The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-09-30
- egAgxloIIo ~
JDOCTRINAE. SSSHS EITURGICAL. \


Author of all truth, there can be no
contradiction in truth. All emanate
from the same source and must all
agree. This method has no doubt
been pushed to extremes. There are
people who will not believe anything
in religion unless they can find proof
of every doctrine in the world around
them. This is wrong. There are
many supernatural truths which can
not be proved by the light of natural
reason. The attempt TO do so has
driven many really able men from the
Church altogether Revelation is need
ed to prove supernatural truths.
Reason can merely suggest analogies
and show the lack of contradiction in
these truths.
Perhaps the supporters and the OPP
ponents of the new apology which
seeks to justify all dogma by reason
have both been at fault. The oppon-
ents of the system fear that attempts
to prove the existence of a super
natural fact by certain need OF that
fact implies that the fact itself is of
being subjective and imminent, that
is a thing Of the mind only, the fact
itself will be of the same order, name
ly, subjective This would, of course,
destroy all the objective value of re-
ligion. The supporters of this
method have upheld with all the en-
thusiasm of new disciples the value
of proving all dogma by the innate
need in the human heart for this or
that dogma. They have at times in
sisted that this is the only true
method to be used in theology, thus
setting at naught the traditions of
the theological schools.
But estimated coolly, the new
method has certain merits, but not eX-
elusive merits. To show beforehand
the necessity of devil does not prove
absolutely. that there is a devil. On
the other hand, divine revelation
which tells us that there is a devil
does not prevent us from specializing
on the innate need which we all eX-
perience Of having devil, and of
| feeling with devout gratitude how good
! it is that there really is a devil. Our
thirst does not create drink; but it is
surely not wrong to think that God
derful order would hardly cause us to
| feel thirst if He did not cause, too,
the means of quenching our thirst.
Now after this rambling introduc-
| ton, let us see how this method of
fitness may be applied to the sacra-
ment of confession. We cannot prove
that sacramento confession is de-
manded by nature. We can prove that
sacramento confession is emphatical-
! ly in accord with the demands of ma
ture.
First of all there is a tendency in
the human mind and heart to seek
after truth and knowledge. Man seeks
latter truth not SO much for the sake
of the sheer truth itself as for the
sake of what the truth means to him.
And the more that truth touches him
intimately, the more ardently does he
seek after it. The scientist who med
itates upon the stars does not inquire
with such feverish intensity about a
new planet as a sensitive woman does
over the report that the sewing circle
made of her character at it's last meet
ing.
Just as there is this tendency in hui
man nature to learn, so is there the
same tendency to disclose what has
been learned. There is no fear that
men will make brilliant discoveries
and conceal them from the world.
There is no danger that the poet will
conceal in his heart the thoughts and
sentiments which are created there.
These men speak and sing with the
same necessity that the birds sing in
the trees. Who can withhold the
thought that the heart has conceiv-
ed writes Job.
This is simply the application to
human thought and emotion of the
great universal law of fiux and refiux
of all things. Just as the lake re-
ceives the waters of the rivers, so
does it send forth rivers of water.
Just as man has the tendency to ac-
quire knowledge, so has he the tend
ency to transmit this knowledge. The
more personal and intimate the
knowledge, the more eagerly does man
seek to gain it. So, too, the more in
innate and personal the knowledge
gained, the more eagerly does man
seek to disclose it.
Now of the personal and intimate
thoughts of man, none are so close
as the conscience of sin, because none
so concern the prime desire of man
which is for happiness in this life
and in the next. Such thoughts of per-
sonal sin are the most CALLING and
the most clamorous for expression.
Hence the we'll known fact that muir
derers disclose their crimes even
though such disclosures mean the gal
lows. The case of Enoch Arden is an
everyday case. True it is that murder
will out.
If such be the need of human ma
ture, to express the thoughts of the
mind, is it not we'll that there be an
institution where such expression be
made? Is it not, at least, fitting and
in accord with what we know of HUI
man nature that the practice of per-
sonal confession should exist?
There is still another argument for
the confessional, founded upon the
value of the confessional as a means
of self-purification The old warning