The Young Priests Keepsake | Page 9

a distinguished career at
Oxford. Of the English language and its perfect use he was a past
master. The copiousness of diction, elegance of phrase, the power of
expressing himself in graceful strength were eminently his. His intellect
was stored with abundant knowledge drawn from many sources. The
thoughts of his well-ordered mind stood in line as definite and orderly
as soldiers on parade. The fibres of his reasoning had waxed strong in

encounters with the ablest intellects of the day and before the most
distinguished audiences in the literary and debating clubs at Oxford.
Add to this the fact that in a keen knowledge of the human heart, its
strength and weakness, he was surpassed by no man of his age. This
was the equipment with which Manning started life, and it is to be
feared he pre-supposed this, or a great part of it, to be in possession of
those for whom he wrote.
Now, what young priest, even the most brilliant of his class, going on
the mission can pretend to the hundredth part of the advantages that
enabled Manning to dispense with the written page? Therefore, to
conclude that because he, under such privileged circumstances,
succeeded, you can do the same under a very different set of conditions,
is to ignore the hard logic of facts and pay a poor compliment to your
reason.
[Side note: Father Burke and O'Connell]
Then, we are confronted not with opinions but names--the two names
that will stand for all time in the forefront of Irish orators are those of
O'Connell and Father Burke. O'Connell wrote but one speech--his first.
The orations delivered by Father Burke in America, by which he
achieved a European reputation, were not written. What, then, it is
asked, becomes of the advocacy of the written sermon? The answer to
this argument is evident. If the question is reduced to one of great
names, into the other side of the scales may be thrown not two but
dozens of the most illustrious men who not only wrote, but became
famous mainly because they wrote.
Passing by the great pagan orators, Cicero and Demosthenes, and the
Doctors of the Church, Saints Augustine, John Chrysostom, &c.--these
all wrote, polished and elaborated--we come to the four names that
have flung a deathless glory around the French pulpit, that created a
golden era of sacred eloquence which has never been surpassed:
Bourdaloue, Bossuet, Massillon, and Fenelon. I will not labour the
argument by showing how much of their strength and fame rested on
the construction of their sermons. But, to return to the intrinsic merits
of the statement--yes, O'Connell and Father Burke were great orators in

spite of, and not because of, the fact that they spoke extemporarily. So
crude were some of O'Connell's speeches, so careless was he of their
dress, that Shiel complained: "He flung a brood of young, sturdy ideas
upon the world, with scarce a rag to cover them."
If ever there was a case when the man made the sermon instead of the
sermon making the man, it was the case of Father Burke. How little he
owed to his sermons and how much they owed to his delivery is left on
record by a capable judge. Sir Charles Gavan Duffy says: "Father
Burke was a born orator; the charm of _voice, eye and action_
combined to produce his wonderful effects. When his words were
printed much of the spell vanished. One rejoiced to hear him over and
over again, but _re-read_ him rarely, I think."[1] The greatest tribute
that can be paid to the genius of these two orators is that compositions,
wordy, loose, abounding in repetitions, in their mouths enthralled
multitudes. Every defect disappeared; the mastery, the dazzling
brilliancy of their oratory swept all hearts and blinded criticism. We
well may pause before answering the question: What effects would
they have produced had they time to write masterpieces of finished
beauty like those of Grattan and of Bourdaloue? where each link in the
chain of argument hangs in glittering strength, and each thought shows
the flash of the gem and its solidity too.
[1] "My Life in Two Hemispheres," Vol. II., 274.
[Side note: Defence of the system I]
The first great difficulty against extemporary preaching is that, though
a priest studies his subject and maps his plan, he still reckons without
his host. The mind aroused to activity and warmed by exertion is sure
to spring new thoughts, arguments, and illustrations across his path.
These offspring of latest birth clothed in freshness will prove a
temptation too strong. He will swerve from the main line to pursue
them: the tendency to chase the fresh hare can scarcely be resisted.
Then another new thought springs up, and, alas! another fresh hunt.
The defined sketch lying