Untitled - Rore Sanctifica

The Exigency of Truth. 5
to cure ograve moral defects by the exercise of
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much patience and forbearance.
But it is said that religious
truth differs from
all others. It is only acquired by the exercise of
a supernatural gift, and a truth given, if not im
mediately applied and acted oiij is withdrawn,
never to be again given, except after lengthened
repentance and many tears ;
if even then. This is
so far true as it relates to the difficulty of recovery.
Gifts not used are withdrawn, and probably the
danger is in this case greater than when the
O o
gift is purely natural. It may
be admitted that
we sooner recover from the effects of a mistake
in politics and morals, than from one where
Religion is concerned ; though
this is not
invariablv the case. But so far as the assertion
is meant to affirm the need of acting immediately
and decisively in a given way it is quite untrue.
Religious conviction is of slow growth, and
religious action founded on conviction is no less
o
so. The whole history of the Catholic revival
/
in the Anglican Communion is a proof of this
truth. We can ourselves remember that twenty
years ago we felt the advisability of adopting
the legal vestments to give prominence and
dignity to the great sacrifice. We have not yet
fully seen our way to their revival in our own
case. But has the conviction of the advisability
of such revival been weakened ? On the
contrary, it has grown stronger every year, and