47 8
ESSAYS ON LIBERTY
which condemns him utters the voice of the Church. If he finds that it does, he yields to it, or ceases to profess the faith of Catholics. If he finds that it does not, but is only the voice of authority, he owes it to his conscience, and to the supreme claims of truth, to remain constant to that which he believes, in spite of opposition. No authority has po\ver to impose error, and, if it resists the truth, the truth must be upheld until it is admitted. N o\v the adversaries of Dr. Frohschammer had fallen into the monstrous error of attributing to the congrega- tion of the Index a share in the infallibility of the Church. He was placed in the position of a persecuted man, and the general sympathy was with him. In his defence he proceeded to state his theory of the rights of science, in order to vindicate the Church from the imputation of restricting its freedom. - Hitherto his works had been written in defence of a Christian philosophy against materialism and infidelity. Their object had been thoroughly religious, and although he was not deeply read in ecclesiastical literature, and was often loose and incautious in the use of theological terms, his \vritings had not been wanting in catholicity of spirit; but after his condemnation by Rome he undertook to pull down the power which had dealt the blow, and to make himself safe for the future. In this spirit of personal antagonism he commenced a long series of writings in defence of freedom and in defiance of authority. The following abstract marks, not so much the outline of his system, as the logical steps which carried him to the point where he passed beyond the limit of Catholicism. Religion, he taught, supplies materials but no criterion for philosophy; philosophy has nothing to rely on, in the last resort, but the unfailing veracity of our nature, \vhich is not corrupt or weak, but normally healthy, and unable to deceive us.! There is not greater division or uncertainty in matters of speculation than on questions of faith. 2 If at
1 NaturphilosoPhie. p. 115; Einleitung in die PhilosoPhie, pp. 40. 54: Freiheit der Wissenschaft. pp. 4. 89; Atlzcnäum, i. 17.
Athenäum, i. 92.
