in whole, or
more mental than corporal. These works the Church does not consider the
law includes in its prohibition, and they are consequently not
forbidden.

It is impossible here to enumerate all that enters into this class of
works; custom has something to say in determining what is liberal in
our works; and in investigating, we must apply to each case the general
principle. The labor in question may be gratuitous or well paid; it may
cause fatigue or afford recreation: all this is not to the point. The
question is, outside the danger of omitting divine service, scandal or
circumstances that might lead to the annoyances and distraction of
others--the question is: does this work call for exercise of the mind
more than that of the body? If the answer is affirmative, then the work
is liberal, and as such it is not forbidden on Sunday, it is not
considered a profanation of the Lord's day.

On the other extreme are what go by the name of servile works, which
call forth principally bodily effort and tend directly to the advantage
of the body. They are known also as works of manual labor. Before the
days of Christianity, slaves alone were thus employed, and from the
word "servi" or slaves these are called servile works.

Here again it is the nature of the work that makes it servile. It may
be remunerative or not, recreative or not, fatiguing or not; it may be
a regular occupation, or just taken up for the moment; it may be,
outside cases of necessity, for the glory of God or for the good of the
neighbor. If it is true that the body has more part therein than the
mind, then it is a servile work and it is forbidden. Of course there
are serious reasons that dispense us from our obligation to this law,
but we are not talking about that just at present.

The reason of the proscription is, not that such works are evil, but
that they interfere with the intention we should give to the worship we
owe to God, and that, without this cessation of labor, our bodily
health would be impaired: these are the two motives of the law. But
even if it happened, in an individual case, that these inconveniences
were removed, that neither God's reverence nor one's own health
suffered from such occupations as the law condemns, the obligation
would still remain to abstain therefrom, for it is general and
absolute, and when there is question of obeying a law, the subject has
a right to examine the law, but not the motives of the law.

We shall