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96. The Ruling Power of Man in the State of Innocence

1. The first man had absolute rule and command over theanimate creatures of the earth. For God said (Gen. 1:26): "Lethim [man] have dominion over the fishes of the sea, and the birdsof the air, and the beasts of the earth." Now dominion meanslordship, mastership, even ownership. All sentient creatures obeyedinnocent man and none disobeyed him. When, however, man disobeyedGod, these sentient creatures were no longer subject to man'sabsolute control or mastership.

2. Man was created as master of all earthly creatures. Andhe was master of his own powers and tendencies, finding in them norebellion against his reason, that is, against his intellectuallyenlightened free will.

3. Human beings are all equal as images and children ofGod. But, as we plainly see, there are otherwise many inequalitiesamong human beings. They differ in sex, size, age, tastes, manners,abilities, health, strength, skills, and in countless other ways.Now, in the state of innocence there would have been some of theseinequalities, but none that involved defect or fault, whether ofsoul or of body.

4. In the state of innocence, man could not have beenmaster of other men in the sense of holding them in thrall orslavery. But there would still have been need of a social order;there would have been rulers and subjects. Parents, too, would haveruled and guided their children. But there would have been noharshness of rule, no injustice, no resentment in those ruledagainst their rulers.

"Shun too great a desire for knowledge, for in it there is much fretting and delusion. Intellectuals like to appear learned and to be called wise. Yet there are many things the knowledge of which does little or no good to the soul, and he who concerns himself about other things than those which lead to salvation is very unwise. "
Thomas á Kempis

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"Whom do you seek, friend, if you seek not God? Seek him, find him, cleave to him; bind your will to his with bands of steel and you will live always at peace in this life and in the next."
St Alphonsus de Liguori

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"Spiritual persons ought to be equally ready to experience sweetness and consolation in the things of God, or to suffer and keep their ground in drynesses of spirit and devotion, and for as long as God pleases, without their making any complaint about it."
St Philip Neri

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