New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-11-23
vOySJGyOR CPEL AID LrTHEP.

l
In one of hi, discourscs Nonsignor Capcl has
observed that modern doubt owes rs origin
+, Martin Luther. who asserted the principle
of private Judgment n the last tribunal "i ap-
neal" The implication OF the speaker was that
Luther was responsible for all the aEno'llcl-m
and iuidclity of the present day The principle
asserted 10y the great rctoumcr has, says Monsl--
nor C.pal. brought men 10 deny revelation and
even Ia reject natural religion. Let Us grant,
for thc sake of the argument these aSsump-
t;ou,. Ii does not follow, therefore, that
Martin Luther did harm f" the world
which. of course, is the contention of AonsiSnor
Camel. Thcasscrton of the right Of private Judg-
mcnt was, on the contrary a boon to Europe
of which the full extent can even now be with
difficulty graSpcd. Moreover, Luther merely
drew the rational differences from facts Tor
which the Church of Rome WIS responsible
The Church was Judged and condemned by It's
own deeds. 1t had proved the ialsity oil It's
claims 10 paramount authority long before
Iuth,r called attention to this proof. 1t had
justified men in falling back upon the right of
private Judgment, by making il apparent that
priyatc Judgment alone controlled It's course
and by. DIMINISHING the corruption and coEsc-
aucni untulstworthncss of that Judgment. II
i not and will not be cOntcndcd that private
Judgment is ever free from liability to err. Bni
50 long as the world knows that whatever new
opiuions may be advanced are the results ol
private Judgment, it is guarded against the
danger of accepting such opinions Tor more
than they are worth. The view of the koman
no,ition which Luther assailcd with such
GREAT results was that il put forward rs DIVINE
and therefore infaliblc, the products not
merely of private Judgment but oil corrupted
uriyatc Judgment; and therefore the invita-
lion or the command to submit To tins dietatloh
WAS i'm effect an attempt TO degrade ana rh'IaNe
tbc human intellect Nothing could have been
~ baucful as this ecclesiastical policy, ana me
world owes to Martin Luther IN everlasting
debit of gratitude for having cmlnclpatcd 1t
from so pcInicious thraldom.
And if il be true, as Mon,ignor Capcl says,
fiat agno,ticism and inidclity are primarily
dine to Luthcr's Reformation, the fact cannot
Jct,oct from the bcncliccncc of that movement.
Far if /, better that men should think wrongly
than that they should not think freely ana
human progress is Incompatible WIN the lh''l-
lcclual stagualion and alr0phy inevitably con
sco1Icnt upon interference with the freedom oi
thought. Professionalism has mad' po'N'plc I"
the world advance in all directions which,
under the old tylannical and plrllyzinS Sys-
fem. would have been delayed many centuries.
If il has tended 10 make men to some extent
ipdcpcndcnt Of Churches, it has led thcmto insist
unon q far more rigorous induction III religious
matters, and thus has helped to establish imth
mon u Ear more solid foundation. The. man
vino believes because hc is told to believe, pos
sc..os no serious convictions. The maa who
believes because he has satisfied his own mind
Of the truth of his belief, will not only hold on
to his faith rcsolutcly, but viii be able to con-
vince others by intelligent presentation OF the
grounds OF his conviction.
The assertion of Monsignor Capcl that the
principle OF private Judgment has brought no
/ coly,is ious from nCn-bclioi to behet III ChilS-
! tianily, is rash ohc and cannot be supported
by proof. The very growth OF Protestant Chris