Page:The Great Encyclical Letters of Pope Leo XIII.djvu/172



res'- THE RIGHT ORDERING OF CHRISTIAN LIFE.

and in simple homely words to exhort all and each to lead a holy life. For, beyond the mere profession of faith. Christian virtues and practices are necessary for the Christian; and upon these depend, not only the eternal salvation of souls, but also the stable peace and true pros- perity of the human family and of society.

If we inquire into the kind of life men everywhere lead, it is impossible for any one to avoid the conclusion that public and private morals differ vastly from the precepts of the Gospel. Too sadly, alas! do the words of the apostle St. John apply to our age: All that is in the world is the concupiscence of the flesh, and the concupis- cence of the eyes, and the pride of life} For in truth most men, with little heed as to whence they have come or whither they are going, place all their thoughts and all their care upon the vain and fleeting goods of this life; and, contrary to nature and right order, they voluntarily give themselves up to serve things of which their reason tells them they should be the masters. It is a short step from the desire of comfort and luxury to the striving after the means to obtain them. Hence arises the un- bridled eagerness to become rich which binds those whom it possesses, and while they are seeking the gratification of their passion, hurries them along, often without refer- ence to justice or injustice, and not infrequently even with insolent contempt for the penury of others. Thus very many who live in luxury call themselves the breth- ren of the multitudes whom in the depths of their hearts they despise. With minds puffed up with pride, they strive to be subject to no law and to have respect for no authority. They call self-love liberty, and think themselves horn free like a wild ass's colt.^ Snares and temptations to sin abound; impious and unmoral dramas are exhibited on the stage; books and the daily press jeer at virtue and ennoble crime; and the fine arts themselves, which were intended for virtuous use and for rightful recreation, are

> 1 John ii. 16. ' Job xi. 12.