The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1845-12-23

not determine its orthodox meaning, and that We
must necessarily have recourse to another Judge OF con-
troversy have proved that Scripture taken in its let
ter cannot be judge OF controversy have proved that
Scripture taken IN us import cannot be judge Of con-
troveTsy; and shall briefly show you that Protes.
tans themselves admit this Between them and us there
is controversy concerning the deuero-csnoncai books
Of the Old Testament They reject those books the
authority OF the Synagogue. On this rejection shall
well with the fitness of things, for Christian to
run from the authority OF the Church Of Christ
to the Synagogue - And secondly by 50 doing
lures, which he asserts to be the only Judge of contro
versy, to another judge the jewish synagogue nov
come to the consideration Of the second point viz -
Are the Scriptures the sole rule Of faith Protest po
stvey assert that they The Catholic asserts that
they not and says that Scripture and tradition
the Christians rule o. faith. Here you will ask what
the Catholic means by raditionl In tho church there
are three kinds Of tradition The first s divine tradi
ton, and this regards what the apostles preachers of
the divine word have taught, but have not committed
h wbbng h eeond mere are
of he church. have instituted for the good Of souls the
administration of the sacraments, and the maintenance
of order such the Lenen fast and the observance Of
the Lords day Ecclesiastical tradition regards these
things which the chief pastors of the church have nst
tuted from time to time such the observance OF Ger
tain feasts and fssts. From this explanation you
that the Catholic holds that the Scripture is not the
whole word Of God but that there 10 also unwritten
word of God which is equally binding Christians
the written word The Protestant asserts that the
that il cannot be asserted wha, those divine and apostle
lical traditions To prove that there is an unwrit-
ten word Of God which binds equally with tho written
the Catholic refers to the ID Tnessalonians Cd chap
Hold the traditions which you have received by word
or by our epise" fall were written, would ST. Paul
have used this languagel II all were written would
St. John I'd Ephesians l2th chapter have said Having
other things to communicate did not wish to commit
them to writing" st Peu LIST Corinthians LIST chap,
says, The other things will arrange when shall
Gomez Ii all were written, would he have spoken thus.
In the nth chap Ephesans the Corinthians he po
syey praises the Corinhans for having ob,e the
traditions which they received. The reader Of eccle-
sastcsl history will find stated that Eusebus in his
Hlpnn "
ed OF the mysteries of the Christian rel
| gion from those whom they considered weak in the
faith and that they communicated by secret tradition
to those to whom they could be entrusted, and that
this Ia gathered from these words Of the apostle
ditisn we contradict the wisdom even of Pagan anti.
guilty. "Tully in his book law, says that moral
precepts and rules of conduct more efectually
sown in commonwealth by custom and usage. than
| by written laws" lsocrates in his letter to Philip OF
Aacedon says, that the oraces of the mind
powerful to persuade than written maxims The people
OF England and OF this country subscrib to this truth
by adherng 10 the common law, which is nothing but
of human wisdom. The great lights Of Christian anti
guilty have also taught the necessity Of admitting and
ing the words Of ST. Paul to the Thessaonans already
quoted says, is evident that we must be govern ed
by tradition seeing that the apostles did not every
thing" ST Epphanius, Bishop of Saamnis in Cyprus,
who lived in the fourth century says, the Christian
must hold to tradition and Scripture" st. Basil in his
book the Holy Ghost says, 1--WE establish some OF
doctrines by Scripture and some by tradition, for the
apostles have not written everything" Say them in
dspassionate moments if to be considered blind
and deuded for not the great
OF Christian antiquity for the snus OF the reorma
ton But how it be said that tradition is binding
as the Holy Scripture Because is the word Of God
What tradition the word of God Yes divine tradition
is the word Of God but the written word alone is justly
called the word Of God Tradition has good right to
be called the word of God, andwhy The written word
Is called the word Of God, because it is inspired; but
divine tradition is inspired, therefore it is the word
! of God Now, what difference, in point OF obliga.
and the unwritten worda We can see no adherence
What the apostles who wrote, have taught held TO
be the word of God and what the apostles who did no,
write, have taught is also the word Of God because
| they were inspired, and between their respective
teachings 10 Christian will have the temeri.y to
assert that there is any difference in point of au
thori,y. Without this divine tradition should
know nothing of the inspiration OF the Holy Scrip
lures. On the authority of this tradition alone
keep the first day of the week holy, instead of the
seventh reject this divine tradition and the whole Chris
t,sn fabric tumbes the ground How those divine
nc the following rules The first Is found IN his fourth
@ s Uh nd Which ha nos hea ne M
council, and which still holds is justly believed to
have descended to US from the apostles The second Il
who went before have found to exist in the church
and not to have been instituted after the age Of the apos
Ties, such practice il justly considered apostolical
Tie common objection which is urged gainst tradition
is taken from the Second Epse of St Paul to Timothy
teach. &c. &c. therefore, the scriptures sufficient
rule Of iaith This am willing to grant, If could bring
myself to believe the word useful means all sufficient
but as ! cannot believe this must take leave to stay
whore and say that the Scripture is not full rule
OF faith But in adhering to tradition you dsobey Christ
st Matthew 18th chap also disobey the apostles
the Coosssns ID chapters Peter LIST ep LIST chap
These texts would sound well in corveniicle against
the Priests aud the Romans Christ is said TO have re
pobaed traditions but did Christ reprobate the Mosaic
and necessary traditions of the Synagogue, by which
alone she could have known the divine authority Of
Books of Moses and his divine legaton1 But Christ
probated traditions he did. He reprobated the false
law and s.dnced the people from the truth Those ira
dons are familiar to the reader of the New Testament
/ rh nj Maf W lie nh lad
not lawful to eat with unwsshed hands, they also
bo atoned for BY some gift TO Almighty God The,
taught that to by tho temple and the altar was no
sim but to swear by the gold Of the Temple accord
ing to their teaching grievous sin Such the ira
dtions which Christ condemned and not the divine ira
sophisms Of the pagan philosophers and st. Peter
the superstons Of the Gentiles from which the gospel
had a us They certainly did not s0ndsmn az
ton. do We not accuse the Scriptures Of insufciency
We say that they not full rule of faith, and this we
have proved say that the Scriptures SO far as they
CO. perfect light to est and perfect rule Of
faith when follow the lines Of apostolic interpreta
ton as given by the Church Of Christ We say, they
law and every law human and divine, requires
authoritative interpretation, through regularly cons
the rule u faith and nudge Of contove,V 'O But we
are accused of putting the Church the Scriptures
The Church is over the Scriptures IN the same manner
that the judge who sits the secular bench is the
law but this judge is not above the law and the
su,on which he ntsrprets neither the Church above
Protestants in rejecting divine and apostocs traditions
resist the Scriptures they resist st. Paul. who com.
handed them In the persons of the Thessalonans TO
| hold fast the traditions which they received whe.
| ther by word or by his epistle. But they would
admit them if they knew them: They can know
| taem the some authority, and in the same man.
ner that they know the authenticity and the inspi.
ration OF the Divine scripures But these not doubt
full traditions The Scriptures themselves were doubt
full for some time The faithful did not know which
the genuine Scriptures until they separated
from the spurious by Pope Gelasus In the Nth century
We must canddly admit my friends that the testimony
the Christian Church. her from to age
from TO 10 solid foundation for belief in
divine and apostoca tradition, il Is for belief in
the Holy Scriptures After the decision Of the church.,
doubt was entertained concerning the genuine Scrip
and when the Church decides the divinity and
apostocity Of tradition, ell doubt must vanish. II We
look into the economy of revealed religion hnd that
it Is necessarily based testimony The patriarchs
religion transmitted by testimony for the space OF
When added his reliIl 10 the par