THE COMING CRISIS.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume II, Issue 108, 22 May 1875, Page 12

THE COMING CRISIS.

4-+ It seems to be a very general, or rather universal, opinion, both in the Press and in private society, that a tremendous crash, a, bloody ■war, is approaching. Yet after all, the thunder clouds may clear off, and sovereigns and people settle their differences by arbitrators or other peaceable means. France, ultra,-Protestants tell \is, is eager for the fray, and will fight Germany on any pretence whatever. They say it will be a religious war, as religion has "been at the bottom of all the great wars since Christianity was first introduced. lam come, says Christ, not to send peace but a sword on earth. One part of the family shall rise against the other, neighbour against neighbour, and this because of the Gospel of Christ. How, then, is Christ the Prince of Peace, the Messenger of the God of Love. The Jew and the infidel say he cannot be. If he were, these wars would not occur among his professed followers. But we must reflect that Christ came to put down injustice and to put down error — by the sword of the spirit, by moral suasion, if possible, but by physical force, if stern necessity should so require. Unjust men and the violent supporters of error cannot and must not be permitted, to rule supreme in a world tinder the Government of a God of justice and truth-. " The powers that be, the civil and military powers, are ordained by God. They are his ministers and deputies. He has placed the sword of jiistice in their hands, to be •used when necessary to defend the weak against the violence and injustice of the strong. Christ's own -was an exceptional case. For Ms own wise ends God sometimes permits power to pass into the hands of bold, bad men for a time. But such, a state of things does not last for any considerable period. For many years, for the last thirty years more especially, Europe has been, as regards its moral and religious condition, in a very bad way. Violent and ■unprincipled men have got possession of the reins of power, the people are being oppressed and corrupted, and often highly educated, as regards secular instruction, at the same time. The tendency of recent legislation has been to unChristianise the people, to banish God as far as possible from every public place and institution under State control j to estab-

lish society, in facb. upon Pagan principles ; recognizing nothing but utility and a, rough natural justice at times, and the power of money and numbers always. Even in England, a country once so famous for her saintly men and women, Christianity has of late received some cruel blows from the dominant party in her State. The sanctity of marriage has been invaded. That sacred bond by which, agreeable to the law of Christ, the wedded pair are knit together till death shall part thorn, has now been declared by the Legislature of England and of New Zealand to be something very lite a mere compact of convenience,"which may be dissolved when the parties get tired of each other's company and prefer a change of partners. Ireland/Catholic Ireland, has been spared the humiliation of having such a law placed on her statute book, even without the benefit of " Home Rule. The English Legislature knew well that such a law would be regarded with horrorby Catholic Ireland, as sapping the very foundation of domestic purity, and offering an affront to Christianity and to every Catholic wife and husband in the country, not to speak of the young men and maidens. Should war break out and correspond to the magnitude of the preparations made for it, we shall probably see some stranges changes in political and ecclesiastical affairs ere we are many years older. When robbers quarrel honest men have a chance to get their own. The Pope may possibly get back what of right belongs to him as one fruit of the next war. Even Bismarck himself, the master of so many legions, seems greviously troubled in his mind about the future Pope, more sa than about the present one, who, in the ordinary course of nature,, must ere long give place to a successor. Bismarck would fain concerb with accomplices to bind the future Pope. The present one, with his constant non possumus, he finds quite unmanageable. The world is getting pretty well tired of popular rule or self-rule as at present practised. What is wanted is a strong and a just government in every country — a government with a conscience and a high sense of religious duty. In that case, the Pope must play a conspicuous part in every country, and if Catholics prove true to him, to their principles and themselves, they will form a great and powerful "estate" in every land the Bun shines upon. If they prove false they merit oppression and contempt everywhere. We cannot expect peace, order, and justice till all the powers of Europe concert some measure or alliance among themselves, to restrain and punish unprincipled aggressors. The present selfish system of isolation will not pay. Mr G-ladstone may have acted with the best intentions, but it is greatly owing to his influence and that of his party of Whig Radicals that the present terrible state of things in Europe exists. What Drs. Manning and Newman have said against him by way of reproach, is mildness itself, compared with what has been said against him by his former friend and predecessor, as leader of the Liberal party, Lord Russell, in Ms "Recollections'* just published. He there repx*esents Mr Gladstone as having reduced England to a mere shopkeeper's establishment, and lowered her in theeyes of the world by associating her with the worst of the European revolutionists. Ido not give the words but the import of Lord Russell's reproaches, as I quote from memory. All the aristocrats, all men of property and respectability will como round to the Pope'sside. The scum of Europe only wUI stand out against him. The Press know on which, side their 'bread is buttered, and they too will come round to the right side ere long. The ( London Times ' will lead them. After a little coquetting and shuffling they will wheel round, and write as well in favor of the Pope as ever they wrote against him.