The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1873-03-30

ltB prRcttcal application uuioesOeSu "AA~
unquestioned, we now conclude by few
reflections 40 to the reasonabieness Of sush
q doctrine.
LIST. An Infallible Interpreter Of Rovela-
ton is as essential as revelation itself.
If Revelation 10 necessary to man, its
correct understanding is undoubtedly nec-
essary for If n man does not understand
the revelation it 10 no revelation AZ all
Therefore, he must have means Of know
ing positively or IntalEbly what the revela-
ton is and what it means.
To this it is answered, perhaps, that only
certain great doctrines of Revelation are
necessary, the others are merely useful.
Even so if the Almighty has seen it good
for men that those useful truths should be
made known to them, we would thwart
His intention by denying them the means
Of knowing such truths, even though not
strictly necessary to salvation. IfGod has
seen fit to rereal them infallibly, it would
be a waste of action on His part, it would
be purposeless exertion of power, if He
ceased the exertion of that infallibility just
there and left men in the dark as to what
He meant. And yet they would be to
certain extent in the dark, and His action
would be incomplete, if men could not as
certain infailibly what He wanted them to
know.
But laying this aside, an Intallible au-
thority is necessary for expounding at least
those great doctrines which are acknow-
lodged to be themselves necessary to saliva
ton.
To this Professionalism answers, "Not at
all. On those grand questions the Holy
Ghost illumines every man who reads the
Scriptures in good faith. All earnest seek
ers will certainly agree in their understand
ings of those fundamental truths"
Supposing this to be true, We cannot see
how it ,simplifies matters at all. On the
contrary, in flying from the dreadful con-
cession that one man can be infallible, it
makes all men 30.
And then, it is not true to start with.
There is no single truth in tho Bible upon
which those who take the Bible as their
rule of Faith are agreed. One numerous
and highly respectable sect of Bible search
ers, viz the Unitarians, does not believe
in the Trinity another rejects the Divin-
ity of Christ; another does not believe there
is any He'll, so on to the end of what our
Calvinistic friends take upon themselves
(infallibly) to call essential.
Therefore it does not appear that the
Holy Ghost will certainly illumine the
mind aud heart even upon the very first
principles of the Christian religion, and
thus the whole Revelation is a matter of
doubt and really no revelation at all, unless
it embraces tribunal which the Holy
Ghost will enlighten and will force to speak
tho truth when men come to it with
doubts.
2. Infallibility is most etficacious as an
! organizer. 1t is of the essence of unity in
the Church. The church being united in
one body with an infallible head, acts with
concert throughout it's members. At home,
its means are not wasted in keeping up
rival establishments. On the mission,
among heather or inldels, it acts with o
force and an influence unbroken by inter-
nal warfare, aHd it does not bewilder those
whom it would convert, by an apparent
multiplicity of conflicting and hostile
creeds.
3. The doctrine of Infallibilty in the
Church is far more conducive than the con-
trary doctrine, to individual piety. An
immense number of well-meaning young
men and women, are deferred from an
open membership of the Church, and from
practical life within its fold, because
they cannot tell which is the Church.
They are told d" search the Scriptures"
This they regard as an arduous undertake
ing and, though fully intending to go
through with it sometime or other, they
put off tue labor little longer. If there
were but one body il the world pro-
Tossing to be a Christian Church las
there ought to bel, they could have
no difficulty on the point. There
would be no profound and painful inves-
tigation to DO made, and with their good
intention, they would without delay en-
brace a life of open religious lractice.
Instead of studying the pros and cons OF
the Sacrament of Penarce, they would