The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1902-09-27
Faith and Its Essentials.

:. fathomleSS. On the bosom of thi
e ocean they are sailing, and may, a
y any moment be engulfed within it
1 abyss. This conviction may not b.
!. hattering to mans pride yet it is on
concerning which he cannot remain in
5 different, for all feel in their souls
a desire for truth and a craving fo
I infinite happiness. All must be inter
ested in the solution of this problem
On this ocean of life, where only {
few fragments of truth point out mans
origin and destiny, is there no vesse
to carry man safely through? Is there
not for man some reliable means OF
ascertaining his position upon this
boundless deseret of knowing exactly
what his destiny may be? Are there
any means of gaining partial in
sight into that awful game which man
is forced to play with death and eter-
nifty? Is there not a religion which
one may safely follow, one that will
direct his steps Alright in the path
that leads to death? For twenty GEN.
turtles the Christian religion has been
In possession. claiming all these per-
tectlons to an infinite degree.
1t is the helm that steers in the
ocean of life, the ark in the deluge, the
mama in the desert, the compass that
lnfallbly points to heaven. Religion
then, effectively speaking, is mans
salvation. AS faith precedes, and
must originate religion, the most in
structive and practical side of the
| question is its groundwork or subjec-
tive form, namely faith.
To embrace faith it is not neces-
sary that the object of faith should
be wholly comprehended. 1t is quite
| sufficient that in the portion of the
subject which is comprehended or un-
derstood, there may appear the ne
cessity of believing what is not-un-
derstood. Then there would be rea-
son for believing what is Ineligible,
and merit in believing what is not I'M
derstood Both constitute a rational
faith, that is, there is merit and rea-
son on both sides-there is merit in
understanding, since that cannot be
done without exertion and study. and
there is reason in believing, since it
is evident to reason that Christianity
must be an object of faith, not of
evidence.
Christianity, being q. divine religion,
treating Of God, must necessarily ex-
tend Infinitely beyond all the facul-
ties of mans reason. The object being
infinite, it cannot be embraced by
finite vision. More or less of it NAV
be, according to the exertions made,
and the disposition of the intellect
and will
The object of faith is God, who is
eternally immovable and unchange-
able. To have faith and feel secure
what must one do? There are three !
ways to belief, namely: Reason, habit |
and inspiration.
Reason must break the proofs to the |
mind, habit must confirm them; but |
in order to have the genuine treas
ure Of faith one must offer oneself |
humbIy to the light of inspiration. |
with meekness receive the migrated
word which is able to save your SOUL
James j., 81
Faith must be rational, therefore
reason comes first. To believe blindly
and without reason, one might as well
fall into the absurdness of paganfsm,
as embrace Christianity Reason,
therefore, must lead the way. But
from what has been said regarding
the infinite object of faith, reason
must be limited in it's claims. 1t is
to the interest of reason to restrain
its ambition, and even entrust the care
of it's discoveries to another agent.
This agent is custom or habit, that
is, the exterior practice of truth, which
will not only preserve but confirm and
and develop the discoveries of rea-
SON.
All convictions are not based on dem
onstration, which speaks to the mind
only. The number of truths actually
is wonderfully small. In
most cases conviction comes from force
IF habit. A conviction based on dem
alone is not solid, unless de-
Teloped by the practice of the truth ,
which the mind has perceived. This is
true when one is naturally
Inclined, to believe the contrary of
What is demonstrated, as is often the
,ase in religion.
Man may do his best to get rid of
III prejudices or preconceived ideas, but
is nevertheless true that all are sub
ect to CUSTOM habit or practice. If
t is not for religion, it will be against =
t, and in the latter case the force of :
labit will fatally tend to dissolve the
trongest acquired conviction. :
Conviction, in regard to religion is
of two parts; first, the rea- r
ons that lead one to adhere to the i
nystery as a mystery; second, the n
enetration of the mystery, which re- II
eais it as consonant to reason. The 5
peration of the mind, which produced c
hese two elements, will not last for t
yer. When it ceases, man is left to D
is habits, to the ordinary routine of t
fe, to his vanities and passions. What f
ill be the result? All have expert il
need it. They will strengthen or a
-eaken, if not entirely undermine the Il
IMPRESSIONS once made by truth. a
If mans customs and habits be in Il
eal opposition with the spirit of mys-
cry, they will revive the opposition be- 1c
yeen reason and mystery. On the O.
Their hand, if ones habits be in con- Il
,rmity with the suggestions of truth a.
lat is, if one put those truths in 5.
ractice, truth would become more and q
ore familiar, just like the mysteries nj
nature, to which no attention is w
aid, because all have grown accus- W
med to them. II
1t is safer and more reasonable to OF
axe ones habits conform to the prac- al
ce of Christian teaching than that fc
ley should be diverted into the chan bF