Page:SermonsFromTheLatins.djvu/129

 spirit and  matter,  to  form  the  composite  man,  is  in nowise  subject  to man's  choice,  neither  is  his  preservation in  existence,  which,  after  all,  is  but  a  continuation of the  creative  act. To assert  that  man,  on  attaining the use  of  reason  and  freedom  of  choice,  may  lawfully reject the  gift  of  being,  is  to  stultify  the  action  of  the Creator and  arraign  Him  of  tyrannous  injustice  in having  afflicted  us  for  years  with  existence  without possibility of  escape. Man is  lord  of  the  universe, yes, but  his  dominion  over  created  things  cannot  be said  to  include  his  own  life. In fact,  dominion  implying, as  it  does,  two  distinct  terms,  the  possessor  and the thing  possessed,  cannot  possibly  exist  between factors so  essentially  one  as  man  and  his  own  being. Besides, the  law  of  man's  dominion  over  mundane things points,  as  to  an  end,  to  his  own  preservation  in existence. Now, every  schoolboy  knows  the  ethical axiom, that  the  end  of  the  law  cannot  fall  under  the law, and  consequently  no  man  can  have  over  himself absolute powers  of  life  and  death. Man is  for  God, as the  lower  creatures  are  for  man,  and  even  as  they acknowledge man's  dominion,  so  must  man  acknowledge the  dominion  of  God. God's words  to  the newly-created Adam  are  deeply  significant. He placed him  in  the  earthly  paradise,  "  to  dress  it  and  to keep  it,"  saying,  "  I  have  given  you  dominion  over  all creatures.  Of  the  tree  of  life  thou  mayest  eat,  but of  the  tree  of  death  thou  must  not  eat." Man's function as  high  priest  of  the  universe  is  not  to destroy,  but  to  preserve,  not  to  disobey,  like  a  faithless steward,  the  will  of  his  master,  and  usurp  his