Page:SermonsFromTheLatins.djvu/592

 are God's  without  also  teaching  to  give  to  Caesar  the things that  are  Caesar's?  Only  the  other  day  her highest prelate,  speaking  to  the  Catholics  of  America, defined her  policy  thus:  "  Go  forward  bearing  in  one hand  the  book  of  Christian  truth  and  in  the  other the  American  Constitution." I venture  to  say  that in working  out  the  social  problems  that  confront them, the  real  statesmen  and  true  patriots  of  the country look  to  the  Catholic  Church  as  their  ablest assistant. And well  they  may;  and  the  Church,  given fair play  and  no  favor,  is  right  ready  to  assist,  for  on America  she  looks  as  a  mother  on  her  young  and beautiful daughter. I repeat  it,  America  is  a  product of Catholicity. Her government  is  the  most  perfect among nations,  because  it  most  nearly  resembles that of  the  Church. The Declaration  of  Independence is  a  declaration  of  Catholic  principles  as  old  as the  Church,  and  the  framers  of  our  Constitution were guided  by  the  Catholic  theory  of  government — liberty, equality,  and  fraternity — borne  to  them  like an echo  from  the  times  of  their  Catholic  ancestors. The State  without  the  Church  can  never  handle  the poor. " Father,"  says  the  poor  old  widow,  "  Father, I  am  destitute,  send  me  to  the  Sisters'  home;  but sooner  than  go  to  the  Island  I  will  die  in  the  street." The State  alone  can  never  subdue  the  lawless. Two or three  policemen  vainly  struggle  with  a  madman; but the  priest  comes  along  and  immediately  fury gives place  to  submission  and  repentance. The State locks up  criminals  and  makes  them  more  rebellious still, but  the  Church  enlightens  them  with  truth  and