South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-07-08
HAPPENINGS IN AND ABOUT TOWN

their disobedience has created death
and hell and an moral evil Al
san is disobedience TO law All vir-
tue is conformity 70 law.
God is law and lawgiver The
constitution of His nature the
thoughts of His eternal mind. the
DEGREES Of His eternal will are law
eternal By a right use OF our rea-
son We can discover that some kinds
Of conduct are worthy. and Some
kinds of unduct are unworthy OF a
free ard rational being dependent
upon "a personal creator God. These
glimpses Of eternal law discOverable
hy reason alone we call natural
law
wow reason reveals 10 as that
we are born into a three-fold obe-
dience-obedience to family and
church and state 4 child is taught
obedience 10 his parents. he is not
consulted whether he wishes 10
obey The duty or "a child TO obey
its parents grows so plainly out OF
the natural relation OF parent and
child that few have questioned il.
yet Cod has commanded: Honor
thy father and thy mother. When
we were bgt a few days OIL our
parents had as baptized and before
we could formally give our consent
we were made subject % all the
laws Of the Catholic church. With
ont our consent we also find our
selves subject 90 civil law. The state
OF Indiana has not asked us wheth-
en- we intend TO obey its laws The
United States government has not
asked US whether we intend to obey
its laws. We must obey the laws
OF the land II we want 10 live here.
Obedience l. Duty.
Reason tells us that obedience
TO the civil law is "a duty. our ma
ture is social We are born 20 live
I'm society. To satisfy our most ele-
meutary material needs for food
and clothing and shelter in any
adequate way we must cooperate
with our fellow men We need
teacherss we need examples Of vir-
tuOus living. we crave concrete hu-
man friendship and companiOnship.
We need and we have q right to
the means TO develop the various
faculties God has given US. These
needs of our being can be supplied.
and these rights of om nature can
be realized only by social living. So
cial living then is a natural need.
an Indispensable condition OF ra-
tiOnal human being. But there can
be no social living without order.
There can be no order without law
There can be no law without au-
thority which has power to coordi-
nate the actions of each 10 promote
good Of ALL the end OF social living
That authority is the authority OF
the state The state then is a social
necessity 10 has the natural right
20 exist and TO command and 10 be
Obeyed in all matters which pertain
20 the end of its existence. Reason
proclaims that when the author OF
our nature made us social and thus
made social living and social order
and the state a necessity. lie OBJ
viously endowed the state with a
right 10 command and imposed on
us the duty 10 obey Such is rea-
sons account OF the origin OF civil
obedience. The apostle. however.
does not argue. he does not spin
out reasons for Us. Inspired OF God
he proclsims the divine origin OF
all authority. Of family. church and
state. Let every soul be subject
90 higher powers. for there is no
power bat from God and the powers
that are. are ordained Of God
Therefore he that resisteth the
power resiSteth the ordinance of
Cod.