The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-07-18

VlnclnS discourse delivered last even
ing at the Columbian Catholic sum-
,mer school by Rev. Father p. J. Dam
ehy, of st. Stephens church, Minneap-
oils, who took the negative side Of the
question and upheld his position with
argument that showed not only his ex-
tensive and thorough study of the BIZ
BILE and biblical history, but his famil-
iaritW with educational work.
-t@@The-~Blble, Father Danehy argued,
was not given us to teach us doctrine;>
but to be used under the direction of
those who had been sent to teach us
doctrine. He went back to the early
days Of the Bible and recalled the
manner in ->hich it was then taught,
laying. stress upon the fact that the
different books of the scriptures as
originally written were in different
places and in the keeping of different
PERSONS The Bible, he said, was writ
ten for an Oriental people different in
almost everything from the people of
our time and race and therefore was
not in all things literally applicable to
the present age and the existing con-
ditionS. For instance, there were de-
scribed in the Bible manners, morals
and laws which would not be tolerated
In these times. The people of the CIV
llized world had not long since been
Mortified at learning of the order of
Gen. Jacob Smith in the Philippines
to 'kill all over the age of ten years;
but in he Bible was recorded an order
to kill alr'-not only the men, women
and children, but even their flocks and
herds. Slavery and polygamy also
were spoken of in the Bible as things
permissible and were recognized as
existing and not condemned. The
teachings there to be found, he argued,
were according to the understanding
Of the people and the law as there set
forth was oOO6 for those nannln
There were certain portions of the
Bible which should not be read by the
young or taught to them, and that
could only be properly understood and
appreciated by adults after right prep
aration and preliminary study.
Can Be Put to Wrong Use.
"There is nothing on earth, however
good" said he, that cannot be put to
wrongful purposes. A great many=-
even adults-read the Bible wrongly,
and misunderstood. They read imper<
fections and cast aside the teachings
OF their childhood. There are no errors
in the Bible, although there are things
that are not true, as we see them to-
day. But there are many errors read
into the words of the Bible by those
who do not read in the proper spirit Or
with proper understanding. zv
'The Bible is not a book to be used
ny the CullUIGH SCUOOI. II SnOUlQ U0
read, as the council at Baltimore di-
| rected, in the family every day by the
| head of the house. Even the pan
| Should read the Bible advisedly. We
have in the law as we find it in the
Bible, thou shalt, and thou shalt not, ,
and in the living life, as we find it de-
picted in the Bible, we have the thou
shafts and the thou shalt nots.'
Its Reading Unfair.
ITO be properly read to the young,
the Bible must be explained, and the
|, teacher will naturally explain it dc-
cording to her form of religious be-
lief. Therefore, I say, the Bible should
not be read in the public schools, for
if there is a class which is composed of
one third Jews, one-third Protestants
and one-third Catholics, it is not just
! to the Jewish or Protestant children
that the Bible should be read and ex-
| planned to them by a Catholic teacher,
and it is not just to the Catholic chill
dren that the Bible should be read and
explained to them by either Jewish
or Protestant teacher"
I AT the morning session DR.. Joseph
| Campbell delivered his fourth lecture,
| his theme being, "The Ethics of Con-
| science"
Ethics Of Conscience:
CDR. Campbell defined conscience as
! that human faculty which perceived
and applied moral truths. Conscience
| is the natural human intellect. Human
! faculties used in deliberations of con-
| science are the senses, the inner con-
| seriousness and the intellect Consci-
ence is not a judgment of the intellect,
| but the fundamental, practical INTEL
| lect.
'First-Dr. Campbell took up the
theories of conscience propounded by
! Kant, Locke and others, and showed
| their error. Conscience is not an i'm
material instinct nor yet the accumu-
| lated experience of the race with ref
erence to utility.
'It is not lawful to act contrary to
| the commanding of the restricting
| dictate of conscience. Commanding or
restricting dictates indicate that a
moral law must be reckoned with, and
| If conscience says that a moral law
may be violated by a certain action
that action would be wrong even
| though conscience were mistaken and
| no moral law were violated. Refusal
| to follow the dictates of conscience
| would show contempt for law.
"It is not lawful to follow a permit
| ting dictate of conscience unless that
permitting dictate is certain. For a
hint that the permitting dictate is not
| justified should cause the person to in
vestigate and ascertain whether a
moral law would be violated If a GER
tain course were pursued. If there are
any doubts, one is obliged to investi-
gate.
ga lax conscience decides without
sufficient inquiry.
'"The liberal conscience is too likely
| to give itself free rein and question
| things about which there is no doubt.
ga scrupulous conscience sees moral
law at every turn and often magni-
! fies it's importance, so that it is always
in torture lest it may do wrong.
mot every certain permitting die
| tate of conscience is a safe dictate"
| Certainty excludes fear of error, but
rational certainty implies inquiry in
case of doubt. The man who despises
| all ethical doubts, even serious doubt,
may act without fear of error; he may
| be certain he is acting rightly, but his
| certainty is not rational certainty.
| The certainty of a safe permitting die
| tate of conscience must be rational
certainty, such certainty as implies
| reasonable inquiry, in case of serious
| doubt. In passing, it may be said that
! a safe permitting dictate of conscience
| need not be always correct. Involun-
| tary ethical error is not imputable.
| Ethical error may be involuntary G)
| when there was not any suspicion of a.
moral law which really exists, and (2)
when a suspicion has been examined
! with reasonable diligence without dis
| covering the practical certainty OF a
| special law. God does not demand the
| impossible or the unreasonable. With
| out suspicion of law it is impossible
| to come to a knowledge of law; with
out practical certainty of law it would
| be unreasonable to demand obsery-
| ance.
Liberty of Conscience.
| Liberty of conscience" is q phrase