The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-10-03

not COuLrdQlCL f1lulS6ll.
But be careful! What we have just
said can only, be applied to righteous
conscience. If we take an erroneous
conscience that often errs taking this
or that to be Gods law, then, there
is another question, for in that case
we have not liberty of conscience as
understood in this second sense, and
we'll may then competent authority
tyranize over all my interior and eX-
terror actions. Take for instance the
case of fanatic who really believes
himself to be inspired by God to kill
the first priest he meets, and let us
grant that he is seriously persuaded
that such a sacrifice is pleasing to
God; will he be able to defend himself
in the name of liberty of conscience?
Certainly not.
3. Let us now consider third way
of presenting this liberty of con
science
Have l a right to follow the die
tates of my conscience in my private
life; to choose that estate in life to
which | think myself drawn or called
by God; to frequent that Church
where I think the true religion is
taught and practised; to bring up my
children in my own faith?
Could you imagine law enacted
filming me because assist at Mass, as
it was the case in times of the "vir.
gin" Queen Elizabeth of England, or
that forces me to give up my job that
keeps me and family alive, as
happens in that famous liberty
French Republic and others of that
type? or that sends me an exile
guilty of having dedicated my life to
God and worked for the good of my
neighbor? or compel me to a double
taxation if l refuse to bring up my
children in total ignorance Of their
Creator? May law exact all this and
| be just?
No, an inviolable right supports me
in my private life that does away with
any legal obstacle in the accomplish,
ment of my duty.
This is the third way of presenting
that Liberty of Conscience-liberty
| based on the natural right of every
man, who must be left alone in the
| fulfilling of the divine law. Any law
denying this right is wicked and I'M
| just.
4. Now, in my public life-in my
relations with other men, may
write, speak teach, eXhort or preach
in conformity with the dictates oil
my conscience? Of that, there car
be no doubt. The argument used in
number also holds good here. Mar
must be left alone to fulfill Gods law
once the divine law is known to him
This is then the fourth way of under
standing Liberty of Conscience"
But there must always be a but
in every question, and so let us have
one here, that may be applied also
to number 3, the third way of under
standing this liberty of conscience
Do not think for a moment that the
statements put forward in numbers
and are in all cases unconditional.
Let us imagine rascal whose
conscience tells him that public au
thority is an usurpation of power; the
holding of property theft; the marri
age state slavery; that homicide
theft, adultery and so forth are in
nate rights in man; in other words
suppose a conscience in all thing!
erroneous, false and contrary to thu
first principles of natural honesty
how could you grant such one lib
| erty" to live privately and act publicl.
in conformity with such conscience
The righto'of following ones con
science ought never come in conflic
with higher rights, be they natura
or positive. 1t is then the duty of al
competent authority to limit in a wa.
the exercise of such liberty of con
science as that spoken of in number
3 and 4, according to the expedience
of the common good.
5. We come fatty to the fifth kim
of Liberty of Conscience" that on
so much discarded to-day, and s.
earnestly defended by every Tom
Dick and Harry: that is to say dis
carded by those who believe in God
and defended by those who deny Hi
existence; discarded by those VIII
adore and preach Jesus Christ, AM
defended by those who ignore ant
blaspheme Him; discarded by thos
who distinguish truth from error, goot
from evil; defended by those VIII
confuse them-that is, the so callet
liberty of thought speech, writing
liberty to teach all and everythin,
that boils in the scanty brains 0
every fool that breathes Gods air.
Taken for its worth, such libert,
is falsehood and the grossest immor
ality. There are principles boil
religious and moral, that, like noun
tains, must remain unmoved and un
changeable. Just as he who tries II
move mountains is thought a fool, 81
in society should he be viewed wht
doubts those principles. And just a.
society watches over fools, sendin;
them to lunatic asylums, in like man
ner she ought to watch over thos
who attack her foundations.
In spite of the assaults, these foun
dations must stand; they will perhap
remain safe, but the attacks will leav
behind much gravel and rubbish tina
society will have to washsaway if sh
does not give away under the strain
Such absolute liberty of conscience
| 10 criminal To Grant ~ ~ I'll oc /;