The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1878-01-09

natio ;, which is but a collection OF
individuals, must become democrat
lied, and hence the low, immoral
condition of so many Catholic people.
THE REPUTATION OF THIS PLEA.
/ proceed now to.examine the sub
iect and to defend by stating what
Catholic doctrines are not, aud show
ing that these charges are founded
precisely on what they are not. In
tue first place Catholics do not be.
lieye that they are bound to submit
their intellect to the decision of hu
man institution. They have first
Convinced themselves that the church
to which they pay allegiance and by
which they are taught the truths Of
revelation is q divine institution,
that it is an unerring messenger
from God to them, therefore if they
submit to decision of the church
they submit to : decision Of a tribu
nal which their own reason has al.
ready accepted as an uuerring tribu-
nal. If they were obliged to receive
the decision without having already
been convinced that this decision
came from tribunal that could not
err, then they would be slaves; but
they have q reason for submitting
their reason. There is no possibili.
ty of slavery in this case. There is,
on tho contrary, a consolation for
the real dignity Of human reason.
IT there was q church authority that
twas not unerring, and that authority
obliged some to submit to Its 6ecis-
ion, then my reason would be degra
ded. Having come to certain con.
viction on certain point / will never
yield that reason that God gave me,
except to the decision of a tribunal
which that reason has already &C.
cepted as unerrlng. The man holds
the balance in his hand. The scale
against the doctrine descends, the
other ascends. Now comes new
reason which he did not know before
when he weighed the arguments. A
decision has come to him from tri,
bunal which his reason has accepted
as unerring. i5
It is new argument which he
places into the scale that was light
est before. This new argument
Weighs down the scs!s, and bowling
his head, be says-his intelligence
also howing-"Prae,io, / receive it
l believe it. My own reason accepts
it; I am no slave in this decision.
Dearer to me and to every man, dear.
err than was Isaac to Abraham, is his
reason. 1t is what makes man all
that he is. And as Abraham would
have erred grievously if he had offer.
ed his son upon the mountain unless
he were absolutely certain of Gods
stern bebests, he never could have
offered to sacrifice that son upon a
probability that God would require
it. He never could have offered tc
sacrifice that son upon a message re-
ceived from Almighty God unless
indeed, that messenger was rendered
by Almighty God; but having re-
ceived the order, and having been
certain Of that order, then he pre-
pares to offer his son. So with my
reason; I will offer it only on the
mountain of God. Twill offer it onl,
at Gods bebest, and even then l hav.
only to offer it, not to sscrifice it,
Reason, like Isaac, is offered, bu,
reason, like Isaac, is not sacrificed
because there comes in a reason fol
giving up my reason, as it were, al
the time. There comes in this decis
ion, this decision of this unerrine
tribunal, and, therefore, the dignity
of human resolution is only preserv,
ed where the church is an unerriua
church. The dignity of human rea
son is preserved only where a man il
certain he hears the command Of
Almighty God, and hears it through
a messenger that cannot deliver 3
false report"
| Nor is it true, ladies and gentle
men, that the church enslaves reason
by keeping from reason a means oil
forming a judgment. She does moi
hide the Scriptures from the people
she was the guardian Of the Scrip
lures from the beginning. Hel
monds of old most industriousl,
translated them. To them, humanity
speaking, we owe their preservation
as we owe the preservation of til,
classics. She is their guardian