The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1885-03-28
THESEMI-WEEKLY MINER
T MARCH .. 1856.
FATHER sC1NLoN.

BUTTE, MARCH ~. 1850.
FATHER sCANL0N.
His Eloquent Lecture on Freedom O
Thought"
An Able Discourse by Father Cushna.
han on Ireland's Patriotism.
A large couc0urse vt roOple As
sembled in Caplice Hall, Wednesday
ayening. The occasion was . SPECIAL
lecture given by Rev. Father Scan.
lon, in which he dexterous'y handled
the interesting topic, Freedom OF
Thought"
REV. FATHER sCANLON
said: Freedom Of thought IL the
right others place upon It for the
protection of their own rights and
fiherty. It follows them before they
can move around In that sphere
known as society. I have rights
which I should not think or act upon
az against the rights OF others;
therefore, before I think or 2
against them I must know my own
rights, lest I should overstep the
limits and deprive them of their
rights and liberty. I am not free to
act 30 long as society or God nave
any rights against mine. NV rights
must yield to them. Doubt and
Ignorance are kept in suspense 20
long IS I Am morally wrong. and !
am not. free from suspense unless l
have q correct knowledge Of the
rights of soci-ty and the laws and
liberty of men which enables me to
become a free agent and . friend to
them. II lie the only pos: session Of
moral truth that will guarantee me-
to know the rights and liberty Of
Others. I have no limit beyond my
nv own rights and my own
knowledge. This is the higher con-
ception Of people living In society.
Tue only condition OF that lit erty
Is the knowledge or moral truth OF
my own knowledge and the rights of
Others whom I am associated with.
T.Mrt q thorough Knowledge OF
of this moral truth In all Its practical
details, life and reason have had .
long trial with ma ions of the earth
foe thousands Of years. Greece and
Rome had reason 10 every cultivated
stage, bat who wilt say they had
correct ideas about plurality ~ we
have been told. Why did they prac-
tice this in the name of morality and
in the history Of im~morality? 1t is
saia science gives US this moral truth
Q I'D tells US l detail our duties t.
our neighb n and gives US many
points Of useful knowledge. There
are various schools of science too nu-
merous to mention. They Can be
read in the oode Of morality and are
comprehensive enough TO teach us
our dutie, and the rights Ut others.
NJ two factions cat sgree on a single
foundation of any of their
thinkings. Morai truth Is net
cessary to make US free
thinkers. o. the other hand. in the
name If science and moral laws, SCI
enue teaches the Cath, liz church and
all its doctrines very truly. The
idealescent mind tel. us { rat God IN
only IN idea, and II GJd exists, it il
only a personal g d. and not the
God of nature. W. want truth and
the rightsO OF others to guarantee their
liberty sni our own.
Iui lels clam they only are free.
But since, reason t-lIs US, they have
passed Us by thousands of years.
They, in their free thoughts and ig-
norance think they are free and 60
beyond their hounds. How do they
know that other. will not 60 beyond
their rights and trample upon the
liberty Of 0fher-P
Governments cannot supply US with
the fr-edom we want. e sch have
their own theories IT moral truth.
They belong to the soul Ut mind and
canuOt he governed ~ any ether.
WHIST IL true with one is Dad with
another. Whist Is vi,tuous WITH one
Ia not so wi h the other. We want
tho truth in order to be free.
Tue Bible gives u this, It 10 the
word of God. But we must have
some supreme authority to show Us
c"nc'u lively that this is the word of
God. W. must have proof If this,
aud proof Is Gods word. We need
that authority to till US the meaning
of pas sages, and to discriminate he
tween contradictions contained there
In. Men disagree in their opinions
Of Its Interpretation. Doubt agains
doubt give, only doubt, and we CAM
not arrive ut the truth.
Can r-ote-tantism give US what
we want? N They cannot prove
that this is G DIS work, because they
cannot rec"gn re. 1t and say 1t II
Gods work. They have time and
again protested against its natural
puint-. Are MT those who contra
dict them as int lIigent as they? They
simIly give heir views Of what Gods
word is, because ( icy deny infallibil-
ity because they say they may be
deceived. That is the reason they
are not Catholics? This il why they
should b.! Reason Is the only way
to prove this Is not Gods laws. They
always take the weaker side, and
car only get human Rnowledge. All
the Protestant churches put together
cannot give US that full knowledge
of truth nece> sary for the preserva-
ton of liberty. More than two
thousand years ago Christ proved
these things. He proved himself to
Re a divine being sent ny the Creator,
by signs and by miracles. He pos
sessed the imprints of God and
the showing of Gods fingers.
We cannot ignore this evidence.
It stands fixed immovable "a the
pyramids Of the desert and shows
that black clouds cannot blot out
the sun from the heavens. SO says |
history and the civilized world. He
gave II his congregation all power
given by God and infused it into
them. He cent the Holy Ghost to !
resiie with them and teach them.
Who will deny that the teachers
of God are not infallible. 1t was in. |
tended 80. They r infallible In
their official capacity.
They compared the oral and writ
ten word of Chri. t and placed their
seal upon 1t MS Gods word. This is
how we get at the Inspiration 1T the
Bible ard this is our prUbf. This is
the cnurch of Chit. teaching moral
truth, and 1t Is the Catholic church. |
History proves 1t. lt is the infallible
ORGAN of Nhrist tn aek men free. III |