The Messenger of the Sacred Heart for India July 1918

Before the Reformation and before the ovethrow of the merchant and craft guilds an institution that grew up under the inspiration and influence of the Church while undeniably there was in the condition of labour much to be desired socially and politically materially however the working man; and more especially the working man in the lowest stratum of toil was better off than ever before. [...] This better229 JULY 1918.] ment in the condition of the toiler due wholly to the influence and teaching of the Church had been of steady if of slow growth from the slavery of the first centuries to the serfdom of the early Middle Ages from serfdom to freedom. [...] But as soon as the Christian teaching on the essential dignity and equality of men and the nobility and obligation of labour began to take hold of the pagan mind the condition of the toiler began to change for the better. [...] Next is the story of their journey from Egypt to Mount Sinai ; the preparations that were made on the eve of their departure dill destruction of the first-born of the Egyptians by the Angel thetirst part.of their journey and fmally the establishment of the feast of Passover as a perpetual memorial of the event. [...] Here the Ten Ana nd me n ts were set up as the practical proof of the worship25:3 tills 1918.] -of the one true God ; here the ritual service of the Jews was inaugurated in the building of the Tabernacle and the cosecration of Aaron ; here the Children of Israel fell away worshipping the Calf of I +old and by Moses' intercession were taken back to favour.