his charge. If he does so, he is out of harmony with his principles and
denies the basic rule of his belief. A Protestant believes in no
infallible authority; he is an authority unto himself, which authority
he does not claim to be infallible, if he is sober and sane. He is
after truth; and whatever he finds, and wherever he finds it, he
subjects it to his own private judgment. He is free to accept or
reject, as he pleases. He is not, cannot be, absolutely certain that
what he holds is true; he thinks it is. He may discover to-day that
yesterday's truths are not truths at all. We are not here examining the
soundness of this doctrine; but it does follow therefrom, sound or
unsound, that he may consistently go where he likes to hear religious
doctrine exposed and explained, he may listen to whomever has religious
information to impart. He not only may do it, but he is consistent only
when he does. It is his duty to seek after truth, to read and listen to
controversial books and sermons.

If therefore a non-Catholic sincerely believes in private judgment, how
can he consistently act like a Catholic who stands on a platform
diametrically opposed to his, against which platform it is the very
essence of his religion to protest? How can he refuse to hear Catholic
preaching and teaching, any more than Baptist, Methodist and
Episcopalian doctrines? He has no right to do so, unless he knows all
the Catholic Church teaches, which case may be safely put down as one
in ten million. He may become a Catholic, or lose all the faith he has.
That is one of the risks he has to take, being a Protestant.

If he is faithful to his own principles and understands the Catholic
point of view, he must not be surprised if his Catholic friends do not
imitate his so-called liberality; they have motives which he has not.
If he is honest, he will not urge or even expect them to attend the