The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1871-04-30
Free Thought a Hopeless 1neonastsnoy.

Free Thought Hopeless Inconsistency
Freedom of the Press, freedom of speech
freedom OF thongLt, are ut unmitigated
evils. We are allowed by the first to pub
iish this paper by the second to say what
We please in 1t; and by the third to be
pleased with what say. This is certainly
benefit, because we always intend to
! write, say, and think. just what we believe
to be pleasing our HDly Father Plus TX;
ana r what 10 leasing to him is sure las far
pleasing to God: But, after all, this drop
OF good is almOst lost in the ocean Of evil
occasioned by this self same freedom which
allows vast humber of persons to write,
say, and think just whatever they please
ABOUT Faith or morals, without caring
whether Christ's Vicar upon earth approves
or not; and, what is even worse, of
writing, saying, and thinking just precisely
what they judge to be the most di pleasing
to him. To such an extent does the evil
OF freedom outweigh the good, that, prac-
ticatfy, freedom for one and all means free
dom for every one, except the Pope aud
those who are his faithful children. Uni
versal freedom is the most gigantic impos-
ture of our day, i'll that it means, and can
only mean, freedom for every one excepl
him who would set limits to this freedom,
OF, in other words, freedom for every one
except conscientious Catholic. The ad-
vocates of universal freedom are the most
inconsistent men earth: The proof is
plain-so plain, indeed, that, like many
other plain truths, it suffers by it's very
plainness. Universal and perfect freedom
means freedom for every opinion without
exception. One exception suffices to proye
it not universal. Perfect freedom, to be
truly what it processes to be, must respect
the opinion of Catholic as well as that of
any other man. Now, a Catholic believes
that universal freedom of opinion on mat
tiers OF Faith and morals is absolutely bad
aud essentially false and yet the adyo-
cate of universal freedom must, on his
own principle, allow that Catholic has
The right to maintain his opinion which, it
must be we'll remembered, is subversiye of
his own. So long as there exists Catho
nc on earth, the advocate Of perfect free
dom and federation cannot hold his opinion
opinion is held to embody the wisdom and !
Intelligence of modern times! Universal |
freedom and Catholicism are contradictory
terms which cannot cO-exist in one and !
he same subject or, in palmer words, can
not be held by one and the same man. But |
md Catholicism! The latter on its own
principle consistently condemns. free
thought or the liberty accorded to each
nan Ut thinking and willing as he pleases:
", to put the matter as fairly as possible,
IT constituting himself the judge Of what
q true or false, and of what is right or
wrong, either as regards himself or others.
This is the reason why Catholic who de-
lies the right of every man to judge for
himself ON certain points is called a bicot
lnd other less gentle names but no one
'ver dreams of calling him an inconsistent
nan, because lie is quite in keeping with
he first principle of Catholicism. But the
'ase is quite otherwise with free thought.
It's advocate must do one of two things III
Ie must either admit the Catholic to be
light (but he cannot do this without eating
lis own words), or he must condemn the
catholic for thinking as he does in other
words, deny his own principle of accord
ng perfect liberty of thought to every
nan. Catholicism consistently and siren
lousiy seek to curb, within its due limits,
bought and, by q necessary consequence,
he expression of thought. Is she likely
Q succeed, and, if SO, to what extentf
The best guide to q correct conjecture ON
action IA sign OF truth, IS it is an
arrest of success) with the tentative IN
trinity OF purpose displayed by free think
ng sophists, who imagine that so-calied
modern liberty has triumphed when it has
Imprisoned the High Priest of Truth with
N the walls of the Vatican. The incon-
'istent sceptics Of our days smile with de-
'lslOn at the chains of st. Peter preserved
% this day flor the Italian Government
ioes not covet irony in Rome. Those
chains fell Oft from the hands of Peter, the
irst Pope, at an Angels bidding, without
'ign or countersign from Herod. We may
peak as enthusiasts but we have o hope
within us that Plus TX, the successor of
1T. Peter, will be free, and that ere long,
n spite of the modern Herod and his Ber-
European Correspondence.
BANKRUPT 1TALY.-The English press
we're unstinted in their praise at one time
If the regeneration which was to follow the
ule of Victor Emmanuel when once he