The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1875-09-26
Private Judgment among Catholics.

The very idea of the Catholic Church, as
an instrument ofsuperpatural grace, is that
of an institution which innovates upon, or
rather superadds to nature. She does some
thing for nature above or beyo youd nature.
When, then, il is said that she makes her
mem bers one,, this implies that by nature
they are not one, and would not become
| one. Viewed in Themselves, the Children
of the Church are not of a different nature
| from the Protestants around them; they
are OF the very same nature what Fro
| testants are, such w"uld they be, but for
the Church, which brirgs them together
forcibly, though rersuasively, "fortiter ct
suaviter," and binds them into one by her
authority. Left to himself, each Catholic
likes and would maintain his own opinion
aud his private judgment just as much as a
Protestant and he has it, and he maintain
| the authority of Revelation, supersede it
The very moment the Church ceases to
speak, at the very point at which she, that
ia, God who speaks by her, circumscribes
her range of teaching, there private judg-
ment of necessity starts up; there is nothing
to hinder it. The intellect of man is active
and independent he forms opinions
about every thing he feels no Difference
for another's opinion, except in proportion
as he thinks that that other is more likely
than he to be right and he never abso
lutely sacrifices his own opinion, except
when he is cure that that other knows for
certain. He is sure that God knows
therefore, if he is Catholic. he sacrifices
his opinion to the word of God, speaking
through His Church. But, from the nature
Of the case, there is nothing to hinder his
having his own opinion, and expressing it,
whenever, and so far as the Church, the
oracle of Revelation, does not speak.
But again, human nature likes, not only
its own opinion, but it's own way, and will
have it whenever it can, except when him
dered by phys ysical or moral restraint. So far
forth, then, as the Church does not compel
her children to do one and the same thing
(as, for instance, to abstain from work on
will do different things; and still more so,
when she actually allows or commissions
them to act for themselves, gives to certain
persons or bodies privileges or immunities,
and recognizes them as centres of combina
ton, under her authority, and within her
pale.
And further still, in all subjects and
respects whatever, whether in that range
of opinion and of action which the Church
has claimed to herself, and where she has
superseded what is private and individual,
or, on the other hand, in those larger re-
gions of thought and of conduct, as to
which she has not spoken, though che
might speak, the natural tendency of the
children of the Church .-as men, is to resist
her authority. Each mind naturally is
self-willed, self dependent, self satisfied
and, except so far az grace has subdued it,
it's first impulse is to rebel. Now this ten
dency, through the influence of grace, is
not often exhibited in matters of faith
for it would be incipient heresy, and would
be contrary, if knowingly INDUCED, to the
first element of Catholic duty bat in mat
ters of conduct, of ritual, of discipline, OF
politics, of social life, in the ten thousand
questions which the Church has not formal
ly answered, even though che may have
intimated her Judgment, there is constant
rising of the human mind against the.
authority of the Church, and of superiors,
and that in proportion as each individual
is removed from perfection. For all these
reasons, there ever has been, and ever will
be, vast exercise and a realized product,
partly praiseworthy, partly barely lawful,
of private judgment within the Catholic
Church. The freedom of the human mind sis
in possession" las it il called), and it med
dies with every question, and wanders over
heaven and earth, except so far as the au
thority of the Divine Word, as n superin-
cumbent weight, presses it down, and re-
strains it within limits.-''A ngiicdn Diff !
cuiticS," by Or. Nemman.
CATHOLIC NEwSrArERS.-We commend
the fOllowinu which we find in tho Lam