Page:TheYoungMansGuide.djvu/74

 their faith,  and  with  the  loss  of  faith,  have shaken off  all  moral  restraints. You, my  dear young friend,  will  have  to  go  out  into  life,  you will find  yourself  in  circumstances  which  are apt to  imperil  your  faith. How important,  therefore, it  is,  that  you  should  be  made  aware  of your  danger  betimes  and  so  be  on  your  guard against it.

2. Against  this  danger  to  faith  St.  Paul warned his  disciple  Timothy,  when  he  wrote: "There shall  be  a  time,  when  they  will  not  endure sound  doctrine;  but  according  to  their  own desires,  they  will  heap  to  themselves  teachers, having  itching  ears;  and  will  indeed  turn  away their  hearing  from  the  truth,  but  will  be  turned to  fables.  But  be  thou  vigilant"  (2  Tim.  iv. 3-5). We are  living  in  an  age  such  as  he  described. There are  in  the  present  day  only  too many men  who  resemble  those  whom  the Apostle depicts  in  the  words  quoted  above;  men who can  not  endure  the  sound  doctrine  of  Jesus Christ, the  Son  of  God,  but  disparage,  blaspheme, and  contemn  it. Sometimes they  express doubts  as  to  a  particular  dogma,  sometimes  they  jeer  at  abuses,  sometimes  they ridicule the  external  practices  and  ceremonies of Holy  Church. But above  all  things  they  seek to implant  in  the  mind  of  inexperienced  youth, and above  all  in  the  soul  of  the  young  man  who is just  entering  upon  life,  the  germ  of  unbelief.

3. What  a  misfortune  it  would  be,  if  such men should  succeed  in  rendering  you  unstable in your  faith,  or  in  causing  you  to  lose  it  altogether. Beware therefore  of  ever  following  the false, deceptive,  luring  light,  which  unbelief  too often kindles  in  order  to  lead  men  astray;  it  is a  light  which  dazzles,  a.  false  show,  an  ignis