Here was Charles with his thoughts turned away from religious controversy for two years, yet with his religious views progressing, unknown to himself, the whole time. It could not have been otherwise, if he was to live a religious life at all. If he was to worship and obey his Creator, intellectual acts, conclusions, and judgments must accompany that worship and obedience. Such a person is often said to go by private judgment, to be choosing his religion by his own standard of what a religion ought to be. There is no absurdity, then, or inconsistency in a person first using his private judgment and then denouncing its use.
Circumstances change duties.
But still, after all, the person in question does not, strictly speaking, judge of the external system presented to him by his private ideas, but he brings in the dicta of that system to confirm and to justify certain private judgments and personal feelings and habits already existing. But when a man, thus constituted within, falls under the shadow of Catholicism without, then the mighty Creed at once produces an influence upon him. But to return to the subject of our narrative. Let us be patient with him, as his Maker is patient, and bear that he should do a work slowly which he will do well. Copyright 2000 by Bob Elder.