The autonomy of man, the freedom of his will, is a most valuable and noble prerogative. "God made man from the beginning and left him in the hand of his own counsel" (Eccli. xv. 14). Intelligence and freedom go together. Each involves the other. Intelligence without liberty to carry out its conclusions is an incompleteness, a violence, a state of slavery. To speak of freedom without the power of understanding and balancing the alternatives of choice is a contradiction in terms. Man therefore possesses absolute control within himself; none can interfere with this, even though a man may be prevented by his weakness or by external force from carrying his will into effect. This dignity is valued beyond all others; and there are very few who are not ready to sacrifice almost every other advantage in order to retain the fulness of their freedom. The possession of this is enough to raise man high above the level of the material universe, and to make him, insignificant as he may be in bulk and strength, a nobler being than the most brilliant of the fixed stars. This does not mean that you are irresponsible, but that you have so much a stricter account to render. It gives you the power to do as you like, but not the right as against God. It does not mean that you may act without restraint, but that the restraint must come from yourself. Use your freedom accordingly.
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