The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1905-11-11

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Can We lawfully presume to FORE
tell events that will depend upon the
free actions of our fellow men, ask
Charles Copper. S. j., in the Omaha
True Voice.
Even that can be done to some ex-
tent by thoughtful and observant
minds. not indeed with absolute GER
tainty, but with such ordinary iner-
rancy that it has received the name
of moral certainty" Thus 1t is not
difficult on many occasions for a man
of experience to foretell the approx
innate results of political campaign,
for a wise statesman to forecast the
consequences for good or evil of con-
templated legislation. 1t Is even easy
to foresee that young man who fire.
quents bad company will become de-
PRAYED, that the greedy devourer of
sensational literature will become the
victim of his passions and that the
constant reading of Ingersoll AMI other
infidels will obscure the light of faith,
almost as surely as he who touches
pitch shall be detiled.
In all such forecasts there is dis.
cerned by the human mind the connec-
ton between causes and their natural
effects. 1t is an exertion of our reason
ing powers, both honorable and often
very useful for the prudent direction
of future conduct.
Who can know future events inde-
pendently Of their connection with
past or present causes?
God alone can do so. We may guess
at such matters, but to know them is
impossible to US. For to know Is to
grasp the truth presented to our
faculties. But that which does not
exist, and has no necessary connec-
ton with anything known to US, Is in
no way presented to our faculties.
God could put it into our mind, II He
chose to do so; and He has done so in
very special occasions. in the case of
His prophets. For prophecy consists
in foretelling with certainty events
which cannot be known at the time by
anyone but God; as when Jacob on
his deathbed foretold the time Of
Christ's temporal birth, saying: THE
sceptor shall not be taken from Judah.
nor ruler from his thigh, till He
come that is to be sent, and He shall
be the expectation of nations" Gen.
iix., 10.
How does God know the future?
He knows, of course all He has
determined to do. AS He is all per-
feet, He does not change His mind.
like tickle man. He has determined
from eternity all that He will accom-
all His creatures do. or have done, or
will ever do. He knows even what
every one of them would do In given
cases which may never come to pass.
Why does he know all this? Because
an infinite intellect must know all
truth: but God is In every way inf
nitely perfect. A finite intellect cannot
know for certain any future event,
except by calculation from known
causes which must necessarily produce
that event in the course of time. But
free acts are not produced necessarily,
therefore, no finite mind can know for
certain the flee acts that will happen
in future. After all these considera-
lions we are prepared to take up the
matter Of fortune telling, put at the
head of this paper.
Can any creature foretell the for
tune of any man?
| The word fortune" comes from the
Latin root "fors," Chance" that which
is not learned by calculation from
known causes but happens unfore-
seen; We also call 1t accident"
luck" "hap." OF course, nothing
happens without a cause, and this
cause is known by the omniscient God
When we are asked why 1t happened
we say. God only knows" Just so:
common sense makes all sensible men
in all countries and all ages. under.
stand that God knows all things, thai
omniscience Is a Divine attribute
God, therefore, could foretell the for.
tune of any being. Now He alone car
foretell a fortune. foretell that which
cannot be foreseen by calculation from
present causes. This requires an in.
tellect independent Of time; but Gods
intellect alone is independent of time
What is the evil done by the for.
tune teller?
He pretends to do what God alone
can do; he arrogates to himself {
Divine power; he usurps prerogativt
of God. Those who consult fortune tel.
Ter give to wretched mortal an honor
that belongs to God alone. Therefore
Holy Scripture condemns this heather
practice in the strongest terms it evel
employs. 1t goes farther, and It shows
us that this manner Of insulting Goo
has drawn on the wretches guilty O.
it the severest temporal chastisemen