Page:BlessedSacramentBook.pdf/20

 Vaughan was  still  Bishop of Salford  when  he  wrote a little  pamphlet  on  the necessity of  prayer  for the conversion  of  England; and  at  the  end  of his  long  and  intensively active career  he  seemed to receive  still  more  light, and to  understand  better  that  God  wanted  from him 'more  prayer  than activity.'

"The world  in  its  feverish activity  now  understands but  half  of  God's design.  It  appreciates action,  but  not  contemplation. Men  know  and perceive  and  acknowledge the  need  of  action,  and they  esteem  highly  whatever acts  and  agitates, and  nothing  else.  In  so doing  they  are  only  being consistent  with  human nature,  but  they  are  mistaken. Activity  is  in&lt;deed  necessary,  and  cannot be  too  highly  esteemed, but  it  alone  is not  enough,  or  rather,  if it  suffices  in  the  bustle  of everyday  life  it  does  not suffice  for  that  of  a Christian,  which  is  a  union of  divine  and  human  elements. In  our  present century,  when  faith  is departing,  as  soon  as  a generous  soul  flees  from the  world  and  seeks  refuge in  the  solitude  of  the cloister,  men  speak  of  it as  a  cowardly  act,  not in  keeping  with  the  age in which  we  live. They assume that  this  outwardly inactive  existence was a  beautiful  outgrowth, a  luxury  produced by  faith  in  the days when  faith  reigned supreme. But now  that we have  to  defend  every foot of  our  stronghold, and are  losing  ground  day by day,  we  need  active combatants, and  have  not too many  or  even  enough of them. Under such  circumstances, how  can  we view  with  approval  those souls which  are  filled  with faith and  yet  quit  the field of  battle? This is what  people  say,  though they do  not  know  what they are  saying. They talk of  battle,  without seeing what  sort  of  battle it is;  and  they  speak  of a  battle-field,  and  do  not perceive where  the  contest rages  most  fiercely. They accuse  the  most generous souls  of  abandoning the  fray,  when they