The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1902-08-30
CHAPTER v.-Continued.


in last weeks installmentl
CHAPTER V.-Continued.
1.-THE church, / have told you does |
not take away free will; let me say |
also, that baptism does not destroy |
concupiscence The flesh remains after |
the infusion of justifying grace, and |
we are free, # we choose. at any time
to WELD to its solicitations. These So |
licitationS are not in themselves SIN, |
and are permitted for our trial, and as
occasions of merit. They are sin only
by virtue of our voluntary assent to
them. Catholics, as we'll as others,
have these solicitations, and, although
they know that they ought not to as
sent to them, and have the power in
the sacraments to resist them, and can
WELD to them. They yield a little,
very little at first; become slightly neg
ligent of their watch, then they yield a
little more, become little more negl-
gent. and less vigilant in prayer, less
frequent in their approach to the sacra-
ments: then they grow weaker, yleld
more and more. One concession pre-
mares the way for another, till the soul
falls anew under the dominion OF the
flesh, and we are prepared TO 90 lts
deeds of inquity. If you had attempt
ed to lead truly Christian life, II you
had become acquainted with the malice
of the natural heart, with the opera
lions of the flesh, and had felt how
severe is the internal combat that has
to be maintained without a moments
relaxation. YOU would never have look
ed upon it as difficult for those who
have been enlightened and strength
ened by the grace of God, to fall away.
But. after ALL why speak l thus 10
YOU, who hardly believe in God, look
on the gospel with contempt ana re-
gard the church with the profoundest
! hatred? Yet. let what l have SAID sur
flee to convince you that, II the churcn
his what she processes to be, ana lur-
nishes the help she promises, shes Is, III
spite of the scandals of bad Catholics
| all we need for our true goou mere q"
we'll as hereafter.
II cannot say that you have fully
convinced me of that, my dear uncle,
hut YOU have convinced me that more
! NAV he said in defense of the church
than 7 supposed, and that the evils
which undeniably subsist in Catholic
countries do not necessarily lnVahaate
her claims. So much ! am bound in
candor to concede. Yet I cannot give
I'D human nature, or regard us III
stincts and tendencies as an UNSAFE
guide to what is best for man. EVERY
animal is directed by its natural IN
stincts and tendencies to its emo, TO us
destiny, which is its good ana why iioO
MANI"
more than an animal and was never
intended to act from mere instinct or
natural tendency. Hence is the grand
mistake. which you all commit, ana
hence the absurdity of your famous
pbalsnsterian Observation-Disclosures pro
nortionaI to destiny. Man is an AMI
nal If YOU will, but he is something
more: he is a rational soul, and IN MIN
fine rational morally transforms the
animal. He is not to be moVeu anu
guided by natural instinct, but py req
son. Instinct and natural tendency VI
rect him only to an end that mes ap ,,,a 6 :,
that purely animal order, ana ne was
intended for an end that lies ABOVE
that order. in the rational order, an
end worthy of rational soul. 10
follow nature, as you understand II,
is the unwisest maxim that can De ialu
down. for you understand II TO lhedL
10 follow orr animal nature, as II man
were a pig or an ass. The maxim is
true only when applied to rational ma
ture and to follow the rational ma
ture is to subject to the animal 10 tne
rational, and make it serve or CONFORM
to the end approved by reason hen1e'
then, comes in the necessity OIL sell a-oI,
NAL of self-restraint, or interior gov
eminent. and also the necessity OF o.
inc assistance in maintaining THIS
: ! government.
. "Societv is, as Plato teaches you,
only the individual on a larger scale
and the reason of government IN the
bosom of the Individual is the reason
of Government IN the bosom OF society,"
, your scheme emancipates the peaSt'
and enslaves reason and Will, tndt lS
: the man. The doctrine you oppose
teaches us to emancipate reason anu
wiIl-the man-from the slavery OF the
annetites and passions, and to subject
5 the beast. For the same reason ina
the appetites and passions need TO De
governed in the individual in order &c
maintain internal freedom and peace
: thew need to be governed in society III
} order to maintain external freedom diU
I neace Hence if you speak OF ratlona
: freedom. YOU see that government, sc
l far from being opposed to it, is its nee
, essarv condition. What you propapi9
l | are aiming at, though you haro,S
e know it. is the freedom, so 10 SPEAK
! of both the man and the BEAST ol III,
. Cancellation of the freedom or license
of the appetites and passions with tn'
e freedom of reason and will. But TINS
A ie not possible. One or the other mus
: serve. and the question for you i
: which, shall the man serve the beast
/ or the beast the man? Shall the hesI
t rule the spirit, or the spirit the fiesn
n The whole question comes to TINS a,
: last, and as you answer THIS SO WI
: Won either assert the supremacy
g God or the supremacy OF satan
S