The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1900-06-02

( such another class. 1t is not necessary
! that God reveal to us His detailed
dealings with each and every soul. 1t
is enough that He proclaim His Justice
and His love towards all men. The soul
will see on the last day the portals OF
Heaven closed to it without being able
to say it is my own fault. 4ou ana 1
know that salvation comes 10 us
through Christ and il in disobedfence
to that heavenly light which God has
spread over our souls we refuse to
adore Christ os our God and Savior, We
should be guilty of rebellion against
God.
DESTINY OF UNBAPTISED.
But there have been millions, to
whom through one reason or another,
knowledge of Christ was refused. What
of them st. Paul says: Those not
having the law are a law TO themselves.
their consciences bearing witness to
them In other words, man is not re-
sponsible for his surroundings over
which he had no control. God is just
and good. No soul is there without
some light no heart is there which does
not throb to some measure or goodness,
no human being is there without con-
science. Now the human being obeying
conscience Obeys God so far as he can
obey God, and God is just and merct-
full.
You and I know that Christ estab-
Iished his own Church that the Church
coming forth from Christ. going down
through the ages is the Holy Catholic
Church, and if We close our eyes to
the truth of the divinity of that church
we are in rebellion against God and
against the knowledge which we have
received from Him. But if there are
those to whom the knowledge which
we have received from Him. But if there
are those to whom the knowledge of
Christ's Holy Church is impossible,
they have their conscience, and If they
are faithful to the light so far as given
to them God judges them according to
their light and according to their cor
respondence with it. You and 1 know
that baptism is the gate to the heaven
of supernatural life. But if souls limo
cent from the stains of actual sin die
without baptism While they are refused
entrance into that Supernal region Of
special supernatural happiness which
is given by Christ to his own heirs, We
need not believe that they are con-
demned to positive punishment. The
Church does not teach such doctrine.
A natural happiness is their lot. Al
ways and everywhere God is just and
all-merciful, and ALLOWING to His
creatures.
Salvation is a personal matter for
each one of US. Two beings are con-
cerned when our salvation is men
toned, God and the individual soul.
God created each soul to be the arbiter
of it's own destiny. 1t will be judged
on it's own individual record. Let us
not then say, if there are others out
side of Gods Church, if others practice
such manner of life, why cannot L be
as they? We need not condemn others;
or TThnra &c
but the Almighty God who can peer
into the conscience of any one and say
whether he is guilty or not. For us, let
us look into our own conscience, and
askd what obligation does this con-
science impose upon us. Others | leave
to God. L busy myself with myself.
am not to suit one day in judgment
upon all men, only the omniscient can
be judge of all consciences; only God
will judge all men.
GOING TO PERDITION WITH
THE CROWD.
Even if others were to close their
eyes and go against their conscience,
would there be much consolation for
me to glide down to perditiOn with the
crowd? How foolish the arguments of
men. They will say, / will go with the
multitude Thou vast not created
to go with the crowd. This
is the misfortune, / may say, Of
men, to do what others are
doing. whether others are right or
wrong. The soul fOrgets its own dig
nifty. 1t fOrgets that it was placed by
Almighty God upon earth to do it's
duty to Him because it is duty, and not
to do merely what others do.
LET each of us look into his own
and in the stiffness of Gods
reflect upon the solemn mean
ng of his personal responsibility. Oh.
The responsibility of my soul, Just as
decide so shall I be for eternity. Not
my relatives, not my friends, not my
leighbors, not the whole nation, not
LII humanity will be questioned on the
asst day as to whether 1 am to be with
God in heaven or with his enemies in
leH Only one will speak, L myself. Oh,
ny God, Thou hast made me great
when Thou didst put into my hands my
,wn destiny for eternity. But, my God.
What fearful responsibility Thou didst
ay upon me? I pray Thee, help me by
Thy grace to understand this respon-
ibility."