Encyclopedia of sacred theology - pagina 134

110

§ 43.

SCIENCE AND SIN

[Div. II

but communicate itself disastrously to our entire study? All this refers merely to the formal working of sin upon our mind. But this is not all. Sin also works upon our consciousness through an endless variety of moral motives. "Everybody preaches for his own parish" (cTiacun preche pour sa paroisse) is the simple expression of the undeniable truth that our outlook upon things is also governed by numerous can

it fail

scientific

An Englishman will look upon the hisDutch naval battles with the British fleet very

personal interests. tory of the

differently from a Netherlandish historian not because each purposely desires to falsify the truth, but because both are ;

unconsciously governed by national interests.

A

merchant

will naturally hold different views concerning free trade, fair

trade and protection, from the manufacturer, simply because

and trade-interests "unconsciously affect his A Roman Catholic has an entirely different idea of views. the history of the Reformation from a Protestant's, not because he purposely violates the truth, but simply because without his knowing it his church interests lead him away from the self-interests

Thus our physicians will readily be inclined

right path.

to

think differently from the patients about the free practice of

medicine

the jurist will judge the jury differently from the

;

free citizen

;

a

man

of noble birth will

attitude toward democratic

maintain a different

movements from that

of a

man

moral differences, which are governed by self-interests, and which sometimes work consciously and lead to the violation of conscience, but which generally govern the result of our studies unconsciously and of the people.

unknown

are. all

to us.

No word which

These

has yet been said of that third class of influences

are essentiall}^ sinful because

they result from the

injurious effect worked by sin immediately upon our nature.

The Christian Church the ivnderstandiyig

;

confesses this to be the darkening of

which does not mean that we have

lost

the capacity of thinking logically, for as far as the impulse

law of life impaired by sin. of its

is

concerned,

When

the

this takes

logica has

not

been

place, a condition of

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