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 salem, and  Rome. He studies  history — the  history of the  first  centuries  of  our  era,  disregarding  the  influence on  that  age  of  Christ  and  Christianity;  the history of  the  Middle  Ages,  with  never  a  mention  of those  saviours  of  civilization,  Saints  Dominic  and Francis of  Assisi. Who can  read  the  history  of  the sixteenth century  and  ignore  St.  Francis  Xavier;  of the  seventeenth  and  leave  out  St. Vincent de  Paul? In such  a  materialistic  spirit  are  the  arts  and  sciences cultivated nowadays,  that  from  the  exception  it  has become almost  the  rule  for  pupils  in  our  higher  universities to  begin  to  doubt  of  the  soul's  immortality and the  very  existence  of  God. When such  a  mind turns to  the  study  of  Holy  Scripture,  what  is  the result? A blasphemous  monster  like  Renan,  who reviled Our  Lord  as  an  undutiful  son  for  having  never gone to  school,  for  having  run  away  from  His  parents, and rebelliously  snubbed  them  for  seeking  to  bring Him under  control. A scholar  without  a  conscience is a  menace  to  society. Learning makes  the  criminal all the  more  insidious  and  dangerous. And even  if he  have  no  marked  criminal  tendencies,  still,  see  how, in the  hands  of  even  the  best  of  them,  literature  and art minister  to  sensuality,  and  philosophy  is  made  to war  against  truth. The spoils  of  office  become  the chief motive  for  enlisting  in  the  public  service,  and even so-called  ministers  of  the  Gospel  degrade  their sacred calling  by  pandering  to  the  debased  prejudices of their  audiences,  for  filthy  lucre. So true  is  it  that, though a  sound  mind  in  a  sound  body  be  an  inestimable blessing,  still  the  soundness  of  neither  one  nor