humility born of common sense be there to soothe and set us at rest.
Moral truths are not geometric theorems and multiplication tables, and
it is not necessary that they should be.

Of course, if, as in science so in faith, reason were everything, our
position would hardly be tenable, for then there should be no vagueness
but clear vision. But the will enters for something in our act of
faith. If everything we believe were as luminous as "two and two are
four," a special act of the will would be utterly uncalled for. We must
be able, free to dissent, and this is the reason of the obscurity of
our faith.

It goes without saying that such belief is meritorious. Christ Himself
said that to be saved it is necessary to believe, and no man is saved
but through his own merit. Faith is, therefore, gratuitous on His part
and meritorious on ours. It is in reality a good work that proceeds
from the will, under the dictates of right reason, with the assistance
of divine grace.



CHAPTER XXII.
FAITH AND ERROR.

INTOLERANCE is a harsh term. It is stern, rigid, brutal, almost. It
makes no compromise, combats a outrance and exacts blind and absolute
obedience. Among individuals tolerance should prevail, man, should be
liberal with man, the Law of Charity demands it. In regard to
principles, there must and shall eternally be antagonism between truth
and error, justice demands it. It is a case of self-preservation; one