The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1870-06-19

Wen - ethics, under it's positive. and Il
this we undertake to consider under Il
negative aspects. In other words, havin,
demonstrAted what, as far a. onr purpose
demanded, the law is, it only remains {.
examine what the law is not. The law 4
not, a. is the case with many wisely
human laws, dead letter, simply film,
up . chasm in well-bound statute-book
ont OF no possible application to huma,
hfe and it's ever-varying wants. TIL,
moral law is not merely q generic notion
which, like the rule of three. beoets IL,
necessary conclusions without any activity
OF it's own, but is real active entity itself
possessed of its own life, and acting from
the force of it's own individual personality
Heany u Is not, 1t cannot be, distinguished
from God, and must therefore be both Law
ana legislator at the same time. If the
law was not personal it could not be. az
has been proved, concrete, and without
being concrete, it could not be imperative
andif it was not God, it could not be abso-
lutte, because the Absolute is substantially
ONE, and plurality of absolutes is simply
inconceivable. Hence, as the Idea, accord
ing 20 our definition of it, is God himself
amrming himself to. our intellect, the law
is likewise God asserting his authority over
our Will. And az the Idea, inasmuch as it
sneds Its light upon us, is the divine Mind
itself, which discloses to us some of ;ts
treasures, and gives us glimpse into it's
unfathomable depths; SO also the Law ia
tne Divine Will, which created us out of
nothing, and holds converse with us in the
sanctuary of conscience, not only, like
human law, to check us in our wantonness.
but especially. to win our thoughts, aspira-
lions and sentiments to itself, and thereby
make as partakers of the Good and the
Holy. The human soul lives in intimate
communion with the mind and will of God.
and in this communion, undreamt of nv
your modern spiritists and their kindred,
the Swedenborgian, the glory of our nature
consists; and in the light of this irrefragi-
Ole principle we see the value to be set on |
the theories of rationalists, ancient and
modern, according to which the law has
naught to do with the Good, lacks personal
and is a mere abstraction,
merit and unsubsistent, without even life
.o~oAA w nhAIA0to u vegetable.
Neither is the law simple blind force.
operating ever and ever in the same ever
asting grooves: it is at once intelligi-
DC and Intelligent. Nay, it is essentially
10Th. 1t is Ineligible in itself, and shines
n its own light, in that it is ideptical with
ne Idea, by which every intellection is be-
'otten, and for this reason its intelligibility
not extrinsic and relative, as that of
mite beings, but intrinsic and absolute, as
'ecomes the Infinite. It is intelligent, for ,
1t had no intelligence of itself it would
OF be absolutely ineligible; and it's in ,
eihgence, to be absolute, must be con- :
caous, and take in at one and the same ,
lance that bi-partite KNOWLEDGE which. :
18th us, is divided between the Immediate =
ct or fact of intuition and the successive !,
recess OF reiexion. Intelligibfity and '
Negligence are correlative properties, one !,
which cannot be imagined where the |.
ther is not implied. The law is, therefore, =
mind, as far as it is identified with the =
aea: but 1nasmuch as it is Law, it is also !,
WIN, and as in thinking it as mind, rea- n
IN dawns and the truth flashes ON us so C.
willing it as the rule of our finite will II
nd the standard of our volitions, our own a
sl comes into play, and concurs, if it does +,
Of abuse its freedom, in executing the "
vine plan for the government of the uni al
erse. Human 1--WE are not treating lust ii
DIV Of Christian) perfection consists in the Il
of the human with the divine I'll
LII, just as truth in what order soever i'd
insists in the harmony between our un- n,
and the Creators mind; whence to
If two principal faculties, reason. and W
i'll (arbitrum) borrow all that is good and til
hid in them from the divine nature. 1t hi
true, their participation in the divine I'll
ature is perfect, and such only as BELTS
g creature; and it must not be lost sight
that mans intelligence and goodness
e, because simply communicated, as far IT
low the divine perfections as the reflect fe
intelligibility, which illumines created p
ings. is below the inherent intelligibility w
the Absolute Being. til
The law is not mute, but speaks, and it th
eaks with an eloquence which human M
ture hears wherever it is situated. Its B,
nguage, however, must be considered st
der two-fold aspect. Under one aspect da
is purely ideal, and is apprehensible only co
the intellect; under the other, the law