Page:Spiritual Reflections for Every Day in the Year - Vol 2.pdf/315



UR Lord, in the Gospel, has given us an important caution, namely, "Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment." This caution applies to every exercise of the understanding, but is more particularly needful in judging of spiritual things. Neglect of this caution blinded the eyes of the Pharisees, who trusted they were righteous, and despised others. And neglect of this caution led the Roman Catholics to anathematize all who followed not them. Neglect of this caution also causes all the sad animosities which exist among the different sections of the church at the present day. We state these particulars that we may better understand the position in which the church, represented by Noah, placed itself by intoxication. "Noah awoke from his wine."Clearness of perception, we may presume, returned; and with it, we may equally presume, came repentance for the sin in which he had indulged. The perversions of truth do not always originate in the love of evil. Let us hope that many persons who so pertinaciously confirm themselves in error, do so under the conviction that they believe such error to be pure faith. As, for instance, seeing the terms Father. Son, and Holy Spirit, of such frequent recurrence in the Word of God, and never having been instructed in their true meaning, they add the word person to the terms respec-