The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1871-01-22

II 49, ~ n gs
4. The - ~ ~ Shs sIspsJsisa. wsrs rsdi-
ned the other dAy ~ ~ editorisl ID which
the Radical organ Of New orleans has pro-
n0anoedsths present version of the Bible
lhing James' sdition) good enough. After
aomiteang great amount OF bad transla-
tion, some Of it involving serious questions
VI doctrine and entirely mutilating the
sense OF the inspired writing, the Rep~bN-
can goes on to discuss the propriety of
making any corrections. It says the pres
emit version is 30 widely circulated and the
people are SO much welded to it and it's
errors that it would be extremely difficult
TO introduce an emended edition, 10 mat
ter how correct. The effort might create
confusion, unsettle Christians in the faith
and give chance to Infidels to criticise
and find fault.
Truly a wonderful confusion, that of being
set right! Would it not be better, however,
TO bear little confusion here than to be
confounded hereafter with q known and
wiiful acceptance of errorf And again.
what is the especial harm Of unsettling
Christians in their faith when that faith is err
roneons AS for the argument drawn from
dread OF the Infdels and their sneers, one
would suppose that carpers would have
much less chance with good translation
than afalse one, to find discrepancies and
point out errors.
The fact is that Professionalism tremblcs
at this tampering with the Bible, because it
has proclaimed the Bible as its rule of
falth. How will it sound to say that their
rule OF faith has been grossly and gIaringly
erroneous for three hundred years and
more4 If it has been SO heretofore, why
may it not be SO this timeq What guaran-
tee will honest, straightforward men have
that they are not being led astray again by
blind leadersa
Here will be the real unsettling of their
faith it will be reasonable doubt as to
the reliability of that rule of faith which
has deceived them once. The question will
stare them straight in the face. The mat
ter will present itself in SO practical a form
as to force itself upon their attention and
demand reflection. Now the whole strength
OF Professionalism consists in an nnauestiop-
ing taking for granted that the Bible ia
the rule of faith, and is the only one, and
that there cannot be q shadow of doubt
about it. Professionalism knows in its soul
that this is its weak point, that it ia. in
fact, an utterly false doctrine, and that it
will not bear investigation by honest and
sincere men. Hence its trepidation about
putting the gross and palpable lies and
contained in it's present fraudu-
lent version prominently before the pub
lie. Hence the great furry about unset
Ting mems faith.
But in spite ofall trepidation, land all dis
given to the enterprise, and
all sly winks Of leading Protestants to it's
projectors, intimating that they had better
let the matter alone, the movement is
bound to 60 forward. The great 1inguists
and learned professors, do not share in this
instructive dread of their more practical
They are on the trail of some
bad English and misunderstood Greek or
Hebrew, and they are bound to bring the
culprit errors tollight, though the heavens
should fall.
Thus the great heresy of Bible-worship
is about to be subjected to a formidable re-
volt within it's own citadel. Its own off
spring will expose it's weakness, and fiaunt |
it's faults before. the public scrutiny. |
While the great doctrine of the infallibility |
ofthe spoken word, through the teaching
of the Church and its pastors has just been |
defined with Irresistible force and eclot the
the great heresy of the Instability of the |
written word as private rule of faith, is
about receiving a death blow from the
hands of its chosen followers
Holy writ is the infallib1e revelation of
God, but it is infallible for those only who
are authorized to teach it, and therefore
to understand it, while others
may "wrest it to their own destruction It
has too long already been dragged in the
miro Of a blasphemous familiarity at the
hands of impudent and factious wranglers.
Let men learn to read its lessons with pie.
ty and humility-a humility which is will
ling to be instructed by those commission
ed to teach. 50
City Prospects.