The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1875-09-05
a.ra,ng star and Catholic Messenger.
NEW ORLEANS. SUNDAY. SEPTEMBER lists.
Private Interpretation.

which curb evil inclinations, or tend to
moderate excuses, are those that men mosi
combat against. Tsexamine the decaiogue
from the beginning to the end, We notice
one principle which runs through the wnole,
and this principle 10 Incorporated IN 80
many probibitOry eDactments against mans
natural iDclinations. Man in natural
state, or more perfectly speaking, in his
unnatural state, desires fall play TO al hia
passions, bis lust for money, power, and
honor. he seeks every possible opportunity
to crafty. To love ourselves above all
others eeems the most natural thing In the
whole world, bat to love our neighbors ~
ourselves seems 70 the worldly and the
proud principle Impossible TO be carried
ont. Now system OF religion based in OPP
position to the Last mentioned principle
could DO supported BY argnments 40 strong
probation Of Scripture. To the proud man
nothing 10 80 Calling as obedience yet, In
tho order of nature, nothing tends more to
preserve the social order than the principle
of obedience taught by Christian principles.
The child wars against the authority OF the
whip him into subsection. Yet, the parent
will war against the Church and its teach
ings, and though not submitting to legiti-
mate authority, he considers himself moral
~ bound to exact obedience from his own
children, and compel it by the exercise Of
what he knows and believes to be legiti-
mate authority. Let question arise as to
the moral obligations which husband and
wife owe to each other. Tho marriage
ceremony plainly tells MS that the husband
is to love, cherish and protect his wife, and
that the wife must love, honor and obey
her husband. This we believe to be the
moral law governing the relative duties of
eonmenced wives; like dissatisRed' sub
jeets in rebel state, too, have their
grievances and wrongs to be redreesed, and
in their private Interpretation Of Scripture
they may invert the order Of those relative
duties, and construe the text that the hus-
band must be obedient 70 the wife, while
the helpmate will love, cherish and protect
her liege lord.
What 10 there in the Protestant princi-
pie that could consistently tell the wife,
"Woman thou hast interpreted this passage
incorrectly" could not the woman retort,
by saying, 81 am Protestant, my church
has taught me that private Interpretation
Of Scripture 10 all that 10 needed. have
interpreted such and such passages in such
and such ways, and yet you, minister Of
the Gospel from whom have learned that
principle, by telling me that I am wrong,
yOu have in so doing convinced me of one
of two thiDgs, either that the principle you
teach you know to be wrong, or chat If the
principle you taughtme is correct you have
against what in my opinion are correct in
corporations of such and such passages of
Scripture" Martin Luther taught his fol-
lowers that private Interpretation OfScrip-
taEe was a correct and q true principle, yet
this same Martin Luther excommunicated
ZuiDgIius for his Interpretation of the pas
ssge-"this. is my body" Zuinglius affirm
ed that the verb ISIS" was nsed by Christ for
Represents" while Luther commanded that
the verb "is" should be interpreted liter
ally. Now according to the Protestant
principle both interpretations though at
variance with each other must be correct,
while Luther was wrong in not granting
the same liberties to Others which he
claimed for himself. Calvin, although ne
taught the same principle, had Servetus
Brought TO the stake for exercising if.
Verify, the reformers themselves showed
no great love for the principles they
taught, and while Catholics are condemned
by Protestants for ignoring this principle,
Catholics fail to see how Professionals res.
poet it. Bat o short time ago Mr.. Jenkins,
= member of Christ Church, Clifton, Fog.
land, was refused communion by the Vicar
Of hiB parish on the ground that Mr.. Jen.
&ins denied the eternity Of parliament,
and the existence of the Devil. The action
Of the vicar In depriving Mr.. Jenkins of
what he considered his rights 80 q Protes-
tant,. has brought the question into our
courts Of low, and IL is pOssible that the
question of the existence or non existence
Of the devil will be decided by the Judieisl
committee of the Privy Council. Should
the Judicial Committee of the Privy COun-
ell decide this matter adverse 70 the views
Of Mr.. JeukinP, now, according 70 the Pro-
testant principle, how far can it expect Mr..
Jenkins to aeCept the decisionf Verify the
Protestant principle Of private interpreta.
tion 10 q two edged sword. and although it
Was . mighty weapon used by the reformers
Nna3nak Sha fyakEolta, Church that aapna
sword has turned against Protestant to them
Qelves, for to. day We fad az many religious
beliefs as there were languages at Babel.
Every Protestant who can spell through
the Bible, considers his Interpretation in.
fSllible and will not bow down or submit to
even that teaching which he pF0fesses to
believe.-M0ntPedL True Witness.