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THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY.— SUPPLEMENT. 



consistent aim of its ablest servants for several 

 centuries; a fact curiously illustrated by the 

 great abundance of canonists and ecclesiastical 

 lawyers produced by the local Church of Rome, 

 contrasted with its almost complete barrenness 

 of theologians of respectable mark, of whom it 

 cannot cite one for each century of its exist- 

 ence. But as the title-deeds of this monarchy 

 will not stand the test of dispassionate inquiry, 

 there has been, at any rate ever since the Coun- 

 ter-Reformation, a necessity for encouraging in 

 its subjects a temper averse from criticism or 

 resistance, but finding religious expression and 

 content almost exclusively in docility and devout- 

 ness. No one who has given much attention to 

 the copious stores of Roman Catholic theological 

 literature, chiefly emotional, which have been 

 produced, mainly by the Jesuit Society, during 

 the last two centuries, can have failed to notice 

 that passive obedience and pious meditation are 

 inculcated most sedulously, as comprising the 

 whole scheme of Christian ethics necessary for 

 the lay mind to assimilate. And just as the Cal- 

 vinist learned that the elect alone had a claim on 

 his good-will, so the practical lesson impressed 

 on the Roman Catholic devotee similarly restricts 

 his sympathies to his co-religionists, visible com- 

 munion with the supreme pontiff raking the same 

 place in his conception of human fellowship as 

 a supposed invisible communion with the heav- 

 enly Church does in the rival system. 



No fair-minded person can question the sin- 

 cere conviction of the majority of Ultramontane 

 teachers, that they are, in fact, promoting righ- 

 teousness in the best, and indeed only feasible 

 way, by exalting the prerogatives of the Holy See, 

 and laboring for clerical ascendency in every 

 country. There may be very pertinent questions 

 asked as to the success of the method where it 

 was longest or most thoroughly in operation, 

 such as France under Louis XIV., Spain and 

 Italy, and Spanish America; but that is not the 

 point now at issue, which is as to its bearing on 

 patriotism. Here no favorable judgment can be 

 pronounced, for the position of a Roman Catho- 

 lic ecclesiastic in any country now, and in a less 

 degree that of devout Roman Catholic laymen, 

 may be compared to the view which George I. 

 took of his position as King of England. In his 

 mind the chief, and indeed only, value of that 

 position to him personally, was as increasing his 

 power as a German sovereign ; and had he not 

 been hampered by the very stringent constitu- 

 tional checks due to that revolution which paved 

 the way to his accession, there is no doubt that 



he would not merely have flooded the English 

 peerage, dignities, and offices of state, with his 

 countrymen, but have recklessly wasted the 

 blood and treasure of his kingdom in promoting 

 the local interests of his electorate. Now the 

 reason why the attitude of Ultramontancs is like 

 this, is because they are not engaged in propa- 

 gating a religious creed only, nor yet an elhical 

 code, but a great political system, claiming abso- 

 lute allegiance over every aspect of civil life 

 which casuistical ingenuity can bring under the 

 category of either faith or morals. Theirs must, 

 therefore, be at best a divided allegiance ; and 

 where religious feeling is strong, national welfare 

 and philanthropic considerations will have to 

 give way, if they seem to conflict with clerical 

 policy and domination. Then, as regards the 

 laity, the tendency of the neo-Roman system, 

 despite such apparent exceptions as the Society 

 of St. Vincent de Paul, is to exclude them not 

 merely from an active voice in ecclesiastical af- 

 fairs, but even from the subordinate task of car- 

 rying out obediently the plans of their spiritual 

 guides, save as voters at elections and in legisla- 

 tive assemblies. That is to say, the tendency is 

 to officialize everything. Schools must be con- 

 ducted by members of a religious or monastic 

 confraternity or sisterhood, such as Christian 

 Brothers, Ursulines, and Ladies of the Sacred 

 Heart. Almsgiving must pass through the chan- 

 nels of Sisters of Charity, Hospitalers, and sim- 

 ilar institutions ; and so of other like matters. 

 No doubt this has its good side in method, econ- 

 omy, permanence, and general effectiveness ; but 

 it promotes, even in the domain of religion, that 

 very inertness of the laity which amounts to un- 

 patriotism in the sphere of civil life. In truth, 

 the view taken of the laity under Ultramontan- 

 ism is like that taken of the rank and file of an 

 army by a government and its generals. What- 

 ever can stimulate its enthusiasm may be adopt- 

 ed, but no one in authority ever dreams of giving 

 it a voice in deciding on the justice or injustice of 

 a quarrel, on the alternative of war and peace, or 

 on the conduct of a campaign. So far as their 

 members reenforce the leaders and further their 

 aims, well and good ; but purely lay and civil in- 

 terests are never consulted, as the history of 

 Bourbon Naples may sufficiently testify. And 

 therefore it is true that, wherever this special 

 type of religious teaching is dominant, it stunts 

 mental power and independent thought, and does 

 so far unfit its adherents for civil life. 



But here, too, the answer is obvious, that this 

 system has been in working order for little more 



