Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-01-03
ca,holicism versus the bible.


Catholicism versus the Bible.
We now come TO the conditions upon which the
church claims the right TO insist, before granting
permission to any OF the laity TO peruse Gods
Holy Book. These we quote from Dixon, and pre-
sent them to the reader as specimens Of Romish
federation, and as confrmatory of the facts stated
in prior communcations. R "a VIC
Firstly. That those pho could read the scrip
lures in d eersion, must procure a Catholic rer@
sios.p "a Catholic version" that is, Catholic
Interpretation, a Romanst construction II is not
probable that any man. who is only permittedto read
such book, can become competent to appreciate
Professionalism Indeed, such versions are in
tended to inculcate the Roman Catholic doctrines,
that Professionalism is a falacy an absurdity,
heresy.
Secondly. /" The church has also right TO re-
quire that euen Catholic rersion, that Is, GER
sion made BY a Catholic author, shall not Be pat
into the hands Of the people, until IL shall haze re-
eeived the appreciation Of the proper ecclesiastical
authority" Ua
"The proper ecclesiastical authority" This Is
the Pope and his bishops. Even Catholic YER
sion must receive the sanction Of the Pope and the
bishops before the people can read it. II not APP
proved by these infallibe functionaries, II is re-
jected and burnt.
Thirdly. "Ine church, Dhen IL pleases, has a
right to require, that the people shall read those
persions only shich are accompanied Nth explain
atory ,otes taken from tho Fathers on approved
Catholic authors" The reasons assigned by Mr..
Dixon for this stringent regulation, are character
istc and indicate the secret of all the Papal anti
Bible legislation. Read 1t carefully. Because"
says he, "since there Is body Of teachers estab-
lished in the church whom the people are bound
to hear and obey it follows that the people are not
at liberty to attach to the Scriptures, any mean
ing opposed to the teaching of the church, or at
variance with the unanimous Interpretation of the
Fathersthose witnesses Of the apostolic doctrine
Any such meaning would be false" These are
the arguments to sustain the Pope and his agents
in their avowed effort to spread Catholicism and
their authority, which they teach to be supreme
and Divine.
The Church has an established body Of teachers,
and the people are not only bound to hear, but to
obey these teachers. Their teaching must not be
at variance with the unanimous Interpretation Of
the Fathers The Fathers--thosc witnesses of the
apostolic doctrine--were men, They were cardi-
nails, bishops, and priests, who assembled in coun-
ell and legislated upon all matters which had not
been withdrawn from the sphere of their legisla-
ton by Divine precept and also determined the
precise intent and meaning of all Divine precepts.
Their acts and laws the established body of
teachers are bound to hear and obey" SO that the
teachers are the mere medium Of communication
from the Fathers to the people.
Finally. "The pastors of the church have right
to prohibit the reading Of the Scriptures altogether
to those who are at the same time unlearned and
unstable-morc likely to indulge in their own curl
GUS speculations to the great danger Of the faith,
than to be guided BY notes Of learned Catholic
writers" (" Those who are, at the same time, I'M
learned and unstable" are, as Romanists have de-
fined them, those who would be "more likely to
indulge in their own curious speculations such
men as Luther was The Refomers were mis-
taken, and INDUCED Tin their curious spccula-
TONS" to the great danger Of Roman Catholicism.
1t needs but careful perusal Of the Bible, not
Catholic textbook, to excite in the mind of many
debarred Of this privilege, "curious speculatons"
This is an ingenious and Jesuitical subterugc. II
is the heresy-Protestantis is feared,
and which is thus so strictly guarded against, I'M
der the cognomen Of "carions speeuiations," This
ingenious language affords the adhcrents of Papacy
an opportunity to escape under the cover of the
various and manifold absurdities and dogmas which
they contend are so prevalent among " the un-
learned and unstable" but IL is useless TO disguise
its true meaning. Professionalism is the hallucina-
ton. Rcpublicapism is Of the curious specuis-
tions." Freedom Of thought freedom Of speech,
and liberty Of conscience, the offspring of Protest
antism, are but curious spcculations" to Pspists
and Jesuits. JABEz.