THE CATHOLIC WORLD. T A MONTHLY MAGAZINE OF GENERAL LITERATURE AND SCIENCE. VOL. XVII. APRIL, 1873, TO SEPTEMBER, 1873. NEW YORK: THE CATHOLIC PUBLICATION HOUSE, 9 Warren Street. 1873. "Abraham"-" Abron "-" Auburn," 234 Abuse of Diplomatic Authority, An, 130 Art Pilgrimage through Rome, An, 808 Bolanden's The Russian Idea, 27, 161 Bolanden's The Trowel or the Cross, 308, 473 Brittany: Its People and its Poems, 252, 537 Bruté, Memoirs of the Rt. Rev. S, G., 711 Casgrain's The Canadian Pioneers, 687 Casgrain's Picture of the Rivière Ouelle, 103 Legend of S. Christopher, A, 278 Madame Agnes, 78, 182, 330, 446, 591, 731 Madame Jeannette's Papers, 566 Memoirs of a Good French Priest, 711 People and Poems of Brittany, 252, 537 Philosophical Terminology, 463 Picture of the Rivière Ouelle, The, 103 Ramière's The Political Principle of the Social Reminiscence of San Marco, A, 707 Rome, An Art Pilgrimage through, 808 Terminology, Philosophical, 463 Unity, 307 What is Civilization? 486 Ysléta, The Indians of, 422 Augustine, S., Harmony of the Evangelists, etc. Augustine, S., On the Trinity, 855 Brady's Irish Reformation, 573. Brady's State Papers on the Irish Church, 573 Brothers of the Christian Schools during the Greatorex's Homes of Ober-Ammergau, 288 Hare's Memorials of a Quiet Life, 431 Hill's Elements of Philosophy, 427, Meyrick's Life of S. Walburge, 855 Mericourt's Vivia Perpetua, 575 Mulloy's A Visit to Louise Lateau, 574 Palma's Particular Examen, 860 Primaute, La, et l'Infaillibilité des Souveraines Proceedings of the Convention of the Irish Ca- Progressionists, The, and Angela, 281 Reverse of the Medal, The, 288 Sainte-Germaine's Only a Pin, 574 Sermons for all the Sundays and Festivals of the NNW-YORK SOCIETY - THE CATHOLIC WORLD. VOL. XVII., No. 97.-APRIL, 1873. PUBLIC CHARITIES. MODERN Civilization has no higher or more important question to deal with than that of ameliorating the condition of the poor, the unfortunate, the ignorant, and the vicious. Governments are and can be engaged in no more appalling work than that of legislating wisely in regard to these classes, and in seeing that not only are their inevitable wants provided for and the public interests protected, but also that their rights are secured in fact as well as in theory, and that the instruments employed in these exalted spheres of public administration are suited to their purpose, and are guarded against degenerating from means of amelioration into agencies of oppression, cruelty, and injustice. There are two chief motives which lead to the care and provision for the unfortunate members of the social body-charity on the one side, and philanthropy on the other. Religion inspires every motive for this great and holy work, and of all the virtues which religion inspires, charity is the highest, purest, and best. Charity is the love of God, and of man for God's sake. That God of charity has revealed to us that, of faith, hope, and charity, the greatest is charity; that he that giveth to the poor lendeth to the Lord; that he who performs works of charity to the least of the human race performs them ipso facto to the Lord, creator and ruler of the universe; and that the eternal doom of every human being at the last dread day will be decided by this great test. Christianity itself, like her divine. founder, is charity. The church of God, like her Lord and Spouse, is charity. She is imbued with and reflects his divine essence, which is charity. Charity arises from no statute or arbitrary decree, which might or might not be made according to the option of the legislator; it is the essence and motive of all good. It exists in the very nature of things. And as the love of God by man is the first and necessary relation of the creature to the Creator, and as our fellow-creatures exist from God, and Batered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1873, by Rev. I. T. HECKER, in the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C. |