Page:SermonsFromTheLatins.djvu/594

 nurses society  back  to  moral  strength  and  vigor. All she asks  is  fair  play. " Give,"  she  says,  "  to  Caesar the  things  that  are  Caesar's  and  to  God  and  God's Church  the  things  that  are  God's."

Brethren, in  America,  thank  God,  one  can  be  at once  a  good  Catholic  and  a  good  citizen;  and  the better the  Catholic  the  better  the  citizen. But many of us  are  intensely  interested  in  politics  and  little concerned about  religion. We look  on  State  laws  as grave  precepts,  on  Church  laws  as  pious  counsels. We would  give  our  lives  for  the  nation's  honor,  but we laugh  when  our  Church  is  insulted  and  wronged. We proudly  march  through  the  world  wrapped  in  the American flag,  but  we  blush  when  caught  signing ourselves with  the  sign  of  the  cross. And yet,  by reason  of  her  origin,  constitution,  mission,  destiny, and  services  to  mankind,  the  Church's  claim  to our  allegiance  is  prior  to  that  of  the  State. In times of peace,  therefore,  let  Catholicity  and  patriotism  go hand  in  hand;  but  in  times  of  conflict  let  us  avoid equally the  extremes  of  giving  all  to  the  Church  or all  to  the  State,  and  let  us  be  guided  by  the  golden rule: "  Render  to  Caesar  the  things  that  are  Caesar's, and  to  God  the  things  that  are  God's."