Father Muller states: "The great roots of all the evils that press upon society, and make man unhappy, are THE IGNORANCE OF THE MIND, AND THE DEPRAVITY OF THE WILL. Hence he who wishes to civilize the world, and thus assist in executing the plans of God's providence, must remove these two great roots of evil by imparting to the mind infallibly the light of truth, and by laying down for the will authoritatively the unchangeable principles of morality. If the hierarchy of the Catholic Church has accomplished in society this twofold task, then has it rendered itself worthy of the praises of all men, and deserves to be called the greatest, the most astonishing, the most divine fact in the history of the world - then the hierarchy of the Catholic Church is truly the light of the world, and the salt of the earth." And he continues elsewhere: "IF it is the Popes, the bishops and priests who have drawn forth the civilized nations of the world from barbarism, it is also the Popes, the bishops and priests who keep them from falling back into their former degradation. It is for this reason that our Divine Saviour calls them also "the salt of the earth." Almighty God, Who incessantly, vatches over the welfare of His Church, has, in every century, provided chosen vessels holy Popes, bishops and priests - to defend and uphold her holy doctrine. Against Arianism, God raised up an Athanasius and a Hilary of Poirtiers; to oppose the Nestorians, God sent St. Cyril. He sent St. Augustine to beat down the Pelagians; St. John Damascene, to fight the Iconoclasts. When the world became Christian, and Catholics grew rich, and forgot the poverty of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Franciscan monks were called to teach the love of Christian poverty to voluptuous Catholics." Father Muller extols the powers of the Catholic priest: "Every priest can say, in some measure, with Jesus Christ who sent him: "All power is given to me in heaven and on earth." The influence of this power is felt in heaven, in giving the elect; it is felt in hell, in snatching from it victims; it is felt in purgatory, ill consoling efficaciously the Church Suffering. The influence of the priest's power is felt all over the world in sustaining the Church Militant." Fathom this privilege of the priest: "GOD has given to the priest the keys of heaven. He has given the priest power over the faithful, over His mystic body; but He has given the priest even a more extraordinary power, -a power so stupendous, so unutterably great, that, had we not the grace of faith, we could never believe it. He has given to the priest power over His own Sacred Body, power over Himself "

This work begins with the dignity of the family and proceeds to the dignity of man and woman. This is followed by the dignity of the Christian child and then proceeds to discuss the holy sacrament of Marriage. This work is a must read fro anyone entering the holy state of Matrimony, as it details the rights and responsibilities of Christian parents. Consider this on the dignity of the Christian child: "A foreigner, who has come to the United States and wishes to enjoy the rights and privileges of an American citizen, has to appear in open court and declare his intention of becoming a citizen of the United States. If he then continues to reside, for five years, within the limits and under the jurisdiction of the grand llepublic, and conducts himself, during that time, as a man of good moral character, is attached to the principles of the Constitution of the United States, and well disposed to the good order and happiness of the same, he receives his naturalization papers as a citizen of the Union, after having declared on oath, in open court, that he will support the Constitution of the United States, and that he does absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to every foreign prince, potentate, or state sovereignty whatsoever, and particularly to the government of the country to which he was formerly subject. "Christian parents your children, too, have become, on similar conditions, citizens of the kingdom of God on earth and in heaven. There are two great kingdoms in this world-the kingdom of Jesus Christ and of Satan. The kingdom of Jesus Christ is the Roman Catholic Church. In his kingdom alone are found true peace and happiness, the forgiveness of sins, the means to obtain the grace of God and to lead a virtuous life. To remain a faithful citizen and subject of this kingdom, is to be forever a citizen of God's kingdom in heaven. The kingdom of Satan in this world is that corrupt body composed of three foul and abominable members: "The concupiscence of the flesh, the concupiscence of the eyes, and of the pride of life." One day our dear Saviour permitted Satan "to tako him up into a high mountain, and to show him his kingdom of this world and the glory of it,"-that is, the riches, the honors, and the sinful pleasures of the flesh; and Satan said to him: "All this I will give thee, if, falling down, thou wilt adore me." What Satan here promised to our Saviour, he promises to every one who wishes to follow him. To remain a faithful subject of Satan's kingdom, is to be forever his subject in the torments of hell. Now, Christian parents Your children were born into this world as citizens and subjects of Satan. You knew this, and therefore you felt that something was wanting to fill up the measure of your happiness at their birth. It was not the subject of Satan, but the subject of Jesus Christ, that you wished to press to your heart. Your children were therefore taken from the cradle, and in the midst of the rejoicings of the whole family, in the arms of a godfather and of a godmother who were to lend to them their heart and tongue; they were taken, as it were, to the open court of Christ's kingdom on earth, that is, to the en trance of the house of God, humbly begging the Church to admit them to become her children, subjects of Jesus Christ, and citizens of his kingdom.