The Saint Paul globe., 1900-05-07


which God has spread over our souls we
refuse to adore Christ as our God ana
our Savior, We should be guilty OF rebel
lion against God. 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 them
selves 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 Hght; no no
heart is there which does not throb to
some measure of goodness; no human be-
ing is there without conscience. Now,
the human being obeylng conscience,
obeys God, so far as he can obey God,
and God is just and merciful You and
l know that Christ established His own
church; that the church going forth from
Christ, going down through the ages, is
the holy Catholic church; and if we close
cur 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 of
Christ's holy church is impossible, they
have their conscience, and if they are
them God judges them according to their
light and according to their correspond
ence with it. You and [ know that
BAPTISM IS THE GATE
to the heaven of supernatural life But
II souls, innocent from the stain of actual
refused entrance into that supernal re-
sion Of special supernatural happiness
which is given by Christ to His own
heirs, We need not believe that they are
condemned to positive punishment. The
church does not teach such doctrine. A
natural happiness is their lot. Always
and everywhere God is just and all-merCi-
ful and all-loving to His creatures.
Salvation is q personal matter for each
one of us. Two beings are concerned
when salvation is mentioned, God and the
Individual soul. God created each soul to
De the arbiter of its own destiny. 1t will
be judged ON its own individual record.
Let US not then say, if there are others
outside Gods church, if others practice
such manner of life. why cannot / be as
they We need not condemn others, we
Know not their conscience. There is but
the almighty God who can peer into the
conscience of any one and say whether
he is guilty or not. For US, let look
into our own conscience, and ask what
obligation does this conscience impose
upon US Others l leave to God. 1 busy
myself with myself. l am not. to sit one
day in judgment upon all men; only the
omniSeient can be the judge of all con-
sciences; only God will judge all men.
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-l Will go with the multitude. Thou
vast not created to go with the multitude
Thou vast created to do what thy con-
science lmpeis thee to do. This is the
misfortune, [ max say of innurnera bi g
men, to do what others are doing, whether
others are right or wrong The soul for
gets its own dignity 1t forgets that it
was placed by almighty God upon earth
to do its duty to Him, because it is duty.
and not to do merely what others do
Let each of US look into his own con-
science and in the stiffness of God pres
ence reflect upon the solemn meaning of
his personal responsibility. Oh, the re-
sponsibflity of my soul! just as 1 decide,
so shall be for eternity. Not my rela-
uVes, not my friends. not my neighbors,
not the whole nation, not all humanity
win be Questioned on the last day as to
whether ! am TO be with God in heaven
or with His enemies in he'll. Only cne
VIII speak, / myself. Oh my God Thou
hast made me great when Thou didst put
into my hands my own destiny for eter-
nifty But, my God, what fearful respon-
Thee, help me by Thy grace to understand
this responsibility.