Minor. The Protestant believes in such fallible teacher--his private
judgment or church.

Conclusion. Therefore, the Protestant is free to hear, and in perfect
harmony with his principles, to accept the teaching of any one who
approaches him for the purpose of instructing him. He is free to hear
with a clear conscience, and let his children hear, Catholic teaching,
for the Church claiming infallibility is at its worst as good as his
private judgment is at best, namely, fallible.

Religious variations are so numerous nowadays that most people care
little what another thinks or believes. All they ask is that they may
be able to know at any time where he stands; and they insist, as right
reason imperiously demands, that, in all things, he remain true to his
principles, whatever they be. Honest men respect sincerity and
consistency everywhere; they have nothing but contempt for those who
stand, now on one foot, now on the other, who have one code for theory
and another for practice, who shift their grounds as often as
convenience suggests. The Catholic should bear this well in mind. There
can be no compromise with principles of truth; to sacrifice them for
the sake of convenience is as despicable before man as it is offensive
to God.



CHAPTER XXIV.
UNBELIEF.

AN atheist in principle is one who denies the existence of God and