Feliciana sentinel. [volume] (St. Francisville, La.) 1877-1892, 1877-10-13
MODERN THOUGHT.
EY REV. j. O'MALLEY, S. J.

When tho physicists tell me that in
seven years all the molecules of MY body
pass away and are replaced by others, I
have no difficulty in believing them; but
when ''modcrn thinkers" tell me that my
soul is but q :'nlolecular motion, which
was once potential in the fires of the
s'in" th"y speak a language that 90
not unucrS and.
This soul which remains while the he
dy mei;s away, is Il mystery to ,nc. l
feel that il is the most important part Of
nc. l feel tlla6 this is truly 'mysel f.
Yet I can form no conception of it. Pain
tcrs are compelled to represent it by the
human body: and if they could conceive
it Us it is, they would be unable to pic
turc it, for there is nothing resembling it
that falls under the senses.
TIE FACULTIES OF TIE SOUL.
Instead, therefore, of looking further
for the present, in this direction: l begin
to examine its tacultics
INo Kcmo%H.-AH Knowledge that
have acquired III the course of my exist
cnce is not always present to my mind
Bat my memory is the historian of my
existence, or, if yo,l prefer it, it is Ii.
brary in which this knowledge and the
various facts of my existence are stored
up. o..
The Tuogipufion.-If the memory is {,
historian. the imagination is painter,
musician and orator. The 1"oment the
memory repeats the long forgotten fact,
the imagination paints the scene, and
speaks in well reminded torres. I see dis
tinctly tho place which witnessed my
first sin. I hear the voice of him who
led ne astray I am again stung and
crushed by the injustice of one who has
sacrificed me to his selfshness, and my
imagination urges Oh me Thousand wild
plans of revenge, though, perhaps, the
wron@-doer has passed from my reach
through the narrow gate of death.
As there are dangerous books and dan
gerous pictures, SO Also, evidently, are
there dangerous memories and dangerous
imacinations aud as should not read
bad books nor look at bad pictures, so
should [ not indulge i'll recollectious or
imaginations which tend to stlly my
soul.
Tie Ta1c7Iect.-Tllis is the faeulty which
enables me to group facts together round
their common cause, anu range them in
scientific order according to their inter-
dependence. Its object is Truth, whe-
| ther IN the order Of fact, or in the order
OF possibility. 1t is not FREQ to reject
any truth that is manifested to it. It is
| absolutely impossible for it to refuse it's
assent TO the assertion that two and two
make four. But sometimes it is too feeble
to grasp tho proofs presented to it, and
sometimes il is not sharp sighted enough
to perceive that there is Il link wanti ng
| in the chain of proof, and thus though
made for truth may fall into error
The ViN.--As the object of the intel
lect is Truth, so the object of the will is
GOOD. The win must carefully be distin-
! nuishcd from those natural iRcliR0tions
which we have in common with the
lower order of animals. Like them we
are impcled to seek food and warmth,
for instance. But, unlike thcm, 'lhlo
they are powerless to resist the impulse,
| we can and often do. Again, like thcn
VIC shrink from suffering. Yet often we
willingly submit TO considerable pain
| with a view to reaping some advantage