, -even life itself. … Then, how adroit they are! how expert in making -themselves great with the great, and little with the little! A pernicious -book appears … forthwith it is put into an attractive shape and -embellished with fine engravings … There it is, to suit the rich and the -drawing-room. … -</p> -<p> -Next, an ordinary edition at a moderate cost is prepared for the middle -classes, for reading-rooms, and for the counter; and then a popular -edition—copies to be had at four sous each—for the workshop and the -cottage. A man recently converted, avowed that he had contributed in three -years no less a sum than 30,000 francs in the dissemination of such books. -And we! … we Christians, who know the worth of men's souls, whose duty it -is to save them, rest satisfied with a few slender efforts, directed often -by mere routine! Shall we continue any longer inactive at the sight of the -torrents of vice and error which are hurrying our brothers on to the abyss? -Would that be to have faith? Would that be to have charity? Would that be -to love God and our neighbor? … -</p> -<p> -But how should this zeal be carried out into practice? That is the -important question. … -</p> -<p> -In the first place, associations should be formed. In these days we cannot -dispense with them. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_291">{291}</a></span> -<p> -Society must be taken up in detail, ameliorated part by part, and then -formed into a compact structure; for a good community can only be composed -of good elements. These objects may be attained through the medium of -associations. There should be such for all ages: associations of children, -of apprentices, of operatives, of Saint Vincent de Paul, of the <i>Sainte -Famille</i>, [Footnote 21] etc. They benefit all, the members and the -directors also. -</p> -<p class="footnote"> - [Footnote 21: See the <i>Manuel de Charité</i>, and the - <i>Livre des Classes Ouvrières</i> for the details and manner - of establishing and conducting these associations.] -</p> -<p> -How comes it that there are not associations of young apprentices in all -the towns of France? How comes it that any town dares to be without one? -What strange beings we are sometimes! We surround children with the most -tender and assiduous care up to the time of confirmation, and then, at the -most critical age, when their passions begin to cross them, we launch them -forth, without support and without counterpoise, into that pestilential -atmosphere called the workshop; and then we wonder, and say naively that -they do not persevere in the right path. -</p> -<p> -… Pray, can they be expected to persevere when thus left to their own -resources? … You, with all your religious knowledge, with all your -acquired virtues, with all your experience and age, would you do so in -their place? I defy you to persevere under such circumstances. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_292">{292}</a></span> -<p> -An affiliated society of Saint Vincent de Paul should exist everywhere, -even in the most retired corner of France. It already comprises five -hundred conferences. They have been founded in the country, where they do a -vast amount of good. No town or village, at least, should be without its -conference. It is sometimes urged that the elements are wanting. That must -be a wretched town or hamlet which can not muster three God-fearing and -charitably disposed individuals. -</p> -<p> -Moreover, no town should be without its association of operatives. There -can no longer be any excuse on this head. They exist elsewhere, are in -active operation, and effect much good in many places. The way to form and -direct them is well known. We have our associations of girls and grown-up -women; but the men, the poor men, are overlooked, neglected, and cast -aside. … -</p> -<p> -Lastly, we should have an association of the <i>Saint Famille</i>—an -association for the poor. -</p> -<p> -The poor are so miserable as they are owing to the ignorance and moral -abandonment in which they live. … An association tends to enlighten, to -support, to elevate them; as also to bring charity into play. Let no one -tell us that he lacks time for this object. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_293">{293}</a></span> -Time is given you especially for the service of the poor; your first duty -is to evangelize the poor. … On the other hand, are you anxious to -benefit the rich, to touch their hearts, to gain their confidence, or even -to secure their adoration—I say, is such your desire? If so, busy -yourselves on behalf of the poor, devote yourselves to the service of the -poor, be popular in a holy sense; then, instead of vegetating in the midst -of your fine phrases and isolation, you will live in the fulness of life. -You will see around you outstretched hands, willing hearts, and open -purses, and will hear many a voice applauding and cheering you with a -cordial "Well done! take courage!" You will be driven to humble yourself -before God, saying: "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord." -</p> -<p> -Yes, let us be just toward the wealthy classes, toward the world generally, -and even toward those who do not practise religion at all. Whenever they -fall in with a priest who is friendly to the poor, they are ready to pay -him a large tribute of respect and veneration; and nothing so much -resembles love toward God as the love which is shown toward one of His -ministers. -</p> -<p> -Other associations might also be formed with advantage. For example, in -towns, a servants association; but as humility is not one of our virtues, -either among high or low, it might be called the Household Association. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_294">{294}</a></span> -It might meet on Sunday—say once a month—and one would have an -opportunity of telling that class a host of truths which could not well be -spoken elsewhere; and these poor people, who are more and more disposed to -treat their masters as enemies, might be set right. It is much to be -regretted that a hostile party is being formed in families; which, under -certain circumstances, might prove highly dangerous. On the other hand, all -the fault does not come from below. Nothing now but interest binds the -master to his servant, and servants attach themselves to those who give the -highest wages. As to probity, fidelity, and discretion, where are they to -be found? … Masters are not only robbed, they are outraged. -</p> -<p> -Further, a mothers' association. The duties of a mother, more especially -among the lower classes, are very arduous. She requires to be enlightened, -encouraged, stirred up, and perhaps rebuked. Such an association would -afford eligible opportunities for telling them many things which could not -be appropriately delivered before a mixed assembly. It is a great -misfortune for a family when the husband forgets himself and his duties; -but when the wife gives way, all is lost. Is she not, indeed, the guardian -of religion and virtue at the domestic hearth? The attempt thus suggested -has been made at Bordeaux and elsewhere with perfect success. [Footnote 22] -</p> -<p class="footnote"> - [Footnote 22: See the <i>Manuel de Charité</i>.] -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_295">{295}</a></span> -<p> -There are two other associations which should by all means be established -in large towns: namely, an association of young clerks, and an association -of those young persons who are called shop-girls or girls of the counter. -These two classes are most shamefully neglected; hence their morality is -generally <i>nil</i> … and from the large towns they go to the smaller -towns, and into the larger villages, where they help to form that -egotistical, sensual, <i>Voltairian</i>, excitable, and vain shop-class, -ever ready to disseminate the vicious lessons which they have acquired. -</p> -<p> -It would be easy to form these associations. There would be no difficulty -as regards the young females. With respect to the men, all that is required -is a good nucleus; which would soon be increased by those who are at a -distance from their homes. Families are often pained at being obliged to -launch a young man alone into a great city, and would feel much happier on -learning that there would be some to protect him against being led astray, -and who would help him on in his new career. Almost all the young people -who come up from the country are Christians up to the time of leaving their -homes. Some genial title might be given to the association, which would -make it attractive. -</p> -<p> -Another great field for the exercise of zeal is the diffusion of good -books. [Footnote 23] -</p> -<p class="footnote"> - [Footnote 23: See the <i>Manuel de Charité</i> - under the chapter headed <i>Les Bibliothèques</i>.] -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_296">{296}</a></span> -<p> -This kind of ministration has not been adequately or generally appreciated -hitherto. The ministry of the word, which is proclaimed in our churches, is -recognized; but that of the word which, in the guise of a good book, goes -and sits down at the domestic hearth, is not understood as it should be. -</p> -<p> -We are, however, making some progress in this respect; and I trust that the -magnitude of existing evils may stir us up to greater activity, and that -after being thoroughly beaten we shall rise up again as becomes Christians. -</p> -<p> -The Christian of the present day is not constitutionally brave; he is -rather timid, is subject to a number of little infirmities, and does all he -can to reconcile duty with interest. But when he perceives that he has been -wronged, when he is driven to extremes, he falls back upon himself, -recovers his strength, and stands up for the faith. Then he is grand and -bold; then he defends himself, resists, assails, and triumphs even in -death. -</p> -<p> -The time has come for us to avail ourselves of that tremendous engine which -Providence has introduced into the world for good and for evil. Has not the -Press injured us enough already? Has it not already thrown blood and scum -enough at humanity and religion? Are not the two hundred millions of -pernicious books scattered throughout France enough? Is not the world -sufficiently estranged from the Church already? What do we wait for? -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_297">{297}</a></span> -<p> -A powerful means of doing good is here placed within our reach. Don't be -deceived; almost every body reads nowadays. Mistakes, however, are -frequently made on that score. -</p> -<p> -A preacher gives a <i>retreat</i> [Footnote 24] in a country district, and -is told by the curé that his people do not read. As the exercises progress, -heaps of books are forth coming of so abominable a description that the -like are not to be found in the purlieus of Paris—books the very titles of -which are an outrage on public morality. -</p> -<p class="footnote"> - [Footnote 24: A series of special religious services. ED.] -</p> -<p> -Let us here recall to mind what has already been stated, that there are now -in France from eighteen to twenty millions more persons able to read than -there were at the end of the eighteenth century. -</p> -<p> -But it is urged that good books are not read.—<i>That</i> in a great -measure depends on the quality of the books. -</p> -<p> -Further, that after reading them, men are just the same as they were. Not -always; and who can tell but that some thought has taken root in their -minds which in time will bear fruit? There are books which have wrought -many conversions; which in the course of a few years have reclaimed more -individuals than our most celebrated preachers have converted during their -lives. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_298">{298}</a></span> -I may instance one which is universally known, which has been and still is -the angel of good to many perishing sinners; yes, and such sinners too! -such men! You have already guessed the title of the book alluded to—it is -the <i>Etudes Philosophiques</i> by M. Nicholas. [Footnote 25] -</p> -<p class="footnote"> - [Footnote 25: A person holding a high position wrote to - the author of the above-named work as follows:—"From - being wholly indifferent to religion, you have made me, - in a fortnight, a fervent Christian, one sincerely - repentant, and firmly determined to lead a holy - life." … Another addressed him thus:—"I owe a great - share of my restoration to your book, which I shall - try and induce all my relations and friends to read."] -</p> -<p> -Sober town curés have expressed to us their belief that they have effected -more good among their people by means of their libraries, than by their -sermons and all the other resources of the ministry combined. -</p> -<p> -But these books should be selected with great care: nevertheless, very -little attention is bestowed on that point. How strange! One takes great -pains about a sermon, which will be heard at most by a few hundreds of -individuals, and no care is exercised in the selection of a book which will -go to speak of God to the thousands who do not frequent the Church! At the -yearly distribution of prizes in France, twelve hundred thousand volumes -are given gratuitously to respectable schools. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_299">{299}</a></span> -What a vast amount of good might be done through that channel, if the books -were well chosen! What a mass of profitable reading might be introduced -thereby among families! But as it is, the works are taken up at random. A -book receives a bishop's approval; which is deemed amply sufficient to -warrant its adoption. It may be barren of ideas, tiresome, nothing more -than a bad religious romance; it may even be dangerous: no matter, it is -given away, notwithstanding all those defects. But what is passing strange -is the fact that this is done by men who have a religious vocation, who are -otherwise most distinguished, and who are intrusted with the education of -the children of the upper classes. It would seem, indeed, as if we were -bent on verifying the assertion of our adversaries, that the pious possess -no other than a contemptible and humdrum literature. -</p> -<p> -It would be an act of intelligent zeal to remedy these aberrations. -</p> -<p> -Lastly, another way of promoting the diffusion of good books is to give men -a personal interest in the undertaking. Authors and publishers should be -amply commended and remunerated for their coöperation; and the trade—if -you choose to call it so—made subservient to the good work. Let those, -also, who sell such books make large profits by the sale. Generally -speaking, success is not best attained by acting alone, but by securing and -availing ourselves of the assistance of others. We often make too much fuss -about our proceedings, and should effect twice as much if we fussed one -half less. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_300">{300}</a></span> -<p> -But it will be urged:—"Such associations cannot be formed without -self-sacrifice and money; besides, they will encounter opposition." -Undoubtedly they will; and so much the better. Opposition and calumny are -the rod which God uses to drive us onward. … If there be opposition, -then there will be courage too; and many other noble qualities will be -elicited. Is it so, I ask, that we are called to "vulgarly follow the -masses?" … -</p> -<p> -There is a class of well-disposed people, who appear to have no misgivings -as to what Christianity is, who, nevertheless, give expression to their -supineness with a charming naïveté. You propose some good work to them; -they reply at once: "Excuse me; there will be obstacles in the way; the -time has not yet come for such things; and, moreover, I should not like to -put myself forward in matters of that kind, for it might place me in an -awkward position." One feels tempted on these occasions to ask the -apologist:—"Are you a Christian?" You may do so, and the ready reply will -be:—"Yes, by the grace of God." -</p> -<p> -What, then, do you understand by being a Christian? -</p> -<p> -One who believes in the doctrine of Christ, has been baptized. … -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_301">{301}</a></span> -<p> -Now, listen to what the doctrine of Christ is: Blessed are they who are -persecuted. Blessed are ye when men shall revile you,—when they shall drag -you before the rulers of the people. … -</p> -<p> -I think there is a prevailing tendency to regard those texts of Holy Writ -which embarrass us as mere rhetorical figures. -</p> -<p> -Men talk of the possibility of being placed in a false position—that the -time has not come—that there will be opposition, etc. In like manner, when -Christ sent His apostles to convert the world, might they not also have -said:—"But, Lord, the world is not prepared; it is still so insensible. -Besides, we shall encounter opposition?" … Or, when their shoulders were -beaten with rods, might they not have felt justified in saying:— -</p> -<p> -"Let us return to our own quiet life, for this only brings us into -difficulties." -</p> -<p> -Is not a priest's life essentially a militant life? Is not the priest a -soldier? What would be said, what would be thought of a soldier who, on -hearing the alarm, the enemy! to arms! should coolly reply:—"Stop, there -will be opposition; the enemy will resist and assail us with musketry and -artillery?" There would only be one name for such a soldier in France—he -would be called a coward. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_302">{302}</a></span> -But no such soldier is to be found amongst us; on the contrary, at the bare -thought of opposition and resistance to be encountered, his courage rises, -his heart leaps, he runs, he strikes, he conquers, or he dies a glorious -death. That is what a priest ought to be; … better still; he should feel -that he is safe beneath the power of the Almighty; and be like a general -who maintains perfect calm while shot, shell, and death, are flying around -him in every direction. -</p> -<p> -Good God! what have we to do with peace? Peace will never be yours. … -Talk of peace to men who are conquerors! … Was it not said in a -celebrated harangue:—"We are the first soldiers … and yet they come to -talk to us of peace!" The priest is a jeopardized, a sacrificed man, dead -to the life of this world, to whom it has been said:—"Go and defend such a -post, and die to save, not an army, but humanity." Be assured, then, that -you will never have peace, because human passions will eternally war -against you. -</p> -<p> -We have borrowed two things from the present age—and those by no means the -best of what it possesses—which do us a vast amount of injury. The first -is, a profound weakness of character, which prefers a petty, vulgar, and -rather sensual existence, disposing us to lead the life of a retired -tradesman. The second is a tendency to <i>officialism</i>. We blame that -tendency in others; but are we not somewhat bureaucratic ourselves? We -consider those among us to be great men who are what is called good -administrators. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_303">{303}</a></span> -The accessory has usurped the place of principal. Administration is every -thing: in certain localities it stifles the sacred ministry. If Saint Paul -himself were to return to earth, he would hardly be deemed fit to be the -curé of a canton, unless he was judged to be well versed in administration. -</p> -<p> -Yet when Christ placed Saint Peter at the head of His Church, he did not -put the question to him:—"Canst thou administer well?" but, "Lovest thou -Me? lovest thou Me? Art thou quite sure that thou lovest Me?"—that is, -Dost thou know how to save the souls of men? how to devote thyself, how to -die for their sakes? -</p> -<p> -This brings us back again to the subject of zeal. There are many -earnest-minded priests in France—most admirable men in every respect. -Among the laity also, there is no lack of zeal, devotion, and the spirit of -self-sacrifice … A Christian who has no zeal is not tolerated: in fact, -there is much more of it than is generally supposed. -</p> -<p> -Now, something like this frequently happens:—On going to a town which has -hitherto exhibited no signs of zeal, you ask the priest:—"How comes it -that you have no associations, no society of apprentices, of operatives, or -of the <i>Sainte Famille?</i> What are you about? It is a shame!" … He -will reply:—"How can I help it? I have no colleagues, and no laymen are -available. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_304">{304}</a></span> -Besides, our people do not like to be drawn out of their old habits: it is -not with us as it is elsewhere." … You then make the same observations to -the laymen, and they immediately answer:—"Pray, don't mention it, for it -is not our fault. We should like nothing better; but we have no priests to -take the lead, and to tell us how to act. Our priests are excellent men in -their way, but <i>they cannot step out of their routine</i>." -</p> -<p> -It should be our endeavor, therefore, to bring priests and laymen together; -then there will be a mutual understanding between them, and both will -heartily coöperate in doing good. -</p> -<p> -For, at any cost, we must save souls. That is our duty, our joy, our crown, -that whereon our whole future depends; and what is said of men of the -world, who have made a false step in life, will be said of the priest who -fails in that respect—he has lost his chance. -</p> -<p> -We should take advantage of every opportunity to benefit the souls of men; -to enlighten, to reclaim, to reconcile them. A confirmation, for example, -associated as it is with so many sweet and sad reminiscences, offers a most -eligible occasion for such efforts. But beware of all vulgar vituperation -of unbelievers, or of the parents. They are on the look-out for such -tirades, and have already hardened their hearts and their faces against -them. Rather aim at their hearts, where they least expect an attack, and -where they are not prepared to resist you. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_305">{305}</a></span> -<p> -After stating that God will require a strict account of parents for the -manner in which their children have been brought up, turn at once to the -parents and say:— -</p> -<p> -"Do not be alarmed, for I am not going to reproach you. I would not disturb -your present happiness. I would not detract one iota from your -gratification. Enjoy it thoroughly, for you have a right to it; it is but a -slender recompense for all your pains. Look at your children, they are -happy, and they owe their happiness to religion. No, I cannot bring myself -to utter any thing which might trouble you on this occasion; for it must -have cost you pain enough already to see your children go alone to the holy -table, absolutely like orphans, while you yourselves stand apart, and are -driven to say:—'Yes, my child is worthy to be there, but I am not. … I -say, such a reflection as this must have caused you intense sorrow. -</p> -<p> -"Nevertheless, you are not so much estranged from religion as you may -think: God is not far from you. One always loves his child's friend, and -your child's best friend is God. … Can you repel religion, can you -repulse God himself, whom we are about to send to you this evening in the -angelic form of a dearly loved child? Draw near then to the Gospel … -carry away with you, at least, some pious sentiment, some wholesome regret, -some incipient desire after that which is good." … Adopt some such strain -as this, and your words will not be in vain. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_306">{306}</a></span> -<p> -Similar efforts might be made on the termination of the special services -for Lent and the great ecclesiastical seasons, and on other extraordinary -occasions also. After congratulating those who have profited by the means -of grace, be careful to abstain from upbraiding or denouncing those who -have abused them. Such a course is low and vulgar, and does much harm. On -the contrary, do all you can to encourage and touch the hearts of all. I -may suggest the following. Say what a pious and zealous <i>religieux</i> -once said to his audience, at the end of a home mission:— -</p> -<p> -"Brethren, I am going to tell you an anecdote. It is not true, for the -details are impossible. It is merely a parable. -</p> -<p> -"It is alleged that there is a country near the north pole, where it is so -cold that words are frozen as they issue from the lips. If two men placed -apart at a certain distance attempt to converse, they do not hear one -another, for their words freeze in the air. But when spring comes, then -their words are heard. -</p> -<p> -"Brethren, it is cold too and icy round your souls, and our words freeze; -but when spring comes, when God's sun shall shine, then these our words -will thaw and penetrate into your hearts, even though it be not till the -hour of death." -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_307">{307}</a></span> -<p> -Thus, let there be an outburst of love and kindliness toward those who have -been edified by the means of grace, and a still larger and more -affectionate appeal to those who seemingly have not profited -thereby.—"What shall I say to you? Shall I address you in the language of -severity? I might claim the right to do so in God's name; but certainly I -have no desire to avail myself of that prerogative. I prefer holding out a -hand to you; I prefer pitying, commiserating your misfortune. It would have -been delightful for me to have been the instrument of your salvation; but -you would not let me save you. Doubtless, God has not judged me worthy; -although my mission here embraced you also. … Another, I trust, will be -more successful. … Be assured that I entertain no ill-will toward you: I -do not denounce you; on the contrary, I shall ever pray for you. -</p> -<p> -"Draw a little nearer toward religion. In your calmer moments you sometimes -say:—'I do not wish to die without the consolations of religion. Were I to -fall sick, I should send for a priest. Well, then, dispose yourself to -return to the right path: curb your passions, and break off those habits -which poison your existence. Above all, do not be a stumbling-block to your -children. -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_308">{308}</a></span> -How often, as you well know, alas! are fathers the ruin of their offspring. -Therefore have pity on your children, and on your wives also; for I whisper -it to you that you are said to be sometimes harsh toward them. Ah, the poor -wives! such treatment must be very painful to them: they who have already -suffered and endured so much." -</p> -<p> -That is the way to appeal to the hearts of men! Such are the joys of the -sacred ministry! They are the only joys vouchsafed to us: and yet can we -dare to complain? Are they not the most delectable joys which earth can -afford? To have committed to him the souls of poor sinners to save, to -love, and to bless; to be charged with condescending toward his erring -brethren; gathering them in his arms amidst the miseries and sufferings of -this life, and of leading them to the truth, to virtue, and to heaven, is -not this the sweetest enjoyment which a priest's heart can desire? Was it -not to that end that he bade adieu to the world and left his father and his -mother in tears? … O holy joys of the sacred ministry, how little are -they known and felt by any of us! It is painful, doubtless, to have to stir -up sin-sick souls; but when at the cost of much self-sacrifice we are able -to benefit but one such soul, with what overflowing gratitude shall we -thank God, and say: -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "May All My Days Be Like This Day!" -</p> -<br> -<hr> - -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_309">{309}</a></span> -<br> - <h2>Books Published By The - Catholic Publication Society.</h2> - -<p class="cite"> - The Life And Sermons Of The Rev. Francis A. Baker,<br> - Priest of the Congregation of St. Paul, Edited<br> - by Rev. F. A. Hewit. One volume, crown octavo, pp. 504, $2.50 - - - <h3>Extracts From Notices Of The Press.</h3> - -<p class="cite"> - "Father Baker was a lovely boy, a wise and thoughtful youth, and a devout - servant of Christ. The son of a Methodist, the graduate of a Presbyterian - college, he became first an Episcopal clergyman, and then a Catholic - priest. In all these changes, he everywhere won love; and whatever were - the peculiarities of his character, he was a sincerely good and - thoroughly pure man, and deserved the tribute which this remarkably - appreciative and tender biography pays him."—<br> - —<i>New-York Watchman</i>. -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "After Newman's Apologia and Robertson's 'Life', the memoir contained in - this volume is perhaps the most respectable clerical biography that we - have met for a long time. We recommend such persons as have already - attained to settled principles, and who may have an opportunity, to give - the Memoir itself a thorough perusal. It is rich in personal - reminiscences. It is, at the same time, like the 'Apologia', both an - argument and a biography."<br> - —<i>Christian Times</i>. -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "Father Hewit's biography of his deceased friend is a most noticeable - piece of writing. It is as impartial as could be expected, and has a - marked local interest from its allusions to local affairs in religious - circles. A great part of it is occupied with an elaborate view of the - Oxford, or, as it is familiarly called here, the Puseyite movement, and - of its effect on this country. The conversion of Bishop Ives, the - remarkable scenes at the ordination of Rev. Arthur Carey, the movement - toward a Protestant Oriental bishopric at Constantinople, in which Bishop - Southgate was engaged, and various other features in recent church - history, all are described, rendering the biography of marked interest to - Episcopalians as well as to Catholics; while the history of Father Baker - is a curious study of the operation of religious belief on a young, - vigorous, and active mind."<br> - —<i>New-York Evening Post</i>. -</p> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_310">{310}</a></span> - -<p class="cite"> - "The portrait which forms the frontispiece to this volume appears - to represent one of the contemplative, saintly, seraphic spirits - of the early ages of Christianity, rather than a man whose life was - cast amid the bustle and activity and worldly-mindedness - of the nineteenth century. The impression is confirmed by the perusal - of the memoir. It introduces us to a type of character which is rare - in these days, and reminds us of a strain of mediaeval music. … The - sermons are remarkable for the earnestness of their spirit, the simple - and vigorous eloquence of their style, and their frequent beauty of - conception and illustration. The biography, by his bosom friend - and companion, is an athletic piece of composition, controversial and - aggressive in its tone, abounding in personal episodes, and presenting - a spirited and impressive sketch of the movement in which both the - author and the subject have been prominent actors. The volume, - of course, possesses a paramount interest for Catholic readers, but it - forms too remarkable an illustration of some important features in the - religious tendencies of the day not to challenge a wide attention - from intelligent observers."<br> - —<i>New-York Tribune</i>. -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "This is the very best edition, as regards typographical skill, that has - as yet been issued of any Catholic work in this country."<br> - —<i>Boston Pilot</i>. -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "His sermons are brief, addressed to the common heart and reason of his - hearers, and remarkably free from clerical assumptions of authority. The - sermon on The Duty of Growing in Christian Knowledge is liberal and - philosophical to a degree not usual in the pulpits of any denomination."<br> - —<i>New-York Nation</i>. -</p> -<br> -<hr> -<br> - <h3>II.</h3> - -<p class="cite"> - The Works Of The Most Rev. John Hughes, D.D.,<br> - First Archbishop of New-York, containing Biography, Sermons, Letters, - Lectures, Speeches, etc. Carefully Compiled from the Best Sources, - and Edited by Lawrence Kehoe. -</p> -<p> -This important work makes two large volumes of nearly 1500 pages. The -editor has spared neither labor nor expense to have it as correct and as -complete as it is possible to make a work of the kind. The prominent -position occupied for so many years by Archbishop Hughes makes this a -highly important work; his views on all the general questions of the day so -eagerly read at the time—are here collected and presented to the Catholic -public in two elegant volumes, which are indispensable to every library of -American Catholic Literature. -</p> -<p class="cite"> - <i>Price, Cheap Edition.</i> -<br><br> - Two volumes, 8vo, cloth, $6.00 -<br><br><br> - - <i>Fine Edition, On Extra Paper.</i> -<br><br> - Two volumes, cloth, bevelled, $8.00 -<br><br> - Two volumes, half morocco, bevelled, $10.00 -<br><br> - Two volumes, half calf, extra, $12.00 -</p> -<br> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="Page_311">{311}</a></span> - - <h3>Extracts From Notices Of The Press.</h3> - -<p class="cite"> - "Opening these volumes, the first thing that strikes us is the vast - energy, the indomitable resolution, the all-embracing zeal of this great - prelate. No subject affecting the interests of Catholics was beneath his - notice. The collection of such a vast pile of materials is in itself an - arduous and laborious task, and when collected the arrangement and - collation of the documents were a work of time and trouble, requiring - both judgment and discrimination; both these qualities are apparent in - the contents of the two large volumes before us."<br> - —<i>New-York Tablet</i>. -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "The editor deserves great credit for the care, industry, and taste with - which he prepared his work."<br> - <i>Baltimore Catholic Mirror</i>. -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "This is one of the most carefully prepared, as well as most interesting, - contributions to American and Catholic history."<br> - —<i>Boston Pilot</i>. -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "Every Catholic should provide himself with a copy of the works, because - they are the history, almost, of the Church in her infancy in the Eastern - States."<br> - —<i>Cincinnati Catholic Telegraph</i>. -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "Take him all in all, Archbishop Hughes was the greatest man that the - Catholic Church has yet produced in this country, and his writings must - have a deep interest for all the members of his communion."<br> - —<i>Chicago Republican</i>. -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "There is a fund of instruction in his writings alike to the Christian - and the worldling, the Protestant and the Catholic."<br> - —<i>Daily News</i>. -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "The work of the editor appears to have been done in a manner worthy of - the highest commendation."<br> - —<i>Pittsburg Catholic.</i> -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "Every Catholic household should have the work."<br> - —<i>Irish American</i>. -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "This work gives his speeches and discourses in full. These will be - sought for by multitudes of his admirers."<br> - —<i>New-York Freeman's Journal</i>. -</p> -<br> -<hr> -<br> - <h3>III.</h3> - -<p class="cite"> - Sermons of the Paulist Fathers, for 1865 and 1866.<br> - Price, $1.50 -</p> - - <h3>Extracts From Notices Of The Press.</h3> - -<p class="cite"> - "They are good examples of practical, earnest, pungent preaching. … - Others besides Catholics may be stimulated by these discourses, and some - Protestant preachers we have heard might learn how to talk plainly to the - heart and conscience of men."<br> - —<i>Round Table</i>. -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "These sermons are dictated with a conviction of mind and earnestness - of heart that the hearer and the reader are carried away while reading - or listening to them, which, after all, is the triumph of eloquence."<br> - —<i>Boston Pilot</i>. -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "These sermons, like those which preceded them, are sound, practical, - and able productions."<br> - —<i>Catholic Mirror</i>. -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "They are adapted to the wants of our age and country, and consequently - must elevate the standard of morality whenever they can secure the - attention of a reader."<br> - —<i>Pittsburg Catholic</i>. -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "Here are twenty-one Catholic sermons in various degrees of excellence, - nearly all of which are so thoroughly and truly catholic in the widest - sense of the term, that they will be read with pleasure by Protestants, - as well as by members of the communion to which they are carefully - addressed."<br> - —<i>New-York Citizen</i>, - -<hr> - - <h3>IV.</h3> - -<p class="cite"> - May Carols and Hymns and Poems.<br> - By Aubrey De Vere. Blue and gold, . . . $1.25 -</p> -<hr> - - <h3>V.</h3> -<p class="cite"> - Christine, and Other Poems.<br> - By George H. Miles. Price, $2.00 -</p> -<hr> - - <h3>VI.</h3> - -<p class="cite"> - Dr. Newman's Answer To Dr. Pusey's Eirenicon. - Paper, $0.75 -</p> -<hr> - - <h3>VII.</h3> -<p class="cite"> - Three Phases of Christian Love:<br> - The Mother, The Maiden, and The Religious.<br> - By Lady Herbert.<br> - One volume, 12mo, $1.50 -</p> - - <h3>Extracts From Notices Of The Press.</h3> - -<p class="cite"> - "The author writes in a spirit and style worthy of the sacred subjects of - her pen. It is a book that should be in the hands of every Catholic, and - one which Protestants might read with benefit to themselves, and without - having their prejudices rudely assailed. Mr. Kehoe has issued the volume - in admirable taste. Its mechanical execution is without a flaw."<br> - —<i>Citizen</i>. -</p> -<p class="cite"> - "We hail this work as a great acquisition to our Catholic literature, and - recommend it to the attention of all. It is just the book that ought to - be placed in the hands of Catholic ladies. The publisher deserves great - credit for the beautiful type, paper, and binding, which make this book - equal in taste and elegance to any published in this country."<br> - —<i>Pittsburg Catholic</i>. -</p> -<hr> - - <h3>VIII.</h3> - -<p class="cite"> - Aspirations of Nature.<br> - By Rev. I. T. Hecker.<br> - Fourth edition, revised, cloth, extra, … $1.50 -</p> - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Clergy And The Pulpit In Their -Relations To The People., by M. 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