Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-04-12
Cardinal Manning ON the Law Of m,
ture.

Cardinal Manning on the Law Of m.
ture.
The April number OF the American Catholic
Quarterly Rerietr (Philadelphia} Will contain a
paper from the pen OF Cardinal Manning entitled
'Ihe Law OF Nature, Divine and Supreme" The
article was written for the purpose OF making
more clear the doctrine of the Catholic Church re-
garding the rights OF the poor as stated nv Cardt
MAJ Aanning last January, which attracted wide
attention at the time. We give the following ex
tracts from the cardinals article;
The doctrine OF the Catholic Church NAV he
briefly stated In the words OF St. Thomas Auninas
VINO sums up what has been always aud every,
where taught before him. and hts i.SumIna Theo-
l0gica," with the Holy Scripture, has been lad
open In Gcumenical councils as the highest au
tnority 10 the tradition OF Catholic doctrine
i: by the law OF nature all men have a common
rght 10 the use OF things which were created for
them and their sustenance. "
IL But this common right does not exclude the
possession Of anything which becomes proper 10
each. The common right is by natural law. and
the positive law Of property is expedient for three
!. What is our own is more carefully used than
what Is common.
=. Human affairs are better ordered by recog.
3. Human society is more peaceful when each
mas his own, protected by the law OF justice: suu
III. Theft, therefore, is always q sin, for two
reasons:
!. IL is contrary TO justice.
lence. - Wv
" But the human and positive law cannot de-
rOgate from the natural and Divine law. Accord
Ing 10 The Divine law all things are Ordained 10
sustain the LIE OF man, and therefore the division
and appropriation OF things cannot hinder the
sustenance or man In case OF necessity, There
fore the possessions OF those who have food SUPER
abundantiy are due by the natural law for the
sustenance OF the poor. st. Ambrose, quoted In
the Decretais" says: "It is the bread OF the FAM
ishing that you keep back and the clothing OF the
naked that you lay by; the money that you bury
In the earth Is the release and liberation OF those
who are In misery" 4. 1t must ALWAYS he
borne In mind that my purpose was to Justify and
elevate the poor law OF England by showing that
IL was founded upon the natural right OF man
TO life and TO the sustenance of life In proving
this was compelled 10 show that this natural
law Is supreme over all positive law.
The opponents of the poor Law, 10 evade the main
question, promptly seized on the latter to escape
the former. Ny words were as follows: 1.-THE OBJ
| legation 10 feed the hungry springs from the
natural right OF every man 10 life and 70 the food
necessary for the sustenance OF iife SO strict Is
THIS natural right that II prevails over all positive
| laws OF property. Necessity has no law; ana q
starving man has natural right TO his neiRhbor's
/ bread Am afraid that those who speak 80 conn.,
IDENTIFY abou: rights, obligations and laws have not
studied, or have forgotten the FIRST principles of
all human positive Law. II the law OF property did
not rest upon natural right II could not long exist
They who deny Il justify the dictum. La propriets
| 1--we all human laws must give way" I gave the
example OF the natural law Of sen.defense, befors
which the commandment, "ThOu shalt NOT XIII,
gives way.