istory, this
condition of things is not surprising; it is, we might venture to say,
the normal state of mind in relation to things so intensely Catholic is
religious vows. Antagonism against monasticism was born the day Luther
decided to take a wife; and as long as that same spirit lingers on
earth we shall expect this antagonism to thrive and prosper. Not only
that, but we shall never expect the religious to get a fair hearing
for their cause. The hater, open or covert, of the habit and cowl is
whole-souled or nothing in his convictions. And he believes the devil
should be fought with his own weapons.

We do not expect all men to think as we do concerning the merits of the
religious profession. To approve it without restriction would be to
approve the Church. To find no wrong in it would be indicative of a
dangerous Romish tendency. And we are not prepared to assert that any
such symptoms exist to an alarming extent in those who expatiate on
religious topics these latter days. There will be differences of
opinion on this score, as on many others, and one fellow's opinion is
as good, to himself, as another's.

There are even objections, to many an honest man, serious objections,
that may be brought up and become legitimate matter for discussion. We
take it for granted that intelligent men do not oppose an institution
as venerable as monasticism without reasons. Contention between people
who respect intelligence is always based on what has at least a
semblance of truth, and has for its object to detect reality and label
it as distinct from appearance.

We go farther, and admit that there have been abuses in this system of
perfection, abuses that we were the first to detect, the first to
deplore and feel the shame of it. But before we believed it, we
investigated and made sure it was so. We found out very often that the
accusations were false. Scandalmongers and dishonest critics noted the
charges, but forgot to publish the verdict, and naturally with the
public these charges stand. No wonder then that such tales breed
antipathy and hatred among those who are not in position to control
facts.

A queer feature about this is that people do not give religious credit
for being human. That they are flesh and blood, all agree; that they
should err, is preposterous. A hue-and-cry goes up when it becomes
known that one of these children of Adam has paid the penalty of being
human. One would think an angel had fallen from hea