Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-04-07

Obedience were to any mere human
authority in matters OF divine revela-
ton; but the church is Gods church; is
a Divine Teacher a supernatural wit
ness; and it cannot be slavery to accept
the teachings OF church, with whom
the Holy Spirit of truth abides to quail
~ her for her work. In no science has
the human intellect EXPANDED into
grander development than in the sub
lime science of theology, in whose
ranks are counted some of the ablest
men the world has ever seen. These
thought it not slavery to accept the
decisions of the church any more
than the astronomer does TO accept the
fixed principles Of his science. Within
its legitimate sphere, human reason has
ever found the church its most strenu-
Gus detender-a champion ever ready to
shield its dignity when threatened by
dangerous speculatiOns. But sadly
enough, during six thousand years, was
il demonstrated land the demonstration
is daily receiving new fOrce), that human
reason, unaided by divine guidance, is
wretchedly blind and weak and foolish.
But. as said before, man never has been
entirely abandoned and left without
divine guide; and TO that guide will hui
man reason, assisted by grace, infallibly
lead men who place no obstacle in the
way. That guide, found and proved TO
be from God. man must follow it.
Now we maintain that that guide in
religiOn-that divine teacher-is the
Catholic Church. Protestants, on
the contrary, strenuOusly hold
that there is no living,
divine t. acher in the world. The Bible
alone, without note or comment, is
their only guide in distinguishing truth
from error; not the church; not the
apostolic teaching" With them there
is no voice proclaiming in audible and
unmistakable tones: I'VE are OF God,
&c" Before dwelling on the Catholic
doctrine, the Bishop glanced at the
Protestant position.
|. Abundantly in a previous lecture
has it been proved, he continued, that
the Bible cannot be our only guide in
religion. The system involves too many
insurmountable difficulties. Here are
some OF them. Is the Bible inspired, If
80, how is its inspiration satisfactorily
proved? Have we all the inspired
books? Ii not, were there any essen
tial doctrines contained in the lost
books? Is our English transla-
ton so correct that it renders the
exact meaning of the original? Ii We
don't know the ancient language, whose
word have we for the correctness OF this
translation? Only the word Of learned
but erring men. Then the foundation
of our faith is but human testimony.
III properly translated, are We quite
sure We understand il? Ii We put
different meaning on il from that IN
tended by the Holy Ghost, then we
have but our own opinions, not the
doctrines of divine revelation. Are the
arguments adduced To- support this
theory so plain and strong as TO con-
vince us, that Christ meant, that when
the New Testament should be written,
lior il was not written for half cen
tury after the Savior's time the Bible
should be substituted rs the only teacher
uf divine truth in the place Of
Eriug pastors, as He had appointed?
Where ise there any intimatlOn,
even the slightest, of such a substltu-
tiou2 None whatever can be found.
This is quite enough To make us reject
the theory OF human, not Divine, lnven-
ton. Unless an express purpose of our
Saviour, the Divine founder OF the
Christian religion, can be shown some
where in the Bible itself To make such a
change, then no such change can be ac-
cepted. 10 would be contrary to the
very theory itself "that nothing is To be
believed that is not found in sacred
Scripture" Recommendations and eN-
hortations 10 read the Scriptures are not
sufficient To prove that the Bible, with
out note or comment, IL our ONLY guide
i'm matters of faith. We, too, eXhort to
read the Bible; vet We reject the ProtcS-
tant theory, that the Bible is an all-suiii-
cient guide. III So, what need OF
preachers or ministers TO eXpOund It?
The Bishop then reviewed the
three texts which, he said,
were most frequently cited, ani
most strongly insisted upon by Protest
ants 10 sustain their system. The first
passage is from John ), %, search the
Scriptures" &c. At most, this refers to
the Old Testament, not To the New,
which had not been written. IL l. an
cXhortation 10 examine the divine ere,
dentialS of the Teacher but who will
dare affirm that, admitting Christ to he
the Teacher" sent from heaven, those
men were at Liberty To test the truth ot
any doctrine lie preached? The Savior
appealed to the prophesies and To
miracles to prove His divine mission;
these were his heavenly credentials.
But never did lie esutfer men To question
the intrinsic truth of what lie taught
Thus. too, does the Church proceed
She proves that she i from God, sent
hv Him Ia teach the truth; and thus
her divine mission proved, she demands
from men the acceptance OF her doc
trinCS.
The next passage usually produced.
is from III Tim. 3, l5-l7. Here a ain Is
ourstion of that portion only of sacred
scriptures which had then been written,
viz. The Old Testament. And II Is not
at all said that il Is necessary but only
HSeful to read IT, Moreover II must be
borne in mind that this exhortation Is
addressed. not 10 the faithful At large,
but to Bishop of the church, a witness
of the true faith; one of those, doubtless,
who. having prepared himself and
graduated in Scriptural studies, had re
criy,d the KEY 10 the room IN which
the Hulv Bible is said to have been
sacredly guarded. Out Of the reach OF
the people, remember, and accessible
only to the RabbiS, as We were told from
a Protestant pulpit on last sunday. And
forwhat is the Bible declared useful in the
hands ri a bishop? Ii is useful for the
purpose for which | am using II, Tor
which every bishop uses and has
ALWAYS used il. 1. e., 'fOr doctrine, Tor
repriof. for correction, &c" This isPr'-
cisely what the Catholic church rever-
emily believes.
CONCLUDED on Fourth Pags.)
SAD ACCIDENT.