The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1900-01-27

I invocation of the name of the Lord,
1 the holocausts of Noah and Abraham.
/ handed down by tradition from father
: to son, until God revealed, through Mo
/ ses, the manner in which he desired To-
( be worshiped by particular people to-
whom he promised the redemption cf
all mankind promise which. in the
fuIness of time. was realized by our di-
vine Savior. This is authentic history
which all the sophisms of ancient and
modern infdenitly have not been able
to deny. 1t is Il solemn revelation, vcl-
flied BY numberless. prodigies, and at
tested by an entire people, reveIa-
ton, by the light of which learned men
have been able to satisfactorily ex-
plain certain remnants of truth re-
tanned by the nations after the disper-
sion of men, as st. Augustine. the
greatest of all Christian philosophers.
has shown in his immortal work DE
Cfvitate Del. If God had not manifest
ed himself to man. in what a terribI.
abyss of anxiety would he not b.
plunged. How could he ne certain
whether such and such a form of vor-
ship would be pleasing or displeasing
to Almighty God? How could he know
with what solemnity to clothe his rites
and sacrifices? Might he not with good
reason fear that God would view Eith
displeasure the killing of animals ui
the destruction of his animals? OF
what fearful crimes were nos they
guilty, who deviated from the tradi-
tional form of divine worship? Did
they not at last go so far i'm the excess
of their idolatry as to Kill and sacrifice
their fellow beings and even then par
ents and wives shouting and dancing
with demoniacal glee. as their unfor-
tunate victims expired in the burning
embrace of a muIlock or other blood
stained idol?
Man is free to choose his own reIig-
ion. How will reason ascertain the
true and just relations of the human
to the divine nature? How will it de
termine its aspirations after the inf
mite; how penetrate the designs of df-
vine wisdom? How in its inherent
weakness, discover what is right and
proper in this important matter? And
will a just and holy God accept an
unjust and unholy worship? viii God.
who is truth itself. recognize an idoIa-
troUs sUDerstitiOus and false religion?
Without the Intervention of Gods word
what knowledge could we possibly pos
sess of divine things? Without revel-
alton we would know nothing of the
terue religion. and without an infal-
lible oracle of truth we could not as
certain what value should be attached
to revelation or even where it was to
be found But God has spoken, there
fore man cannot be Indifferent. and
should not neglect to assure himself
of that fact. which he may easily do
by Weighing in the balance of reason
motives of credibiIity. And having
once obtained that assurance he is not
free in his choice of religion, but is, on
the contrary, morally bound to embrace
that which the Creator has established.
Our Savoir himself proclaims this
truth: He that heareth you heareth
me, and he that despiseth YOU de-
spiseth me. and he that despiseth me-
lespiseth him that sent me. He that
Delieveth shall be saved. but he that
oelieveth not shall be condemned. IT,
therefore, unbelievers are in good faith
hey will not be able to resist the Iogil
If this reasoning; they will endeavor TO
ascertain whether God has really spo-
zen, and having assured themselves of
hat fact they will humbly and rever-
.ntly submit to the divine word.
(To Be Continued)