"WEAKNESS OF THE ALTRUISTIC SENTIMENTS 393 



which Christianity is capable of exercising. A religion which 

 has given us St. Francis of Assisi cannot be a negligible factor 

 in the development of human character ; and a religion capable 

 of shaping lives of such beauty and devotion is at least worthy 

 of something better than the contempt sometimes expressed 

 for it by the authorised representatives of science. But let us 

 not overestimate the importance of the softening influence which 

 Christianity has exercised. Let us be careful not to ascribe to 

 this influence any development the cause of which should be 

 sought elsewhere. 



The most representative form of Christianity is incontestably 

 the Church of Rome. Exercising universal dominion, having 

 behind her twenty centuries of glorious traditions, possessing a 

 degree of cohesion and integration wholly unknown to the 

 Protestant sects, the Catholic Church exercises, on the minds of 

 those who sincerely beheve in her dogmas, an influence which can 

 only be estimated by those who have known her from within. 

 No Church enjoins more strictly the practice of the altruistic 

 virtues ; and as no Chvirch exercises over its members an influ- 

 ence at aU comparable in intensity to the influence exercised by 

 her, we must take it that sincere Catholics must best mani- 

 fest the result of the softening influence of Christianity. 

 Far be it from us to deny that there are many individuals in the 

 CathoHc Church whose conduct is thus shaped by this softening 

 influence. But how greatly a sincere belief in the doctrines of 

 the Church can coexist with a practical disregard of the ethical 

 precepts of the Gospel, and also of the Church, was brought home 

 to us lately with especial force on reading an interesting and 

 entertaining book by M. de Mandat-Grancey on the denuncia- 

 tion of the reUgious Concordat in France. M. de Mandat- 

 Grancey is a sincere and devoted CathoUc and Royahst ; and yet 

 we find him writing that " appliquer au gouvemement des 

 hommes reunis en collectivite les principes de I'^l^vangile serait 

 chose absolument impossible." And he continues : 



