Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-06-06
BIBLICAL INSPIRATION.
BISHOP IRELAND'S TIEWS IN REPLY
TO REV. S. G.. SMITH.
The First of Series of Lectures In the
Religious Conference.-The Two Rules
of Faith-The Beliefs and Systems of Re-
ligiOn-Can Professionalism Prove the In
SEPARATION of the Bible?

series OF LECTURES Dy DlSHop kiiciduu ihC
lectures viii be given on successive unday
evenings, replying to the recent letters and lee
lures by Rev. s. G. Smith, pastor of the
Methodist Episcopal church. Following is
the full text of last evenings discourse:
Ipropose to deliver ON as many successive
Sunday evenings, four lectures bearing upon
topics of religious controversy, which have
been suggested to me by recent letters and lee
lures of the Rev. s G. Smith, pastor of the
First Methodist Episcopal church of st. Paul.
I will strive in these lectures to cover the en-
tire ground which Mr.. Smith may have
touched upon without, however, limiting my
self TO his boundaries. My hope is that be-
! fore will conclude will have laid before you
at sufficient length, the two rules of faith, the
Catholic and the Protestant, to enable you to
form very definite judgment regarding their re-
spective values. Much that will say have al.
ready said from this pulpit. But great vital
questions cannot be too frequently discussed,
and, moreover, Mr. Smiths late declaration of
war against the Catholic church, gives at the
present moment an excl ing freshness to the
discussion of these subjects.
realize as / begin, the full and solemn I'M
port of the task which am undertaking. The
cause dG otdhc ID uCdtCu odClCQ tlutu, " ulSu
the incarnate God spoke to the world from his
own divine lips, and which according as it is
received or rejected, becomes for the souls of
men message of life or message of death.
God forbid that ever ap-
pear before you as a religious con-
troversallst through mere love of discus
sion, or to simply make parade OF my own
personal convictions; such motives l would
deem an objectionable lowering of my Office,
md hay chnu1d capoal m all Claims To
your esteem and your attention. l speak, be-
lieve me, only in loyalty to what my soul tells
me is Gods truth. Eighteen centuries ago
our divine Lord proclaimed upon the plains of
Palestine revelation, which he intended for
all nations and for all ages. 1t is my faith
that am minister of that revelation, having
part in the commission given to the apostolic
body. "Going We, therefore, teach all nations,
teaching them all things whatsoever have said
unto you # and behold lam with you all
days. even unto the contamination of the
world" Were I silent, when the divine
appointment for the transmission of
this revelation through time is called
into question, / would be dlsloyal to
my Savior, and criminally uncharitable to
my fellow men, for whose saving the revela-
ton was given.
have no difficulty in believing that the
same reverential regard for divine truth ami
mates my hearers this evening, whether Prot
estants or Catholics. What you all desire,
what you all seek, is Christ's institution
He is the way, the life, and the truth. Ac-
| cording to his rules; not accord
ing to rules OF our own
church Tetains you, my Catholic brethren,
| within her bosom, only because you firmly
believe that she is Chrlst's own creation.
Take from her divine origin, and what allie
glance do you owe her? In like manner, my
Protestant friends, if you have re-
manned in Professionalism, it is because
| Professionalism has seemed to you to
| be obedience to Christ. The supreme
law which we all desire to recognize is
Gods virginia. truth, pure and unspotted,
whole and entire, and thither will we go, there
| will we be Were Christ's truth awaits us.
Will be allowed to emphasize this duty of
| all men towards truth. The evil of the world
| to-day is Indifference towards truth, and, I'M
| less we are on our guard, there will be danger
that we suffer from it by contaglon. God is
| the master, and since he has given to us rev.
| elaton we must on the penalty of our souls
| salvation embrace it in the fullness with which
| he has given it, and under the exact forms with
which he has clothed it. 1t will not do to serve
| him according to ideas which we ourselves
| adopt, or according to ideas which we receive
| from men around US, unless these ideas are the
precise ideas of him who is our sole standard
of truth and righteousness, and who alone
shall Judge us. Nor can there be sacrifice
| too great to be made in order that we submit
to Gods truth. The breaking up of familiar
ties, the loss of friends, the forfeiture of the
| worlds smiles-what are these trlhes when
| there is question of doing Gods will? "What
doth it profit man to gain the whole world
and lose his own soul?'
| During this discussion 1 need not say that
my words, whatever they may be, will apply
1 H. - h. :af,
and systems of religion. will speak of PrOtes-
tantism and of the Catholic church, not of
Protestants or of Catholics. / am anxious
| that my Intentions be well understood in this
| matter. / should feel severe pain If al
| the close of these lectures I should
| discover I had uttered one word that
could have given personal Offense to my Pro
testant fellow citizens. value too dearly their
esteem and their gooI will not to give them
| beforehand this assurance.
| The special subject for this evenings lecture
will be Professionalism. find in Mr.. Smiths
| letters powerful confirmation Of all that
have heretofore said from this pulpit on Prot
estantism. 1t is important that l note this
confirmation.
| Whenever Professionalism was my theme l
charged that its principles and claims are but
assumptions having no foundations whatever
| in revelation, in history, in reason. No accu-
sation you perceive could aim more deadly
blow against Professionalism. If sustained it takes
| from Professionalism all foundation, reducing
| it at once to theory of the mind, philosoph-
| ical speculation rendering supertuous all
| further consideration of its supposed merits
| In the interests of truth, I again and again
| asked the Protestant ministers of the city, the
official guardians and representatives of Prot
| estantism to refute my charge, if refutatlon
| were possible. Rev. Mr.. Smith at the close
| of my last Lenten lectures came to the rescue,
| and expressed his willingness and determine
| ton to defend Professionalism. We will exam
| Inc his defense. 1t will strike thoughtful men
| as very singular piece of logic. Yet it is
Protestantism's best defense.
The first and most vital principle of Prot
estantism-the inspiration of the scriptures
was the question at issue. This is everything
for Professionalism; upon it the early reformers
| staked the whole movement, and
their appea! from the church to
| the bible has never ceased to be the
watchword of Protestanlsm. Gods written
| word it as ten thousand times declared to be
its sole rule of faith. Well, this, its most vital
principle--that the bible is Gods word, said
Professionalism cannot prove; for Professionalism
the inspiration of the bible is a mere assump-
| ton.
The ministers of st. Paul, no matter how
often had previously called for proofs of the
| ms piratiOn of the bible, had never attempted
to take up the subject,and had, consequently,
never been able to show my Protestant fellow
| citizenc from the failura of apfral attemnt