Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1826-08-30

priests IN SucCeSSlon Till the END OF the law.
By ordinance Of God, the doctrines and pre-
cepts of the new law were to be made known to
all nations, in all ages, by the apostlesand their
successors, to the contamination of the world.
On the spiritual authority of the apostles and
their successors, who were diyinely commits
stoned to promulgate and teach the law OF
Christ to alnations; and on the uniform and u
UNIVERSAL testimony, belief, and practice OF all
Christian Churches from the beginning, the
|ceriitude Of the Catholic is grounded, that all
the doctrines which he believes, as articles OF
Catholic Faith, and all the sacred precepts and
rites, which he observes, as the ordinances OF
Christ, were really revealed and instituted by
Almighty God; and are the same, as were orr
ginaIly delivered by Christ to his apostles, and
by them promulgated over all nations.
The Catholic is fully satisfied, that this me-
thod which he follows, for ascertaining achat are
the revealed doctrines of divine faith, is the
right rule, and that it leads him to the unity OF
i truth.
Is he not al liberty to follow rule which
! gives such satisfaction and security?
Is 1t fair for others who, by following dif-
ferent rule, are led into a countless variety Of
contradictory doctrines on matters of Christian
belief, TO disturb the tranquility Of the Catholic
on this head, or to condemn him, for his sub
MISSION to the authority of ministry, which he
is convinced was established by Christ for the
purpose of bringing all nations to the certain
knowledge OF his law, and to the unity OF faith?
Is not this rule perfectly natural & reasonable?
Can any human legislator condemn the prnci-
pie and rule Of The Catholic in this regard?
Section uI.-on the Holy Scriptures.
! In England the Catholic Church is held out
as an enemy to the reading and circulating 81 The
! Holy Scriptures.
| Whereas the Catholic Church venerates the
! Holy Scriptures as the written part OF the Word
Of God, she has in all ages been the faithful
guardian of this sacred deposit: she has ever Ia
boured to preserve the integrity of these inspir-
| ed writings and the true sense, in which they
have been universally understood, at all times
| from the Apostolic age
! The Catholic Church has never forbidden or
discouraged the reading or the circulation OF
authenticated copies ofthe Sacred Scriptures, in
the original languages. She binds her Clergy
to the daily recital Of canonical Office, which
comprises large portion Of the sacred volume
and to read ant.. expound to the faithful, in the
vernacular tongue, on Sundays, the eplstle or
gospel of the day, or some>other portion OF the
divine law.
AS to TRANSACTIONS ofthe Holy Scriptures in
10 modern languages, the Catholic Church re-
quires that none should be put into the hands
of the faithful! but such as are acknowledged by
ecclesiastical authority TO be accurate, and con-
formable to the sense of the originals. There
never was general law Of the Catholic Church
prohibiting the reading of authorized transla-
tons of the Scriptures; but, considering that
many, by their ignorance and evil dispositions,
have perverted the meaning OF the sacred text
10 their own destruction, the Catholic Church
has thought it prudent to make regulation,
that the faithful should be guided in this mat
ter by the advice Of their respective Pastors.
Whether the Holy Scriptures, which ought
never to be taken in hand but with respect,
should be made class-book for children, is
matter ofrelig ious and prudential consideration,
on which the Pastors Of the Catholic Church
have right to decide with regard to their own
f1ocks: and we hold that in this matter none
have right to dictate to them.
The Catholics in England, OF mature years,
have permission to read authentic and approx
ed transations of the Holy Scriptures, with ex-
planatory notes; and are exhorted TO read them
in the spirit Of piety, humility, and obedience.
Pope Plus VII. in Rescript dated April 8,
1920, and addressed to the Wears Apostolic in
England, earnestly exhorts them 10 confirm the
people committed to their spiritual care, in
faith and good works and for that end to en-
courage them to read books of pious instruc-
ton, and particularly the Holy Scriptures, in
translations approved by ecclesiastical authori-
ty; because, TO those who are we'll disposed,
nothing can be more useful, more consoing, or
more anmating than the reading Of sacred
Scriptures, understood in their true sense-they
serve to confirm the faith, to support the hope,
and to in1ame the charity Of the true Christian.
But when the reading and the circulation of
the Scriptures are urged and recommended as
the entire rule Of faith as the sole means by
which men are to be brought to the certain and
specific knowledge of the doctrines, precepts, &
institutions OF Christ; and when the Scriptures
SO read and circulated are left TO the interpre-
tation and private judgment Of each individual;
then such reading, circulation, and interpreted
ton, are forbidden by the Catholic Church, be-
cause the Catholic Church knows, that the cir
cuation ofthe Scriptures, and the interpreted
ton of them by each ones private judgment,
was not the means ordained by Christ for the
communication Of the true knowledge of his
law to all nations--she knows that Christianity
was established in many countries before one
book of the New Testament was written-that