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 destroying the  most  inviolate  laws  of  nature. And notwithstanding that  these  philosophers  were  at  perfect  liberty to publish  their  strange  maxims,  fearless  of  danger  or  persecution, they  deemed  it  necessary  to  call  to  their  aid  the most elegant  of  phrases,  the  most  pleasing  eloquence,  in order  to  impress  their  own  ideas  firmly  in  their  minds.

The Gospel  which,  on  the  contrary,  preached  only  for the poor  and  for  all  those  persecuted  sinners  throughout the world  who  had  been  treated  as  slaves,  and  who  were exposed to  all  kinds  of  danger — this  Gospel,  I  say,  has  all at once  been  received  with  every  mark  of  respect  by  the learned as  well  as  by  the  ignorant,  by  warriors  and  princes, — in a  word,  by  Greeks  and  Romans,  and  by  every  savage nation.

St. Chrysostom.

''Sermon on St. Matthew.

[St. Jerome, one  of  the  most  learned  and  prolific  authors  of  the early Latin  Church,  was  born  in  Dalmatia  about  the  year  331. The learned epistles  which  he  wrote  to  St. Marcella and  St. Paula are  celebrated for  their  learning  and  rare  monastic  piety.

St. Paula  accompanied  him  to  Palestine  in  386,  where  he  founded a convent  at  Bethlehem;  near  this  he  remained  till  his  death  in  420.

His biblical  labours  are  highly  valuable,  his  Latin  version  of  the Old Testament  from  the  original  language  is  the  foundation  of  the Vulgate, and  his  commentary  gave  a  new  impulse  to  the  study  of  the Holy Scriptures.]

St. Jerome,  in  writing  to  the  mother  of  Paula,  says:  Begin with the  Psalter,  and  teach  your  daughter  how  to  chant the Psalms. You can  read  with  her  the  Proverbs,  by which  she  will  know  the  moral  precepts.

This can  be  followed  by  Ecclesiasticus,  a  book  so  capable of inspiring  her  with  a  contempt  of  this  world.

You can  then  proceed  to  the  Gospels — these,  your daughter ought  ever  to  have  in  hand.