, especially mortal sin, "is not _more than
certain_, you should decide that it does not exist," especially if the
conscience is prone to be tender.[2]

It is a principle of divine, as well as human law, that a man is to be
counted innocent until he is proved guilty.[3] We must give ourselves
the benefit of the doubt. This we can do safely, and without scruple,
provided we have been ordinarily faithful in the use of the means of
spiritual knowledge that God supplies, such as Prayer, Sacraments, etc.
We must insist upon this; in the first place, because the nature of the
human mind demands it. A thing that the soul really abhors could not
possibly find entrance without its certain knowledge. In the second
place, because justice requires it. We are bound to exercise justice
towards ourselves as well as towards others, and it would be manifestly
unjust to regard a man as guilty of a crime so long as the case is
involved in reasonable doubt.

The third reason why we must acquit ourselves when doubt exists, is
that it is a grave danger to the soul to become accustomed to the idea
of {153} committing sin. It is a principle of psychology that it is
much easier to perform an action when we have grown used to the thought
of it.

A fourth reason is thus expressed by St. Francis in a letter to the
famous Angelique Arnauld, Abbess of Port Royal: "If you accuse your
soul without just cause, you spoil its courage, and turn it into a mere
coward."[4] It is the Christian's duty by every means to encourage his
soul and to do nothing to discourage it. The Psalmist gives us
repeated examples of this, as for instance, when he cries, "Why art
thou so heavy, O my soul, and why art thou so disquieted within me.
Put thy trust in God, for I will yet give him thanks which is the help
of my countenance and my God."[5] Discouragement has been called "the
temptation of temptations."[6]

{154}

The soldier would not be tolerated in an army who made it his business
to go up and down the lines in the course of the battle discouraging
his fellows. We always feel that there is a peculiar meanness about
the man who tries to take the heart out of those about him. We must in
these spiritual matters, under pain of sin, be as fair to, and as
considerate of, our own souls as of the souls of others, for we have no
special rights over ourselves in such matters. Our souls are not our
own. "All souls are mine,"[7] says God, and we wrong Him whe